18 Jul

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MONDAY, JULY 18, 2011

Man dies after Mumbai blasts questioning

Amid security, Anthony released from Florida jail

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Militants warn S Korean firms over Mubarak port Iraqi group demands halting project • Barrak slams Maliki, FM

Bahrain Shiites pull out of talks DUBAI: Bahrain’s biggest Shiite party pulled out of the US-backed talks with the Gulf kingdom’s Sunni rulers yesterday, claiming the government was not serious about addressing Shiite demands for greater rights and political freedoms. Washington has strongly pushed for dialogue in the strategic island nation, home to the US Navy’s 5th Fleet. The protests that began in February inspired by the wider Arab uprisings - have been the gravest challenge to any Gulf ruler in decades.

Khalil Al-Marzouq, a senior member of Al Wefaq party and the leader of its delegation to the talks, told AP the party’s top leaders decided to withdraw from the so-called national dialogue during a meeting yesterday.

Marzouq said they have concluded that the government is not interested in political reform. “They have disregarded the opposition’s efforts to make the talks meaningful and we were not given a chance to put our demands for discussion,” Marzouq said. Wefaq was also given only five of 300 seats at government-designed talks.

The government did not immediately comment on Wefaq’s decision to withdraw from the talks, which started July 2. They are to last until the end of the month. Wefaq reluctantly joined the talks amid widespread anger among the majority Shiites who claim they suffer systematic discrimination at the hands of the Sunni dynasty ruling Bahrain. Sectarian tensions in the Gulf kingdom have deepened during five months of protests and harsh security crackdowns that killed at least 33 people.

Hundreds of protesters, activists and Shiite professionals like doctors and lawyers remain imprisoned awaiting trial on charges ranging from trying to topple the government to participating in illegal protests.

Amid the crackdowns, Wefaq staged a mass resignation of its 18 lawmakers in the 40-member lower house of parliament. Two former lawmakers are in custody and on trial on anti-state crimes.

Continued on Page 13

By A Saleh and Agencies

FAIRYTALE WIN

FRANKFURT: Japan’s players celebrate with the trophy after the FIFA women’s football World Cup final match between Japan and USA yesterday. Japan won 3-1 in a penalty shootout after the final finished 2-2 following extra-time. — AFP (See Page 20)

Murdoch’s woes grow

Prominent writer arrested tion to protest against their presence.” On Saturday, Homs was the scene of clashes between regime supporters and the opposition. Official media yesterday reported an “explosive” situation in the eastern border town of Al-Bukamal.

“The situation in Al-Bukamal is explosive, so the army is preparing to intervene,” said the pro-government daily AlWatan. “The authorities fear an armed revolt in this border town where (insurgents) can easily find logistical and political support.” One civilian was killed in the area on Saturday when security forces opened fire to break up an anti-regime demonstration, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said. However, the official SANA news agency spoke of “armed terrorist gangs who stormed a government building and seized the weapons stored there,” adding that three security personnel were killed and two kidnapped in the attack.

Continued on Page 13

BAGHDAD/KUWAIT: Shiite militant group Ketaeb Hezbollah, which has claimed deadly attacks on US troops in Iraq, warned a South Korean consortium yesterday to halt work on a Kuwaiti port project. The consortium led by Hyundai began work on the Mubarak Al-Kabeer port in May, raising the ire of authorities in Baghdad who have repeatedly demanded a halt to the project, which they say will strangle Iraqi shipping lanes. “We are warning the companies working on the Kuwaiti port against continuing the project,” said a statement from Ketaeb Hezbollah.

“The Iraqi people will not forget what the government of Kuwait is doing by building a port to strangle Iraq economically,” said the statement, posted on the group’s website.

The militia, which US officials say is backed by Iran, claimed responsibility for a June 6 rocket attack in which six American soldiers were killed. It was the worst day of the deadliest month for US forces in three years. The military lost 14 troops in June. US military officials in Iraq said earlier this month that rockets used against their soldiers had been traced to the group, and that they carried the signature of Iran.

Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri Al-Maliki said on Friday that Kuwait had yet to notify Baghdad officially of the Mubarak project. He said Baghdad only learned about it from third parties. Meanwhile, MP Musallam Al-Barrak criticized the foreign ministry’s Iraq policy, particularly over Kuwait’s right to build the Mubarak port, and labelled it as ‘weak’.

“The FM’s responses to Iraqi statements made the Iraqi side go too far in abusing Kuwait,” he charged, urging Sheikh Mohammad Al-Sabah “to stop taking Kuwaitis lightly and be more straightforward with them”.

Barrak also threatened to grill the FM if he discussed the Mubarak Al-Kabeer issue with Maliki. “Ever since the days of the monarchy through the days of the Baath party, Iraqis have been the same - they don’t want to acknowledge our borders,” he said. “We don’t need Maliki’s permission to build our port,” added Barrak accusing Maliki of lying when he denied Sheikh Mohammad’s statements that he was notified of the project. “Why didn’t the FM respond to such lies?” he wondered, reminding that Kuwait was different from that before 1990.

Continued on Page 13

British police chief quits, Brooks held

Syrian army swoops on border towns DAMASCUS: The Syrian army yesterday set its sights on the town of Zabadani near the Lebanon border as it pressed ahead in its campaign to overcome an anti-regime revolt, a human rights activist said. In the east, on the frontier with Iraq, security forces were also reported to be preparing to intervene in Al-Bukamal after one man was reported killed there on Saturday. “Security forces today penetrated Zabadani,” 50 km northwest of Damascus, said Abdel Karim Rihawi, who heads the Syrian League for the Defence of Human Rights. “They searched houses and arrested more than 50 people.”

Zabadani has seen several protests since demonstrations against the regime of President Bashar Al-Assad erupted in mid-March. Rihawi said soldiers also entered the central city of Homs, 160 km north of the capital. “Four tanks and a troop transport took up position in Dawar al-Khalidya” in the city, he said.

“Residents organised a huge demonstra-

Max 45º Min 28º Low Tide 07:48 & 20:38 High Tide 02:22 & 13:14

SHAOYANG, China: Beekeeper Wang Dalin, 42, is covered with bees during a contest against 20-yearold Lu Kongjiang, also a beekeeper, in Longhui county in central China’s Hunan province yesterday.

Wang finally won in the hour-long duel as 26 kg of bees covered his body. — AP

“I have taken this decision as a conseLONDON: Britain’s top police officer resigned yesterday and Ruper t quence of the ongoing speculation and Murdoch’s former aide Rebekah Brooks accusations relating to the Met’s links with News International at was arrested as the a senior level,” Stephenson phone hacking scandal said in a hastily arranged finally tore into the heart televised statement. of the British establishStephenson was linked to ment.

Metropolitan former News of the World Police Commissioner deputy editor Neil Wallis Paul Stephenson said he in reports yesterday which was quitting due to said the police chief speculation about his accepted a five-week stay links to Murdoch’s earlier this year at a luxury empire and the force’s health spa where Wallis botched investigation was a PR consultant. The into hacking at the nowforce, which reopened the defunct News of the investigation into hacking World tabloid. His shock in January, six years after announcement came it first broke, is already just hours after police Paul Stephenson facing questions about arrested Brooks - who resigned on Friday as head of News why it hired Wallis as an advisor two International, Murdoch’s British newspa- months after he quit the tabloid. Wallis per arm - on suspicion of phone-hacking was arrested last week.

Continued on Page 13 and bribing police.

in the

news

Agility committed to resolve US dispute

Hospital denies Mubarak in coma

Groups urge UAE to release activists

Falls, eye test give clues to Alzheimer’s

KUWAIT: Kuwaiti logistics firm Agility said it was committed to resolve the dispute with the US Department of Justice (DoJ), following an adverse ruling last week, the firm said in a statement yesterday. “The company continues to believe the case involves a civil contract dispute and should not be a criminal matter,” Agility said in the statement. A US appeals court ruled last week against an attempt by the firm Agility to avert prosecution over charges it defrauded the US Army in multibillion dollar contracts. Agility shares slumped 6 percent yesterday, dragging Kuwait’s benchmark to a seven-year low. Agility was the largest supplier to the US Army in the Middle East during the war in Iraq. It is accused of overcharging the Army over 41 months on supply contracts the government says totaled $9.8 billion.

CAIRO: A Red Sea hospital yesterday denied a report that Egypt’s ailing former president Hosni Mubarak had fallen into a “full coma”, two weeks before he is due to go on trial for murder and corruption. “ The former president is in a full coma after his health suddenly deteriorated,” state television quoted Mubarak’s lawyer as saying. But minutes later, the head of the hospital in the Red Sea resort of Sharm el-Sheikh where Mubarak is being treated denied that the former strongman, now 83, had gone into a coma, the channel reported. “

DUBAI: International rights groups yesterday called on the United Arab Emirates to release from custody five political activists who have campaigned for democratic reforms in the oil-rich Gulf country. Among the five arrested are a prominent blogger and a frequent lecturer at the Abu Dhabi branch of Paris’ Sorbonne university. The activists have been charged with insulting the UAE’s rulers and using an online forum to conspire against the state. They were arraigned during a closed-door hearing in Abu Dhabi’s Federal Supreme Court last month. Another hearing in the case is scheduled for today. The rights groups, including the New York-based Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International, said in a joint statement yesterday the activists should be released because the government has presented “no legitimate evidence” to support charges against them.

PARIS: Scientists in Australia are reporting encouraging early results from a simple eye test they hope will give a noninvasive way to detect signs of Alzheimer’s disease.

Although it has been tried on just a small number of people and more research is needed, the experimental test has a solid basis: Alzheimer’s is known to cause changes in the eyes, not just the brain. A separate study found that falls might be an early warning sign of Alzheimer’s. People who seemed to have healthy minds but who were discovered to have hidden plaques clogging their brains were five times more likely to fall during the study than those without these brain deposits, which are a hallmark of Alzheimer’s. More than 35 million people worldwide have Alzheimer’s, the most common form of dementia. (See Page 28)

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MONDAY, JULY 18, 2011

LOCAL

Pregnancy ban, forced bed time for nurses Company staff work in slave-like conditions

By Ben Garcia

KUWAIT: His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah receiving the Acting National Assembly Speaker Abdullah Yousif Al-Roumi at the Seif Palace yesterday.

Ramadan food exhibition opens KUWAIT: The Ramadan food exhibition opened yesterday at the Kuwait I nternational Fair (KIF) grounds.

Undersecretary of the Ministry of Social Affairs and Labor, Mohammad Al-Kandari told the press that the KIF is accustomed to organizing and hosting the annual exhibition in preparation for needs during Ramadan. However, Al-Kandari, called upon consumers and visitors of the exhibition not to over-buy during the exhibition, as such items will be available in the markets throughout the holy month of

Ramadan. Al-Kandari added that the participation of the ministry, along with other concerned parties, reflects positively on the various members of the community and helps revitalize the movement of trade in the country within a competitive atmosphere. On his part, Abdulrahman Al-Nassar, the vice chairman and executive director of KIF, thanked Al-Kandari for his participation and inauguration of the exhibition. The R amadan Food Exhibition continues until the 30th of July. — KUNA

KUWAIT: Mohammad Al-Kandari visiting the stalls after inaugurating the Ramadan food exhibition at the Kuwait International Fair grounds yesterday.

—Photo by Joseph Shagra

KUWAIT: A subcontractor for the Ministry of Health has imposed slave-like conditions on medical personnel it has hired from various countries. Unpaid indemnities, curfews, forced bed time and salary deductions for refusal to work overtime have forced a group of nurses from the Philippines to seek help from their embassy in Jabriya. They are planning to lodge complaint through the justice system in Kuwait.

A group of Filipino health care workers (nurses, laboratory technicians, dental nurses, dental assistant nurses and dental hygienists) have recently lodged a complaint with the Philippines Embassy citing alleged violation of rights. The government of Kuwait recently allowed local subcontracting companies to hire health workers from the Philippines, India and Egypt for a lower salary. Few hundreds were effectively employed by the Ministry of Health. Through the sub-contracting companies, health care workers from the Philippines, mainly nurses, were hired at a basic salary of KD 250.

As per the contract, most were subsequently paid KD 380 a month and were designated at various ministry health clinics and hospitals in Ahmadi governorate.

They worked alongside nurses who were hired directly by the Ministr y of Health and paid a monthly salar y that ranged between KD 600 and 800 respectively. Private nurses employed by private clinics receive a monthly pay that falls between KD 250 and 400 depending on work experience.

This group of health care workers object to the discriminatory practices, especially in terms of the treatment meted out, “The labor law stipulates that workers must receive complete indemnity benefits at the time of completion of contracts. Then if we go on

vacation, we have the right to receive vacation pay. However, we are neither paid vacation money or indemnities,” said a male Filipino nurse who requested anonymity. The nurse who was employed by a private subcontractor continued, “We are not paid our vacation pay leave. The worst part is that they give us a

is its policy to not pay any of their workers end of service benefits,” the nurse said, referring to a statement issued by a company official.

In attempts to verify the claims, the calls made by this reporter yesterday to the company went unanswered.

No fair game

KUWAIT: Some of the nurses are photographed during the interview with the Kuwait Times yesterday. — Photo by Ben Garcia

document written in Arabic statThe health care workers also ing that we have received vaca- complained of unfair salary tion pay benefits,” he said, explain- deductions. One of the workers ing that a similar problem exists explained the reason, “For examwith end of ple, when you tenure benefits. are asked to take “ We were an overtime duty asked to sign a ‘We are not allowed to get of eight hours pregnant. If we do, we’ll they pay KD 10 declaration stating that we be required to pay KD 10 only, but if you received all were asked to each day or KD 300 a end-of-service and failed to benefits plus an month. And we can take a comply with the Arabic declarayou will maternity leave for one request, tion with an receive a pay month only.’ empty amount,” check with a KD he said elabo30 deduction.” rating the reaAnother female son, “If you don’t want to be nurse complained against hostel delayed, why go and complain? rules and regulations imposed by That is why many of us left the the employer, “We have a curfew country without the end of service till 10 pm. If you do not go to bed benefits. The company says that it by curfew time, KD 20 or even KD

Pre-Ramadan bazaars offer new opportunities KUWAIT: With the approach of the holy month of Ramadan, local privately-organized goods bazaars in Kuwait, offer something new to host and customer.

These events are giving honest job opportunities to young women and sometimes, men, as well as unemployed housewives, bazaar organizer, Salwa Al-Qabandi said.

They can also offer more traditional goods - that cannot be found at local supermarkets - for reasonable prices, she added.

Women’s only bazaars offer them a space to create and go free with their imagination, in an atmosphere of familiarity and comfort among their peers, another bazaar organizer, Alya Al-Enezi said. These

events, held annually ahead of the Ramadan season, usually offer handicrafts, Kuwaiti foods and locally-made goods, like traditional gowns for women ‘darraas’. Their success offers stall owners the chance the following year, to expand and offer a wider variety of goods, customized for more particular tastes, she noted.

Stall owner, Maryam Al-Ghais, says that Ramadan bazaars are usually dominated by women, but that she has noticed that young men are starting to be more involved.

Competition is tight, she said, and more and more stall owners are finding more elaborate ways to produce and sell their merchandise.

Another stall owner and housewife

- who did not provide her name said she and her sister have been offering their goods to the bazaar for three few years now.

With pride, she pointed to her Arabic coffee and tea cups and colorfully designed drinking glasses on show. Wadha Al-Mutairi, who is selling traditional women’s gowns and dresses at the event, said she designs and tailors them herself.

“I have dresses for different occasions, and they are all made of silk, mostly,” she added.

Ramadan bazaars are no longer uncommon events to the tiny Gulf country, and can fill a gap in the local market, large supermarket chains have possibly failed to notice. —KUNA

UN body evaluates Kuwait airport security KUWAIT: The International Organization for Civil Aviation, which is a subsidiary for the UN, has evaluated procedures followed at the Kuwait International Airport. The organization demanded that Kuwait authorities implement a variety of changes in order to avoid risking the safety of aircrafts.

Security sources said that the organization provided several recommendations, which have been implemented, partly. One of the recommendations was that passengers should be checked properly, as in Kuwait passengers are not checked thoroughly.

The report emphasized the importance of implementing security steps in regard to the planes food supply. The food is delivered to the aircraft, and the report noted a lack of abidance to the

rules, which may lead to entry of illegal items into the aircraft.

The organization demanded responsible security authorities on airport security to start exchanging information with other countries, especially concerning terror threats. The need of further laws to protect security information was also highlighted.

The report noted that necessary conditions are required for those permitted to carry guns on board, as well as by security, and that the pilot should be aware of their quantity as well as the seat numbers of carriers. The pilot should also be aware of the number of deported persons on board and their seating.

Furthermore, documents, visas and passports should be scanned by computers in order to avoid forgery. — Al-Anba

Zakat House launches Ramadan Iftar project in 24 countries KUWAIT: Zakat House announced yesterday the commencement of the implementation of Iftar (fast-breaking) projects in 24 Arab and Muslim countries during the forthcoming holy month of Ramadan in collaboration with 32 bodies and charity agencies in those countries.

Director of external activity in the Zakat House Abdullah Al-Haidar said that the project includes the provision of 83,108

meals in addition to providing packages of food the cost of which is estimated at about KD81,006.. Al-Haider said that the project is one of the many charitable projects carried out by the Zakat House overseas, in addition to the contribution of Kuwait Finance House (KFH) with about KD 50,000 this year. He expressed his thanks to all charity agencies participating in the financing of this project. —KUNA

30 is deducted,” the same nurse added ruefully.

The female nurse also objected to the company’s ‘no pregnancy’ policy. “We are not allowed to get pregnant and if it does happen, you are required to pay KD 10 fine each day or KD 300 a month. You are also allowed to take a maternity leave for one month only.

Instead of the company paying maternity leave privilege you are obliged to pay them KD 300 in cash,” the female nurse voiced out.

The series of complaints is also inclusive of a vacation plan which employees are asked to submit a year in advance, “If we do not submit a plan, it means we are allowing them a chance to forfeit our vacation. The air ticket is not provided despite the fact that it has been mentioned in our contract.

We were supposed to get return tickets every two years,” the nurse said. She further claimed to being asked to pay KD 1,000 or KD 2,000 for demanding an end of contract certificate.

Last April, an official from the company allegedly held a briefing at the Mahboula hostels where they informed nurses about the option that about 30 nurses can apply with the Ministry of Health.

But there was a catch, the nurse said, “In return, the thirty workers must pay the company KD 2,000 each. The official asked us to take the ministry exams. If we pass KD 2,000 will be taken by the company. Should we fail the exam, KD 200 is deducted and are required return to our home country. No one has taken up the offer,” she added.

The Philippines Embassy has informed the Kuwait Times that a letter has been sent to the said company, a copy of which was obtained by this newspaper.

Philippine Labor Attache to Kuwait David Des Dicang refused to comment on the subject pending a meeting scheduled for today with the company’s owner.

Residential expansion KUWAIT: The Public Authority of Housing Welfare is reviewing the option of allocating a 5000 square meter area at the side of the Seventh Ring Road, near Abdullah Al-Mubarak, to build future housing projects after the Kuwait Oil Company conceded the property last month. The authority is mulling over the option as part of their ongoing plans to continue housing projects included in the development plan to expand the state’s residential areas. According to a source, other locations that the authority studied include north of Al-Subbiya, where an estimated total of 4345 housing units can be constructed, as well as AlNuwaiseeb (south east), Al-Abdaly (north) and Um Naqa (north).

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MONDAY, JULY 18, 2011

local

KD 500 wage to split families Draft law aims to shrink expat numbers

By Hussain Al-Qatari

KUWAIT: Autistic children take part in the annual summer club activities.

Summer activities at Autism Center KUWAIT: The Kuwait Autism Center has launched its 15th annual summer club activities, which are organized this year by the center’s Reach School.

In a statement made recently to the press, the center’s deputy headmistress, Rajaa Al-Tuweetanm, said that autistic students in schools from all over Kuwait as well as other Gulf Cooperation Council countries are participating in this year’s event, which includes entertaining and educational programs that aim to improve the student’s social communications skills.

Al-Tuweetan added that the center is still receiving applications from volunteers wishing to help organize this year’s summer events, especially Loyac (Lothan Youth Achievement Center) volunteers who have been participating on an annual basis.

US official praises Kuwait’s support to ICMP SARAJEVO: US ambassador to Bosnia and Herzegovina Patrick Moon praised the role played

by Kuwait in cooperating with the International Commission on Missing Persons (ICMP). Kuwait has been a pioneer in recognizing the importance of such a committee in inspecting facts of wars and disaster all over the world, he added.

The committee contributed toward finding missing victims who were killed during the Bosnian war, besides missing victims during the Iraqi invasion to Kuwait.

Moon invited Kuwaiti and Turkish ambassadors to Bosnia and Herzegovina to his residence in Sarajevo, in recognition of their efforts to cooperate with ICMP headed by former US ambassador to Bosnia, Thomas Miller.

He called on continuing cooperation with the committee to find missing people in Bosnia, stressing that ICMP is working to find missing people all over the world, including Kuwaiti victims of the Iraqi invasion. The Kuwaiti ambassador to Bosnia Fadel Khalaf accompanied by the Chairman of Kuwait National Committee for Missing Persons and Prisoner of War Affairs Fayez Al-Enezi, visited ICMP headquarters in Sarajevo and discussed means of cooperation. — KUNA

Panel to help prevent family disintegration KUWAIT: The Ministry of Justice and the Ministry of Awqaf are coordinating to create a committee to prevent family disintegration in society and to identify the main causes of the issue. An official source said that the two ministries will offer suggestions in coming meetings and will be commencing work as soon as they receive approval.

The source added that the lack of knowledge of parents will be considered. The issue of how to raise families will also be deliberated, as will the issue of time management between family members in contributing to the family structure. The source emphasized that blame won’t be placed on individuals alone, but considerations will be made of all members and the extent to which they’re fulfilling their responsibilities.

Differences between family members will be discussed, especially taking into consideration the age, education and culture. The source said that the weakness of the family supervision can lead to the disintegration of the family unit and that social supervision should be intensive, as should criticism and direction. Furthermore, the source added that the issue of attention paid to children will be raised, as many leave their children to be raised by their domestic staff.

The priority goal of the committee will be helping families build and strengthen themselves. Parents will be advised on issues regarding raising children and the various responsibilities that arise with it. The source added that families will be encouraged to stop blaming each other and being overly negative within the family unit.

Instead, it will be advised that the issue of responsibility and caring will be promoted.

The role of the Ministry of Justice will be to collect statistical data to reveal further information about the issue and to promote family consultation services in order to discuss topics that can be detrimental to marriages, sometimes causing divorce. The Ministry of Awqaf will be in enhancing Friday sermons that concentrate on the strengthening of the family unit.

KUWAIT: In an attempt to restructure the demographics of the country, the Ministry of Interior is reportedly drafting a law to increase the minimum wage required for non-Kuwaiti residents to sponsor their spouses and family by 100 percent. An official at the Ministry of Interior said that the law will take several months to be finalized, noting that it cannot be applied during the current situation. “The Ministry of Interior will work closely with the Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs (MSAL) in order to finalize this law. It is related to the rights of workers, and the Ministry intends to pass it after studying it thoroughly,” said the official who spoke on condition of anonymity.

For many expatriate workers, the very idea of such a law comes as a shocker.

Mahmoud, a 32-year-old accountant at a government establishment said this move will do more damage than good.

“I’ve been married for one year and my wife is in Egypt to complete her studies there. This law will destroy my future

plans. Choosing between my job and the financial security I have here in Kuwait and life in Egypt is tough,” he said.

Mahmoud says he earns a little less than KD 400 from which he is able to save money and pay for living expenses. “If I

bility, a justification cited by the Ministry of Interior, a 40-year-old expatriate woman from India, Manju, said that the wages are very low in Kuwait’s private sector, noting that the decision seems to be very unrealistic. “Many people work-

‘The MoI is always combating crimes, saying there is too much involvement in prostitution and sexrelated crimes among the lowest-paid expatriate laborers who don’t meet the current requirement of KD 250 wage. So does it expect these crimes to decrease if the minimum wage is increased?’ try to make my wife look for a job, her stay in Kuwait will not be as stable as it would if I was her sponsor. If she leaves because of a disagreement with her employer, for example, or for any reason her contract is terminated she will have to leave. It is not stable at all,” he added.

Commenting on family financial sta-

ing in the private sector do not earn KD 500, they earn less than that. Is the government serious about this decision?” she asked. Manju said that it would be more appropriate if the government worked on guaranteeing better wages for expatriate labor before suggesting such a far-fetched idea.

“The MoI is always combating crimes, saying there is too much involvement in prostitution and sex-related crimes among the lowest-paid expatriate laborers who don’t meet the current requirement of KD 250 wage. So does it expect these crimes to decrease if the minimum wage is increased?” she questioned.

Manju noted that workers tend to seek a more stable life when they live with their family. “People come here to make a living, so they need their family to live with,” she added.

The Ministry of Interior is reportedly doing this as part of its plan to introduce more stringent eligibility criteria for expatriate workers, ultimately aiming at restructuring the demographics of expatriates working in Kuwait. The Ministry of Interior began a random crackdown campaign from the beginning of this month to deport illegal expatriate laborers with expired residence permits.

According to the ministry’s studies, there are more than 83,000 illegal residents in Kuwait, and according to latest statistics obtained, expatriates in Kuwait add up to twice the number of citizens.

Airport passenger traffic increases by 8% KUWAIT: Kuwait ’s Direc torate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) announced yesterday that Kuwait International Airport has witnessed an increase of eight percent in pas-

senger traffic, a total of 775,000 passengers for the month of June 2011 compared to the same month the previous year.

In a press release, DGCA said that

the total number of arrival passengers at the airport reached 312,700, whereas departures reached 426,000 passengers last month.

I t noted that flight operations

from and to Kuwait international airport during June 2011 recorded over 7,000 flights. Air cargo also witnessed a lift of 16 million kilograms during the same month. — KUNA

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MONDAY, JULY 18, 2011

LOCAL

Local Spotlight

kuwait digest

Terror gets an easy ride!

Kuwait’s Marshall Plan

By Ahmad Al-Sarraf

By Muna Al-Fuzai

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fter the end of World War II, the United States launched its large-scale program to support Europe’s recovery. Although formally known as the European Recovery Program (ERP), the initiative is better recognized as the ‘Marshall Plan’ as it was named after the then Secretary of State George Marshall. It allocated a $13 billion budget to complete projects within a four-yearperiod, with the main goal of combating the spread of Soviet-sponsored communism to West Europe.

Sixty years after the initiative was put into effect in 1948, we find that its philosophy is similar to that of Kuwait’s development plan, mainly when it comes to focusing on the future instead of rebuilding the devastation created by war, improving industries by utilizing the best work methods that American technologies had to offer, eliminating administrative and legal barriers, as well as elevating people’s spirit by giving them a reason to look forward to a bright future. The first results of the Marshall Plan were seen in 1952, when the level of achievement exceeded expectations and countries of West Europe enjoyed unprecedented levels of prosperity that still last.

On the other hand, if we look closely into Kuwait’s experience after the 1990/91 Iraqi Invasion, we realize that we all contributed toward crushing all principles of prosperity through neverending conflicts between MPs and ministers.

Eventually, we reached a point where we are in dire need to have our own version of the Marshall Plan to launch a program of prosperity in the country.

Can the new Development Minister Abdulwahab Al-Haroun come up with something like the ‘Al-Haroun Plan,’ to help get the country out of the embarrassing situation it is in? It can be possible if such a plan would focus on addressing main problems such as slow implementation of projects, lack of regulations or law enforcement, as well as an alarming shortage in basic needs and infrastructures necessary for the development process. At the same time, the plan should also help create thousands of jobs, increase the number of citizens among working staff of all state directorates, improve human resources and spread the general idea that political stability can be achieved through

kuwait digest

muna@kuwaittimes.net

W

ould you give money online to an individual or organization which you don’t know in person? How many people are actually willing to donate to an unfamiliar charity group? If you’d guess that it would be only a few, I have a surprise for you; down the years, I’ve seen many people in Kuwait giving money for a cause and sometimes without knowing where their money is going, who they’ve given their money to or who the real beneficiaries are.

The worst part is the misuse of the term ‘charity’ by

kuwait digest

Expulsion over explosion?

Dr Hassan Abbas

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slamist lawmakers rarely weigh matters concerning the state’s foreign policy. Even when they do, their stance would reflect a lack of experience in the subject, which is natural considering their attention is mostly focused on subjects pertaining to religion and social moralities.

This isn’t a judgment on Islamist MPs’ performance but rather points out a characteristic that distinguishes their political approach. I felt the need to point it out after reading recent statements made by MP Falah AlSawwagh, in which he demanded that the Iraqi ambassador to Kuwait be expelled after an attack was launched near the Kuwaiti embassy in Baghdad.

Without digging deep into finding a relation between Al-

Sawwagh’s statement and the ideology of his political group, let’s take an analytical look into the incident which he addressed.

The Kuwaiti embassy is located in the Green Zone center of Baghdad, which is the area most prone to continuous attacks carried out by Ba’ath rebels or Qaeda terrorists. Iraqis are used to news about terror acts happening at the Green Zone, and that was even confirmed by Kuwait ’s Ambassador Ali Al-Momen when he commented on the recent incident.

Despite the fact that sabotage incidents aren’t something that is called ‘unusual’ in the already unstable Iraq, Al-Sawwagh demanded that Iraq’s top envoy in Kuwait be expelled for an incident that is more like a daily routine in

the lives of Iraqi citizens. In my opinion, the lawmaker’s stance here reflects political naiveté and inexperience, because countries only expel ambassadors when all other diplomatic options are proven futile.

For example, ambassadors were sent packing before when countries discovered violations such as inelegance or theft of natural resources committed by said ambassador’s country. It doesn’t make sense to force the Iraqi ambassador out of the northern Abdaly border for a terrorist attack that targeted Kuwait ’s embassy, which the Iraqi government had no hand in. After reading Al-Sawwagh’s statement, I no longer wonder why the Foreign Ministry has no Islamist personnel within its staff. — Al-Rai

A Summer related State!

kuwait digest

The need for devout leadership

By Dr. Ghanim Al-Najjar

By Terki Al-Azmi

I

wonder why some Iraqi politicians are so keen on creating tension with Kuwait at summer times. We have had so many unpleasant such experiences with our brothers in Iraq during the summer. We have actually become ready to receive such fiery statements blowing with summer hot winds even if it’s about an illusion such as allegations of building a nuclear reactor near the border which are the calmest compared to Iraq’s borders with other countries. Iraqis have been keeping silent about Iran and Turkey’s violations and, in some case, trespassing and bombing in addition to interference in Iraqi domestic affairs.

It is absolutely for the good of both Kuwait and Iraq to boost cooperation between both countries as we have both suffered from tyrants who run mad and wild even if this leads to total destruction.

Historically, the most significant ‘Summer crises’ with Iraq fell after Kuwait’s independence on June 19, 1961 and the second came by the invasion on August 2nd, 1990 following a state of acceleration in the previous month.

It was hardly a week after Kuwait declared its independence when the former Iraqi PM Abdul Kareem Qasim held a press conference in which he considered the independence void over allegations of Kuwait’s subjectivity to Iraq. According to records, no one knew of Qassim’s intentions and, in fact, the Iraqi foreign ministry had prepared a telegram of congratulations to be sent to Kuwait but he stopped it and sent a fiery one instead, which called for bringing British troops to Kuwait and substitute them four months later by Arab troops.

The same thing happened, more cruelly this time, in 1990 when Saddam Hussein started criticizing both Kuwait and UAE before he invaded Kuwait in August announcing annexing Kuwait to Iraq.

On both occasions, foreign elements were present. It has been said that the British ambassador, Humphrey Trevelyan met Qassim and advised him to threaten Kuwait. It has been also said that the US ambassador to Baghdad, April Glaspie gave Saddam Hussein an impression that the US would not inter fere if he chooses to invade Kuwait. The only truth is that if it hadn’t been for the irresponsible statements of Qassim, Sheik h Abdullah Al-Salem would not have brought the Brits to Kuwait and if it hadn’t been for Saddam’s invasion, the US troops would not have come to the region.

Iraqi politicians do not realize that one single irresponsible reckless statement, even if made for tactical or disturbance reasons or insinuated by an influential neighboring country that controls Iraqi policy, might take us back in time. We need more calmness, contemplation and focus on mutual interests. — Al-Jarida

K

uwait aspires to become a developed nation, and has many ambitions including a development plan hoped to help achieve this ultimate goal.

However, when we attempt to compare between these ambitions and efforts made to achieve them, we soon realize that the wide gap between the two gives a lot of reasons to be more pessimistic about the future of Kuwait.

Reality says that the country is bout for an imminent economic crisis, since 95% of the stateís budget depends on oil revenues according to official statistics.

Reality also tells us that our government doesnít understand the

relationship between privatization and establishing an attractive environment for foreign capitals, nor is it willing to stop the approach of unstudied overspending.

A week ago, I submitted my PhD. Thesis which focused on the significant role of a good and professional leadership to boost Kuwaitís economy. It is based on a nearly two-year study during which opinions of senior staff from many major local companies were taken.

In short, one of the conclusions I reached is the fact that Kuwait needs reconstruction for its economic structure, which includes changing the criteria by which

leaders are selected in both the public and private sector, as well as amending regulations so as to prevent senior officials from making flawed decisions that eventually bring suspicions of corruption to their firms.

There arenít many reason to feel optimistic about Kuwaitís ability to rise when there are lawmakers who act based on taking their personal interest as a top priority.

We need an awakening that eliminates all kinds of politicians who misused their positions in the parliament.

We desperately need a devout form of leadership, because itís our only hope to achieve development. —Al-Rai

kuwait digest

Strangers at home

By Iqbal Al-Ahmad

T

he contributions made by Arab citizens during Kuwait’s revolution in the sixties are undeniable. Doctors, engineers, teachers, journalists and other workers who came from Egypt, Lebanon, Syria, Yemen and other Arab countries played a great role in catapulting Kuwait to its zenith for decades that followed Kuwait’s constructional revolution after the discovery of oil.

Eventually, those doctors, engineers, journalists and businessmen reached retirement age. At that point, they had no other choice but leave Kuwait where they spent a major part of their lives and return to their home countries where they feel like strangers. Throughout their decades-long stay in Kuwait, they visited their home countries for short periods of time.

Friendships built for thirty or forty years, and an entire lifetime spent getting accustomed to the society they live in, a resident finds himself forced to put all that

behind him when he has to leave because he is no longer productive at the age of seventy or eighty. They return to no friends or memories because they have to leave everything behind here in Kuwait. All they want is a chance to sit down at their homes with spouses and friends, without having to worry about children who would have become independent.

I am not going to talk about ‘naturalization.’ I do believe that these people who contributed

most of their lives to Kuwait regardless of how significant their job, deserve to have their efforts honored in some form. I believe that they should be given the option of permanent residenc y if they wish to spend the remaining years of their lives in the country. I do not think Kuwait will be harmed if these people are granted permanent residencies according to set conditions.

That is the least we can do for them. —Al-Qabas

many organizations, even by terrorist groups, as a justification for collecting money! Needless to say, in Kuwait for example, not all charity organizations are legal or authorized or approved by the Ministry of Social Affairs and Labor or any official state departments to raise funds.

There are many people here, however, who don’t really care about this. These people are not naive and may even be well-educated in some cases, but they simply don’t care enough to check out who they are donating to, giving their money with the belief that it will be used for a good cause. Many here don’t care what happens to their money and only want to enjoy the feeling of giving something.

If that money is misused, however, how can one take pleasure in having given it? Recent reports in local media suggest that the Al-Qaeda terrorist group is in financial trouble and has thus chosen an easy way of raising money from those who still believe in its cause or from those who want to give to a charity and will consider donating to any organization claiming to be involved in charity work, such as saving the poorest, most helpless women and children (which is the line used by all charity groups, even those belonging to the UN).

All these charities use women and children, including terrorist groups which kill and abuse women day and night and will use any money coming their way to kill anyone who gets in their way.

(Muna Al-Fuzai is currently on holiday. This column was published last year)

kuwait digest

Two pieces of marble

By Thaar Al-Rashidi

A

reader once blamed me by saying that I write only with a focus on public funds misappropriation. I did not defend myself but told him the latest scam that has been reported, regardless of whether it was done on purpose or due to neglect. In both cases, the individual responsible should be held accountable for the loss of KD 9.2 million for a Kuwait University project. That project proved that the most expensive pieces of marble are sold in Kuwait. As per the project tender, each piece of marble to be used to construct the building costs KD 2,250. That is definitely a very high figure and not at all logical. The project cost the university KD 9.2 million to just lay the marble for two buildings using 41,000 pieces. The violation took place in the manner in which the tender was dealt with. As a whole, it was discussed by budget committee members at the National Assembly Council before two weeks in the presence of university officials.

Apparently, the university contracted with a local company to affix 41 pieces of marble to two buildings at a tender value of KD 6 to 8 million. The contracting company finalized the contract in time. University officials found that two pieces of marble were not laid properly. Accordingly, the contracting company undertook the task of rectifying the error. However, university officials refused and decided not to pay the contractor. The contracting company moved the court to receive dues from the university. While the court case was in progress, university officials contracted with another company to lay the two marble pieces. The contract was awarded to another company for KD 600,000 only. The budget committee warned the university to not sign more contracts for same project until a court verdict was passed.

University officials ignored that warning and contracted with the second company for KD 600,000 to correct the two marble pieces. They paid the second contractor in full. A few days later, the court ruled in favor of the first contracting company and obliged the university to pay a full KD 8.2 million. With that, the project’s total cost rose to KD 9.2 million. All because two marble blocks were wrongly placed!

I asked my critic if I should illustrate the reason behind laptops? He remained silent and then asked me where the government was. I laughingly asked him if they were not part of it. — Al-Anba

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MPs want special session to discuss investigations Al-Barrak tirade against FM KUWAIT: A lawmaker plans to submit a request to the parliament calling for the allocation of a session in the next term to discuss reports finalized by parliamentary investigation committees during the past term. “Several committees submitted reports regarding various subjects that have been probed, and made necessary recommendations which require them to be given priority in discussion”, said MP Naji Al-Abdulhadi in a recent press statement. “The parliament needs to take measures in accordance with recommendations of the investigations reports in order to hold the Cabinet responsible for addressing the flaws”, he added.

Two other MPs, Saifi Al-Saifi and Maasouma Al-Mubarak, already announced their support for this measure. “People found guilty in investigation reports shouldn’t remain at their offices while their stance is still surrounded with suspicions”, Al-Saifi said. Al-Mubarak stressed on the importance of following up with procedures after probe committees outline their recommendations.

In other developments, veteran oppositionist MP Musallam Al-Barrak announced that the Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammad Al-Sabah has a “four months chance to realize and fix the points of flaw in his performance”, and that in his recent comment on the current Iraqi Kuwaiti issue over the Mubarak Al-Kabeer port.

“[Dr Al-Sabah] already reached a point in his career in which he is supposed to be fully aware of his duties from his post”, Al-Barrak said in critical statements to the minister’s reaction to escalating statements from Iraqi lawmakers and activists, “It’s upsetting that Sheikh Mohammad is yet to realize his flaws”.

Many observers feel that Al-Barrak’s recent tirade against the Foreign Minister is a prelude to a grilling motion that the lawmaker’s Popular Action Bloc could submit against him when the parliament resumes sessions late October.

In the meantime, the Cabinet sat down yesterday for its weekly meeting, which was described by sources quoted in an earlier report to have had an “economic theme”. The report published a day before the meeting

Two injured in street fights

By Hanan Al-Saadoun

KUWAIT: Salem Al-Othaina and other officials at the inauguration of phase one of Jabriya Water Plant yesterday.

Kuwait to conserve water through pre-paid supply KUWAIT: The Ministry of Electricity and Water’s pre-paid water supply project aims to conserve this valuable resource, and to ensure the accumulation of state funds. As the ministry embarks on the project, acting Minister of Electricity and Water, Salem Al-Othaina, who inaugurated phase one at Jabriya Water Plant, described it as one of the ministry’s “crucial projects,” now.

He said the phase is to be followed by others, and that the objective — which

will be conducted over a three-year period — will cost a total amount of KD 1.5 million.

Phase one includes seven water plants; Jabriya, Omariya, Mishref, Mangaf, Sulaibikhat, Jahra and Khaitan, and precedes another three phases, with six plants each.

The pre-paid service will be offered to consumers via cards, that will be readily available at various distribution points across the country. —KUNA

Private clinics offer quality treatment KUWAIT: With the increase in the demand for private medical clinics, the private sector is witnessing a new paradigm in the service of patients with the highest levels of medical care in parallel to providing the highest forms of welfare on the basis of treatment and welfare.

Private medical clinics are competing remarkably in the quality of services provided and methods of luxury comfort for patients in various medical disciplines by providing a suitable environment for business class and VIP. Kuwait News Agency shed light on this form of leisure by interviewing General Manager of a dental center, Dr Ahmed Al-Muhaisin about his experience, saying that the idea of establishing a dental clinic applying a welfare model emerged almost four years ago and proceeded since that time in finding ways to set up clinics offering luxury medical services.

He added that the idea mainly depends on providing the latest technology in the field of dentistry with creating an environment of comfort and luxury, both in furnishing the interiors of the clinic or the blending of colors and the location that was chosen specifically for that.

He explained that the application of this model was based on adequate technical studies which concluded that some patients are not looking only for treatment but want excellent means of comfort that spare them the trouble of treatment.

He said that before the application of this model, one must take into account the findings of the latest dental technologies and advanced treatment devices, sterilization and three-dimensional X-ray light that is in entirety in the interest of the patient and to ensure the best methods of treatment at the global level.

He pointed out that he based in the application of this model on the human and technological aspects in terms of bringing the best expertise and Kuwaiti cadres as well as the best equipment from major international companies specialized in the field of dentistry to ensure the success of this model. —KUNA

93,000 bedoons in Kuwait

KUWAIT: 93,000 is the most accurate estimation for the number of stateless residents in Kuwait, according to a news report quoting a senior source from the Ministry of Interior.

Speaking on the condition of anonymity, the source said that this number is registered in records of the central body that was set up by the government to find a solution for the problem of residents commonly known as ‘bedoons’. In the meantime, the source admitted that the number doesn’t include 4,000 residents whose names are not registered at the central body’s reports.

The insider also explained that the 1965 census shows that around 43,000 stateless residents were living in Kuwait at the time, while 16,700 more were recorded in the 1970 census, followed by 13,600 in 1990’s records. The total number, therefore, reaches an estimated total of 240,000 before the 1990/91 Iraqi Invasion. The first official population records after the liberation saw the number of bedoon residents at the time dropping to 130,000 before settling to the current 93,000 after nearly 22,000 legalized their status in the 20 years following the liberation.

The government has repeatedly stated that the naturalization process will only cover those who possess documents relating to the 1965 census. Others will only be granted with civil and social rights, especially residents proven to have intentionally disposed of their original nationalities when they arrived to Kuwait. —Al-Watan

KUWAIT: A noisy quarrel broke between a number of youth in Farwaniya near a restaurant located near the main street. As a result, a 19-year-old Egyptian expatriate suffered injuries to the head and was admitted to Farwaniya Hospital. Another fight broke out at a health facility in Mubarak Al-Kabeer governorate. A 16year-old citizen sustained stab wounds to his back. He was admitted to Mubarak Hospital.

Motor accidents A car accident took place along AlGhazali road towards Shuwaikh Port. A 28year-old Egyptian expatriate’s ear was partially severed in the incident. He was admitted to Al-Sabah Hospital. In another incident that took place near Jahra road near Doha expressway, three Kuwaiti men aged

17, 18 and 17 suffered multiple injuries. All the injured were admitted to Jahra hospital. In an accident that took place along King Fahad Road, A 29-year-old citizen suffered neck and lower chest injuries. He was admitted to Al-Adan Hospital.

Three arrested Three young men were involved in a scuffle that broke out in Jabriya. Police were informed of the incident after discovering that the young men also participated in a rave party and were in a heavily intoxicated condition. They were referred to concerned authorities.

Hit and run case A 40-year- old Indian expat was run over by a speeding car in Salmiya, while attempting to cross the road. He sustained injuries to the head and was admitted to Mubarak Hospital.

speculates that the cabinet has plans to put on hold proposed amendments on the capital market authority law, and assign Minister of Commerce and Industry Amani Buresli to supervise the process of attempting to achieve an agreement on the subject between the authority, the Kuwait Stock Exchange and the Kuwait Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

Separately, MP Naji Al-Abdulhadi criticized the government’s approach in opting to terminate the Kuwait National Nuclear Energy Committee instead of limiting its work to research. “The wiser option is for the government to keep the nuclear energy card in its hand because we can’t tell for sure when this card can become the best one to play”, he said.

‘Govt should fund more development projects’ KUWAIT: The government needs to allocate more money toward development projects so as to salvage the ailing private sector. It should also adopt a policy that allows local banks to participate in these projects’ funding process.

Abdulwahab Al-Haroun, Minister of Development and Planning Affairs made the comments. He was speaking during a recent interview about measures to enforce regulations that are aimed at encouraging private companies to be actively involved in the development process, reported Al-Qabas.

“When the state purchases products from companies, it will help reduce the costs of these products while increasing their value,” Al-Haroun explained, also revealing plans to amend privatization and the Buy-Operate-Transfer (B-O-T) laws “through coordination with fellow ministers and the Parliament’s financial committee.”

In the meantime, Al-Haroun rejected the idea that mega projects can be executed within a relatively short period of time. “It takes four years after a shopping mall is built to garner profits,” the minister said.

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Social restrictions make women unfit for long hours of work KU continues gender-biased admissions policy

By Hussain Al-Qatari KUWAIT: Despite heavy criticism, the Kuwait University is still adamant on retaining its gender-biased admissions policy.

The policy sets different standards for university applicants based on their gender. As reported earlier in the Kuwait Times, the policy requires female students to have relatively higher general scores in order to be admitted when compared with male students. In recent updates, nine female students were reportedly refused to be accepted in the majors of medicine and dentistry, despite scoring high in their first year in university. The students were advised to try other majors.

KUWAIT: The Ministry of Interior organized a trip yesterday for a group of kids who are children of ministry employees, retirees and martyrs, to the McDonald’s Cornice restaurant where they took tours including a visit to the kitchen where they watched the process of meals’ preparation. The trip comes as part of activities organized by the ministry’s public relations and moral guidance department.

‘College admission expert’ in Farwaniya police net KUWAIT: The Farwaniya police arrested a conman who amassed a total of KD 10,000 from unsuspecting parents that sought to provide college education to their children. A hunt for the non-Kuwaiti individual went underway after several expatriate residents filed complaints stating that they were duped after paying money to the suspect. He falsely promised to help secure admission into universities outside the country. It was discovered that the victims were given receipts from a local public trading company where the suspect had been employed, reported Al-Rai. The company owner told police that the suspect accumulated a number of receipts after leaving his job nearly a year ago. Police arrested the man at his place of residence in Khaitan.

Lawbreakers arrested A man detained at the Rumathiya police station faces multiple charges in connection with resisting arrest, drunk driving and drug possession. The citizen was accosted at a Salmiya street where he had been driving erratically. Police detained him after realizing he was heavily intoxicated. They forced him into a patrol vehicle but he smashed open the backseat window in a fit of rage. He has also been charged with drug possession after a piece of hashish fell off his pocket, reported Al-Rai. In another incident, the Ahmadi police arrested a male driver who was caught with possession of heroin and hashish after being pulled over while driving along the coastal road. He was referred to the General Department for Drug Control(GDDC).

Hoax call Security was placed on high alert at the Kuwait International Airport(KIA) after officials received an emergency call about a bomb reportedly planted at the parking lot. It was later discovered to be a hoax. A bomb squad was deployed to the location where vehicles were parked but no explosives were found, reported Al-Rai. Police took legal action against the prank caller after confirming that the call was fake.

Hawally fight A teenager who sustained a serious stab wound was admitted to the Mubarak Hospital. He was seriously injured in a brawl that broke out recently

at a Hawally mall. The victim entered into an altercation with a couple of youngsters following a brief stare-down. A fight followed, and ended tragically when the victim was stabbed at his side, reported Al-Rai. An ambulance responded to an emergency call and reached the scene soon. Meanwhile, his attackers fled the scene.

Fayiz Alnashwan, President of the Kuwait Anti-Bias Association said the reasons cited for the refusal of admission in the program was social norms and restrictions, “The students were told that in future, physicians and dentists work long hours and spend long hours in training. So the number of female students accepted is limited. The university does not wish to invest too much in women who will eventually, presumably, not work long hours because of social restric-

tions,” noted Alnashwan.

He noted that while the university is free to accept and refuse students based on what it sees fit, it must give valid excuses for taking these actions, “The Kuwaiti Constitution is clear in equating men and women. There are exceptions that pertain to Sharialaw, for example with the issue of female judges. These issues are resolved after many discussions.

But refusing students simply because of their gender is not acceptable,” he said.

Alnashwan expressed surprise at the Minister of Education Ahmad Al-Mulaifi’s silence towards this unfair decision. “The minister has always been very active in the field of citizens’ rights, and is an advocate for education and a believer in the youth. We trust that he will make the right decision,” he said. The Kuwait Anti-Bias Association published a statement condemning the sexist attitude of admissions in Kuwait University, highlighting the dangers this will have on the

Trainees complete CB program KUWAIT: The first batch of trainees successfully completed a summer training program that was conducted by the Central Bank (CB) of Kuwait.

It is an annual activity that is held for children and relatives of staff members as well as young customers for the @Tijari account.

This year’s program will take place between June 26 and August 25th. Participants who are aged between 16 and 22 are divided into five groups, each one will attend classes for a two-week period. The program focuses toward helping trainees become accustomed to the nature of work at the banking sector through visits made to the bank’s branches and other departments.

This information was provided by Huda Sadiq, Assistant General Manager of the Human Resources Department.

Body found The body of an unidentified man was found along Blajat beach. Investigators believe that he died by drowning.

Criminal investigators accompanied by police headed to the location where the body was spotted first, reported Al-Rai. It was removed for a forensic examination to determine the cause of death.

False accusations A man faces criminal charges in connection with providing false information to police. He reportedly attempted to eliminate two rivals who competed with him to win a rich woman’s attention. The Egyptian man first approached officers at the Nugra police station and claimed that two compatriots assaulted him physically and stole his phone. During interrogation, the two alleged attackers explained that the trio were involved in a competition of sorts. They tried to win the affections of an affluent widow, reported Watan. Investigations confirmed that the initial accusations were false, and the man eventually confessed to fabricating the claims to prevent his rivals from getting ahead.

Home burglary Police are hunting for burglars who broke into a citizen’s home in Mubarak Al-Kabeer. They made away with jewelry worth KD 10,000. Criminal investigators reached the scene soon after the crime was reported, reported Al-Jarida.

Fingerprint evidence suggests that several thieves committed the theft.

Missing girl A bedoon (stateless) resident reported his 17-year-old daughter missing from the family home in Al-Naeem district of Al-Jahra. A case was opened at the area’s police station, reported Al-Anba.

Meanwhile, the father told police that the girl may have eloped with a bedoon man who previously sought his daughter’s hand in marriage.

MP questions committee’s suspension

By A Saleh KUWAIT: MP Abdul Rahman Al-Anjeri recently enquired about the steps taken by the government to suspend the National Committee for Peaceful Nuclear Uses. He questioned if the decision was based on careful study. “It is unwise to step back from the nuclear energy field.

Some GCC countries like the UAE has inked nuclear treaties with a Korean company.” He added that the government should not cancel the committee.

“It would be better to say that it was only suspended for further studies,” he advised noting that the use of nuclear power would be much cheaper and useful to Kuwait.

High-tech security system The Interior Ministry plans to install an invisible buried security system that is capable of detecting individuals who trespass the northern borders and infiltrating up to 70 kilometers. Officials added that specialized teams have visited the northern border to examine the site and determine where the new system will be installed. It will be activated within the first quarter of next year.

MoE to meet TV representatives The Ministry of Education will meet with representatives from television production companies next Tuesday. They will be briefed on an educational satellite television channel run by the private sector. Officials added that August 28 has been set as the deadline to submit offers.

Hayef puts forward proposal In view of the large number of students who passed secondary school examinations this year, MP Mohammed Hayef put forward a proposal to introduce morning and evening classes at the Kuwait University. This is in order to accommodate more undergraduates.

Furthermore, Hayef suggested that classes begin at 8 am and end at 10 pm, in addition to reducing the minimum grades accepted by 10 percent. He also suggested that students with lower grades be allocated evening classes.

NAB rejects criticism A member of the National Action Bloc (NAB) MP Saleh Al-Mulla criticized some parties who accused the NAB of negotiating with the government to appoint supporters to top positions. “Those who still believe that Al-Fahad’s exclusion from the Cabinet was a bargain, are wrong. We have done our share of work and the problem is with you,” he said.

Minister demands pay rise for engineers technicians, are putting in considerable effort to provide electricity and water services for the citizens.

Such effor ts deprive them from enjoying normal lives as they work under the heat of summer and the coldness of winter. Furthermore, they are not given summer vacations due to the state of emergency in the ministry during summer.

Accordingly, Al-Othaina concentrated on giving the engineers and technicians (both Kuwaitis and expats) salary increases as motivation. —Al-Shahed

The return of fishermen

Lawmaker slams visa ban MP Saleh Ashour recently criticized the Interior Ministry’s decision to stop issuing visas for certain nationalities.

“This move will not help Kuwait turn into a financial and commercial hub. The decision was made by someone that runs a private company rather than a country,” he stressed accusing the interior minister of ‘living in the 1960s’ and promising to broach the subject during the upcoming parliamentary term.

KUWAIT: A half lorry loaded with tiles collided with a four-wheel drive vehicle along the Fifth Ring Road and flipped over. The tiles tumbled down in succession and damaged the vehicle. No casualties were reported.

—Photo by Hanan Al-Saadoun

KUWAIT: Sources at MEW said that minister Salem Al-Othaina has sent a letter to the Civil Service Commission demanding a 25% increment to the salaries of expatriate engineers and technicians, in addition to the allowance they are getting from the ministry.

The minister studied the demands of all employees in the ministry, technicians and administrators in forming his decision.

Sources explained that ministr y employees, especially engineers and

development of society.

Lawmaker Musallam Al-Barrak wrote a letter to His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad AlSabah pleading that he intervene in solving the dilemma of the nine female students. “These are people of this country. They are dedicated, hardworking students who will benefit their nation.

Unfair decisions will ruin their chances. The lack of clear vision in the government does not seem to take that into account,” he said.

Livelihood

Formative arts help gain peace of mind KUWAIT: Formative arts of various kinds are a source of amusement for the artist, as they help artists gain peace of mind, as well as calm and tranquility, artist Bader AlSarraf said yesterday. AlSarraf stressed his enthusiasm on participating in various local and foreign exhibitions, saying that the fairs contribute to enriching his intellectual and artistic sense. He recently participated in the sixth session of the Kuwait formative arts exhibition with two paintings. They were entitled “The return of fishermen” and “Livelihood”.

Bader Al-Sarraf “This is a great chance for Kuwaitis to show their talent in the field,” he said. “The two paintings reflect the old Kuwaiti environment, in which I used shades of brown,” he added. The first one, “The return of fishermen” presents the coming back of fishermen at the end of the day, at sunset.

“Livelihood” shows that God Almighty would allow animals to find their food without the help of people, he added, with a bird drinking from water puddles on the street in an old Kuwaiti neighborhood.

The sixth session of the Kuwait formative arts exhibition kicked off last week, and will continue until the final week of July, with the participation of 63 Kuwaiti artists and 120 works of art to be exhibited and sold in the Al-Funoon and Al-Adwani halls in the Abdullah Al-Salem Area. —KUNA

Securitymen keep eye on employees

DUBAI: Chairman of board of Directors and Managing Director of Kuwait Airways Corporation, Hamad Al-Falah, opening a business center at KAC’s Dubai office yesterday.

KUWAIT: Employees at numerous state departments are resentful over a new measure introduced to their workplaces—security to handle the extra duty of regulating the process of staff’s exit and entrance to the office.

Ministries and other governmental directorates hire security staff from local companies through contracts. Recently, senior officials at some divisions in several state departments have been asking security personnel to watch employees’ activity, and prevent them from leaving during office hours unless with printed permission. —Al-Qabas

MONDAY, JULY 18, 2011

Transition to Afghan security forces begins Page 11

Anthony released from Florida jail Page 10

CAIRO: Egyptians walk under slogans supporting the protest at Tahrir Square, the focal point of the Egyptian uprising, in Cairo, Egypt, yesterday. Protesters vow they would not leave the square until Egypt’s temporary military rulers purge the remnants of Hosni Mubarak’s deposed regime. — AP

Egypt foreign minister resigns PM to unveil a new cabinet today CAIRO: Egypt’s foreign minister Mohammed Al-Orabi resigned as Prime Minister Essam Sharaf appointed two deputies in the first steps towards a sweeping cabinet shuffle aimed at appeasing protesters. Sharaf, who heads the caretaker government after a revolt toppled president Hosni Mubarak in February, is expected to unveil a new cabinet by today that he hopes will end a week-long sit-in in central Cairo.

The announcement of Orabi’s resignation on state media came hours after Sharaf appointed veteran economist Hazem Beblawi and Ali al-Silmi, a leader of the liberal Wafd party, as his deputies. The ruling Supreme Council of the Armed Forces also issued a statement on its Facebook page late Saturday promising to restrict military trials to cases of rape, assaults on police and armed assaults.

One of the protesters’ key demands is an end to military trials of civilians, which have become the norm since Mubarak’s ouster. But the military’s statement also warned that, while it would respect peaceful protests, it would not stand aside if protests damaged government or private property.

Sharaf has come under fire from dissidents, who once embraced him, for the slow pace of reforms since the revolt and for his limited powers under military rule. Orabi said he submitted his resignation “to spare the prime minister any embarrass-

ment during the current negotiations on the ministerial changes,” the state -run MENA news agency reported.

Orabi had filled the post for less than a month, taking over from Nabil al-Arabi, a popular choice who had quit the ministry to head the Arab League. Despite the announcements, hundreds of protesters who pitched tents in Tahrir Square stayed put, although some protesters suspended a hunger strike after negotiations with military representatives, state media reported.

On Saturday afternoon, hundreds of protesters held a funeral procession for Mustafa Ahmed Mosbah, 25, who died of his wounds despite several operations since he was shot in the head on January 28. Mosbah’s coffin, which was wrapped in an Egyptian flag, was carried to Tahrir Square, where a funeral prayer was held for him.

The sit-in in the iconic square, the epicentre of the 18 day revolt that overthrew Mubarak, began after tens of thousands held a demonstration on July 8 calling for speedier reforms. They also want an end to what they say are delays in trying former regime officials responsible for killings during the revolt and a coherent transition to civilian rule, which the military has promised after parliamentary and presidential elections.

Official media said up to 15 ministers may be replaced in the cabinet reshuffle, with a focus on those with

ties to Mubarak’s three-decade rule.

Beblawi, a former undersecretary of the UN’s Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia, will oversee economic policy in the new cabinet, which is expected to be unveiled today, the official MENA news agency reported.

Silmi will handle “democratic transition” matters, it added. Sharaf, who himself was appointed premier after demonstrations persuaded the military to sack Mubarak’s cabinet in March, pledged on Friday that “the new ministerial changes are simply the beginning.”

“I am working hard to achieve your aspirations,” he wrote on his Facebook page. Sharaf, who has already ordered the sacking of hundreds of senior interior ministry officials, hopes the new cabinet will satisfy the activists while helping the country recover economically.

Egypt has seen a sharp decline in tourism and increased unemployment since the revolt, and investors remain jittery over sporadic and sometimes deadly unrest in the Arab world’s most populous country.

Tensions are also mounting between the military, initially hailed for not siding with Mubarak, and groups that spearheaded the revolt.

On Saturday, a member of the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces was forced to cut short a visit to Tahrir Square after protesters drowned out his speech with booing and anti-military chants. —AFP

Jerusalem fire under control JERUSALEM: Israeli firefighters brought a forest fire in Jerusalem under control yesterday after the Yad Vashem Holocaust Museum was evacuated as a precaution, a police spokesman said. “The fire has been brought totally under control but the fire service is continuing to work on the ground to make sure it doesn’t restart,” Micky Rosenfeld told AFP. The blaze had started at three different points, “which could mean it was deliberate,” he said, adding that police and the fire service were investigating the cause. Six people

were taken to hospital suffering from smoke inhalation.

Thick grey smoke earlier billowed up through the forested hills on Jerusalem’s southwestern flank as firefighters battled the blaze and diving aircraft were used to douse the flames, an AFP photographer said.

“We have evacuated all the workers and tourists from Yad Vashem,” police spokeswoman Luba Samri said. A Yad Vashem spokeswoman said some staff stayed behind to try to protect the trove of irreplaceable

artefacts. Yad Vashem is the main museum in Israel commemorating the six million Jews killed by the Nazi regime during World War II. Emergency services spokesman Boaz Rakia said the fire had also threatened residential areas of the Holy City.

In December, a fire in the Carmel forest of northern Israel killed 44 people as it raged for four days. The deadliest blaze in Israeli history was brought under control with firefighting planes and personnel from more than 16 countries.—AFP

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Two Kurd rebels killed in Iran army clashes ARBIL: Two Iranian Kurdish rebels based in Iraq were killed during hours of clashes with Tehran’s forces along the two countries’ border, a rebel spokesman said yesterday. The fighting, which also saw four rebel fighters wounded, comes less than a week after the Islamic Republic warned that it reserved the right to attack the bases of the PJAK, or the Party of Free Life of

Kurdistan, in neighbouring Iraq’s autonomous Kurdish region.

“Since midnight (2100 GMT Saturday), heavy battles have been ongoing between PJAK and the Iranian army, resulting in injuries among elements of our group,” rebel spokesman Sherzad Kamankar told AFP. Kamankar said two rebels were killed and four wounded, and added

that fighting was still ongoing.

He said many Iranian soldiers had been killed and wounded in the fighting near the Banjaween area of Iraqi Kurdistan’s Sulaimaniyah province, but this could not be independently confirmed. Jabbar Yawar, the top official in the Iraqi Kurdish ministry responsible for the region’s peshmerga security forces, confirmed Iranian shelling of

PJAK bases, but said he had received no reports of clashes and had no casualty toll. According to Kamankar, Iranian forces have warned villagers living in areas along Iraq’s side of the border to evacuate their homes within three days. Yawar, however, dismissed the claim as a “rumour”. Iran routinely shells border districts of the Kurdish region of northern Iraq, targeting PJAK

bases, including a July 7 bombardment of Haj Omran. The shelling came despite a warning on July 3 by the president of Iraqi Kurdistan, Massud Barzani, over the cross-border operations. On July 11, Iran’s official IRNA news agency quoted an unnamed army official as saying Tehran’s forces “reserve the right to attack and destroy terrorist bases in border areas”. —AFP

Gaddafi defiant in face of rebel assault on Brega ‘I will never leave the land of my ancestors’

ISTANBUL: Turkish people chant slogans during a demonstration in Istanbul, yesterday, to denounce recent violence sparked by Kurdish separatist rebels which resulted in the killing of thirteen Turkish soldiers. More than 5,000 people rallied in the city to protest the fighting which broke out near the town of Silvan, in Diyarbakir province. — AFP

Yemen army, tribes in offensive on militants ADEN: Yemeni forces backed by armed tribesman launched an offensive to try to retake the southern provincial capital of Zinjibar yesterday, after months of fierce fighting with Islamist militants who seized two cities and an army base in the area.

Dozens have been killed and some 54,000 civilians have fled the flashpoint southern province of Abyan, which has descended into daily bloodshed as the army faces a rising challenge from militants the government says have ties to al Qaeda. After weeks of pleas for support from a besieged military brigade near Abyan’s capital Zinjibar, Yemen sent reinforcements aiming to flush militants out of the seaside city. Zinjibar sits down the coastline from the strategic Bab al-Mandab strait, where some 3 million barrels of oil pass daily.

“The head of the Defence Ministry sent reinforcements including tanks, rocket launchers, and 500 extra soldiers,” a local official said. “These forces began attacking (the city) backed by heavy tank shelling and rocket attacks from naval ships in order to liberate the 25th brigade just outside Zinjibar and under siege for over a month.”

The rising unrest in Abyan comes as mass protests demanding President Ali Abdullah Saleh’s ouster drag into their sixth month, paralysing several cities and pushing the country into political limbo. Saleh is currently convalescing in Riyadh after a bomb blast on his presidential compound.

The United States and neighbouring oil giant Saudi Arabia are keen to stem the chaos in the fractious Arabian Peninsula state, fearing the growing power vacuum gives room to al Qaeda’s regional wing. They were both targets of failed al Qaeda attacks launched from Yemen.

Residents told Reuters by telephone they saw army ambulances screeching through the city, filled with wounded people. An official said some 15 militants were killed and dozens were hurt, but said only two soldiers died in the clashes. Tribesman who joined the offensive said they sent about 450 men to Zinjibar.

Opposition groups accuse Saleh of letting his forces ease up in the south, to stoke fears in the international community that only he stands in the way of a militant takeover. — Reuters

TRIPOLI: Fresh blasts rocked Tripoli yesterday after veteran Libyan leader Moamer Kadhafi vowed never to give in to mounting calls to go into exile despite a new offensive by rebels seeking to oust him. At least 13 explosions were heard before and just after 1 am (2300 GMT Saturday).

An AFP journalist was unable to say immediately what the targets had been.

State television reported that “the colonialist crusader aggressor” had raided civilian and military sites in the Ain Zara district and in Tajoura in the eastern suburbs. The blasts came just hours after Kadhafi had insisted in a defiant speech that he would never quit his homeland.

“They are asking me to leave.

That’s a laugh. I will never leave the land of my ancestors or the people who have sacrificed themselves for me,” he said in a loudspeaker address to supporters in Zawiyah, west of the capital.

“I’m ready to sacrifice myself for my people, and I will never quit this land sprinkled with the blood of my ancestors who fought Italian and British colonialists,” he said. “These rats have taken our people hostage in Benghazi, Misrata and the western mountains, using them as human shields,” Kadhafi said of the rebels’ eastern stronghold and their two enclaves in the mainly government-held west.

“Five million armed Libyans will march on them and liberate the occupied towns as soon as the order is given.” Libya’s rebels on Saturday suffered their bloodiest day yet in the offensive to wrest control of Brega from Kadhafi’s troops, as medics said the death toll had risen to at least 12. Nine people were killed on Saturday and 79 wounded as loyalist landmines began to vie with

ZAWAIYA: Supporters of the Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi attend a march yesterday1 in Zawiya, 50 kilometers west of Tripoli. Libyan leader Moamer Gaddafi said on Saturday he would never leave the land of his ancestors after new international calls for him to go and as rebels pressed their campaign to overthrow him. — AFP Grad rockets to ramp up the casualties, according to a list from the hospital in nearby Ajdabiya.

Rebels said their steady advance on the key refinery town was slowed by the discovery of defensive trenches that had been filled with flammable chemicals by the retreating loyalist forces.

After a small rebel reconnaissance unit punched through into Brega late on Friday before falling back, a rebel commander said troops were now moving “slowly but surely” towards it from east, north and south. It was not clear what kind of chemicals were being used, but Brega is home to a large petrochemical facility that produces a range of oil by-products.

At a hospital in Ajdabiya, Dr Ahmed Dinari said many of the casualties were caused by land-

radar, a surface-to-air missile launcher and a military storage facility, the alliance added.

Southwest of the capital, rebel fighters exchanged rocket and machine-gun fire with Kadhafi’s forces early on Sunday both in the Nafusa Mountains and in the plains below around Bir Ayad, a key junction on the road to Tripoli, AFP correspondents reported. The rebels’ senior commander for the region, Mokhtar Farnana, said they were consolidating their grip on the territory they already held for fear of loyalist counter-attack. “ The most important thing is to keep hold of the territory we have captured and to make it safe before making further attacks,” Farnana told AFP. “We will not allow Kadhafi’s forces to retake places we have captured.” —AFP

Iran arrests another female reporter

UN makes first aid airlift to rebel-held Somalia region NAIROBI: The UN said yesterday it had made its first delivery of aid to a rebel-held Somalia region in two years, as calls mounted for more international help to deal with the devastating drought in the Horn of Africa. War-torn Somalia is the worst affected country by a severe drought that has hit the Horn of Africa region, prompting appeals for increased aid to some 10 million people facing starvation, according to UN figures.

The UN children agency airlifted five metric tonnes of food and medicines to Baidoa, a town in central Somalia under the control of the Al Qaeda-inspired Shebab rebels, after the insurgents lifted a two-yearold ban on foreign relief groups, a spokeswoman said yesterday.

“It was successful and it was a good step towards airlifting supplies into Somalia. It is the first in two years,” said Iman Morooka, the UNICEF spokeswoman for Somalia. Morooka said the Shebab, who in 2009 expelled foreign aid groups after accusing them of being Western spies and Christian crusaders, “have given approval and gave unhindered access, and it was a smooth operation.”

The delivery was made on Wednesday and UNICEF said it was ready to take more supplies to southern and central regions of Somalia controlled by the hardline rebels.

The Horn of Africa’s current drought is its worst in decades and British International Development Secretary Andrew Mitchell yesterday urged European countries and the international community to step up assistance to the region. “We have seen some derisory offers from rich European countries. The whole international community... should now realise the scale of what is happening in the Horn of Africa and put their shoulder to the wheel and do everything they can to help,” Mitchell told reporters in Nairobi.

“It is a terrible thing in our world today that a baby should die from lack of food,” said Mitchell, who toured some of Kenya’s drought-affected regions. UNICEF director Anthony Lake said: “This is a very serious crisis... not only are the immediate needs great, but this crisis is likely to deepen over the coming six months or so because it is very unlikely that there will be sufficient new harvests.”

“We have to do everything we can now to ameliorate its scope and to save the lives of the people who are affected,” he added. On Saturday, Britain promised £52 million (59 million euro, $73 million) in emergency aid. Germany also pledged a further five million euros for the crisis. —AFP

mines rather than heavy artillery.

“We have had five more injuries this morning, all of them from mine explosions,” he said. Lying prone in “Bed 2,” 19-year-old Ali Saleh said he had been in the central rebel column when his armoured personnel carrier hit a mine. “ We were very close to Brega at around 3 am (0100 GMT). Then we got instructions from NATO to fall back and as we were falling back the vehicle hit a mine, destroying the chain track.”

He was suffering from shock and a lightly damaged knee.

Sagezli said 250 mines had been uncovered so far. The alliance said that on Saturday it hit one tank, five armed vehicles, a multiple rocket launcher and another rocket launcher in and around Brega. In raids east of Tripoli, NATO-led aircraft took out three

GAZA STRIP: A Palestinian man inspects damages in Beit Hanun in the northern Gaza Strip yesterday as seven people were wounded by what Palestinian medical sources said was an Israeli air strike, but Israel denied it had carried out any such raid. — AFP

Seven hurt in Israeli raid on Gaza: Palestinians GAZA CITY: Seven people were wounded in Gaza yesterday by what Palestinian medical sources said was an Israeli air strike, but Israel denied it had carried out any such raid. Adham Abu Selmiya, spokesman for the Hamas-run medical services in the Gaza Strip, said four children and three adults suffered moderate injuries in air strikes in the northern Beit Hanun area.

But a spokeswoman for the Israel Defence Forces told AFP “there was no IDF activity in Gaza overnight or this morning.”

The reported raid comes after days of rocket fire from Gaza into southern Israel and four straight days of retaliatory Israeli air strikes between Tuesday and Friday night.

The Israeli military said four rockets were fired from the coastal territory into Israel over the weekend, bringing to 20 the number of munitions-including both rockets and mortar rounds-fired from Gaza since July 1. The uptick in violence comes after months of relative calm that followed a flare-up in tensions in April, when an antitank missile fired from Gaza hit an Israeli school bus, killing a teenager.

Israel responded with a series of air strikes that killed at least 19 Palestinians in

the deadliest violence since Israel’s devastating 22-day assault on Gaza in 2008-2009.

The violence raised fears of another similar offensive, but on April 10 Gaza’s Hamas rulers declared a return to the truce that ended Israel’s Operation Cast Lead in January 2009.

On Sunday, Israeli newspaper Yediot Aharonot reported a “dramatic rise” in the number of rockets being smuggled into Gaza, citing intelligence sources, who said the increase was the biggest since the end of Operation Cast Lead. The newspaper reported that intelligence officials believe around 10,000 rockets have been stockpiled in the Palestinian territory, with the weapons flowing more easily into Gaza with the breakdown of security in Sinai after the overthrow of the Egyptian government. “The working assumption in the... (military) Intelligence Branch is that, among the 10,000 rockets currently in Gaza, there are several Fajr-5 rockets with a range of 70 kilometres (44 miles), several hundred Grad rockets with a 40 kilometre (25 miles) range and hundreds more Grad rockets with at least a 20 kilometre (13 mile) range,” the newspaper reported. — AFP

BERLIN: Iran has arrested another female reporter wanting to cover the women’s football World Cup in Germany, a press report said yesterday, saying she was being held in Tehran’s notorious Evin jail.

Pegah Ahangarani, 27, who is also an actress and film-maker and said to be a supporter of the Iranian opposition movement, was arrested earlier this month in her flat and has not been seen since, the Spiegel weekly said.

Ahangarani was intending to cover the women’s World Cup, which was due to wrap up on Sunday, for German broadcaster Deutsche Welle, Spiegel said.

Deutsche Welle said that Ahangarani was due to travel to Germany for the tournament and write an Internet blog about it.

According to sources close to Ahangarani cited by Deutsche Welle’s Persian language service, she was summoned to the interior ministry the day before she was due to travel and threat-

ened with arrest if she tried to leave the country. As a result of this and further “threats” Ahangarani decided not to attempt to travel to Germany, and on July 14 it was confirmed that she had been arrested four days earlier, Deutsche Welle said. “Obviously with the arrest of Pegah Ahangarani, Tehran wants not only to prevent reporting of women’s football, but first and foremost, cooperation with Germany’s international service,” Deutsche Welle said. Ahangarani has written a blog about the Berlin Film Festival, the Berlinale, in the past and last year came to Bonn in western Germany for a blogs awards ceremony, Deutsche Welle said.

She also makes documentaries.

Another Iranian reporter accredited to cover the tournament, Maryam Majd, was arrested on June 26, according to the German government’s top human rights official Markus Loening, who said Berlin was “outraged”.— AFP

JERUSALEM: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu addresses the weekly cabinet meeting in Jerusalem yesterday.— AFP

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Handicapped community takes on the Italian mafia LAMEZIA TERME: A challenge to the mafia’s power in this southern Italian town is coming from an improbable source-a priest and six handicapped people in a building confiscated from a local crime clan.

Father Giacomo Panizza’s placid exterior hides an inner tenacity that has helped him face up to death threats from the powerful ‘Ndrangheta crime syndicate and become the face of civil society’s resistance to the mafia.

The challenge “comes from weak people, some of them in wheelchairs, from unarmed people who have showed themselves stronger than others,” Panizza told AFP in an interview in a nondescript

block in the town of Lamezia Terme. The four-storey building, which used to house a gambling arcade that served as a cover for a drug-trafficking operation, has become a symbol of Panizza’s struggle ever since a handicapped community he helped set up moved in in 2004.

“We told Don Panizza: ‘If you accept this challenge we are behind you,’” said Nunzia Coppede, a paraplegic in a wheelchair who was among the first to move in and is one of six handicapped people now living here. But she admitted: “At the beginning we were a bit scared.”

Panizza said the building

was put up illegally on the main road between the centre of Lamezia Terme and the airport but “no-one noticed” because of the code of silence imposed by its powerful owners-the Torcasio clan. When he first moved in with his nongovernmental organisation “Progetto Sud” he remembers that no builders dared work on the place for fear of reprisals from mafia members-some of whom still live in a building next door.

“No locksmith ever wanted to come round,” Panizza said.

The Italian government began confiscating assets from the mafia 30 years ago in Sicily and around Naples in a bid to cut

off financing for organised crime. ‘State is stronger than the mafia’.

That process has been more slow-moving in the southern Italian region of Calabria, where the tight-knit structure of the ‘Ndrangheta has proved difficult for police to infiltrate.

Panizza’s building was seized from the Torcasios in 2002 and handed over to the local administration in this town of 70,000 people near the coast.

Since taking over the building, Panizza has received numerous threats-some of them brazenly pronounced in front of police officers. “They told him that they would blow up the house with the ‘spastics’

inside,” said Coppede, adding that community vans had also been vandalised.

Panizza now has police protection. The priest has written about his experiences in a book, the foreword of which was written by Roberto Saviano, the author of an important work on the Camorra crime syndicate in Naples that was turned into an award-winning film.

“The police supports Don Panizza because it is very important that confiscated assets are used,” said MariaGaetana Ventriglia, deputy police chief in Lamezia. “This gives a signal to the population that the state is stronger than

the mafia,” she said.

The building now hosts the offices of Panizza’s association, Progetto Sud, the apartment for handicapped people, several non-governmental organisations, an ethical bank and a women’s farming cooperative.

Despite having “some bad dreams sometimes at night” Panizza said he was proud of having scored an important victory against the ‘Ndrangheta that he said had revived the concept of civil society in a mafia-ridden region. But he warned: “This movement has to be built up and encouraged because many people are still the prisoners of resignation and fear.” —AFP

Nigerian governor urges Islamists accept ceasefire ‘Our doors are open for constructive dialogue’ KANO: The governor of a northern Nigerian state rocked by bomb and shooting attacks blamed on radical Islamists urged them to accept a ceasefire and embrace dialogue with authorities. Kashim Shettima, governor of northeastern Borno State, called on members of the Boko Haram sect that have in recent weeks stepped up bomb and drive-by shooting attacks in the state capital Maiduguri to lay down arms and open talks with his government.

“Once again, I wish to beseech my brothers in the Jama’atul ahlul sunnah lidda’awati wal jihad to lay down their arms and come and dialogue with us, for indeed this is the only way we can move our beleaguered state forward,” he said in a television broadcast.

He was using the name preferred by Boko Haram.

“Our doors are open for constructive dialogue and a speedy resolution to this state of insecurit y,” said Shettima, who assumed office on May 29. He also appealed to fleeing residents to stop their exodus from the troubled city. Thousands of residents have fled the city in recent days over alleged rights violations by soldiers.

“This administration is seriously and sincerely concerned about the plight of our people and the rate at which people are leaving the state capital in search of safer zones. “May I, therefore, seize this opportunity to appeal to our people not to flee, as government is making every effort to contain the situation and restore normalc y,” Shettima said.

Shettima had on assumption of office made overtures to sect members and offered amnesty to those who renounced violence, an offer that received the blessing of President Goodluck Jonathan. Boko Haram had in 2009 waged a short-lived armed uprising in the nor th in a doomed bid to establish an

Islamic state which was crushed in a brutal military assault that left hundreds dead.

Sect members that survived regrouped and resor ted to shoot-and-run and bomb attacks against police and military personnel, community and religious leaders, politicians, public buildings, beer gardens, churches and a prison. The sect has concentrated the attacks in Maiduguri where the military onslaught against the sect took place.

Shettima disagreed with recent calls by some eminent politicians and community leaders that the troops be withdrawn, saying that such calls were not a solution to the problem of insecurity in the troubled

city. “ With no intent to denigrate or question the motives of eminent personalities agitating for withdrawal of the JTF from the state, I regret to note that none has offered a tangible yet sustainable alternative to fill the security vacuum to be created in the event of the withdrawal of the JTF,” he said.

The JTF (Joint Task Force) is a crack security team Jonathan sent to Maiduguri last month, which residents and Amnesty International have accused of rights violations, such as extrajudicial killings, rape and burning of houses. Amnesty said 25 people were killed during a military raid last week. It called for a probe into the killings. The JTF has denied the charges. —AFP

Russia prepares to raise sunken Volga boat MOSCOW: Russia yesterday was preparing to raise a sunken riverboat from the muddy bottom of the Volga River in an operation involving dozens of divers and two huge cranes, a week after it sank killing at least 114.

The overcrowded cruise ship went down last Sunday in a storm in the country’s worst shipping disaster in recent memory, which the Kremlin blamed on safety breaches. On Saturday authorities kicked off an elaborate, multi-stage operation to lift the boat from the bottom of the river in the central region of Tatarstan.

The actual raising of the 56-yearold boat, which is now lying on its right side, is expected to take place later yesterday. “An operation to put the vessel on an even keel has been under way since 7 am (0300 GMT),” Andrei Rodygin, spokesman for the emergencies ministry, told AFP. After that divers at the scene would be ready to search the riverbed near the boat in the hope of finding the bodies of 15 people who

are still listed as missing. Authorities have so far found the bodies of 114 people including 28 children.

The divers were working in a lowvisibility environment and the boat was increasingly getting sucked into the riverbed silt, officials said. “A lot of silt has accumulated there,” Alexander Chachin, who is in charge of emergency diving services at the scene, said on television.

Once pulled to the surface, the Bulgaria will then be hauled to a dock. Forty nine divers and two huge floating cranes are involved in the lifting operation alone, while more than 800 personnel and 23 river vessels have been deployed in the overall search and rescue effort.

Operations to raise sunken vessels are considered difficult and expensive. Emergencies ministry officials could not say on Sunday how much the salvage operation would cost.

Transport Minister Igor Levitin has expressed hope that after the Bulgaria was raised officials would obtain additional clues that could help the investigation.

Prime Minister Vladimir Putin earlier this week made a surprise visit to the city of Kazan to which the boat was sailing when it sank. Putin laid roses at the river port and blamed greed and safety violations for the accident.

The Bulgaria was built in then Czechoslovakia in 1955 and its sinking prompted Russian President Dmitry Medvedev to call for a river transport safety review. The vessel was heavily overcrowded and at least 25 people on board had not bought tickets or did not appear on any registration lists.

The Bulgaria sank three weeks after a Tupolev 134 plane crashed on a highway in bad weather in the northern region of Karelia, killing 47 people and drawing fresh attention to the dire state of Russia’s infrastructure.

Putin was president in August 2000 when the Kursk nuclear submarine sank in the Barents Sea claiming the lives of 118 seamen. The wreck of the submarine was raised from the seabed a year later. —AFP

Mom in refugee camp, son thrives in US KAKUMA REFUGEE CAMP: At Morris Michael’s graduation, the mother who shepherded him out of a Sudanese war zone and inspired his love of learning was not among the proud parents thronging Columbia University’s stately Manhattan campus.

Mama Elizabeth, as her family and neighbors call her, was here, in a dirt-floored compound she shares with 14 relatives, in a United Nations-run refugee camp that sprawls across the barren landscape of northern Kenya. She has not seen 22year-old Morris, or his older brother, James, since they left eight years ago to attend high school in the United States.

“Tell them, ‘Your mama is greeting you and God bless you,’” she tells a visiting reporter. Morris was 5 when his mother - at that point raising seven children on her own - decided it was time to flee their village, Chukudum, in southern Sudan, as a civil war convulsed the region. Over 22 years, an estimated 2 million people died and another 4 million were displaced.

Morris was among the lucky ones. He not only reached a peaceful, affluent sanctuary in the U.S., but prospered there.

And despite eight years and thousands of kilometers of separation, he remains deeply grateful to his mother, just as she is proud of him. A major decision lies ahead, both for Morris and for his family in the refugee camp: Should they return to their homeland now that it completed its secession from the north this month and became the independent nation of South Sudan?

Morris is tempted by the prospect of helping build a new country. But first, he wants to become a doctor. He is working at a Columbia lab this summer, preparing to apply to medical school after receiving his bachelor’s degree in biomedical

engineering in May. He was able to reach his mother by telephone after the ceremony, the latest in a sporadic series of calls that have been their only direct communication over the years. As always, she told her son to tend to his own life, and not to be concerned with the world he left behind.

“She never complains. She never wants us to worry,” he says. “She’ll say, ‘I’ll be fine. Make sure you do your part.’” Amid the long, chaotic war, thousands of boys in southern Sudan became parentless refugees: the “Lost Boys.” Thanks to Elizabeth Michael, Morris was never one of them. In 1993, she and her children walked for four days from Chukudum to the northern Kenya town of Lokichoggio, where they boarded UN transport to Kakuma.

“We were just walking, carrying a little drinking water and some uncooked maize,” she says.

“We followed the road but from the bush; we dodged the bombs.” “We thank God we are still alive up to now,” she adds, quietly. Kakuma, a maze of mud-walled, tin-roofed shelters, has been her home for 18 years. In all, it accommodates nearly 80,000 east and central Africans who fled for their lives from some of the worst of the continent’s recent wars, in Congo, Somalia, Sudan and elsewhere.

To Morris, the camp initially seemed like “heaven on earth” after he arrived there as a little boy.

“It was the only place I knew,” he says. “My mother did a great job of making sure we were safe. She’d say, ‘Don’t look down on yourself. Be positive.’ There were many difficult times, however. Food stocks ebbed and flowed, cholera and malaria lurked as health risks, floods occasionally wreaked havoc. Many refugees chafed at being dependent on the UN and unable to earn a living for themselves.—AP

ITAGUAI: Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff (L), French Defense Minister, Gerard Louguet (R), and Brazilian Minister of Defense Nelson Jobim take part in the inauguration of the cooperation between their countries in the construction of submarines in Itaguai, 90 km south of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil on Saturday. —AFP

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Obama welcomes Dalai Lama, to China’s anger WASHINGTON: Brushing off protests from China, US President Barack Obama welcomed the Dalai Lama to the White House, urging respect for human rights and cultural traditions in Tibet. China immediately lodged a protest and accused Obama of undermining relations between the world’s two largest economies by meeting with the Tibetan spiritual leader, who has spent more than a half-century in exile.

The White House choreographed Saturday’s visit to be low key, holding it on a weekend in the mansion’s private residence. The White House later released a photo of a tieless Obama listening pensively to the robed monk. “ The president reiterated his strong support for the preservation of the unique religious, cultural and linguistic traditions of Tibet and the Tibetan people throughout the world,” the White House said in a statement. “He underscored the impor tance of the protec tion of human rights of Tibetans in China,” it said of the 44-minute meeting in the mansion’s private Map Room.

The White House did not allow reporters to enter the meeting and announced it just hours before the

Dalai Lama was set to close an 11day trip to Washington, in which the monk is leading thousands in a Buddhist ritual. Obama’s daughters Malia and Sasha briefly came to the room to meet the Dalai Lama, a person with knowledge of the talks said.

The Dalai Lama voiced happiness about the meeting and said he felt close to Obama at a “human level.”

Obama is “president of the greatest democratic country, so naturally he is showing concern about basic human values, human rights, religious freedom,” the Dalai Lama said after the meeting in response to a question from AFP. “So naturally he shows genuine concern about the suffering in Tibet and also some other places,” he said.

The White House stressed that both the United States and Dalai Lama accepted Tibet to be a part of China.

But Beijing insists that the Dalai Lama is a “splittist” and has sought to dent his popularity around the world.

China summoned the number two at the US embassy, Robert Wang.

The foreign ministr y urged the United States to “cease to connive and support anti-China separatist forces that seek ‘ Tibet independ-

ence.’” “Such an act has grossly interfered in China’s internal affairs, hurt the feelings of Chinese people and damaged the Sino-American relations,” foreign ministry spokesman Ma Zhaoxu said, according to the state Xinhua news agency.

Chinese state television made no mention of the Dalai Lama’s talks in Washington but gave prominent coverage to a rare reception by President Hu Jintao for young people from the United States. The White House statement suppor ted dialogue between China and the Dalai Lama’s representatives and said the Tibetan leader hoped that talks would resume soon. China has held nine rounds of talks with the Dalai Lama’s envoys, the last in January 2010. But the dialogue has yielded no tangible progress, leading many Tibetans to believe Beijing is trying to wait out the 76-year-old monk’s death in hopes that his calls for greater rights will wither away without him.

The meeting is Obama’s second in office with the Dalai Lama; his first, in February 2010, was also closed to press in the Map Room. Previous president George W. Bush met the Dalai Lama openly to award him a

WASHINGTON: The Dalai Lama, center left in baseball cap, pours mandala sand mixed with river water into the Anacostia River as part of a blessing ceremony Saturday, in Washington. President Barack Obama held a White House meeting Saturday with the Dalai Lama, a fellow Nobel Peace Prize laureate, hours after China called on the US to rescind an invitation that could sour relations with Beijing. — AP

Congressional Gold Medal. US lawmakers and human rights groups had pressed Obama to see the Dalai Lama and some voiced disappointment that he waited so long to confirm the meeting.

“This meeting is better late than never, but it remains disappointing

Anthony released from Florida jail ‘A baby killer was just set free’ ORLANDO: Casey Anthony walked out of jail a free woman under heavy guard early yesterday, facing shouts of “baby killer” only days after the US watched with rapt attention as she was acquitted of murder in the death of her 2-yearold daughter.

The 25-year-old woman, who had spent years in the spotlight’s glare including two months of nationally televised trial proceedings, swiftly boarded an SUV and rode out of public view, her destination unknown as new questions unfolded as to what her future would hold.

Wearing a snug pink Polo T-shirt, blue jeans and sneakers, Anthony walked briskly from the Orlando area jail at 12:14 a.m. local time (0414 GMT) with her attorney, Jose Baez, at her side.

Her hair in a bun, a somber-looking Anthony quietly said “thank you” to a deputy sheriff waiting to escort her outside, and then strode with Baez to the vehicle as two deputies armed with semiautomatic rifles walked behind. Baez held the back door, she climbed in and the SUV drove off amid camera light flashes.

As Anthony’s SUV left the jail’s parking lot, the crowd of more than 100 people surged against the orange plastic police barricades. Some yelled, “You suck!” Mounted patrolman and police cruisers blocked the street outside the jail so Anthony’s vehicle could drive onto a nearby highway ramp unobstructed.

“A baby killer was just set free!” Bree Thornton, 39, shouted at the passing SUV. When Anthony was acquitted July 5 of murder in the death of her toddler, hundreds of thousands of people captivated by the case - and doubtful of her credibility - poured their rage into postings on Facebook and the micro-blogging site Twitter. Those and other social media sites provided a platform and a vast audience for a decibel level of vitriol seldom seen before.

Since her acquittal on murder charges, Anthony had been finishing her four-year sentence for telling investigators several lies, including an early claim that her daughter Caylee was kidnapped by a nonexistent nanny. With credit for the nearly three years she’d spent in jail since August 2008 and good behavior, she had only days remaining when she was sentenced July 7.

Early Sunday, news helicopters followed the SUV to a covered parking garage at an Orlando office building where one of her attorneys, Cheney Mason, has offices. The SUV didn’t reemerge, and it could not been seen in the darkness if Anthony was in any of the cars that appeared in the area.

After three years behind bars, Anthony was given $537.68 in cash from her jail account to begin her new life. For nearly two months, the murder trial of Casey Anthony was a living entity.

It breathed daily across the nation’s television

that the Dalai Lama was squeezed in at the last minute after much apparent hemming-and-hawing from the White House due to objections from Beijing,” said Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, the chairwoman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee and a member of the rival Republican Party. — AFP

One third of Cypriots want president out NICOSIA: One-third of Greek Cypriots believe Cypriot President Demetris Christofias should resign, blaming him for a deadly munitions blast which plunged Cyprus into an energy crisis last week.

A poll by the leading Phileleftheros daily said 39 percent of respondents blamed Christofias for the disaster personally, with 33 percent believing he should step down.

The July 11 explosion of confiscated Iranian munitions at a military base killed 13 people and triggered Cyprus’s worst peacetime disaster with rolling power cuts leading to the most serious challenge to Christofias’s three-year presidency. In an unprecedented show of public fury, thousands of people have taken to the streets in Cyprus to protest the blast. The poll itself was also rare; the presidency is a respected institution on the Mediterranean island which

rarely faces any kind of challenge.

The munitions were confiscated by Cyprus from a ship sailing from Iran to Syria in 2009 for violating U.N. sanctions.

They were stored in high temperatures in an open field next to Vassilikos, Cyprus’s primary power station which supplies the island with more than half its electricity.

They exploded in a 1.5 megaton blast on July 11, killing the island’s navy chief, military personnel and firefighters. The defence minister and army chief resigned. Christofias himself was unaware of deteriorating storage conditions of the munitions, government officials have said, even though the army had repeatedly appealed for their removal. Cyprus’s attorney general has ordered a criminal investigation into the incident.

Christofias has said an inquiry would also scrutinise his own role. — Reuters

Chavez arrives in Cuba for chemotherapy

ORLANDO: Casey Anthony (2R) is surrounded by police as she and her defense attorney Jose Baez (C) leave the Booking and Release Center at the Orange County Jail after she was acquitted of murdering her daughter Caylee Anthony in Orlando, Florida. — AFP airwaves, then was reinforced nightly on cable TV programs that dissected every word uttered in the courtroom and fueled speculation on her fate. Baez, in a brief statement to reporters, signaled a new chapter was opening in the Casey Anthony case. “It is my hope that Casey Anthony can receive the counseling and treatment she needs to move forward with the rest of her life,” Baez said in the statement.

Certainly, she still faces anger and ire around the nation that brought tight security for Sunday’s release. “This release had an unusual amount of security so, therefore, in that sense, it would not be a normal release,” Orange County Jail spokesman Allen Moore said. “We have made every effort to not provide any special treatment for her. She’s been treated like every other inmate.”

Moore said there were no known threats received at the jail. Yet officials had a number of contingency plans in place, including plans in case shots were fired as she was being released.

More than a dozen corrections officers, most wearing bullet proof vests, patrolled the outside of the jail before Anthony’s release. Half-dozen officers wearing riot helmets were mounted on horses, and some corrections officials carried semiautomatic weapons.

The crowd included about a half-dozen, sign-

carrying protesters who had gathered despite a drenching thunderstorm Saturday night.

Onlookers had varied reactions to her release.

“She is safer in jail than she is out here,” said Mike Quiroz, who drove from Miami to spend his 22nd birthday outside the jail. “She better watch her butt. She is known all over the world.”

Lamar Jordan said he felt a pit in his stomach when he saw Anthony walking free. “The fact that she is being let out, the fact that it is her child and she didn’t say what happened, made me sick,” Jordan said. Not all of those who gathered condemned the 25-year-old. “I’m for Casey,” said Kizzy Smith, of Orlando. “She was proven innocent. At the end of the day, Caylee is at peace. We’re the ones who are in an uproar.”

Many still speculate about what really happened to Caylee, whose remains were found in December 2008 near the home Casey Anthony shared with her parents: Was she suffocated with duct tape by her mother, as prosecutors argued?

Or did she drown in an accident that snowballed out of control, as defense attorneys contended?

Now that she is free, it’s not clear where Anthony will stay or what she will do next. Her relationship with her parents, George and Cindy, has been strained since defense attorneys accused George Anthony of molesting Casey when she was young. —AP

HAVANA: Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez was in Cuba yesterday to begin chemotherapy treatment for his cancer, expressing optimism about the outcome and saying that now was “time to live.” He was greeted at the airport by Cuban President Raul Castro and Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez when he arrived late Saturday.

“It is not time for dying; it’s time to live,” Chavez said in Caracas before his departure, according to an AFP journalist. “I am going for a few days but I am not saying goodbye ... I will return better.” The 56-yearold president gave a televised speech shortly before leaving Caracas, saying, “I have to say I am optimistic. I have never loved life the way I am loving it now.”

He said that since the removal of a tumor “right up to this very day, no other cancerous cell has been detected in my body.” It was a rare disclosure on an illness his critics complained the president kept too close to the vest. Chavez, who was accompanied by his daughter Rosa, was given a sendoff at the airport by most of his state ministers. The length of his stay in Cuba is not known.

On Friday, Chavez asked the National Assembly for permission to travel to Cuba to continue treatment after his June 20 operation in Havana when a cancerous tumor was found and removed from his pelvic area. “I will travel to Havana to begin what we have called the second stage of this slow and complex process of recovery, which is going well,” Chavez said.

Though the National Assembly unanimously approved his travel request, which

is needed for the president to leave the country for more than five days, opposition leaders say it is unconstitutional for Chavez to continue to exercise executive authority from Cuba.

“When the president leaves the country, the vice president must assume the chief executive role. It is their duty,” said opposition lawmaker Hiram Gaviria. “The health of the country must be put above the president’s health. We must be serious. We believe he should not hold office from Havana,” added another opposition lawmaker, Carlos Berrizbeitia.

But other lawmakers say Chavez should continue his chief executive role, because he has the mental and physical capabilities to do so. “We don’t have the slightest doubt that the president-whether he is in Cuba or in Russia-will remain the leader of our Bolivarian republic,” said deputy Diosdado Cabello, a Chavez supporter.

The president said he would hand over his full presidential powers to Vice President Elias Jaua only “if I felt my abilities were impaired.” Chavez did issue a decree giving Jaua and Finance Minister Jorge Giordani a few administrative and economic powers.

Chavez, in power since 1999, is his party’s candidate for the 2012 presidential election, where he will be seeking a third six-year term in office. On Saturday his supporters accused political foes of encouraging a coup. Critics of the president have demanded details of his cancer as well as answers to why he cannot be treated in Venezuela, where authorities say they have created a quality health care system. —AFP

Voting starts in Sao Tome presidential poll SAO TOME: Voting to pick the next president of Sao Tome and Principe began yesterday, where ten candidates are vying to lead the tiny, impoverished west African archipelago, plagued by chronic instability. Favourite to win is former strongman Manuel Pinto da Costa who took power after playing a leading role to gain independence from Portugal in 1975 ruling a communist one-party state that lasted until 1990.

Voting was scheduled to start at 0700 (local and GMT), but an AFP correspondent said the process was delayed 30 minutes in at least one polling station. “I am convinced that this Sunday, I will have a clear victory,” with a firstround win, Pinto da Costa told supporters at his final rally on Friday.

Since the introduction of a multi-party system Pinto da Costa has twice failed to get elected. Another leading contender is 70-year-old Evaristo de Carvalho, who has served twice as

prime minister and is currently the president of the national assembly.

Pinto da Costa’s critics charge him with having presided over an oppressive dictatorship, but his campaign pledge to root out corruption seems to have engaged voters. Voters are anxious for stability in a country that has seen 18 different prime ministers since the end of the one-party system in 1990.

And with 54 percent of the country’s 200,000 people described as poor by the UN Development Programme (UNDP), many are impatient for the country to start exploiting its oil resources. Other candidates on the ballot include former journalist turned successful businessman Aurelio Martins.

He is the official candidate of the Movement for the Liberation of Sao Tome and Principe/Social Democratic Party which Pinto da Costa co-founded, and he too has pledged to

fight corruption. Former prime minister Maria das Neves and the country’s first female defence minister, Elsa Pinto, are also in the running, both as independent candidates.

Sao Tome and Principe, located near the Equator northwest of Gabon, is one of the world’s poorest countries: foreign aid makes up about 80 percent of its budget. More than a hundred election observers, from the African Union, the Economic Community of Central African States and Portuguese-speaking countries will monitor the vote.

A total of 92,000 voters have registered to decide who replaces current president Fradique de Menezes, who is not eligible to run again after having completed his second five-year term. Voting closes at 6:00 pm, with the first results expected later Sunday. If no candidate wins an absolute majority, the election will go to a second round on July 24. — AFP

MONTEVIDEO: This June 16, 2005 file photo shows former Uruguayan President Juan Maria Bordaberry, center, leaving a courthouse in Montevideo, Uruguay. The former president-turned-dictator died early yesterday, at home, where he was serving a 30year sentence for killings and disappearances during his country’s war against socalled subversives. He was 83. — AP

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More illegal immigrants from India crossing US border LOS FRESNOS: Police wearing berets and bulletproof vests broke down the door of a Guatemala City apartment in February hunting for illegal drugs. Instead, they found a different kind of illicit shipment: 27 immigrants from India packed into two locked rooms.

The Indians, whose hiding space was furnished only with soiled mattresses, claimed to be on vacation.

But authorities quickly concluded they were waiting to be smuggled into the United States via an 11,000mile (17,700-kilometer) pipeline of human cargo - the same network that has transported thousands of illegal immigrants from India, through Central America and Mexico and over the sandy banks of the Rio Grande during the past two years.

Indians have arrived in droves even as the overall number of illegal immigrants entering the US has dropped dramatically, in large part because of the sluggish American economy. And with fewer Mexicans and Central Americans crossing the border, smugglers are eager for more “high-value cargo” like Indians, some of whom are willing to pay more than $20,000 for the journey.

“Being the businessmen they are, they need to start looking for ways to supplement that work,” said Rosendo Hinojosa, chief of the US

Border Patrol’s Rio Grande Valley Sector, at the southernmost tip of Texas, which is the most active nationwide for apprehending Indian nationals.

Between October 2009 and March 2011, the Border Patrol detained at least 2,600 illegal immigrants from India, a dramatic rise over the typical 150 to 300 arrests per year. The influx has been so pronounced that in May, Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano told a Senate committee that at some point this year, Indians will account for about 1 in 3 nonMexican illegal immigrants caught in Texas.

Most of the border-jumpers are seeking jobs, even though India’s economy is growing at about 9 percent per year. Once safely inside the US, they fan out across the country, often relying on relatives who are already here to arrange jobs and housing.

Indians have flooded into Texas in part because US authorities have cracked down on the traditional ways they used to come here, such as entering through airports with student or work visas. The tougher enforcement has made it harder for immigrants to use visas listing nonexistent universities or phantom companies.

Also contributing to the spike

was a quiet change in travel requirements in Guatemala, El Salvador, Nicaragua and Honduras. Beginning in 2009, those nations sought to attract investors by allowing visitors from India to enter without visas.

Mexican authorities have been unable to stop smugglers from moving illegal Indian immigrants over their country’s southern border, then north to Texas. Instead, Mexico asked neighboring Guatemala to restore the visa requirement for Indians, which it did June 6.

Still, the lack of a visa requirement allowed at least 8,300 Indians to enter Guatemala and fewer than 28 percent of them exited legally, according to Enrique Degenhart, director of Guatemalan immigration.

The others disappeared to continue heading north.

Indeed, the group of Indians police discovered in Guatemala City eventually went free because, at the time, they were in Guatemala legally.

Meanwhile, El Salvador, Nicaragua and Honduras still don’t require visas for Indians, meaning smugglers can shift routes and use those countries as alternate jumping-off points for the journey north.

El Salvador’s director of immigration, Ruben Alvarado, said officials have begun quizzing arriving Indians about what Salvadoran tourist sites they intend to visit in an attempt to

spot those entering the country simply to head north.

Indians caught by US authorities often claim they fled their homeland because of religious persecution.

Then they wait for months in federal detention centers like Port Isabel, in the town of Los Fresnos, about an hour’s drive from the Texas-Mexico border.

On a recent morning at Port Isabel, young Indian men wearing navy blue detention uniforms filled the benches in Immigration Judge Keith Hunsucker’s courtroom. Sixteen of the 32 cases on the docket were Indian immigrants, including Salimbhai Mansiya, from the state of Gujarat, who had been detained more than a month earlier.

Through an interpreter, Mansiya told the judge that he needed more time to find an English speaker who could help him fill out an application for asylum. The judge ordered his case delayed.

The Justice Department’s Executive Office for Immigration Review received 951 requests for asylum from Indian nationals between October and March - a six-month tally nearly equal to 1,002 asylum requests received from Indians in all of fiscal 2010.

Some seeking asylum can arrange to have their bond paid and are set free. Then they melt into American

society and skip subsequent court dates. Immigration courts eventually order them deported, but only in absentia.

Many of those detained in Texas hail from Indian states such as Punjab and Gujarat, places that are relatively prosperous and where it’s common for people to seek greater fortunes abroad even if they are financially secure at home.

Pramod Kumar, a political scientist at the Institute for Development and Communication in the Punjab capital of Chandigarh, said immigrating to other countries is an important regional tradition that’s even reflected in folk songs. If people face dire economic straits, “you try and sell your land and go abroad,” Kumar said.

“If you’re prosperous, still you go abroad because, culturally, it gives you a higher status.” Many immigrants take jobs driving trucks or taxis or working on farms. Initially, the pay is not substantially greater than they would make back home, but simply living in the West elevates their social standing in India. And over time, their earnings increase, Kumar said.

Smugglers often move their cargo from India to Mexico via intermediate stops such as Hong Kong and Macao and other parts of China, as well as Singapore, Amsterdam, Ecuador, Brazil, Belize and Panama. The

pipeline shuffles Indians north using the same “plazas,” or corridors, preferred by cartels moving drugs into the US, Hinojosa said.

“It’s very organized,” he said.

“They’re pushing narcotics through those plazas. They’re pushing aliens through those plazas. And it’s almost like the mob where they’re paying for the right to use that land at a certain time at a certain point.”

By the time they reach American soil, Indians are mingled with groups of Mexicans and Central Americans.

They are often captured after swimming the Rio Grande or traversing it in rafts. Almost none carry identification or speak English or Spanish, Hinojosa said.

Many of the Indians apprehended are Sikhs, followers of India’s fourthlargest religion, who tell authorities they face persecution back home and want asylum. Applicants need to convince officials that they have a credible fear of persecution in India. If so, the case is referred to an immigration judge.

Such persecution was common in the mid-1980s, when the state battled a Sikh secessionist movement, Kumar said. But today the ruling party in Punjab is Akali Dal, a Sikh party, and Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh is also Sikh.

“It’s all nonsense,” Kumar said of asylum claims. —AP

Transition to Afghan security forces begins Afghan forces, officials will take responsibility for security KABUL: The process of handing control from foreign to Afghan security forces began in Afghanistan yesterday, a spokesman for the interior ministry said. A ceremony was held at the police headquarters in the central province of Bamiyan, the first of seven areas to transition responsibility this month, ministry spokesman Siddiq Siddiqi.

MUMBAI: Rohida Faiz Usmani (C, in black), widow of Faiz Usmani, who died during police custody following recent bomb blasts, is seen outside a hospital with a crowd following news of her husband’s death in Mumbai yesterday. An Indian man died of a brain haemorrhage yesterday after being questioned by Mumbai police over the recent bomb blasts, officials said, denying family accusations that he had been mistreated. —AFP

Police prepare sketch of Mumbai blast suspect NEW DELHI: Investigators have prepared a sketch of a suspect they want to question over the three deadly bomb blasts that shook India’s financial hub Mumbai, police said yesterday. The drawing composed from eyewitness accounts would be circulated among officials investigating the blasts but would not immediately be released to the public, a police official said on condition of anonymity as he was not authorized to speak to the media.

Meanwhile, a man picked up by police for questioning in connection with the blasts died yesterday in Chembur, a Mumbai suburb. Faiz Usmani’s family alleged that he was tortured during the interrogation. Police denied the charge but ordered an investigation. “He was brought for questioning by the Chembur unit of Mumbai police. He was suffering from hypertension. The allegations of torture by police are absolutely untrue,” said Nisar Tamboli, a police spokesman.

Police were making incremental progress in the investigations into the three blasts Wednesday that killed 19 people and wounded 130 others. All three bombs that exploded at three crowded places in downtown Mumbai were packed inside metallic containers and

triggered by digital timing devices, said Rakesh Maria, a top investigator.

However, Maria, who heads the antiterrorism squad in Maharashtra state, said investigators were not in a position to name any terrorist outfit as being responsible for the blasts. Mumbai is the capital of Maharashtra state.

Yesterday, police arrested a man in the western Indian state of Gujarat who was allegedly in possession of 10 crude bombs. The man was being questioned, but there were no immediate details on the bombs. Police in at least six states were involved in the investigation focused on possible links between the blasts and terrorist groups, Maria said.

Investigators have been questioning two suspected members of the Indian Mujahideen, a banned Muslim terrorist group with links to Lashkar-e-Taiba, the Pakistan-based militant outfit that has claimed past terrorist attacks that used similar explosives.

The blasts were the deadliest terrorist attack in Mumbai since a 2008 siege in which 166 people were killed in an assault that lasted three days. No group has claimed responsibility for Wednesday’s bombings. —AP

PESHWAR: A family walks past a burnt oil tanker after it was allegedly attacked by militants in Peshawar, Pakistan, yesterday. The oil tanker carrying oil bound for NATO forces in Afghanistan, was destroyed in a bomb blast on Saturday night. —AP

Under the transition process Afghan forces and officials will take more responsibility for security and their own affairs, allowing a gradual withdrawal of foreign troops. All foreign combat troops are due to leave Afghanistan by the end of 2014 and Western countries have begun to announce partial drawdowns starting this summer, with all 33,000 US “surge” troops leaving by the end of 2012.

There are around 150,000 foreign troops in Afghanistan, nearly 100,000 of whom are from the US, battling a near ten-year Talibanled insurgency. Western officials say the whole process in the seven areas-which include the cities of Mazar-i-Sharif, Herat, and Lashkar Gah in the volatile southern province of Helmand-could take up to two years to implement.

Siddiqi said the ceremony was attended by the head of the transition committee, former finance minister Ashraf Ghani, along with national ministers of interior, defence and public works. The deputy head of Afghanistan’s intelligence agency also attended, along with the ambassador of New Zealand, representing the foreign troops in the area.

“The Afghan officials expressed their preparedness to step up their efforts to ensure security in the province and implement more development projects,” said

Siddiqi. There is widespread doubt over the ability of Afghan national security forces to take full responsibility for warding off

said earlier this month security was improving in the war-torn country, making it a favourable time to begin the transfer of pow-

Afghanistan said.

However there have been several high-profile attacks so far this summer, with the president’s half-

HERAT: Afghan police trainees march during a training program in Adraskan Police Training Center in western Herat province. The process of handing control from foreign to Afghan security forces began in Afghanistan yesterday, a spokesman for the interior ministry said. A ceremony was held at the police headquarters in the central province of Bamiyan, the first of seven areas to transition responsibility this month. —AFP insurgent-linked attacks, amid high levels of illiteracy and attrition within the army and police.

But the head of the UN mission in Afghanistan, Steffan de Mistura,

er to the Kabul government.

“Transition: it’s like a train and it’s moving forward. According to every indicator I have, it is on track,” the top UN envoy to

Suu Kyi ‘to attend’ Myanmar memorial for hero father YANGON: Myanmar has invited democracy campaigner Aung San Suu Kyi to attend a ceremony to honour her father, the country’s liberation hero General Aung San, a government official said yesterday.

The 66-year-old is expected to attend the annual Martyrs’ Day events tomorrow for the first time in nine years following her release from house arrest soon after November’s controversial election. An invitation was sent to Suu Kyi’s Yangon home on Thursday, the official said, adding that the Nobel Peace Prize winner was thought likely to agree to attend the ceremony at the Yangon Martyrs’ Mausoleum.

“Government officials, led by the Yangon mayor, will attend the ceremony in the morning,” he added. A friend of Suu Kyi confirmed she had received the invitation and told AFP she was planning to go to the event, which marks the assassination of her father and eight other independence leaders on July 19, 1947.

The official invitation comes in the same month that Suu Kyi tested the boundaries of her freedom with her first trip outside Yangon. During the four-day excursion to the ancient city of Bagan earlier this month, she refrained from any overtly political activities that might

have antagonised the governmentwhich remains dominated by the army.

Sources from Suu Kyi’s National League for Democracy (NLD) party said she had planned to march to the Martyrs’ Day ceremony with up to 500 of her supporters, potentially risking a clash with the authorities. It was not clear whether Suu Kyi still plans to go ahead with the march now that she has an official invite.

The NLD, which won a landslide election victory two decades ago that was never recognised by the junta, was disbanded by the military rulers last year because it boycotted the recent vote, saying the rules were unfair. Suu Kyi spent much of the last 20 years as a prisoner in her crumbling lakeside mansion and some observers think the new government would have no qualms about limiting her freedom again if she is perceived as a threat.

Part of the democracy icon’s potency as a campaigner for political freedom stems from Myanmar’s reverence for her father. General Aung San is widely loved for winning independence from the British, but he died a year before colonial separation. The countr y was soon plunged into sporadic civil war and nearly half a century of junta rule from 1962. —AFP

brother Ahmed Wali Karzai killed in his home by an old friend on Tuesday, and a recent Taliban attack at a top Kabul hotel that left 21 people dead. —AFP

China rescuers end search for miners BEIJING: Rescuers in southwest China have called off their search for 21 coal miners trapped underground by a flood two weeks ago, saying the workers were “very unlikely to be alive”, state media said yesterday.

The colliery in Guizhou province’s Pingtang county flooded on July 2, leaving 23 miners trapped underground, and rescuers later retrieved two bodies. The official Xinhua news agency said rescue work stopped Saturday afternoon. It quoted experts as saying the miners were “unlikely” to be alive, adding the area where they were believed to be located had been entirely submerged.

Li Shangkuan, head of the rescue headquarters, said 406,000 cubic metres (14.2 million cubic feet) of water had been pumped out of the shaft over the past two weeks-the equivalent of more than 160 Olympic-sized swimming pools.

But he was quoted as saying flood water was still pouring into the pit, and potential secondary disasters such as cave-ins threatened rescue work. The accident has been blamed on a breakdown in the drainage system, the report said.

China’s coal mines-which have a notoriously poor safety record-have been hit by a series of accidents in recent weeks. Earlier this month, three rescuers died from extreme heat stroke as they tried to help workers trapped in a coal mine in the eastern province of Shandong.

Last year, 2,433 people died in coal mine accidents in China, according to official statistics-a rate of more than six workers per day. Labour rights groups, however, say the actual death toll is likely much higher, partly due to under-reporting of accidents as mine bosses seek to limit their economic losses and avoid punishment. —AFP

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Indonesia volcano spews ash in biggest eruption TOMOHON: A volatile volcano in central Indonesia unleashed its most powerful eruption yet yesterday, spewing hot ash and smoke thousands of feet (meters) into the air and sending panicked villagers racing back to emergency shelters. There were no immediate reports of casualties. Mount Lokon, located on northern Sulawesi island, has been dormant for years but rumbled back to life last week. A series of overnight blasts Thursday and Friday claimed one life - a

woman who suffered a heart attack as she fled.

But Surono, a government volcanologist who uses only one name, said Sunday’s 10:35 a.m. eruption released the greatest amount of energy so far, shooting soot and debris 11,400 feet (3,500 meters) high. “We’re hoping this helped ease pressure building up behind the magma dome and that we’ll now start seeing a reduction in activity,” he said, “But it’s too early to know.”

More than 33,000 people along the slopes of Mount Lokon, taking advantage of fertile soil to grow cloves and coffee. But 5,000 of those with homes nearest the1/8 crater have been relocated in recent days to schools, mosques and other makeshift shelters near the base. Despite warnings that the mountain was still not safe, some had returned early yesterday to tend to their crops and their livestock.

The powerful explosion sent them

racing back down the slopes, some jumping into cars and motorcycles, other rounded up by soldiers and police and escorted down in trucks.

Sutopo Purwo Nugroho from the National Disaster Management Agency there were no reports of injuries or new deaths. Airlines traveling within six miles (10 kilometers) of the peak were told to reroute their flights, but none have been canceled so far. The nearby international airport in Manado also was operating

normally, said Lucky Pondaag, an airport spokesman.

Mount Lokon is one of about 129 active volcanoes in Indonesia. Its last major eruption in 1991 killed a Swiss hiker and forced thousands of people to flee their homes. Indonesia, a vast archipelago of 240 million people, is prone to earthquakes and volcanoes because it sits along the Pacific “Ring of Fire,” a horseshoe-shaped string of faults that lines the Pacific Ocean. — AP

Kidnapped Americans allowed to talk to family Govt forces deployed to ensure captives not moved far

HANOI: Vietnamese police officers watch a bus leaving the site after some protesters against China were forced onto the bus in Hanoi, Vietnam, yesterday. A small group of Vietnamese marched yesterday to denounce China’s actions in the South China Sea after about two dozen other protesters were rounded up by police, shoved onto buses and driven away. — AP

Vietnam police break up anti-China demo HANOI: Vietnamese police rounded up at least 10 people as they broke up an anti-China rally yesterday for the second weekend running after a series of protests over tensions in the South China Sea. Around 50 demonstrators, greatly outnumbered by security forces, were stopped and forced to disperse after they gathered close to the Chinese embassy in the capital Hanoi. “Down with China!

Down with arresting patriotic people!” shouted the protesters as they waved banners denouncing Chinese “violations” of Vietnamese sovereignty.

It was the seventh in an unprecedented series of protests-uncommon in authoritarian Vietnam-that have taken place in Hanoi on recent weekends during an escalating maritime dispute in the South China Sea. Authorities in Hanoi allowed the first five protests to proceed without incident, but briefly detained 10 people, including journalists, during a rally on July 10 after talks with China in Beijing.

The communist neighbours have long been at odds over the potentially oil-rich

Paracel and Spratly island groups, which straddle vital commercial shipping lanes in the South China Sea. At their June 25 meeting, both sides agreed to resolve their territorial disputes peacefully. Beijing and Hanoi “also laid stress on the need to steer public opinion in the correct direction”, the official Vietnam News said.

Human Rights Watch criticised the “latest wave of arrests and violence against peaceful demonstrators”. “These protesters should not have been arrested in the first place and the authorities should release them immediately without conditions,” said Asia division deputy director Phil Robertson.

Tensions flared in May when Vietnam said Chinese marine surveillance vessels cut the exploration cables of an oil survey ship and Hanoi has accused its neighbour of harassing Vietnamese fishing boats in the disputed waters.

On Friday, Vietnam and the United States began a joint naval drill in the South China Sea despite Chinese objections. — AFP

MANILA: Suspected Abu Sayyaf militants holding an American woman and her son in the southern Philippines allowed them to talk briefly to their family in the United States as proof they were alive and to press a ransom demand, two security officials said yesterday.

The cellphone call to the US was traced from southern Basilan province, where Abu Sayyaf gunmen were suspected to have brought Philippine-born US citizen Gerfa Yeatts Lunsmann, her 14year-old son and 19-year-old Filipino nephew after seizing them at gunpoint Tuesday from a nearby island village, the two senior Philippine officials said. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to talk to reporters.

Government forces have been deployed to ensure the captives are not moved far from the mountainous area where they believe up to 100 Abu Sayyaf militants and allied gunmen were holding the hostages, one of the officials told The Associated Press by telephone.

Kidnappings for ransom have long been a problem in the impoverished region and are blamed mostly on the al-Qaida-linked Abu Sayyaf, a group also notorious for beheadings and bombings.

US-backed offensives have weakened the group, which is blacklisted by Washington as a terrorist organization, but it remains a key security threat. Mayor Celso Lobregat of southern Zamboanga City said without elaborating earlier that U.S. authorities have informed Philippine officials that the kidnappers called the captives’ family and demanded money.

Lobregat declined to disclose other details, including if the kidnappers identified themselves.

“There was a call to the family, and a demand was made,” Lobregat told The AP. Regional police commander Felicisimo Khu Jr. said investigators were aware of the huge ransom demand.

Lunsmann, a 41-year-old veterinarian who lives in Virginia, was born to a Muslim family in a village on Sacol Island off Zamboanga, where she and her son were vacationing with relatives when they were snatched, Khu said.

She was adopted by an American couple as a child and grew up in the United States. She has visited her Philippine home province at least five times before, Khu said. Khu said authorities suspect the captives were being held in Basilan by at least three groups of gunmen led by Abu Sayyaf commanders Nurhassan Jamiri and Puruji Indama, who have been

blamed for previous abductions and beheadings of hostages.

There was suspicion earlier that the captives may have been brought to southern Zamboanga Sibugay province, where some of the kidnappers, former Muslim rebels from another group, are based, Khu said, citing intelligence.

The last time Americans were held hostage in the southern Philippines was in 2001, when Abu Sayyaf militants kidnapped three Americans and 17 Filipinos from a western Philippine resort then took them by speedboat to Basilan, about 550 miles (880 kilometers) south of Manila. One of the Americans was

beheaded in Basilan. A second American was wounded but rescued while her husband was killed in an army rescue in the Zamboanga Peninsula a year after they were abducted. Since then, hundreds of US troops have been helping train and arm local troops battling the Abu Sayyaf. The gunmen continue to hold an Indian man, a Malaysian truck driver and a Japanese convert to Islam who were separately abducted on nearby Jolo Island, officials said. The militants usually snatch victims on opportunity and may prefer foreigners because they believe they would fetch a higher ransom.— AP

KOLKATTA: An Indian tram passenger watches as human rights and sexual freedom activists take part in a “Rainbow Pride Walk” march in Kolkata yesterday. Two years back the Delhi High Court decriminalized homosexuality among cansenting adults, before this homosexuality in India stood criminalized because of a mid 19th century colonial law, which was enacted by the British in 1860 in what is called, “sexual offences against the order of nature. — AFP

Philippine leader brushes off ‘ousting’

MUNICH: Thailand’s Foreign Minister Kasit Piromya (R) meets with German foreign undersecretary Cornelia Pieper at the foreign ministry on Saturday after the impounding of an aircraft owned by Maha Vajiralongkorn himself, the heir to the Thai throne, was sealed and banned from taking off, Munich airport said, because of a long-running business dispute. — AFP

Thai prince’s Mercedes under guard in Germany BERLIN: Thailand’s crown prince has taken measures to prevent his Mercedes being impounded in Germany after his aircraft was seized at Munich airport last week, the Bild am Sonntag weekly said yesterday. Maha Vajiralongkorn, heir to the throne, has “hidden” his Mercedes SLK sportscar in a private parking space of a luxur y Munich hotel in southern Germany where it is being watched over by 10 bodyguards, the paper said.

The 58-year-old, currently spending his time picking strawberries in the area, has also had the car’s Thai number plates removed and replaced with diplomatic ones, the paper added, without saying where it got the information. Last Tuesday, German officials sealed a Boeing 737 often flown by the

Thai prince and banned it from taking off, Munich Airport said, because of a long-running business dispute.

The move prompted a visit by Thai Foreign M inister K asit Piromya on Friday to Germany where he met with foreign undersecretary Cornelia Pieper to discuss the matter, the German foreign ministry said. Amid fears of worsening bilateral relations, the German government has said it regrets the incident but stresses that it is powerless to ac t, insisting it is a matter for the courts. The aircraft, which the prince often pilots himself, was seized on a court order following a request from the receivers of a bankrupt German construction firm, which said Thailand owes it more than 30 million euros ($42 million). - AFP

MANILA: Philippine President Benigno Aquino’s office yesterday brushed off calls by a navy colonel for his overthrow, saying the officer was not backed by anyone else in the 120,000-strong armed forces. The video appeal by Generoso Mariano was an “isolated” case, said presidential spokeswoman Abigail Valte as she hinted the political opposition was behind the footage.

“We are not alarmed. The (armed forces) leadership had said that these are only his own sentiments and not the sentiments of the others,” Valte said in an interview aired on government radio.

“There are no others that share his views or his opinion (on) his call even to replace (Aquino.) We are confident that the soldiers know that they are here to uphold the constitution... and not to engage in politics,” she added. Valte said Mariano seemed to be “saying the same thing” as the political opposition and joked that he could work for them openly after his retirement from the military. Mariano was stripped of his post and put under investigation over a video in which he called for Aquino to be overthrown. The video

was circulated on social networking sites on Saturday and one copy was delivered anonymously to navy headquarters, the military has said. Mariano was set to retire on Sunday when he turned 56 but could still face charges of sedition and conduct unbecoming of an officer, the military said. The Philippine forces have been wracked by periods of unrest since a militarybacked bloodless “people power” uprising toppled the 20-year rule of dictator Ferdinand Marcos in 1986. Two of the five presidents that followed him survived a series of military coups, including Aquino’s late mother Corazon Aquino, who had to seek the help of the US Air Force in a bloody attempt in 1989.

Meanwhile, the Philippines yesterday welcomed what it saw as a gesture of support from the United States amid an escalating row with Beijing over disputed territory in the South China Sea. Manila has in recent months accused China of taking increasingly aggressive action in staking its claims to the disputed waters, prompting the US Congress on Friday to pass a resolution calling

for a peaceful settlement of the spat.

“The resolution supports the Philippine position of peaceful, multilateral and rules-based settlement of the... disputes in accordance with international law, and condemns the use of force and overt threats,” Philippine Foreign Secretary Albert del Rosario said.”We welcome the support of US congressmen to the Philippine position,” del Rosario said in a statement.

China and the Philippines have overlapping claims to parts of the South China Sea, which is believed to hold vast gas and other natural resources, along with Vietnam, Brunei, Malaysia and Taiwan.

The Philippines, which has one of the weakest military forces in the region, has been seeking greater support from the US, its main defence partner, in standing up to the Chinese. Manila has also called for multilateral talks to settle the dispute and has pressed China to bring the issue before a UN-backed tribunal. But China has insisted on bilateral talks only and rejected calls to bring the dispute before the tribunal. — Agencies

Colombia offers reward to find abducted Chinese BOGOTA: Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos offered a reward Saturday for anyone providing information leading to the arrest of a woman rebel allegedly linked to the kidnapping of four Chinese oil workers. Santos said a reward of up to 500 million pesos (about 285,000 dollars) was available for helping land the arrest of the rebel known as Claudia, with the Marxist Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC).

Colombian authorities blame her for the abductions.

The four men, who are employees of the British oil company Emerald Energy a subsidiary of Sinochem, were kidnapped by at least seven armed men wearing civilian clothes June 9.

They were traveling in a region where the FARC are especially active, near the town of San Vicente del Caguan, in the southern Caqueta region.

“Claudia,” whose real name is Maria del Carmen Perez, 35, has been a rebel for 19 years. Authorities say she is a leader of an elite FARC unit.

The FARC, which has been at war with the Colombian government since 1964, is the country’s oldest and largest leftist group, with an estimated 8,000 combatants.

Last year, 282 people were kidnapped in the South American country-a 32 percent increase compared to the previous year, according to official figures. Criminals were responsible for most of the kidnappings — 57 percent-compared to 35 percent for leftist guerrillas. Earlier this year, Santos warned multinational companies they would be kicked out of the country if they paid ransoms to rebel groups or other criminal gangs that have kidnapped their employees.— AFP

JAKARTA: Members of the Nadlatul Ulama (NU) organisation perform Indonesia’s traditional martial art “pencak silat” during a ceremony to mark the 85th anniversary of the Nahdlatul Ulama in Jakarta yesterday. The Nahdlatul Ulama is the largest Muslim organization in Indonesia and one of the largest independent Islamic organizations in the world with more than 50 million members. — AFP

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PRAGUE: Visitors explore spaces inside the “Mirazozo” luminarium, the newest inflated balloon sculpture designed by Architects of Air, yesterday. The design team was founded

by Alan Parkinson in 1981 and its first luminarium, called “EGGOPOLIS”, was presented in 1990. Architects of Air have presented 15 luminaria since and their latest was built in 2010. — AFP

British police chief quits, Brooks held Continued from Page 1 “Let me state clearly, I and the people who know me know that my integrity is completely intact,” Stephenson added. “I may wish we had done some things differently, but I will not lose sleep over my personal integrity.” The scandal first emerged when two people were convicted over phone hacking at the News of the World in 2006, but did not explode until July 4 when it emerged that one of the victims was a murdered teenager, Milly Dowler. The flame-haired Brooks, one of Murdoch’s closest lieutenants, was editor of the News of the World at the time that Dowler’s voicemail messages were hacked and deleted. Flying into London a week ago to take charge of the crisis, Murdoch appeared before journalists with his arm around Brooks. Asked what was his first priority, he gestured at her and replied: “This one.”

Murdoch closed the paper yesterday, starting a week of chaos in which he had to abandon his bid for control of pay-TV giant BSkyB and accept the resignations on Friday of both Brooks and Dow Jones chief Les Hinton, who had worked with him for 52 years. Confirming Brooks’ arrest yesterday, her spokesman David Wilson said her detention “came as a surprise” after she attended an appointment at a London police station. He warned it could affect her planned testimony before British lawmakers tomorrow over the spiralling scandal alongside Murdoch and his son James, the chairman of News International.

“At the moment today’s events do somewhat change potentially her ability to attend the hearing. There will be discussions between her lawyers and the select committee over the next 24 to 36 hours,” Wilson told AFP. “The fact that she has been arrested clearly has implications and so it is by no means a certainty that she will be able to attend, despite wishing to,” he added. He said senior officers had told Brooks earlier in the week that she would not be arrested.

Scotland Yard confirmed that a 43-year-old woman “was arrested by appointment at a London police station by officers” yesterday and was in custody. It said she was

held “in connection with allegations of corruption and phone hacking”. Brooks, 43, is the 10th person and most senior Murdoch aide to be arrested over the scandal so far. At a previous hearing in 2003 she admitted the paper had made payments to police. Opposition Labour leader Ed Miliband piled on the pressure by calling for Murdoch’s British media interests to be dismantled, telling the Observer newspaper: “I think he has too much power over British public life.”

Abandoning his earlier defiance, Murdoch placed ads in most of Britain’s Sunday newspapers for a second day, this time entitled “Putting right what’s gone wrong” and promising to fully cooperate with police. Prime Minister David Cameron has meanwhile faced questions about his decision to invite his former media chief Andy Coulson, another ex-News of the World editor, to his country residence in March, two months after Coulson quit Downing Street. Coulson was arrested and bailed by police earlier this month. The hacking scandal is also being investigated by the FBI in the United States.

Even more senior figures could face arrest, including James Murdoch, chairman of BSkyB and chief executive of his father’s European and Asian operations. James Murdoch did not directly oversee the News of the World, but he approved payments to some of the paper’s most prominent hacking victims, including £700,000 ($1.1 million) to Professional Footballers’ Association chief Gordon Taylor. James Murdoch said last week that he “did not have a complete picture” when he approved the payouts.

Hinton, too, could face questioning over wrongdoing at the News of the World during his 12 years as executive chairman of News International. But Hinton is an American citizen living in the US, so British authorities would have to seek his extradition if he refused to come willingly. Chandrashekhar Krishnan, executive director of Transparency International UK, said British prosecutors seeking to prove that bribes that were approved at a high level would have to uncover strong evidence such as memos or minutes of a meeting. “That usually proves to be very, very difficult,” he said. — Agencies

Militants warn S Korean firms over...

Continued from Page 1 “Iraqis wouldn’t have gone too far unless the government was weak, such as when some of those accused in bombing incidents in Kuwait were released and allowed to leave the country on Maliki’s plane,” Barrak said.

“Our government is only active in replying to the opposition and having special forces attack MPs and citizens,” he added, noting that receiving any official Iraqi delegations now would be an insult to all Kuwaitis.

“What about the attack on our embassy, Sheikh Mohammad?” he

asked. “This wasn’t a Saddam invasion, it was an Iraqi invasion with all Iraqis taking part in it,” he thundered.

Barrak also questioned Sheikh Mohammed Al-Sabah over the sentencing of Kuwaiti citizen Mohammed Al-Dossari for three imprisonment and issuing a presidential decree on handing him over to Iraq upon an Iraqi request. He urged the government to contact its Lebanese counterparts and demand handing Dossari back to his country as treaties signed with Lebanon on June 23, 2010 stipulate.

Also, in continuation of Iraqi

threats and acceleration over the Mubarak port, MP Eskandar Jawad Watwat, member of the Iraqi List Bloc of former PM Iyad Allawi, alleged “the Kuwaiti danger” was growing on a daily basis and urged both the Iraqi government and parliament to face this “danger”. Eskandar added that Kuwait’s attitudes had been controversial and moving from compensation demands to pursuing Iraqi Airways to stop its operation and attacking Iraqi fishermen in their national waters. “This indicates Kuwait’s recklessness and mockery of the Iraqi people,” he said.

Bahrain Shiites pull out of talks Continued from Page 1 Ahead of the reconciliation talks, the government made some token concessions, including sanctioning an international investigation that will include probes into the conduct of security forces during the revolt.

Authorities halted trials of opposition supporters in a military-linked tribunal and moved them to civilian courts. But the government has not relented on opposition demands to free all detainees and clear others convicted of charges connected to the protests, including eight prominent activists sentenced to life in

prison last month.

Marzouq said any dialogue without his group was not representative of popular will in Bahrain. “We were a majority group in parliament, no longer present at their dialogue. Any dialogue without Wefaq doesn’t have real value,” he said. Wefaq had warned it did not want to be at odds with popular sentiment, and immediately after announcing its decision to withdraw from talks called for a political rally next Friday. It was not yet clear if others from among the 35 opposition representatives will withdraw, such as the secular leftist Waad, Bahrain’s second largest opposition group. — Agencies

Syrian army swoops on border towns Continued from Page 1 But a video posted on YouTube, purportedly from Al-Bukamal, showed scores of people marching and standing on two army tanks and one armored personnel carrier. No soldiers appeared in the video but the residents were chanting “the people and the army, one hand!”

There have been previous reports of army defections, although it is difficult to gauge how widespread they are.

Since the anti-regime protests began, Damascus has consistently blamed the violence on foreign interference and “armed groups” seeking to “sow chaos”. Activists say the protesters are peaceful and that the fierce government crackdown has left more than 1,400 civilians dead and thousands of others behind bars. Al-Watan said the “situation was back to normal” in the central city of Hama, the epicentre of anti-government protests earlier this

month. “The efforts the new governor of Hama has made with civic leaders have borne fruit. The state of civil disobedience which lasted 13 days is over,” according to Al-Watan.

“With the help of residents, officials have started to remove the roadblocks erected on major thoroughfares.”

Hama residents had raised barricades to prevent a military operation against the city, where memories of a 1982 crackdown against Islamists that left 20,000 people dead remain fresh. Activists say security forces have killed least 25 civilians in the flashpoint city since July 5, when Damascus sent in tanks in response to an anti-regime demonstration that drew half a million people.

Meanwhile, security forces yesterday rearrested Ali Abdullah, a key opposition figure who had been freed under a general amnesty in May, the Syrian League for the Defence of Human Rights said.

Abdullah was picked up during a

“vast campaign of arrests” focused on Qatana, a town just west of Damascus. One of the 12 signatories of the 2005 “Damascus Declaration” which called for Syria to move towards democracy, Abdullah had been released under a general amnesty Assad declared in May. The 61-year-old author, who had served a sentence of two and a half years from December 2007 for “undermining the image of the state” and “spreading false news,” had originally been set to be released in June 2010. But he remained in custody to face a new trial over comments he had made while in prison on SyrianLebanese relations, and on alleged electoral fraud in Iran’s 2009 election.

Meanwhile, Damascus was set later yesterday for a music festival marking the 11th anniversary of Assad taking the oath of office as president. He succeeded his father, Hafez, who died on June 10, 2000, after ruling the country with an iron grip for three decades. — Agencies

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Issues

Shabaab offer Somalis kinder, gentler face

By Arieh O’Sullivan he severe drought and humanitarian crisis affecting millions in the Horn of Africa has become the latest battleground in America’s campaign to vanquish Al-Qaeda. Al-Shabaab Islamist militants, taking a beating in the one of the most failed states in the world, have taken steps to preserve their standing among the Somali people as they face the worst drought in decades. The militants made an unprecedented announcement last week, saying they were lifting a ban on humanitarian aid to help the displaced and malnourished Somalis in its territories.

The United Nations tested this over the weekend when it conducted its first airlifts of medicine and food to areas controlled by the Islamist rebels. Al-Shabaab had barred foreign aid organizations in 2009, accusing them of being anti-Muslim. But yesterday United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) delivered five metric tons of essential supplies to Baidoa in volatile southern Somalia.

“The aid would have come earlier if the Al-Shabaab hadn’t banned international aid before. But now they are in a crisis after suffering setbacks. They have lost a lot of areas and are trying to gain back the sympathy of the people,” Bashar Goth, a veteran Somali blogger and journalist told The Media Line. Starving refugees by the tens of thousands have been streaming into neighboring Ethiopia and Kenya where the UN has set up transit camps. UNICEF says some 11 million people need humanitarian assistance in the Horn of Africa, where Somalia is the epicenter of the crisis.

“Our heart is broken when mothers tell us that after having walked for days to reach safety they have lost their children on the way,” Antonio Guterres, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees said during a visit to one of the camps in Ethiopia. The UNICEF chief warned that the crisis would get worse before it got better.

“We are possibly seeing a perfect storm in the coming months.... We are going to do everything we can to ameliorate it,” UNICEF Director Anthony Lake told AFP as he visited Kenya’s drought-hit Turkana region. “We are scaling up in every way we can.... It is very bad now. There will be no major harvests until sometime next year. The next six months are going to be very tough.”

The BBC quoted experts saying that the drought has wiped out half of Somalia’s camels and in some parts nearly 80 percent of its livestock. With seven million camels, war-torn Somalia had the world’s largest dromedary population. Al-Shabaab, which aims to overthrow the government and install Islamic (sharia) law, has begun changing its tune at a time when it has begun to suffer military setbacks.

The Washington Post reportedly that two weeks ago the US started using drones for the first time to attack Al-Shabaab members, and The Nation, a leftwing magazine based in the United States, reported this weekend that the US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) had started running counter-terrorism training in the capital of Mogadishu itself.

The apparent intensified strikes against Al-Shabaab come as the US has marked high profile successes against Al-Qaeda including the assassination of Osama bin Laden and the killing of the Al-Qaeda East Africa chief Fazul Abdullah Muhammad, who was responsible for the 1998 bombing of the American embassies in Nairobi and Dar es Salaam, in Mogadishu itself. “I think now is the moment, following what happened with bin Laden, to put maximum pressure on them,” the new US Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta said last week. “I do believe we can really cripple AlQaeda as a threat.”

Al-Shabaab control most of southern and central Somalia and parts of Mogadishu, but they have recently sustained setbacks in clashes with the African-backed forces of the transitional government (TFG), who have not only held their own but have improved their positions. “They are now in a crisis situation because they lost a lot of areas. They are trying to whitewash their image too,” said Goth, who is from Somaliland but is now based in the United Arab Emirates. “After the Americans killed Bin Laden, the AlShabaab are trying to show a softer side and portray themselves to the Western world that they are not linked to Al-Qaeda.” — Media Line

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All articles appearing on these pages are the personal opinion of the writers. Kuwait Times takes no responsibility for views expressed therein. Kuwait Times invites readers to voice their opinions. Please send submissions via email to: opinion@kuwaittimes.net or via snail mail to PO Box 1301 Safat, Kuwait. The editor reserves the right to edit any submission as necessary.

South Yemen tribes turn against Qaeda allies

By Fawaz Al-Haidari ribes with close ties to Al-Qaeda in a south Yemen province are turning against the militant group after it seized the city of Zinjibar, bringing only chaos and destruction, tribal sources say.

Militants calling themselves “Partisans of Sharia (Islamic law),” who are believed to be linked to Al-Qaeda, seized control of most of Zinjibar, the capital of Abyan province, on May 29.

The city has since been the scene of heavy fighting with Yemeni security forces, especially the 25th Mechanised Brigade, which until recently was surrounded by the militants. Most of Zinjibar’s population has fled the fighting, which has wrought destruction in the city.

In the past week, Abyan tribes have regained control of a number of towns previously held by Al-Qaeda, said Sheikh Mohammed Ahmed alNakhai, a leader of the Nakhiine tribe and the top local official in the town

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of Mudiyah in Abyan. “The tribes have formed an alliance in the province to expel Al-Qaeda from the cities and villages, as the presence of these militants is a danger to inhabitants,” Nakhai said. Tribesmen in Mudiyah were the first to move to expel AlQaeda, he said, adding that the militants had withdrawn from the town after mediation and tribesmen have set up barricades around the town’s entrances.

Tribesmen in other towns including Mehfed and Jaar, which lies just north of Zinjibar, have also pushed AlQaeda militants out of their areas, he said. “ The disastrous situation in Zinjibar was a reason for this tribal alliance against the extremists, as they caused the displacement of tens of thousands of Zinjibar residents and destruction of infrastructure, turning it into a ruin,” Nakhai said. In Mudiyah and elsewhere in Abyan, Al-Qaeda had controlled government offices, had gunmen patrolling the streets, and banned publications they did not

approve of, residents said.

Militants have also killed local tribesmen who were members of the security forces in attacks on checkpoints, and killed holders of military IDs, residents said. Many members of Abyan tribes had supported or joined Al-Qaeda in the past, as they opposed the central government and viewed Al-Qaeda as a group that did the same. But now, according to a tribal source, most of the tribes in Abyan have turned against Al-Qaeda, except for those in the town of Loder who have been meeting to decide what position to take.

A security official in Abyan, meanwhile, said that “the entry of the tribes into a tacit alliance with government forces has increased the pressure on Al-Qaeda and reduced attacks on the 25th Mechanised Brigade” in Zinjibar, while also permitting it to be reinforced. “The state cannot eradicate terrorism without cooperation from the tribes, which have begun to stand in the way of Al-Qaeda without need-

ing the support of the authorities,” the official added.

Saleh Al-Hanashi, a journalist from Jaar, said that “Al-Qaeda lost all popular support when it occupied Zinjibar and displaced the population”. “The rejection of Al-Qaeda has led local people to stand up to Al-Qaeda and demand that they leave their towns because of the tragedy they caused,” Hanashi said. Hundreds of residents of Jaar protested against Al-Qaeda on Friday, chanting “Al-Qaeda, get out of our city!” Mohsen Salem Said, an official in Jaar who joined the demonstration, said residents, most of whom own weapons, ordered Al-Qaeda to leave and threatened that if they remained, “they will be targeted for killing by the population.”

Al-Qaeda associates have now begun departing for farmlands around Jaar, he said. “If the tribes continue in their approach, Al-Qaeda will disappear from the province,” one tribal elder sympathetic to the militant group said. —AFP

Nuba fighters ready for long war

By Trevor Snapp igh up in Sudan’s Nuba mountains, hundreds of men train to join fighters aligned to the ex-rebel army of the south, the SPLA, jogging along mountain paths singing its battle songs. The Sudanese government has vowed to crush the first “rebellion” within its redrawn borders, in South Kordofan, as the Arab-Islamic regime seeks to assert its authority over the truncated country, following the secession of the south. But despite the army’s relentless bombing campaign over the past six weeks, the insurgency shows no sign of weakening, with the SPLA claiming to control much of the ethnically divided state and the new recruits swelling its ranks.

Some are young, but many are older, like Abdullah, a middleaged travel agent from Kadugli who volunteered after fleeing the heavy fighting in the state capital last month, along with 10 friends, four of whom were killed along the way. “I lost so many in Kadugli. First, one of us was gunned down by a Dushka (antiaircraft machine gun). Then, when we were carrying him, two more were killed by an aerial bomb.

Another was killed on the way here,” he says.

Others tell similar stories. Aut Maliga was a farmer in the Nuba town of Kurchi, southeast of Kadugli, where five bombs were dropped on a market on 26 June.

“I joined the SPLA because I lost so many friends in the bombing, my best friends,” he says.

Numerous local sources have confirmed that the air strikes on Kurchi destroyed the market and killed at least 16 civilians, including eight women and children.

Another 32 people were hospi-

H

talised. War is not new to the Nuba mountains, the heartland of South Kordofan’s indigenous Nuba peoples, and the latest fighting seems to have strikingly familiar causes. Many Nuba joined the Sudan People’s Liberation Army’s decades-long conflict with Khartoum in the early 1990s, when the new government of President Omar Al-Bashir attempted to “Arabise” the region and impose sharia, or Islamic law.

Under a towering tree, 73-yearold Brigadier Saed, the South Kordofan SPLA’s third in com-

AK-47 assault rifles that they hope to soon replace with the real thing.

Saed says he is happy about the independence of the south, but like many Nuba, he still believes in the late SPLA leader John Garang’s vision of a new, federal, democratic and united Sudan. “I want freedom for the mountains and to help all marginalised people in Sudan, from Darfur to Blue Nile. They will join us. Already the SPLA in the Blue Nile have taken to the bush. They will fight too. We are ready to go

the South Kordofan conflict drags on. That now looks more than likely. The army’s attempt to eliminate the SPLA within its new borders has certainly taken its toll on the civilian population - more than 73,000 people have fled their homes since the fighting erupted, according to UN estimates.

An internal UN report seen by AFP said the army’s systematic attacks on Nuba civilians in South Kordofan, strongly denied by the government, could amount to war crimes and crimes against

New recruits for the Sudan People’s Liberation Army (SPLA) attend a training session in a secret camp in the Nuba mountains of South Kordofan in preparation for what they call a long war against Khartoum on July 11, 2011. – AFP mand, a seasoned fighter who has spent decades battling government forces, leads the new recruits in a chant.

“SPLA oyee! SPLA is inside of us! SPLA oyee!” they sing, shaking hand-carved wooden replicas of

to Khartoum to finish this,” he says. His words echo a warning by Malik Agar, the governor of Blue Nile state, which also has a large number of SPLA supporters, that there was a “very high” chance of the war spreading to his state if

humanity. But two weeks spent behind SPLA lines revealed a confident and well-armed force, further evidence that Khartoum has seriously underestimated the fighting capacity of the Nuba, who say they now control more

than five counties in the state.

“This is our land. They attack us and withdraw. Bashir planned to disarm us, but we are now disarming him, like in El-Hamra,” says Mubarak Abdelrahman Ahmed, a young SPLA officer. El-Hamra, a government garrison town, 20 km southeast of Kadugli, was fought over repeatedly before the SPLA finally managed to rout the Sudanese army on July 1 and seize 43 vehicles and weapons.

The town was destroyed in the fighting, the aftermath showing a full-scale battle between two large armies. Shiny new bullets were piled up in foxholes left behind as the SPLA moved forward. Big trucks lay blown apart and dogs ran crazily between destroyed mud huts, while the bodies of two Sudanese soldiers rotted in the sun.

In the only hospital still functioning in the Nuba mountains, more than 200 SPLA fighters have their wounds treated by an American doctor and two nurses who refused to leave. In one room, a nurse cleans the half blown-off face of a boy injured in a bomb attack, in another, a 12year-old girl is being treated for tetanus after her arm was cut off by shrapnel. Tom Catena, the US doctor, says he is shocked by what he has seen. “The people were supposed to have some voice in what happened to their future and that has not taken place. I don’t think any Nuba wants to join the north, either they will fight to the last or throw these guys out,” he says. Outside, the buzz of an Antonov bomber silences the sound of playing children, who scramble up through the rocks and into the caves, where they peer out into the cloudy sky and wait for the next air strike. — AFP

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Blasts cloud India’s talks with US, Pak

By Adam Plowright riple blasts in Mumbai last week have cast a shadow over the imminent visit of US Secretar y of State Hillar y Clinton to New Delhi and a new round of India-Pakistan peace talks later this month. No one has claimed responsibility for the bombs on Wednesday evening that killed 19 and injured more than 100, and the initial police investigation has failed to unearth any clear leads. Briefing reporters on Thursday about the investigation, Indian Home Minister P Chidambaram cast the net of suspicion as wide as it would go in a deliberate effort to avoid pointing the finger at Pakistan. “All groups hostile to India are on the radar,” he said.

The involvement of a Pak istan-based group would instantly thrust relations between New Delhi and Islamabad back into the deep freeze, just as the nuclear-armed neighbours are about to restart a faltering peace process. India accuses Pakistan’s army and intelligence services of aiding militant groups that carry out attacks on Indian soil. Terror strikes have brought the estranged neighbours to the brink of war in the past. “I t is too early to k now because the investigations can go in any direction” Brahma Chellaney of the New Delhibased Centre of Policy Research think-tank, told AFP. “(But) if the investigations throw up cross-

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border links then that will queer the pitch for the talks.”

For Clinton, any Pak istani involvement would again see her under pressure to drop US military support for Islamabad during her talks with Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh tomorrow. Last week, Indian Foreign Minister S M Krishna welcomed Washington’s decision to suspend $800 million worth of aid to Pakistan. “Counter-terrorism has always been part of our

strategic dialogue,” an Indian foreign ministry official told AFP on condition of anonymity. “The July 13 attacks will be par t of the exchange.” Clinton said last week that it was “more important than ever that we stand with India” and she reaffirmed her “commitment to the shared struggle against terrorism”.

Robert Hathaway, director of the Asia program at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars in

Washington DC, said the latest attacks in Mumbai “will inevitably colour Secretary Clinton’s visit”.

He said the latest bloodshed in India’s commercial capital had the potential to upset the delicate balance in the three US relationships in the region - with India, Pakistan and Afghanistan.

“If it becomes clear that the Pakistanis at some levels were involved in these attacks, then it would cer tainly give greater force to Indian complaints that

Victims of a bomb explosion lie bleeding on the ground outside the Opera House in Mumbai on July 13, 2011. – AP

the United States has coddled Pakistan and is not being stern enough,” he said. “I think, as the Indians are to be commended for doing, we want to avoid jumping to a conclusion until we simply have more information into who is responsible for these deeds.”

India broke off its peace process with Pakistan after the Nov 2008 attacks on Mumbai, which were blamed on the Pakistan-based group Lashkar-aTaiba. Ten gunmen went on a 60hour rampage, killing 166 people across the city. Initial suspicions for this week’s explosions have fallen on the Indian Mujahideen, an Indian group with links to Lashkar-e-Taiba, but their past operations have come with a claim of responsibility. Krishna would face tremendous public pressure to call off his planned meeting with his Pakistani counterpar t Hina Rabbani Khar scheduled for the last week of July in New Delhi - if any new Pakistan links are unearthed.

“If it is established the Indian Mujahideen (IM) was involved in the Mumbai blasts then that will vitiate the climate of the talks because the link between IM and the Lashkar-e-Taiba is very well established,” said Gopalaswami Parthasarathy, a former Indian ambassador to Pakistan. The government’s policy of engaging the Pakistani government, pushed by Prime Minister Singh, has faced fierce criticism from the main opposition, the Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party. — AFP

Uncertain future for British newspapers

By Sam Reeves ritish media groups vied Sunday to attract readers of the defunct News of the World tabloid, but analysts warned that a short-term sales surge could be followed by long-term collapse in the market. The closure of the paper a week ago amid the phone hacking scandal could see many readers abandoning newspapers altogether, while the problems facing Ruper t Murdoch, an avowed fan of newsprint, are bad for an already ailing industry. In the past week, British paper owners have hiked print runs, launched marketing campaigns and plans are repor tedly afoot for at least one new Sunday title.

After years of falling circulations, rival publishers are desperate to woo the News of the World’s estimated 7.5 million former readers. Douglas McCabe, an analyst at London-based media watchers Enders Analysis, told AFP the next few weeks could see Sunday newspaper sales rocket.

“There is going to be an enormous amount of activity over the next few weeks,” he said. “Every single title will massively increase their print runs.” He added:

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“Circulations might actually be quite robust. I think they might go up, really go up significantly.”

It is unheard of for the most popular product in a market place to disappear almost overnight and rivals of News International, Murdoch’s British newspaper wing, have piled in gleefully. The most striking response has been from the Daily Mail, a mid-market daily selling around two million copies a day, which is reported to be planning a new mass-market Sunday tabloid. A dummy edition will be circulated internally in the company this weekend and it could launch as soon as the following week, the Guardian daily reported.

The mid-market Mail on Sunday, which normally sells just under two million copies, is printing more than three million this weekend, while tabloid the Daily Star on Sunday is more than tripling its print run to 2.2 million, reports said. The midmarket Sunday Express, and populist tabloids the People and the Sunday Mirror are all said to be increasing their print runs.

But rival media companies may have only a narrow window to benefit from the disappearance of the 168-year-old News of the World. News International is rumoured

to be laying the ground to launch a Sunday version of its daily Sun tabloid, Britain’s most popular daily which sells 2.8 million copies a day. This may not happen for several months, however, as News International waits for public outrage over the hacking scandal to subside. Allegations the paper hacked into the phone of a murdered teenager were the first of many hacking claims to emerge in the past fortnight, which have heaped pressure on Murdoch’s News Corp., the parent company of News International.

Most analysts said the effect of the most popular Sunday title disappearing could only be negative in the long run. “I think the Sunday market will shrink because when any newspaper closes some of its readers are lost,” said Ivor Gaber, a professor of political journalism at London’s City Journalism.

And despite his optimism about the short term, McCabe at Enders Analysis saw a bleak future, predicting up to half of the News of the World’s readers would desert newspapers forever. “To take a longer and broader-term view... up to half of News of the World’s sales could effectively vanish,” he said.

Murdoch, 80, has a sentimental attach-

ment to his papers, despite the fact many of them do not turn a profit, and most analysts play down the likelihood of him selling off News International. But with Labour leader Ed Miliband calling Sunday for Murdoch’s British empire, which also includes pay-TV giant BSkyB, to be broken up, commentators believe anything could happen. While the left in Britain would celebrate the fall of the once-mighty media mogul, some raise fears about who would fill the void.

They point to the acquisition of the Independent newspapers by Russian billionaire and former KGB agent Alexander Lebedev last year, and the ownership of Express newspapers by Richard Desmond, who made much of his fortune from the pornography industry. “A media baron who is a devotee of newspapers, a breed that is rapidly becoming extinct, (Murdoch) has patiently pumped money into ‘quality titles’ such as The Times of London and America’s Wall Street Journal,” noted the Economist magazine in an editorial this week. “If he sold his British papers to, say, a Russian oligarch or Richard Desmond, the cost-cutting mogul behind the Express and the Red Hot TV porn channel, how many journalists would cheer?” — AFP

Turf war south ‘could embolden Taleban’

By Usman Sharifi he assassination of the Afghan president’s brother may trigger a turf war for control of the country’s critical south that could embolden the Taleban and reverse NATO gains, analysts say. Kandahar birthplace of the Taleban, home to the President Hamid Karzai’s family and scene of some of the war’s bloodiest fighting over the course of a decade - is a hotbed of tribal rivalries over local influence and money. Ahmed Wali Karzai, known by his initials AWK, was the strong man from one of the country’s most power ful families, who bound together the region’s complex commercial and political networks. Accused of being a corrupt authoritarian who ran the drugs trade in the south and controlled private militia, Wali Karzai nevertheless managed an uneasy alliance with US forces thanks to his anti-Taleban credentials. Now dead - assassinated on Tuesday by a long-time friend and head of his personal protection force - analysts say a power vacuum could emerge and give grist to the Taleban insurgency. “Ahmed Wali’s death could lead to further deterioration in the fragile security situation in Kandahar as the rival tribes compete for power and the Taleban keenly follow developments,” said Yunos Fakor, a Kandahar-based analyst.

His killing comes at a critical juncture, just days after 3,000 Canadian troops ended their combat mission in Kandahar and in the same week that Washington started troop drawdowns, a gradual process due to end in late 2014. “This situation gravely threatens the security gains and achievements made by foreign troops in and around

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Kandahar,” said Fakor.

NATO troops mounted a campaign last year for control of the city, the second largest in Afghanistan. Although US commanders say progress has been made across the province, they admit that they are far from

none had the individual clout needed to bring relative stability to the province. “The removal of such a powerful figure may encourage greater plurality - or a fragmentation which makes the province even more insecure,” wrote Clark. “There may

ily’s business interests, he cannot rule the rest. Wali Karzai’s years of favouring the Popalzais fuelled resentment among the Barakzai and Alokozai tribes in Kandahar, causing some to join the Taleban as the only effective opposition. The next “king of

President of Afghanistan Hamid Karzai (left) greets Sikh elders during a funeral ceremony for his late brother Ahmad Wali Karzai at the Presidential Palace in Kabul on July 15, 2011. –AFP defeating the stubborn insurgency. There are even fears that families are thinking about fleeing to neighbouring provinces and Kabul, worried that the area could erupt in bloody infighting among rival tribes and Taleban attacks could increase.

Kate Clark, a senior analyst at Afghanistan Analysts Network, said while there were candidates to replace Wali Karzai,

also be a scrabbling for bits of Ahmad Wali’s business and political empire by former friends and rivals.”

President Karzai on Wednesday swiftly anointed another brother, Shah Wali Karzai, to replace Wali Karzai as head of the Popalzai tribe, but experts say he is nothing like as bullish as his predecessor and while he might protect the fam-

Kandahar” would have to do a better job of that, experts say.

“We already see that the other two power ful tribes, the Barakzai and Alokozai who had been sidelined by AWK before are looking forward for a bigger role in the province’s administration,” said Ahmad Shah Spar, who leads a movement advocating good governance in Kandahar. Wali Karzai was head

of the Kandahar provincial council, and though his de facto power was much greater, he had recently made a bid to become governor of Kandahar, with several elders travelling to Kabul to advocate on his behalf.

Many speculate that his demise could bring back the former governor of Kandahar, Gul Agha Sherzai, who was ousted by the president and sent to rule the eastern province of Nangarhar in 2004. Sherzai is a less divisive figure among the tribes, they say. “Gul Agha Sherzai is regarded as an effective and stabilising force by many people, or at least he is not as disliked as AWK was,” said Fakor. “He is also liked by NATO many now think that he could be the only and the most appropriate candidate to rule Kandahar, despite opposition by the Karzai family.”

Others say Sherzai is unlikely to return quickly from the east, with the US campaign increasingly focused along the Pakistani border. “The two tribes - Popalzai and Barakzai - have had an entrenched and protracted conflict against each other for decades, one that will only continue to play itself out,” wrote Afghan analyst Khalid Mafton in Foreign Policy magazine. “This in turn will enable the Taleban to take advantage of the confusion and power vacuum to further destabilise security in Kandahar and adjoining provinces like Helmand, where thousands of US troops are stationed.” That could further damage plans to begin handing over parts of the country to the control of Afghan security forces in coming months. “Karzai seems to have forgotten that the failure in Kandahar means the failure in all Afghanistan,” said Fakor. — AFP

Focus

US House debt plan may lead to compromise

By Andy Sullivan

he latest Republican plan to avert a looming US default is a fierce statement of conservative principles that pushes the party’s negotiating position farther to the right. That’s why it may be the first step on the road to compromise. By giving Tea Party conservatives in the House of Representatives a chance to take their favored legislation as far as it will go, House Speaker John Boehner may buy himself some needed goodwill from a vocal segment of his party that has sometimes viewed his dealmaking efforts with suspicion.

That could make it easier for Boehner to eventually pass legislation that could be acceptable to President Barack Obama and the Democratic-controlled Senate, clearing the way for an increase in the debt ceiling before Aug 2 when the federal government faces a default on its financial obligations. Even as Boehner touted his party’s latest plan at a news conference on Friday, he left open the possibility that the House may take up a compromise being shaped in the Senate that so far has failed to catch on with junior lawmakers.

“The cut, cap and balance plan that the House will vote on next week is a solid plan for moving forward. Let’s get through that vote, and then we’ll make decisions about what will come after,” he said at a news conference. The cut, cap and balance bill conditions a debt-limit increase on passage of a constitutional amendment that would require the federal government to balance its books each year.

Constitutional amendments require a twothirds vote. That’s not likely in the Democraticcontrolled Senate, and may even be a stretch in the House.

Even if it were to pass Congress, the amendment would not take effect until at least 38 of the 50 state legislatures ratify it. Economists say a balanced-budget requirement would tie the federal government’s hands during a recession, when tax revenues plummet and welfare costs rise, by forcing it to slash spending or raise taxes. “That would make a recession worse,” said Dan Seiver, a professor of finance at San Diego State. “It’s exactly the opposite of what intelligent fiscal policy should do.”

But it’s smart politics. Polls show that the public, and especially Republican voters, favor a balanced-budget requirement by wide margins.

“This is a vote where ... the House Republican majority gets to align itself with the American public at large,” said Kevin Madden, a Republican strategist and former Boehner spokesman. Some Democrats have lined up behind a balanced-budget amendment, but few are expected to back the Republican version, which also limits spending to 18 percent of gross domestic product and requires a twothirds vote for tax increases.

The House is expected to vote on the cut, cap and balance plan tomorrow, but has not yet set a vote for the balanced-budget amendment.

The Senate could vote on several balancedbudget amendments next week, a Democratic aide said. All are expected to fail. That would clear the way for a so-called “Plan B” introduced last week by Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell, which would essentially pin the onus for a debt-ceiling increase on Obama and his Democrats.

Senate Democratic Leader Harry Reid is currently working with McConnell to make the plan more palatable to his party. Democrats want to include about $1.5 trillion in spending cuts, including military cuts, along with a payroll tax-cut extension to boost the economy and an agreement on funding levels for the coming two fiscal years to avoid further budget showdowns, aides said. The plan would also include a special deficit-reduction committee, made up of equal numbers of Republicans and Democrats, that would examine more sensitive budget topics like taxes and benefits. The panel would be guaranteed a vote on its findings, due by the end of the year.

House Republicans and outside conservative groups have been cool or hostile to the plan so far. While McConnell hopes to win control of the Senate in the 2012 elections by embarrassing Democrats, House Republicans are focused on delivering the deep spending cuts they promised voters last fall. They might warm to McConnell’s plan if they are allowed input on the spending cuts, as a Democratic aide suggests. The failure of cut, cap and balance, coupled with an increasingly frantic lobbying campaign by business allies, could soften their opposition as Aug. 2 approaches.

A sharp drop in the markets could change minds as well. “What may look like something less than optimal today, if we’re unable to get to an agreement might look pretty good a couple of weeks from now,” Boehner said at a news conference on Thursday. “I think it’s an option that may be worthy at some point.” — Reuters

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Vinokourov ends career MONTPELLIER: Kazakh Alexandre Vinokourov, forced out of the Tour de France by a crash in the ninth stage, confirmed yesterday he was ending his professional career. “I’m still hoping to make it back on a bike, but as an amateur, for my health. As a professional, I’m stopping here, they will find another role for me in the (Astana) team,” the 37-year-old rider told France Televisions. The Kazakh rider, winner of the Spanish Vuelta in 2006 and third in the 2003 Tour de France, broke his thigh and suffered hip injuries after being involved in a massive pile-up on the road to St Flour last Sunday.

“It’s getting better and I hope to be able to walk in about a month,” he said.Vinokourov announced earlier in the season that it would be his last Tour de France but his accident made him think he might give it another try next year.

He is expected to become manager of Kazakh team Astana next season. Asked about his views on the race since his forced withdrawal, Vinokourov said: “I was surprised to see the favorites play a waiting game in the Pyrenees. If things go on like this, (Australian) Cadel Evans will win the Tour.” —Reuters

MLB results/standings Major League Baseball results and standings on Saturday. Florida 13, Chicago Cubs 3; NY Yankees 4, Toronto 1; LA Angels 4, Oakland 2 (First Game); Oakland 4, LA Angels 3 (10 innings); Boston 9, Tampa Bay 5; NY Mets 11, Philadelphia 2; Houston 6, Pittsburgh 4; Baltimore 6, Cleveland 5; Chicago White Sox 5, Detroit 0; Washington 5, Atlanta 2; St Louis 4, Cincinnati 1; Minnesota 4, Kansas City 3; Arizona 3, LA Dodgers 2; Milwaukee 8, Colorado 7; San Diego 11, San Francisco 3; Texas 5, Seattle 1.

American League Eastern Division W L PCT Boston 56 36 .609 NY Yankees 54 37 .593 Tampa Bay 50 42 .543 Toronto 47 48 .495 Baltimore 37 54 .407 Central Division Cleveland 49 43 .533 Detroit 49 45 .521 C’ White Sox 46 48 .489 Minnesota 43 49 .467 Kansas City 38 56 .404 Western Division Texas 54 41 .568 LA Angels 51 44 .537 Seattle 43 51 .457 Oakland 41 54 .432 National League Eastern Division Philadelphia 58 35 .624 Atlanta 55 39 .585 NY Mets 47 46 .505 Washington 47 47 .500 Florida 45 49 .479 Central Division St. Louis 50 44 .532 Milwaukee 50 45 .526 Pittsburgh 48 44 .522 Cincinnati 46 48 .489 Chicago Cubs 38 57 .400 Houston 31 63 .330 Western Division San Francisco 54 41 .568 Arizona 50 44 .532 Colorado 45 49 .479 LA Dodgers 42 52 .447 San Diego 41 54 .432

GB 1.5 6 10.5 18.5 1 4 6 12 3 10.5 13 3.5 11 11.5 13.5 .5 1 4 12.5 19 3.5 8.5 11.5 13

MONDAY, JULY 18, 2011

sp orts Clint wins Singapore Derby SINGAPORE: New Zealand gelding Clint upset favourite Better Than Ever to win the S$1.15 million ($939,000) Singapore Derby at Kranji Racecourse yesterday.

The four-year-old Clint, ridden

by Australian jockey John Powell, passed Better Than Ever, who was hampered by an unfavourable draw and ridden by local Jumaat Samee, 200 metres from the finish.

Better Than Ever held on to finish second with Trafalgar Legacy third. Clint’s trainer Cliff Brown described the 2000m race as “perfect” for his horse and thanked a bit of luck from the post position draw as well as jockey Powell for a “great ride.”

“I knew the horse was fit and the 2000m would be ideal for him.

I’m still in a state of shock,” Brown

told reporters. “Johnny (Powell) gave him a great ride. All he needed was some luck from the draw, which he got,” he added.

Powell said he hoped the victory might be the turning point after a disappointing few months. “I got a great run through the race and when I quickened up coming around the turn I thought he would be in the finish,” said Powell. “I had Better Than Ever in my sights and I knew my horse would run out a strong 2000m.”

“He really hit his top at the 300m mark and I thought something would have to come hard to run us down. “The last three months have been really bad, but I’m really looking forward to a strong finish to the remainder of the season,” he added. —Reuters

Bid to boycott Japan GP BERLIN: MotoGP world champion Jorge Lorenzo and current leader Casey oner, who both ride for Japanese manufacturers, have ruled out taking part in this year’s Japanese Grand Prix due to radiation fears.

The Honda-owned Twin Ring Motegi circuit is around 130km from the Fukushima nuclear plant, whose cooling systems were crippled by an earthquake and Tsunami in March that led to meltdowns in three reactors and radiation leakages.

The Japanese race was originally scheduled for April 24 but has been rescheduled for Oct. 2. The governing International Motorcycling Federation (FIM) has said there is no reason to cancel. “I will not go,” Honda rider Stoner told a news conference at the German Grand Prix at Sachsenring on Saturday evening.

“That’s my opinion, I have had it now for some time-not as long as Jorge-I took more time to make my decision but I will not go there,” said Stoner. “I am sure most riders are with the same opinion. That’s my decision and I guess it’s up to the organisers to figure out what’s going to happen.” — Reuters

Mets hammer Phillies NEW YORK: Scott Hairston, subbing for ailing All-Star Carlos Beltran, hit a long homer and drove in a career-best five runs as the New York Mets hammered the Philadelphia Phillies 11-2 in the National League on Saturday.

Daniel Murphy also went deep to help the depleted Mets snap a three-game skid. Beltran sat out with a fever, so manager Terry Collins inserted a not-so-secret weapon against Philadelphia starter Cole Hamels (11-5).

Hairston batted third in large part because he entered with a .353 career average (6 for 17) and three homers against Hamels.

New York starter Jonathan Niese (9-7) went seven innings, allowing one earned run and striking out six and walking one.

In Atlanta, John Lannan put in a strong pitching performance and had his first two hits of the season to help Washington beat Atlanta.

Lannan (6-6) gave up two runs in 5 2-3 innings and also drove in two runs, eight days after he escaped with only a small cartilage break in his nose when he was hit by a line drive.

Wilson Ramos hit a two-run homer and run-scoring double for the Nationals.

Braves starter Tommy Hanson (10-5) was the loser.

In Cincinnatti, Albert Pujols hit his second three-run homer in two days to lift St. Louis over Cincinnatti. Pujols connected in the fifth inning off Bronson Arroyo (7-8). It was Pujols’ 20th homer this season and his third since returning from a broken left wrist.

Cardinals starter Chris Carpenter (5-7) stymied the NL’s most prolific offense again, allowing only one RBI single in eight innings. He’s won 12 of his last 13 decisions against Cincinnati.

In San Diego, the hosts ended a seven-game losing streak by thrashing San Francisco. Jesus Guzman and Orlando Hudson each hit three -run homers.

Guzman had a career-high four RBIs, connecting off Barry Zito (3-2) in the first inning while Hudson went long off the

same pitcher it the third to put the Padres up 7-0.

San Diego starter Corey Luebke (3-3), who lost a decision to the Giants last week, gave up four hits while striking out five and walking one.

In Denver, Rickie Weeks hit a two-run homer in the ninth inning as Milwaukee came back after squandering a seventh-

inning lead and beat Colorado.

With two outs in the ninth and the score tied at 6-6, Huston Street (0-3) walked Prince Fielder, and Weeks followed with a drive that just cleared the center fielder’s attempt for a leaping catch at the wall.

Francisco Rodriguez (3-2), making his Brewers debut after being acquired from

NEW YORK: New York Metsí Justin Turner (2) throws to first base to get out Philadelphia Philliesí Jimmy Rollins after getting out Philliesí Michael Martinez (right) at second base for a double play in the seventh inning. —AP

the New York Mets, pitched a scoreless eighth inning to take the win.

John Axford allowed an RBI single before earning his 24th save in 26 chances. In Phoenix, Brandon Allen hit a three-run homer in his first start back in the majors to help Arizona edge Los Angeles. Allen, recalled from the minors on Friday, connected off Hiroki Kuroda (6-11) in the second inning.

Diamondbacks starter Ian Kennedy (10-3) overcame some late control problems to become Arizona’s first 10-game winner. Fill-in closer David Hernandez worked a perfect ninth for his eighth save. In Chicago, Mike Stanton hit two home runs to help power Florida past Chicago. Stanton had three hits and drove in four runs. He hit a leadoff homer in the fourth inning and added a threerun shot, his 20th, in the fifth that finished Cubs starter Carlos Zambrano.

Marlins starter Javier Vazquez (6-8) went seven innings, striking out ten. He allowed only one hit through the first 51/3 innings. Hanley Ramirez hit three doubles and scored three times, and Logan Morrison added a three -run homer as Florida won for the seventh time in eight games.

Zambrano (6-5) was activated from the disabled list earlier in the day and had a rocky 4 2-3 innings, giving up eight earned runs. In Houston, Humberto Quintero hit the go-ahead single in a three-run eighth inning to lift Houston over Pittsburgh.

The Astros trailed 4-3 before Hunter Pence walked and scored on a fielder’s choice to tie it in the eighth. Clint Barmes reached on an error by Brandon Wood when his grounder bounced off his glove and into the outfield to leave runners at the corners with one out.

Quintero’s knock to shallow left field off Jose Veras (2-3) sent one home to give Houston the lead. Astros relieve Sergio Escalona (2-1) struck out two in a scoreless eighth before Houston closer Mark Melancon pitched a perfect ninth for his seventh save. —AP

Red Sox rally to beat Rays

HONOLULU: Brian Viloria, of Waipahu, Hawaii (left) lands a punch against WBO flyweight title holder Julio Cesar Miranda, of Mexico, in the 10th round. —AP

Viloria stops Miranda to win WBO flyweight title HONOLULU: Brian Viloria won a unanimous decision over Mexico’s Julio Cesar Miranda on Saturday night to win the WBO flyweight championship.

The Hawaiian Punch jumped and pumped his fist in the air when he was announced the new world champion.

The former Olympian was in tears as his father gave him a bearhug and proudly lifted his son in the air as the crowd roared.

The 30-year-old Viloria controlled the fight from the start, flooring Miranda in the opening minutes and landing body blow after body blow throughout the fight.

“I started off quick and I think Miranda got caught by surprise. But like a champion he came back,” Viloria said. “I give him a lot of credit. He fought his heart out and I also fought

my heart out because I really wanted this.” Viloria, who grew up about a halfhour west of Honolulu in a blue-collar, former sugar-plantation town of Waipahu, was badly bloodied but walked away with the belt.

Judges Robert Hoyle (98-91) Ruben Garcia (96-93) and Tamotsu Tomihara (97-93) favored Viloria (29-3, 16 KOs), who claimed his first title at 112 pounds. He previously held the IBF and WBC light flyweight titles at 108 pounds. The 31-year-old Miranda (284, 16 KOs) was making his fourth title defense since beat Richie Mepranum to win the title in June 2010.

The Mexican had won his last five fights by knockout with none of the contests going beyond eight rounds.

His last fight was a fourth-round TKO over Arden Diale in February. — AP

ST. PETERSBURG: Boston’s Dustin Pedroia, Jacoby Ellsbury and Josh Reddick homered as the Red Sox rallied from an early three-run deficit to beat the Tampa Bay Rays 9-5 in the American League on Saturday.

Reddick’s two-run homer got Boston rolling after Casey Kotchman, Matt Joyce and B.J. Upton all hit first-inning RBI singles to give Tampa Bay’s All-Star pitcher James Shields (88) a quick lead.

Ellsbury went deep for the second day in a row with a solo shot off Shields in the fourth.

Boston starter John Lackey (7-8) struck out seven while allowing four runs over 5 2-3 innings for the AL East leaders.

In Toronto, CC Sabathia won his seventh straight start to become the first 14-game winner in the majors, guiding New York past Toronto.

Sabathia (14-4) allowed one run in eight innings. Brett Gardner had three hits while Derek Jeter had two, matching Al Kaline for 26th place on baseball’s career list.

Blue Jays starter Ricky Romero (7-9) has now failed to pitch into the seventh in three straight games after doing so in each of his previous eight outings. He allowed four runs in five innings as Toronto’s five-game winning trot came to an end.

In Seattle, Ian Kinsler hit two home runs as Texas won its tenth straight game, downing Seattle. The winning streak is the longest in the majors this season. For the Mariners, it was their season-worst eighth straight loss.

Kinsler hit his fifth leadoff home run of the season off Felix Hernandez (8-8) as the Rangers jumped on top early. Texas starter CJ Wilson (10-3) allowed just one run over seven innings and struck out seven in shutting down an inept Mariners lineup. Seattle’s scoreless slump reached a franchise-record 30 innings before getting on the board in the fifth.

In Detroit, Edwin Jackson pitched his first complete game since his no hitter last year, steering Chicago past Detroit. Jackson (6-7) earned his third career shutout, needing only 101 pitches, compared to the 149 he used as an Arizona pitcher last season to hold Tampa Bay hitless. Juan Pierre had four hits and Carlos Quentin hit a solo homer for the White

ST PETERSBURG: Tampa Bay Rays catcher Jose Lobaton (right) has his glove hit from his hand as he is called for catcher interference, sending Boston Red Sox Jacoby Ellsbury (left) to first base during the ninth inning. —AP Sox. Tigers starter Max Scherzer (10-5) allowed two runs in eight innings.

In Oakland, Los Angeles downed Oakland in the opening game of the majors’ first scheduled doubleheader in eight years. While plenty of double-headers are held to make up for games cancelled or cut short by the weather, this was the first one written into the schedule since 2003.

Angels starter Jered Weaver (12-4) won his sixth straight decision, not giving up a hit until the fifth. He allowed two runs in 6-2/3 innings.

Erick Aybar homered and Bobby Abreu drove in two runs for Los Angeles. A’s starter Trevor Cahill (8-8) lasted seven innings, allowing three runs and walking five.

In Baltimore, the hosts ended a nine-game losing skid by edging Cleveland. Alfredo Simon pitched seven innings of three-hit ball,

Nick Markakis homered and scored three runs, and the Orioles ended a nine-game losing streak. Baltimore took a 6-2 lead into the ninth inning before closer Kevin Gregg gave up three straight one-out walks and Orlando Cabrera cleared the bases with a double.

Mike Gonzalez then retired Grady Sizemore on a grounder to earn his first save and help Baltimore snap its longest skid of the year.

Despite the loss, the Indians maintained their one-game lead over Detroit in the AL Central. Cleveland was 5-0 against the Orioles this season. Simon (2-2) became only the second Baltimore starter in the last 29 games to complete seven innings. Markakis connected off Carlos Carrasco (8-7). In Minneapolis, Michael Cuddyer singled home the go-ahead run in the eighth inning and Joe Nathan did his job as the new closer, giving Minnesota a win over Kansas City. — AP

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MONDAY, JULY 18, 2011

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GERMANY: Winner Dani Pedrosa from Spain on Honda leads a pack of riders during the Moto GP at the Sachsenring circuit.—AP

Pedrosa captures German GP BERLIN: Spain’s Dani Pedrosa sealed his return from injury by winning the German Grand Prix yesterday while compatriot and MotoGP world champion Jorge Lorenzo snatched second place for Yamaha at the final corner.

Australian Casey Stoner, who had started on pole position and led for a while, finished third and his overall championship lead over Lorenzo was cut to 15 points with nine races left.

Pedrosa’s win was his first podium finish since he won in Portugal in May, before he broke his collarbone in a collision with Italian Marco Simoncelli at the French Grand Prix that same month.

The Catalan, also last year’s winner at the Sachsenring ahead of Lorenzo and

Stoner, missed three races after two rounds of surgery and only came back at this month’s Italian round. “(It was an) unbelievable race because the pace was so high all the time,” said Pedrosa.

The Spaniard had seized the lead briefly at the start and fought a threeway battle with both Stoner and Lorenzo taking turns at the front before Pedrosa again led for the last nine laps.

“Finally a per fect result. I didn’t expect it at all,” he said, thanking his fans, family and doctors for their support. “They know how hard it was for me this time. To come back and already win a race is an unbelievable feeling.”

Lorenzo, who crossed the line 1.477 seconds adrift of Pedrosa, had led for

eight laps before Pedrosa made his telling move and fell back to third with six laps remaining.

The champion was delighted with his day anyway after surging past Stoner with the chequered flag waiting.

“From the middle of the race I got tired very soon in my left hand, so I don’t know where I could find the force to keep pushing to the end,” he said.

“Then Casey stopped a lot the bike two corners from the end so I took profit, I opened full throttle and in the last corner I took so many risks. I think I made a miracle,” added the Mallorcan.

Stoner, on his seventh successive podium, said he had struggled throughout the race. “At the beginning

Bradford Bulls go on rampage LONDON: Former South Sydney Rabbitoh Brett Kearney scored a stunning try as Bradford Bulls produced their best performance of the season so far to crush Huddersfield Giants 36-0 yesterday.

Kearney rounded off a near-perfect display from the 2005 Super League champions when he touched down in the corner after a surging run to seal a comprehensive victory that boosted the Bulls’ top-eight hopes.

Ben Jeffries, formerly of the Wests Tigers, also crossed the line, while ex-New Zealand Warrior Patrick Ah Van scored a try and kicked eight points as the Bulls ran in six unanswered tries. Also yesterday, ex-Wests Tiger Ben Galea led the fightback as Hull KR secured a 21-8 victory over Salford City Reds. Ex-Canberra Raider Michael Dobson also kicked nine points as Rovers bounced back from 8-0 down at the break to keep their top-eight bid well and truly alive.

Elsewhere, Wigan held on to their slender one-point lead at the head of the Super League table, with former Wests Tigers star Pat Richards contributing 20 points in a 48-6 destruction of Wakefield.

Richards scored one of the Warriors’ eight tries and Gareth Hock scoring his first ever hat-trick in his first start since his two-year drugs ban. Sam Tomkins scored twice, with Samoan international George Carmont also crossing.

Carmont’s score-his 54th in a Wigan shirt-was a timely one for the former Newcastle Knights star who announced earlier this week that he will stay with the Warriors for a further year. Josh Griffin scored the Wildcats’ only try as they endured a torrid time at the hands of the 2010 champions to remain second bottom.

St Helens lead the chasing pack behind Wigan and second placed Warrington, with Jamie Foster the undisputed star of their show as he scored a hat-trick of tries and kicked eight goals as his side beat Catalan Dragons 40-18.

Foster’s tally of 28 points was boosted by a double from former Auckland Warriors wing Francis Meli, while Michael Shenton recorded Saints’ sixth try.

Steve Menzies scored twice as the Dragons fought in vain, former St George wing Clint Greenshields and Frederic Vaccari also crossing for the French outfit.

Leeds bounced back from their emphatic defeat against Catalans last week to ease to a 20-0 win over Hull. Ryan Hall, Danny Maguire and Ben Jones-Bishop scored the tries with Kevin Sinfield kicking four goals.

Meanwhile, Joel Monaghan grabbed his 16th try of the season-one of nine for Warrington, who remain hot on the heels of Wigan after thrashing Harlequins for the second time this season. Former Canberra Raider Monaghan scored one and made another shortly after the break to put paid to any hopes of a Harlequins comeback as Chris Bridge ran in four tries in total in a thumping 54-24 win.

of the race we just felt we wanted to warm the tyres up slowly and not overheat them like we did in Mugello. So I took my time, came through when I thought I was faster.

“I got to the front, tried to push for some laps and realised that...it was going to be hard to make an advantage and decided just to drop my pace a little bit.

“We had the pace there but we just didn’t have any confidence,” he added.

The next round is at Laguna Seca in Calfornia on July 24.

Italy’s Andrea Divizioso was fourth for Honda with American Ben Spies fifth for Yamaha. Italian Valentino Rossi finished ninth for Ducati after starting

16th, his lowest grid position since 2007.

In the Moto2 category, Spain’s Marc Marquez won from pole position for the third race in a row to deny Germany’s Stefan Bradl the honour of becoming his country’s first home winner since the grand prix returned to Sachsenring in 1998. Bradl leads Marquez by 47 points in the standings. Spain’s Hector Faubel won the 125cc race after finishing absolutely level with France’s Johann Zarco on the same time. After video evidence failed to separate the two, Faubel was handed victory for having set a faster lap. Compatriot Nicolas Terol’s overall lead was cut to 32 points over Zarco.—Reuters

Samoa stun Australia

FRANCE: France’s rugby union national team fly half David Skrela kicks the ball during a training session as part of the preparation for the upcoming World Cup 2011.—AP One-time Penrith Panther Nick Youngquest was among the scorers for Castleford Tigers who had to rely on a lastgasp try from Rob Parker to deny struggling Crusaders a much-needed win.

Papua New Guinea’s Jason Chan was among the firsthalf try-scorers for Crusaders, who took a 14-6 lead at the break before Youngquest led the fightback for the Tigers with a late penalty from ex-Queensland fullback Clinton Schifcofske to seal a 26-20 win and leave the Welsh side rooted to the foot of the table.—AFP

SYDNEY: Samoa ran in four tries to stun Australia 32-23 in a famous and well-deserved victory yesterday that gave the Wallabies the worst possible start to their World Cup season.

The ragged Australians were simply outplayed by the Pacific Islanders, who complemented their usual hardhitting defence with an uncompromising effort at the breakdown to record their first victory over the home side in five meetings.

Alesana Tuilagi, Paul Williams, Kane Thompson, George Pisi etched their names into Samoa’s history books by scoring the tries with flyhalf Tusi Pisi adding 12 points with his boot.

The ecstatic Samoans, cheered to the rafters by a large contingent of exiled compatriots in the 30,000 crowd at the Olympic stadium, celebrated their victory as if they had won the World Cup itself.

“It’s history for us to beat the number two side in the world,” head coach Fuimaono Titimaea Tafua told reporters, his assistant Brian McLean adding: “Today for us was about getting some respect and hopefully we got some.”

The Australians, who open their TriNations campaign against the Springboks next weekend, scored a try in each half through winger Digby Ioane and flyhalf Matt Giteau but were always struggling after the visitors had raced to a 17-0 lead.

“We got beaten in terms of the physical exchanges,” Wallabies coach Robbie Deans said. “They defended strongly, they knocked a lot of ball out, they attacked the breakdown effectively and turned the ball over and profited from that.” The Samoans dominated possession early on but their first two tries did come from turnover ball.

In the 11th minute, huge winger Tuilaga snared a loose ball inside his own 22 and, with no defenders in front of him, flew down the line, brushing off Giteau and touching down with an exuberant dive.

Some 18 minutes later, Williams charged down Australian scrumhalf

SYDNEY: Australia’s Rod Davies (left) is knocked out of bounds by Samoa’s Alesana Tuilagi during their rugby union test match. Samoa won the match 32-23. —AP Nick Phipps’s clearance kick and brought Australia their second try, recovered to help extend the lead to however, with Giteau profiting from his chip and chase to touch down in 17-0 inside the first half an hour.

Australia were stunned but looked the corner.

With only nine minutes remaining to have wrested back the momentum when Ioane raced over after a five and the Samoans scenting victory, it metre scrum and Giteau penalties proved too little too late. “It’s amazing either side of the break narrowed the what adrenalin can do,” Samoa centre Seilala Mapusua said. “In the end, the deficit to four points.

The Samoans were not done yet, guys were out on their feet. But that’s though, and despite being down to the nature of our team that players 14 men after Daniel Leo was sin- are willing to die for the jersey.”

Australia have just six days to binned towards the end of the first half, lock Thompson finished a ram- recover before they take on what is paging move to edge the visitors fur- sure to be another major physical challenge in the shape of the South ther in front after 46 minutes.

Deans brought on replacements Africans. Skipper Rocky Elsom said, from the bench but another storming however, that it was not a loss of the Samoan attack less than 10 minutes physical exchanges that had been later allowed centre George Pisi to most to blame for defeat.

“The thing that let us down was inch over from close range for the that we weren’t effective enough in fourth try and a 29-13 lead.

With an upset now in sight, attack,” said the flanker, who had scrumhalf Will Genia and fullback played just his second match of the Kurtley Beale were sent into the fray year.

“Sure, there were some good shots and the pair did bring more of a cutand they deserved to win, but we ting edge to the home attack.

It was the footballing skills of back- weren’t good enough at what we did rower Scott Higginbotham which in attack.”—Reuters

Home victory for Torres in Madrid MADRID: Dany Torres (ESP) grabbed the title with a brilliant victory on Friday night against the world’s best freestyle motocross riders in a gala event in Madrid marking the sport’s 10th anniversary at the Plaza de Toros de las Ventas. Spain’s local hero forced his rival Blake Williams (AUS) to his knees in the bullring in front of 25,000 delighted Spanish fans.

Torres got a perfect five-for-five from the duly impressed jury members and sent the giant crowd watching in Spain’s biggest bullfighting arena (62 meters diameter) into fits of euphoria with his scintillating jumps of up to 15 meters high and 32 meters distance. “It’s the best day of my life,” the 24year-old beamed after his second victory in the bullring in Madrid, built in 1931, after what was the 10th time the Red Bull XFighters performed in Spain.

The tens of thousands of fans had packed the famous bullring, which had been converted into an FMX course with a gigantic pile of dirt in the center, and repeatedly held their breath watching the daring performances. Backflips, no-hand landings or 360-degree turns on ordinary motocross bikes sent shivers through the crowd and led to a series of spontaneous

waves around the stadium.

David Rinaldo of France and Chile’s Javier Villegas pressed a bit too hard and saw their hopes of greater glory crushed in spectacular crashes - with fortunately neither seriously hurt. “You’ve got to push to the boundaries of physics to do these jumps,” said Blake Williams of Australia, who took second place.

Norway’s Andre Villa moved into the overall lead-just five points ahead of Nate Adams (USA, 265 points), who was sidelined with an injury. The Norwegian ace squandered a golden opportunity to move further ahead after a blunder-filled performance in the quarterfinals. Torres collected 100 points with his second victory this year and raised his season total to 245 points (3rd place overall).

First held in 2001 in Valencia, the global FMX Tour has now been held 33 times around the world. The next event with the two-stroke engines takes place in three weeks in Poznan (POL). The season finale will take place in the home of Australian FMX superstar Robbie Maddison (Sydney/17 September).

Final results Madrid: 1. Dany Torres (ESP), 2. Blake Williams (AUS), 3. Josh Sheehan

(AUS), 4. Maikel Melero (ESP), 5. Andre Villa (NOR), 6. Adam Jones (USA), 7. Javier Villegas (CHI), 8. Robbie Maddison (AUS), 9.

Alastair Sayer (BOT ), 10. David Rinaldo (FRA), 11. Nick Franklin (NZL), 12. Eigo Sato

(JPN) Overall results (after 4 of 6 events): 1.

Villa (NOR/270 points), 2. Adams (USA/265), 3. Torres (ESP/245), 4. Williams (AUS/215), 5.

Robbie Maddison (AUS), 6. Josh Sheehan (AUS/130).

MONDAY, JULY 18, 2011

S P ORT S

Thaworn holds on to triumph in Jakarta JAKARTA: Thai veteran Thaworn Wiratchant held on to win the $1 million Indonesia Open yesterday, later admitting he totally lost his touch after a blistering start to the week.

The 44-year-old just prevailed by one stroke from Indonesia’s rising star Rory Hie, defending champion Michael Hendry from New Zealand and South Korean Choi Jin-Ho after a gripping finish. Thaworn lifted his first title on OneAsia after making a battling par on the 18th at Damai Indah Golf Club in Jakarta. “I am very happy to win even though I didn’t play well. It was an

uphill battle and the past two days have been a struggle,” said Thaworn, who carded a disappointing 73 to finish with a four-round aggregate of 13-under-par 275.

“After I bogeyed nine and 11 I didn’t think I could do it. I felt I must make that up and down on the last as I was too tired for a play-off,” said Thaworn, who also triumphed in 2005. “I had to work a lot harder to win this Indonesia Open compared with the last time I won it.” He led by one shot playing the final hole and a suddendeath play-off beckoned after his tee shot found

an awkward lie on the edge of a bunker on the par-four closing hole.

He had to play that shot with his feet in the trap and he splashed it out to 10 yards short of the green. Using all of his experience he chipped to a foot to secure the crucial par.

Hendry, who was paired with Thaworn, had a 35-foot birdie putt to draw level but he just missed. “There is no secret to my success. I just work very hard on my game and make sure I look a f te r mys e l f a n d e a t t h e r i g h t fo o d,” a d d e d Thaworn, who pocketed a cheque for $180,000.

The 22-year-old Hie, who also finished second behind Australia’s Andre Stolz in the Indonesia PGA Championship in March, was left deflated at just missing out once again.

“It hurts, of course, being this close to winning, but sometimes you have to fall before rising to the top,” he said. “I have learned my lesson and I will work harder to win the tournament on my home soil. “I really hope it’s just a matter of time before winning a tournament.” OneAsia next heads to the $1 million Thailand Open, to be held from August 11 to 14. —AFP

Clarke wins British Open

MADISON: Chris Kirk drives from the 18th fairway during the third round of the Viking Classic PGA golf tournament. —AP

Kirk in command at Viking Classic NEW YORK: PGA Tour rookie Chris Kirk birdied six of his last 10 holes to snatch a one shot-lead after Saturday’s third round of the Viking Classic.

The 26-year-old American shot an eightunder-par 64 to head into the final round at Madison, Mississippi on 18 under and on top of a crowded leaderboard.

Four players-South Korean Kang Sunghoon, Australia’s Peter Lonard and American duo George McNeill and former Viking Classic champion DJ Trahan-were tied for second at 17-under on a day when 24 players finished within five shots of the leader.

The heavy rain which interrupted the first two days softened the greens at Annandale Golf Club and made ideal con-

ditions for low scoring even though most players had a busy day and had to complete their second rounds before starting their third.

Jim Renner, another PGA Tour rookie, shot a 62, the low round of the day, to be tied for fifth with fellow Americans Tom Pernice and second round co-leader Hunter Haas.

Kang played the first 14 holes of his third round in eight-under par, including an eagle on the 579-yard par-5 11th hole, to take the outright lead.

But he made a bogey on the par-4 17th then drove his tee shot into the water on the par-5 18th and could only manage a par while Kirk made a birdie to leapfrog to the top of the leaderboard. — Reuters

Raina century lifts India’s spirits TAUNTON: Suresh Raina lifted India’s spirits with an unbeaten 103 against Somerset as the tourists survived with a barelydeserved draw in their only warm-up match ahead of the first Test against England.

Raina’s century was the only bright spot in a gloomy trip to the west country for India, who struggled with bat and ball and also allowed England Test captain Andrew Strauss to rediscover his form with scores of 78 and 109.

The Indians had been completely outplayed by Somerset on the first two days of this three-day match and started yesterday’s play on 138-8 after allowing the hosts to amass 425-3 declared in their first innings. India’s battling line-up had been demolished by South African left-arm seamer Charl Willoughby, who took 5-50 on Saturday as the likes of Sachin Tendulkar and Rahul Dravid failed to deliver. Willoughby quickly claimed his sixth wicket yesterday as he bowled Sreesanth, but Raina, who began the day on 30, cut loose after that to restore some pride for the tourists.

The 24-year-old added 84 for the final wicket in an explosive 12-over partnership with Munaf Patel, who contributed just six as Raina hit 15 fours and five sixes to reach 103 in 112 balls. Raina’s innings underlined his case to start against England at Lord’s in the first Test on Thursday and he may have

caused even more carnage if Patel had not fallen lbw to leg-spinner Max Waller with the score on 224.

India’s bowlers had struggled to adapt to English conditions on the flat Taunton track in the first innings and it was more of the same as Somerset opted against enforcing the follow-on.

Zaheer Khan and Tendulkar did not take the field, but Indian officials played down any injury fears by insisting the duo were were just resting. In their absence, Middlesex opener Strauss, guesting for Somerset to get some much-needed practice, underlined his return to form as he recorded an unbeaten 109 including 18 fours. To add insult to injury for India, Peter Trego’s 85 not out included a brutal demolotion of Amit Mishra, who at one stage bowled three overs for 61, and piled on the misery for an attack missing the rested Ishant Sharma and Harbhajan Singh.

Somerset eventually declared on 260-2 and India at least managed to avoid any further problems as openers Gautam Gambhir and Abhinav Mukund reached 690 before the match was declared a draw.

Score: Somerset 425-3 dec (A Suppiah 156, N Compton 88, A Strauss 78, C Jones 51) and 260-2 dec (A Strauss 109no, P Trego 85no) v India 224 (S Raina 103no; C Willoughby 676) and 69-0.

Match Drawn.

TAUNTON: Somerset’s Arul Suppiah hits a ball from India’s Amit Mishra during their tour match. — AP

SANDWICH: Darren Clarke held his nerve to clinch victory at the British Open here yesterday, becoming the oldest winner of the championship in 44 years as he ended his long wait for a Major.

The popular 42-year-old from Northern Ireland kept his cool in demanding conditions to card a level-par 70, leaving him five under for the tournament and three strokes clear of Americans Phil Mickelson and Dustin Johnson.

“I was just trying not to make any stupid mistakes and be really careful and it turned out to be enough to win,” Clarke said.

“I’ve been unbelievably comfortable and confident in my own ability this week. It’s for the kids - they’ll be very proud. I think the celebrations could be long. And, I’ll be very, very hungover.”

The win capped a final round of twists and turns at Royal St George’s, where wild fluctuations in the weather were mirrored early on by a fast-moving battle at the top of the leaderboard before Clarke’s rivals fell away.

It also represented a triumph of persistence for the paunchy, cigarette-smoking Clarke, who finally claimed the famous Auld Claret jug at the 20th time of asking, a new record.

Clarke, whose ranking has slipped to 111 in recent years, becomes the oldest winner of the Open since Argentina’s Roberto de Vicenzo won aged 44 in 1967.

Many observers had assumed that Clarke’s days of challenging for Majors were over, with the veteran Ulsterman seemingly destined to forever rue his near-miss at the 1997 Open at Troon, where he tied for second.

Clarke insisted he had never doubted his ability to eventually lift a Major. “I always believed I would get myself back up here, and I always believed I could get back up here and win one,” Clarke said. Clarke had started yesterday’s final round with a one-shot advantage over Johnson, who was desperate to atone for suffering two agonising near-misses at last year’s US Open and US PGA Championship.

Yet for long periods of a thrilling final 18 holes, it looked as if three-time Major winner Mickelson would pose the most serious threat.

Mickelson, who had started the day five behind Clarke, produced a dazzling putting display over the front nine to wipe out the Ulsterman’s lead and join him at the top of the leaderboard on five under.

Mickelson reeled in Clarke with three birdies and an eagle to go out in five-under-par courtesy of some red-hot putting, and he might have had another had a birdie putt not lipped out at the eighth.

But Clarke then hit back with a 20-foot eagle putt of his own on the par-five seventh to move to seven-under and move two clear of Mickelson, setting the stage for a nail-biting climax over the back nine.

Mickelson closed to within one of Clarke after holing another long-range putt from 18 feet at the 10th for birdie. Yet just as it seemed that the momentum was with the 41-year-old from California, Mickelson’s flawless putting deserted

SANDWICH: Northern Ireland’s Darren Clarke holds up the Claret Jug trophy as he celebrates winning the British Open Golf Championship at Royal St George’s golf course. —AP him with bogeys on the 11th, 13th, 15th and 16th.

He eventually carded a two-under-par 68, leaving him two under for the tournament, three behind Clarke. Mickelson’s implosion left Clarke’s playing partner Johnson as the man best placed to end American golf’s long wait for a Major.

Johnson rolled in an eight-footer on the 12th for birdie to move within two shots of Clarke. But when the 27-year-old from South Carolina crashed his ball out of bounds par-five 14th, it was all over. Johnson’s double-bogey seven put Clarke four strokes ahead with four holes to play, and from there the result was never in doubt as he came home to roars from the thousands packing the grandstands around the last.

Clarke’s victory was the third by a golfer from Northern Ireland in a Major tournament in just over a year, following Rory McIlroy’s triumph at the US Open last month, an event won by Graeme McDowell 12 months earlier.

It also extended American golf’s record Major losing streak to six. The last US golfer to claim a Major was Mickelson at the 2010 Masters.

Meanwhile pre-tournament favourite McIlroy concluded an unhappy Open with a three-overpar 73 to finish seven over for the tournament.

McIlroy, 22, later blamed the variable weather for undermining his challenge. “I’m not a fan of golf tournaments that the outcome is predicted so much by the weather. It’s not my sort of golf,” McIlroy said. —AFP

Fletcher can boost India, says Laxman TAUNTON: VVS Laxman believes India coach Duncan Fletcher will play a key role in his team’s bid to win their forthcoming Test series against England.

Fletcher took over as India coach earlier this year and Laxman insists he felt the benefits of working with the former England chief during the recent Test series in the West Indies.

The batsman talks in glowing terms about Fletcher, who spent eight years as England coach and led them to Ashes victory over Australia in 2005.

Laxman expects the 62-year-old Zimbabwean to provide plenty of insight into how to beat the English on home soil, starting with the first Test at Lord’s on Thursday.

“It has been brilliant working with Duncan,” Laxman said. “The time we spent with him in West Indies was very encouraging and you know from just talking to him that he has such a deep knowledge of the game.

“The Lord’s Test is going to be his 100th as a coach, which is a great achievement in itself, and he will be the first coach to achieve it. “We are very lucky to have someone like Duncan with us because he is a very experienced and very mature person.

“I feel I can learn from him. There is always scope for improving and having discussions with someone like Duncan can only make you a better cricketer.

“I talked with him a lot in the West Indies, especially about technique, and I found him really knowledgeable in that respect.”

Laxman insists that defending their ranking as the top Test playing country in the world will be the last thing on India’s mind when they take on England.

“We don’t see it as being about proving ourselves the top nation,” he said.

“We just want to concentrate on winning each and every Test match, rather than thinking about number games and rankings.

“It is going to be a highly challenging series for us without a doubt because England have a very good side. They have a very formidable and balanced bowling attack with some real matchwinners. “But I firmly believe that if we play to our potential we can beat any side in world cricket.

“We are looking forward to playing to our strengths and continuing the good work we have done in recent years. We will concentrate fully on our own performances and preparation and if we do that we can definitely do well here.”

Laxman has watched from the sidelines as India endured a frustrating rainaffected fixture against Somerset at Taunton.

That fixture is India’s only match before the first Test but Laxman insists they will still be ready to take on England.

“We are not concerned at having only one warm-up game in England,” he said.

“With the hectic schedule of international cricket these days, even one such match is a luxury.

“When we went to the West Indies we didn’t have a single warm-up game before the first Test so it is not a worry.

I’m very happy with the way we have prepared for this tour.

“I am not playing against Somerset because I had three back-to-back matches at the end of the West Indies tour and it was thought better that I should rest.

“We have an experienced batting line-up, who have played in England before, and I am sure we will have some good net practice before Lord’s so we will be ready for the First Test.” —AFP

BASTAD: Sweden’s Robin Soederling raises the trophy after defeating David Ferrer of Spain in the final match at the Swedish Open ATP tennis tournament. — AP

Soderling bags Bastad tourney BASTAD: Sweden’s Robin Soderling easily won the ATP Swedish Open yesterday by beating Spain’s David Ferrer 62, 6-2. After rain delayed the start of the match by two hours, Soderling needed just 67 minutes to dispatch his opponent as he carried over the form he showed in crushing Czech Tomas Berdych in Saturday’s semi-final.

The win is Soderling’s fourth tournament triumph of the year following victories in Brisbane, Rotterdam and Marseille. It is also his second Swedish Open crown, having also won in 2009, and the tenth ATP title of his career.

“It went well today. It’s absolutely fantastic to be here.

I’m already looking forward to next year,” the smiling world number five said as he collected his prize.

Ferrer congratulated Soderling, admitting that he “didn’t have a chance”. “I’ll come back next year and try to win then. Robin has played incredibly well this week. It was a well-deserved victory,” the TT news agency quoted him as saying. —AFP

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MONDAY, JULY 18, 2011

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China perfect at Worlds

SHANGHAI: Britain’s Peter Waterfield and Tom Daley perform their routine in the men’s 10-meter Synchro Platform final at the FINA Swimming World Championships.—AP

Wenger shines in US 7-7 draw with Netherlands SHANGHAI: Center-for ward Lauren Wenger, named the most valuable player at the 2009 world water polo championships, continued her strong form by scoring three goals when the United States and Netherlands played to a 7-7 draw Sunday in the opening match of this year’s titles.

Nienke Vermeer scored three for the Netherlands in the Group A match at the Oriental Sports Center. Miloushka Smit scored the tying goal for the Netherlands with 90 seconds remaining.

The Americans are strong favorites this year, having won the last two world championships and three of the last four.

“The first game is always tough, both teams did a good job in defensive ends,” said United States head coach Adam Krikorian. “They played very well.”

Rita Keszthelyi scored six goals to lead Hungary, which won gold at Montreal in 2007, to a 21-6 trouncing of Kazakhstan.

Dora Antal, Orsolya Takacs and Rita Dravucz added three goals each for Hungary while Darya Vassilyeva and Marina Gritsenko had two each for Kazakhstan.

Canada, which lost the gold medal final to the U.S. in Rome in 2009, beat Australia 10-7 and New Zealand, led by Kirsten Hudson’s six goals, defeated Uzbekistan 196. Five players scored two goals each for Canada. Olga Belyaeva scored four goals to lead Russia to a 15-4 win over Brazil, Greece edged Spain 10-9, Italy beat Cuba 12-4 and China, helped by the home crowd, easily defeated South Africa 22-5 in the final match of the night. The men’s tournament, also involving 16 teams, begins today.—AP

SHANGHAI: China stayed perfect yesterday in the world championships diving events as grieving British star Tom Daley’s hopes were hit by a last-minute illness to his 10m synchro partner Peter Waterfield.

Olympic champion Huo Liang combined with new partner Qiu Bo to claim his third straight world title in the event, shrugging off the loss of long-time team-mate Lin Yue to injury. Huo and Qiu totalled 480.03 points, leaving Germany ’s Patrick Hausding and Sascha Klein 37.02 adrift in the silver medal position with Uk rainians Oleksandr Gorshkovozov and Oleksandr Bondar claiming bronze.

Individual 10m world champion Daley, 17, whose father died from brain cancer just two months ago, finished sixth with Waterfield, who missed a week of training with flu-like symptoms. “I think our performance went OK considering the situation. Myself and Pete haven’t been able to train for a week because Pete’s been a little bit unwell so it was our first training session yesterday,” said Daley.

“I think we’re very lucky that we were able to compete and I think we did quite well considering the circumstances and it’s quite windy up there (on the platform) as well,” he added.

Daley, who will defend his individual title at the outdoor Crescent Lagoon venue, said competing had helped lift his spirits after the loss of his father, Robert, who was his ever-present companion on the diving circuit.

“Obviously it ’s been a tough couple of months and diving is what I love to do, it’s what my dad loved and it’s something that I’m definitely going to do just because that’s what he would have wanted me to do,” Daley said.

“It’s always good to come away and spend some time with your team-mates. It’s great to train with everyone. It’s good to see everyone again and feel the vibe at training. It’s actually a bit of a buzz.”

Huo and Qiu also overcame obstacles to claim gold. The two had been together for just a matter of months after Lin was ruled out through injury, underlining the Chinese diving dynasty’s extraordinary strength in depth.

“I haven’t worked with Qiu Bo for so long, but our cooperation was smooth and we relate well,” said Huo. Qiu added that it would

“depend on the leaders’ arrangements” whether the two would combine at next year’s Olympics. China also won the women’s 3m synchro on Saturday as they target the first ever clean sweep of diving titles, after winning seven out of 10 two years ago in Rome.

Meanwhile Russia’s synchronised swimming queen Natalia Ishchenko claimed the event’s first gold-and her 11th world title-when she won the technical solo ahead of China’s Huang

two-and-a-half twists which won them 98.28 points. American David Boudia, a 2009 silver medallist, and his partner Nick McCrory rued a botched fifth dive which kept them out of the medals, despite placing second in the preliminaries. Earlier, Wang Han and Shi Tingmao finished first and second in the women’s 1m springboard heat to maintain China’s 100 percent record in the diving preliminaries. The final will be contested tomorrow.

SHANGHAI: China’s Qiu Bo (right) and Huo Liang pose with their gold medal after winning the men’s 10-meter Synchro Platform final at the FINA Swimming World Championships.—AP Xuechen and Andrea Fuentes of Spain. “My coach said my performance was good. It’s a new action. It was not my highest score. I take part in solo, duets and team this time, so I’m tired. The Spanish swimmer did a great job,” she said. In the men’s diving final, Huo and Qiu stamped their authority with a piked backwards 3.5 somersault and rounded it off with a backwards two-and-a-half somersault with

The 16-day championships formally opened with a color ful opening ceremony late on Saturday with water polo also under way yesterday. The blue-riband swimming events start on July 24. But the tournament has been overshadowed by a high-profile doping case involving Brazilian swimming star Cesar Cielo, with officials tightening their drug-testing regime in a bid to catch cheats.—AFP

Good starts for Esperance, Cotonsport African Champions League

JOHANNESBURG: Esperance of Tunisia and Cotonsport Garoua of Cameroon collected precious away points this weekend as the African Champions League group phase kicked off.

Midfielder Oussama Darragi gave Esperance an early lead against Mouloudia Alger of Algeria in a Group B clash of former title holders and defender Mohamed Meghirbi levelled nine minutes later. Cotonsport overcame the absence of three suspended stars and having a player redcarded 13 minutes from full-time to force a 0-0 Group A draw at three-time champions Raja Casablanca of Morocco.

Casablanca supply two of the eight con-

tenders for the $1.5 million first prize and a place at the end-of-year FIFA Club World Cup in Japan, with Wydad away to record six-time African champions Al-Ahly of Egypt late yesterday.

This fixture will be staged behind closed doors after crowd trouble at the Cairo Stadium during a qualifier against Zambians ZESCO United resulted in one visiting footballer having to retire injured when struck by a flare. Nigerian club Enyimba-one of just three clubs to successfully defend the African Champions League titlehost twice runners-up Al-Hilal from Sudan a few hours before Ahly and 1992 title holders Wydad do battle.

Esperance, who have won all the Pan-African competitions except the Confederation Cup, lived up to expectations that they will reach the semi-finals from Group B with the ‘Red Devils’ of Ahly. Darragi ranks among the best young midfielders on the continent, having already made numerous appearances for Tunisia at senior level, and it came as no surprise that he scored in Algiers given his fondness for goals. Mouloudia conquered Africa 35 years ago after wiping out a three-goal, first-leg lead built by Hafia in Guinea, but the current squad does not appear capable of bringing the trophy back to the North African country. They dodged relegation from the

national league by a solitary point after forcing a last-round goalless draw on the road and faced Esperance soon after coach Noureddine Zekri quit. After scoring eight goals at home to oust Real Bangui of Central African Republic, Dynamos of Zimbabwe and InterClube of Angola in qualifiers, they struggled to create openings against the 1994 African champions.

A Cotonsport side coached by Frenchman Denis Lavagne will be thrilled to take a point home from Morocco as they appeared weaker than Raja, Enyimba or Hilal and were depleted

by Ndzana Kana, Mbongo Ewangue and Lassina Karim not being available.—AFP

Man City defeat America

FRANCE: A combo shows (from top, left to right) fans looking at the pack riding near the Carcassonne’s ancient walled city (background), Spain’s three-time Tour de France winner Alberto Contador grimacing as riding in the pack, Britain’s Mark Cavendish winning his unrivalled Tour de France 19th stage victory and Yellow jersey of overall leader, France’s Thomas Voeckler, riding with Europcar teammates in the pack during Tour de France cycling race.—AFP

Cavendish captures Tour stage MONTPELLIER: Britain’s Mark Cavendish continued his domination of the Tour de France sprint stages yesterday by claiming his fourth win of the race to take his career tally to an unrivalled 19 on stage 15.

France’s Thomas Voeckler, of the Europcar team, remained in the yellow jersey after the mainly flat but wind-buffeted ride over 193 km from Limoux to Montpellier which had the overall contenders fighting for survival.

Voeckler maintained his 1min 49sec lead on Luxembourg’s Frank Schleck, with Australian Cadel Evans in third at 2:06.

Andy Schleck, the runner-up the past two years, is fourth at 2:15 while three-time and reigning champion Alberto Contador of Spain is seventh at 4:00. Cavendish meanwhile showed that when his team are in control, he is virtually unstoppable.

After a strong ride by HTC-Highroad, which helped chase down an earlier fiveman breakaway and then countered a late move by Belgian champion Philippe Gilbert, Cavendish was quick to share the plaudits. “I don’t think there’s been one of my 19 wins that I’ve done alone, and that just shows the commitment those guys have towards me and I’m incredibly lucky for that,” said Cavendish.

“I crossed the finish line first but it’s not just me. I did 200 metres today in a 200 km

stage. The team rode and delivered me to the line. I’m incredibly proud to be associated with them.”

Although Belgian legend Eddy Merckx holds the race record of 34 stage wins Cavendish is by far the most successful sprinter ever on the race.

After a windy ride into Montpellier which had Evans, the Schlecks and Contador nervously trying to avoid losing time due to splits in the peloton, his team remained in control despite the technical approach to the finish line.

The cosmopolitan American outfit then kept their composure when Gilbert, Cavendish’s principle rival for the points competition’s green jersey, launched an attack with three kilometres to race.

Cavendish’s Australian teammate Matt Goss admitted Gilbert, who won stage one to take the yellow jersey and has been a threat for Cavendish throughout, had to be brought to heel.

“Gilbert went, and you’ve got to worry,” said Goss. “You see how strong and how good he is. We certainly had to make sure we got him back.”

HTC-Highroad reeled the OmegaPharma rider in and with just over 200 metres to race Cavendish emerged from the wheel of Australian lead-out man Mark Renshaw and drove hard for the finish

where he beat American Tyler Farrar into second. Garmin sprinter Farrar, who secured his maiden Tour victory on stage three, had hoped to benefit from the slipstream of lead-out man Julian Dean however the New Zealander got stuck behind HTC. “I couldn’t come off the wheel there to give Tyler that extra bit of speed he needed at the finish. There was nothing we could do today,” said Dean. “HTC were right on their game.”

After surviving three tough stages in the Pyrenees Farrar admitted he is looking forward to a rest. “It was a stressful day with lots of wind but the team rode all day and got me into good position in the finale,” said the American.

“I really wanted the win today but unfortunately it just didn’t turn out. I think we’re all ready for the rest day tomorrow and we will look forward to next week and another try on the Champs (Elysees).”

Monday is the second rest day of the race, which resumes Tuesday with a hilly 162.5 km ride from Saint-Paul-TroisChateaux to Gap on stage 16. Voeckler is likely to keep the yellow jersey at least until then, however despite punching above his weight so far the Frenchman said he is under no illusions. He said: “I give myself zero percent chance of winning the Tour de France.”—AFP

SAN FRANCISCO: Shaun Wright-Phillips provided a reminder that he may still have a role to play at Manchester City by scoring the second goal in the club’s 2-0 win over Mexican club America in a friendly on Saturday. Wright-Phillips, who is the subject of seemingly permanent transfer speculation as super-rich City continues to cram its squad with top-class players, scored in the 27th minute.

Ryan McGivern, who has spent the past two seasons on loan at Leicester City and Walsall, opened the scoring in the 17th. Edin Dzeko and Wright-Phillips easily worked the ball downfield through America’s defense to set up the 21 yearold from Northern Ireland.

It was exactly the type of game manager Roberto Mancini hoped for when he told WrightPhillips that he needed to play well this summer for a chance to stay at the club. “Shaun is a good player and it turned out to be a good day for him,” Mancini said. “He’s a good guy. Every time that that I have to choose a player for these games it’s difficult because these are good guys. Today he played very well and scored a goal.”

Of more concern to Mancini would be the ongoing effort to seek a good transfer deal for captain Carlos Tevez, who has expressed a wish to return to South America to be nearer his family.

Tevez, who missed the crucial penalty in Argentina’s shootout loss to Uruguay in the Copa America quarterfinals on Saturday, is the subject of interest from Brazilian club Corinthians, who had reportedly upped their transfer offer to $63 million. “Probably I will speak to him, but not tonight,” Mancini said. “I’m very sorry for him because for Argentina it was really important (to play well in) Copa America.”

Dzeko played a role in the second goal, controlling the ball then dishing it to Wright-Phillips, whose 20-yard shot easily beat America goalie Armando Navarrete.

“I saw a glimpse of the goal and I thought I would try to get a clean strike,” Wright-Phillips said. “Normally I pass in that situation but I got the shot off and it went in.” America missed two chances early after halftime and didn’t get much else going while losing for the first time in four matches this summer.

“We were very lax in the beginning and that was something that I really didn’t like too much,” America coach Carlos Reinoso said. “America has to be a very serious team, especially when matches like this come. We’re on a good path.”

The game, played before a sparse crowd of 11,000, is part of a three-week summer tour across North America that includes Manchester United, Barcelona and Real Madrid.

Manchester City will play a against the Vancouver Whitecaps today.—AP

LOS ANGELES: Real Madrid forward Cristiano Ronaldo (left) and Dan Keat chase down a loose ball during the second half of an exhibition soccer match. —AP

Ronaldo scores as Real thrash Galaxy LOS ANGELES: Cristiano Ronaldo scored a signature goal and Real Madrid displayed its deft scoring ability to beat the Los Angeles Galaxy 4-1 in a friendly on Saturday.

In a game that pitted Galaxy midfielder David Beckham against his old side, Jose Callejon, Joselu and Karim Benzema also scored for the Spanish giants, who showed little rust in their preseason opener.

“We won, that is most important,” Ronaldo said. “We want to keep on training hard to start well this season.”

Ronaldo, who set La Liga’s scoring record with 40 goals last season, entered as a halftime substitute. The Portuguese star used multiple step-over’s to beat three defenders, then fired a sharp shot with his left foot that found its way inside the near post and made it 3-0 early in the second half. “He’s one of the best players in the world, and clearly he showed why,” Galaxy midfielder Landon Donovan said.

“He is not at top form quite yet, but you can still see that he has moments of brilliance that aren’t really teachable.”

Madrid manager Jose Mourinho chose to go with a younger, inexperienced lineup to start the game, keeping mainstays Ronaldo, Xabi Alonso, Raul Albiol and Benzema on the bench before making nine changes at the interval.

A scoreless opening 30 minutes gave way to a pair of goals in quick succession.

Fabio Coentrao started a sequence in the 31st with a short pass to Kaka.

The former FIFA player of the year sent the ball across the pitch and over the Galaxy defense to a streaking Callejon, who took a few touches before burying the ball in the lower left corner.

Madrid caught the Galaxy with its guard down two minutes later. Joselu controlled the ball in the box and shot low through Beckham’s legs. L.A. goalkeeper Josh Saunders appeared to be expecting a cross instead and looked to his left as the ball rolled past.

Ronaldo made it 3-0 just 7 minutes after halftime and Benzema scored in the 57th, heading in a cross from Fabio.

Adam Cristman got one back for Galaxy in the 64th, redirecting Antonio Adan’s save with a header into the net.

“At the end of the day, that’s a team worth hundreds of millions of dollars versus a team that’s worth maybe 10 (million) at the most,” Donovan said. “So we have to keep that in perspective. We enjoyed it, and we still got a lot out of it.” David Beckham wore the captain’s band but failed to make an impact before being removed for a substitute in the 61st minute. Beckham spent four seasons with Madrid, leaving in 2007 after helping the club win its most recent Spanish title.

Beckham came off the field to cheers and shared a hug with Mourinho on the sidelines. Beckham said earlier in the week that it would be a “dream” to play for the respected manager. Real Madrid, which opens its season at home against Athletic Bilbao on Aug. 20 or 21, will play two more matches on its tour through America.—AP

China perfect at Worlds

Clarke wins British Open

MONDAY, JULY 18, 2011

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Pedrosa captures German Grand Prix Page 17

GERMANY: Japan’s players celebrate with the trophy after the FIFA Women’s Football World Cup final match against USA. Japan won 3-1 in a penalty shoot-out after the final had finished 2-2 following extratime.—AFP

Japan lift women’s World Cup FRANKFURT: Japan twice came from behind to win the women’s World Cup for the first time yesterday, beating the United States 3-1 on a penalty shoot-out after the final had finished 2-2 in extratime. Japan captain Homare Sawa, who won the tournament’s golden boot, kept her side in the game with a header in the 117th minute after US striker Abby Wambach’s had put her side ahead early in extra-time after the two sides were locked at 1-1 over 90 minutes.

The Japanese had defender Azusa Iwashimizu sent off in the 121st minute for a foul on US striker Alex Morgan. In the dramatic shoot-out, Japan goalkeeper Ayumi Kaihori saved two penalties before defender Saki Kumagai hit the winning spot-kick.

The US had taken the lead in the second-half of normal time thanks to striker Alex Morgan’s sublime strike, but Japan’s

Aya Miyama poached the equaliser after a mix-up in the American defence in the 81st minute. This was Japan’s first win over the Americans at the 26th time of trying and was heartbreak for the Stars and Stripes as they missed out on a third World Cup title despite dominating Japan for large periods of the game.

“We made just a couple of mistakes.

We let them back in the game but I still think we did well,” said USA coach Pia Sundhage. “We had a lot of possession and played some good soccer. It’s hard to lose on penalties, some go in and some go out. “It’s a small difference between winning and losing. We just didn’t take our chances.”

German Chancellor Angela Merkel celebrated her 57th birthday by joining the 48,817 sell-out crowd in Frankfurt, while Dr Jill Biden, wife of US vice-president Joe Biden, and Chelsea Clinton, daughter of

US Secretary of State Hillary, were also in the stands. Japan made it to final after their shock 1-0 defeat of Germany in the quarter-finals before they dominated Sweden 3-1 in the last four. The USA followed up a dramatic 5-3 win on penalties over Brazil in the last eight before they beat France 3-1 in the semi-finals.

The USA controlled the opening 20 minutes as left-wing Megan Rapinhoe and forward Lauren Cheney, who replaced striker Amy Rodriguez in the starting team, caused havoc, while Wambach hit the crossbar on 28 minutes.

Japan’s first real chance came with 30 minutes gone but midfielder Kozue Ando fired her shot straight at US goalkeeper Hope Solo. The first-half finished goalless, but Cheney, with a heavily strapped ankle, was replaced at half-time by goal-scorer Morgan. The USA kept up the pressure and Kaihori palmed Wambach’s header

over the bar on 64 minutes. The Americans’ pressure finally told when Rapinhoe’s long-range pass — which was half the length of the pitch — found Morgan who blasted her shot across Kaihori on 69 minutes.

Japan were gifted the equaliser on 81 minutes when defenders Rachel Buehler and Krieger scrambled to clear the ball in their own goalmouth, but left-wing Miyama reacted fastest and stabbed the ball home. In extra-time, Wambach headed the US back into the lead in the 104th minute. But Sawa equalised from a corner in the 117th minute with her fifth goal of the tournament to take the game to penalties. Meanwhile, Japan and the USA clash had collected plenty of fans along the way in what will be the battle of the come-back queens. Despite damp conditions, plenty of USA supporters decked out in the Stars and Stripes and Japanese

fans wearing their country’s flag with pride were on the streets of Frankfurt ahead of the 2045 (local time) kick-off.

Having lost 2-0 to England in the group stages, Japan bounced back to floor Germany in the quarter-finals and then dominated Sweden 3-1 in the semifinal. The USA left it until the 122nd minute of their quarter-final against Brazil as a Abby Wambach header levelled the scores at 2-2 in extra time before winning their quarter-final on a penalty shoot-out.

That victory has won over many football fans, including US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. “I am going to be watching,” Hillary Clinton told reporters in Athens. “I’m so excited. I am so proud of the US women. “So we have a really good cheering section and I’ve just got the highest hopes that this great team, which has such resilience, will be coming back and winning for the US. “The game that

Brazil crash out of Copa America LA PLATA: Paraguay dumped holders Brazil out of the Copa America yesterday, winning a quarter-final penalty shootout 2-0 after a poor match ended goalless after extratime. Brazil’s penalty-taking proved even more execrable than much of their play, which saw them have plenty of possession but no panache in attack.

Marcelo Estigarribia and Christian Riveros converted for the Paraguayans while Elano, Thiago Silva, Andre Santos and Fred missed for the eight-times continental champions.

“When you lose you know you made some mistakes,” said Brazil coach Mano Menezes. “But this happens in football and we have to live with it.” Paraguay, who last won the event in 1979, now go on to face either Chile or Venezuela, who were facing off later yesterday in San Juan. Brazil forward Robinho tried to put a positive gloss on the defeat to a side with whom they were fortunate to draw in the group stage just eight days earlier.

“I think we played a good Copa overall. But now we must keep our heads up and go on to lift the World Cup in our homeland,” said the Milan striker. Brazil’s exit followed that of hosts Argentina, beaten by Uruguay, likewise in a shootout, on Saturday.

The football never reached the level

of the ‘beautiful game’. Instead, the unchannelled aggression saw Lucas Leiva and Antolin Alcaraz sent off for a tussle which sparked an ugly freefor-all in the first period of extratime. After Brazil had made most of the running over 90 minutes with some good approach play, which was spoiled by a lack of ruthless finishing, the extra half-hour saw chances at both ends although tiredness was clearly taking its toll.

Brazil made two changes from the side which thanked a late goal from Fred for the 2-2 group draw between the sides, Robinho in for Jadson, and defender Maicon back for Dani Alves.

Robinho joined Ganso and strike pair Pato and Neymar in an attacking formation known as Menezes’ “magic quartet”. Neymar and Pato had both scored a brace in the subsequent win over Ecuador had clearly revived Manezes’ faith in his strategy. But his faith in them proved somewhat misguided on Sunday’s evidence against tough opponents who gave no quarter.

While Bazil’s switches were essentially tactical Paraguay boss Gerardo Martino had no choice with his change as experienced striker Roque Santa Cruz, who scored in the first game, missed out through injury. Nelson Haedo Valdez partnered Lucas Barrios, but Santa Cruz’s

LA PLATA: Paraguay’s goalkeeper Justo Villar saves a penalty kick by Brazil’s Thiago Silva in the penalty shootout during a Copa America quarterfinal soccer match.—AP

guile and class were sorely missed.

Maicon had a low effort blocked and Neymar fired wide before a surging Robinho run from deep found Neymar on the right but his cross floated harmessly into space as Brazil bossed most of the play but a breakthrough would not come.

Fred came on for Neymar with 11 minutes to go and then Pato had a shot charged down by onrushing keeper Justo Villar before heading the rebound into the side netting.

With five minutes remaining Brazil should have stolen it but Fred, looking to repeat his party piece of a

week earlier, saw his header cleared off the line. Then came spotkicks which were a disaster for Brazil as Elano fired over, Thiago Silva saw his saved by Villar, Andre Santos then blasted over and Fred wide. Marcelo Estigarribia and Christian Riveros did convert and Brazil were out.—AFP

they played against Brazil, which Bill and I watched on the internet, was one of the best soccer games I’ve ever seen.”

Likewise, Japan have impressed here as the Nadeshiko-a flower symbolising grace and beauty-have combined slick passing and deadly finishing to book their place in the final.

Just four months after the massive earthquake and resulting tsunami which devastated the northeast coast on March 11, Japan is still recovering. Captain Homare Sawa, who is playing her fifth World Cup, says her team hopes to win the final to give hope and inspiration to their countrymen affected by the tragedy.

“It is not easy for Japan at the moment,” said the 32-year-old. “We are happy to have the chance to play under these circumstances and we want to give strength and hope to people back home.”—AFP

Messi’s Copa dream crushed by old rivals CORDOBA: Lionel Messi’s Copa America dream lay in tatters on Saturday after Argentina were beaten by old rivals Uruguay in a dramatic quarter-final.

Uruguay, aiming for a record 15th title, won a penalty shootout 5-4 following a 1-1 draw after extra time in Santa Fe. They meet Peru in Tuesday’s semi-final in La Plata after the Peruvians upset Colombia 2-0 after extra time in Cordoba.

Messi, still without a goal for Argentina in a competitive match since March 2009, had dreamt of inspiring Argentina to their first major title since the 1993 Copa America before an assault on the World Cup in Brazil in 2014. Coach Sergio Batista’s critics can be expected to round on him after a disappointing tournament in which Argentina only won one group match against a weak Costa Rica side despite preaching the kind of attacking football perfected by Messi’s club Barcelona.

“I will carry on ... I don’t call this a failure,” Batista told the postmatch news conference at the Brigadier Estanislao Lopez stadium. “We have to continue working for the most important thing which is getting to the World Cup,” added Batista, whose contract runs until the end of the South American qualifiers in 2013. “In the first two matches we didn’t play the way we wanted, in the third we played well and today we could have won in the first half which was our aim. Then we lost some composure when it was 10 against 10.” “(Messi) had an 30 exceptional minutes (against Uruguay),” Batista said of his ace who laid on trademark passes fellow forwards and came close to a breakthrough himself.

Carlos Tevez became the Argentine villain as the only player to have his penalty saved in the shootout by Fernando Muslera, who had a fine game in goal. Tevez added little to the attack when he came on as a substitute near the end of the second half.

In the space of little more than a month, Tevez was recalled

by Batista amid popular acclaim after an apparent falling out, cemented his standing as “The people’s player” and even earned a starting place in the early group matches. While many thought he might be the ideal foil for Messi, Tevez has disappointed.—Reuters

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Bourse falls on lack of catalysts Page 25 MONDAY, JULY 18, 2011

flydubai debuts daily flights to Dammam

KSE stocks drop sharply Page 24

Page 23 ATHENS: Greek Finance Minister Evangelos Venizelos (third right) speaks during a meeting with US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton at Zalocosta in Athens yesterday.—AFP

Obama warns of economic ‘Armageddon’ White House eyes ‘shared sacrifice’ as time runs short for debt deal WASHINGTON: President Barack Obama is urging US lawmakers to quickly forge a deal to keep the world’s richest nation from plunging into debt default, saying he is “willing to compromise.”

Obama has warned of economic “Armageddon” should Congress fail to raise the debt limit to allow more US borrowing, with his administration highlighting disastrous ripple effects that would churn through the global financial system. But after five straight days of crisis talks ended on Thursday without a clear solution, Obama implored fellow Democrats and opposition Republicans to embrace “shared sacrifice” to help break the stalemate that has led ratings agencies and top US lender China to sound the alarm over US creditworthiness.

“I’m willing to compromise. I’m willing to do what it takes to solve this problem, even if it’s not politi-

cally popular,” Obama said in his weekly radio address on Saturday.

“Simply put, it will take a balanced approach, shared sacrifice, and a willingness to make unpopular choices on all our parts.”

On Friday, he said he had given top lawmakers 24 to 36 hours to talk to their rank and file and return to him with a viable plan.

That time window essentially ended midday Saturday.

The US government reached its debt limit of $14.29 trillion in May, and since then the Treasur y Depar tment has used special measures to allow the government to keep paying its bills.

But unless the limit is raised by August 2, the Treasury says, growing spending and debt service commitments will force a default.

That could mean the United States could fail to pay “entitlements” such as Social Security and

Medicare, and make interest payments on bonds.

On Friday, Obama renewed his call for a “grand bargain” which would cut domestic entitlement programs dear to Democrats. But he also insisted on “cutting out certain tax breaks and deductions for the wealthiest Americans,” a proposal Republicans have flatly rejected.

According to The Washington Post, leaders on Capitol Hill have already begun forming a powerful congressional committee that would be charged with drawing up the “grand bargain” possibly by the end of the year.

The president, sure to be judged in the 2012 elections based on his handling of the jobspoor US economy, also signaled he would not reject a last-minute compromise key lawmakers were drafting behind closed doors.

The Senate Republican and Democratic leaders, Mitch McConnell and Harry Reid, have been crafting a compromise that would pair spending cuts with a debt limit increase.

That measure, described by aides who warned it was still in flux, would include some $1.5 trillion in spending cuts but would essentially let Obama raise the debt ceiling with only Democratic support in Congress.

Economists and finance and business leaders have warned that failure to raise the US debt ceiling

by August 2 could send shock waves through a world economy still reeling from the 2008 collapse. Ratings agencies Moody’s and Standard & Poor ’s have warned they may downgrade Washington’s sterling Triple-A debt rating, and leading US creditor China, Wall Street titan JPMorgan

Kuwait money supply drops in June: CBK KUWAIT: Figures issued by the Central Bank of Kuwait (CBK) showed that money supply (M2) in its broad sense had declined by 1.7 percent in June, to reach KD 62912.6 million, compared to May. The monthly bulletin said private sector deposits with local banks in Kuwaiti dinar came down 2 percent to KD 25441.5 million in June, while deposits in foreign currency came down 0.6 percent to KD 1764.2 million. The overall Kuwaiti banks claims

to CBK funds (CBK bonds) came down 6.1 percent from May to KD 1610 million, while the overall budget of Kuwaiti banks came to KD 42147.5 million, which is an up of 0.1 percent.

Net foreign assets of local banks kept to May’s record, at KD 3511 million, while time deposits with the CBK came down to KD 1605.3 million. Non-residents’ deposits in Kuwaiti dinar came up 3.5 percent while deposits in foreign currency

went up by 16.8 percent to KD 2624.4 million.

Credit facilities for residents came up 0.4 percent to KD 25242.2 million, while average interest rate on 1-year treasury bonds stayed at 1.25 percent. The bulletin also showed that the US greenback kept slipping in June to reach 274.2 fils per dollar, a slip of 0.3 percent since May. M2 is a comprehensive measure used as a key factor to forecast inflation in any economy. —KUNA

Gold above KD 14,000 per kilo in Kuwait KUWAIT: For the first time in the Kuwaiti gold market, a kilo of gold came to over KD 14,000 at a jump of over KD500 since last week, a weekly report said. AlZomoroda weekly report said the record price is a natural reflection of great jumps in price on a global scale. It pointed out an ounce of gold sold for $1,593 on Thursday, which surpasses the record of $1,576 last May. Top among factors contributing to the soaring price was the European sovereign debt crisis and differ-

ences over reaching a US debt deal.

The report predicted that prices would remain above $1,600 an ounce if the dispute continued regarding the third US federal quantitative easing plan.

Any negative rating of the world’s biggest economy would have “grave” consequences of global scale, it said.

The report also forecast a turn among investors towards gold and other precious metals in case of a deterioration in rating of US debt, as the only safe haven and

lone sure-winner in such scenario. The new record prices of gold in Europe are directly caused by the EU’s inability so far to handle members’ debt crises which are worsening, most specifically in Spain, Italy, and Portugal. As to silver, the report predicted an even sharper increase in price due to its lower starting price, compared to other metals. The fact that it is an industrial raw material that goes into many industries in many sectors further whets investors’ appetite for the metal.— KUNA

Chase and the Federal Reserve have also sounded the alarm. With the United States “running out of time,” as Obama put it, his top Republican foes in Congress called for votes next week on their plan for severe spending cuts on the way to amending the US Constitution to require cashstrapped Washington to balance its budget.

The long-shot Republican plan, all but certain to fail in the Democratic-led Senate, pleased conservative lawmakers close to the “Tea Party” movement that fiercely opposes raising the debt limit and seeks deep spending cuts. Republicans have argued that tax hikes Obama wants would smother investment that feeds job growth at a time when the US economy faces stubbornly high unemployment of 9.2 percent. — AFP

KSE reels under rumors, western debt crisis KUWAIT: The speculation behavior of some traders and the deteriorating debt crises in the US and Europe are to blame for the sharp slump of Kuwaiti stocks with the start of the week trading, Kuwaiti economists believe.

Kuwaiti economist Mohammad Al-Naqi told KUNA the global financial crisis still has negative impacts on many of the companies listed in the Kuwait Stock Exchange. “ These companies have direct or indirect extensions on the global market,” he said.AlNaqi also noted that some of those companies did not reveal their vulnerable financial situation to their shareholders.

He expected this market retreat to continue till the end of the holy fasting month of Ramadan on August 30. Al-Naqi urged the Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Investment Companies Union and Capital Market Authority to take all necessary measures to avoid the negative psychological impact of these undesirable developments on investors and foreign investments.

The price index of Kuwait Stock Exchange (KSE) was red at the end of yesterday’s session down with 100.2 points and settling at the level of 6,068.6 points upon closing. Meanwhile, the weighted index also dropped 7.22 points, reaching the level of 424.22 points.

Economist Adnan Al-Dulaimi believes that the Kuwait stock market is under pressure from certain market players to force the government to pump money to save its default companies.

He, however, expressed surprise of the paradox of having leading banks making remarkable growth and the stock market sharp decline. “I think the government will intervene and pump new investment to restore balance on the market,” he pointed out, adding that both default and profit-making companies wait this move.

Al-Dulaimi said some bluechips are expected to loss part of their value due to the market retreat this week. He, even, expected this situation to continue till a remarkable development or action is taken place. — KUNA

Clinton backs Greek strategy on debt crisis ATHENS: US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton yesterday voiced strong US support for Greece’s battle to overcome its debt crisis, saying it was taking the difficult steps required for future growth.

Clinton’s visit to Athens was intended to signal Washington’s backing for Prime Minister George Papandreou ahead of a meeting of euro-zone leaders in Brussels on Thursday to decide on a new bailout package for Greece amid fears the debt crisis could spill over to Spain and Italy.

“Americans know these are difficult days, and again we stand with you as friends and allies,” Clinton said at a news conference. “The United States strongly supports the Papandreou government’s determination to make the necessary reforms to put Greece back on a sound financial footing and to make Greece more competitive economically.”

While Washington believes European countries should take the lead in managing the Greek debt crisis, it has also been pushing through its membership in the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to support Papandreou’s austerity plans, which have led to violent protests at home.

Clinton said Greek’s politically painful plan for a medium-term fiscal strategy and bringing down its whopping debt were like “chemotherapy”, but would bring results in the end.

“I am not here to in any way downplay the immediate challenges because they are real. But I am here to say that we believe strongly that this will give Greece a very strong economy going forward,” Clinton said. Greek Foreign Minister Stavros Lambrinidis said that despite the popular outrage over the deficit reduction plan, the government was determined to forge ahead. “We believe that we shall come out of this difficulty victorious,” he said. “Many on both sides of the Atlantic have bet on the collapse of Greece and then have been proven wrong. We will continue to prove them wrong.”

Greece, which has launched an austerity plan, is hoping for a second European bailout package of about 110 billion euros of extra funds to keep it financed until the end of 2014, when it is supposed to return to financial markets.

Clinton was due to meet Papandreou, President Karolos Papoulias and Finance Minister Evangelos Venizelos before heading to the Acropolis museum in central Athens to sign a cultural agreement designed to prevent trafficking of Greece’s rich trove of cultural artefacts. Despite financial headaches on both sides of the Atlantic, US officials say ties between Washington and Athens are strong and that Greece has been a valuable partner in NATO-led campaigns in both Afghanistan and Libya.— Reuters

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business Al Mazaya launches website for Clover Centre Medical Complex KUWAIT: Al Mazaya Holding has launched the website for its signature Clover Centre Medical Complex, the state-of-the-art healthcare centre situated in Kuwait’s Al Jabriya District. The move is part of the company’s promotional campaign that aims to support the medical and nursing centres, as well as the doctors and pharmacists housed within the centre. It also aims to support investors, to raise awareness about the importance of the healthcare sector, and to highlight the sector’s contribution to Kuwait’s overall economic growth rate.

The website offers a number of services related to Clover Centre, as well as information on the facilities. The main page contains nine links: introduction, location and design, clinic facilities, typical floor layout, sustainability, who qualifies, press releases, construction updates, and booking application. The website also offers a communication channel to answer inquiries about Clover Centre.

Speaking on the occasion, Ann Mary Douaihy, Al Mazaya’s Deputy Marketing Director, said, “70 percent of the units in the Clover Centre have already been leased and Al Mazaya Holding is still receiving lease applications, which shows that there is a need for such projects, and Al Mazaya Holding plans to continue developing quality projects that meet the demand in certain sectors and help the real estate sector rebound.

We have decided to focus on developing healthcare; tourism and sporting projects, all of which will enhance investment and general economic growth strategies”.

“The launch of the Clover Centre website is in line with the growing trend of doing business online, and of offering all the necessary facilities to accelerate the growth of strategic projects, which contribute to the overall growth process. It

Sustaining record SABIC profit will be tough: CEO 61% rise in Q2 net profit surprises analysts RIYADH: Saudi Basic Industries Corp (SABIC), the world’s biggest petrochemical firm by market value, said yesterday that maintaining profitability would be a tough challenge after posting record profit in the latest quarter.

The bellwether Middle East conglomerate, which supplies chemicals, industrial polymers, fertilisers and metals globally, is in a good position to grow its own business while making acquisitions when necessary, said Chief Executive Mohamed Al-Mady.

Net profit rose 61 percent in the second quarter to a record 8.1 billion Saudi riyals ($2.16 billion) from a year earlier, on the back of 49 billion riyals in quarterly revenue. “What keeps me awake at night is keeping the successes we have,” Mady told Reuters. “This is about the 8.1 billion riyals ... How long can we sustain this? It is challenging.”

Asked whether SABIC was interested in any

Ann Mary Douaihy also forms part of the marketing plan for the project, and also reflects Al Mazaya’s interest in its clients as it is one of the ways in which Al Mazaya plans to fulfil its pledge to provide clients for those leasing from the Clover Centre,” Douaihy added.

Clover Centre is one of the most important projects in Kuwait’s healthcare sector, and represents Al Mazaya’s first foray into this sector. The 4,000m.sq. complex is strategically situated in the Al Jabriya District, one of the most important areas in Kuwait, and consists of 19 floors of 600m.sq. each, along with additional clinics that are between 160m2 and 600m.sq. in size.

An additional eight-storey facility flanking the main building is allocated for boutique clinic services.

“If there are refineries attached to petrochemical plants we will be looking at that.”

SABIC has an advantage over rivals in terms of profitability because it pays a governmentsubsidized 75 cents per million BTU (British Thermal Unit) for gas feedstock, a fraction of the cost on international markets.

In terms of projects, Mady said a decision would be made this year on SABIC affiliate Saudi Arabian Fertilizers Co.’s (Safco) proposed 1 million ton urea factory in Jubail. Production is due to begin in the second half of 2013.

A plan to build a facility with China’s Sinopec, estimated to cost at least $1 billion and to be operating by 2015, is on track, Mady said.

Operations at Saudi Kayan Petrochemicals will start commercial production in the second half of this year, Mady added, having originally been slated for the first half. — Reuters

Sharp’s new printer technology provides simple way to cut cost KUWAIT: Sharp Middle East has introduced the first version of its new Eco-Driver for its Multi Function Printers (MFPs) in the region. The printer driver informs users of their ‘eco-balance’ - their environmental impact associated with printing - helping businesses to reduce costs by saving paper and printer resources while boosting their eco-friendly initiatives.

The tool can form an integral part of an office’s best practice print policy, aiding users to save huge amounts of paper by selecting smart printing options. These allow multi page documents to be printed duplex, or even layout four pages on one side, all with a simple selection on the user friendly interface. Large paper savings can be made easily using these options, such as a three page document printed in duplex and 2-pages-on-1-side layout will achieve a paper saving of 67%.

The Eco-Driver prompts the user

company in Kuwait which had an official approval from Kuwait Fire Ser vice Directorate for marketing gas detector and solenoid valve, and it is also the first company in Kuwait which had a membership in International Code Council (ICC) - Member since October 1, 2007. It is also member of National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) - Member since September 5,2008.

On 13 of July 2011, GFGC had signed a contract with AlGahnim International General Trading and Contracting for the centralized LPG gas network for the Avenues Mall in Al-Rai to feed the 122 restaurants in all Phases of the mall.

to select environmentally friendly settings at every print, always giving them the option to save paper by a pop-up window. The driver also reminds the user of the current amount of paper they have saved through a graphic, so the employee’s ‘eco-balance’ can be monitored.

Gautam Chakrabarty, Deputy General Manager, Marketing for Business Solutions Division, Sharp Middle East, said: “Companies are looking for smart

ways to help become greener and save money at the same time, and paper consumption is one area that can impact on both.

“The Eco-Driver tool is an ideal way for businesses to get their staff to monitor paper usage and to begin cutting costs. It gives a tangible, visual way of seeing how much paper has been saved by using particular settings, and will allow employees to see the positive resource saving effect they’re having in their office. This

promotes green thinking and being conscious of the cost of using consumables,” he commented.

The simple Eco-Driver also frees the need to configure complicated driver settings, making the set up and integration of Sharp’s latest Eco-Driver equipped Multi Function Printers (MFPs) easy and less time consuming for company IT specialists. An additional feature is the option the driver gives to select color or black and white printing before each print job, saving on color toner usage when full color printing is not required.

Chakrabarty added: “All users of printing solutions, from schools to hospitals and corporate entities to government departments can take advantage of eco-friendly tools such as Eco-Driver, seeing a reduction in costs and improvement in the economy of their paper usage while establishing a best practice print policy.”

Al Tijari announces biggest daily draw in Kuwait with the Najma Account

Green Flame Gas Co makes rapid growth in Kuwait’s gas piping field KUWAIT: The Green Flame Gas Co(GFGC) is one of the leading companies in Kuwait working in the field of gas piping.

The company is engaged in implementing the International Fuel Gas Code (IFGC) according to the standards of Kuwait gas and fire safety system. GFGC is representing 14 international companies in Kuwait in gas field.

Its activities in The Green Flame Gas Co fall into three sections such as consulting, commercial and project.

In all these sections, the company provides equipment and engineering services and it also acts as a gas contractor.

The Green Flame Gas Co is the first

assets being divest as a result of the split-up of ConocoPhillips and the divestment of its refining arm, announced three days ago, Mady declined to say whether it was a possibility. “We always look at everything, and match it with company strategy,” he said. “We always evaluate these opportunities, we are always on the lookout for very important acquisitions and for organic growth.”

Bolstered by robust growth in China, India and the Middle East, results for the latest quarter came in well above analysts’ forecasts, beating the average for 7.1 billion riyals and the highest estimate of 7.7 billion.

“India is a huge market, the (Indian) government is thinking of attracting new investments and SABIC is looking at investments in India-if there are any good investments in petrochemicals there, products from refineries,” Mady said.

KUWAIT: Commercial Bank of Kuwait held the Al Najma Account draw on 17th July 2011. The draw was held under the supervision of the Ministry of Commerce & Industry represented by Abdulaziz Ashkanani.

The Commercial Bank of Kuwait announces the biggest daily draw in Kuwait

with the launch of the new Najma account.

Customers of the bank can now enjoy a KD 7,000 daily prize which is the highest in the country and another 4 mega prizes during the year worth KD 100,000 each on different occasions: The National Day, Eid AlFitr, Eid Al-Adha and on the 19th of June

The winners of the Al Najma Daily Draw are :No Names 1 Salboukh Rakan Awadh Al-Enzi 2 Ahmed Fahad Ahmed Khadadah 3 Aysha Abbas Mohammed Al-Aba 4 Kowmod Ranjon Das Kotei Shand Das 5 Karama Saeed Khalifa Mohammed

KD 7000 7000 7000 7000 7000

which is the date of the bank’s establishment. With a minimum balance of KD 500, customers will be eligible for the daily draw provided that the money is in the account one week prior to the daily draw or 2 months prior to the mega draw. In addition, for each KD 25 a customer can get one chance for winning instead of KD 50.

Commercial Bank of Kuwait takes this opportunity to congratulate all lucky winners and also extends appreciation to the Ministry of Commerce and Industry for their effective supervision of the draws which were conducted in an orderly and organized manner.

EXCHANGE RATES Commercial Bank of Kuwait US Dollar/KD GB Pound/KD Euro Swiss francs Canadian Dollar Australian DLR Indian rupees Sri Lanka Rupee UAE dirhams Bahraini dinars Jordanian dinar Saudi riyals Omani riyals Philippine peso Egyptian pounds

.2700000 .4390000 .3860000 .3330000 .2820000 .2910000 .0040000 .0020000 .0741850 .7227610 .3810000 .0700000 .7085350 .0040000 .0430000 CUSTOMER TRANSFER RATES .2732500 .4410260 .3883980 .3366390 .2848730 .0520840 .0423450 .2935250 .0350760 .2243620 .0034740 .0000000 .0000000 .0000000 .0000000 .0744250 .7250900 .0000000 .0728860 .7100170 .0000000

US Dollar/KD GB Pound/KD Euro Swiss francs Canadian dollars Danish Kroner Swedish Kroner Australian dlr Hong Kong dlr Singapore dlr Japanese yen Indian Rs/KD Sri Lanka rupee Pakistan rupee Bangladesh taka UAE dirhams Bahraini dinars Jordanian dinar Saudi Riyal/KD Omani riyals Philippine Peso

Al-Muzaini Exchange Co. Japanese Yen Indian Rupees Pakistani Rupees Srilankan Rupees Nepali Rupees Singapore Dollar Hongkong Dollar

ASIAN COUNTRIES 3.519 6.171 3.197 2.502 3.870 226.610 35.284

.2770000 .4520000 .3960000 .3450000 .2930000 .3030000 .0072500 .0035000 .0749300 .7300250 .4010000 .0770000 .7156550 .0072000 .0530000 .2753500 .4444150 .3913820 .3392260 .2870620 .0524840 .0426710 .2957810 .0353450 .2260860 .0035010 .0062300 .0025220 .0032200 .0037110 .0749970 .7306620 .3894630 .0734460 .7154740 .0064640

Bangladesh Taka Philippine Peso Thai Baht Irani Riyal - Transfer Irani Riyal - Cash

3.668 6.391 9.109 0.271 0.273

Indonesia Iranian tuman Iraqi dinar Japanese yen Jordanian dinar Lebanese pound Malaysian ringgit Morocco dirham Nepalese Rupees New Zealand dollar Nigeria Norwegian krone Omani Riyal Pakistani rupees Philippine peso Qatari riyal Saudi riyal Singapore dollar South Africa Sri Lankan rupees Sterling pound Swedish krona Swiss franc Syrian pound Thai bhat Tunisian dollar UAE dirham U.S. dollars Yemeni Riyal

GCC COUNTRIES 73.269 75.495 713.650 729.770 74.816

Saudi Riyal Qatari Riyal Omani Riyal Bahraini Dinar UAE Dirham

ARAB COUNTRIES Egyptian Pound - Cash 48.600 Egyptian Pound - Transfer 46.116 Yemen Riyal 1.258 Tunisian Dinar 200.180 Jordanian Dinar 388.010 Lebanese Lira 183.100 Syrian Lier 5.932 Morocco Dirham 35.212 EUROPEAN & AMERICAN COUNTRIES US Dollar Transfer 274.650 Euro 394.840 Sterling Pound 447.270 Canadian dollar 291.410 Turkish lire 167.470 Swiss Franc 342.240 Australian dollar 295.360 US Dollar Buying 0.272

Sterling Pound US Dollar

SELL CASH 296.900 730.860 3.920 291.600 539.800 36.500 53.300 167.800 48.200 393.200 36.000 6.460

388.140 0.185 94.090 3.880 235.100

SELL DRAFT 295.400 730.860 3.677 290.100

226.800 46.171 391.700 35.850 6.170

Rate for Transfer US Dollar Canadian Dollar Sterling Pound Euro Swiss Frank Bahrain Dinar UAE Dirhams Qatari Riyals Saudi Riyals Jordanian Dinar Egyptian Pound Sri Lankan Rupees Indian Rupees

340.600 5.600 9.330 74.830 274.800

TRAVELLER’S CHEQUE 446.000 274.800

Selling Rate 274.700 290.135 444.335 391.130 338.355 727.421 74.767 75.403 73.215 386.672 46.162 2.503 6.175

Pakistani Rupees Bangladesh Taka Philippines Pesso Cyprus pound Japanese Yen Thai Bhat Syrian Pound Nepalese Rupees Malaysian Ringgit

3.202 3.676 6.391 673.812 3.570 9.220 5.776 3.945 91.245

Kuwait Bahrain Intl Exchange Co. 713.620 3.205 6.410 75.600 73.370 226.350 42.710 2.505 446.000

Dollarco Exchange Co. Ltd

Bahrain Exchange Company COUNTRY Australian dollar Bahraini dinar Bangladeshi taka Canadian dollar Cyprus pound Czek koruna Danish krone Deutsche Mark Egyptian pound Euro Cash Hongkong dollar Indian rupees

0.033

GOLD 1,640.130

10 Tola

GOLD 291.000 147.000 76.000

20 Gram 10 Gram 5 Gram

0.033 0.239 0.240 3.570 390.150 0.186 94.090 47.400 4.310 236.600 1.863 52.700 713.800 3.300 6.610 76.030 73.370 226.850 42.710 2.643 448.000 45.100 342.100 5.600 9.470 198.263 74.930 275.200 1.200

Currency US Dollar Pak Rupees Indian Rupees Sri Lankan Rupees Bangladesh Taka Philippines Peso UAE Dirhams Saudi Riyals Bahraini Dinars Egyptian Pounds Pound Sterling Indonesian Rupiah Nepali rupee Yemeni Riyal Jordanian Dinars Syrian Pounds Euro Canadian Dollars

Rate per 1000 (Tran) 274.700 3.205 6.185 2.530 3.680 6.435 74.890 73.455 729.500 46.130 449.600 0.00003280 3.910 1.550 389.900 5.750 394.500 293.800

Al Mulla Exchange Currency Transfer Rate (Per 1000) US Dollar 274.300 Euro 392.800 Pound Sterling 445.300 Canadian Dollar 287.900 Japanese Yen 3.490 Indian Rupee 6.166 Egyptian Pound 46.110 Sri Lankan Rupee 2.503 Bangladesh Taka 3.665 Philippines Peso 6.400 Pakistan Rupee 3.200 Bahraini Dinar 730.000 UAE Dirham 74.700 Saudi Riyal 73.200 *Rates are subject to change

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US downgrade in focus; dollar remains weak NBK MONEY MARKETS REPORT KUWAIT: Crucial economic events took place last week, affecting risk appetite in the global markets.

Federal Reserve Chairman, Ben Bernanke suggested the possibility of further economic stimulus, and Moody’s Rating Agency placed the United States under review for a credit rating downgrade. The euro opened the week at 1.4265, quickly lost ground and dropped below the 1.4000 as downgrades in the eurozone drove the single currency to a low of 1.3837. The euro pared back its losses after Bernanke’s statement and closed the week at 1.4155. The sterling pound followed the same pattern. GBP opened the week at 1.6059, dropped to a low of 1.5781 against the US dollar, before closing the week higher at 1.6140. The Japanese Yen regained it safe haven status, as it started the week at 80.64, and gained strength to close lower at 79.15. The Swiss franc followed suit with the Yen, making advantage of a weaker US dollar. The franc opened at 0.8366 to drop to a low of 0.8083, and ended the week at 0.8160.

Core Retail Sales Sales in US slowed down more than forecasted last month, indicat-

ing limitations on consumer spending which accounts for 70% of the economy. Sales excluding autos, gasoline and building materials, rose 0.1%, the smallest gain since July 2010. Wholesale fell more than forecasted in June to 0% from an expected 0.1%, restrained by the largest decrease in energy prices in two years.

Jobless Claims Drop The number of Americans filing for firsttime claims for unemployment benefits dropped last week to the lowest level since April, signaling that the weakness in the labor market may be starting to subside.

Applications for jobless benefits dropped to 405,000 from an expected 413,000, a decrease by 22,000.

Confidence among US consumer unexpectedly plunged this month to the lowest level in more than two years, signaling that the weak improvements on employment and falling home prices may keep households from spending. University of Michigan preliminary index dropped to 63.8 missing economists’ expecta-

tions set at 72.2. The figure was the lowest since March 2009, dropping from 71.5 in the previous month.

IMF Urges Action The International Monetary Fund called for a “greater sense of urgency” to address the Greek debt crisis and warned Europe that it was

taking too long to repair its banking system in the face of growing risks of contagion. A surge in Italian and Spanish bond yields, and further downgrades of credit ratings of Portugal and Ireland, have raised concerns that the largest euro-zone economies could get dragged into the crisis.

Greece reached a deal with the

Effective time management skills

European Commission last week, giving access to EUR 14 billion of EU funds for badly-needed investment in its infrastructure. Hurt by the austerity measures, the Greek economy contracted at an annual pace of 5.5% in the first quarter. The Greek government revised down its 2011 growth forecast for this year to 3.9%.

Separately, Fitch Credit Rating Agency had previously downgraded Greece from B+ to CCC. Moody’s Downgrades Ireland Ireland became the third country to be downgraded to junk status after Portugal and Greece. Moody’s has downgraded Ireland to Ba1, as talks of a second bailout resurfaced.

It also linked the downgrade to the increasing possibility of private bondholders having to take losses as part of any future help. The reasoning was similar to the one used in last week’s downgrade of Portugal, which led to a broadbased sell-off in peripheral eurozone debt.

Italy, the third largest economy in Europe, became the latest victim of the European debt crisis. Escalating worries over Greece’s default weighed on Italy last week, whose debt represents 120% of Gross Domestic Product. The Italian upper house of parliament has approved a EUR 48 billion austerity budget. The package is aimed at balancing the budget by 2014.

Inflation Unexpectedly Slows Inflation slowed for the first time in three months in the United Kingdom, as weaker consumer spending helped decrease costs for recreational goods, driving the Sterling Pound lower. The Consumer Price Index slowed from 4.5% to

4.2%, against all expectations. Bank of England Governor Mervyn King repeated his view that inflation should slow toward the BOE’s 2% target in the next two years. The central bank left its key interest rate at a record low to support the recovery.

Unemployment in the UK surged at the fastest pace since May 2009 last month, shedding doubts whether the economy can create enough jobs to offset the government’s budget cuts. Jobless claims rose by 24,500 from May, to reach 1.52 million, the highest since March 2010. The number exceeded the expected 15,100 by 9,400.

Gold at New High Gold reached a record high of $1,594.45 an ounce last week, on speculation that debt woes in the US and Europe will escalate, before declining at the end of the week to $1,582.55. Gold advanced 11% this year after climbing for the past 10 years, the longest run of gains in at least nine decades.

Kuwait Dinar at 0.27410 The USDKWD opened at 0.27415 yesterday morning.

flydubai debuts daily flights to Dammam business travel to Kingdom soars

Time management is defined as the process of making every second of the day count by truly being focused and positively boosting one’s personal daily output and productivity. It is an essential trigger to advance career success. Professionals with effective time management skills tend to have better access to career opportunities, more accomplishments and a more balanced, stress-free lifestyle. Their skills enable them to prioritize tasks and get more things done efficiently on a daily basis. On the other hand, people with poor time management skills find themselves, more often than not, dragging their tasks longer than is advisable, efficient or permissible, thereby stressing themselves out and in the process sabotaging their chances of personal and professional advancement. Below are a few tips from the Middle East’s #1 jobsite bayt.com to help you along the way to mastering time management. l Don’t overlook emails in your inbox: Designate a certain time to check your e-mails daily. Make sure to respond to your messages in an appropriate and timely fashion. l Organize your outlook in e-mail folders: It will make your life much easier and grant you faster access to your files on a crazy working day. l Create a to-do list every night before you leave the office: “Everything becomes urgent if you wait long enough”, states professional keynote speaker and author in leadership and motivation, Danny Cox. You can never manage your time if you don’t know what you should be doing the next morning. Stick to your daily lists! l Prioritize your tasks: Creating a “to-do” list is one thing but managing it effectively is another. Arrange your tasks in order of importance and urgency.

Know when you work best: Monitor your productivity levels over a certain period of time and then work your schedule so that you allocate the most productive part of the day to your most important task of the day. l Limit multitasking when possible: Try to focus on finishing your tasks one after the other within a reasonable time frame, following your daily to-do lists and bearing in mind your key priorities. l Learn to delegate tasks where possible: Make sure however that you are delegating the right tasks to the right people. l Avoid inefficient meetings and work on improving your communication skills instead: Relating clear information through an efficient and accessible communication channel saves you and others both precious time and effort. l Commit to making change permanent: Your new habits of prioritizing, planning, organizing and staying focused should become part of your daily routine l Last but not least, do NOT forget the real essence of time management: Aim to use your time effectively and efficiently rather than carelessly cutting corners in order to free up time at any price.

In conclusion, it might be useful to state that Bayt.com’s recently released research report about “Employee Satisfaction in the Middle East” shows that out of 9,760 respondents, only 54% believe they are maintaining a healthy work life balance.

Effective time management habits are key to increase these percentages. Once you have determined your goals and priorities and committed to embracing effective time management techniques on a daily basis, achieving a healthy work life balance becomes a feasible goal. l

Bayt.com report

Burgan Bank announces Value Account draw winner KUWAIT: Burgan Bank announced Roushid Jamil Roushdi Mekhaeel as the winner of the Burgan Value Account draw. The lucky winner took home cash prize equivalent to KD 4,000.

Burgan Bank’s Value account presents a range of features that are unique to the Kuwaiti market, and these include life insurance ser vices from Gulf Insurance Company, along with a credit card and an attractive range of exchange rates during remitting money back home from Al Mezzeini Exchange Company. Also the quarterly draw entitles a lucky customer to win cash prize equivalent to KD 4,000.

The value account allows customers to remain updated on their account transactions at all times. Customers can avail the free SMS service that updates them when their salary is transferred or when they have done a transaction on their card. Burgan Bank website offers account holders the flexibility to transfer money, pay credit card outstanding amounts and much more.

Opening a Value account is simple,

KUWAIT: flydubai, Dubai’s pioneering low cost airline, has launched operations to the oil-rich Saudi Arabian city of Dammam. Flight FZ863 landed at King Fahd International Airport after departing Dubai’s Terminal 2 this morning. With trade between the UAE and KSA growing year-on-year, this new daily service is expected to encourage further collaboration whilst also, catering to the growing number of business travellers between the cities. flydubai CEO, Ghaith Al Ghaith, said: “Development of the travel and tourism industry is a core focus for the Saudi government as it increases its non-oil GDP and diversifies the economy. With the launch of this route we hope to further strengthen bilateral trade relations between the two countries and open up new areas of partnership.”

Saudi Arabia was the UAE’s top GCC trading partner in 2010, with UAE-Saudi Arabia trade worth Dh21.1 billion. With inter-country relations in non-oil sectors such as science, industry and telecommunications growing year-on-year, visitor volumes are expected to grow flydubai has started flights to Dammam, Saudi Arabia. significantly.

A one-way fare to Dammam between Dubai and Dammam can aimed at making travel a little less Saudi Arabia also has one of the region’s most dynamic travel mar- from Dubai starts at AED 400 and be purchased from flydubai’s web- complex, a little less stressful and a kets driven by domestic tourism in includes one piece of hand lug- site (www.flydubai.com), its call little less expensive. Based on a low addition to international business gage weighing up to 7kg and one centre (+9714 301 0800) and cost business model, flydubai offers a value-for-money product at an and religious tourism. Visitor num- small laptop bag or hand bag. through travel partners.

About flydubai: Established in extremely competitive price. Its bers are forecast to grow 6.7 per Fares from Dammam to Dubai are cent annually until 2015 and KSA is priced from AED 370. Checked March 2008, flydubai, Dubai’s first website (www.flydubai.com) is an expected to host to almost 10 mil- baggage starts at AED 50 for low cost airline, started operations important interface for customers, lion additional visitors over the 20kgs whilst a seat with extra on June 1st, 2009. Set up by the together with a call centre (+9714 legroom costs AED 100. Flights government of Dubai, flydubai is 301 0800) and travel partners. next four years.

Exclusive promotion for red card holders on July 29 Gulf Bank, Vision Express at The Avenues KUWAIT: As part of its commitment to providing customers with the best offers and shopping opportunities, Gulf Bank has partnered with the Vision Express store at The Avenues to run a special day of exclusive discounts for all red debit card holders on July 29, 2011.

The bank’s red customers who want to refresh their eyewear (after a long year of studying) will have the opportunity to instantly receive up to KD10 purchases for free, when they make an initial purchase of KD10 or more using their red debit card at optical experts, Vision Express. With eyetests free of charge at Vision Express, customers will be able to use their discounts on the latest designer glasses and sunglasses. The day is part of Gulf Bank’s exclusive monthly promotion program for red account holders. Further, great retail offers for red customers at other stores will be announced by the Bank in the next few months.

Ebtihaj Al-Roumi, Assistant General Manager, Consumer Banking Group at Gulf Bank explained: “Our latest partnership with Vision Express is an exciting one, and

we are looking forward to offering our loyal red customers an enjoyable shopping experience with a great day of discounts at the Vision Express store in The Avenues on July 29, 2011. At Gulf Bank, we believe that customer service is not only about excellent banking but also about ensuring strong customer service and customer satisfaction.”

Customers wishing to take advantage of this promotion must have Gulf Bank’s red account; a program that caters to university and college students aged 17 to 24 years old and which is the only program specially designed for college students in Kuwait. Gulf Bank invites all red(tm) card holders to pay a visit to the Vision Express store at The Avenues to benefit from these special discounts.

To join red, customers can visit one of Gulf Bank’s 54 branches or contact its Customer Contact Center on 1805805 for assistance and guidance. They can also log on to www.e-gulfbank.com , Gulf Bank’s bilingual website, to find all the information they need regarding the red program and its benefits.

Sales at Bahrain’s Alba edge up 0.8% in Q2 DUBAI: Sales at Aluminium Bahrain (Alba), which owns the world’s fourth-largest aluminum smelter, edged up 0.8 percent in the second quarter, the company said yesterday.

Bahrain was rocked by months of anti-government protests which began in February. The government’s martial law, imposed in March, was lifted on June 1. Alba said sales were 228,357 tons in the second quarter, up from 226,539 tons in the prioryear period. It said production was unaffected by the unrest.

“Our sales and production figures prove that progress can be accomplished despite the prevalence of severe challenges,” Alba Chief Executive Laurent Schmitt said in a statement. “We are confident that with the support of our loyal and dedicated employees, Alba is well-placed and remains optimistic with a positive outlook for the remainder of 2011.”

For the first half of 2011, Alba said sales stood at 445,370 tons, up by 18,305 tons from the prior-year period. It cited a more focused marketing strategy and enhanced productivity for the increase.

In March, Alba’s management said they were studying how to supply energy to a planned sixth production line that would boost its capacity by 400,000 tons annually. Overall, Alba produces more than 860,000 tons of aluminum annually. —Reuters

National Bank of Oman Q2 profit up 14% just visit your nearest Burgan Bank branch and get all the details. Or simply call our Call Center 1804080 and our executive will be more than happy to assist you. For further information visit www.burgan.com

DUBAI: Bank of Oman (NBO) yesterday reported a 13.8 percent increase in second quarter net profit, beating analysts estimates on the back of increased lending and a rise in customer deposits.

The lender made a net profit of 9.1 million rials ($23.64 million)

for the three month period ending June 30 compared with 8 million rials in the prior-year period.Analysts polled by Reuters had estimated an average second quarter profit of 7.48 million rials.

Profit for the first six months rose 17 percent over the same period

last year to 17.1 million rials, NBO said in a statement to Muscat bourse.

Loans grew 10 percent in the first half, while deposits rose 11 percent, the statement said.

In March, NBO shareholders approved a $600 million bond

program at an annual general meeting.

The euro medium term notes (EMTN) program will allow the bank to issue bonds through public subscription or private placement in different currencies and on varying terms. —Reuters

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KSE stocks drop sharply GLOBAL DAILY MARKET REPORT KUWAIT: Kuwait Stock Exchange (KSE) witnessed one of its worst sessions ever after one stock only ended yesterday’s session in the green zone. No catalysts are leading the market right now. Investors were disappointed after National Bank of Kuwait (NBK) declared 1H2011 results below expectations and made them worry about other companies’ results.

Global General Index (GGI) ended the day down by 1.66 percent at 187.71 point. Market capitalization was also down for the day reaching KD30.69bn. On the other hand, KSE Price Index closed at 6,068.6 point, shedding 100.20 points (1.62 percent) from its previous close.

Market breadth During the session, 99 companies were traded. Market breadth was skewed towards decliners as 87 equities retreated versus 1 that advanced. Trading activity was up this session. Total volume traded was up by 35.89 percent with 102.68mn shares changing hands at a total value of KD24.09mn (42.94 percent higher compared to the day before). The real estate sector was the volume leader yesterday, accounting for 35.90 percent of total shares. The banking sector was the value leader, with 36.88 percent of total traded value. Zain was most active in terms of values traded during the session with 4.43mn shares exchanged at an aggregate value of KD4.38mn. In terms of top gainers, Al Tameer Real Estae Investment Co was the only gainer for the day, adding 9.09 percent and closed at KD0.060. On the other hand, Sokouk Holding Co shed 10.26 percent and closed at KD0.0.18, making it the biggest decliner in the market.

Sector-wise The market had negative performances in all its sectors with only one stock advanced in the session.

The biggest decliner was Global Non-Kuwaiti Index, while the volume leader, the real estate sector, notably declined by 2.74 percent. It is clear that the market was affected by a predicted financial crisis.

Global Real Estate Index closed at 49.13 points with 15 decliners and

Kuwait Insurance were the biggest decliners in the sector with 8.15 and 7.55 percent decrease in their share prices to close at KD0.248 and KD0.049, respectively.

The banking sector decreased by 0.88 percent to close at 336.19 points. However, compared to other

maintaining the sediment processing unit in Mina Abdulla for Kuwait National Petroleum Co (KNPC). The KD2,128,900 tender will last five years and three months. The company will duly inform the bourse upon signing the contract.

With reference to its previous

KD rises to 0.274 per dollar KUWAIT: Exchange rate of the Kuwaiti dinar increased to KD 0.274 per dollar, and decreased against the euro recording KD 0.387, the Central Bank of Kuwait said yesterday.

The Kuwaiti dinar stabilized against

the Sterling Pound at KD 0.442, and the Japanese yen at KD 0.003, whereas it showed a decrease against the Swiss Franc to KD 0.336, Kuwait’s state monetary authority said in its daily bulletin.—KUNA

Egypt index jumps on cabinet reshuffle MIDEAST STOCK MARKETS

the only one advanced company in the market. Al Tameer Real Estate went up by 9.09 percent compared to its previous close as it closed at KD0.060. The biggest decliner in the sector was Abyaar Real Estate Company’s stock that closed at KD0.023, that is 9.8 percent lower than the previous close.

No gainers were seen in the nonKuwaiti sector companies while three companies ended flat. Global Non-Kuwaiti Index went down by 3.63 percent to close at 45.73 points.

United Gulf Bank and Bahrain

sectors, the banking sector showed more stability in the prices and the percentage of change was not as high as other sectors. Kuwait Finance House witnessed a decline in its share price of 2.04 percent to settle at KD0.960. Moreover, it is worth mentioning that NBK had declines in its share price during the session, but managed to close flat.

Corporate News Heavy Engineering and Ship Building Co (HEISCO) has won tender No 1301/CB, on operating and

announcement dated June 16, 2011, Tamdeen Investment Co received a sum of KD6.6mn, for offloading a 40 percent stake in Beyoo Investment & Finance Co. Accordingly, it generated KD2.6mn profit, which will be recorded in 3Q2011 financial statements.

Oil News The price of OPEC basket of twelve crudes stood at $112.74 a barrel on Thursday, compared with $113.25 the previous day, according to OPEC Secretariat calculations.

CAIRO: Egypt’s main index jumped 3.3 percent as a cabinet reshuffle ushered in a new finance minister, boosting hopes for an improved investment climate and suggesting the government is responding to popular demands, traders said. It is the index’s biggest one-day gain since March 27. After more than a week of protests in Cairo’s Tahrir Square and in other cities by Egyptians angered at the slow pace of political change, the prime minister said on Saturday he had chosen deputies for political and economic affairs.

The market opened higher yesterday, then extended its gains after Finance Minister Samir Radwan was replaced by newly appointed economic adviser Hazem elBeblawi. “There’s positive reaction taking place in the market,” said Mohamed Radwan of Pharos Securities. “These resignations coming in from ministers anticipating a cabinet reshuffle, more or less to satisfy the protesters in Tahrir, may speed up the end of the political situation we are in.”

The index closed at 5,263 points. Pioneers Holding was the main gainer, rising 6.7 percent. Ezz Steel was up 5.3 percent. “(These stocks) are more volatile,” says Osama Mourad of Arab Finance Brokerage.

“They went down a lot, so they are going up now a lot.”

“I think it’s also about who will benefit the most from a better economy,” he says, referring to the steel industry. He says the reshuffle is driving the market higher because it suggests that Egypt is moving towards greater democracy.

“It’s also the first time we have a deputy prime minister for economic affairs,” says Mourad. Omar Darwish of CIBC Brokerage says positive investor sentiment regarding Ezz Steel’s first-quarter results is also boosting that stock. “It seems investors are buying into

the name ahead of their expected earnings,” Darwish says.

Only two firms on the index marked up losses-SODIC, down 0.9 percent, and Mobinil, which dips 0.8 percent.

Saudi index edged up 0.2 percent to 5,997 points. UAE markets were mixed. “Moderate selling pressure on low volumes highlights the global markets outlook this week,” says Matthew Wakeman, EFG-Hermes managing director for cash and equity-linked trading.

“People are looking to build positions ahead of Q2 and Ramadan but there’s no hurry for buyers to pay a high price.”

Dubai property developer Deyaar fell 3.4 percent and courier Aramex lost 2.7 percent.

Dubai’s index slipped 0.6 percent to 1,539 points. Abu Dhabi’s Etisalat rose 0.9 percent, helping the UAE capital’s index climb 0.2 percent to 2,730 points.

Kuwaiti logistics firm Agility slumped 7.5 percent after US court ruling against the firm’s attempt to avert prosecution over charges it defrauded the US Army in multi-billion dollar contracts. Agility was the largest supplier to the US Army in the Middle East during the war in Iraq. It was accused of overcharging the Army over 41 months on supply contracts the government says totaled $9.8 billion. Saudi Basic Industries Corp (SABIC) was in focus yesterday after the Gulf’s largest listed company reported above-forecast second-quarter earnings. SABIC’s quarterly profit rose 61 percent to 8.1 billion riyals (2.16 billion) due to increases in output and prices, the firm said on Saturday. Analysts polled by Reuters on average expected a net profit of 7.1 billion riyals. National Bank of Oman (NBO) yesterday reported a 13.8 percent increase in second-quarter profit on the back of increased lending and a rise in customer deposits. —Reuters

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KMACO KSE MONTHLY REVIEW

Bourse falls on lack of catalysts KUWAIT: Adding on May’s negative performance, the Kuwaiti bourse ended the month of June on further losses mainly due to the lack of market catalysts, tight liquidity along with investors’ worries about the implications of applying the CMA bylaws and regulations especially those related to the concentration of investment funds and the privatization of the bourse by which 50 per cent of the bourse will be offered to the public (Kuwaiti citizens) while the remaining 50 per cent will be distributed among 10 listed companies with a 5 per cent stake for each. These negative developments along with continued unrest in the region weighed on investor sentiments as the KSE Weighted and KAMCO TRW Indices continued its previous month losing trend to shed 2.18 per cent & 1.5 per cent, respectively.

Liquidity in the market remained weak due to the absence of market makers and institutional investors (public and private) from the trading scene as the uncertainty surrounding the implications of applying the CMA law is keeping all investors on the sidelines waiting for a clearer picture. These factors have left most large cap stocks with virtually no buyers as some are trying to reduce their holdings from the disclosure threshold of 5 per cent per the CMA law where 7 out of 9 banks recorded losses during the month with the remaining two banks recording no change in price. On the other hand, National Industries Group and Agility ended the month with losses of 10.6 per cent and 12 per cent, respectively, while both telecom giants Zain and Wataniya remained unchanged. The average daily traded value retreated to nearly KD 17mn in June-11 as compared to KD 28.5mn in May-11 and KD 30 mn recorded since the beginning of the year.

Losses incurred during the month pushed the KSE Weighted Index and KAMCO TRW Index to extend their loss-

es for the first half of the year to 10.4 per cent and 7.6 per cent, respectively. On the other hand, the number of shares exchanging hands during the month also plunged to 2.15 bn shares in comparison with May’s 4.6 bn shares on the back of the unclear implications that the new CMA bylaws and regulations would have on the local bourse.

Kuwait’s Supreme Petroleum Council

per cent, respectively. Market Capitalization: Total market capitalization during the month shed 2.4 per cent to reach KD 31.4 bn ($113.1 bn) at the end of June, down from KD 32.2 bn ($115.9 bn) recorded at the end of May. The Investment sector dropped 6.5 per cent to end at KD 2.46bn ($8.9 bn) while the Banking sector incurred a loss of 3.1 per cent to record KD 13.7 bn ($49.4 bn)

KSE’s real value and market performance for its most liquid and large cap stocks.

The index includes National Bank of Kuwait, Mobile Telecommunications Co (Zain), Kuwait Finance House, Gulf Bank, Boubyan Bank, National Mobile Telecommunications (Wataniya), Ahli United Bank, Burgan Bank, Kuwait Projects Co (KIPCO), Mabanee Co, Agility, Kuwait International Bank,

ing to C from C+. The bank’s short-term ratings were affirmed at Prime-1, and all ratings were assigned a stable outlook.

The action was driven by Moody ’s expectations that in 2011 NBK will experience asset quality pressure arising from its operations in countries experiencing political unrest, the credit risk in the Kuwaiti banking system arising from exposure to the troubled Kuwaiti invest-

(SPC) has given the green light for two long-stalled oil mega projects worth more than KD 8 bn ($29bn). The announcement includes the SPC approval for the building of a new stateof-the-art refinery and the upgrading of two of three existing refineries to raise output and produce cleaner products.

The 615,000 barrel per day refinery project was scrapped by the government more than two years ago. The two projects are projected to raise Kuwait’s refining capacity to 1.4 mn barrels per day from the current 930,000 bpd. When the two projects are complete, Kuwait plans to shut the third of its three existing refineries. This has come as positive news aiding petrochemical stock to add value during the month with Petrochemical companies such as Boubyan, Qurain and IKARUS increasing by 3.51 per cent, 4.21 per cent and 1.37

at the end of the month. The food sector recorded a gain of 1.9 per cent during the month to record KD 764 mn ($2.76 bn).

KSX15 Index: During the month, the government approved a new initiative to classify the sectors in Kuwait into 15 different sectors as opposed to the current 8 sectors distribution that encompasses many large companies and market drivers under one sector, services. The new classifications will include Oil & Gas, Basic Materials, Industrial, Consumer Products, Healthcare, Consumer Services, Telecommunications, Utilities, Banks, Insurance, Real Estate, Financial Services, Financial Instruments and Technology. This step is considered vital for the Kuwaiti Stock Exchange in order to keep pace with regional and global bourses. Furthermore, it also initiated the new ‘KSX15 Index’ in order to reflect

National Industries Group Holding, Gulf Cable & Electrical Industries and Boubyan Petrochemicals Co. The companies list will be reviewed every six months based on liquidity and weight to the whole market.

NBK’s Rating: During the month Standard & Poor’s affirmed the long term and shor t term counterpar ty credit ratings of National Bank of Kuwait (NBK) at A+/A-1, with a Stable outlook. The affirmation of NBK’s ratings were constrained by the weakened economic environment domestically and the geopolitical unrest in the regional markets.

On a positive note, the ratings reflect NBK’s strong track record of resilient performance, its leading market position and its clear strategic direction. On the other hand, Moody’s downgraded NBK’s standalone financial strength rat-

ment and real estate sectors, weak performance of the Kuwaiti bourse and the expectations that although government spending will rise, the increase will be of insufficient magnitude to revive credit conditions and foster significant credit growth.

IMF outlook on Kuwait: The International Monetary Fund (IMF) in its latest report on the Kuwaiti economy forecast that the four-year development plan and rising oil prices to have a significantly positive effect on real GDP leading it to grow by 5.2 per cent in 2011, driven by a 3.6 per cent rise in oil GDP and 6 per cent in non-oil GDP. Regional instability has affected the country as it has in surrounding ones, while Kuwait’s production of oil has in turn, increased to aid efforts in achieving global oil market stability driving higher growth in the country’s oil GDP and oil revenues.

UAE delays final draft on fund regulations Industry players concerned about several proposals

Egyptian billionaire Samih Sawiris poses during a visit to the construction site of a five-star hotel in the Swiss alpine village of Andermatt. — AFP

‘Crazy’ Egypt magnate Sawiris revives Swiss alpine village ANDERMATT, Switzerland: In a country where rolling meadows and snowcapped peaks are a common sight, Andermatt, with its massive concrete military compound, is hardly a popular tourist destination.

But with the army significantly downsizing its presence, Egyptian billionaire Samih Sawiris has jumped in with an offer to buy up the facility and to transform it into a luxury playground for the rich and famous.

“At first they thought I’m crazy but later they offered to let me realize this project,” Sawiris said.

Sawiris, whose father founded the Egypt’s Orascom, has his task cut out-he needs to transform the village with a view that is largely bare and rocky, and which is only accessible by the winding Gotthard pass, into an attractive resort.

But the Egyptian believes that he has obtained a “super deal.” According to the project’s website, the company spent 36 million francs (30.9 million euros, $43.7 million) to acquire the 1.3 million square metre site.

By 2013, the first five-star hotel as well as several villas are expected to be up in the village located in central Switzerland.

Within the next decade, the site should boast more than 800 rooms in six hotels, 490 apartments in 42 buildings, and 20 to 30 private villas.

Apartments currently being marketed for sale are going for at least one million francs each.

The turf has already been planted on a future 18-hole golf course and construction is ongoing on roads and bridges to improve access.

In addition, there are plans for conference and concert facilities holding up to 600 people, 2,000 parking lots and a sports and leisure centre. The ski facilities will be modernized and a funicular rail-

way built to hoist people from the village up to the ski runs.

In all, the development should provide employment to 2,500 people. The village of 1,500 inhabitants hopes that this project will fill the economic gap caused by the army’s departure. Ex-mayor’s welcome- Andermatt’s ex-mayor Karl Paletti said it was lucky that Sawiris had chosen the spot for his project.

“We are very dependent on the army and with their departure, it was our only chance,” he said, pointing out that the construction had halted the exodus of the village’s inhabitants as some had managed to find work on the site.

Asked if he was concerned that the village could lose its character with the arrival of the rich and famous, Paletti said: “We will finally have a good mix of population.”

Nevertheless, Sawiris had not obtained the land without a fight.

His plans were initially contested by farmers who were against seeing their pastures turned into a golf course but Sawiris had finally managed to secure their accord. Since then, his company has poured 185 million francs into the development, and costs are expected to rise further, said the Egyptian magnate, who has built holiday resorts across Egypt, the United Arab Emirates, Oman and Morocco.

He explained that he had picked Andermatt because it is a “pretty and small village, which has not been disfigured by urbanization and nature is very close by.”

For now, his bet seems to have begun to pay off. About 115 million francs worth of homes have already been sold and there are orders worth 22 million francs for others. Most of the buyers are Swiss, European and Egyptian, according to Orascom data. — AFP

DUBAI: The United Arab Emirates has postponed a final draft ruling on new guidelines to regulate its nascent asset management industry after concerns were raised by industry players, two sources familiar with the matter said yesterday.

UAE market regulator Securities and Commodities Authority (SCA) issued an initial draft for regulating investment funds earlier in the year and a final circular was expected by mid-July after consultations with market participants.

But the regulator has now delayed the process with one industry source saying it may get pushed to next year. Another asset management source said the final draft has been postponed to September.

The regulations are seen as a key step for investor protection and boosting market con-

fidence but market players have been concerned that some of the proposals lacked clarity and held talks with the regulator to address concerns. Firms are wary of some proposals, including one asking banks to provide for risks arising out of marketing third party funds to retail investors, the sources said.

“This (proposal) puts a lot of pressure on us to monitor the products and is shifting the onus upon banks,” one of the sources said.

The SCA was not immediately available for comment. The rules require companies planning to set up a local investment fund to establish it as a joint stock company, have permanent headquarters in the UAE and as well as paid-up capital of no less than 10 million dirhams ($2.7 million).

They will also be required to invest a minimum of 10 percent of the capital for each

local investment fund they set up, according to the proposals.

Funds are also domiciled out of financial free zones like the Dubai International Financial Center (DIFC) and under the proposals, DIFC-domiciled funds would be considered as foreign funds by the regulator.

Some asset management firms have come together to form an informal body called the Emirates Investment Association to address some of the common concerns emerging from the proposals.

The UAE’s asset management sector was earlier regulated by the country’s central bank but new rules would also mean the SCA would be responsible for oversight of licensed entities, freeing up central bank resources to monitor other institutions such as commercial banks. — Reuters

Ireland seeks euro bonds as part of crisis solution DUBLIN: Ireland would like to see the euro zone issue common bonds as part of the solution to the bloc’s debt crisis, the Irish deputy prime minister said yesterday.

“It is an option I favor. It is one of a series of options that have to be looked at,” Eamon Gilmore told Irish state broadcaster RTE. Euro zone leaders will meet in Brussels on Thursday to discuss ways of halting the threat of contagion to Italy and Spain from Greece’s rumbling debt crisis.

Gilmore said it was to Ireland’s advantage that European leaders were now looking at the crisis as a euro zone problem rather than an issue for individual countries. “I believe that will work to Ireland’s advantage because solving the European problem will help solve the Irish problem.”

Ireland hopes a new plan to tackle the crisis will mean the terms of its own 85 billion euros ($120 billion) EU-IMF bailout package will be loosened, including a cut in the average 5.8 percent interest rate on its European loans and longer loan maturities. Euro zone finance ministers agreed last week to make the European Financial Stability Fund (EFSF), the euro zone’s res-

cue fund, more flexible, but the details have yet to be worked out. In an opinion piece in an Irish newspaper on Sunday, Olli Rehn, Europe’s top economics official, said the interest on Ireland’s loans should be cut and the maturity of the debt lengthened. Gilmore reiterated the government would not raise its 12.5 percent corporate tax rate in return for a cut in the cost of its rescue funds. “I don’t think there is any government in Europe that now believes Ireland will change its rate of corporation tax.” Investors fear a new rescue deal for Greece that involves private investors taking a haircut will set a precedent for other bailed-out countries, including Ireland and Portugal.

Credit rating agency Moody’s junked Ireland’s sovereign debt rating last week on concerns a second bailout for Dublin would involve private investors swallowing losses. But the European Commission’s country director for Ireland said last week that if Dublin needed a second bailout it could be achieved without private-sector participation because, unlike Greece, the Irish debt was manageable. — Reuters

ATHENS: Greek Finance Minister Evangelos Venizelos meets with US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton during a meeting at Zalocosta in Athens yesterday. US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said Greece’s “resilience” in tackling its huge debt could inspire the world as she expressed Washington’s support to the government’s reform efforts. —AFP

India’s Tata group to sell $700 flat-pack house NEW DELHI: The Indian company that launched the world’s cheapest car has unveiled its latest product for the fast-growing nation: a flat-pack house that costs just $700 and can be built in a week.

The Tata group, maker of the $2,500 Nano car, said that the 20-square-metre (215square-foot) home comes from a pre-fabricated kit that includes doors, windows and a roof. “We have already prepared two-three different designs based on discussions with users and are gathering more feedback,”

Sumitesh Das, the head of the project at Tata, told reporters in Hyderabad on Friday.

“Hopefully, in the next six-eight months we should be able to roll it out in the market nationally.”

The basic model of a so-called “Nano” house will cost 32,000 rupees ($720) and will use coconut fibre or jute for wall cladding and interiors. It has a life expectancy of 20 years.

The house, which is being tested in the state of West Bengal, will also be available in a larger 30-square-metre version and with addi-

tional features such as a solar panel for the roof and a verandah. Tata hopes to sell the house to private buyers who have a plot of land available and also to state governments planning mass residential schemes for India’s millions of destitute and homeless. Das said Tata was using advice from panchayats (village councils) to fine-tune the design.

The Nano car drew worldwide attention when it was launched in 2009, but sales figures have not met expectations due to production delays and safety issues. — AFP

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Growing energy ties set tone for Merkel-Medvedev talks BERLIN: The leaders of Russia and Germany will hold a joint cabinet meeting this week amid growing German dependence on the gas-rich country due to Berlin’s recent decision to scrap nuclear power.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel will host the 13th annual such get-together tomorrow with Russian President Dmitry Medvedev in the northern city of Hanover joined by major business delegations from both sides.

The so-called government consultations were launched with the aim of deepening ties between the wartime foes and advancing the “modernization” of Russia after the fall of communism.

Trade has exploded during that time despite criticism of Moscow’s human rights record and accusations that Moscow uses state-controlled energy giant Gazprom for political purposes.

The close relationship was underlined Thursday with the announcement of an envisaged strategic tie -up between Gazprom and Germany’s number-two utilities group RWE to construct power plants in Europe.

When asked if Berlin would promote such deals with foreign firms to meet its energy needs as it scraps its nuclear reactors by 2022, government spokesman Steffen Seibert said it was up to firms to plot their own strategy.

But he acknowledged: “We will need additional power plants, particularly gasfired ones, to close the gap left by the elimination of nuclear power plants.”

Weekly newspaper Die Zeit writes in its current issue that key partners such as France, Britain and the United States, already skeptical about the nuclear phaseout, are uneasy about greater German

reliance on Russian gas. Medvedev will arrive for an informal dinner with Merkel later today ahead of a welcome by a military guard tomorrow at a Baroque garden ensemble.

More than a dozen agreements on economic and environmental cooperation are to be signed, as well as business deals “covering the range of German-Russian cooperation,” a German source said.

Germany is Russia’s most important single trading partner. Russian exports to Germany reached 31.8 billion euros ($45.0 billion) last year with 26.4 billion euros’ worth of goods going the other way. The senior official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the talks would also cover “unresolved” human rights cases including the murder of reporter and activist Natalya Estemirova.

Germany, which currently holds the pres-

idency of the UN Security Council, also hopes to convince Russia to drop its opposition to action against Syria over its bloody crackdown on protesters.

Berlin would also like to see Moscow toughen sanctions against Iran over its disputed nuclear program.

Merkel, who grew up in communist East Germany, enjoys a warmer relationship with Medvedev than she did with his predecessor, current Prime Minister Vladimir Putin, who served as a KGB officer in East Germany in the 1980s.

“I think Putin reminds her of the Stasi (secret service) people with whom she had her problems in the GDR,” Russia expert Alexander Rahr of the German Council on Foreign Relations told AFP. “She has sort of pinned her (modernization) hopes for Russia on Medvedev.” On Saturday, the jury behind a prominent

German political prize bowed to mounting pressure and reversed a decision to honor Putin this year.

A spokesman for Putin, who was not to attend the Hanover talks, insisted the move would not harm bilateral ties.

Fyodor Lukyanov, editor of the journal Russia in Global Affairs, said the meeting would unlikely to be more than “routine” because Germany was distracted with the euro-zone crisis and Russia was in political limbo.

“The internal political situation in Russia is unclear ” because neither Putin nor Medvedev has said which of them will stand in presidential elections scheduled for March, he said.

“And this uncertainty is discouraging for Berlin and all other foreign partners who are tired of guessing” who will take the reins. — AFP

Euro-zone faces crunch week amid debt crisis Failure on Greece rescue plan heightens tension

SYDNEY: Manager Alex Couzens, stands outside her Luby’s Angel fashion boutique in the Sydney suburb of Paddington on July 13, 2011. Australia’s high-performance “Wonder from Down Under” economy is the envy of the developed world, but daily life is starkly different for people and businesses unconnected to the mining-driven economic miracle. — AFP

Australia’s mining boom masks retail sector pain SYDNEY: The elegant streets of Sydney’s Paddington are where the city’s rich and fashionable gather to shop, dine and socialize. But despite Australia’s unprecedented economic boom, business has never been so bad.

“This is the worst season I’ve had,” says 15-year retail veteran Helen Haines, adding that Australians’ shopping habits were out of step with the national economic surge, with impulse shoppers increasingly rare. Haines’s boutique, the classy but eerily quiet women’s store Luby’s Angel, has its regulars but the days of passersby stopping in on their way to get groceries and leaving with armfuls of clothes are over.

“It’s a lot harder because people are being careful,” store manager Alex Couzens told AFP, saying most boutiques in the area were suffering as shoppers face rising prices for essentials such as electricity and housing.

“People are really honest about it.

They are becoming a lot more comfortable in saying ‘We’re struggling’.”

Australia’s economy was dubbed the “Wonder from Down Under” when it excelled even as the global economic crisis hobbled most countries, with exports of iron ore and other minerals producing enviable growth and trade figures.

But experts now talk of a two-speed economy, with retail being left behind the resources sector. While mining companies are making record profits, shops are closing their doors as absent consumers mind their wallets.

Big mineral demand from Asia meant that although this summer’s floods and cyclones devastated mines and crops, Canberra expects growth of 2.25 percent for the year to June, with projects worth Aus$430 billion (US$460 billion) on the horizon, mostly in mining.

But the outlook is radically different for those without a connection to the resources sector-retail sales and consumer sentiment are plunging as Australians nervously eye debt crises in Europe and the United States.

Overshadowing all is a fear about the

health of the global economy after confidence was shattered during the global downturn, possibly resulting in altered consumer behavior, said ANZ economist Riki Polygenis.

“While lots of households took quite a bit of a hit to wealth during the global financial crisis in terms of equity falling, even if some of that wealth has returned, it may have led to a change in behavior,” she said. Consumer sentiment declined in July at a rate normally seen during times of economic shock and Australians have seen a swath of high-profile stores close recently, including bookshops, restaurants and fashion labels.

The demand for iron ore, coal and gas, which has supported Australia’s export trade, has contributed to seven interest rate hikes since October 2009, leaving most Australians with higher mortgages and rents and less disposable income.

Such is the consumer caution, major bank Westpac predicts that the central Reserve Bank of Australia will move to cut interest rates by the end of 2011. The Labor government’s announcement that it will impose a carbon tax from July 1, 2012, resulting in a predicted 0.7 percent increase in prices in its first year, has also rattled consumers, according to economists. “We have got a two-speed economy,” Australian Retailers Association chief Russell Zimmerman said bluntly. “There’s a lot of retailers out there who are doing it tough,” he added, noting that many were either restructuring to cut costs or closing down entirely.

And despite very little growth in retail trade, Zimmerman said: “We’ve got landlords that consistently put their rent up.”

A recent high-profile casualty of a rental dispute was Sydney’s famous Jordons seafood restaurant at the tourist spot Darling Harbour, which closed this month after 23 years.

At the other end of town, another well-known eatery, Betty’s Soup Kitchen in Darlinghurst, is also battling against higher rents that manager Ron Ehrlich said could force his affordable and homestyle restaurant out of business. — AP

SILIGURI: An Indian vegetable vendor waits for customers as she sells arum root in Siliguri. India’s annual inflation accelerated to 9.44 percent in June, official data showed, increasing pressure on the central bank to hike interest rates further. —AFP

PARIS: Euro-zone countries must settle their debt crisis at an emergency summit this week to stop Greece toppling into default and possibly dragging the currency bloc’s bigger economies with it.

After finance ministers failed to nail down a new rescue package for Greece last Monday, they saw the stakes rise sharply, with stocks and the euro tumbling and observers warning the crisis could spread across Europe.

Analysts warned a debt default by Greece, one of Europe’s smaller economies, could spark financial contagion that would infect Italy, the euro-zone’s third-biggest economy, and Spain, the fourth-biggest.

“The policymakers’ continued dithering appears to be pulling both Spain and Italy further into the crisis,” wrote analysts at financial consultancy Capital Economics. “Either they stop fiddling and take decisive action or they may soon have to start contemplating the unthinkable.” “It is time for Europe to wake up,” said Greek Prime Minister George Papandreou in an interview published Sunday in the Greek daily Kathimerini.

EU president Herman Van Rompuy said Thursday’s summit would focus on “the financial stability of the euro area as a whole and the future financing of the Greek program.”

The EU and International Monetary Fund bailed out Greece in May 2010 with a package worth 110 billion euros ($160 billion) in exchange for a series of drastic austerity measures to stabilize its public finances.

Greece is still in serious difficulty and needs another bailout valued at around the same amount.

Ireland and Portugal have also had to be bailed out, while Italy and Spain are seen to be at risk due to the strained state of their public finances.

Italy’s parliament on Friday passed a 48-billion-euro austerity budget aimed at slashing the public deficit by 2014. Euro-zone leaders are now considering ways to buy up Greek debt to take the short-term pressure off Greece. A key sticking point is what the role of

Citadel Capital Q1 net loss widens CAIRO: Egyptian private equity firm Citadel Capital yesterday reported a widened net loss in a first quarter hit by political turmoil, and said it expected weak fundraising momentum for the rest of 2011.

The firm repor ted a loss for the January-to-March quarter of 114.2 million Egyptian pounds ($19.2 million), according to figures published by the stock exchange.

Citadel made a net loss of 33.7 million pounds in the same period a year earlier.

Egypt’s popular uprising knocked confidence in the country’s economy, sent inward investment tumbling and made it harder to raise money for new industrial projects.

Citadel said last month it was in buyout talks with more than one potential strategic partner. “Citadel Capital is in a cash-preservation posture, our previously planned IPOs remain postponed and we continue to expect lower-than-usual fundraising momentum for the balance of the year,” said Chairman Ahmed Heikal. “ That said, I note several developments that give us reason to ask whether cautious optimism may be in order.”

Among those were regulatory approval for a $175 million capital increase and the removal of Heikal’s name from a list of individuals banned from travel during a probe by prosecutors into allegations of corruption.

Citadel denies the allegations. Citadel “remains entirely committed to all of its investments across the Middle East and Africa, as underscored by our decision to make $18.4 million in new principal investments in the quarter just ended”, said Heikal.

Assets under management rose 11 percent year on year to $4.1 billion, the company said, adding $41.6 million of new assets in the first quarter alone. Citadel shares were up 1.1 percent at 0858 GMT, compared to a 0.9 percent gain by the benchmark EGX30 index. — Reuters

ROME: A general view taken during a discussion inside the Parliament in Rome on Friday.

Italy’s parliament gave final approval to a whopping 48-billion-euro ($68-billion) austerity budget aimed at slashing the public deficit by 2014 and reassuring nervous financial markets. —AFP Greek private lenders in this restructuring might be.

Greeks have fought in the streets against Papandreou’s austerity measures which cut pensions and salaries. Key EU player Germany is now pushing for Greek banks to help shoulder the burden of a second bailout scheme.

Critics of this plan, including the European Central Bank, warn that if banks are seen to be forced to lend to Greece on more favorable terms, markets would interpret this as an effective default and panic would escalate. EU officials have also mooted a convoluted plan to lend Greece money with which it can buy back its own debt at a reduced price on secondary bond markets, effectively postponing its repayments to give it breathing space.

This money would come from a special

euro-zone bailout fund, the European Financial Stability Fund.

Market tension was heightened last week by the release of the results of “stress-tests” on European banks, which diagnosed eight European banks as unstable.

The results appeared better than expected, but critics said the test was not tough enough since it not include the possibility of a sovereign debt default by a country such as Greece.

Meanwhile markets are anxiously watching a row in Washington between US President Barack Obama and his Republican opponents in Congress who reject his plans to raise the country’s debt limit to allow more US borrowing. The government has warned that failure to reach a deal could plunge the world’s richest economy into a debt default. — AFP

Italian graduates struggle as debt crisis bites ROME: As the Italian government struggles to stave off a biting debt crisis, thousands of university graduates are scraping the barrel for any job going or abandoning Italy altogether to try their luck abroad.

“I did really well at my Master’s degree but it makes no difference. I’m lucky to have found a job in the local pet shop,” said 28-year old Siriana Malavita, who speaks five languages and had hoped to go on to do a doctorate. “I had to give up on that dream. The university professors tend to favor their own students and personal projects, so unless you have the right connections-and money to pay your own way-then forget it,” she said.

In an attempt to use her languages, Malavita sent out reams of CVs to export companies in her hometown of Modica in Sicily-a farming industry centre which produces prized olives, dried fruit and chocolate.

“But the businesses don’t want graduates; they hire their brothers, cousins, friends,” she said. Friends of hers who have studied law, economics or modern languages find themselves in the same position, fighting over temporary summer jobs, working as industrial cleaners to pay the rent or giving up and seeking work abroad.

Photo journalist Matteo Pellegrinuzzi, 31, tired of scraping by and being paid months late by unreliable employees, left Milan for Paris in 2009 — where his work gets snapped up by top magazines-and has never looked back. “It’s sad to think that to avoid ending up an odd-job man, a painter or a street-cleaner, I’ve had to leave home,” he said.

“But if Italy is facing this sort of crisis, it only has itself to blame. Where is the financial aid or support for young people?” he asked.

According to a study by the education think tank AlmaLaurea, unemployment among graduates “has gone up over the last 10 years, while pay packets have shrunk and contracts are harder to come by.”

The report, based on the most recent data available, said that 16.2 percent of graduates were unemployed in 2009 a year after finishing their studies.

The proportion of unemployed graduates in 2007 was 11.3 percent. “Italy invests shock-

ingly little in its young people. Compared to countries such as France, Germany and the United States we really risk being marginalized,” AlmaLaurea director Andrea Cammelli told AFP. “The so-called ‘brain drain’ is real-graduates who take the plunge and go abroad are more satisfied, they earn more and they are made to feel like they are worth more,” he said. But not all those who have failed to find a job in their chosen field are ready to try their luck abroad or believe that things there will be any different.

Unemployed 28-year-old Chiara Lemmolo said she felt frustrated and defeated. “I see others who are more accomplished than me wearing themselves out and still getting nowhere. Why should it be any different for me? Why would I have ambitions when I have no future?” said the literature graduate.

Some of Lemmolo’s fellow graduates have tried to get work experience in their chosen field in Italy but “the pitiful amount of pocket money they give you often doesn’t even cover the bus fare,” she said.

Others face a stark choice between accepting a fixed contract for a low-skilled job which allows them some financial independence, or continuing to live at home into their 30s while they do years of grinding work experience. Thirty-three year old Maurizio Petralia was the first in his family to go to university and now works in a pub and pizzeria during the week to earn some spending money during his two-year unpaid training period at a law firm. “I still live at home. My parents are worried about me, they’ve invested a lot of time and money in my degree,” he said. “My 22-year old brother started working when he was 15 in my dad’s marble company. He’s now much better off than me! I’m going to hang on in there for now but I wouldn’t rule out going abroad,” he added.

Even the head of one of Italy’s top universities-the Luiss in Rome-is urging the country’s young to abandon Italy, where “clan, political or family ties are the only way to get ahead.”

In an open letter to his son, Pier Luigi Celli urged him to “go where loyalty, respect, merit and results are valued. — AFP

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TECHNOLOGY

Chromebook: Netbook for the Internet cloud BERLIN: Google took two years to work out the concept for its Chrome operating system. Now the first Chromebook - from Samsung - is out. It’s fast and secure, but it doesn’t offer all the functions of today’s laptops - and it can do next to nothing without Internet access. But there are bright spots too. For instance: boot-up time. A Windows laptop can take two or three minutes until it’s ready to run. It’s a whole different story with the Samsung Chromebook: it takes nine seconds from pressing the start button until the login window pops up. Only two more seconds elapse after the password is entered.

It takes about the same amount of time for the netbook to make a Wi-Fi Internet connection, pulling up the web-based user interface. Things go even faster - a total of three seconds - when it’s time for the Chromebook to wake up from standby and re-establish its Wi-Fi connection. That’s a feat so far only mastered by laptops like the MacBook Air, which has an SSD hard drive.

But those SSD-enabled laptops usually cost twice the euro 400 ($561) asked for the

Samsung device. The operating system is key to the speed. Most laptops using either a Windows or Mac OS system open multiple layers of the system, as well as components and programs during start up, creating the impression that the process takes an eternity. Meanwhile, the Chromebook, at its core, is just a Linux operating system and the Chrome browser. Programs like email clients, word processors, spreadsheets, games or photo processing programs are not stored on the computer, but accessed via the browser as web services.

For working while online, Google has made available its reliable suite of web applications, including Gmail, Calendar and a series of apps like Google Docs. But users are not limited to Google programs. There’s also access to competitors like Yahoo and Microsoft. And, if the laptop is operated in guest mode, a Google login isn’t even necessary, meaning the user leaves no data trail on the Chromebook. A Web Store makes about 5,000 applications available. But a lot of applications that laptop users have come to expect on their machines - video editing

software or Skype for internet calls - aren’t there, even if Google does offer its own voice-over-internet-protocol service.

But the biggest drawback isn’t selection of programs - which is always growing - but the need to rely on a stable Internet connection. The Chromebook is capable of almost nothing when offline. Thus, the Chromebook, for now, is only of interest to people who can spend their entire day in a networked environment, like students on a campus or people with reliable Internet connections in their home or office. Of course, one can ensure a full time connection with a 450-euro UMTS version that accesses the Internet via mobile services.

But that still means you’re offline if you wander into an area without service or get onto an airplane.

Chrome developer Sundar Pichai told dpa that, in the near future, key applications like Gmail and Google Docs would work when offline. “Those already work on my personal Chromebook. We’ll free up this function for everyone soon, after we’ve cleared up a few small problems.” But he

didn’t give a date. Another advantage of the Chromebook is that updates are automatically uploaded in the background. “Whereas as a standard laptop will generally get slower in the course of time, Chromebooks will always get better,” promises Pichai.

One area where Google could expand its offerings is in the selection of multimedia formats for recording and playback. Right now that’s limited to MP3 and AAC files or pictures in the JPEG and PNG format.

Quicktime films and data in the popular MKV format cannot be viewed. Users, however, don’t have to worry about regular updates of antivirus sof tware. That ’s because the Google system’s architecture cannot be attacked by Trojans and other malware. Also, the Chromebook checks the integrity of the system at every startup. If the check finds damaged or dangerous code the computer starts a second version of the system software from a protected backup.

In theory, one can work all day long with the Chromebook. Of course, if you spend all your time watching high-definition videos

Kakao is sweet for South Korean smartphone users SEOUL: South Korean student Hwang Jin-Joo no longer sends text messages to his extensive circle of friends, he “KaTalks” them. Kakao Talk, a mobile messenger smartphone application, has enjoyed phenomenal success since it was launched 16 months ago and has spawned similar apps in the world’s most wired nation. “Almost everyone I know uses the service, and it’s so economical that now I can’t imagine how I’d keep in touch with so many friends without it,” said Hwang, 21.

Many Kakao devotees say they have stopped sending Short Message Service (SMS) texts since they downloaded the app, which allows users to send messages, pictures, soundbites and even video via the Internet.

The application is free to download, and sending and receiving material in wi-fi zones is also free. Even outside the zones it is relatively cheap because it uses a mobile data payment plan rather than phone company connections such as SMS. The company makes part of its revenue from a commission on gifts which users can send to friends via Kakao. “The application grew much faster than we expected because the mobile environment and paradigm is changing rapidly,” Lee Jae-Beom, CEO of Kakao Talk, told AFP in an interview. He said the application has been downloaded 18 million times worldwide in just 16 months, with 500 million messages being exchanged daily.

Early this year Kakao also launched the application in English and Japanese. “Mobile messengers...not only substitute for SMS, but also create a new communications culture, where users can actually chat even without a computer and have a group conversation,” said Lee. The CEO said a new phenomenon has emerged in which people who don’t use Kakao Talk feel excluded from their peers. The experience of Kim Lee-Soo, 21, seems to bear that out. “I have started to reduce contact with friends who don’t use smartphones because I only send SMS messages when it is necessary, and I also try to keep them short to stay within the word limit,” said Kim. Businessman Park Tae -Hoon, 32, uses

SEOUL: Lee Jae-Beom, the CEO of Kakao Talk, poses in front of KAKAO Company’s logo on July 13, 2011. — AFP Kakao Talk for almost 70 percent of his textstyle communications. “It’s nice since I can invite my friends to chat at the same time. It’s simply convenient,” Park said. With the market share which Kakao Talk has secured, Lee said the company will try to “connect to everything”, including social commerce, contents and other applications - to become the ultimate hub for smartphone users.

South Korea, a nation of 48.6 million, took to smartphones relatively late but has quickly caught up. The number of smartphone subscribers hit 15 million last week, less than four months after the number had passed 10 million. “As long as my friends use smartphones and the application, I can contact them for almost free, anytime and anywhere in the world...and that’s why I will continue to use the service,” said businessman Gwak Yeoun-Ju, 43.

Other companies are also cashing in on mobile messenger fever. Daum, the nation’s

CIO early adopter of EMC cloud computing BAHRAIN: EMC, yesterday announced that it has been selected to complete a project for the consolidation and virtualization of Kingdom of Bahrain’s Central Informatics Organization (CIO), the starting point of its journey to cloud computing. The implementation is intended to result in a raft of benefits including; the unification of the government’s IT infrastructure, scalability for future applications and growth, enhanced security and the real ability to offer IT as a service.

The new storage infrastructure, built by EMC, is designed to provide the CIO with efficient utilization of storage using EMC’s latest technologies, while dramatically minimizing immediate management, capital cost and future investment.

The project comprises a new EMC family of unified storage, with improved capacity for each site to meet application and Business SLA’s. EMC VNX, the latest unified storage technology from EMC - is fully optimized for virtual applications, designed with the latest Intel(r) multi-core processor technology.

Additionally, EMC RecoverPoint will be implemented as a major replication component between the CIO’s two Data Centers (also including EMC storage and provisioning software) which will enable the CIO team to manage this virtualized environment. EMC Technical Services teams are working closely with the CIO to help transform their infrastructure and IT operations into a strategic business asset,

converting IT into a provider of services and laying the foundations for private cloud, while deploying the best practices to build their disaster recovery site.

“At CIO, we believe in the vital impor tance of the use and exchange of information and our vision is to achieve the highest standard of living for citizens through comprehensive, secure, accurate and timely information and ser vices, which makes it imperative for us to utilize the latest, future proof, progressive technology solutions to meet our business criticality and requirements.

EMC is our ideal partner, and its storage solutions will add efficiency, agility and scalability to our IT infrastructure while allowing us to maintain control and ensure security of our data,” said Shaikh Salman Mohammed AlKhalifa, Director General of Information Technology.

“To manage and secure its vast amount of information, CIO needs a storage infrastructure that is efficient, smart and secure.

We are very proud of the confidence put in EMC and we are positive that the new infrastructure will enable the CIO to start providing real improvements and benefits to all involved and continue the journey to the cloud, offering cloud services for the Bahraini government and improving its performance, in order to meet the expected capacity and growth of Bahrain IT services”, said Habib Mahakian, Regional Director, North Gulf, Levant & Pakistan Area — EMC

second largest portal, launched a free mobile messenger called “My People” in June last year. It offers free Internet phone calls using a mobile voice-over-Internet-protocol service and says it hit 10 million downloads this month. Naver, the largest portal, plans to launch “Naver Line” this month. “The market...is still fairly nascent, so I believe that adoption and usage of these applications will continue to grow as smartphone penetration grows,” said Pamela Clark-Dickson, a British senior analyst with Informa Telecoms and Media.

“Will mobile messengers end texting?” asked one South Korean newspaper recently.

Analysts, however, say it’s premature to write off SMS. “I don’t think these...will eventually totally cannibalise the SMS market,” said ClarkDickson. “SMS is the only truly interoperable messaging medium across mobile devices from low end right through to the most advanced smartphone,” she said. — AFP

Many options for browsing on a smartphone BERLIN: There are more than 70 browsers for personal computers.

The choice is not quite as extensive for smartphones, but it makes sense to keep an eye out for alternatives. The mobile platform Android is especially open but there are programs for other systems specially designed for mobile internet usage. Included in that is also an economical handling of information, automatically filling out of forms, and syncing browser favourites with other devices.

The biggest selection is for the Google system Android. Its standard browser is not identical with Google Chrome but syncs the favourites with its PC version and can automatically fill out forms with repeated input. The “Google Chrome to Phone” app allows links on a computer with a Chrome browser to be marked and sent to the telephone. “Even though Chrome and the browser in Android are not identical, both share a lot of the same code,” said Google spokesman Stefan Keuchel. Android users also enjoy very much the Dolphin browser. “You can surf very comfortably with tabs with it,” said Fabien Roehlinger from the internet portal AndroidPit. Among the pioneers of the mobile browsers is the Norwegian company Opera, which has developed two different programs for smart phones. Opera Mini compresses the web contents on an Opera server before sending it to the browser. This is especially useful if you have a tariff which limits the amount of data transferred and exceeding that limit is very expensive. “Opera Mini is very beloved because it is economical, fast and intuitively operable,” said Roehlinger. Firefox for Android meanwhile is considered much slower by its users, but Firefox does allow smartphones to sync favourites, opened tabs, form information and passwords with a PC browser. Another advantage is the “Do Not Track” function.

According to a spokeswoman for the Mozilla project, Valerie Ponell, users can have the comfort of knowing they will not be tracked by such things as personalised online advertising. In a test by the Australian internet portal Lifehacker, Opera Mini was the faster browser on the Android devices followed by Dolphin, the Android browser, Opera Mobile and Firefox.

And which browser has the nicest interface? The author of the test, Kevin Purdy, said Opera Mobile “possibly looks best of all the alternatives”. If Apple had their way, only its own Safari browser could be used on the iPhone. But a couple of alternatives have made their way into the App Store. The Sphere software blends out all control panels and just shows the websites. In order to bring the command bar back, the iPhone only needs to be lightly shaken. —dpa

on YouTube, you’ll drain your battery in six hours, since the Dual Core Atom N570 Intel processor requires a lot of energy. The display offers a comfortably high resolution (1,280 X 800 pixels) and is matte, meaning there are no problems with reflections, as is the case with the screens of most of today’s laptops. But the image quality does drop off significantly if the screen is viewed from a sideways angle.

But these pros and cons are secondary issues when it comes to the Chromebook.

Whether you want to be online or offline is the key question. “Because of the small hard drive, everything has to go into the cloud,” says Christian Woelbert, an editor with the German computer magazine c’t.

For most private users, the Google machine will probably only be a backup device.

Matthias Kremp of Spiegel magazine’s website is critical of the complete reliance on web access. “Only when Google and the manufacturers of Chrome web apps can fix this problem, can netbooks become a true alternative to today’s laptops that can be taken seriously.” —dpa

Details leak out about iPhone 5 NEW YORK: It’s only a few months until the newest generation of iPhone hits stores and details about its features are slowly leaking out. According to the usually well-informed Wall Street Journal, the fifth iteration of the best-selling smartphone will be thinner than its predecessor and have an eight-pixel - not five - camera. The paper quoted Apple’s suppliers, since the company does not manufacture the iPhone itself.

Two weeks ago, the Bloomberg news agency had reported about the improved camera, as well as about a faster processor. Apple has remained, as usual, mum about its new product, refusing to comment. But the Wall Street Journal says the new phone will be released in this quarter. Bloomberg, citing informed sources, reported September. Speculation has been ongoing for months about when the successor to the hugely successful iPhone 4 might hit stores. Until now, new models have been released around midyear, meaning the iPhone

5 is behind schedule. But Bloomberg reported that Apple wanted to wait until its new iOS5 operating system was ready to go. That’s been promised for the autumn. However, the Wall Street Journal reports that the iPhone 5 is especially complicated to build, because it’s so thin. That could also lead to delays. The iPhone 4 was already thinner than the 3GS. The new iPhone will also reportedly include a new wireless chip from Qualcomm.

Until now, those chips have been produced by Infineon. Officially, Apple has made no comments about its supplier. Infineon has sold its wireless chip business to Intel, which is getting into smartphones. If the company has indeed lost its contract, that would be a big blow.

There were 18.7 million iPhones sold in the first quarter of 2011 and sales expectations are very high for the new phone, reported the Wall Street Journal, citing an informed source.

Projections are for sales of 25 million units by the end of 2011. — dpa

Blu-ray players are jacks of all trades MUNICH: Blu-ray players have become central to any home theatre, with the newest-generation devices not only playing movies, but also downloading extras from the Internet or displaying vacation photos. But that variety does not help at all when it comes time to pick which one is right for you. All of them play movies - in high resolution and with excellent sound. It ’s the extras that count - from playing 3D movies to online downloads - meaning purchasers should look at quality of internet access, not just price, when deciding.

Blu-ray discs took several years to differentiate themselves from DVDs. But the Blu-ray definitely made its breakthrough this year, with more Bluray devices than DVD players projected to be sold in 2011. Part of that is because consumers want high-definition content to display on their new flat-screen televisions. It also helps that prices have dropped massively.

Blu-ray players averaged euro 520 ($729) in 2007. Now, according to German industry analyst Bitkom, the average price is 167 euros.

Additionally, the average price of a Blu-ray film, according to the German Federal Association of Audiovisual Media, sunk to 15 euros in the first quarter. Entry-level prices have gotten even lower. “If you don’t need any extra functions, you can get a decent player for 100 euros,” says Andreas Frank of the German magazine Video Homevision.

That’s enough for playing a Blu-ray disc. And, since most devices comes with a USB connection, that means photos or videos can be displayed from a hard drive or USB stick. The difference is in the details. Many entr y-level devices don’t per form well when scaling DVD images for H D fo r m a t s b e c a u s e t h e y h ave a cheaper image processing chip than used in higher- end models. That means the lines of a football pitch can look fuzzy. But the sheer diversity of options to factor in mean it’s hard to tell if that’s an issue, simply based on price.

An Internet connection is standard for modern players. “With that, you can magically get extra information onto your screen,” says expert Michael Zink.

Studios offer deleted scenes, trailers or games.

A BD Live logo ensures that the player can go online, says Zink, who works as a manager with Technicolor and is on the board of the Blu-ray Disc Association, a group of manufacturers.

Connecting to the net has a further advantage: it allows consumers to easily install updates.

That ’s key because, behind the easy-to-use interface, lies a mini-computer that needs updates, just like a PC. “People can dramatically improve the user experience this way,” says Zink. New versions of the built-in software correct programming errors and install new features. Many players can play back photos, videos or music from a home network - either a PC or a NAS drive - onto a television. “You should look at the DLNA certification,” advises Frank. Devices with DLNA logos work together seamlessly.

I t gets more complicated with movies from the internet. Many multifunction devices connect to video portals, but don’t let the consumers pick which ones.

“Which portal is bundled depends on the manufacturer,” says Frank. If this is an important feature, you should check if your favourites are included before you buy. YouTube is preprogrammed into most of today’s players.

Not all players have Wi-Fi connections, but rely on network cables. Zink recommends the cable-free kind. “You rarely have the Blu-ray player right next to your router. It’s easiest to make the connection with Wi-Fi.” He says retrofitting a player with a Wi-Fi module is difficult and expensive.

A Blu-ray player is the medium of choice if your goal is to turn your living room into a 3D theatre. It’s hard to make a mistake with a Blu-ray player, says Frank: “A device that projects a good 2D image will also make a good 3D image.” For about euro 150, one can get a contemporary 3D-capable device. But double check your TV quality before mak ing a purchase. “I t depends a lot on how much the image flickers,” says Frank.

If you value good sound, then the player should be connected digitally with HDMI to your system. But that’s not always possible. “If my amplifier can’t process digital formats, then I should make sure that my BD player supports Dolby 5.1,” says Frank. Most players cut costs when it comes to analog export connections. With highend devices, the Blu-ray player is almost an afterthought.

They have hard drive recording devices and Blu-ray burners. Some even have apps that allow users to turn their smartphones into remote controls. Of course, that has a price. An all-inclusive model can easily set you back euro 1,000. — dpa

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health & science

NASA probe enters orbit around asteroid Vesta Unprecedented second stop at dwarf planet Ceres planned

BORNEO ISLAND: This handout picture shows a Slow Loris before being caught at Sabah Girang field center in Malaysia. — AFP

Malaysian scientists tag Borneo slow loris KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysian wildlife researchers have tagged a Bornean slow loris for the first time as part of efforts to find out more about the nocturnal primate known for its big eyes and rare toxic bite. The researchers in Sabah state on Borneo island fitted a radio-collar on a recently caught slow loris-a protected species that is threatened by the illegal pet trade-to enable them to study its behavior. It will give scientists a valuable insight into the animal’s habits, such as where it sleeps and how it hunts for insects, lizards and other prey, they said in a statement yesterday.

“As little is known about the Bornean slow loris, particularly in Sabah, any information collected... through tracking through the forest will be important in understanding the species,” Benoit Goossens, director of the Danau Girang Field Centre that is spearheading the study, said in the statement. “With this study, we also hope to raise the awareness in Sabah on the importance of protecting nocturnal primates as much as protecting orangutans, proboscis monkeys, sun bears and elephants,” Goossens added. Laurentius Ambu, director of the Sabah Wildlife Department, said the Bornean slow loris was the second most

common primate species owned as pets in Asia, after macaques. They also face threats from the medicinal and ornamental trade.

“Although slow lorises are protected by law from international and commercial trade, the greatest growing threat to slow lorises is the illegal pet trade,” Ambu said in the statement. “Lorises face extremely high mortality rates in markets and transport of them, due to starvation, dehydration and infections from dental health injuries, as their teeth are removed to increase their sales,” Ambu added. Goossens said it was hard to estimate how many Bornean slow lorises, which are indigenous to the island shared by Malaysia and Indonesia, were left in the wild.

He said no surveys had been conducted on the population but researchers hope they will be able to trap more slow lorises high up in the jungle canopy to fit them with collars. “We hope that this can be a long-term study,” he said. Despite conservation efforts, poaching and logging threaten the survival of animal and plant species in Borneo’s vast jungle, which is home to many endangered species, such as pygmy elephants and rhinos. — AFP

Simple eye testing could give clues to Alzheimer’s PARIS: Australian scientists are reporting encouraging early results from an eye test they hope will create a simple way to detect signs of Alzheimer’s disease. The test is experimental and needs more study. But doctors know that Alzheimer’s causes changes in the eyes, not just the brain.

Other researchers in the United States also are working on an eye test for the disease.

“It’s a small study” but “suggestive and encouraging,” one of the American researchers, Dr Lee Goldstein of Boston University, said of the Australian work. “My hat’s off to them for looking outside the brain for other areas where we might see other evidence of this disease.” Shaun Frost of Australia’s national science agency, CSIRO, discussed the test yesterday at the Alzheimer’s Association International Conference in France.

More than 5.4 million Americans and 35 million people worldwide have Alzheimer’s, the most common form of dementia. Brain scans can find evidence of it a decade or more before it causes memory and thinking problems but they’re too expensive and impractical for routine use.

Doctors and families need easier ways to tell who is developing the disease, so a simple eye test could be a big help.

It involves photographing blood vessels in the retina, the nerve layer lining the back of the eyes. Drops are used to dilate a patient’s eyes, just as they are in a routine exam.

Researchers compared retinal photos of 110 healthy people, 13 with Alzheimer’s and 13 with mild cognitive impairment, or “pre-Alzheimer’s,” who were taking part in a larger study on aging. The widths of certain blood vessels were different in those with Alzheimer’s than in the others and the amount of difference matched the amount of plaque seen on brain scans. — AP

HOUSTON: A robotic NASA science probe slipped into orbit around the potato-shaped asteroid Vesta on Saturday to begin a yearlong study of the second largest object in the asteroid belt. NASA’s Dawn spacecraft relayed a signal to NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California, to confirm that it had entered Vesta’s orbit, about 117 million miles (188 million km) from Earth, the agency said early yesterday. Dawn is the first probe to orbit an object in the main asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter, and is on track to be the first spacecraft to orbit two solar system destinations beyond Earth, NASA said.

“Dawn’s study of the asteroid Vesta marks a major scientific accomplishment and also points the way to the future destinations where people will travel in coming years,” NASA Administrator Charles Bolden said in a statement. Scientists could not immediately determine the exact time that Dawn entered Vestas’ orbit on Saturday, NASA said. Dawn was dispatched to Vesta in 2007, the first stop in a $466 million quest to learn more about how the solar system formed 4.5 billion years ago. It will study Vesta for a year and then depart for its second destination in July 2012 — a dwarf planet called Ceres.

Vesta and Ceres are two of the largest surviving protoplanets-rocky bodies that nearly

had enough mass to become full-fledged planets-in solar system. Both reside in the main asteroid belt, located between Mars and Jupiter. “These are two of the last unexplored worlds in our inner solar system,” said Dawn project manager Robert Mase.

With its iron core and possible lava flows, scientists believe Vesta is more similar to Earth or the moon than most of its other asteroid neighbors. Ceres, the largest object in the asteroid belt, is relatively close to Vesta, but it formed under vastly different circumstances.

The so-called dwarf planet more closely resembles the icy moons of Jupiter and Saturn. Ceres has water-bearing minerals and possibly a weak atmosphere.

The goal of the Dawn mission is to collect enough information about Vesta and Ceres to understand conditions and processes of the early solar system. The spacecraft has three scientific instruments to study surface features and determine chemical composition.

“We are exploring backward in time as far as we can,” said lead scientist Christopher Russell, with the University of California at Los Angeles.

Asteroids explored Several spacecraft have flown by asteroids before, including NASA’s Galileo probe, which

encountered three asteroids on its way to Jupiter. Japan’s Hayabusa spacecraft touched down on a near-Earth asteroid named 25143 Itokawa to pluck a few grains off its surface and return the sample to Earth. Dawn, however, is the first probe to go into orbit around an asteroid for a long-term study. It also would be the first spacecraft to rendezvous with more than one object in the solar system, a feat made possible by what is known as an ion propulsion system.

Rather than chemical rocket thrusters, Dawn’s engines work by pumping electrically charged ions of xenon gas through an electric field, which accelerates the particles and prepares them for an 89,000 mph (142,400 kph) escape into space. The force of the expelled gas causes the spacecraft to move in the opposite direction. The motion, which is about equal to the pressure of a sheet of notebook paper on the palm of your hand, is so gentle it would be useless on Earth. But in space, where there is no counteracting gravitational force, momentum builds up over time. Dawn traveled 1.7 billion miles (2.8 billion km) to reach Vesta. It is expected to depart in July 2012 to begin the three-year, 930 million mile (1.5 billion km) trek to Ceres.

The mission at Ceres is expected to last six months. — Reuters

Health

in brief

Ad hoc efforts help cut US healthcare costs WASHINGTON: At Utah-based Intermountain Healthcare, comparative research made physicians realize that inducing early childbirth in healthy women created unnecessary and costly risks for newborns. Artificially induced deliveries had become an accepted way to make childbirth fit busy personal schedules. The practice has health risks, but the average doctor saw only one or two cases a year wind up in a neonatal intensive care unit.

SOFIA: Pelicans cool off during a heat-wave at Sofia’s Zoo, Saturday, July 16, 2011. The temperatures rose to 39 degrees Celsius (102 F) throughout the Balkan country Saturday. — AP

The patient whose HIV was cured LOS ANGELES: To many of the nation’s million people living with a diagnosis of HIV/AIDS, Timothy Brown is the Harr y Potter of the disease: Today, almost 20 years after he became infected, Brown is, essentially, cured. Like the young wizard who survived Lord Voldemort’s wrath, he is the boy who lived.

Brown, now 45, is known in medical journal circles as “The Berlin Patient,” a moniker assigned him by a February 2009 case study published in the New England Journal of Medicine.

In a “Brief Report,” oncologist Gero Huetter and his colleagues at Berlin’s University Hospital in Germany described the unique stem-cell transplant of an HIVinfected patient - Timothy Brown - who had acute myeloid leukemia, and the remarkable result: Twenty months after the procedure, the virus had not reappeared in Brown’s body, even though he was no longer taking antiretroviral drugs.

The bone marrow Brown received in a time-tested treatment for leukemia had given him an extraordinary gift. It had also transferred to Brown’s immune system an uncommon genetic variation - present in an estimated 10 percent of northern Europeans - that rendered it resistant to HIV. It’s been a winding road to medical fame, Brown said in a recent inter view. Raised in Seattle, he came out as gay at 18 and soon began a restless journey across Europe. He settled briefly in Barcelona, where he believes he became infected, and finally in Berlin, where he lived for almost 20 years. When he learned he was HIV-positive in 1995, a friend told him gravely he probably had two years to live. “I didn’t know who to be angry at,” Brown said.

Ten years later, he was alive and taking antiretroviral medications. Then, in 2006, a bout of exhaustion sent him to the doctor, who diagnosed leukemia and proposed the customary treatment: wipe out Brown’s immune system with radiation and rebuild it with the bone marrow of a healthy donor. Here was the crucial trick: From the 230 possible matches found for Brown, Huetter deliberately picked a donor that carried genetic resistance to HIV, hoping they might lick both diseases in a

single shot. Now living in San Francisco, Brown has found himself a bit of a celebrity at AIDS functions around the city. Two weeks ago, he spoke at an event titled “Cure - still a four-letter word?” organized by the American Foundation for AIDS Research.

Afterward, he says, “everybody wanted to get their picture taken with me.” It was as if, he said, he had become the living, breathing embodiment of hope for an end to AIDS. For much of the AIDS pandemic’s first 30 years, talk of a cure was indeed a four-letter word, widely dismissed as fanciful and distracting from the real job of prevention and treatment - and a dangerous spur to false hopes and complacency. But as Brown’s fame has grown, the “cure” word has lost its taboo.

Last week, the nation’s chief scientists in the fight against HIV/AIDS - Drs Carl W Dieffenbach and Anthony Fauci

of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases also abandoned their reluctance to talk about a cure for the pandemic that has killed 25 million people. Certainly, the treatment Brown received could not be applied to the millions of people infected with HIV - it is far too risky and expensive for that. But its results offer proof that there are ways to turbocharge the immune system to prevent and even fight off established infection without taking a cocktail of pills every day, the officials wrote in the Annals of Internal Medicine.

Brown sustained a brain injury in a 2009 mugging in Berlin, and walks and speaks with some difficulty But he sees himself as lucky and says he’s glad to be a “catalyst” to the development of a more practical AIDS cure. “It’s an incredible feeling - like a miracle,” he said. “I had two lethal diseases and was able to get rid of both of them.” — MCT

Most in US want ban on smoking in public NEW YORK: Most Americans want smoking banned in all public places but only 19 percent believe that cigarette smoking should be illegal in the United States, a Gallup poll published on Friday said. The Princeton, New Jersey-based pollster found in its July 7-10 telephone survey that for the first time since it initially asked the question in 2001, a majority of Americans, 59 percent, support a public ban on smoking.

US pediatrician feels heat over child obesity BOSTON: Boston pediatrician David Ludwig, the center of a media firestorm this week, wants to set the record straight on his view that a state should intervene in the most extreme cases of child obesity.

Ludwig and co-author Lindsey Murtagh at the Harvard School of Public Health triggered a backlash with an opinion piece in a leading US medical journal about what could be done about highly overweight youngsters.

Traffic court does not reduce crashes NEW YORK: Drivers who choose to fight a speeding ticket in court, rather than pay a fine by mail, are more likely to be involved in a car crash later on, a new study of Mar yland drivers shows. The researchers don’t think appearing in traffic court actually causes people to crash their cars. Instead, they say drivers who chose this approach tended to have high-risk characteristics in the first place. And in general, those who fought their speeding tickets in court had longer histories of violations and crashes.

Avid CEO confident in Alzheimer’s imaging agent PARIS: The chief executive of Eli Lilly and Co’s Alzheimer’s imaging unit is confident it can create a training program for its imaging drug that will satisfy concerns raised by US regulators. So are many Alzheimer’s disease experts, who are gathering in Paris this week for the Alzheimer’s Association’s international conference.

Millions at risk of cholera in Ethiopia GENEVA: Five million people are at risk of cholera in drought-hit Ethiopia, where acute watery diarrhea has broken out in crowded, unsanitary conditions, the World Health Organization (WHO) said on Friday.

Cholera, an acute intestinal infection, causes watery diarrhea that can quickly lead to severe dehydration and death if treatment is not promptly given, according to the United Nations agency.

Most drugs for Parkinson’s psychosis unproven NEW YORK: Nearly every prescription written to treat Parkinson’s psychosis-a common psychiatric side effect of Parkinson’s disease-is for medications that have not been shown to improve the condition, a new study finds. The study also found that about three of every 10 prescriptions are for drugs that can actually harm patients.

MIAMI: Dale Penn, 54 (shown with his dog Maggie) has lived with being HIV positive for 20 years. — MCT

Medicare Part D sees falling drug costs WASHINGTON: Cheaper generic drugs will continue to hold down costs for the US government, insurers and patients enrolled in the federal prescription drug benefit, according to a report released on Friday. Researchers said eight of the ten most commonly prescribed drug classes covered by the program known as Medicare Part D have fallen to an average daily cost of therapy of $1 in December 2010 from $1.50 in January 2006.

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MONDAY, JULY 18, 2011

Beauty queen sheds lard, inspires many COLUMBIA: In a state that ranks as one of the most obese in the country, the new Miss South Carolina offers the classic example of how we got into this mess and how we can get out. Since 22year-old Bree Boyce won her crown Saturday night, the buzz around her weight-loss story has attracted attention from national and international publications. A national obesity report released earlier this month indicates how much her neighbors in South Carolina need to listen to her story. The state has the eighth-highest rate of obesity, and like the rest of the country the problem is getting worse here each year.

Boyce said she was heavy as a child, then really got into trouble when she was old enough to drive on her own. “I’d drive around to fast food restaurants and order anything and everything on the menu,” she said. It’s so easy, and the food tastes so good. But so much of what’s on fastfood menus is bad for you, especially when super-sized. Before she wised up, Boyce weighed 230 pounds.

At that point, the Florence resident was a typical South Carolinian. Two-thirds of the state’s population (66.4 percent) is overweight and 30.9 percent is obese, according to a report released

July 7 by the Trust for America’s Health and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. Both of those statistics have been on the rise for the past 15 years, not only in South Carolina but nationwide.

In fact, despite the state’s increases (16.6 percent to 30.9 percent obese, and 51.4 percent to 66.4 percent overweight), South Carolina’s national ranking is the same as in 1995.

That’s why people want to hear Boyce’s story.

She seems to have found the secret to losing weight. She could write a diet book - The Beauty Queen Diet - and sell a million copies. Except she has no easy-to-follow diet to push. Her weightloss success was all about wanting to lose weight, working at it and truly changing habits. “I did a lot of the fad diets, and they would work for a short period,” Boyce said, “but then I’d go back to the foods I love.”

She finally started shedding pounds when she consulted with a nutritionist and followed the basic advice. She started eating more whole grains, fruits and vegetables. She cut out fast foods and began cooking more of her own meals.

And she began exercising daily. “It’s all about changing your lifestyle,” Boyce said. “I don’t like the word ‘diet.’ Don’t ever say that you’re on a diet

because you’re setting yourself up for failure.

“There is no secret. If there is one thing that IS the secret, it’s hard work.” If Boyce did write a Beauty Queen Diet, it would start the way she does most mornings with scrambled egg whites and oatmeal. If she has a particularly busy day ahead, she’ll add an apple. A typical lunch might be a turkey sandwich on whole wheat with lettuce, tomato and onions. For dinner, she loves to cook lemon pepper grilled tilapia, with fresh vegetables (peppers, cucumbers or squash) and a dish of brown rice.

When she feels the need to splurge a little on calories, she’ll put blue cheese dressing on her salad instead of vinaigrette. And when she has a craving for something sweet every week or two, she treats herself to a small cup at a frozen yogurt store. All of her suggestions should sound familiar. She simply followed the kind of routine health experts have been suggesting for decades. In fact, she sounds like a nutritionist when she tells her story. “I just educated myself on what we’ve been eating and cut out the junk and started putting the good fuel in my body,” Boyce said. “Our bodies are like cars. We need to put the right fuel in them.” — MCT

COLUMBIA: As seen in an undated photograph provided

by Bree Boyce (right), newly crowned Miss South Carolina, Boyce lost 112 pounds on the road to her victory recently. — MCT

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MONDAY, JULY 18, 2011

W H AT ’ S O N

Condolences for demise of Pastor Jerry

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everend Emmanuel Gareeb, President of the Common Council of National Evangelical Church of Kuwait expressed his sorrow and condolence for the demise of Pastor Jerry A Zandstra, Senior Pastor of English Language Congregation (ELC) and Vice President of National Evangelical Church Common Council.

He praised the unforgettable and active service of Pastor Jerry.

Meanwhile, the Kuwait Town Malayali Christian Congregation (KTMCC) also expressed their sorrow and condolences for the demise of Pastor Jerry A. Zandstra. The executive committee admired the unforgettable and energetic service of Pastor Jerry. He was a very close associate of KTMCC.

Homeland Family Fellowship Conference (HFC) of KTMCC

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e are very happy to announce that the 4th Homeland Family Fellowship Conference (HFC) of KTMCC will be conducted on 23rd July 2011 at M Mathews’ (Toyato Sunny) residence Kumbanad, Kerala, India. To register your name, simply go to the following link and register on-line http://www.ktmcc.com/homeland.html. Otherwise, to register your name please contact: Convener T John Mathew Mobile:- (+91) 9446368878 or Secretary Roy K Yohannan Mob: - (+965)66570486

Announcements Art salon Bouhshari Art Gallery Exhibition runs through 15 September. Daily working hours: 10am - 1pm and 5 9pm, except on Friday and on Thursday evening.

The Maria Al-Qubtiyya High School celebrates graduation

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he Maria Al-Qubtiyya High School celebrated the graduation of its 12th grade students-class of 2010/2011, in a ceremony attended by the school’s staff and the students’ families. —Photos by Fouad Al-Shaikh

Indian bowling league Indian Bowling League Season 2 would like to invite you and your families to participate in an Indian bowling event where all nationalities, the young and the old can have fun playing an enjoyable game while meeting new people in a healthy competition from July 12th - August 15th For more details contact: Uly 99503348, Amaldo 66052062, and Nasha 99516960. If anyone is looking to assist them in this event with sponsors, they will be really obliged to have your help to make this event a success.

Registrations are open.

Bodybuilding competition The Philippine Body Building & Fitness Association in Kuwait will be holding its first Bodybuilding competition for all Filipino Instructors and enthusiasts on July 22nd at Al-Zumareida Hall, Salwa along the Gulf Road from 5pm - 9pm. The competition will be one of a kind in Kuwait. It will highlight the participation of highly skilled Filipino fitness and aerobics trainers and showcase remarkable presentations during the competition. Three categories for the Bodybuilding competition: Small, Medium, Tall, all of which are based on required height measurements. There will be three winners from each height category and one overall winner. The competition will be covered by Al Watan Daily News, TFC (The Filipino Channel) and GMA 7 from the Philippines.

KuwaitBodyBuilding.com will be one of the sponsors for this event and PBBFAK are actively looking for other organizations that may also be interested in becoming a sponsor.

Rink soccer Don Bosco Oratory is pleased to announce its Major 4-A-Side “Rink Soccer Fiesta” in Kuwait! This event is for the soccer lovers in Kuwait and will be played on a League (round robin) cum knock out basis from August 2nd at the IEAS Quadrangle in Salmiya. Last date to register for participation is on July 28th.

Draws will be announced on the July 30th. For details contact Chris: 6651-9627, Alex: 66069282 from 6-9pm.

AWARE Centre Diwaniya The AWARE Center cordially invites you to its diwaniya presentation entitled, “Developing Global and Ethical leaders through Quality learning,” by Khalid Al-Dowsary tomorrow (July 19, 2011) at 7:00pm. Are you interested in improving your inter/cross-cultural communication skills, develop dialogue with and respect other cultures, improve your presentation skills, improve leadership skills, improve your teamwork spirit, improve your solving problems skills and critical thinking, build your confidence, improve your discussions skills and improve your creativity? Khalid Al-Dowsary will share with you the keys to that. Khalid Al-Dowsary is a Saudi Aramco employee working as Superintendent of Professional Learning Division of the Professional Development Department. He is currently working on his phd in Business Administration with a concentration on Human Resource Development, Malaysia University. He obtained his M.ed Human Resource Development from University of Minnesota, USA. -2007. He also holds Master of Science Degree (M.S.) — For more information, call 25335260/80 or log onto: www.aware.com.kw

Kala, Kuwait-literary competition

K

ala, Kuwait is providing a golden opportunity for talented Keralite writers in Kuwait to present their literary creations either story or poetry. As informed by the office bearers, the winners of the best selected creations of this literary competition will receive mementos and cash award. Kala president Sam Pynumood presided the meeting in which General Secretary R.Naganathan presented the report.

The literary creations both story and poetry should be proven absolutely that its a new and self written creation as well as not published before. Stories should not exceed 5 pages. The literary creations can be emailed to kalaonweb@gmail.com or it can be directly handed to Kala centre before August 30th. For more information; Kindly contact 24317875, 97817100 or 66656642.

The organizing committee which was held at Kala Centre was welcomed by Literar y wing secretar y Manikantan while Joint Secretary Vinod K.John rendered the vote of thanks.

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W H AT ’ S O N

Embassy Information EMBASSY OF ARGENTINA In order to inform that 23rd of October 2011, will be Argentine national election where all Argentinean citizen residents permanently in Kuwait can vote only if they are registered at the Electoral Register of the Argentine Embassy. The procedure of inscription ended on 25 of April 2011. To register it is necessary that Argentinean citizens should come personally at the Argentinean Embassy (Block 6, street 42, villa 57, Mishref) and present the DNI and four personal photos (size 4x4, face should be front on white background). For further information, contact us on 25379211.

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Donors at the JW Marriott Kuwait Courtyard.

Kuwait Marriott Hotels organize blood donation

K

uwait Marriott Hotels, in collaboration with the Central Blood Bank, recently organized a blood donation drive which took place at the JW Marriott Kuwait, Courtyard by Marriott Kuwait hotel and Arraya Ballroom.

Specially equipped medical clinics were set up by the Central Blood Bank from 9:00 am through to 12.30pm, and everyone not only donated blood, but was also given the opportunity to under-

go some basic health checks including BMI & Blood Pressure as well as donating blood. The event reflects the hotels’ ongoing commitment towards supporting every aspect of the local community, and part of its global “Spirit to Serve” initiative.

George Aoun, Cluster General Manager said: “Such initiatives are held to help save blood for emergency use.

Our blood donation drive aims to spread

awareness amongst the community on the importance of blood donation and how a drop of donated blood can be crucial in saving life.”

At Kuwait Marriott Hotels, we continuously encourage all healthy citizens and residents in Kuwait to donate to this vital cause, whenever they can. Setting up inhouse clinics has made it easier for donors to donate blood, which was also evident by the excellent support

received from the community during the campaign,”Eisa Ghadban, cluster director of loss prevention and JW Marriott Kuwait government relations added.

Marriott’s “spirit to serve” initiative is captured in uplifting human interest stories across the world. It continues to become an important role in people’s lives, and help them overcome adversity, embody a passion for service and achieve personal excellence.

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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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 ■■■■■■■

Dasman School

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he Dasman Middle School celebrated the graduation of its 2010/2011 class in a ceremony attended by the students’ families, as well as the school’s administration and staff. —Photos by Fouad Al-Shaikh

ASSE-KC plans exhibition

M

ohammed Mohsen Al-Busairi, Minister of Oil, State Minister for Parliament Affairs and Chairman of KPC Board of Directors, will be patronizing 6th International Professional Development Conference (PDC) to be held from the 29th of November until the 1st of December, 2011. The event is being organized by the Kuwait Society of Safety Engineers.

The conference is designed to be the largest of its kind in Kuwait. It also brings together practitioners across the globe representing a wide range of industries, organization and career levels to participate in the program of workshops, presentations and discussions concerning the occupational health, safety, security, environment and loss prevention.

Fadhel Al- Ali, Chairman of ASSE KC PDC’11 Organizing Committee announced that the deadline to receive the abstract is 31st July 2011.

The conference is designed to be the largest of its kind in Kuwait. It also brings together practitioners across the globe representing a wide range of industries, organization and career levels to participate in the program of

workshops, presentations and discussions concerning the Occupational Health, Safety, Security Environment and Loss Prevention.

With an ambitious Conference Theme HSSE - “Sharing Excellence”, the 2011 conference is aimed at reaching the pinnacles of HSE. Great effort is being spent to provide programs that are diverse, interactive, forward-think-

ing, people-focused, change-orientated, and of the highest quality. ASSEKuwait Chapter is expecting well over 500 plus delegates to participate in the

2011 PDC. Besides conference, The Exhibition will feature demonstration of some of the largest and best known suppliers of Health, Safety, Security and Environmental products and services.

The event will feature presentation of

papers, from health, safety, security and environment professionals and invited international experts, Presentation of Posters, by students, researchers, and young professionals and HSSE experts of Oil & Gas sector, Petroleum Industries, refineries, and Major companies.

Kuwait Chapter of the American Society of Safety Engineers (ASSE-KC) is Kuwait’s premier voluntary, non-profit making Health, Safety, and Environment organization that strives to provide professional guidance, training, and resources to the industrial and social sectors in the region. During a relatively short span of time the ASSE, KC conferences have grown to become one of the highest ranked HSSE events in the region and acquired a niche status internationally. As part of its effort, ASSE-KC shall be conducting 6th International HSSE Professional Development Conference and Exhibition during the years 2001, 2002, 2004, 2007 & 2009.

ASSE-KC invites everyone to join them at the 2011 Professional Development Conference. Visit our website www.assekuwaitconference.com for more details.

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.

To ensure that the most recent version of the Temporary Resident Visa application form is being utilized, applicants should refer to the CIC website. As of January 15, 2011, forms are to be filled in electronically. The Embassy of Canada is open from 07:30 to 15:30 Sunday through Thursday.

Consular Services for Canadian Citizens are provided from 09:00 until 12:00 on Sunday through Wednesday.

The forms are available on the internet at: http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/pdf/kits/forms/IMM5 257E.PDF. A guide explaining the process can be found here: http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/pdf/kits/guides/525 6E.PDF. ■■■■■■■

EMBASSY OF GERMANY The Embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany in Kuwait wishes to announce that as of 1 May 2011, the external service provider Al Qabas Assurex is operating a Visa Application Centre in support of the German Embassy. Short-term visa applications for travels to Germany (e.g. for tourism, visits, business) are to be submitted to the service provider Al Qabas who for your convenience will ensure that all relevant documents are included in your application. Your personal appearance at the Application Centre is not required. Address of the Visa Application Centre: Al Qabas Assurex Sanabel Tower (Al-Babtain) Mezzanine (M3) opposite Sharq Mall Kuwait 22924444 Fax: 22924442 Further information are available on the following websites: www.kuwait.diplo.de www.qavisa.com ■■■■■■■

EMBASSY OF INDIA Embassy of India, would like to inform that application forms for passport/visa services and labour contracts that are on its website, www.indembkwt.org, have been upgraded to include the facility for online data entry. Affidavit forms on the Embassy website have had this facility since May 6, 2009.

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EMBASSY OF NIGERIA The Nigerian embassy has moved its office to Mishref. Block 3, Street 7, House 4. For enquires please call 25379541. Fax25387719. Email- nigeriakuwait@yahoo.com or nigeriankuwait@yahoo.co.uk

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

Cats 101 Untamed & Uncut Into the Pride Planet Earth Whale Wars Animal Cops Miami Cats 101 Lemur Street The Really Wild Show Farm Life Farm Life Breed All About It Trophy Cats Dogs/Cats/Pets 101 Michaela’s Animal Road Trip Lemur Street Wildlife SOS Animal Park: Wild on the West

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

One Foot In The Grave The Weakest Link Ray Mears Goes Walkabout The Weakest Link The Fixer Dinnerladies Fimbles Balamory Tikkabilla Charlie And Lola Fimbles Balamory Tikkabilla Fimbles Balamory Tikkabilla Charlie And Lola Fimbles Balamory Tikkabilla Charlie And Lola Dinnerladies The Weakest Link Monarch Of The Glen Doctors One Foot In The Grave Ray Mears Goes Walkabout Dinnerladies Monarch Of The Glen The Weakest Link Doctors One Foot In The Grave Ray Mears Goes Walkabout Monarch Of The Glen The Weakest Link Doctors Eastenders Holby City The Fixer Live At The Apollo

Animal Cops Houston Animal Precinct RSPCA: On the Frontline The Really Wild Show Jeff Corwin Unleashed Natural Born Hunters Cats 101 Breed All About It Planet Wild Crocodile Hunter

00:30 Masterchef: The Professionals 03:30 New Scandinavian Cooking With Andreas Viestad 04:20 Masterchef: The Professionals 06:35 Daily Cooks Challenge 07:20 New Scandinavian Cooking With Andreas Viestad 07:45 Antiques Roadshow 08:40 Come Dine With Me 10:45 New Scandinavian Cooking With Andreas Viestad 11:30 Antiques Roadshow 12:25 Cash In The Attic 13:10 Bargain Hunt 13:50 Come Dine With Me 16:45 Rhodes Across China 18:15 New Scandinavian Cooking With Andreas Viestad 19:05 Antiques Roadshow 19:55 Cash In The Attic

00:00 BBC World News 00:10 My Country 01:00 BBC World News 01:30 Asia Business Report 01:45 Sport Today 02:00 BBC World News 02:10 World Features 02:30 Our World 03:00 Newsday 03:30 India Business Report 04:00 Newsday 04:30 Asia Business Report 04:45 Sport Today 05:00 Newsday 05:30 Asia Business Report 05:45 Sport Today 06:00 Newsday 06:30 Hardtalk 07:00 BBC World News 07:30 World Business Report 07:45 BBC World News 08:30 World Business Report 08:45 BBC World News 09:30 World Business Report 09:45 Sport Today 10:00 BBC World News 10:30 World Business Report 10:45 Sport Today 11:00 BBC World News 11:30 Hardtalk 12:00 BBC World News 12:30 World Business Report 12:45 Sport Today 13:00 BBC World News 13:30 World Business Report 13:45 Sport Today 14:00 GMT With George Alagiah 15:00 BBC World News 15:30 World Business Report 15:45 Sport Today 16:00 Impact With Mishal Husain 17:30 World Business Report 17:45 Sport Today 18:00 BBC World News 18:30 Hardtalk 19:00 The Hub With Nik Gowing 20:30 World Business Report 20:45 Sport Today 21:00 World News Today With Zeinab Badawi 22:30 World Business Report 22:45 Sport Today

00:00 00:30 01:00 03:00 03:45 04:00 05:00 05:30 05:45 06:00 06:30 07:00 07:30 08:00 10:00 10:30 11:00 12:00 13:00 13:30 14:00 15:00 16:00 17:00 18:00 18:30 19:00 20:00 20:30 21:00 22:00

African Voices World Sport World Report World Business Today CNN Marketplace Middle East Piers Morgan Tonight Talk Asia Edit Room Future Cities World Sport Cnngo World Report The Best Of Backstory World Report World Sport Talk Asia World Business Today World One World Sport African Voices Fareed Zakaria Gps News Stream World Business Today International Desk The Brief World Sport Prism International Desk African Voices Quest Means Business Piers Morgan Tonight

01:15 03:05 04:55 06:45 08:35

Ulee’s Gold-PG After Dark, My Sweet The Red Shoe Diaries-18 Wild Orchid Just Another Story-PG

MONDAY, JULY 18, 2011

TV PROGRAMS 10:00 12:05 13:30 15:05 16:30 17:55 19:30 22:00 23:35 23:50

Man Of LA Mancha-PG Sibling Rivalry-PG Mystery Date-PG Road Rage-PG Nashville Beat-PG Speechless-PG The Group-PG A Green Journey-PG Mgm’s Big Screen-FAM Stigmata

00:00 Chef Abroad 00:30 Glutton For Punishment 01:00 Africa Trek 03:00 Planet Sports 04:00 Globe Trekker 07:00 Globe Trekker 08:00 Nomad’s Land 09:00 Planet Sports 10:00 Africa Trek 10:30 Four Men And A Lady 11:00 Inside Luxury Travel-Varun Sharma 12:00 Globe Trekker 13:00 Food Tripper 14:00 Nomad’s Land 15:00 Essential Specials 16:00 Globe Trekker 17:00 Inside Luxury Travel-Varun Sharma 18:00 Flavours Of Spain 19:00 Globe Trekker 20:00 Cruise Today 20:30 Travel Oz 21:00 Cruising To The Northern Lights 22:00 People Of The Sea 23:00 Globe Trekker

00:05 Cow And Chicken 00:30 Cramp Twins 00:55 The Grim Adventures Of Billy And Mandy 01:20 Courage The Cowardly Dog 01:45 Eliot Kid 02:10 Ed, Edd n Eddy 02:35 Ben 10: Alien Force 03:00 The Powerpuff Girls 03:15 Chowder 03:40 The Secret Saturdays 04:05 Samurai Jack 04:30 Ben 10: Ultimate Alien 04:55 Best Ed 05:20 Skunk Fu! 05:45 Cramp Twins 06:10 Eliot Kid 06:35 The Marvelous Misadventures Of Flapjack 07:00 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 Chowder 09:30 Chowder 10:00 The Secret Saturdays 10:55 Ben 10: Ultimate Alien 11:45 Bakugan: New Vestroia 12:35 Star Wars: The Clone Wars 13:25 The Powerpuff Girls 14:15 Adventure Time 15:05 Ben 10: Alien Force 15:50 Bakugan: Gundalian Invaders 16:35 Skunk Fu! 17:15 Chowder 18:05 Hero 108 18:30 Cartoon Network Dance Club 18:45 The Marvelous Misadventures Of Flapjack 18:55 Chowder 19:20 Adventure Time 19:45 The Grim Adventures Of Billy And Mandy 20:10 Courage The Cowardly Dog 20:35 Cow And Chicken 21:00 Best Ed 21:25 Foster’s Home For Imaginary Friends 21:50 Robotboy 22:00 Adventure Time 22:25 Hero 108 22:50 Ben 10 23:15 Bakugan Battle Brawlers

MIDNIGHT MEAT TRAIN ON OSN MOVIES ACTION

00:40 07:00 07:50 08:45 09:10 10:05 10:30 10:55 11:25 12:20 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

Ultimate Weapons Heartland Thunder Street Customs 2008 How It’s Made Mythbusters Cake Boss Border Security Auction Kings Huge Moves Mighty Ships Ultimate Survival Miami Ink Dirty Jobs Heartland Thunder Mythbusters Dual Survival Cake Boss Border Security Auction Kings How Stuff Works How It’s Made Flying Wild Alaska Swamp Brothers

00:05 The Gadget Show 00:30 Prototype This 01:20 The Colony 02:10 Ultimate Power Builders 03:00 Science Of The Movies 03:50 Weird Or What?

04:45 Nyc: Inside Out 05:40 How Stuff’s Made 06:10 Sci-Fi Science 07:00 Catch It Keep It 07:55 Cosmic Collisions 08:50 The Gadget Show 09:40 Nextworld 15:45 Weird Connections 16:10 Brainiac 17:00 Through The Wormhole With Morgan Freeman 17:50 Sci-Fi Science 18:15 The Gadget Show 18:40 Things That Move 19:30 Nyc: Inside Out 20:20 Catch It Keep It 21:10 The Gadget Show 22:00 Things That Move 22:50 Nyc: Inside Out

00:05 Western Extreme 00:30 Game Chasers 01:45 Fall Flight 02:10 Wingshooting The World 03:25 Western Extreme 04:15 Game Chasers 05:30 Fall Flight 05:55 Wingshooting The World 07:00 The Crush With Lee And Tiffany 08:15 Fly Fishing The World 09:30 The Crush With Lee And Tiffany 10:45 World Class Sports Fishing 12:00 Legends of Rod & Reel 13:15 Tarpon Of Boca 14:30 World Class Sports Fishing 15:45 Legends of Rod & Reel 17:00 Tarpon Of Boca 17:25 Tarpon Of Boca 17:50 Tarpon Of Boca 18:15 World Class Sports Fishing 19:30 Legends of Rod & Reel 20:45 Tarpon Of Boca 22:00 The Crush With Lee And Tiffany 22:25 The Crush With Lee And Tiffany 23:15 Fly Fishing The World 23:40 Fly Fishing The World

00:05 Unwrapped 00:30 Diners, Drive-Ins And Dives 00:55 Unwrapped 01:45 Lidia’s Italy 02:35 Barefoot Contessa 03:25 Guy’s Big Bite 04:15 Good Eats - Special 04:40 Unwrapped 05:05 Ten Dollar Dinners 05:30 Paula’s Best Dishes 05:50 Paula’s Party 06:35 Barefoot Contessa - Back To Basics 07:00 Chopped 07:50 Guy’s Big Bite 08:15 Everyday Italian 08:40 Good Deal With Dave Lieberman 09:05 Ten Dollar Dinners 09:30 Paula’s Best Dishes 09:55 Barefoot Contessa 10:20 Diners, Drive-Ins And Dives 10:45 Lidia’s Italy 11:10 Unwrapped 11:35 Paula’s Party 12:25 Everyday Italian 12:50 Paula’s Best Dishes 13:15 Good Deal With Dave Lieberman 13:40 Ultimate Recipe Showdown 14:30 Lidia’s Italy 14:55 Unwrapped 15:20 Boy Meets Grill 15:45 Chopped 16:35 Guy’s Big Bite 17:00 Barefoot Contessa 17:25 Lidia’s Italy 17:50 Everyday Italian 18:15 Paula’s Party 19:05 Good Eats - Special 19:30 Food Network Challenge 20:20 Paula’s Party 21:10 Everyday Italian 22:00 Lidia’s Italy 22:50 Boy Meets Grill 23:40 Good Eats - Special

00:20 01:10 02:00 02:45 03:35 04:25 05:15 06:00 06:20 06:45 07:05 07:30 07:55

Replacements Fairly Odd Parents A Kind Of Magic Stitch Kim Possible Emperors New School Stitch Emperors New School The Suite Life Of Zack & Cody Phineas & Ferb Wizards Of Waverly Place The Suite Life Of Zack & Cody Good Luck Charlie

08:20 08:35 09:00 09:10 09:25 09:40 09:50 10:10 10:35 10:50 11:15 11:35 12:00 12:25 12:45 13:10 13:30 13:55 14:20 14:55 15:20 15:45 16:10 16:35 17:25 17:50 18:15 18:45 19:10 19:35 20:00 20:25 20:50 21:15 21:35 22:00 22:25 22:50 23:15 23:35

Fish Hooks Mickey Mouse Clubhouse Jake & The Neverland Pirates Jungle Junction Handy Manny Jake & The Neverland Pirates Sonny With A Chance Hannah Montana Phineas And Ferb Shake It Up Good Luck Charlie Suite Life On Deck Wizards Of Waverly Place Sonny With A Chance Yr 2 Hannah Montana Phineas & Ferb The Suite Life Of Zack & Cody Fish Hooks Good Luck Charlie Wizards Of Waverly Place Suite Life On Deck Fish Hooks Shake It Up Wizards Of Waverly Place Hannah Montana Fish Hooks Suite Life On Deck Shake It Up Good Luck Charlie Good Luck Charlie Wizards Of Waverly Place Jake & Blake Hannah Montana Sonny With A Chance Yr 2 Good Luck Charlie Shake It Up Hannah Montana Sonny With A Chance Yr 2 Wizards Of Waverly Place Jonas

00:25 Style Star 01:25 20 Best And Worst Celebrity Plastic...

03:15 E! Investigates 04:10 Sexiest 05:05 Reality Hell 05:30 Wildest TV Show Moments 06:00 30 Most Outrageous Celebrity Feuds 07:50 Behind The Scenes 08:20 E! News 09:15 Holly’s World 10:15 THS 12:05 Extreme Close-Up 13:05 Khloe And Lamar 14:05 Keeping Up With The Kardashians 14:35 THS 16:25 Behind The Scenes 16:55 Kimora: Life In The Fab Lane 17:55 Holly’s World 18:55 THS 19:55 The Dance Scene 20:55 Kourtney And Kim Take New York 22:25 Style Star 23:25 Keeping Up With The Kardashians

00:15 Aiya TV 01:30 Eds Up 02:20 Fantasy Factory 04:25 Untracked 04:50 Lucas Oil Ama Motocross Championships...

05:40 Lucas Oil Ama Motocross...

06:30 FIA European Drag Racing 2008 08:00 Quattro Events 2009 08:25 LG Action Sports World...

10:55 Final Fu 11:45 Fantasy Factory 12:35 Gumball 3000: 2008 13:25 Mantracker 14:15 World Combat League 15:05 Final Fu 15:55 Fantasy Factory 16:45 Quattro Events 2009 17:10 LG Action Sports World...

19:40 Mantracker 20:30 Gumball 3000: 2008 21:20 The Millionaire’s Club 22:10 World Combat League 23:00 Aiya TV 23:25 Kick Ass Miracles 23:50 Gumball 3000: 2008

00:30 Nightmare Next Door 01:20 Deadly Women 02:10 I Almost Got Away With It 03:00 True Crime With Aphrodite Jones 03:50 The Will: Family Secrets Revealed 04:45 Black Museum 05:15 Murder Shift 06:10 Mystery ER 07:00 Murder Shift 07:50 Forensic Detectives 08:40 Street Patrol 09:05 Real Emergency Calls 09:30 Mystery Diagnosis 10:20 The Will: Family Secrets Revealed 11:10 FBI Files 12:00 On The Case With Paula Zahn 12:50 Disappeared 13:40 Mystery Diagnosis 14:30 Street Patrol 14:55 Real Emergency Calls 15:20 The Will: Family Secrets Revealed 16:10 FBI Files 17:00 Forensic Detectives 17:50 Murder Shift 18:40 Real Emergency Calls 19:05 Mystery Diagnosis 19:55 Street Patrol 20:20 On The Case With Paula Zahn 21:10 Disappeared 22:00 I Was Murdered v22:50Most Evil 23:40 Dr G: Medical Examiner

00:00 Killer Shots 01:00 World’s Deadliest Animals 01:55 Intimate Enemies 02:50 Monster Fish 03:45 Dangerous Encounters With Brady Barr 04:40 The Real Serengeti 06:30 Crocodile King 07:25 World’s Weirdest 08:20 Built For The Kill 09:15 Intimate Enemies 10:10 Monster Fish 11:05 Dangerous Encounters With

COURAGE UNDER FIRE ON OSN ACTION HD Brady Barr 12:00 I, Predator 13:00 Dragon Chronicles 14:00 World’s Weirdest 15:00 Built For The Kill 16:00 In The Womb 17:00 Monster Fish 18:00 Dangerous Encounters With Brady Barr 19:00 Dragon Chronicles 20:00 World’s Weirdest 21:00 Built For The Kill 22:00 In The Womb 23:00 Monster Fish

00:00 Killer Shots 01:00 World’s Deadliest Animals 01:55 Intimate Enemies 02:50 Monster Fish 03:45 Dangerous Encounters With Brady Barr 04:40 The Real Serengeti 06:30 Crocodile King 07:25 World’s Weirdest 08:20 Built For The Kill 09:15 Intimate Enemies 10:10 Monster Fish 11:05 Dangerous Encounters With Brady Barr 12:00 I, Predator 13:00 Dragon Chronicles 14:00 World’s Weirdest 15:00 Built For The Kill 16:00 In The Womb

00:15 02:15 04:30 06:30 08:30 PG15 10:15 12:15 14:00 PG15 16:00 18:00 20:00 22:00

Wild Things-18 XXX-PG15 Blindness-18 Courage Under Fire-PG15 Beyond A Reasonable DoubtObsessed-PG15 Bad Girls-PG15 Beyond A Reasonable DoubtGhost Town (TV Movie)-18 Bad Girls-PG15 Jennifer’s Body-18 Let Me In-R

00:00 Curb Your Enthusiasm 00:30 The Daily Show With Jon Stewart 01:00 The Colbert Report 01:30 The Ricky Gervais Show 02:00 Neighbors From Hell 02:30 Bored To Death 03:00 Malcolm In The Middle 03:30 Hope And Faith 04:00 Yes Dear 04:30 The Tonight Show With Jay Leno 05:30 Tyler Perry’s House Of Payne 06:00 According To Jim 06:30 Coach 07:00 Late Night With Jimmy Fallon 08:00 Yes Dear 08:30 Malcolm In The Middle 09:00 Tyler Perry’s House Of Payne 09:30 30 Rock 10:00 30 Rock 10:30 According To Jim 11:00 Coach 11:30 The Tonight Show With Jay Leno 12:30 Yes Dear 13:00 Hope And Faith 13:30 Tyler Perry’s House Of Payne 14:00 According To Jim 14:30 30 Rock 15:00 30 Rock 15:30 The Daily Show With Jon Stewart 16:00 The Colbert Report 16:30 Coach 17:00 Late Night With Jimmy Fallon 18:00 Malcolm In The Middle 18:30 Hope And Faith 19:00 Seinfeld 19:30 Traffic Light 20:00 The League 20:30 It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia 21:00 The Daily Show Global Edition 21:30 The Colbert Report Global Edition 22:00 Comedy Central Presents 22:30 Comedy Central Presents

01:00 Lock, Stock And Two Smoking Barrels-18 03:00 Midnight Meat Train-18 05:00 The Grudge 3-18 07:00 The Betrayed-PG15 09:00 The Day After Tomorrow-PG 11:15 Ransom-PG15 13:15 The Hunt For Red OctoberPG15 15:30 The Day After Tomorrow-PG 17:45 Alatriste-PG15 20:15 Bangkok Adrenaline-PG15 21:45 Killshot-18 23:30 Halloween 2-18

00:00 02:00 04:00 06:00 08:00 10:00 12:00 14:00 16:00 18:00 20:00 22:00

Jack-PG15 Patch Adams-PG15 The Longshots-PG15 Malibu’s Most Wanted-PG15 Born Yesterday-PG15 Head Of State-PG15 Houseguest-PG15 The Perfect Score-PG15 Jack-PG15 The Freshman-PG15 Napoleon Dynamite-PG Bulletproof-18

01:00 04:15 06:15 08:00 09:45 11:45 13:30 15:15 17:15 19:15 21:15 23:00

Titanic-PG15 My Sister’s Keeper-PG15 At Risk-PG15 I Spy-PG Glitter-PG Hachiko: A Dog’s Story-PG15 It’s A Wonderful Afterlife Swing Vote-PG15 Glitter-PG Precious-18 Napoleon Dynamite-PG The Final Destination-18

00:00 A Simple Wish-FAM 02:00 Shorts-PG 04:00 Dennis The Menace: Cruise Control-FAM 06:00 Ace Ventura : Pet Detective Jr.PG15 08:00 Dark Crystal-PG 10:00 A Simple Wish-FAM 12:00 102 Dalmatians-PG 14:00 The Country Bears-PG15 16:00 Leave It To Beaver-PG 18:00 102 Dalmatians-PG 20:00 Nativity!-PG 22:00 The Country Bears-PG15

00:00 Tetro-18 02:30 A Dance For Bethany-PG15 04:30 Winning Time-PG15 06:00 My Dog Tulip-PG15 08:00 StreetDance-PG15 10:00 Frequently Asked Questions About Time Travel-PG15 11:30 Percy Jackson And The Lightning Thief-PG15 13:30 The Missing Person-PG15 15:30 StreetDance-PG15 17:30 Another Year-PG15 20:00 The Time Traveller’s WifePG15 22:00 Piranha-R

01:00 03:00 05:00 07:00 10:30 11:00 11:30 12:00 12:30 16:00 19:00 20:00 21:00

Rugby Union International NRL Premiership Rugby Union International Live Snooker Futbol Mundial Mobil 1 The Grid ICC Cricket World World Hockey Live Snooker Masters Football AFL Highlights Trans World Sport Live Darts World matchplay

01:00 The Open Championship 09:00 Golfing World 10:00 Northen Rail Cup

12:00 13:00 21:00 23:00

Trans World Sport The Open Championship NRL Premiership Masters Football

01:00 02:00 03:00 04:00 05:00 06:00 07:00 08:00 10:30 11:00 12:00 14:00 16:30 18:30 19:30 20:00 21:00 22:00

Powerboats WWE Vintage Collection WWE Bottom Line WWE NXT UFC Unleashed UFC Unleashed WWE Bottom Line Super Formula V8 Supercars Extra WWE Vintage Collection Live NRL Premiership Super Formula WWE SmackDown WWE Vintage Collection V8 Supercars Extra Speedway UFC The Ultimate Fighter UFC Unleashed

02:00 03:40 05:15 07:00 08:50 10:15 11:50 13:35 15:25 17:20 18:45 20:25 22:00 23:15

Dead Of Winter The January Man-PG The Last Of The Finest Audrey Rose-PG Road Rage-PG Impasse-PG Dominick And Eugene-PG The Program-PG The Horse Soldiers-PG Sibling Rivalry-PG Salt And Pepper-PG Lawman-PG Just Another Story-PG Mgm’s Big Screen-FAM

00:00 Top 10 01:00 Fashion Avenue 01:55 Big Boutique 02:25 How Do I Look?

03:20 Whose Wedding Is It Anyway?

04:15 Married Away 05:10 Homes With Style 05:35 Area 06:05 Clean House 07:00 Big Boutique 08:00 Homes With Style 09:00 Fashion Avenue 09:55 How Do I Look?

10:50 Whose Wedding Is It Anyway?

11:50 Clean House: Search For The Messiest...

12:50 Clean House 13:45 Top 10 14:15 Mel B: It’s A Scary World 14:45 Jerseylicious 15:40 Ruby 16:35 Giuliana And Bill 17:30 How Do I Look?

18:25 Ruby 19:25 Big Boutique 19:50 Fashion Avenue 20:20 Clean House 21:15 Top 10 22:10 Ruby 23:05 Bridalplasty

00:00 01:00 02:00 03:00 04:00 05:00 06:00 07:00 08:00 09:00 10:00 11:00 12:00 13:00 14:00 15:00 16:00 17:00 18:00 19:00 20:00 21:00 21:55 23:00

The Universe Ax Men IRT: Deadliest Roads UFO Hunters Day After Roswell The Universe The Universe Ax Men IRT: Deadliest Roads UFO Hunters Day After Roswell The Universe The Universe Ax Men IRT: Deadliest Roads UFO Hunters Day After Roswell The Universe The Universe Ax Men IRT: Deadliest Roads IRT: Deadliest Roads Mega Movers Man Moment Machine

Classifieds MONDAY, JULY 18, 2011

ACCOMMODATION Big room available for family in Khaitan with bathroom in a villa. Only for Indian or Pakistani families.

Contact: 66757903/ 67732788/ 94974793.

(C 3530) Sharing accommodation available in Abbasiya near Highway Center 1st August onwards for bachelor or couple, rent bachelor KD 50, couple KD 80. Contact: 99645213. (C 3532) 18-7-2011 Sharing accommodation available for families/working ladies from August 1st onwards, in a new building flat with two rooms and two toilets, behind United Indian School, Abbassiya.

Contact: 66772421/66552412/ 65857668. (C 3523) Room available for decent couple or small Muslim family to share in two bedroom flat in Abbassiya behind Tel Exchange building. Contact: 66895049.

(C 3525) 16-7-2011

67058961. (c 3527) 17-7-2011 Pilate Power Gym’ for all over body strength and aerobic training + ‘ABS KING’for abdomen. Please do Google search for detail info. Both are KD 60.

Owner’s manual and CD are available. Contact: 99430379. (C 3526) 16-7-2011 I need Japanese car less than KD 700/-. Contact: 67607334. (C 3518) 13-7-2011

Proposal invited for Orthodox boy 29/188cm, BSc (N) working in M.O.H. Prefer nurses working in Kuwait. Contact: 66704615.

(C 3517) 16-7-2011

Corolla XLi 2002, silver color, KD 1,350/-. Contact: 55323839. (C 3514) 12-7-2011 MATRIMONIAL

Sharing accommodation available for family or decent Indian Hindu or Catholic bachelors with Mangalorean Catholic family in a window A/C, two bedroom off Rashid Hospital, Shara Amman, Salmiya. Contact: 55995437/ 99200186.

(C 3520)

MNC, from parents of professionally qualified boys (Engineers, CA, Doctor etc) preferably from Marthoma, CSI, Evangelical, with good family background.

Contact: Email: advnaithu@yahoo.com (C 3516)

Marthomite parents invite marriage proposals, for their daughter, fair 28/164 B.Com, MBA, working in

CHANGE OF NAME I, Sathian Payyappat Velayudhan, Passport No. Z1886330 hereby change the name of my son Abhishak Passport No. G1582875 to Abhishek Payyappat Sathian. (C 3531) 18-7-2011

SITUATION WANTED Wanted live-in maid, for an Indian family living in Riggae. Indian or Sri Lankan preferred. Contact: 50108324. (C 3528) 17-7-2011 Instrumentation and control Engineer with 1 year experience, Indian on commercial visiting visa, transferable, can join immediately. Contact: 96679478, Email: sanju_3n3@yahoo.com (C 3522) Iranian educated man, 7 years experience as Import and Export Manager, residency transferable.

Contact: 66346118.

(C 3524) 16-7-2011

No: 15153

Sharing accommodation, C-A/C, available in Jabriya area 10, near Jabriya Indian School for decent couple or working ladies. Please contact: 99300513. (C 3521) 13-7-2011

FOR SALE Mitsubishi Lancer Ex - 2009 - GLS - white color - 45000 km - Price KD 2,400/-.

Contact: 66729295.

(C 3529) 18-7-2011 1992 Ford Thunderbird for sale, price KD 250. Contact:

DIAL 161 FOR AIRPORT INFORMATION In case you are not travelling, your proper cancellation of bookings will help other passengers to use seats Airlines RJA JZR KAC THY ETH UAE DHX ETD MSR FDB GFA QTR KAC JZR FCX JZR KAC JZR BAW JZR KAC KAC FDB KAC KAC KAC KAC UAE QTR ABY ETD GFA SHY MEA JZR JZR IRC MSR RBG KAC KAC MSR SYR UAL RJA FDB OMA

Flt 642 205 1502 772 620 853 370 305 614 67 211 138 544 503 201 555 412 531 157 1541 206 302 53 352 284 344 362 855 132 125 301 213 1125 404 165 121 6521 623 3557 618 672 610 341 982 640 57 645

Arrival Flights on Monday 18/7/2011 Route AMMAN DAMASCUS BEIRUT ISTANBUL ADDIS ABABA DUBAI BAHRAIN ABU DHABI CAIRO DUBAI BAHRAIN DOHA CAIRO LUXOR DUBAI ALEXANDRIA MANILA / BANGKOK ASSIUT LONDON CAIRO ISLAMABAD MUMBAI DUBAI COCHIN DHAKA CHENNAI COLOMBO DUBAI DOHA SHARJAH ABU DHABI BAHRAIN ANTALYA BEIRUT DUBAI BAHRAIN LAMERD SOHAG ALEXANDRIA DOHA DUBAI CAIRO DAMASCUS WASHINGTON DC DULLES AMMAN DUBAI MUSCAT

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

QTR SVA KNE KAC JZR QTR KAC KAC JZR KAC MLR ETD UAE KAC GFA SVA JZR JZR ABY JZR FDB ALK KAC KAC KAC KAC KAC KAC KAC AIC JAI FDB OMA JZR VOS MEA DHX KLM UAE GFA QTR UAL JZR TAR JZR MSR DLH JZR PIA

140 500 745 788 257 134 546 550 535 118 403 303 857 154 215 510 777 239 127 213 63 227 104 542 786 744 614 674 774 575 572 61 647 179 81 402 372 445 859 217 136 981 135 327 185 612 636 539 239

DOHA JEDDAH JEDDAH JEDDAH BEIRUT DOHA ALEXANDRIA SOHAG CAIRO NEW YORK COLOMBO / DUBAI ABU DHABI DUBAI ISTANBUL BAHRAIN RIYADH JEDDAH AMMAN SHARJAH DEIREZZOR DUBAI COLOMBO / DUBAI LONDON CAIRO JEDDAH DAMMAM BAHRAIN DUBAI RIYADH CHENNAI / GOA MUMBAI DUBAI MUSCAT DUBAI BAGHDAD BEIRUT BAHRAIN AMSTERDAM DUBAI BAHRAIN DOHA BAHRAIN BAHRAIN TUNIS DUBAI CAIRO FRANKFURT CAIRO SIALKOT

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

Airlines JZR AXB DLH KLM AIC PIA AFG THY ETH UAE FDB DHX ETD MSR QTR JZR RJA GFA JZR BAW KAC FDB JZR KAC KAC JZR KAC KAC KAC UAE ABY QTR ETD GFA SHY KAC MEA JZR KAC JZR JZR IRC KAC MSR KAC RBG MSR SYR

Departure Flights on Monday 18/7/2011 Flt Route 1540 CAIRO 390 MANGALORE / KOZHIKODE 637 FRANKFURT 447 AMSTERDAM 982 AHMEDABAD / CHENNAI 206 PESHAWER / LAHORE 406 KABUL 773 ISTANBUL 620 BAHRAIN / ADDIS ABABA 854 DUBAI 68 DUBAI 371 BAHRAIN 306 ABU DHABI 615 CAIRO 139 DOHA 164 DUBAI 643 AMMAN 212 BAHRAIN 120 BAHRAIN 156 LONDON 545 ALEXANDRIA 54 DUBAI 534 CAIRO 153 ISTANBUL 671 DUBAI 256 BEIRUT 787 JEDDAH 549 SOHAG 617 DOHA 856 DUBAI 126 SHARJAH 133 DOHA 302 ABU DHABI 214 BAHRAIN 1126 ANTALYA 165 ROME / PARIS 405 BEIRUT 776 JEDDAH 541 CAIRO 212 DEIREZZOR 238 AMMAN 6522 LAMERD 103 LONDON 624 SOHAG 785 JEDDAH 3558 SOHAG / ALEXANDRIA 611 CAIRO 342 DAMASCUS

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

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

RJA FDB UAL OMA KAC KNE SVA JZR KAC QTR KAC KAC JZR ETD MLR QTR UAE GFA ABY JZR JZR SVA FDB ALK JZR KAC JAI FDB JZR JZR KAC KAC OMA MEA GBB KAC DHX KLM UAE GFA FCX QTR KAC KAC TAR JZR JZR UAL KAC MSR

641 58 982 646 673 746 501 178 773 141 613 743 538 304 404 135 858 216 128 184 266 511 64 228 134 283 571 62 528 268 331 351 648 403 83 543 373 445 860 218 102 137 301 205 327 554 504 981 411 613

AMMAN DUBAI BAHRAIN MUSCAT DUBAI JEDDAH JEDDAH DUBAI RIYADH DOHA BAHRAIN DAMMAM CAIRO ABU DHABI DUBAI / COLOMBO DOHA DUBAI BAHRAIN SHARJAH DUBAI BEIRUT RIYADH DUBAI DUBAI / COLOMBO BAHRAIN DHAKA MUMBAI DUBAI ASSIUT BEIRUT TRIVANDRUM COCHIN MUSCAT BEIRUT DJIBOUTI CAIRO BAHRAIN BAHRAIN / AMSTERDAM DUBAI BAHRAIN BAHRAIN DOHA MUMBAI ISLAMABAD DUBAI / TUNIS ALEXANDRIA LUXOR WASHINGTON DC DULLES BANGKOK / MANILA CAIRO

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

34

MONDAY, JULY 18, 2011

s ta rs CROSSWORD 382

STAR TRACK

CALVIN & HOBBES

Aries (March 21-April 19) This could be the makings for a bright and witty day. You are full of sharp insights. This could be a time for real breakthroughs in the idea department. You are in top form when it comes to mental activity. You are always thinking and caring for people and things. You are naturally service-oriented and will handle family business or personal formalities successfully. You are very discriminating and can sort out the good choices from the bad. You may be called upon to solve a few problems today. While this is all very ego uplifting, a young person may need to be given this responsibility as well.

You are skilled at using your mind in an analytical manner—always discriminating. Your communication skills are at a high-water mark just now.

Taurus (April 20-May 20) A drive to probe and penetrate may find you examining and working through some strong internal changes. Push too hard and you could be too dominating, even oppressive, to yourself and others. There could be an air of non-cooperation. A variety of subjects interest you and it may take a little while today before you settle down and focus on one thing. If you live by yourself, you will find that a library or bookstore may have just the information you need that will be a helpful source for your project. If you are not stopping by the hardware store on the way home, you are visiting with a neighbor or friend. A mate or loved one wants to cook dinner tonight and you are happy to help.

POOCH CAFE ACROSS 1. One of the two main branches of orthodox Islam.

5. The cardinal number that is the sum of seven and one.

10. Standard time in the 6th time zone west of Greenwich, reckoned at the 90th meridian.

13. The part of an organism that connects the head to the rest of the body.

14. Sluggish tailless Australian arboreal marsupial with gray furry ears and coat.

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

16. A university town in east central Illinois adjoining Champaign.

18. Resembling a berry.

20. A city in western India just off the coast of the Arabian Sea. 21. Of or relating to or containing cerium especially with valence 4.

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

24. (astronomy) The angular distance of a celestial point measured westward along the celestial equator from the zenith crossing.

25. Large brownish-green New Zealand parrot.

26. The basic unit of money in Romania.

32. The 11th letter of the Greek alphabet.

38. (Scotland) A slope or hillside.

39. North American republic containing 50 states - 48 conterminous states in North America plus Alaska in northwest North America and the Hawaiian Islands in the Pacific Ocean.

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

43. Bristlelike process near the tip of the antenna of certain flies.

44. Any of several tall tropical palms native to southeastern Asia having egg-shaped nuts.

47. Any of various lithe-bodied round-headed fissiped mammals many with retractile claws.

48. A waiter at a drive-in restaurant.

50. A drug (trade names Atarax and Vistaril) used as a tranquilizer to treat anxiety and motion sickness.

54. An inflated feeling of pride in your superiority to others.

55. An imaginary elephant that appears in a series of French books for children.

58. A British peer ranking below a Marquess and above a Viscount.

59. Having any of numerous bright or strong colors reminiscent of the color of blood or cherries or tomatoes or rubies.

60. Apathy and inactivity in the practice of virtue (personified as one of the deadly sins).

62. United States architect (born in China in 1917).

63. Any of numerous hairy-bodied insects including social and solitary species.

64. French novelist.

65. Of or relating to or characteristic of Thailand of its people.

DOWN 1. Unusually short.

2. A man distinguished by exceptional courage and nobility and strength.

3. A ballistic missile that is capable of traveling from one continent to another.

4. Jordan's port.

5. (informal) Being satisfactory or in satisfactory condition.

6. A heavy odorless colorless gas formed during respiration and by the decomposition of organic substances.

7. A sock with a separation for the big toe.

8. A flat wing-shaped process or winglike part of an organism.

9. The capital and largest city of Bangladesh.

10. United States explorer who (with Meriwether Lewis) led an expedition from St. Louis to the mouth of the Columbia River.

11. French composer noted for his experimentalism and rejection of romanticism (1866-1925).

12. A case or sheath especially a pollen sac or moss capsule.

17. Tag the base runner to get him out.

19. A ductile gray metallic element of the lanthanide series.

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

27. The sense organ for hearing and equilibrium.

28. A benevolent aspect of Devi.

29. A small cake leavened with yeast.

30. Title for a civil or military leader (especially in Turkey).

31. Gull family.

33. An area of sand sloping down to the water of a sea or lake.

34. Any admirable quality or attribute.

35. A female person who has the same parents as another person.

36. A legal document codifying the result of deliberations of a committee or society or legislative body.

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

40. An infective disease caused by sporozoan parasites that are transmitted through the bite of an infected Anopheles mosquito.

41. The capital and largest city of Bangladesh.

42. African tree having an exceedingly thick trunk and fruit that resembles a gourd and has an edible pulp called monkey bread.

45. East Indian cereal grass whose seed yield a somewhat bitter flour, a staple in the Orient.

46. Become ground down or deteriorate.

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

49. Large burrowing rodent of South and Central America.

51. Deeply moved.

52. A particular geographical region of indefinite boundary (usually serving some special purpose or distinguished by its people or culture or geography).

53. Being two more than forty.

56. A logarithmic unit of sound intensity equal to 10 decibels.

57. An edge tool used to cut and shape wood.

61. A radioactive element of the actinide series.

Yesterday’s Solution

Gemini (May 21-June 20) An important relationship, perhaps a young person or someone in your near environment, may come into focus today.

There could be an emotional overtone to all of this that may require understanding and flexibility on your part. Obtaining his or her attention will depend on timing. Just knowing a little about what another person likes to do is a conversation starter. Perhaps the study of animals, plants or sports will be a place to start when it comes to activity choices. This could mean a pet store, a botanical garden or a sports game. Enjoy the day and expect nothing from your efforts . . . you will be pleased with the results. You are, no doubt, a romantic, at home in the world of dreams and images. Creative endeavors can be quite rewarding this evening.

Cancer (June 21-July 22)

NON SEQUITUR

You may find yourself feeling more private and in a stay-athome mood today. You may find that several members of your family have requested a family gathering and this may be the answer as to how your day will be going. This may be a good time to enjoy loved ones and family by doing fun things. Consider doing the things that include all members over the weekend and do special little things in one-on-one gatherings during the week.

Of course, we all know flexibility is a good thing. It is easy for you to organize your thoughts as well as people; you enjoy communicating and sharing your day.

You might take a sketchbook or notebook along with you and take notes on your new book, article, short story or poem.

Leo (July 23-August 22) You are very gifted, having great magnetism and warmth and also a keen and powerful mind. You can do anything you want to do in this life, if you can manage to get moving in one direction and keep at it. Perhaps you are finally enjoying an unusually easygoing morning. It is not likely that you will lose yourself in a great book or movie. This is a time of rest and relaxation. This afternoon you could be encouraged to be out with your friends or loved ones. Garage sales, country fruit stands, a walk or skate in the park could complete a well needed, away from the stress type of day. You could be invited to a social function this evening. You can relate to almost all types of people with equal ease and opportunities to network will be obvious this day.

ZITS

Virgo (August 23-September 22) Let yourself dream today. These days do not come too often—do not ignore this opportunity to let your imagination loose. Perhaps a good book or movie will take on that more-than-real dimension.

Consider the stars. You are expert at working with words that communicate mystical and mythological ideas. You are at home in these realms and can always manage to bring otherworldly ideas into the practical realms. You would make an excellent teacher of philosophy or religion—you cannot help but communicate these subjects and enchant all who come to know you. You understand the unity behind appearances, along with the ability to put these thoughts into words, and these are rare and valuable gifts. You like working with mental images.

Libra (September 23-October 22)

MOTHER GOOSE AND GRIMM

Making spirit matter and making the ideal real by bringing it down to earth is the mood today; incorporate your ideas.

Perhaps there is a fear of losing oneself in the beginning, but in the long run, there is a love of the sea, space and merging into one. You could be a visionary, with unusual and direct insight into everything mystical, the dreams and ideals we all have. You are at your most creative when you are using your imagination, pursuing your dreams and creating images. Your creative mind is in gear now and you could invent or create a design, art work or just enjoy the pastime of it all.

Your ideal dream is a private one, and heaven is as close as work and family. Luck is in your corner this afternoon and a social gathering is most beneficial.

Scorpio (October 23-November 21) You will do well in activities that include children, young people and your home and surroundings. On a somewhat broader scale, you are likely to find houses and other real property take on a greater significance for you. You could feel real support at this time for circumstances and those around you. You find new ways to serve others and you have brilliant insights into diet, health, ecology and conservation, etc. You are very independent when it comes to your own security and family. That could mean an unconventional-style home or furnishings; or a different approach to sentiment, nostalgia and history. Nurturing—making things grow and taking care of them—will plant seeds that develop and survive far into the future.

Sagittarius (November 22-December 21) You have a vision that cuts through what passes for conventional religion. This comes as an understanding of the endless process of life ever being born afresh. You have a great acceptance and faith in the natural process and next generation universal. You enjoy life and all those around you enjoy being with you. This afternoon turns into a festival type of occasion as you join in some fun activity with family members—perhaps a carnival is in town. Spirit and body and mind all come together to celebrate and enjoy the company of others.

Fresh viewpoints of others are discovered and discussed today. Memories to treasure are mounting up today. Hopefully, you have a camera at the ready—later today’s events can be added to your memory book.

Capricorn (December 22-January 19)

To

You have a natural sense for communicating with others, especially those younger than yourself. Clear thoughts about the past may also be flowing in today. This is a great time to be with others. You may be sought after as just the person for a particular project. You may even take over someone else’s chores while they are absent today. You are able to express good practical thoughts and ideas that are beneficial to a team or group enhancement. You find that you are more than able to hold a high position and you feel good! Your activities today may shed a new light on career decisions. You will make your way through ideas, concepts and your ability to communicate and express them to others. Enjoy some quiet meditation time this evening.

Yesterday’s Solution Yester

Aquarius (January 20- February 18) There is a danger of foggy thinking just now. You could find yourself being misled or getting too carried away with some plan or idea. You have a fantastic appetite for unusual projects and skills of others and can ask all the right questions that will help you to learn and take on those skills for yourself. You may try your hand at a special talent and be very pleased with the outcome. This afternoon may bring opportunities to express your witty and eccentric side. This is a great time to be with others and to learn.

You could find that you are appreciated and valued for your feelings or your ability to see things through all the way to the end. A social get-together this evening shows you as the life of the party. You are spontaneous.

Pisces (February 19-March 20)

Word Sleuth Solution

You have an almost reckless faith in the life process. You sense a change and you are a natural revolutionary and supporter of change. Fervent feelings for others and deep running emotions are present in all of your relationships. You impress a loved one by remembering a name— very important. You have a love of animals, children and change. Everything points to you today . . . you are most elegant—particularly in social situations.

Conversations along the line of psychic visions and spiritual ideas seem to dominate conversations. Obtaining and exchanging information today helps you to broaden your scope of knowledge and assets. Being more involved with neighbors or sibling(s) satisfies a deep emotional need. Harmony is satisfying.

A

y

e niv rsar n

Years

MONDAY, JULY 18, 2011

i n f o r m at i o n

FIRE BRIGADE

112

Al-Madena

22418714

Al-Shohada’a

22545171

Al-Shuwaikh

24810598

Al-Nuzha

22545171

Sabhan

24742838

Al-Helaly

22434853

Al-Fayhaa

22545051

Al-Farwaniya

24711433

Al-Sulaibikhat

24316983

Al-Fahaheel

23927002

Jleeb Al-Shuyoukh

24316983

Ahmadi

23980088

Al-Mangaf

23711183

Al-Shuaiba

23262845

24812000

Al-Jahra

25610011

Amiri Hospital

22450005

Al-Salmiya

25616368

Maternity Hospital

24843100

Mubarak Al-Kabir Hospital

25312700

Chest Hospital

24849400

Farwaniya Hospital

24892010

Adan Hospital

23940620

Ibn Sina Hospital

24840300

Al-Razi Hospital

24846000

Physiotherapy Hospital

24874330/9

Ministry of Interior website: www.moi.gov.kw For labor-related inquiries and complaints: Call MSAL hotline 128

Hospitals Sabah Hospital

POLICE STATION Al-Madena Police Station Al-Murqab Police Station Al-Daiya Police Station Al-Fayha’a Police Station Al-Qadissiya Police Station Al-Nugra Police Station Al-Salmiya Police Station Al-Dasma Police Station

Clinics Rabiya

4732263

Roudha

22517733

Adhaliya

22517144

Khaldiya

24848075

Keifan

24849807

Shamiya

24848913

Shuwaikh

24814507

Abdullah Salim

22549134

Al-Nuzha

22526804

Industrial Shuwaikh

24814764

Al-Khadissiya

22515088

Dasmah

22532265

Bneid Al-Ghar

22531908

Al-Shaab

22518752

Al-Kibla

22459381

Ayoun Al-Kibla

22451082

Al-Mirqab

22456536

Sharq

22465401

Salmiya

25746401

Jabriya

25316254

Maidan Hawally

25623444

Bayan

25388462

Mishref

25381200

W.Hawally

22630786

Sabah

24810221

Jahra

24770319

New Jahra

24575755

West Jahra

24772608

South Jahra

24775066

North Jahra

24775992

North Jleeb

24311795

Al-Ardhiya

24884079

Firdous

24892674

Al-Omariya

24719048

N.Kheitan

24710044

Fintas

3900322

22434064 22435865 22544200 22547133 22515277 22616662 25714406 22530801

THE PUBLIC AUTHORITY FOR CIVIL INFORMATION Automated enquiry about the Civil ID card is 1889988

PHARMACIES

AIRLINES

ON 24 HRS DUTY GOVERNORATE

PHARMACY

ADDRESS

PHONE

Ahmadi

Sama Safwan Abu Halaifa Danat Al-Sultan

Fahaeel Makka St Abu Halaifa-Coastal Rd Mahboula Block 1, Coastal Rd

23915883 23715414 23726558

Jahra

Modern Jahra Madina Munawara

Jahra-Block 3 Lot 1 Jahra-Block 92

24575518 24566622

Capital

Ahlam Khaldiya Coop

Fahad Al-Salem St Khaldiya Coop

22436184 24833967

Farwaniya

New Shifa Ferdous Coop Modern Safwan

Farwaniya Block 40 Ferdous Coop Old Kheitan Block 11

24734000 24881201 24726638

Hawally

Tariq Hana Ikhlas Hawally & Rawdha Ghadeer Kindy Ibn Al-Nafis Mishrif Coop Salwa Coop

Salmiya-Hamad Mubarak St Salmiya-Amman St Hawally-Beirut St Hawally & Rawdha Coop Jabriya-Block 1A Jabriya-Block 3B Salmiya-Hamad Mubarak St Mishrif Coop Salwa Coop

25726265 25647075 22625999 22564549 25340559 25326554 25721264 25380581 25628241

Kuwait Airways Jazeera Airways Jet Airways FlyDubai Qatar Airways KLM Air Slovakia Olympic Airways Royal Jordanian Reservation British Airways Air France Emirates Air India Sri Lanka Airlines Egypt Air Swiss Air Saudia Middle East Airlines Lufthansa PIA Alitalia Balkan Airlines Bangladesh Airlines Czech Airlines Indian Airlines Oman Air Turkish Airlines Aeroflot

22433377 177 22924455 22414400 22423888 22425747 22434940 22420002/9 22418064/5/6 22433388 22425635 22430224 22425566 22438184 22424444 22421578 22421516 22426306 22423073 22422493 22421044 22414427 22416474 22452977/8 22417901/ 2433141 22456700 22958787 22453820/1 22404838/9

PRIVATE CLINICS Ophthalmologists Dr. Abidallah Al-Mansoor 25622444 Dr. Samy Al-Rabeea 25752222 Dr. Masoma Habeeb 25321171 Dr. Mubarak Al-Ajmy 25739999 Dr. Mohsen Abel 25757700 Dr Adnan Hasan Alwayl 25732223 Dr. Abdallah Al-Baghly 25732223 Ear, Nose & Throat (ENT) Dr. Ahmed Fouad Mouner 24555050 Ext 510 Dr. Abdallah Al-Ali 25644660 Dr. Abd Al-Hameed Al-Taweel 25646478 Dr. Sanad Al-Fathalah 25311996 Dr. Mohammad Al-Daaory 25731988 Dr. Ismail Al-Fodary 22620166 Dr. Mahmoud Al-Booz 25651426 General Practitioners Dr. Mohamme Y Majidi 24555050 Ext 123 Dr. Yousef Al-Omar 24719312 Dr. Tarek Al-Mikhazeem 23926920 Dr. Kathem Maarafi 25730465 Dr. Abdallah Ahmad Eyadah 25655528 Dr. Nabeel Al-Ayoobi 24577781 Dr. Dina Abidallah Al-Refae 25333501 Urologists Dr. Ali Naser Al-Serfy 22641534 Dr. Fawzi Taher Abul 22639955 Dr. Khaleel Abidallah Al-Awadi 22616660 Dr. Adel Al-Hunayan FRCS (C) 25313120 Dr. Leons Joseph 66703427 Psychologists /Psychotherapists

Paediatricians

Plastic Surgeons Dr. Mohammad Al-Khalaf

22547272

Dr. Abd Al-Aziz Al-Rashed

Dr. Abdal-Redha Lari

22617700

Dr. Zahra Qabazard

Dr. Abdel Quttainah

25625030/60

Family Doctor Dr Divya Damodar

23729596/23729581

Psychiatrists Dr. Esam Al-Ansari

22635047

Dr Eisa M. Al-Balhan

INTERNATIONAL CALLS

22613623/0

Gynaecologists & Obstetricians DrAdrian arbe

23729596/23729581

Dr. Verginia s.Marin

2572-6666 ext 8321

Endocrinologist 25340300

25710444

Dr. Sohail Qamar

22621099

Dr. Snaa Maaroof

25713514

Dr. Pradip Gujare

23713100

Dr. Zacharias Mathew

24334282

(1) Ear, Nose and Throat (2) Plastic Surgeon Dr. Abdul Mohsin Jafar, FRCS (Canada)

Dr Anil Thomas

3729596/3729581 22641071/2

22655539

Dr. Majeda Khalefa Aliytami

25343406

Dr. Anesah Al-Rasheed

22562226

Dr. Ahmad Al-Khooly

25739272

Dr. Abidallah Al-Amer

22561444

Dr. Salem soso

22618787

Dr. Faysal Al-Fozan

22619557

Dr. Abdallateef Al-Katrash

22525888

Dr. Amer Zawaz Al-Amer

22610044

Dr. Abidallah Al-Duweisan

25653755

Dr. Mohammad Yousef Basher

25327148

Dr. Bader Al-Ansari

25620111

Neurologists

Dr. Adnan Ebil

22639939

Dr. Sohal Najem Al-Shemeri

25633324

Dr. Mousa Khadada

22666300

Dr. Jasem Mola Hassan

25345875

Gastrologists

25728004

Dr. Nadem Al-Ghabra

25355515

Dr. Sami Aman

22636464

Dr. Mobarak Aldoub

24726446

Dr. Mohammad Al-Shamaly

25322030

Dr Nasser Behbehani

25654300/3

Dr. Foad Abidallah Al-Ali

22633135

Soor Center Tel: 2290-1677 Fax: 2290 1688

info@soorcenter.com www.soorcenter.com

Dr. Kamal Al-Shomr 25329924 Physiotherapists & VD Dr. Deyaa Shehab

25722291 22666288

Rheumatologists:

Dr. Fozeya Ali Al-Qatan

Dr. Latefa Al-Duweisan

Dr. Ahmad Al-Ansari 25658888

Dr. Musaed Faraj Khamees

Dentists

Internists, Chest & Heart

25339330

25655535

Dr. Shamah Al-Matar

General Surgeons

Dr. Abd Al-Naser Al-Othman

Dr. Naif Al-Mutawa, Ph.D. 2290-1677 Susannah-Joy Schuilenberg, M.A. 2290-1677

Dr. Adel Al-Awadi

25330060

Dr. Khaled Al-Jarallah

25722290

Internist, Chest & Heart DR.Mohammes Akkad

24555050 Ext 210

Dr. Mohammad Zubaid MB, ChB, FRCPC, PACC Assistant Professor Of Medicine Head, Division of Cardiology Mubarak Al-Kabeer Hospital Consultant Cardiologist Dr. Farida Al-Habib MD, PH.D, FACC Inaya German Medical Center Te: 2575077 Fax: 25723123

2611555-2622555

William Schuilenberg, RPC 2290-1677 Zaina Al Zabin, M.Sc. 2290-1677

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0093 00355 00213 00376 00244 001264 001268 0054 00374 0061 0043 001242 00973 00880 001246 00375 0032 00501 00229 001441 00975 00591 00387 00267 0055 00673 00359 00226 00257 00855 00237 001 00238 001345

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00236 00235 0056 0086 0057 00269 00242 00682 00506 00385 0053 00357 0090392 00420 0045 00246 00253 001767 001809 00593 0020 00503 0044 00240 00291 00372 00251 00500 00298 00679 00358 0033 00594 00689

y

A

36

e niv rsar n

Years

MONDAY, JULY 18, 2011

li fe s ty le G O S S I P

Daisy Lowe

set to reveal all he 22-year-old model - who has previously posed for fashion publications Vogue and W - will strip off in an eightpage spread in the September edition of the iconic men’s magazine Playboy, which is set to be released on August 12. Daisy - who is currently dating ‘Doctor Who’ actor Matt Smith will travel to editor Hugh Hefner’s famous

T

S r o w l y if a

sells her mansion for $1.45m

he 21-year-old singer bought the four-bedroom property in native Tennessee for $1.4 million last September and has now put it back on the market for $50,000 more than she paid. The house - which also comes with five bathrooms - is on a sprawling estate and features several gardens, a water fountain and an outdoor fireplace. Inside, the property - which was built in 1929 - boasts original hardwood floors, custom woodwork and several magnificently ornate hand-crafted plaster ceilings, while the huge kitchen looks out of the pasture at the back of the house. The country star also owns her parents’ three-bedroom home in the same area, has a huge penthouse in central Nashville as well as a stunning $3.35 million home in Beverly Hills.

Sources say Taylor splashed out on the Los Angeles property to save on accommodation costs whenever she visits the city. One said: “Taylor just bought a beautiful home for herself in LA. She is in LA so much - and she was paying a fortune in hotel charges!”

T

Emma Watson

parents told him not to marry Katie

T

T

he singer has revealed his mum and dad Thea and Sawas Andre warned him not to tie the knot with the busty beauty - who he separated from in May 2009 after three-and-a-half years of marriage but he didn’t take any notice of their warning. When asked what has been the best piece of advice he has ever received, Peter said: “Don’t get married. It’s the truth isn’t it? They told me that before I got married, they tell me that now. It’s the best bit of advice, I guess?”

Although he didn’t accept his parents’ advice, the 38-year-old star who is appearing in new TV show ‘Peter Andre: Here 2 Help’, in which he answers requests from the British public to change things they are unhappy with in their lives - has been sharing his own wisdom with his and Katie’s two kids, Junior, six, and four-year-old Princess Tiaamii.

He added: “(I’ve told them) to love their mother and father, that’s the best advice I could ever give them.” Although Peter is confident about his parental skills, he admits he isn’t much of dating guru. The ‘Behind Closed Doors’ singer - who is currently single after splitting from Spanish model Elen Rivas - said: “I’m not very good at giving dating advice, hello I’m single, I just kind of find out what they (the girls) like. For example if someone comes up and says to me, ‘I really like a guy, do I dress up over the top and make a really big effort.’ And as a guy I personally wouldn’t like that, I’d prefer it if a girl was in her trackies (tracksuit bottoms). I’m not great at giving dating advice, I just know what I like.”

Kelly Osbourne stops two boys from stealing a car he TV star was in London when she came across the hoodlums trying to break into a parked vehicle, but after startling them in the act they ran off. She revealed on his twitter account: “Just stopped 2 boys robbing a car all I said was ‘oi’ and they ran like the wind. I did not

T

realize I was that scary!” Amazingly, Kelly’s crimefighting wasn’t finished for the evening as she later stumbled across two more boys trying to push an electric G-Wiz car on its side. She added in other tweets: “What is going on tonight just stopped 2 boys with lacrosse sticks trying to

push Gee-Wizz car on it’s side what’s wrong with London police? “I’m in one of the poshest parts of London and it’s like crime watch! (sic)” The 26year-old blonde was more enraged with the lacrosse stick-wielding vandals than the foiled thieves.

he Australian model - who is married to actor Orlando Bloom - gave birth to Flynn Christopher Blanchard Copeland Bloom in January and the tot’s first middle name is in honor of Christopher Middlebrook, who died in a car accident when he was a teenager. Miranda explained: “Chris and I had been dating for two years. After he died, I wrote him a letter that said I hoped to name my first child after him in some way. I told Orlando and he was the one who said he’d be happy to do that. Orlando’s a good guy.” Miranda - who doesn’t have a nanny takes Flynn to work with her and is so reluctant to be separated from her son, he sleeps in bed with her and Orlando. She told Australia’s Daily Telegraph newspaper: “We spent every minute together, morning and night, for those weeks before I went back to work. He sleeps in our bed every night. I never want to let him go. “I’ve found a new sense of strength and stamina, so somehow it all comes together. I was always into my sleep, but it’s so different now I’m a mother. I don’t sleep much. But when he gives me that smile, my heart just melts.”

T

names son after ex-boyfriend

Peter Andre’s

Miranda Kerr

wants to be a ‘warrior princess’

he 21-year-old actress - who plays Hermione Granger in the ‘Harry Potter’ films - wants there to be more strong role models for young girls, rather than them just being taught to be pretty and polite. She said: “I feel like young girls are told they have to be this kind of princess and be all this sweet stuff. “It’s all bull***t. I identify with more of being a warrior princess, so if I had to be a princess, I’d have to kick some a** first. That would have a lot of people terrified.”

Emma admits her attitude has developed through playing the strong character of Hermione over 10 years and eight films, and both of them have grown together. Speaking at the New York press conference for ‘Harry Potter and he Deathly Hallows: Part 2’, Emma added: “I’m terrified of getting into trouble. I’m very heady in the same way that she is, kind of constantly thinking three or four moves ahead. “I try to intellectualize a lot, which she does well. She’s very determined. I am as well. I feel so much of me went into her and so much of her went into me that I can’t really differentiate too much anymore.” Emma also clarified that she has not quit Brown University in Rhode Island, America, to study at Oxford University in England, but is continuing her studies there for a year before returning to the US for her final year. She added: “I mean, it’s obviously scary, change is always scary. But I feel very excited and I feel like I’m entering a new chapter and getting a fresh start. I’m going back to school in the autumn. I’ve got two years left in university.” — Bangshowbiz

“sensuous” is a “big part” of her identity, and she believes it is empowering for women to be in control. She said: “I suppose I’ve been very in touch with the thing since I was 15. “I guess it’s a big part of my identity, something that I have learnt to switch into. It’s because I’m a girl’s girl. I’m not the bitchy girl who’s trying to make your boyfriend fancy me.”

t

T

Playboy Mansion for the photo shoot. The beautiful brunette - who is the daughter of musician-turned-designer Pearl Lowe and Bush rocker Gavin Rossdale - previously posed topless for the 2010 Pirelli Calendar and admitted she found the shoot liberating. She said: “It was quite freeing, being able to be naked for a week.” Daisy has previously explained being

MONDAY, JULY 18, 2011

lifestyle Features e Elizabeth Taylor’s lov m llia Wi to s ter let Pawley, 90, now of Pembroke Pines, Florida, were on disb play at Joe’s Stone Cra on Miami Beach. — MCT photos

I

n 1949, a radiant 17-year-old Elizabeth Taylor and her mother vacationed in Miami Beach as guests of millionaire William Pawley Sr, an influential US ambassador to Brazil and aviation entrepreneur.

During her stay at Pawley’s waterfront mansion on Sunset Island II, the starlet spent time around the pool with Pawley’s 28-year-old son, also named William, and fell head over heels. “My first mature love,” she described their relationship in one of the more than 60 letters she wrote Pawley once she flew back home to Hollywood.

Now, more than three weeks after Taylor’s death at 79, the never-before seen love letters are up for auction.

They offer a glimpse of a girlish Taylor awash in romantic illusions, with her

fame, scandals and epic loves (Richard Burton, Eddie Fisher, Mike Todd) still in her future. Pawley, 90, of Pembroke Pines, Fla., kept Taylor’s letters. They will be sold online by RR Auction May 12-19. Before Taylor’s death, they were valued between $25,000 and $30,000, said Bobby Livingston, the company’s vice president of sales and marketing.

On Tuesday, they were on display at the Miami Beach mansion where the lovebirds began their courtship and a photograph shows them tanning by the pool. The property, which no longer belongs to the Pawleys, is for sale for about $13.9 million by The Jills of Coldwell Banker. Private collectors were also given a viewing of the letters at Joe’s Stone Crab. They were allowed to touch and read the letters

Taylor wrote 62 years ago. Pawley attended the event, telling people: “I never got over Elizabeth.”

The bundle of letters are written on pink, blue and ivory paper - some on Taylor’s MGM studio stationery, or on her private stationery, which has Elizabeth embossed on top. “They are a fantastic find and capture a complete period of time, a relationship, a slice of Taylor’s life,” Livingston said.

“For someone who led such a public life, they are rare.” The letters chronicle the couple’s long-distance romance, which stretched from March to November 1949 and included the announcement of their engagement.

Pawley is credited with giving Taylor the first white diamond engagement ring.

The teenage Taylor showed a flair for the romantic, declaring her undying love. “I just want to be your wife for the rest of my life.” She talks of giving up her movie career for Pawley.

She vows to make him happy on their wedding night. Their relationship was not consummated, Pawley said. The first letter arrived in an envelope postmarked March 22, 1949, on Delta Airlines stationery, written as Taylor flew out of Miami, separating from Pawley for the first time after meeting.

“My Darling Bill,” it begins.

She signed the letters: “I love you, I love you, I love you;” or “Your wife-tobe.” “You silly Little Billy,” she reprimanded Pawley when he grew jealous. “I trust you completely; why don’t you me?” By October 1949, Taylor’s

Potter fans reflect on growing up with Harry I

to imagine there was a whole different world ... It was pretty easy to read, lots of action.”

Carroll, who is now 18 and 6 feet 4, will be attending college in Salt Lake City starting next month. Holly B Gonzalez, who was 12 when the series began, helped critique the first Potter film for The Courant and says she’s not as obsessed with the books as she used to be, but her interest is still strong. For a college party, she dyed her hair red to be Ginny Weasley, while her boyfriend dressed up as Harry Potter. Now 22 and working for a bank, she hopes to eventually get into publishing.

“I want to make things like (the Potter series) for other kids,” she says.

Potter devotees talk about common elements in their childhood: attending midnight book store parties in character costume; the sweet-but-torturous waiting for the next installment; the bittersweet feeling on reaching the final page; reading and rereading to try to discern and predict future plot turns; arguing over the finer plot points and details with the intensity of scholars.

Sally Reis, a professor of educational psychology at UConn, says the books had a particularly deep impact on kids who grew up with Harry, partly because the readers were transitioning through life’s stages with him. “I think many of those young people who were so touched by his life, they were seeking something themselves, seeking a way to do similar things,” Reis says.

Kids bring their own interests to what they read, she says, and in many cases they may feel as Harry did going through adolescence: “a little bit different, a little unique, very bright, maybe without a lot of peers ... Many identify with Harry on a very personal level. They saw in him a hero, a person who triumphed over evil, who gains friends of and people who love him through his le up co a t sp en nn ec ti cu t, w ho rd Courant at the valor and his self-journey.” rm in gt on , Co fo rt Fa Ha of e l Th ol r rr fo Ca d Teikyo Mowchan, 19, who will be a Br et t ration’s d pose Harry Potter an oks “were definitely our gene sophomore at Wheaton College in Halloweens as bo e th ys sa e, um Norton, Mass., this fall, says the book age of 9 in cost series is not as huge a part of his life series.” — MCT Conn., who spent a couple of now as it was a decade ago, though it Halloweens as Harry Potter and posed one who hasn’t read the did inspire him to want to be a writer. for The Courant at the age of 9 in cosbooks. You don’t have to love them, but He was living in Newington, Conn., you have to read them to understand so tume, says the books “were definitely when he critiqued the first Potter film our generation’s series.” “I still think they much about my childhood.’” In the comfor The Courant. (He said that movie are interesting books,” says Carroll. “I still ing decades, Harry Potter will no doubt skipped a bit too abruptly from scene to like the story-line ... It’s just kind of cool find a place in the hearts of many chilscene.) — MCT n 1999, Helena Morris was an articulate 9-year-old from Simsbury, Conn., with firm opinions. In an interview with The Hartford Courant that year, she described “Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone,” the first in the J.K. Rowling series, as “the best book in the world, maybe in the universe.” Twelve years later, as the final Potter movie “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2” - which opened Thursday, her feelings haven’t wavered much.

“I still love the books very, very much,” says the 22-year-old, who’s ever more aware of what a huge part they played in her childhood. “I used to pray every night that JK Rowling would live to finish the series,” says Morris, who will soon be a senior at St Olaf’s College in Northfield, Minn. “I’d say, ‘Dear God, and let her live beyond that, but especially until she finishes her books.’” Lately, she says, it’s been a “huge point of contention” that her boyfriend has not read any of the books.

“I keep telling him: ‘You have to read the books. I can’t go out with some-

dren, but perhaps none will have the deep-seated passion for the world of Hogwarts shared by those who grew up with him through the seven-book and eight-movie series.

To explore that special relationship, The Hartford Courant contacted five first-generation Potter fans we interviewed a decade or more ago. Their experiences with the books are woven deeply into their childhood memories.

Lily Wilkinson, who was 10 when the first Potter film came out, recalls that “most of the books came out when I was at summer camp, which was sort of an issue.” So she’d pre-order the book before leaving for Vermont and await the day when a larger-than-usual mail truck pulled in.

“For the next week, no one cared about the (camp) activities,” says Wilkinson, who is turning 20 this summer and lives in Boulder, Colo. “It was just a bunch of girls walking around with their noses in Harry Potter.” Brett Carroll of Farmington,

Elizabeth Taylor and William Pawley Jr are seen in this undated photo.

fervor is waning. As she’s filming “A Place in the Sun,” which would seal her fate as a Hollywood adult star, she writes. “I’m sorry I didn’t answer your letter before this. But I’m so tired. Bill, I know you understand.”

Pawley flew to Hollywood to escort Taylor to actress Jane Powell’s wedding and found out by chance that Taylor had extended her contract with MGM for two more years. He fumed.

“He wanted her to give-up Hollywood,” Livingston said of Pawley.

In November 1949, he received a long letter from Taylor’s mother, Sara, telling him he was too possessive and not to see her daughter anymore.

Taylor returned the white diamond ring. “He said she had loved the ring, but she was an honorable person and

returned it,” Livingston said.

In 1950, Taylor married Nicky Hilton, an heir to the Hilton Hotel fortune. Her marriage would last less than a year. Many more would follow.

Pawley didn’t marry until age 50.

When his wife died a decade ago, he contacted Taylor. They quickly realized they had little in common. “They had religious differences,” Livingston said.

Pawley is a devout Christian; Taylor had converted to Judaism.

“Nonetheless, he was very saddened by her death.” Now, all that’s left of a love that began in Miami Beach is Taylor’s letters. — MCT

Tito’s top secret nuclear shelter goes artsy E

mbedded deep inside a remote Bosnian mountain, a vast, top-secret bunker built to shield a communist dictator from nuclear attack has been converted into an art gallery. For its first exhibition, Military Installation D0 — as the hideout for Josip Broz Tito is officially called-is hosting a contemporary show called “Time Machine”.

Emphasizing the bunker’s past, organizers said by filling the Cold War relic with modern-day art, visitors would be inspired to “time travel” simultaneously into the past, present and future.

“It can be a curiosity, an attraction that people will come to see,” said Branislav Dimitrijevic, curator of the show featuring contemporary artists from across Yugoslavia and Europe. Marshal Tito ruled the former Yugoslavia from the end of World War II until his death in 1980. Although a professed communist, he resisted domination by the Soviet Union. Heading a nonaligned nation through the height of the Cold War, Tito was perpetually afraid of foreign invasion. He riddled his country with underground bunkers where he could seek refuge if a conquering enemy, or nuclear warhead, approached.

Three white houses above ground on the slopes of the southern Bjelasnica mountain in BosniaHercegovina are the only signs that give away Military Installation D-0, the sophisticated anti-nuclear facility that unfolds below. The former Yugoslav army JNA spent 26 years and 4.5 billion dollars (3.2 billion euros) building the complex, some eight kilometers from Konjic and 50 kilometers (30 miles) from Sarajevo.

Finished in 1979, the 6,500 square-meter (69,940 square feet) bunker-complete with a hospital,

A man looks at an art installation set up in a nuclear shelter in Konjic on May 11, 2011.—AFP

decontamination room, command and control centre, and space for Tito, his wife and some 350 leaders of his regime-had never been seen by the public. All that has now changed. “Our idea was to make this place a space for art and culture,” said curator Dimitrijevic. “We wanted to transform the bunker into a museum of artistic inventions, with artists leaving their works in this place, works that will communicate with the space.”

So far, some 5,000 people have visited the exhibition that runs until September 27. Visitors can also take guided tours of the facility three days a week, three times a day. Retired Bosnian Colonel Serif Grabovica, for one, is glad the “top secret” days are over. With a handful of trusted officers and maintenance men, he ran the site from 1979 until the Bosnian war broke out in 1992. “For 13 years I did not tell anyone what my job was. Even my wife did not know about it,” the 63-year-old retired Bosnian officer told AFP. “There were 15 of us ... We signed an obligation to keep a state secret,” he explained. The bunker’s current commander Almir Gakic said this potential art haven was almost destroyed. At the outbreak of the Bosnian war, he said, the withdrawing Yugoslav soldiers

ordered him to set off explosives at each of the three entrances, to collapse the underground complex.

“But I cut the wires before leaving the space,” he recalled. Gakic was equally proud that the modestly decorated, horse-shoe shaped bunker is still “functioning perfectly”. Its temperature is maintained at 21 and 23 degrees C (69.8 and 73.4 degrees F) and humidity at 60 and 70 percent, what Gakic called ideal conditions in which to work and live. Two large German-made 550 KW generators are still programmed to kick in 18 seconds after a power failure.

Gakic said his main regret is that Tito never actually visited the then state-of-art facility, although his portraits are still on some of the walls. The irony of Military Installation D-0, said curator Dimitrijevic, is that while Tito spent lavishly on safeguards against a nuclear attack, his Yugoslavia was ultimately destroyed by “an extremely bloody conventional conflict.” Bosnia’s 1992-1995 war between its Croats, Muslims and Serbs claimed some 100,000 lives. — AFP

MONDAY, JULY 18, 2011

lifestyle T R A V E L

English gentlemen battle at

Chap Olympiad

Guests compete in a dance competition at ‘The Chap Olympiad’ in central London on July 16, 2011. — AFP

W

earing their finest tweeds, stroking their sideburns and filling the air with pipe smoke, competitors and spectators gathered for The Chap Olympiad, an annual celebration of the classic English gentleman. Hundreds of “chaps” and “chapettes” descended on a leafy square in central London on Saturday for the sporting social occasion, where regular pastimes are overlooked in favor of smoking pipes, ordering butlers about.

The event is the annual summer bash of The Chap, a bi-monthly magazine celebrating the English gent, his eccentricity, courteous

behavior, impeccable dress and devotion to facial hair. In its 12th year, it now has 10,000 readers. “It’s a sports day for people who don’t like sport,” said organizer Gustav Temple, The Chap’s editor. “It’s unfair that chaps who spend most of their time filling their pipes, pressing their trousers and mixing dry Martinis don’t get a chance to compete,” he told AFP. The 10 events include the pipeathlon-sauntering, bicycling and being carried by servants while smoking a pipe-butler baiting, ironing board surfing and moustache wrestling. In the swooning contest, chaps “have to induce the ladies to swoon through any means possible”.

The fun concludes with shouting at foreigners in an attempt to purchase an item, and umbrella jousting, where two contestants, armed only with their brollies and briefcases, charge at one another on bicycles.

“The things that people love about Britain are the things that we stand for,” said Temple.

“To be a chap is to take the mannerisms of an old-fashioned English gentleman, and take the bits that we like-being eccentric, drinking before lunch, dressing exquisitely and being courteous to ladies. “The rest, such as bloodsports and flogging manservants, we put that aside.” Enjoying the conviviality in London’s

Panama Fashion Week

Bedford Square, chaps, cads and bounders lugged battered suitcases around, took tea and scones, doffed hats, wiped monocles, wound up gramophones, popped champagne corks and filled the air with clouds of sweet-smelling smoke. Meanwhile chapettes were shown the way by the Vintage Mafia, a group of ladies who were by their own admission “exceptionally well-dressed, but not always well-behaved.”

The occasional torrential downpours did not dampen the spirits of those armed with a stiff upper lip. Temple, 46, reckons Britain started losing its way with rock and roll, when youth culture, obsessed with being trendy,

separated from the rest of society. However, be believes all is not lost. Anyone can become a chap, starting with a wardrobe overhaul, shedding all garments made from denim or plastic.

“Once you’ve got the clothes, your mannerisms will change. You are not likely to get into a pub fight or end up at a football match,” Temple said. “You will find yourself drawn away from lager and crisps towards dry Martinis and a pipe. “With a pipe, you feel like you should be putting the world to rights, speaking in clipped 1940s tones and pointing at things of relevance. “Any man holding a pipe-you feel like a chap.” — AFP

Muralist, 94, paints the seasons of her life Erma Winfield, 94, stands in front of a 40-foot mural, depicting the four seasons, that she painted on a fence in the backyard of her home in the Mid-City section of Los Angeles, California. — MCT

T

Models wear creations by Tatiana Uliantzeff of Chile.

Models wears creations by US designer Leanne Marshall during Panama Fashion Week in Panama City, Saturday July 16, 2011. — AP photos

he mural outside Erma Winfield’s Mid-City Los Angeles home has a Grandma Moses look to it.

And not just because the artist who painted it is 94, either. The artwork stretches across a 40-foot fence wall and depicts the four seasons in a linear, primitive folk-art style that captures scenes from Winfield’s past, just as Grandma Moses’ work did when she took up painting in her 70s. Like Moses, Winfield was raised on a farm and is a self-taught artist whose paintings are based on photos as well as her own memory.

And like Moses, she paints on unexpected surfaces: Moses favored cardboard, and Winfield used corrugated fiberglass panels as her canvas. “I started this in March and worked on it about 1 { hours a day for eight months,” said Winfield. “The panels weren’t easy to paint on.” Along the way, Winfield used up $150 worth of exterior house paint. “You try to mix house paint. It’s not easy,” she said.

Born in Natchez, Miss., Winfield is the great-granddaughter of a slave. In 1994 she wrote a 261-page biography of great-grandmother Savannah Brown, who had three children fathered by the owner of the Wildsville, La. plantation where she lived. Winfield moved to Chicago as a young adult to attend secretarial school.

She eventually landed a job in the governor’s office and enrolled in night classes at the Chicago Academy of Fine Arts with an eye to becoming a fashion designer.

When her late husband, Martin Winfield, was transferred in his US Army job to California, however, Winfield went to work with a Los Angeles title company.

At the time, the company was segregated. Because of her light complexion, Winfield’s employers figured she was white. The title firm found out differently when Winfield was injured in a 1962 auto accident and her husband picked up her paycheck.

“After that, they fired me,” she said. “They claimed it was for medical issues, but it was because they found out I’m black.” Winfield began dabbling in oil painting

after that. Several of her paintings are displayed in the living room of her Spalding Avenue home, and that’s where they caught the eye of professional artist Sylvia Bennett during a visit. “Her work is very meticulous.

Anyone who is self-taught and can develop that talent is a gem,” said Bennett, a Mid-City resident who specializes in pen-and-ink and watercolor greeting cards and collages.

It was Bennett who suggested Winfield paint a mural on the fence next to her driveway. “That wall needs something on it,” she told her. Those in the neighborhood kept regular tabs on Winfield’s progress during the mural’s lengthy execution. Among the onlookers were Los Angeles police, who often circled overhead in a helicopter to watch.

“I knew she would finish it, and it turned out great,” said neighbor Hazel McClenon. “Erma incorporated houses she’s lived in and her church in the mural. My favorite part is the winter season section.” That snowy scene depicts ice skaters on a frozen pond with the Chicago skyline rising in the background.

The mural’s other sections include a church, a Mississippi Indian burial mound and a setting sun for autumn; childhood scenes including a river and the house she grew up in represent summer; and a lush landscape and the churning water wheel on a grist mill illustrate spring.

The Spanish revival-style home where she has lived for 54 years is also depicted in the summer section. “I stuck it in to shut up my friends who said it should be here somewhere,” Winfield said with a laugh. Marinella Miller, a friend who considers Winfield a godmother, pointed out that the nonagenarian muralist completed her artwork by cementing a row of small rocks along its bottom. Then she painted the rocks a glistening white.

“Nothing she does surprises me,” said Miller, a retired nurse who lives in the Wilshire district. “She’s 94 and she’s always got something going on.” — MCT

MONDAY, JULY 18, 2011

lifestyle F E A T U R E

For toy connoisseur, everyday is a toy story

J

asen Martinez likes that feeling you get when you’re a kid and you get a new toy: “It’s like the greatest toy ever.” He likes that feeling so much that he’s amassed a collection of thousands of toys and gets to relive the nostalgia of his youth all the time. He traces his passion for collecting them back to one memorable day when he was 9. It was his birthday, and his aunt in Hawaii sent him a huge box, three feet high and packed full with something he’d never seen before: Japanese robots and monsters.

“I already liked Frankenstein and monster movies about Godzilla, but these toys opened up a whole new world,” the 44-year-old Campbell, California, resident said. Martinez started watching Japanese cartoons. He started collecting more toys. He majored in Japanese language in college, and when he could afford it, he made eight trips to Japan, where he added to his collection and made friends among collectors. Now, he’s seeing signs of that collection fever in his son, Cameron Nelson, who’s 9.

“He’ll say, ‘I’m going to save the packaging for this one,’” Martinez said. His wife, Amy, is tolerant of his passion and serves as “my voice of reason: ‘Do you really need that?’” Martinez, who is a project manager in creative services at the video game company Ubisoft in San Francisco, has managed to confine his collection to the garage and shows off his favorites in eight neatly arranged glass display cases. They include model

Toy figures owned by toy collector Jasen Martinez sit on display at his home in Campbell, California.

A toy figure from the movie “Mars Attacks,” sits on display. kits from Aurora for Frankenstein and Creature from the Black Lagoon.

For the Frankenstein kit, he has one he assembled and one unbuilt kit, which he treasures. He also has a Marx tin haunted house. “It has little keys you push that make noise,” he said. “I always wanted one as a kid, but wasn’t able to get it until I was an adult.” The toy collection also has brought out the artist in Martinez. He will sculpt some of them, and he made a bust of Frankenstein.

“Some people pack their stuff in boxes and put them away,” he said. “I like to have them accessible. It’s like a very expensive photo album. You pick something up and remember when you were a kid.” One of Martinez’s favorite days of the year is the San Jose Super Toy, Comic and Collectible Show, which was held Saturday at the Santa Clara County Fairgrounds. He had a friend flying in from Japan to attend the show and buy toys to send back to his toy store in Japan.

Sponsored by Time Tunnel Toys in San Jose, the show featured more than 200 tables of vintage to modern toys and collectibles, Martinez said. “I like being able to go there and buy something in person, as opposed to ordering something online,” Martinez said. “You can go there looking for one thing and find something different and fall in love with it.” Then, he gets that feeling: “It’s like the greatest toy ever.” — MCT

A figure from an animated 1970s Japanese show called “Devil Man,” owned by toy collec tor Jasen Mar tinez sits on display at his home. —MCT photos

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e niv rsar n

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Elizabeth Taylor’s love letters up for auction

Years

MONDAY, JULY 18, 2011

Neon hues make it zing T

e lly th a s i c a races, b e r b sa d-let n from ivid B r a c e part take e m o s t v e r h c i h t t e s in og t ela o n e e n p u t t a c ke t s, d t u r h b b the ight es. W s h a d qually br e r k n o w fo r e v t with o u l d n e r e m e a n e w o n e onents w c o m p uth. o the m

The scents of spring S outhern California weather doesn’t change too drastically from winter to spring and there’s no specially branded latte being served at Starbucks to nudge us into the next season, but we can count on lighter fragrances to bring on the feeling of bright sunshine, blue skies and longer days.

Spring’s newest fragrance releases are whisper soft but upbeat and bright with citrus, fruit, aquatic and floral notes - qualities many women look for when adding a new scent to their fragrance wardrobes.

“Springtime always calls for a change of pace from the colder months, where people tend to prefer warmth, woods, spice and all things comforting,” says Adam Eastwood, co-founder of luckyscent.com, a website that sells hard-to-find fragrances from all over the world. “Every spring, without fail, people come looking for something fresh or floral or both. Here in Los Angeles, the pink jasmine that blooms in February and March seems to intoxicate us.” Ron Robinson, owner of Ron Robinson at Fred Segal and creator of the Apothia line of perfumes and candles, says women seek out bright citrus notes with leafy green accents as well as lighter floral notes, such as peony, and softer blossoms, such as orange and plum. “There is a very different feeling that occurs as the sun shines and warms our bodies,” Robinson says. “It’s best to lighten and freshen the scents we wear.” From a mermaid-inspired aquatic concoction to a spin on a Calvin Klein classic, here are the newest spring scents hitting stores this season.

Jo Malone Tea Fragrance blends This limited-edition collection of tea-based scents gives the tradition of tea service a modern twist. Each of the four fragrances is based on blends of tea or tea accompaniments, such as the Sweet Milk scent that would work for someone who likes vanilla, chocolate, coconut or other creamy notes in perfume. There’s also a Sweet Lemon scent, which fortunately smells nothing like an aerosol can of Pledge. It’s light, a little sugary and smells like it has a hint of mint in it.

The Fresh Mint Leaf scent is nice and airy but smells a little too similar to our favorite pack of gum, mid-chew. Not bad for fighting bad breath, but maybe a little too clean and minty for the skin. It could be nice layered with another one of the scents. As each formula is subtle, they lend themselves to being layered and mixed together, kind of like, well, tea.

Malone has taken her famous Grapefruit scent and mixed in an herbaceous Assam black tea. The result is a beautiful blend of smooth tea punctuated with bright notes of soft citrus. Musky Earl Grey tea is freshened up with cucumber, bergamot and vanilla. This is surprisingly sweet and smells pretty spot-on to a cup of Earl Grey with milk and sugar.

Marc Jacobs Daisy Eau So Fresh A warm-weather version of Marc Jacobs’ Daisy, this formula is packed with fruity overtones that scream for a stroll down Santa Monica’s Third Street Promenade to duck into youth-driven stores like Forever 21 and Zara. The hardesthitting floral note here is the violet, which comes through as sugary sweet and candy-like, along with top notes of red grapefruit and pear and base notes of musk, plum and cedar wood.

G of the Sea This is the first stand-alone fragrance for the Gwen Stefani or “G” character in the collection of Harajuku Lovers perfumes. For the first time, the blond is not flanked by the other Harajuku girl characters that are also faces of the Harajuku Lovers perfumes, and her independence seems to work. G of the Sea is bright, light and fresh - and good for anyone who likes an aquatic scent sparkling with tart apples. Water lily and berries accompany the tart apples as top notes, freesia and jasmine sit in the middle, and that base is made up of musk and amber.

Eternity Summer There’s really no better name for this scent than Summer. It’s creamy but light and smells like bronzed summer skin after a fresh coat of sunblock has been applied.

The notes of cilantro and violet give this a slightly green quality without being too crisp or citrusy. There are also notes of gardenia and lotus lily in the middle, as well as creamy musk, mimosa and fig wood as the base.

Banana Republic Wildbloom The guava really stands out here, almost to the point that it takes on a slightly medicinal tone. But pink grapefruit keeps it fresh and bright, and patchouli and sandalwood bring it back down to earth. This is a good scent for the free spirit who likes a mix of fruity and earthy. Pear skin and kumquat round out the fruity top notes and Hawaiian pikake and blue orchid add to the sweet floral notes. The base is a mix of patchouli, sandalwood and tonka.

he fireworks of the Fourth of July may be behind us, but with temperatures soaring, the sizzle and pop of neon bright accessories may be just what’s needed to liven up a summer wardrobe.

Neon accessories aren’t just for teens - witness Diane Kruger, who wore a yellow-green Alessandra Rich dress belted with unexpected neon orange to the Liaisons Au Louvre charity dinner in Paris recently.

For an everyday look, neon bangles mixed in with gold or leather bracelets look cool with a swimsuit or cut-off denim shorts and a striped T-shirt. Ettika makes some flashy bangles with rhinestones wrapped in neon string ($230 at www.ettika.com). Or you could try whimsical Braced-lets, which are made of the vivid elastics used on orthodontic braces paired with the equally bright brackets ($4.99 at www.bracedlets.com).

Christopher Kane’s exclusive clutches for Net-a-porter.com bring his laser-cut leather front and center, this time done in eye-popping hues of neon yellow, green and pink ($530 at www.net-aporter.com).

These would be the ultimate accessory for an all-white poolside ensemble.

For fiery feet, try strappy neon yellow platforms from Electric Blue.

They feel part disco, part Tron, and the unexpected combo of dark blue suede sole with bright yellow straps definitely isn’t for the person who merely wants to blend in ($120 at www.topshop.com).

For incorporating a more subtle burst of neon into your summer look, consider a single bangle. Asos has one that is primarily wood, but with a bright yellow stripe on one side ($77.58 at www.asos.com). An

(Above) These strappy neon yellow platforms from Electric Blue feel part disco, part Tron, and the unexpected combo of dark blue suede sole with bright yellow straps isn’t for the person who merely wants to blend in.

(Left) Nixon watch, $100 at www.nixonnow.com. —MCT photos

electric blue watch from Nixon is also an easy flash of color. It’s sporty and sleek and works with athletic wear or with a beach look ($100 at www.nixonnow.com). To keep neon looking ultra-feminine, a pink necklace from Adia Kibur looks polished and playful ($68 at www.shopbop.com). Also to try: retro-style shades from Karen Walker with a fluorescent yellow Lucite stripe that jumps out against the black frames ($180 at www.lagarconne.com).

Whatever your choice, a small dose of neon will add some zing to a sizzling summer.— MCT

Sheer beauty One-shoulder look can be transformative

T

he new film “Transformers: Dark of the Moon,” the third installment in the robot action series, was the top-grossing movie in the country last weekend. Audiences were treated to fighting robots in 3-D and a new leading lady, British Victoria’s Secret model turned actress Rosie HuntingtonWhiteley. Whiteley replaces Megan Fox as Shia Labeouf’s new love interest in the film. For the movie’s media tour, the 24-yearold made waves on red carpets around the world with her statuesque model physique and killer sense of style.

While in Brazil, she wore a belted black chiffon Michael Kors fall 2011 dress; in Berlin, a sparkly metallic backless Naeem Khan design; and in London, a Christopher Bailey customdesigned Burberry navy gown.

At the Moscow International Film festival, which opened with a screening of “Transformers: Dark of the Moon,” HuntingtonWhiteley towered over the turquoise carpet in a weightless Asos ruffle-detail vision of chiffon. The Gucci one-shoulder top. gown, from the label’s fall 2011 collection, features a sheer, playful, sexy skirt and a one-shoulder chartreuse top. The summer-perfect color blooms from the floral embellishments for an effect that is simply stunning.

To get Huntington-Whiteley’s look without a designer-gown price tag, try a sheer black maxi skirt. American Apparel makes a full-length chiffon skirt for $46, or try the Sparkle and Fade maxi pleated chiffon skirt from www.urbanoutfitters.com at $59 for a more textured look. For a top, you’ll need a one-shoulder design in a striking color. If you like the dramatic look of ruffles, try the Asos ruffle-detail one-shoulder top for $13.79 at us.asos.com. For something a bit more subtle, but with the same color profile, get the Cheap Monday Tanya one-shoulder tank top from www.urbanoutfitters.com for $30. Tuck the top into a pair of hot pants, like the Lace dolphin shorts from www.forever21.com for $13.80, and accessorize with a skinny black belt. For a better buy, you can go for a set of two with the Apt. 9 leopard skinny belt set for $24 from Kohl’s or the Beamish black and white belt set from Aldo for $20. — MCT