19 Jul

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TUESDAY, JULY 19, 2011

In Egypt, fighting for a $50-a-month factory job

Pearl-divers keen to continue despite heat

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S Africa cheers Mandela’s 93rd birthday with a song

China gold rush as sweep bid gathers pace

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‘Imbalanced’ economy requires corrections Central Bank governor sounds warning

MPs slam KU shenanigans

By A Saleh KUWAIT: MP Musallam Al-Barrak yesterday slammed Prime Minister Sheikh Nasser AlMohammed Al-Sabah’s decision to vacation in Switzerland rather than returning home to resolve domestic problems. “Instead of enjoying Swiss nature on vacation, the PM should return home to solve the problems of over 2,000 high school graduates who were denied access to undergraduate education,” said the prominent anti-government parliamentarian, condemning the Kuwait University’s admissions policy.

“Despite setting minimum grades for admission to KU, the university stressed that it would only admit 8,300 students,” Barrak added, also questioning the government’s failure to meet its deadline for the completion of work on the new AlShadadiya University complex. Whilst highly commending the role played by education minister Ahmed Al-Mulaifi in increasing the previous total number of students to be admitted to KU by 1,500 to reach the current number of 8,300, the MP condemned the fact that the number had not been increased further.

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KUWAIT: Kuwaiti traders follow the downturn of shares at Kuwait Stock Exchange yesterday. — AP (See Page 21)

DUBAI: OPEC member Kuwait is witnessing imbalances in its economy which require corrections, the state news agency cited the Central Bank governor as saying, leading Kuwaiti shares to slump to a new seven-year low. “Sheikh Salem Abdul-Aziz Al-Sabah spoke about the economic situation in Kuwait and about the imbalances it witnesses which could lead to a lot of risks at various levels,” KUNA said late on Sunday. Sheikh Salem was speaking at a Cabinet meeting, it said.

Sheikh Salem said that such concerns should be addressed by corrections to avoid any negative implications that they might have on the future of Kuwait, KUNA added. The report did not give further details. The benchmark fell 1.6 percent, after slumping to its lowest close since Sept 2004 on Sunday. Investor sentiment has been negative recently following new regulations announced by the Capital Market Authority (CMA). Market participants are given until September to implement the by-laws announced in March.

According to a source who was present at the meeting, Sheikh Salem highlighted the massive difference between this year’s state budget of nearly KD 20 billion, and that of only a few years ago when it was at around KD 4 billion. He cited unbalanced spending, mainly on public sector salary increases and allowances, as the principal reason behind spiraling budget costs, which he warned could weaken the purchasing power of the Kuwaiti dinar. Last month, Kuwait’s parliament approved a KD 19.4 billion ($70.75 billion) state budget for the 2011/12 fiscal year. This was the government’s biggest budget since at least 2003.

Following Sheikh Salem’s presentation, the Cabinet assigned the Ministerial Economic Committee to cooperate with the Supreme Council for Planning and Development to update studies conducted on the economy. — Agencies

DAMASCUS: Fireworks light up the sky above demonstrators during a pro-government rally in support of ‘national unity’ in the Al-Hijaz area of Damascus late on Sunday. — AP

Another top UK policeman quits

NEW YORK: In this July 1, 2011 photo, a New York City police officer with a bomb sniffing dog patrols at a Times Square subway station. — AP

Post 9/11, biggest terror threat is underground NEW YORK: It’s the morning rush in the Times Square subway station, a routine convergence of humanity and mass transit that makes New York City hum. Mixing seamlessly with subway riders are New York Police Department officers with heavy body armor and high-powered rifles, commanders in blue NYPD polo shirts carrying smart phone-size radiation detectors and a panting police dog named Sabu. “This is the new normal,” Inspector Scott Shanley of the NYPD’s Counterterrorism Division says. “The only people who sometimes get raised up are tourists.”

Since terrorists brought down the twin towers on Sept 11, 2001, subways have been bombed in terror attacks across the world, including in Madrid, London and this spring in Minsk, Belarus. The possibili-

ty that New York’s sprawling, porous and famously gritty subway system could be next has become a constant worry - leading to a new normal of suspicious package alerts, bomb-sniffing dogs, cameras trained on commuters and passengers listening to the missive, “if you see something, say something.”

The campaigns encouraging residents to report suspicious activity strike Manhattan writer Anne Nelson, 57, as Orwellian. “New York is about expression and life and vibrancy,” she said, walking through Times Square. “It’s not about living in an atmosphere of fear.” But authorities here believe a serious attack on the 24-hour subway system with more than 400 stations, would potentially cripple the city in ways worse than the Sept 11 attack Continued on Page 13

LONDON: Britain’s phone-hacking scandal claimed the scalp of a second top policeman yesterday as Prime Minister David Cameron called an emergency parliament session on a row that has tarnished his own position. Assistant Commissioner John Yates, who refused to reopen an investigation into the now-defunct News of the World tabloid in 2009, resigned a day after the departure of John Stephenson, the chief of London’s Metropolitan Police.

Yates had expressed regret last John Yates week over his earlier decision that the inquiry into the Rupert Murdoch-owned paper did not need to be revived, but pinned the blame on Murdoch’s empire for failing to cooperate.

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Saudi witchcraft unit breaks spell RIYADH: When the severed head of a wolf wrapped in women’s lingerie turned up near the city of Tabouk in northern Saudi Arabia this week, authorities knew they had another case of witchcraft on their hands, a capital offence in the ultra-conservative desert kingdom. Agents of the country’s AntiWitchcraft Unit were quickly dispatched and set about trying to break the spell that used the beast’s head. Saudi Arabia takes witchcraft so seriously that it has banned The Harry Potter series by British writer J K Rowling, rife with tales of sorcery and magic. It set up the Anti-Witchcraft Unit in May 2009 and placed it under the Committee for the Continued on Page 13

Max 48º Min 30º Low Tide 08:25 & 21:05 High Tide 02:50 & 13:55

30 killed in sectarian killing spree in Syria BEIRUT: The discovery of four corpses with their eyes gouged out set off a sectarian killing spree that left 30 people dead in a chilling sign that the Syrian revolt against President Bashar Assad is enflaming long-simmering religious tensions. The opposition accused the president’s minority Alawite regime of trying to stir up trouble among the Sunni majority to blunt the growing enthusiasm for the four-month-old uprising. The protesters have been careful to portray their movement as free of any sectarian overtones. The killings over the weekend in the central city of Homs “undermine the peaceful nature of the revolution and serve its enemies who want to turn it into a civil war,” said

Rami Abdul-Rahman, the director of the London-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.

Homs-based activist Mohammad Saleh said a group of Alawite men, including four policemen, went missing on Thursday. The bodies of four of them were found on Saturday with their eyes gouged out. Six more were found on Sunday. “Immediately some people from their neighbourhood (in the Alawite area) went to the street and torched, robbed and destroyed at least 12 shops belonging to Sunnis,” he told Reuters by telephone. “The security forces were watching and did not do anything. I saw that.

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in the

news Bahrain regrets Shiite opposition pullout

Court hears testimony against UAE activists

4 dead in Xinjiang police station clash

DUBAI: Bahrain said yesterday it “regrets” the withdrawal of the main Shiite opposition bloc from a national dialogue on reforms in the Gulf kingdom but insisted the talks will go on with other groups. “We regret the decision, by any participant, to withdraw from Bahrain’s dialogue,” Issa Abdel Rahman, the spokesman for the dialogue, said in a statement. “The process provides an important platform for participants to promote the views and interests of the people they represent,” he said. “Should any participant choose to exclude themselves from the process, the door will remain open for them to return to the talks,” but “regardless of any participant’s decision to leave, the dialogue will continue.” Al-Wefaq, or the Islamic National Accord Association, announced on Sunday that it was pulling out of the dialogue on reforms, saying the talks were not aimed at achieving serious results. Its shura (consultative) council later yesterday “ratified the decision to withdraw,” council member Jamil Kazem said.

DUBAI: Prosecutors in the United Arab Emirates questioned two witnesses yesterday in the trial of five political activists who campaigned for democratic reforms in the Gulf nation and are accused of anti-state crimes, a court official said. The five activists are also charged with insulting the country’s rulers and using an online forum to conspire against the state. Among the five, who have been in detention since April, are prominent blogger Ahmed Mansour and an economics professor who frequently lectured at the Abu Dhabi branch of Paris’ Sorbonne university, Nasser bin Ghaith. After a newly appointed judge read the charges against them, all five defendants pleaded not guilty, said an official. Outside the UAE’s Federal Supreme Court, hundreds gathered in support and a few in protest at the trial. Some 300 people waved UAE flags distributed to them and said they had come to show support to President Khalifa bin Zayed Al-Nahayan. Inside the courthouse lobby, 30-yearold Nour Mubarak was among a minority who had come to support the men.

BEIJING: At least four people including a police officer were killed when a crowd attacked a police station in China’s restive Xinjiang region yesterday, the official Xinhua news agency reported. The attackers, who were apparently from the region’s mainly Muslim Uighur minority, set fire to the building in the remote city of Hotan in the far northwest and took a number of hostages, the report said. Two of the dead were hostages, one was a security worker and the fourth was the police officer, the report said, citing sources at the Ministry of Public Security. It said police had shot and killed an unspecified number of attackers. The German-based World Uyghur Congress said the clashes erupted after police refused a request by a group of Uighurs to hold a peaceful gathering. “A clash ensued. Police then opened fire. Thirteen people have been detained by police, and one was seriously injured,” spokesman Dilxat Raxit told AFP by telephone.

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TUESDAY, JULY 19, 2011

local

KAC business centre in Dubai a great success

KUWAIT: His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmed Al-Sabah receiving the members of the Kuwait-Egyptian Committee at Seif Palace office yesterday.

DUBAI: The Kuwait Air ways Corporation’s (KAC’s) business center in Dubai has been a great success, said the national airline’s chairman on Sunday, adding that it had already generated an impressive amount of revenue.

Speaking after the inauguration of KAC’s newest office in the emirate, Al-Falah said that KAC had succeeded in gaining greater access to corporate trade through the opening of the new office, which has also provided the airline with an opportunity to establish business ties with

other aviation firms and officials there.

He pointed out that the center will also be offering services to airlines from African countries such as Tunisia, Morocco and Mauritania.

The KAC chief said that the new centre’s director Nashmi Al-Enezi, who is also the Deputy Director of KAC’s Engineering Department, has already established links with a large number of aviation services providers globally, which will ultimately help to achieve the centre’s goals.

Still no MoE bill payment facility at Kuwait Airport The need to settle bills prior to traveling

By Ben Garcia KUWAIT: Every holidaymaker is now keen to pay their bills prior to setting out for the airport, with campaigns, warnings and SMSes targeting those residents who have incurred large utilities bills. Travelers who opt to settle their bills at the airport at the last minute have discovered, however, that the payment facility that was to open there is still “in the pipeline.” Some months ago the Ministry of Electricity and Water (MEW ) announced that it would be installing facilities allowing passengers to pay outstanding bills for water and electricity at the airport, with any unsettled bills potentially creating problems for expatriate travelers leaving the country on holiday.

A ‘travel ban’ could prevent residents from travelling if their electricity and water bills have not been settled in full.

Whether or not any ‘travel bans’ related to non-payment of utilities bills have been implemented unconfirmed, however, since a number of people with outstanding electricity and water bills were still able to leave Kuwait.

Yesterday, this reporter visited Kuwait International Airport (KIA) to find out about the progress on the MEW’s promised payment facilities there.

“We were informed about the electricity and water bill payment system here, but so far, we only have this justice ministry corner here where travelers can pay their unsettled accounts [bills] with the Ministry of Justice but not with the Ministry of Electricity and Water,” said the female official working at the justice ministry’s booth at the airport. “Overdue landline [telephone] bills can be paid in the basement of this airport but not

or to departure. He was quoted as saying that the ministry is keen to collect the payment and had already issued several warning letters to delinquent consumers advising them to settle their accounts.

Yesterday, however, the Kuwait Times’ requests for comments on the issue from the MEW remained unanswered.

The issue of the large amount owed in unpaid water and electricity bills sur-

‘The collector came, did the measurement, told me about the amount he needed me to pay and asked for baksheesh. I gave him KD20 and he asked me to pay KD80’ those for electricity and water,” she added.

The MEW previously stated that it was to set up a branch of its Consumer Affairs division at the airport to help travelers and oblige consumers to pay their electricity and water bills, before leaving the country. Before the start of the summer, MEW Assistant Undersecretary for Consumer Affairs Jassem Al-Lenqawi noted that a 24-hour automated payment system would be installed at the airport to compel consumers to pay their outstanding bills pri-

faced in 2009 after some MPs discovered instances of fraud at the MEW. Illegal transactions had reportedly been taking place for some time, with consumers seemingly approaching ministry staff, offering them ‘wasta’ in exchange for reducing or even cancelling their outstanding bills. The staff members allegedly manipulated the computerized data to falsely record payment, either transferring the debt owed by the customer to other customers’ bills in order to reduce the total or recording it as having been paid in full.

At KIA yesterday, the Kuwait Times spoke with one expat who was leaving the country for good, leaving behind an outstanding bill of KD 165. “The collector came, did the measurement, told me about the amount he needed me to pay and asked for baksheesh.

I gave him KD20 and he asked me to pay KD80,” said Oliver before leaving the country yesterday. Earlier another expat claimed that he had paid KD20 to an MEW debt collector in return for not cutting off his water supply. “The water collector was about to cut off my water supply, but when I offered KD20 he left without doing so,” said the disgruntled expat, further claiming that tenants in some of the flats in the apartment building where he lives haven’t paid any electricity bills for 15 years, instead bribing the MEW officials who appear periodically supposedly to collect the backdated payments.

In 2010, local dailies reported that over the past couple of decades the amount owed to the MEW for unpaid bills by around 100,000 citizens and expatriates had risen to KD 23,000,000, which the government has no hope of recovering since many of the debtors may have since permanently left the country, especially during the 1990-91 Iraqi invasion and occupation.

In 2010, the centre and the KAC head office made a combined profit of KD10 million.

Al-Falah concluded by saying that this large amount of revenue was not easily earned, particularly when compared with the early years of the centre’s operations when all its expenses were covered by payments from the KAC head office.

Also following Sunday’s ceremony, Al-Nashmi explained that the centre provides technical consultation and services to other airlines, as well as holding various workshops.

KFSD to launch new internal communications network

By Hanan Al-Saadoun

KUWAIT: The Kuwait Fire Services Directorate’s (KFSD) new ‘Tetra’ internal communications network will be launched at the end of this month, revealed a senior KFSD official yesterday.

The final tests and checks are currently underway on the new network, said Brigadier Yousef AlAnsari, the Deputy Director of the fire service, adding that the system will be used at all Kuwait’s fire stations and on all its rescue vessels, representing a positive qualitative shift in the KFSD’s internal communications abilities. The new system will also help to better organize coordination between different fire stations in responding to large-scale fires and other incidents, with each area control centre having a special communications channel, with the possibility of sharing it with staff from other stations when the need arises.

The new high quality network will enable firefighters to send and receive work-related SMS messages, explained Brig. Al-Ansari, as well as providing clear voice communications and coverage across all Kuwait’s land and sea terrain, Brig. Al-Ansari explained. The ‘Tetra’ network will also allow KFSD personnel to track the movement of firefighting vessels via a GPS system, as well as providing detailed maps of the offshore, as well as onshore, areas for the use of operations room staff, explained the senior fire service official.

In conclusion, Brig. Al-Ansari lauded the Ministry of Interior’s cooperation in the initiative to introduce the new network, as well as thanking Global Projects, the creator and operator of the system which will also provide maintenance services.

‘Port project vital for Kuwait’

By A Saleh KUWAIT: MP Abdul Rahman Al-Anjeri stressed that the Mubarak Al-Kabeer Port project was vital for Kuwait, being a key development project. He also noted that the decision (to build the facility) rests entirely with the country’s government. “Let us take the recent Iraqi statement as an example. I wish Iraq will enjoy more stability as a major regional political partner, he said.” Commenting on the recent US economic issue, Al-Anjeri stressed that global crisis is in the making. Kuwait as one of the major buyers of US government bonds, will be consequently affected. “I am not sure the Kuwaiti government will be able to handle such a crisis,” he concluded.

Mislem questions MoC MP Faisal Al-Mislem posed 18 inquiries directed

at the minister of communications over Internet service providers, the contracts signed with them.

He asked if such contracts were renewed, if Internet services prices were raised in collaboration with the ministry, complaints were filed by subscribers, lawsuits were filed against the ministry in this regard. It was also asked why certain private companies were licensed to provide the service, if there was any delay in building adequate infrastructure and whether any of the companies failed to make outstanding payments.

‘Honor to be criticized’ Following a series of statements made by members of the Popular Action Bloc (PAB), member Saleh Al-Mulla yesterday defended the bloc. He stressed that its members refuse to make political negotiations. His colleague and MP Marzouq Al-Ghanim stressed that the attack on PAB was expected since

the former exposed their corrupt ways. “Brother, Saleh and other PAB fellow members, be assured that it is an honor to be criticized by public fund thieves and their MPs. This simply means that we are on the right path and that the grilling motion initiated against former minister Al-Fahad was fatal,” he added.

MP recommends solar power use MP Waleed Al-Tabtabaie put forward a suggestion calling for the utilization of solar power to solve energy-related problems, “The Arab region is the richest recipient of solar power when compared to other countries,” he stressed. He explained that it could be used to heat and cool through special architectural designs, as well as conduct water desalination. He added that solar power was clean and environmentally safe. He urged the Ministry of Electricity and Water (MEW) to conduct a comprehensive study on using solar power to generate electricity.

Kuwait Red Crescent ready to assist Somalia KUWAIT: Somalia’s Ambassador to Kuwait commended Kuwait’s role in assisting Somalis across the African country, suffering from malnutrition and famine as a result of drought. Ambassador Abdulkadir Sheikh Amin made the comment in a statement shortly after meeting representatives of the Kuwait Red Crescent Society yesterday.

He said the Kuwaiti aid organization had expressed readiness toward providing urgently-needed assistance to drought victims across Somalia, during discussions between both sides.

Amin described the current living conditions of drought victims in his country as detrimental.

He also underlined the need for the international community to act fast in coordination with the Somali government to transport as much as needed of humanitarian assistance in order to tackle the worst drought to have hit the region in ten years.

For his part, KRCS chief spokesperson, Abdulrahman AlAoun expressed the organization’s readiness to supply relief assistance to the victims, including food and medical aid and tents.

The UN World Food Program has estimated that around 10 million people require food aid in the country, due to the extreme wave of drought and heavy armed conflict, he said. Also, according to UNICEF, as close as two million children are affected by malnutrition and are in desperate need of this aid. — KUNA

KUWAIT: Ambassador Abdulkadir Sheikh Amin meeting representatives of the Kuwait Red Crescent Society.

BEIRUT: Kuwaiti and Lebanese officials exchange documents after signing the agreement.

KFAED signs contract to provide generators to Lebanese resort areas BEIRUT: Kuwait Fund for Arab Economic Development (KFAED) announced yesterday it has signed a contract to provide generators to the Lebanese areas of Hamana and Al-Shabaniya in Mount Lebanon. KFAED’s representative in Lebanon Nawaf Al-Dabous expressed, following the signing of the contract, keenness of the fund to implement such projects that contribute to the strengthening of basic services in the resort areas.

He said that these projects have a significant role in the service and wellfare of

the Lebanese citizens throughout the year, stressing keenness of the Fund to finance these projects and follow up their implementation to the fullest within the framework of supporting Lebanon.

He revealed there are other projects such as the development of drinking water systems and strengthening of public service networks such as electricity, water, sanitation and roads which will be launched in other resort area such as Hamana, Buhamdun station, Qalaa and falougha. — KUNA

Proposal to establish communication authority KUWAIT: Officials from the Ministry of Communications(MoC) have said that Salem Al-Othainah Acting Minister of Communications will discuss a law to establish a special Communications Authority. The matter has intensified the Internet service provider issue over the past few weeks. The officials added that this topic would be on top of the minister’s agenda. He took over the reins from former minister, Sami Al-Nisf for health reasons.

Furthermore, officials noted that the Ministry of Communication believes that the authority will help find radical solutions for the Internet problem, including formulating special laws that regulate communication and IT-related issues,

particularly since the ministry intends to expand the scope of Internet services by allowing the establishment of new Internet service providing companies.

O fficials also highlighted that the communication authorit y law was referred to the Parliament a few months ago following a series of meetings that were held between concerned committees and MoC officials led by undersecretary Abdul Mohsen Al-Maziedi, reported Aljarida.

Notably, the MoC had been seeking a legal solution to the problem by holding discussions with the service providers.

They all reached a temporary agreement to reduce tariff rates, provided the ministry would, on its part slash prices.

TUESDAY, JULY 19, 2011

LOCAL

committee aims to prevent ‘family disintegration’

By Lisa Conrad KUWAIT: “When I opened my eyes [to the world], I found maids taking care of me,” Kuwaiti lawyer Mohammad Khurabibet, told Human Rights Watch.

As fast as the number of domestic workers continue to increase in Kuwait, family units are changing and adapting.

However, the issue is increasingly complex as controversy swirls around the implications of allowing others to raise your children. Abuse claims have risen from both domestic workers, and from families claiming maids have abused their children. As the lines of responsibility and accountability continue to fray in an equation where no one can really tell who is doing what, new claims and accusations continue to rise.

An official source said yesterday that the Ministry of Justice and the Ministry of Awqaf worked toward creating a committee to prevent ‘family disintegration’. The source added that the issue of maids raising children needs to be tackled. This is because they are not considered morally fit to play such a central role in the child’s life. The question that has been asked by many a Kuwaiti and expatriate alike is whether or not it is right to have someone else take on the role raising your children for you, “My cousin has two children, and two maids.

Even when she took leave from work she left the childcare responsibilities with the maid,” says Kuwaiti student Noor. “ There is a whole generation of Kuwaiti children who have been raised by maids,” civil society activist Mariam Al-Foudery told Human Rights Watch.

“Everyone has a story about a maid they grew up with,” she adds. The issue of

Raised by a mommy-maid

maids raising children has become even more twisted and tangled as it is now being questioned not in terms of the implications of having someone else, anyone else, raise your child. It is perceived in terms of morality which maids, apparently, do not possess. If the belief is genuinely that maids are morally bankrupt, then why is occurrence of maids raising children so prevalent?

The price of modernization The rise of domestic labor and ensuring childcare responsibilities, stems from changes that come along with modernization and development. The Ministry of Planning’s Millennium Development Goals Progress report of 2005 found that more and more Kuwaiti women are pursuing higher education and careers now, which therefore means that the roles they used to hold in the household are being delegated, often times to domestic workers. 30-year-old Kuwaiti national Abdulrahman said, “The maids play a large role because the families are busy.

Both parents work in many families, and even if mothers want to stay at home to raise their kids sometimes, they can’t.

This is because they need to provide financially as well. Many have large loans and debts to fund expensive cars and lifestyles.”

However, 22-year-old mother Aicha Al-Saraj sees this as an unacceptable excuse, “‘I don’t have the time’ is an insult to mothers. The primary role of motherhood is prioritizing the baby. I work from eight in the morning until five in the evening, and I also run a business. I make the time. Anyone can make the time.” Instead of extending the roles played by maids to include childcare,

Aicha has opted for daycare. “I don’t have domestic workers, and I don’t believe in getting a nanny. When I went back to work I put my baby in daycare. If I get a domestic worker it means I’m taking away someone else’s mother to come and look after my child. How is that fair?”

While some citizens such as Aicha do not hire or rely on domestic workers, the demand for them is still rising and has grown at an incredibly fast pace since 1965. In her book ‘Walls Built on Sand’ Professor of Social Anthropology, Anh Nga Longva explains that there were only 1,000 migrant household workers in Kuwait in 1965. However, demand has kept growing and in 25 short years, 1,000 had become 100,000. “It’s not acceptable for parents to allow their children to be raised by strangers. Sadly, that is what happens here. A lot of couples when they get married immediately plan to arrange for a maid and a driver, if they haven’t done so already. It’s like they come with the furniture,” Abdulrahman says.

Lifestyle woes The combination of development and a vast supply of inexpensive domestic labor has totally revamped the typical family unit in many ways. A 26-year-old citizen, Hassan, says, “Some people allow maids to raise their children completely.

I know a family where the maid and driver take the kids to Avenues on the weekend, it’s literally like stand-in parents, except that they’re ‘standing in’ for the majority of the kids’ childhood.” This blurs lines of responsibility, “It’s not fair to place the pressure of childcare on a maid, they already have so much work

usually. If something happens to the baby during that time, it’s your fault, why weren’t you the one there doing the parenting yourself or placing the baby in a professional daycare center or with family?” says Aicha.

Common sight However, it is not uncommon in Kuwait to see children and maids trailing behind women in malls, as the maids attempt to control a group of toddlers and kids. However, given the current standing of maids and the negative connotations attached to them, it is interesting to consider how they can wield authority over the children if they are not a figure of authority or one that can demand respect within the household.

The issue of respect isn’t a simple one, says Kuwaiti national Nadia, as different families promote different values: “Sometimes the kids scream at the maids or misbehave, and occasionally you see the maids yell back or discipline them, which is what someone taking on a parental role should do. But sometimes the kids will react negatively to discipline saying ‘you’re just a maid’. There is a lack of respect for the maids in many children, which creates a strange situation because the maid raises them and comforts them, but isn’t really promoted as a figure of respect.”

When respect and appreciation has been promoted, however, the situation can be starkly different: “One of my friends has had the same maid in her house for 20 years, so they’re extremely close. The maid attended her wedding, and they go to movies together and spend time together outside of the house,” says Hassan. “It depends on the

family and how they teach their kids regarding respect,” he adds.

No breach of rules Whilst some have passed on parental responsibilities, others prefer to do the parenting themselves. “I wasn’t raised by a maid, and even my sister leaves her kids with our mom when she goes to work. The maid does normal work, like cleaning and fetching items if we need them. But the maid doesn’t raise the children,” says Nadia. Aicha also prefers to do the parenting herself, “The child won’t have my beliefs or morals if I am not a central figure in her life. I do understand the need for help with cleaning or chores, but I can’t comprehend why you would want someone else to raise your child for you. If you’re busy, send them to daycare. At least with daycare, you can know how the environment will be, what they will be doing during the days and that they are with trained professionals.”

While the issue of expanding domestic workers’ job descriptions to include mothering continues to grow in complexity, other options are also becoming available. Aicha recommends, “Mothers need to understand that kids are never too young for daycare. Leaving them with a nanny or maid is not safer at all and you have much less control. I picked a daycare that matched my views: It is multicultural and educational, fun environment. It is similar to the atmosphere we have at home. I researched them, their reputation, their standards, everything. You really can find out and make sure it is a safe place. For six months I’ve had a happy baby, with no breaching of my rules.”

Pearl-divers keen to continue despite searing heat: KSSC head News

in brief

KU receives 9,096 applicants KUWAIT: The Acting Admission and Registration Manager at Kuwait University, Hind Al-Salem announced that the number of applicants who were immediately admitted till July 14 were 1,298 in number. However, the total number of applicants until July 17 was 9,096 including some who applied online, reported Aljarida. She added that applications will be accepted until July 21 and that each applicant will be notified through an SMS message. The student can check with the admission and registration hall to complete necessary procedures.

Municipality issues 9 citations KUWAIT: A total of nine citations were issued by the Municipality in raids carried out across the Ahmadi governorate, Fahad Al-Otaibi Director of Ahmadi (Municipality) said. Several warnings were issued to ensure that rules and regulations are adhered to. At least 300 watermelons sold by vendors were illegally seized, in addition to 200 cartons of sweet melons. Al-Otaibi said that the work team inspected several foodstuff outlets across different areas of the governorate. The inspections also resulted in an undertaking being issued to remove caravans that sold food stuff. Nine citations were issued to restaurants for employing laborers who did not possess valid health certificates.

Ministry mulls women’s housing regulations KUWAIT: The Kuwaiti government plans to set the limit for a housing loan that a Kuwaiti woman who is either divorced from or a widow of a nonKuwaiti man, at KD45,000, while keeping the limit for women divorced from or widow of a Kuwaiti man at KD70,000, Al-Qabas reported. This was revealed in a recent news report quoting a government official who indicated that the Ministry of Housing Affairs is currently working on a formula pertaining to providing housing welfare to Kuwaiti women who live alone following the end of their marriage to non-Kuwaiti spouses, as this category isn’t covered by housing regulations for single female citizens.

KUWAIT: Despite the searing summer heat, young pearl divers participating in the current 23rd anniversary PearlDiving Festival continued their work yesterday in the waters off Khairan.

Ali Al-Qabandi, the head of the Kuwait Sea Sports Club (KSSC) heritage committee, which organizes the event, said that the divers have been issued with detailed instructions, including advice to select the larger, older oysters rather than the small ones during their dives. The focus of the expedition, held under the sponsorship of His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad AlSabah, is on quality not quantity, Al-Qabandi stressed, adding that all the young sailors and

divers are in high spirits and keen to continue their adventure up until it’s time to return home, as well as being eager to translate HH the Amir’s wishes into reality by honoring the memory of their forefathers.

All the youngsters participating in the expedition are in excellent health, he added.

Al-Qabandi was speaking during a visit to Khairan on Sunday evening to a group of media representatives from the local press and local TV stations keen to find out how the expedition is faring. During the trip, the young sailors and divers put on a well-received concert for the visitors, who also had a chance to go for a dive to give them a better idea of the pearldivers’ job.

Domestic workers’ suicide rates rising KUWAIT: Suicide rates among domestic workers in Kuwait have risen significantly over the past five years, according to a recent international report which also cites several crimes committed against workers. This occurs mainly as a result of lack of regulation over the labor market, it noted.

Representatives from Kuwait’s Ministr y of Interior and Social Affairs and Labor attended a meeting convened by the International Labor Organization in Geneva recently, where delegates from the other five Gulf Cooperation Council(GCC) countries were also present. According to officials familiar with the subject, issues raised during the meeting include delayed payment of workers’ salaries, as well as physical and psychological abuse suffered at the hands of sponsors.

Meanwhile, the official who spoke anonymously because the subject has not been addressed officially by the government, revealed that GCC countries are currently coordinating to formulate a new set of ‘strict controls’ to regulate the process of recruiting domestic workers. These controls include imposing stricter penalties against abusive employers, as well as recruit domestic workers from other destinations to tackle the increasing costs of recruiting domestic workers.

Another official elaborated that Kuwait plans to recruit domestic workers from more African countries that are willing to send workers to Kuwait.

Other GCC states have begun recruiting maids from Nepal, reported Al-Qabas.

Meanwhile, Mohammad Al-Kandari undersecretar y at the Ministr y of Social Affairs and Labor(MSAL) revealed that labor ministers from GCC countries will convene late October at the United Arab Emirates. This is in order to discuss all the notes mentioned in the International Labor Organization’s (ILO) report on housemaids

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LOCAL Local Spotlight

kuwait digest

The power of Google

The need for a dedicated leadership

By Terki Al-Azmi

By Muna Al-Fuzai

K

uwait aspires to transform into a developed country and has charted out many ambitious development plans, hoping to achieve this ultimate goal. However, when we make a comparison between these ambitions and efforts made to achieve them, we realize that the disparity between the two creates more pessimism for Kuwait’s future.

muna@kuwaittimes.net

I

can’t think of using anything but Google when it comes to searching for information on the Internet, even when other search engines exist.

Google is a great way to obtain data from anywhere and at any time in the world. Information at fingertips is what Google offers to users, regardless of whether they are businessmen, students or human rights activists. For years, this multi-national giant has been developing its services to match top criteria and international standards. It’s acces-

The country faces an imminent economic crisis, as 95 percent of the state’s budget depends on oil revenues. Our government does not understand the relationship between privatization and setting up a conducive atmosphere for foreign investors. It is not willing to stop gross overspending.

A week ago, I submitted my thesis for a PhD degree that focused on the significant role played by a good and professional leadership to boost Kuwait’s economy. It is based on a two-year study during which opinions of senior staff from many major local companies were taken. In short, one of the conclusions I reached was that Kuwait needs to reconstruct its economic structure, which includes changing the criteria by which leaders are selected in both the public and private sector. It also includes amending regulations to prevent senior officials from making flawed decisions that eventually bring on suspicions of corruption.

There may not be many reasons to feel optimistic about Kuwait’s ability to rise when there are lawmakers who place their personal interest as top priority. We need an awakening that eliminates all kinds of politicians who misuse their positions in parliament. We desperately need a dedicated form of leadership. This is because it is our only path toward achieving development. — Al-Rai

kuwait digest

Leader of the pack

kuwait digest

Tough challenges but not impossible to tackle

By Ahmad Al-Sarraf

K

uwait is in dire need for a plan similar to the Marshall Plan which spurred unprecedented development across Europe following the World War II sixty years ago. Selecting an experienced politician like Abdulwahab Al-Haroun to the post of Minister of Development has given us hope. It may spell the end of economic and administrative degradation, including the improper utilization of financial surplus.

However, the challenges awaiting Al-Haroun are not easy. He is already aware that the main problem does not lie with individuals as much as the approach that is generally adopted.

One of the toughest challenges that the minister faces is the difficulty in assuring prompt and unconditional support for the logistical demands that are part of

the state’s development plan.

Several administrative obstacles hinder growth plans after years of negligence by the Ministry of Development and Planning.

A lack of regulations enable the minister to implement the plan smoothly. The current regulations do not help support the process of following up with the plan’s projects mainly in terms of improving education, health, employees’ productivity. A balance needs to be achieved between the public and private sector, addressing demographical imbalance.

Furthermore, the minister should reconsider some laws that strangulate the development plan, such as B-O-T (BuildOperate-Transfer) law.

While overcoming these challenges might not be easy, it certainly remains possible as long as two main factors are available:

Time - because we cannot guarantee that Al-Haroun will remain in office for the next four years; the time frame required to witness first hand results of the development plan.

Unlimited support - the government must have Al-Haroun’s back so that he can avoid falling victim to pressure exerted by lawmakers with regard to appointments made to senior posts at the public sector.

Without these two factors, the development plan has no chance to succeed. Either way, AlHaroun has a good chance to immortalize himself in Kuwait’s political annals either as the fastest minister to resign after assuming his duties, or becoming synonymous with the implementation of some of the most ambitious development plans in the country’s history. — Al-Qabas

kuwait digest

By Ali Al-Fairuz

Ending issues with Baghdad through Tehran

hen Kuwait University refused to admit more students, Ahmad AlMulaifi, the Minister of Education played a big role in increasing the number of students. There were reser vations about increasing the university’s capacity among deans who stood by their views due to technical reasons. However, the minister’s reply to the university council was sharp. He asked that the capacity be increased somehow and that those who disagree could tender their resignation.

Accordingly, the university council approved the minister’s decision, which eased graduates’ worry. They wanted to complete their studies while staying with families in Kuwait. it is common knowledge that no other government university can accommodate all the high school graduates. This effort made by one minister is nothing short of commendable. We need to thank him for it and now increase the number of university professors. We really wish the Sabah Al-Salem University will be constructed within a year’s time.

The minister also acted tough on limiting the number of committees formed - old and new.

These have been in existence for a long time but could only garner limited achievements.

The new regulation does not allow one person to participate in more than three committees.

This is also a good move on the minister’s part.

The minister also changes formalities, taking into consideration the observations made by the Audit Bureau.

He also asked an undersecretary to study the feasibility of a project to enter into a cooperation with the World Bank. It can be noted that the minister intends to put an end to all projects that falls under the purview of the Central Tenders Committee. But there are other projects that need long hours of routine work and approval from other parties.

There have been plans to develop an electronic work and the infrastructure of the ministry especially concerning electronic communication. The minister intends to go for the better and cancel all paper work. Al-Mulaifi personally congratulated many outstanding students that did well in school. We can also never forget the memorable grilling motion he initiated against His Highness the Prime Minister Sheikh Nasser Al-Mohammad Al-Sabah on the Amiri Diwan’s expenses.

We honestly wish the minister success, and at the same time wish that he finds quick solutions. The numbers have doubled from the previous year. Yes, I expect the minister to usher in many reforms to develop the educational field which is rife with problems. There are some who want to place obstacles in your path but you should proceed because you are a successful minister. — Al-Rai

By Waleed Al-Ahmad

W

K

uwait’s Foreign Minister Sheikh Dr. Mohammad AlSabah is perplexed as to how to handle the situation with our northern neighbors following the sudden change of heart regarding the Mubarak Al-Kabeer port.

Iraq’s Prime Minister Nouri AlMaliki was seen smiling and nodding his head in approval while he was listening to Kuwaitís demonstration for the port during his last visit to the country. The fact that he gave no objections to the planned port at the time gave Kuwait reason to believe that the Iraqi government understands the details about the project. The two countries seemed to have put the issue behind them at the time, until recent escalation changed that. It should be noted that the idea behind building a major port at the Boubyan Island

isnít new. The first phase actually started in 2007 when talks started for building a major economic project that benefits both countries when it connects Al-Subbiya area with the planned Silk City project via bridges and a regional railway.

The corner stone of the portís project was laid this past April, at which time the Iraqi transportation minister Hadi Al-Ameri demanded that the project is relocated to save the relationship between the two countries from damage.

Every individual in the Iraqi government are aware of the fact that the Mubarak Al-Kabeer port is situated east of the Boubyan Island within the Kuwaiti borders as per UN resolution number 833 of the year 1993. Now, Sheikh Dr. Mohammad Al-Sabah says that he canít understand Al-Malikiís posi-

tion on the matter after the latterís recent statement in which he denied his government being consulted with regards to the project before Kuwait went ahead with it.

It could be that Al-Maliki received a call from Tehran following his return from his latest Kuwaiti visit, in which the Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad talked him into believing that the port is none other than a Kuwaiti ñ American conspiracy aiming to keep a stranglehold on Iraqís economy.

My advice to all Kuwaiti politicians: the road to fixing all problems with Iraq goes through addressing all issues between us and Iran.

Therefore, I suggest that our dialogue is shifted to Tehran instead of Baghdad to end all persisting issues with Iran and subsequently those with Iraq. — Al-Rai

sible all over the world, especially in places like China. Recently, Google had lodged complaint with the US Congress regarding disputes that arose over providing services in China, which possibly stemmed from alleged attempts to access the G-mail accounts of Chinese human rights activists.

It’s a hit that didn’t prove fatal. I guess that’s what led Google to focus on adding more features to their infrastructure and architecture that enhanced Google users’ security.

Also, they repeatedly advise users to use reputed anti-virus and anti-spyware programs on their computers, to install patches for their operating systems and update their web browsers. This is to avoid possible attacks that may occur at any time.

Google had made a press statement voicing concern about the status of freedom of speech in China. Google China was launched in 2006 on the belief that the benefits of increased access to information for people in China and an open Internet would outweigh their discomfort in agreeing to censor some results.

However, attacks on Google’s website simply limit free speech on the web! Google has been reviewing the feasibility of its business operations in China. This means that Google may have to shut down Google.cn, and potentially our offices in China.

Unfortunately, there is increasing demand in Asia for information. While people want to see how the world views and thinks about them, their lifestyles etc, some governments believe that censorship of information sites and closing some of them would help control people’s attitudes and ignore their need to suppress freedom! So, freedom of speech on the Internet is what the issue is all about.

I wonder if shutting down a successful business venture by Google will end people’s quest for information. We live during a different era.

Overpowering people’s thoughts is no longer possible thanks to global phenomenon like Google.

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

kuwait digest

How to celebrate the constitution’s golden jubilee?

By Hassan Al-Essa

I

n order to make celebrating the constitution’s golden jubilee meet the wish of HH the Amir, the occasion must go beyond the media propaganda and officials speeches in which they remind citizens of how the government had been so generous with them and how it worked hard for citizens’ welfare before the ceremony ends up with festivities, national patriotic songs and colored lights on official buildings.

Nowadays and after the devastating regional changes, it is a must to go beyond this ‘official make up’ and go deeper into the spirit of the constitution after fifty years during which it became so rusty and needs to shine again.

Today, we celebrate this golden anniversary while longing for the real golden days of the constitution, that is the 1960s when it was set and the few following years. It did not take too long after that for our sheikhs to feel fidget with it, which brought election forgery by the end of that decade. Then, the parliament

years or months in office were determined by satisfaction of the ‘Sheikhs State’ who would unconstitutionally dissolve it. After the liberation, the govern-

ment thought that constitution and democracy were embodied by polling boxes alone without having any political parties, public rallies or going forward

ment stopped threatening to dissolve the parliament and made remarkable progress towards granting women tier political rights and.....that’s it. The govern-

with the judicial system independence project. More importantly, the freedom of expression and other freedoms are still suffering under the Ministry of truth (oth-

erwise know as the ministry of information) that counts and monitors each and every word published in blogs, find ways to kill critical voices.

It’s almost a ministry of ‘intelligence’ in civilian looks. It is a delivery service for the government. What kind of constitutional democracy are talking about, then, when the information ministry is loading its weapons to stop blogs, Twitter, Facebook and all forms of communication revolution.

Personal freedoms have deteriorated as well over the past few years, thanks to retroactive powers that have been patronized by the government over the past years to use them locally in striking Leftists and Nationalists and internationally to carry out Uncle SAM’s wishes in fighting the infidel communists in Afghanistan before those spoiled and pampered groups turned into the most wanted terrorists worldwide. So, let’s celebrate the golden jubilee as HH wished and let’s make it a real one. — Al-Jarida

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local

Amir donates $500,000 to Kuwait-Egypt friendship group KUWAIT: His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah last week met with the members of a recently-founded Kuwaiti-Egyptian friendship committee, presenting them with a $500,000 (KD137,375) donation in support of their activities of the North African Arab republic.

On the same day, the committee members also visited HH the Crown Prince Sheikh Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah’s Diwan, with the senior member of the ruling family congratulating them on taking the initiative to establish the committee, and urging them to continue working to support Egypt.

Following the visits, the committee’s president, Cabinet Affairs Minister Ali AlRashid, expressed his “deep gratitude” for the appreciation and support for the committee’s work shown by Their Highnesses the Amir and the Crown Prince, explaining that the body focuses its efforts primarily on health and nutrition-related issues. Dr. Mahmoud Abu Al-Oyoun, the head of the Egyptian delegation at the meetings, said that “words can’t describe” the level of his appreciation as an Egyptian citizen for the idea behind the initiative and the great support which the committee has received since its establishment.

$250,000 Zakat House aid to Libyan refugees TUNIS: The head of a Kuwaiti Joint Relief Committee delegation, Abdulrahman Al-Terkait, arrived here on Sunday as the representative of Kuwait Zakat House, to carry out a number of Kuwaiti relief projects worth $250,000 for the benefit of Libyan refugees flocking to Tunisia.

Speaking to KUNA on his arrival, AlTerkait made it clear that the Delegation, which also comprises Ahmad Qablan, and relief work volunteer Tariq Al-Obaid, would be heading to south Tunisia to find out more about the conditions of Libyan refugees there, as well as that of refugees from other nationalities.

This is the first relief operation that the committee has carried out for the benefit of Libyan refugees and refugees from other nationalities, he revealed, noting that it will take place under the umbrella of the Kuwaiti Embassy, and in cooperation with international and local aid organizations.

Al-Terkait said that the Kuwaiti humanitarian aid provided includes foodstuffs and medical materials along with other essential items required by the Libyan refugees, particularly those at the Shousha camps beside the Tunisian-Libyan Ras Jdir border crossing and the camps near to the other ‘AlDhahbia’ border crossing. Aid will also

be provided to the Libyan families who are being hosted by Tunisian families along the coterminous borders.

This initial aid operation is the first of a number which the Kuwaiti body intends to launch in order to help Libyan refugees escaping to Tunisia from the turmoil in their country, AlTerkait explained.

Kuwait has been at the forefront amongst the countries that rushed to offer assistance to Libya since the outbreak of the conflict there last February, he said, adding that these humanitarian efforts come at the behest of His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah AlAhmad Al-Sabah.

Through the Kuwaiti Red Crescent Society (KRCS), Kuwait has provided 27 tons of medicines and medical equipment to date to the Libyan refugees fleeing via both the Egyptian and Tunisian borders.

Kuwait also offered generous subsidies to the international aid agencies in charge of providing humanitarian aid to the Libyan people, as well as distributing large quantities of foodstuffs and medical materials to thousands of Libyan families being hosted by Tunisian families in southern Tunisian governorates through cooperation between the KRCS and its Tunisian counterpart. — KUNA

KUWAIT: (From left to right) MP Ahmad Al-Saadoun, MP Faisal Al-Mislem, A partial view of the audience. lawyer Hussain Al-Abdullah and MP Hassan Jawhar. — Photos by Joseph Shagra

Lawmakers plan to grill premier over Internet Watchdog group threatens to sue ISPs

By Hussain Al-Qatari KUWAIT: The consumer is being burdened by skyrocketing prices and poor quality of services, thanks to unlicensed companies that operate under the supervision of the Ministry of Communication, says lawyer Hussain AlAbdullah. Speaking at a seminar held at the Kuwait Lawyers Association on Sunday, AlAbdullah explained that the licenses of local Internet service providers expired more than four years ago. Al-Abdullah who has been working toward filing lawsuits against Internet providers on behalf of a pressure group formed by consumers on the Internet, says providers have been operating illegally, citing the latest report published by the Kuwait Audit Bureau.

The report shows that the Ministry of Communication has been negligent with the Internet service providers, failing to submit reports of several tenders during the past few years.

The Ministry of Communication refused to provide an answer to this reporter seeking comments about the licenses of ISPs. An official speaking on condition of anonymity said that on top of its agenda, as soon as the Parliament resumes work in October, is passing a legislation to form an independent authority responsible for internet services in Kuwait.

At the seminar on Sunday, MP Faisal AlMislem noted that this crisis is yet another proof that the Cabinet has failed to serve people.

“This is not a political issue, it is a popular issue that needs the immediate attention of the

Safar stresses food inspectors’ health

KUWAIT: Exhibition of artwork by special needs children at Abdulaziz Hussain Cultural Centre in Mishref.

NCCAL hosts special needs kids’ art exhibition KUWAIT: An exhibition of artwork by children with special needs opened yesterday at Abdulaziz Hussain Cultural Centre in Mishref, with the event being organized by the National Council for Culture, Arts and Letters (NCCAL) in cooperation with the Kuwait Centre for Autism.

The week-long exhibition showcases a variety of paintings and other art-

works created by children with varying special needs, and aims to allow the children in this group a space for creativity and self-expression. The exhibition, which is part of a children’s cultural festival organized by the NCCAL runs until tomorrow, with the festival also including the staging of plays, film screenings, poetry readings and educational events. — KUNA

KUWAIT: As they take the risk to save people’s lives and protect their health, the government is keen on protecting the health of food inspectors, Minister of Public Works and Minister of State for Municipal Affairs Dr Fadhel Safar said yesterday.

Safar stressed the importance of taking all necessary measures to protect the health of food inspectors who enter giant refrigerators to test stored food.

He also urged inspectors to abide by the measures taken by the municipal council to protect them.

“I urge all food inspectors to put on the protective uniform distributed to them before entering food refrigerators,” he said.

The minister lauded the great efforts carried out by the inspectors, adding that municipal councils will spare no effort to counter greedy traders who deal in expired and spoiled food products.

Safar went on to say that Municipality’s teams are continuing a campaign of inspections and busts of spoiled food stashes in warehouses as well as on the shelves of shopping centers and food outlets.

The minister revealed that the latest effort by inspection teams resulted in busting 120 tons of expired food in six stores in the suburbs of Al-Rai, Shuwaikh, Sharq. — KUNA

Blood donation drive at Kuwait Airport KUWAIT: The Civil Aviation Authority in conjunction with the Ministry of Interior spearheaded a blood donation campaign at Kuwait International Airport. Low inventories in blood was reported of late. “Blood donation is a noble cause and we always support such humanitarian initiatives because we believe in serving society, not to mention blood donation drives help many patients and lives are saved,” said Abd Al-Hameed Al-Dashti Director-General of Civil Aviation Authority.

“A large number of employees have gathered here to perform their duty,” said Bader Al-Matar Deputy Director. “These campaigns will help reduce shortages in blood and we are happy it is being undertaken in the airport because it is a vital facility ,” he went on to say.

Essam Al-Zamel Director of Operations said that blood donation helps the body regain over all fitness. Seham Shaarawi, Head of the mobile unit of the Kuwait Central Blood Bank opined that the airport was chosen as a locaKUWAIT: Blood donation campaign in progress at Kuwait tion to spread awareness among passengers about the importance of blood donation.

International Airport.

Cabinet. The Cabinet has always complained that it cannot take progressive decisions and blamed this on the Parliament. The Parliament is on summer leave now. Let the Cabinet do something about this issue,” he said.

Al-Mislem stressed that Kuwait was the first country in the GCC region to adapt telecommunication technologies, but is the worst today when it comes to the quality of these services.

“Kuwait is supposedly the democratic country in the region. It should be more advanced than all other neighboring countries, but it is not. It is the worst. This defies logic; how can we accept this?” he asked. The lawmaker added that the government has the reputation of pleasing certain people who come from business families over citizens, stressing that this is not at all acceptable. “The government is complicit in this scam against the consumer, and an interpellation request will be submitted,” he said.

Al-Mislem added that he attended a meeting with officials at the Ministry of Communication, who promised that the prices will be reduced by 70 percent, the speed cap policy will be made no longer effective, and licenses will be given to more internet companies aside from the current four major companies. “None of this happened so far, and officials gave different statements to the press than what we agreed upon. This will not be tolerated,” he said.

MP Hassan Jawhar noted that the demands of the pressure group are fair. Having met with officials at the Ministry, and with the representatives of the internet providers, and with the consumers who formed the pressure group,

Jawhar said that the demands of the youth for better internet services are ‘very just.’ He said, “As lawmakers, we will do all that we can do in order to ensure that there is better infrastructure in order to ensure better services. The telecommunication business in Kuwait needs an overhaul.”

During the seminar MP Ahmad Al-Sadoun stressed that the so-called internet fair use policy should be applied on the Internet service providers themselves, not the consumers. “We have a proof that the internet service providers have been exhausting the bandwidth in order to make as much money as possible from subscribers without providing them with the services they asked for,” he said. Al-Sadoun proposed that the government provide internet access to the consumers instead of giving the industry to monopolist companies, or to break the monopoly and allow new internet service companies to obtain licenses in Kuwait, as opposed to the current only four.

Last month, Internet users formed an online pressure group on social networking websites to voice their protests against what they called unfair practices of greedy internet service providers. The group had substantial reactions from users, with almost one thousand signing their names to an online petition demanding immediate action to reduce the inflated prices of internet subscription and to remove the speed cap policy. Research conducted by the group suggests that a 10 MB connection in Kuwait is more expensive than a 100 MB connection in Saudi Arabia.

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LOCAL

Four-member gang abducts, robs pedestrians in Mirgab Asians main victims KUWAIT: Police are hunting for a gang of four thugs, who abducted, beat and robbed a number of pedestrians in the Mirgab area. Security authorities were first alerted to the gang’s activities by a Pakistani national, who told officers that he had been grabbed and forced into a car by a group of men who then beat him, robbing him of KD400. A few days later, an Indian man recounted a similar incident, telling police that the thugs had dumped him in Saad Al-Abdullah after the abduction and robbery, in which they stole KD1,400 from him. Police have subsequently received a number of other similar reports, all from Asian victims, with all describing the thieves’ car as a black jeep. Detectives are reportedly tracing a promising lead, which may mean that the gang will be identified and apprehended shortly.

BAHAMDOUN: Kuwaiti tourists in Bahamdoun.

Number of Kuwaiti tourists to Bahamdoun increases BAHAMDOUN, Lebanon: Head of Bahamdoun Al-Mahatta Municipality Usta Abu Rjaili yesterday reported an increase in the number of Kuwaiti tourists since mid-July.

Abu Rjaili said that around 50 percent of tourists in Bahamdoun are from Kuwait. He said the political instability in Lebanon and the Arab region recently caused a decline in the flow of tourists, and many have opted out of their usual driving trip. Those usually coming to Lebanon by land are more than those coming by air, he noted.

The level of hotel reservations in

Bahamdoun area reached 40 percent compared to 100 percent occupancy last year. There was a drop in demand for furnished apartments to just 20 percent, Rjaili said, adding there is noticeable absence of a significant proportion of property-owners in the mountain area.

Furthermore, Abu Rjaili praised the role played by the Kuwait Fund for Arab Economic Development (KFAED) and the $2.5 million contribution for water and electricity developments in addition to the coordination for further cooperation, which help serve and welcome tourists better. —KUNA

Neighborly shootout Police are searching for two Kuwaiti neighbors who engaged in a gunfight in a residential area of Al-Oyoun. According to eyewitnesses, one of the two would-be cowboys ran out of his house with a gun and began shooting at his neighbor who was outside his own home. The other man managed to avoid the bullets and rushed into his own home, quickly reemerging with his own gun, after which the two men exchanged gunfire, with only their mutually poor aim ensuring that nobody was injured in the incident. Police were quickly at the scene after other shocked neighbors reported the shootout, but both men had fled by the time they arrived. A hunt is underway for the two.

Child neglect A Farwaniya resident is facing charges of child neglect after her four-year-old son sustained firstdegree burns when he tipped a pan of boiling water onto himself whilst she was out of the house.

The woman had left the boy alone in the flat, where the pan was on the stove while she popped to the local baqala (corner shop) to buy some grocers.

During her absence, the curious child went into the kitchen and pulled the pot of boiling water over, scalding much of his body.

The mother returned to discover the child in agony and rushed

him to hospital, where he was immediately admitted to the Intensive Care Unit. Hospital staff called police and the woman was taken for questioning.

the young woman escaped or was released by her psychotic beau, but his victim has undergone medical tests and a hunt is underway for him.

Fatal fall An Asian man died after falling from the roof of an apartment block in Mahboulah where he was carrying out routine maintenance work. Although emergency services personnel rushed to the location, paramedics pronounced the man dead at the scene, with his body being removed for autopsy. An investigation has been launched into the death.

Unleaded booze?

A drunken elderly Kuwaiti man who demanded that staff at a gas station in Mansouriya fill his car’s petrol tank with alcohol was taken into police custody to sober up. A staff member at the gas station called police after the man became irate when workers first attempted to put gasoline in the car’s petrol tank, then refused to comply with his instructions to top it up with booze instead. The innovative motorist was taken into custody on charges of drunk driving and public intoxication.

Rapist boyfriend An investigation is underway into a young Kuwaiti woman’s claim that she was imprisoned for a week in an Ahmadi area apartment by her boyfriend who raped her repeatedly. Following the incident, the traumatized victim told police that her boyfriend, whom she had been dating for some time, had invited her to the apartment to discuss preparations for their wedding, after promising her that they would be married in the near future. On her arrival at the apartment, however, the callous boyfriend showed his true colors, locking her in and refusing to release her before repeatedly raping her over a period of seven days. The arrest report did not specify whether

Cells found in cells An investigation was opened at the Central Jail to reveal the identity of inmates who owned the cell phones found inside prisoners’ cells during a recent crackdown. The three-hour inspection operation targeted the wing housing those imprisoned on drug-related charges, netting 30 cell phones, which are wholly illegal inside the prison, with none of the inmates claiming back their property.

False alarm Police who rushed to a location in Sabahiya after alarmed local residents reported hearing

gunfire. On tracing the source of the noise, officers discovered that it came from an impromptu firework display by one resident, which the neighbors confused with the sound of gunfire.

Smuggler thwarted A truck driver was arrested at the Abdally border checkpoint between Kuwait and Iraq for possession of drugs. Customs officials became suspicious of the man’s demeanor when he seemed to grow extremely agitated during a routine check of his vehicle. After launching an extensive search of the truck, officers found a total of 1,800 narcotic tablets hidden in a number of secret compartments. The wouldbe smuggler admitted that he had been attempting to smuggle the drugs into Kuwait to sell them, having done the same thing successfully on a previous occasion. He is being held in custody pending trial.

Residency violators Thirty-seven residency violators were arrested during a threeday crackdown carried out across the Capital Governorate. The violators are being prepared for deportation as part of strict measures imposed against expatriates who failed to legalize their residential status during the recent Amiri amnesty, which expired last month.

—Al-Qabas, Al-Rai, Al-Watan

MoI hosts open day at Aqua Park

Col Emad Al-Mulla

KUWAIT: The Ministry of Interior’s Public Relations and Moral Guidance Department held an open day at the Aqua Park on Friday.

The fully packed event was held in honor of the families of martyrs and Prisoners of War(POWs). Col Emad Al-Mulla, Director of Security Media said that the department was keen on organizing such an event in collaboration with the Social Care Department headed by Capt Yousef Morshed.

Employees were able to enjoy some leisure time outside of work environment. The children enjoyed summer activities that were specially planned for the event. Various competitions were held and gifts were distributed to the families of employees. Col Emad Al-Mulla thanked the officials of Aqua Park for welcoming families and ensuring (MoI) continual support in caring for families of soldiers.

Kuwait, Indonesia to increase investments KUALA LUMPUR: Kuwait’s Ambassador to Indonesia Nasser Bareh AlEnizi stressed on the importance of increasing the volume of investments between Kuwait and Indonesia in many sectors such as oil and gas, infrastructure, information technology, communication, banking, and trade.

Al-Enizi told the Jakarta Post yesterday that Kuwait would like to participate in many different and diverse projects in Indonesia, expressing his opinion on the importance of the

facilitation of bureaucratic procedures on the stakeholders in order to remove the fears of some Kuwaiti businessmen.

The activation of mutual visits by governmental and private sectors of the two countries will stimulate bilateral investments. Al-Enizi called on Indonesian investors to invest their money in Kuwait as well as to diverse their products in Kuwaiti markets.

He affirmed that bilateral relations and cooperation between the two countries are distinguished.—KUNA

Gulf Bank sponsors ACK sports events KUWAIT: Gulf Bank yesterday announced it is to become the exclusive sponsor of the Australian College of Kuwait’s (ACK) sports events and the ACK scoreboard for 2011/12.

Gulf Bank will also have a booth, which will be staffed with a dedicated team, on the ACK campus to welcome students during the Fall, Spring, and Summer semester registrations.

Yaser Sulaiman, Executive M anager, Consumer Bank ing Group at Gulf Bank said: “Our exclusive sponsorship of the Au s t r a l i a n Co l l e g e o f Ku w a i t ’s s p o r t s events and the scoreboard is in line with

our commitment to seek exceptional ways to suppor t youth and their passion for sports. Our aim behind supporting sport is to promote a healthy lifestyle and help the youth of Kuwait achieve their goals and f u l f i l l t h e i r a m b i t i o n s by b e co m i n g a healthier citizen.

As part of our commitment to youth, Gulf Bank has set up the redTM account especially for young people. Students can easily enjoy the benefits of the best youth account in Kuwait by speaking to our staff at our booth on the college campus to learn more about our all exclusive offers, services,

Martyrs’ stories to be included in curricula

Belgium, Kuwait to step up cooperation in health sector BRUSSELS: Kuwaiti Minister of Health Dr Hilal Musaed Al-Sayer began yesterday a two-day visit aimed at boosting cooperation in the health care sector between Kuwait and Belgium.

Al-Sayer accompanied by Dr Mohammad Al-Meshaan, head of overseas treatment of the Ministry of Health of Kuwait, and Faisal Al-Dossary director for public relations of the ministry, paid a visit yesterday to the Chirec hospital in Brussels where some Kuwaiti patients come for treatment.

The Kuwaiti delegation was warmly welcomed by the director and managers of the hospital.

Al-Sayer is to sign a Memorandum of Understanding between the State of Kuwait and HealthCare Belgium.

Herwig Fleerackers, general manager of Healthcare Belgium, said that the aim of the MoU is to intensify collaboration in sharing expertise, and in bringing most advanced knowledge to the Kuwaiti health environment.

“We are now elaborating on different proposals and the most relevant proposals we have right now is the setting up of breast cancer screening centre

according to Belgian and European guidelines in six ministry of health hospitals in Kuwait,” he said.

There is also a great opportunity for working together in tele -radiology between the two sides, he noted.

Fleerackers explained that the HealthCare Belgium is a non-profit organization associating different Belgian academic, public and private hospitals and its aim is to enhance the international collaboration of Belgian hospitals.

HealthCare Belgium and some of its hospitals have already concluded agreement with some private Kuwaiti hospitals mainly in the field of radiology and teleradiology and for sending visiting doctors to go and operate patients in Kuwait.

“Today we see that a lot of patients are going to Germany and the UK but Belgium ranks number one in the healthcare system in the world. Belgium offers not only the best quality but also good prices,” he said. The Kuwaiti health minister is expected to visit some other hospitals in Belgium during the course of his stay here. —KUNA

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Abdullatif Al-Busairi

27 donation centers across Kuwait for Ramadan KUWAIT: Zakat House announced yesterday that 27 donation centers are to be set up all over the country to receive and calculate donations and Zakat throughout the holy month of Ramadan, as well as provide gold weighing service.

Zakat House also provides brochures and pamphlets to increase awareness on different issues dealing with Zakat (mandatory Islamic alms). Head of donation centers at the development of

resources department Abdullatif AlBusairi said that Zakat House exerted effort and planned ahead to be easily accessible throughout the month to receive donors.

He added that the 27 centers would have the same working hours; Weekdays, 16:30-20:30. Some centers work morning shifts 8:00-13:00. All branches close down Friday and Saturday. — KUNA

KUWAIT: A senior Ministry of Education (MoE) official revealed on Sunday that the ministry will be including accounts of the acts of Kuwaiti martyrs, particularly those killed during the 1990-91 Iraqi invasion and occupation, in state schools’ history curricula from next term.

MoE Assistant Undersecretar y for Education Research and Curricular Affairs Mariam Al-Wetaid explained that a joint committee of officials from the education ministry and the Martyrs’ Bureau had already completed work on the project and filed its final report and recommendations.

“The committee recommended recounting the martyrs’ stories for inclusion in the school curricula by the next academic year,” she explained, adding that hyperbole would be avoided in narrating the individuals’ stories, which would focus on promoting the moral virtues displayed by the martyrs.

Al-Wetaid further revealed that as well as being a subject discussed in the classroom, the martyrs’ defense of their homeland would also feature in other school activities, including the address given during morning assembly, as well as in school magazines or periodicals.

She added that the committee members had recommended a number of other measures, such as renaming certain school wings after martyrs.

The senior MoE concluded by revealing that school libraries will be furnished with books about the martyrs’ actions, whilst “schools will also be asked to arrange visits to the Martyrs’ Bureau.” —Al-Jarida

TUESDAY, JULY 19, 2011

David Petraeus hands over command in Afghanistan

Under-fire Egypt PM delays swearing-in of new cabinet Page 8

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Libya rebels claim victory in Brega

AJDABIYA: A Libyan rebel who was wounded on the Brega frontline is wheeled into a hospital in the rebel stronghold in this photo. — AP

MISRATA: Rebel forces have routed most of Muammar Gaddafi’s troops in the Libyan oil town of Brega in the biggest boost for the insurgents’ military campaign in eastern Libya in weeks, a rebel spokesman said yesterday.

More than 30 people on both sides have been reported killed in fighting over the weekend.

The rebel fighters have encircled Brega, an oil export terminal with a refinery and chemical plant which for months marked the eastern limit of Gaddafi’s control, rebel spokesman Shamsiddin Abdulmolah said. But its streets are strewn with landmines, making it hard to secure full control of the area.

“The main body (of Gaddafi’s forces) retreated to Ras Lanuf,” which lies to the west, Abdulmolah said by telephone. “I am told they have some four-wheel-drive trucks with machineguns spread out between Ras Lanuf and Bishr.” Abdulmolah said 10 rebels were killed and 175 wounded on Saturday, and two were killed and 120 wounded on Sunday. The bulk of the rebels’ forces were now past Brega and were heading west towards the towns of Bishr and Ugayla, Abdulmolah said. “I am sure they will clash today or tomorrow in and around Bishr and Ugayla.”

The official Libyan JANA news agency reported that 19 Gaddafi loyalists had died over the weekend as a result of NATO bombing in the Brega area. While rebel fighters have been making gains in eastern and western Libya in recent days, Russia criticized the United States and other countries for recognising the rebel leadership as the legitimate government of Libya, saying they were taking sides in the insurgents’ five-month-old war to oust Gaddafi.

“Those who declare recognition stand fully on the side of one political force in a civil war,” Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov told reporters in Moscow yesterday.

US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton announced US recognition of the rebels on Friday, while in Turkey for a meeting of an international contact group on Libya-a major diplomatic step that could unblock billions of dollars in frozen Libyan funds. Russia and China have taken a softer line

towards Gaddafi, and neither attended the contact group meeting.

Brega, about 750 km (465 miles) east of Tripoli, is the site of a strategic oil terminal. The attack could signal a new rebel push westwards from their main stronghold in the east of the countr y after weeks of stalemate.

Gaddafi is refusing to step down despite the five-monthold rebellion against his rule, a campaign of NATO air strikes, and the defections of members of his inner circle.

The slow progress of the rebel military campaign has caused strains within NATO, some member states pressing for a negotiated solution to hasten the end of a conflict many thought would last only a few weeks.

Reports have circulated that Gaddafi is seeking a negotiated way out of the crisis, but in a speech on Saturday he described the rebels as worthless traitors and rejected suggestions that he was about to leave the country. Brega has changed hands several times in the back-and-forth fighting along Libya’s Mediterranean coast since the rebellion began in February. Rebels say taking it back will be a tipping point in the conflict on the eastern front. NATO said it had yesterday struck an antenna radar system, which was being used for military purposes at Tripoli’s main airport.

NATO warplanes have also been attacking pro-Gaddafi forces near Brega. The alliance said targets hit on Friday included one tank, five armored fighting vehicles and two rocket launchers. Libyan officials in Tripoli have made no comment on any fighting against the rebels in Brega, and it was not immediately possible to verify rebel accounts of what was happening there. On another front, in the Western Mountains region southwest of Tripoli, proGaddafi forces exchanged artillery fire on Sunday with rebels in the village of Al-Qawalish, a rebel fighter manning a checkpoint there told Reuters. Despite resistance from Gaddafi troops, the rebels have made advances in the area. — Reuters

Israel plans hundreds more Jewish dwellings JERUSALEM: Israel announced plans yesterday to build another 294 homes in two Jewish settlements in the West Bank, and the Palestinians said the move hardened their resolve to seek statehood recognition from the United Nations. Israel’s Housing Ministry linked the new construction to a nationwide plan to lower housing prices, which have skyrocketed in recent years, and appease protesters demanding affordable living space. The tenders seek builders for the projected expansion of the Beitar Illit enclave outside Jerusalem and Karnei Shomron, a settlement on the outskirts of the West Bank’s largest Palestinian city of Nablus.

Ariel Rosenberg, a ministry spokesman, said it could take as long as two to three years before the homes were built, adding that the tenders were the first issued for occupied areas beyond Jerusalem since a building freeze expired in September. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in November 2009 had ordered a 10-month temporary halt to new settlement-building on territory Israel captured in a 1967 war. He declined US appeals to extend the moratorium late last year.

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has refused to hold peace talks with Israel unless it com-

pletely freezes settlement activity. He has instead focused efforts on a unilateral bid for statehood recognition from the United Nations in September.

“This decision is another reason calling on us to go to the United Nations and the Security Council to ask for recognition of the state of Palestine and gaining full membership for it in the United Nations,” Nabil Abu Rdainah, an Abbas spokesman, said in a statement.

Hagit Ofran, a spokeswoman for Israel’s settlements watchdog group Peace Now, charged the new construction plans “show the public the Israeli government isn’t moving toward peace”. Rosenberg said the new construction was part of a wider plan to build another 7,000 homes across Israel, releasing his statement as hundreds of protesters pitched tents in the business hub of Tel Aviv to demand more affordable housing.

“The ministry is constantly seeking to market land to cope with a housing shortage,” Rosenberg said. In contrast with the United States and Europe, Israeli housing prices have soared by an average of 50 percent in the last three years, an issue Netanyahu has said he would address by efforts to cut red tape he says often hinders new construction. — Reuters

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835 Palestinian youths held for rock-throwing JERUSALEM: Over the past five years, Israel’s military has detained more than 800 Palestinian youths and children for pelting rocks at Israelis soldiers, and has interrogated and jailed many of them, a rights group said in a report released yesterday.

Drawing on military statistics and interviews for its 70-page report, the Israeli rights group B’Tselem counted 835 minors who were taken into custody from 2005 through early 2011, including 34 children who were 13 or younger. In the worst case, B’Tselem cited an 8-year-old who was seized in the West Bank in February. Soldiers released the boy after realizing he wasn’t the child they were after: they wanted his 9 year-old brother. Troops then handcuffed the 9-year-old, blind-

folded him and took him to a detention center where he was interrogated and held for five hours, according to the report. Israeli forces released the boy after it was determined he was a minor.

A militar y spokeswoman said around 160 civilians and soldiers were wounded in violent attacks by minors.

Some 10 were wounded when Palestinian youths threw projectiles, but the spokeswoman, speaking of condition of anonymity, said she did not know the extent of their injuries.

B’Tselem acknowledged that while Israeli authorities needed to enforce the law, they said night raids, handcuffing, blindfolds, interrogations and the denial of access to lawyers for children for hours at a time were frequent-

ly disproportionate to the crime. “The authorities need to enforce the law, but they should do it in lawful ways that is appropriate for the crime and the people committing the crime,” said the report’s author, Naama Baumgarten-Sharon. Military spokeswoman Lt Col Avital Leibovich said that in general the military handled children with sensitivity and that their arrest was a justified response to violence.

The B’Tselem report noted the situation for child detainees improved after the military built special juvenile courts, but said Palestinian minors were denied rights afforded to Israeli children. Israel has complained for decades about Palestinian children taking part in often violent demon-

strations, charging that they are being exploited. Many Palestinian parents see their children as young fighters resisting Israel’s occupation of the West Bank.

Rock throwing, specifically, is seen as symbolic of their struggle. The issue has flared in the past few years as Palestinians hold weekly demonstrations in West Bank villages in which young men and boys pelt rocks and chunks of concrete at Israeli soldiers.

Israeli soldiers have used tear gas, rubber bullets and sometimes live fire in response, killing some demonstrators and badly wounding others.

Of the more than 800 minors charged with hurling rocks over the past five years, only one youth was found guilty in a court trial. The other

93 percent were given jail terms in plea bargains, agreeing mostly because they feared being detained while they waited for their cases to reach trial, said Baumgarten-Sharon.

More than 500 of the youths were around 16 years old, the report said.

Another 255 were 14 and 15, and 34 were 13 or younger. The older the youths, the more likely they were given longer sentences, sometimes of months in jail.

Military spokeswoman Leibovich said the children’s fate lay with their families and Palestinian groups, whom she accused of sending out children to confront Israelis. “We are talking about minors that actually use rocks and explosive devices to target Israeli civilians and soldiers,” she said. —AP

Under-fire Egypt PM delays swearing-in of new cabinet Mubarak’s trial to start on August 3

TUNIS: Demonstrators face police officers outside Tunisian Prime Minister Beji Caid Essebsi’s ofiice. — AP

Teenager killed in Tunisia unrest TUNIS: A 14-year-old boy was killed in the cradle of Tunisia’s historic revolt yesterday, the latest in a string of incidents fueling growing fears that the revolution’s gains werer being rolled back.

Against a backdrop of confusion and mounting discontent over the pace of change, Prime Minister Beji Caid Essebsi was due to deliver a speech on the latest violence and outline his plan for the next three months. The teenager was killed by a ricocheting bullet when police opened fire to break up a protest that lasted deep into the night in Sidi Bouzid, the town where Tunisia’s uprising erupted in December.

The violence came after weekend attacks on police stations across Tunisia that heightened fears that some forces were bent on destabilizing the country and undoing the democratic achievements of the past few months. The official TAP news agency quoted Sidi Bouzid police chief Samir Al-Meliti as saying police opened fire in response to molotov cocktails hurled at them by demonstrators. Two other people were wounded in the clashes, one of them seriously, a local medic told AFP. “There was major fighting late into the night in Sidi Bouzid and in Regueb,” local unionist Ali Zarai told AFP. Six months after an unprecedented uprising led to the shock ouster of longtime dictator Zine el Abidine Ben Ali, many Tunisians feared that the revolution’s achievements were being rolled back. “The people of Sidi Bouzid are angry. Six months after the revolution, they still haven’t seen any change and they are demonstrating against the government of Beji Caid Essebsi,” Zarai explained. Sidi Bouzid is the town where street vendor Mohammed Bouazizi set himself on fire on December 17 in protest at police harassment, touching off the uprising that unhinged one of the world’s most entrenched dictators.

Demonstrations have continued however with many Tunisians not satisfied that the new government is doing what it takes to give jobs to the country’s 700,000 unemployed and to rescue a shrinking economy. Elections are to be held on October 23 for a constituent assembly meant to write a new constitution that would pave the way for parliamentary and presidential polls. Essebsi’s office said the premier would address the nation over the latest violence and outline his government’s action in the run-up to the country’s first post-dictatorship elections.

“Mr Caid Essebsi will speak following the latest incidents and will present the government roadmap for the three months running up to the October elections,” his office said. The general discontent and a string of incidents with unclear motives have created confusion among the population.

“We do hope that no party is attempting to take advantage of this unrest,” interior ministry spokesman Mohamed Hichem Moueddeb said yesterday.

Following the attack of a police station in a Tunis neighborhood, police and residents blamed everybody from Islamists to Ben Ali loyalists, as well as drunkards and vandals. “We’re in a transitional period, the state is weak and other forces are taking advantage. Nobody knows where we’re going and this climate is prone to manipulation,” said Dora Jaafar, a young marketing director.

Like many Tunisians, Radhia Nasraoui sees the growing chaos as a sign that Ben Ali’s henchmen are still pulling many strings and creeping back into the country’s political life. “They’re still here, we shouldn’t be surprised that horrible things are happening in Tunisia,” she told AFP. “The counter-revolutionaries have had time to regroup and they are doing everything they can to sabotage the democratic process.” — AFP

Iraq eyes US trainers, not troops, after 2011 BAGHDAD: Iraq wants the United States to supply several thousand trainers for its military but is unlikely to ask Washington to extend its troop presence beyond a year-end deadline, Iraqi security and political sources say. The difference between troops and trainers, usually former soldiers and police contracted to the US government, may be critical for Prime Minister Nouri Al-Maliki as he deals with squabbling politicians and tries to appease constituents who want the Americans out.

With less than six months to go on the 2008 security pact between the two countries, Maliki is having a hard time unifying his shaky cross-sectarian coalition government on whether Iraq needs to keep some US troops more than eight years after the invasion that ousted Saddam Hussein. Americans expect President Barack Obama to wind up the unpopular war in Iraq as he grapples with debt talks and a fragile economic recovery while the election campaign heats up.

Any decision to extend US troops is risky in Iraq. The political bloc of anti-US Shi’ite cleric Moqtada Al-Sadr openly

opposes a continued US presence and Sadr has threatened to escalate protests and military resistance if troops stay. To avoid angering allies and fuelling sectarian tension, Maliki, who is also acting defense and interior minister, may opt to bypass parliament and have his ministries sign agreements with Washington for 2,000-3,000 US trainers, sources said.

“If the political blocs refused to announce their final decision on the US withdrawal ... Maliki would go it alone and sign memorandums of understanding with the American side,” said a senior lawmaker in Maliki’s State of Law party.

“In that case, he would not need to get the political blocs or the parliament to approve,” the lawmaker said.

The lawmaker, who is close to Maliki, said the 3,000 US trainers would need security, technical and logistic support which could raise the contractors’ total to around 5,000.

Baghdad and Washington already have basic agreements for ongoing training of Iraqi forces, but are now discussing specifics rather than talking about an extension of US troop presence in the country, Iraqi sources said. — Reuters

CAIRO: Egyptian Prime Minister Essam Sharaf yesterday postponed the swearing-in of a new cabinet intended to deflect anger over the pace of reform as protesters said the shakeup did not go far enough. Sharaf, who heads a caretaker government after a revolt toppled strongman Hosni Mubarak in February, had hoped the sweeping reshuffle would persuade the protesters to end a 10- day- old sit-in at Cairo’s iconic Tahrir Square. But the protesters complained that the new cabinet retains ministers they wanted sacked, including Justice Minister Abdel Aziz alGindi, whom they accuse of delaying trials of former regime officials, including Mubarak.

Mubarak, who was forced to resign as president after a nationwide revolt, was said by his lawyer on Sunday to have slipped into a coma in a Red Sea resor t hospital where he has been under arrest since April.

But hospital officials in Sharm el-Sheikh denied the 83-year-old former leader, who is receiving treatment for a heart condition, was in a coma.

Mubarak and his two sons face murder and corruption charges and their trial is sched-

uled for August 3. A hospital official told the state -run MENA news agenc y that Mubarak ’s health was “stable” yesterday.

Fourteen new ministers and a deputy premier had been expected to take their oaths office before Field Marshal Hussein Tantawi, who heads the ruling military, but state television announced that the ceremony had been postponed until today. “ The government of Sharaf will take the constitutional oath today to allow for the completion of negotiations,” state-run Nile Television reported. The new cabinet will include former World Bank official Mohammed Kamel Amr as foreign minister and veteran economist Hazem Beblawi, who will ser ve as finance minister as well as deputy premier for economic affairs.

The shakeup removed the controversial and power ful antiquities minister Zahi Hawass, who was credited abroad with reviving interest in Egyptian antiquity sites but criticized at home for his close ties with the Mubaraks. His announced replacement, Abdel Fatah Banna, has already come under fire from

antiquities officials and Sharaf was reconsidering, MENA reported.

Sharaf also appointed a leading member of the liberal Wafd Party, Ali Al-Silmi as his second deputy on political affairs.

Thirteen ministers from the previous cabinet, appointed in March after mass protests to replace Mubarak’s last government, retained their posts, including Interior Minister Mansur Essawy, whose resignation the protesters had demanded. “We want a change of all the government,” said Sharif Ali, a member of the April 6 youth group that helped organize the 18- day revolt that ended Mubarak’s three-decade rule.

Ali, who said he and other protesters in Tahrir Square had no intention of leaving, insisted that other demands-such as the speedy trials of Mubarak and police officers implicated in protester killings during the revolthad yet to be met.

In Alexandria, protesters staging a sit-in in Saed Zaghlul square rejected the ministerial changes and called for a mass demonstration for Friday, MENA reported. Dozens of protesters in the canal city of Suez also

refused to end their sit-in, an AFP correspondent reported.

While some of the new ministers were known to activists, with several said to have joined protesters in Tahrir during the revolt, others had little recognition before their appointment.

“Nobody knows some of these names,” said another activist, Bola Abdu. The sit-in at the square, the epicentre of the revolt that overthrew Mubarak, began after tens of thousands of people held a demonstration on July 8 calling for speedier reforms.

The protesters risk the enmity of other Egyptians who want the square vacated, accusing the demonstrators of slowing down the country’s economic recovery.

Fundamentalist Islamist groups have called for a large demonstration on Friday to demand “stability,” Egyptian newspapers repor ted, but the leading Islamist movement the Muslim Brotherhood said it would not take part. Egypt has seen a sharp decline in tourism and increased unemployment since the revolt, and investors remain jittery over sporadic and at times deadly unrest in the Arab world’s most populous country. — AFP

Thousands rally in Morocco In response to Arab Spring, king ceding some powers RABAT: Thousands of supporters and opponents of constitutional changes offered by Morocco’s king protested on Sunday, indicating debate over the country’s future sparked by the “Arab Spring” uprisings has not ended.

Protests took place in three cities and passed off without any clashes. The biggest show of strength by the opposition was in the northern city of Tangier where witnesses said about 12,000 marched to press the 47-year-old king for deeper reforms.

King Mohammed, a staunch ally of the West, is expected to hand over some of his powers to elected officials under a new constitution, which was approved in a referendum earlier this month. But he will retain a say over strategic decisions.

The move by the Arab world’s longest-serving dynasty is viewed in other Arab monarchies as a test case on whether reform can hold back the wave of uprisings sweeping the region. A local elected official in Casablanca, the country’s commercial hub and biggest city, said rallies there gathered about 5,000 opponents and 1,000 backers of the reform. The official MAP news agency said about 20,000 people marched in Casablanca in favor of the reforms. It did not mention protests by the opposition.

The government, and its Western allies, say the reforms are a landmark moment in Morocco’s move towards greater democracy and were endorsed by the vast majority of voters in the July 1 ref-

RABAT: Anti-government protesters shout as a child holds a placard reading in Arabic “Yes to a dignified life” during a rally organized by the February 20, the Moroccan Arab Spring movement. — AP erendum. Opponents say the king should relinquish more power and clean up government graft. They say the size of the “Yes” vote in the referendum was artificially inflated.

In the capital, Rabat, rallies for and against the reforms gathered close to 1,000 people from each side.

Led by dozens of Muslim clerics and students of Islamic schools clad in white traditional robes and reciting Quranic verses and psalms, the backers of the reform chanted “We have one king, Mohammed VI!”

Two of the students said they were bussed to Rabat from the southern Souss region especially for the protest. “We are here to help those who support the king. We support the king,” said Abdelkabir Belto, 19.

“The local authorities brought buses for all the pupils of religious schools in Souss,” he said.

Opponents of the reform chanted slogans including “Majesty is for God only”, “Long live the people” and “Enough with corruption, you brought the country disgrace.” The

opposition protests were the latest in a series of demonstrations organized by the Februar y 20 movement, a loose national network that was inspired by uprisings in Tunisia and Egypt. The movement has not garnered the kind of support that overthrew longstanding leaders elsewhere in the Arab world, in part because the king is respected by most Moroccans, but it has generated Morocco’s biggest anti-establishment protests in decades. —Reuters

Wounded children confirm ferocity of Misrata’s war MISRATA: When 12-year-old Mohammed Bielshak left the house with his brother Ali on March 20, it was to give water from their well to thirsty rebels nearby who were fighting forces loyal to Muammar Gaddafi.

“All we wanted to do was help the revolutionaries,” Mohammed said.

While they were out in the street, they were hit by a rocket-propelled grenade. Ali, 14, sustained shrapnel wounds in the leg and stomach and now walks with crutches.

Mohammed lost his right arm just below the elbow and his left thumb

and was blinded in his left eye. His right leg was fractured and has had reconstructive surgery on his left leg.

NATO began a bombing campaign March 19 to protect civilians from the Libyan government, which was suppressing an uprising against Gaddafi’s 41-year rule.

Gaddafi’s government has denied that it has deliberately targeted civilians and says it is waging a war against armed criminals and AlQaeda militants. But Mohammed is in no doubt about who fired the grenade that day in Misrata. “It was

Gaddafi’s militia,” he said, unprompted, as he winced during his regular treatment at the Al Jazeera Physiotherapy Centre.

They fired the RPG at us.” The rebels here have pushed Gaddafi loyalists out of the city and to a front line around 36 km (22 miles) west of Libya’s third largest city. They are now 10 km (six miles) east of Zlitan, the largest city between them and the capital Tripoli. Mohammed is just one of the thousands of casualties of the fighting in and around Misrata since the start of the uprising. As a great

many wounded have been sent abroad for treatment-Mohammed, for instance, was treated in Turkey for two months before returning homethe true price of Misrata’s freedom from Gaddafi’s rule is as yet unknown, not least because data is hard to come by.

But there is little doubt among some of those providing care to children like Mohammed that when the injured start coming home in larger numbers, the city will struggle to provide them with the treatment they need.— Reuters

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East African drought is ‘catastrophic’: Cameron Britain promises 52 million pounds in emergency aid MOGADISHU: Aid agencies scrambled yesterday to rush emergency food supplies to millions in east Africa facing what British Prime Minister David Cameron labeled “the most catastrophic” drought in a generation. The situation is especially tough inside the Somali capital Mogadishu, where those unable to escape have made desperate appeals for support. “It is becoming increasingly clear that what we are seeing today is the most catastrophic situation in that region for a generation,” Cameron said during a press conference in South Africa, at the start of an African tour. “Tens of thousands may have died already, many of them children under five,” he said in Pretoria. Britain on Saturday promised 52 million pounds (59 million euro, 73 million dollars) in emergency aid, and Cameron urged other nations to follow suit.

BUDAPEST: A clerk fixes the headphones of Hungarian Nazi war crime suspect Sandor Kepiro as he sits in a wheelchair at Budapest Municipal Court yesterday prior to the verdict of his trial. —AFP

97-yr-old cleared of war crimes by Hungary court BUDAPEST: A 97-year-old Hungarian, who was once the world’s most wanted Nazi war crimes suspect, went free from court yesterday after being cleared of ordering the execution of over 30 Jews and Serbs in 1942. The prosecution had demanded at least a prison sentence for Sandor Kepiro, who until his arrest topped the Simon Wiesenthal Centre’s list of most wanted Nazi criminals.

Whether the prosecution will now appeal yesterday’s decision was yet unknown. The defence had insisted there was no tangible evidence that Kepiro had carried out war crimes, while the prosecution’s case rested heavily on old testimonies and verdicts from previous trials in the 1940s.

“There are cases where there is no access to direct evidence as the direct witnesses are no longer alive,” prosecutor Zsolt Falvai acknowledged in a last statement yesterday. “We are obliged to base our case on written proof, documents, even if these are old testimonies,” he added. During the trial several experts cast doubts on the authenticity of these documents, many of which were incomplete or contained translation mistakes.

In addition, the defence claimed that testimonies made in front of communist courts could have been coerced. Kepiro, who appeared in court yesterday but looked poorly, insisted in a last statement before the verdict was read out: “I am innocent, I never killed, I never robbed.”

He was allowed to leave the court shortly thereafter, and was returned to hospital where he has been kept for a week after receiving unsuitable medication. Meanwhile, the reasoning for the verdict was read out in court and was to

continue today, albeit without Kepiro whose presence is no longer needed as he has been found not guilty, the judge said. The judge also announced that the costs of the trial-around four million forint (14,700 euros, $20,600) — will be covered by the state.

The trial which started on May 5 proceeded slowly as the judge ordered two 45-minute sessions a day to accommodate Kepiro, who is also hard of hearing.

The one-time Hungarian gendarmerie captain faced a life sentence for his alleged participation in a raid by Hungarian forces in Novi Sad, now in Serbia, on January 21-23, 1942, in which more than 1,200 Jews and Serbs were murdered. Specifically, he was accused of ordering the round-up and execution of some 36 Jews and Serbs as head of one of the patrols involved in the raid.

Kepiro was already found guilty of the crimes in Novi Sad twice in absentia: first in 1944 to 10 years in prison, a sentence that was quashed a few months later, and then again in 1946, this time under communism. However, he avoided prison by fleeing to Argentina where he remained for half a centur y before returning to Budapest in 1996. That was where the head of the Wiesenthal centre Efraim Zuroff tracked him down 10 years later as one of the centre’s most wanted Nazis. With proceedings against another Nazi war criminal, Ukrainian-born John Demjanjuk, closed in Germany in May, Zuroff had earlier predicted that the Kepiro trial could be one of the last of its kind. Ex-Nazi camp guard Demjanjuk, 91, was sentenced to five years in prison for aiding the murder of nearly 30,000 Jews but was released from custody because of his advanced age. —AFP

“I would urge those who are still considering their responses to act without delay,” he pleaded.

In the overcrowded and tough conditions of Badbado camp in Somalia’s war-torn capital Mogadishu, people say they are in dire need of food for survival.

“The aid agencies are concentrating on feeding those who fled Somalia to neighboring countries,” said Agmed Abdullahi, who decided to risk the regular gun battles in Mogadishu in a search for aid. “They are less helpful to those inside,” he added. Somalis continue to flee into neighboring Kenya and Ethiopia, with some 10 million people facing starvation, according to UN figures. But those Somalis unable to make the long and dangerous trek out complain they are being forgotten.

“Some of us can’t reach Kenya,” said Mumina Mohamed, a mother from the Lower Shabelle region.

“It is too far, and difficult to come back home later.” Stories of how aid groups are providing more supplies in neighboring countries are common amongst those seeking shelter in Mogadishu. “I am sure there are plenty of aid agencies in Kenya with a lot of food,” said Maryam Abduqadir, a mother from Bay region. “But my three children are too young, and they can’t travel that far.” At the Badbado camp, a Qatari aid agency provides food twice a day, but supplies are rapidly running out.

“The need of the people here is too much,” said aid official Duraan Ahmed Farah. “We need more help, to get more aid agencies in, including the UN.” Many are bitter at the lack of aid, describing a recent visit by

MOGADISHU: Two Somali children suffering from malnutrition lie at a camp for Internally Displaced People (IDP) near Mogadishu airport yesterday. —AFP Somali doctors to the camps as a “public relation exercise.” “The doctors came with many journalists, and only came for a day,” said Idris Abdi. “Our medical needs are more than that.” Doctors with African Union troops in Mogadishu report cases of measles in a new camp of 700 people that has sprung up close to the city’s airport. “The need is great and we can only make small emergency interventions,” said senior officer Kaamurari Katwekyeire, in a statement released late on Sunday.

The camp was growing in size every day, he added, calling on humanitarian organizations “to

come to the aid of the Somali people.” He said that doctors are also struggling to cope with diarrhea “resulting from a combination of severe malnutrition and the unsanitary conditions.” Local aid workers say they are overwhelmed by the needs of people.

“Those in the camps here are not receiving proper support,” said aid worker Ahmed Moalim Hassan. “We hear that sometimes refugees in Kenya get high energy biscuits for children, but not here,” he added sadly.

But people say they know that the tense security situation means few are hopeful of largescale foreign intervention.

Ex-Uruguayan dictator Bordaberry dies at 83

Russia foils militant attack in Moscow MOSCOW: Russia’s top security official said yesterday that authorities had averted a “large terrorist attack” in the Moscow area by militants armed with homemade bombs and other weapons. Russian authorities frequently claim to have foiled attacks by militants from the North Caucasus, a volatile region plagued by an Islamist insurgency, but claims to have foiled large-scale assaults targeting Moscow are rare.

“Literally several days ago ... a large terrorist attack was averted at the preparation stage in the Moscow area,” Federal Security Service director Alexander Bortnikov told President Dmitry Medvedev in televised comments.

He said four suspects from the mainly Muslim North Caucasus had been detained and that accomplices had been identified. Medvedev and Prime Minister Vladimir Putin, president from 2000-2008, have struggled to contain the Islamist insurgency, and the Kremlin is nervous about possible attacks ahead of December parliamentary elections and a March presidential vote. Medvedev and Putin, still seen as Russia’s paramount leader, have suggested that one of them will run for president.

Addressing the Kremlin leader, Bor tnikov said the suspects had planned to target “crowded facilities

and transport infrastructure” and that security officers had confiscated homemade bombs, other weapons and a map with an attack plan.

Insurgent leader Doku Umarov claimed responsibility for a suicide bombing that killed 37 people at Moscow’s busiest airport in January and twin bombings on the Moscow metro that killed 40 in March 2010.

Umarov has said he has readied dozens of potential suicide bombers and has threatened more attacks this year.

Speaking as part of a semi-annual report to Medvedev on security forces’ fight against militants, Bortnikov said 169 “terrorist” crimes had been recorded in Russia this year, 110 of them in the North Caucasus province of Dagestan.

He said 95 law enforcement and security agents had been killed and more than 200 wounded fighting militants this year.

Medvedev said the number showed that “the situation remains highly, highly tense” but praised security forces for preventing what Bortnikov said were 52 planned attacks in that period. Separately, a newspaper reported that Russia had began largescale air force training manoeuvres in the North Caucasus yesterday in a step towards boosting security in the region. —Reuters

Milan court rejects call to move Berlusconi trial MILAN: A Milan court yesterday rejected a defense request to move a sex trial against Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi to a special tribunal for ministers in Rome. Berlusconi’s lawyers say the Milan judges are biased against him. His critics say he is trying to escape ordinary justice and would get a more favorable hearing in the tribunal.

The final decision is due to be made

by Italy’s constitutional court. Moving the case would force prosecutors to start again from scratch, voiding a large part

of their work on the case so far.

Berlusconi, 74, denies charges that he paid for sex with Moroccan teenager Karima El Mahroug, a nightclub dancer known by her stage name Ruby. He went on trial in April on charges he gave her cash and jewels in exchange for sex when she was 17. He is also accused of abusing his powers to cover up the affair. The media magnate admits a fondness for young women but denies having sex with Ruby and dismisses accusations of wild sex parties at his residence. —Reuters

“Everybody is armed here, and white people don’t like to die,” said Abdi Hassan Adan, who fled to the capital with his wife and four children. “If Somalia was peaceful there could have been more aid workers.” However, the first deliveries of aid are beginning to get through, despite the enormous challenges. Large areas of southern Somalia are controlled by the Al-Qaeda-inspired Shebab rebels, who only recently lifted a two-year-old ban on foreign relief groups. The first UN airlift into rebel held areas landed on Wednesday in the town of Baidoa, containing five metric tons of food and medicine. —AFP

LUINS: Bales of straw tagged with the nuclear sign by unknown people are seen during sunrise next to the motorway Lausanne to Geneva, yesterday.

The Swiss parliament begun examining last month a government proposal to phase out the country’s nuclear plants by 2034. A final decision will be made only in a few months’ time through amendments of the legislation. —AFP

Cyprus foreign minister to quit over deadly blast NICOSIA: Foreign Minister Marcos Kyprianou said yesterday he is resigning in the wake of a navy base munitions blast that claimed 13 lives and knocked out the island’s biggest power plant. Kyprianou told reporters after giving evidence to parliament that he will ask President Demetris Christofias to accept his resignation “not because there is a sense of guilt, but for reasons of political sensitivity.”

Government spokesman Stefanos Stefanou confirmed Kyprianou had discussed his intention to quit with Christofias by telephone. If Christofias accepts his resignation, Kyprianou will be the second minister to go since the July 11 explosion.

Leaked documents in the media indicate that at least five ministers knew the 98 shipping containers of munitions, piled up in the blazing sun at the base near Limassol, could explode. The government has said Christofias was never made aware of the risk. Among those killed was the head of the Cyprus navy, Captain Andreas Ioannides, who was reported to have repeatedly denounced the situation.

The blast also claimed six firemen and six other military personnel. News of Kyprianou’s resignation came as Christofias was briefing party leaders about the investigation and the impact on the island’s economy of its largest power plant being offline.

The key Vassiliko facility provided more than half of the country’s electricity. “This is the biggest crisis since 1974, both politically and economically,” said House speaker Yiannakis Omirou. A crowd of around 200

people gathered outside parliament during yesterday’s committee sessions to boo ministers attending the hearing and call on Christofias to resign. Faced with growing public protest, Christofias on July 15 apologized elliptically for the explosion.

“Because there has been talk about an apology during the president’s address, the government’s and the president’s apology should be considered a given, and they are a given,” he told reporters on Friday. Since the blast, thousands have gathered nightly outside the presidential palace to call on him to resign following the island’s worst peacetime military disaster. Another large rally is set for today.

Lawyer Polis Polyviou, appointed to expedite an inquiry which will run parallel to a police investigation, has said everyone involved will be interviewed, even the president. Kyprianou said yesterday he would cooperate fully with the investigations.

“I like to believe that everyone is aware of the gravity of the situation and the need for accountability, I hope everyone will work together to identify and assign responsibilities based on actual facts and reality,” he said. Both the defense minister and the head of the National Guard resigned within hours of the explosion at the Mari naval base. Agriculture Minister Demetris Eliades has been appointed temporary defense minister. He and visiting Greek Defense Minister Panayiotis Beglitis visited the base yesterday and met relatives of some of the victims. —AFP

MONTEVIDEO: Former President-turned-dictator Juan Maria Bordaberry, whose self-coup launched more than a decade of military rule in Uruguay, died Sunday in his home where he was serving a sentence for leading efforts to eliminate leftist dissent in the 1970s. Bordaberr y, 83, had been suffering from breathing problems and other illnesses that kept him from serving the 30-year sentence in prison. His death was confirmed to The Associated Press by his son, Sen. Pedro Bordaberr y. A wealthy conser vative landowner, Bordaberry was elected president in 1971 during a chaotic time in Uruguay, when wealthy elites and leftist Tupamaro guerrillas both saw armed revolution as a real path to power.

The Tupamaros were already crushed when Uruguayans awoke to tanks surrounding the legislative palace on the cold winter day of June 27, 1973.

The military had become so powerful that Bordaberry had to give up control in order to survive politically.

Rather than lose a minor political fight in Congress, he suspended the constitution, banned political parties, ordered tanks into the streets and ruled by decree until the generals ousted him anyway three years later. Democracy wasn’t restored until 1985. Meanwhile, Bordaberry lived quietly out of public view, and as the dictatorship ended, Uruguay’s congress approved amnesties that protected both military figures and former guerrillas - including Uruguay’s current president, former Tupamaro leader Jose Mujica.

That pact threatened to break on Nov. 16, 2006, when a judge ordered Bordaberry arrested for the killings of four Uruguayans who had fled to Argentina.

Weeks later, another judge added charges of especially aggravated homicide in the killings of 10 leftist detainees. Both sets of crimes were determined to be beyond the scope of the amnesties. He was eventually sentenced to the maximum 30 years in prison in February 2010 for violating the constitution by leading the coup. Bordaberry’s family considered him to be a victim of political pressure from the Broad Front coalition of center-left parties, unions and social movements that has governed Uruguay since 2005.

But his prosecution also marked the beginning of efforts by this small South American country of 3.5 million people to end impunity for those responsible for the disappearances and torture of hundreds of Uruguayans, and the exile of thousands of political dissidents. A peace commission found in 2003 that the dictatorship k illed 175 leftist political activists, 26 of them in clandestine torture centers.

Earlier, the Tupamaros also committed killings and other crimes after taking up arms in 1963 against democratically elected governments, and many of the guerrillas who weren’t killed served long prison terms. Mujica, for one, spent more than a decade behind bars. —AP

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Buddhism faces paradigm shift in US GARRISON: Crosses still adorn one wall of this former Roman Catholic monastery, but a 6-foot golden Buddha now anchors the main room. The meditation hall, also used as a meeting space, is where the luminaries of Buddhism in the West recently gathered to debate.

The issue they were facing had been percolating for years on blogs, in Buddhist magazines and on the sidelines of spiritual retreats. It often played out as a clash of elders versus young people, the preservers of spiritual depth versus the alleged purveyors of “Buddhism-lite.” Organizers of the gathering wanted the finger-pointing to end.

The future of American Buddhism was at stake, they said.

So on a sweltering day at the Garrison Institute, a Buddhist retreat overlooking the Hudson River, the baby boomers who had popularized the tradition in the West met with younger leaders to tackle their differences. “How can those of us who were pioneers in the ‘60s and ‘70s, support them without getting in their way and let them know that they have our blessings and support?”

said Jack Kornfield, a prominent Buddhist teacher who helped introduce mindfulness, or insight, meditation to the US four decades ago.

Buddhism in America is at a crossroads. The best-known Buddhist leaders, mostly white converts who emerged from the counterculture and protest movements of the Vietnam era, are nearing retirement or dying. Charlotte Joko Beck, a pioneer of Zen practice in America, passed away in June. The next generation of teachers is pushing in new directions, shaped by the do-it-yourself ethos of the Internet age and a desire to make Buddhism more accessible.

Informal study groups are in; organizing around a single teacher is out. Unsettled elders worry that the changes could go too far and lose touch with tradition.

“It seems to be one of the facts of life right now, not only in Buddhism, but in religion in general: it’s about mixing and matching,” said Zoketsu Norman Fischer, a longtime Zen priest, scholar and poet affiliated with the San Francisco Zen Center. “The freedom people feel that they have to experiment; how do you

prevent that from becoming consumerist or completely superficial or dangerous?” It is a complex problem for a spiritual path with no ultimate worldwide authority such as a pope.

Within the United States, Buddhism is even more decentralized. Practices and beliefs that had developed in isolation from each other for centuries around Asia are side-by-side in North America, leading to sampling from different traditions. In Asia, monastics generally lead Buddhism in roles shaped partly by their monarchical societies; in the US, the teachers are mostly lay people. Beyond the Dalai Lama, Buddhism is best known in the United States not for any particular clergyman, ritual or liturgy, but through mindfulness-based stress reduction, which adapts strategies from vipassana, or insight meditation. Yet, a vein of conservatism runs through American Buddhist communities.

Many American Buddhist pioneers spent a decade or more studying with masters in Thailand, India, Burma and Nepal before returning home to take on students. On their Web sites, US teachers

post photos of themselves as young women in saris, or young men draped in robes, their heads cleanly shaven, on the steps of overseas monasteries. They are handing over leadership to the first convert Buddhist generation that was trained almost entirely in the West.

“The prior generation was modeled after the monastic model, where the old guy was the abbot,” said the Rev Jay Rinsen Weik, a recently ordained Zen priest, who leads the Toledo Zen Center in Ohio with his wife, Karen, also a Zen priest. “The last generation suffered from not being able to distinguish the personality of the guy and his dharma (teachings).” At Weik’s center in Toledo, he said, “people would never make that mistake,” because they are not conditioned to defer to one revered teacher.

For younger Americans, spending several years cloistered abroad, absorbing the cultural traditions of another country, seems not only unnecessary but counterproductive for reaching Westerners. Spring Washam, 37, a founding teacher of the East Bay Meditation Center in Oakland, California, which has

brought Buddhism to poorer, more diverse neighborhoods, said the attendees at her center want support, connection and friendship. “These people want to be happy in their lives,” Washam said. “They’re not going to be monastics.”

One of the most startling developments for elders has been the formation of the Dharma Punx, who participated in the conference. The relatively new, popular movement mixes punk rockinspired rebellion and Buddhism, seeing both as seeking freedom from suffering.

Amid the grey hair and muted clothes of the attendees, the Dharma Punx stood out, with their tattoo-covered arms and T- shirts the bright orange color of traffic cones. The movement emerged from the work of Noah Levine, the son of American Buddhist author Stephen Levine. The younger Levine rediscovered Buddhism after a troubled youth; he and his colleagues have built a reputation for successfully bringing Buddhist practices into juvenile detention centers, a sign of the social activism that young Buddhists tie to their meditation practice.—AP

Casey Anthony lies low on first day of freedom ‘She is safer in jail than she is out here’

SAN DIEGO: This photo family released shows 6-year-old Max Shacknai. — AP

California CEO’s son, 6, dies after fall in mansion SAN DIEGO: The 6-year-old son of a pharmaceutical company executive died Sunday, almost a week after falling down the stairs at his father’s historic mansion — the same house where his father’s girlfriend was found dead hanging nude from a balcony two days later, the boy’s parents said. Max Shacknai died at Rady’s Children’s Hospital in San Diego, Medicis Pharmaceuticals, Inc. chairman and chief executive Jonah Shacknai said in a statement along with ex-wife Dina Romano, the boy’s mother.

“With great sadness, Dina and I convey the tragic passing of our beloved son, Max (affectionately known as Maxie),” the statement issued through Medicis Pharmaceuticals said. “Despite heroic efforts on the part of paramedics and hospital staff, he was unable to recover from the injuries suffered early last week. His loving, kind and vibrant spirit will be forever in our hearts and those whom he touched every day.” On Monday, Max fell down the stairs at the historic Spreckels mansion in Coronado in what police called a tragic accident. He was not breathing and did not have a pulse when paramedics found him.

On Wednesday, officials said Shacknai’s 32-year-old girlfriend, Rebecca Nalepa, was found dead hanging nude from a balcony at the mansion, her hands and feet bound.

Shacknai’s brother, Adam, who was staying in the mansion guesthouse, called to report Nalepa appeared to be dead, police said.

Jonah Shacknai was not at home.

Sheriff’s Capt Tim Curran has called the death “very bizarre.” Sheriff’s investigators said last week they have not established any connection between the two deaths, and have not determined if Nalepa was a crime victim and have made no arrests. They said they have not ruled out suicide. Phone messages left late Sunday with sheriff’s homicide investigators were not immediately returned.

The 27-room Spreckels mansion was built in 1908 in the wealthy seaside suburb of about 24,000 people on San Diego Bay. It is named for its original owner John D Spreckels, who also owned the majestic Hotel del Coronado and two local newspapers, the San Diego Union and San Diego Tribune. Coronado had just one homicide last year, and the police department asked the sheriff’s department to help with the investigation.

Jonah Shacknai, 54, founded Medicis, based in Scottsdale, Ariz., and has been chairman and CEO since 1988. The company’s products include acne treatments Solodyn and Ziana and facial wrinkle treatment Restylane and Dysport, an increasingly popular competitor of Botox. Shacknai bought the mansion in 2007 after agreeing with historic preservation officials that he would not make major changes to it, the San Diego Union-Tribune said. He has been twice married and twice divorced, and has two other children aged 13 and 14, the newspaper said.

Shacknai and Romano, his second wife, divorced in 2008. – AP

Chavez to run in 2012 CARACAS: There is “no doubt” Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez will run for re-election next year despite returning to Cuba for more treatment after cancer surgery, the OPEC-member nation’s finance minister said yesterday.

The political situation in South America’s biggest oil exporter has been rocked by Chavez’s announcement that he had an operation in Havana last month to remove a baseball-sized tumor.

Before flying back to Cuba on Saturday for chemotherapy, the 56-yearold said doctors had found no malignant cells in his body after the surgery.

But his illness has raised doubts about his fitness to govern the country of 29 million people. “I think there is no doubt the president will be present at the 2012 elections and then for many more years,” Finance Minister Jorge Giordani said in an interview with state TV. Chavez has resisted opposition demands to hand over the presidency temporarily during his absence abroad.

Instead, the socialist leader has delegated some powers, including budgetar y matters, to Giordani and Vice President Elias Jaua. Chavez, whose charisma and image of invincibility have helped him win numerous ballots, is visibly weakened as he plans his

re-election campaign.

He has not said what type of cancer he has, nor exactly how long he will be out of the country this time. He said on Saturday he would be ready to fly home again “in a few days.” His comments over the weekend would indicate that the cancer has not spread to other parts of the body and thus become more dangerous and difficult to treat. One source close to Chavez ’s medical team in Venezuela has told Reuters he is suffering from colon cancer that could require months of chemotherapy. That has not been confirmed.

Opposition politicians say his absence from Venezuela while he is in Havana as the guest of former Cuban leader Fidel Castro, his friend and political mentor, puts the country’s security at risk. Since taking office in 1999, Chavez has been known for his frequent taunting of the United States, aggressive takeovers in Venezuela’s vital oil sector and nationalizations of large swathes of its economy. Chavez had been warming up to run for another sixyear term in next year’s polls when his illness struck. He is still the only declared candidate for the election. But questions are inevitably being asked about his condition. — Reuters

ORLANDO: This is what freedom looks like for Casey Anthony: $537.68 from her jail account, no job, estranged parents, a criminal record, lawsuits pending against her and the scorn of multitudes who think she got away with murder. The 25-year-old woman, who had spent years in the spotlight’s glare including two months of nationally televised trial proceedings, quickly gave reporters the slip after walking out of jail just after midnight Sunday. But whatever life she manages to build for herself will be lived under a media microscope and the shadow of countless threats. Experts who have helped other notorious defendants through rough times say she will have opportunities as well, but it won’t be easy for the 25-year-old, who was found not guilty of killing her 2-year-old daughter, Caylee, but convicted of lying to investigators.

With her hair in a bun, Casey Anthony walked out the front door of an Orlando-area jail shortly after midnight, wearing a pink T-shirt, blue jeans and sneakers, and escorted by sheriff’s deputies holding semi-automatic rifles. Protesters shouted “baby killer” and “you suck” as she climbed into an SUV. The vehicle sped away and darted into a parking garage at a building where one of her attorneys has offices.

Where she went next is unknown. Soon after her release, there was police activity at Orlando Executive Airport as two vehicles pulled up to a twin-engine private jet bound for Columbus, Ohio, but no one saw Anthony get out and onto the plane.

Ohio is the home state of Anthony’s parents, but an official at the Columbus airport said the aircraft was only carrying golfers back from a Florida vacation.

“Casey is in good hands,” said Todd Macaluso, a former member of Anthony’s defense team who declined to comment further.

Her lead attorney, Jose Baez, did not respond Sunday to email and phone messages left by The Associated Press, nor did other lawyers on her defense team and those representing her father and mother. Another former Anthony lawyer, Terry Lenamon, said he had no clue where she was headed, and that probably only a few people close to her knew. “I wouldn’t want anyone to know,” he said. “I think she needs to go underground and I think she needs to spend some time to get her life back together.” Anthony’s July 5 acquittal shocked and enraged many around the country who had been following the case since Caylee’s 2008 disappearance. Anger has spilled onto social media sites and elsewhere. Her legal team said on Friday it had received an emailed death threat with a manipulated photo showing their client with a bullet hole in her forehead.

Anthony did not report her daughter’s disappearance for a month and was arrested after telling a string of lies about the case to police. Caylee’s remains were found in December 2008 near the home Casey Anthony shared with her parents.

Prosecutors alleged that Anthony suffocated her daughter with duct tape because motherhood interfered with her desire for a carefree life, but her lawyers said the girl drowned in an accident that snowballed out of control.

Some of the jurors who acquitted Anthony said

ORLANDO: Casey Anthony (center) walks to a SUV with her lawyer Jose Baez after her release from the Orange County Jail, early Sunday, July 17, 2011. — AP they believe she bears some responsibility for her daughter’s death but that prosecutors failed to prove that she murdered the child. The jury convicted her on four counts of lying to investigators looking into her daughter’s disappearance. Anthony had remained in jail to finish the four-year sentence she was given for making false statements to investigators, including an early claim that Caylee was kidnapped by a nonesistent 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.

Her public vilification did not ease with her release from jail. “A baby killer was just set free!” Bree Thornton, 39, shouted as the SUV left the jail. “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.” It won’t be impossible for Anthony to get a fresh start, though it will be difficult, said Los Angeles-based attorney Thomas Mesereau. His clients have included the late singer Michael Jackson when he was charged with child molestation and actor Robert Blake when he was charged with murdering his wife.

Anthony could accept requests for paid interviews, or a benefactor may be able to help her in the short term, Mesereau said. “When you have that degree of celebrity, there is usually somebody who would like to get involved,” Mesereau said. “The problem is trusting anyone. People are willing to leak things to the media. They’re willing to be paid off for information. It’s very difficult to find people whom you can trust.” As of Sunday, though, those closest to her had revealed little about her future plans. Baez said in a brief statement only that he hoped Anthony could “receive the counseling and treatment she needs to move forward with the rest

of her life.”

Other attorneys on her defense team have not hinted at where she might go, and neither have her parents, whose relationship with Casey Anthony is strained. During trial, Anthony’s defense attorneys argued that her father, George Anthony, molested Casey as a child and covered up Caylee’s death. He has denied both claims, and neither has been substantiated.

What is known is that Casey Anthony still faces a slew of legal problems even though the criminal charges have been resolved. She has been sued for hundreds of thousands of dollars by a Texas group that searched for Caylee in the weeks after she was reported missing, and prosecutors are seeking to recoup the cost of their investigation into Caylee’s disappearance. Anthony also is being sued for defamation by a woman named Zenaida Gonzalez who claims she has been harassed and unable to find work after Anthony said a baby sitter with her name kidnapped Caylee. Gonzalez’s attorneys had wanted to depose Anthony before she left jail, but the deposition was rescheduled for October.

Any of those civil cases could put a major dent in any money Anthony receives for writing a book, signing a movie deal or doing interviews. Anthony is broke, and her defense team was paid for with taxpayers’ money after $200,000 she received from ABC News was spent. Several book publishers contacted

by The Associated Press said they knew of no memoir that was being shopped around and consider her too tainted to sign a deal. Anthony could avoid the potential liability of hundreds of thousands of dollars from the lawsuits by filing for bankruptcy, though plaintiffs would probably attempt to keep her on the hook for damages if she signs lucrative deals after filing, said R. Scott Shuker, an Orlando bankruptcy attorney.—AP

Suspect in US soldier’s death eyes bigger stage

LITTLE ROCK: In this file photo, Abdulhakim Muhammad stands in a courtroom. — AP

LITTLE ROCK: When Abdulhakim Muhammad killed a soldier outside a recruiting station in Arkansas, he hoped the world would pay attention to the war he had declared on the United States. He took responsibility for the shooting, called it retaliation for US military action in the Middle East and claimed ties to Al-Qaeda.

But when Muhammad goes on trial this week in Little Rock, he won’t face any federal or terrorism charges. He complained he’s being treated like a common criminal, with a state trial on a capital murder charge. There will be no grand stage for him to express his political beliefs, and if convicted by the state rather than the federal government, he faces a much greater chance of execution.

The US has put three people to death since the federal death penalty was reinstated in 1988. Arkansas has executed 27 people in that time. “This case should be in federal or military court...” Muhammad, 26, objected in a letter to Circuit Judge Herbert Wright in May. “In my eyes it’s a sham trial set up only to make sure I’m handed down a death sentence.” Federal officials have mostly kept quiet about Muhammad’s case. The US attorney in Little Rock declined to comment. But one person in federal law enforcement, who spoke on con-

dition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak before the trial, said the Justice Department and FBI were interested in pursuing charges but allowed the state to proceed after extensive negotiations with Arkansas prosecutors. Death penalty issues aside, some say prosecuting Muhammad on a capital murder charge has the benefit of deflating his grandiose self-perceptions. “He wants to be perceived as a sort of foot soldier in this revolution against the United States,” said John DiPippa, law school dean for the University of Arkansas at Little Rock. “Trying him on the base crime of murder, you’re depriving him of even that recognition.”

Muhammad has confessed to The Associated Press, to the judge overseeing his case and to authorities, describing what he’d done and why. He tried to plead guilty in court, but Arkansas law doesn’t allow that in death penalty cases, lest the state grant a kind of suicide request. The judge told him he’d have to have a trial. Muhammad and others said he drove up to a military recruiting station in Little Rock in 2009, where two soldiers - Army Pvt William Andrew Long, 23, and Pvt. Quinton Ezeagwula, then 18 - were smoking cigarettes outside. —AP

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David Petraeus hands over command in Afghanistan Petraeus set to work with CIA KABUL: US General David Petraeus, Washington’s new intelligence chief, handed over command of US and NATO-led troops in Afghanistan yesterday, a day after a tentative start was made to a gradual process of transferring security to Afghan forces. Petraeus, credited with reversing a spiral towards civil war in Iraq, took over in Afghanistan on July 4, 2010, and is leaving the military to take over as director of the Central Intelligence Agency as part of a wider shake-up of senior US security officials.

MUMBAI: Indian bystanders gather near a bomb blast site at Opera House in Mumbai yesterday. Scores of diamonds have been found on the devastated streets of Mumbai’s precious stone trading hub which was targeted in last week’s triple bombing, an industry group said. —AFP

65 diamonds found in rubble in Mumbai MUMBAI: Rescue workers and police have plucked 65 diamonds from the debris-strewn streets of Mumbai’s precious stone hub that was targeted last week in deadly bomb blasts, an industry group said yesterday. Teams of workers made the discoveries while picking through rubble and panning muddy monsoon puddles in the Opera House area in the south of the city, one of three sites attacked on Wednesday in blasts that left 19 dead. The area is a maze of narrow streets housing wholesale and retail diamond outlets where couriers are seen on most days darting between shops transporting merchandise. “We have found 65 pieces,” said Jayesh Labdhi, a committee member of the Mumbai Diamond Merchants’ Association trade group.

“We will have a meeting... and they may be auctioned, which would help those who have been injured or lost their lives,” he told AFP. The diamonds, which are being kept with the association, have not yet been valued, Labdhi added.

Association’s president Bharat Shah, however, said many traders were likely to try to trace property lost in the blasts by identifying recovered stones via their description, colour, clarity and purity.

Sanjay Kothari, the vice-chairman of the Gem and Jewellery Export Promotion Council, said a decision had not been taken about auctioning the recovered diamonds but a meeting would be held in the coming days.

He said losses to traders due to the rush-hour blasts had been minimized because torrential rain had prompted many people to leave for home early, leaving fewer diamond couriers on the crowded streets. “Three or four people from our association died and about 40 others were injured. There wasn’t any

looting, apart from one fellow who took a diamond from the ground. The police caught him and he handed it back,” Shah added. Trading at Opera House and the bustling Zaveri Bazaar gold and jewellery quarter nearby resumed fully yesterday after an enforced shut-down last week, as fearful customers and traders stayed away.

No group has claimed responsibility for the attacks, which also hit the commercial and residential district of Dadar and were the first in the city since the November 2008 Islamist militant attacks that killed 166. Suspicion has fallen on the domestic Islamist group the Indian Mujahideen, which has said it was behind a string of bomb attacks across India in 2008, including in the capital New Delhi. Police have said they are making headway and have “good leads” in the case.

Two suspected members of the Indian Mujahideen, wanted for questioning by police over blasts in the western city of Ahmedabad in 2008 and who were arrested in Mumbai earlier this month, are among those who have been quizzed. Others include those with known links to the criminal underworld.

Detectives are said to be preparing a sketch of a suspect in the case, as they scramble for a breakthrough amid fears that the heavy rains that have lashed the city almost non-stop for a week may have washed away forensic clues.

Examinations of the sites have indicated that the bombs were detonated by timers and used ammonium nitrate, a fertilizer ingredient commonly used in improvised explosive devices. Work is also on to identify anyone seen behaving suspiciously on hours of grainy security camera footage taken from the blast sites. —AFP

Petraeus oversaw a “surge” of 30,000 extra US forces which helped stop the momentum of a growing insurgency, especially in the Taleban heartland in the south. However, despite gains in violent southern provinces during Petraeus’ year in charge, the Taleban-led insurgency is still far from quelled.

Violence across Afghanistan in 2010 hit its worst levels since the Taleban were ousted by US-led Afghan forces in 2001, with civilian and military casualties hitting record levels, and this year has followed a similar trend. “We should be clear-eyed about the challenges that lie ahead,” Petraeus said at a ceremony to mark the change of command of the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) to US Marine Corps General John Allen.

Underlining those challenges, ISAF said yesterday three of its troops had been killed by a homemade bomb in Afghanistan’s east, where some of the toughest fighting has taken place over the past year and where a fractured insurgency still rages. While some analysts have questioned the success of Petraeus’ muchvaunted counter-insurgency strategy in the face of rising violence, Allen vowed to press on but also warned of the challenges ahead. “It is my intention to maintain the momentum of this great campaign on which we have embarked,” Allen said. “There will be tough days ahead.”

KABUL: German Gen Wolf Langheld (left) Commander of NATO Allied Joint Forces hugs the US Gen David Petraeus the outgoing US and NATO led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) commander in Afghanistan during a changing of command ceremony yesterday. —AP

Transition On Sunday, ISAF handed security control over to Afghan forces in central Bamiyan province, marking the start of a gradual transition process that will end with all foreign combat troops leaving Afghanistan by the end of 2014. Bamiyan was the first of seven areas to be handed over during the first phase of transition.

Another district in eastern Laghman province will be handed over to Afghan forces today.

Lashkar Gah, the capital of volatile Helmand province and the most contentious

of the first seven areas, will be handed over tomorrow. “Our military presence will diminish, as it should, after 2014 but the partnership between our two nations will and must continue,” Admiral Mike Mullen, the chairman of the US Military’s Joint Chiefs of Staff, told the ceremony at ISAF headquarters in Kabul.

While foreign troops under Petraeus’ command made significant gains over the past year, the Taleban and other insurgents have still been able to launch attacks in major centres and the number of targeted killings of

More autonomy for ethnic Gorkhas

Taleban claim killing of crucial Karzai aide KABUL: The Taleban yesterday claimed the assassination of a senior adviser to the Afghan president, marring the start of transition to Afghan security control and the depar ture of US General David Petraeus. Jan Mohammad Khan, the former governor of southern Uruzgan province and a key ally of the embattled Hamid Karzai, was killed in a gun attack on his Kabul home, just days after the president’s younger brother was killed in the south. Khan died with an Uruzgan lawmaker in the four-hour raid, which the Afghan government said was carried out by two gunmen who were killed along with a policeman before the standoff ended in the early hours yesterday.

The president’s brother Ahmed Wali K arzai, the most power ful man in southern Afghanistan and a key US ally, was shot dead by a friend at his home in the southern province of Kandahar, also claimed by the Taleban.

A senior government official speaking anonymously told AFP that Khan’s death was a major blow for the USbacked leader. “He was very close to the president. His death is as important as Ahmad Wali Karzai’s death,” the official said.

The assassination overshadowed a ceremony held in central Bamyan province marking the start of the transition of security duties from NATO to Afghans, a process aimed at bringing all foreign combat troops home by 2014. K arzai’s spokesman Waheed Omer told a press conference the people and government of Afghanistan were “determined” that the transition process would be implemented despite the killings. Seven parts of the country will be formally transferred over a week, but analysts and parliamentarians have expressed grave doubts over the switch.

NATO has also playing down its significance amid widespread concerns over the ability of Afghan security forces to ward off the Taleban. Taleban spokesman, Zabihullah Mujahed, told AFP by telephone from an undisclosed location that the militia was responsible for Khan’s death. “We made him pay for his deeds,” he said. Siddiq Siddiqi, spokesman for the interior ministry,

told a press conference that Khan had no armed guards when attacked.

He said one of the assailants met Khan in his home earlier that day, pretending to come from Uruzgan, Khan’s home province, and asking for money to get back home. Siddiqi said Khan gave him about $60 for the trip. “Later the man returned with another man and killed Mr Khan,” he said. Police arrived, he added, killing one of the assailants while the other battled security forces for hours from a toilet in Khan’s big villa before he too was killed. The government has not identified the killers, calling them only the ubiquitous “enemies of Afghanistan” in a reference to insurgents.

Like K arzai, Khan hailed from a power ful family from the Popalzai tribe in Afghanistan’s restive south and had been given the role of senior adviser for tribal issues after being sacked from his governorship over corruption claims. Experts say Khan had a reputation for brutality and doubledealing with tribal rivals, falsely accusing some of being Taleban, and Dutch forces taking over Uruzgan operations in 2006 insisted on his removal as governor. Khan escaped an assassination attempt on August 4 last year when a motorcycle bomb exploded by his convoy in the southern province.

Analysts have already warned that the killing of Wali Karzai may trigger a turf war for control of the critical southern heartland that could embolden the Taleban and reverse NATO gains as Washington begins troop draw downs.

A ceremony was held on Sunday to mark the first of seven areas to pass control from foreign to local forces this week, and the killings are likely to fuel doubts about the readiness of Afghans to take care of the country.

With Western allies tiring of the long war, 33,000 US “surge” troops are to leave by the end of 2012. There are currently around 150,000 foreign troops in the country, including around 99,000 from the United States. Petraeus stepped down yesterday as the US commander in Afghanistan in order to head the CIA. He is replaced by John Allen, a general who made his name in the Iraq war by striking alliances with Sunni tribal leaders. —AFP

Afghan officials has grown significantly. Late on Sunday, gunmen killed an adviser to Afghan President Hamid Karzai and another Afghan lawmaker, days after Karzai’s halfbrother was assassinated in Kandahar province, the birthplace of the Taleban. Those killings have sent chilling warnings to political leaders about the reach of the Taleban, who have shown an ability to adapt their tactics even as their strength has been diminished.

Petraeus is expected to begin his new job at the CIA in September. —Reuters

SRINAGAR: Kashmiri government employees react as Indian police spray water cannon during a protest in Srinagar yesterday. Hundreds of demonstrators, some of whom were later arrested according to local reports, took to the streets to demand a pay rise. —AFP

Clinton heads to India after Mumbai blasts NEW DELHI: US Secretar y of State Hillary Clinton headed to India yesterday in the shadow of triple bomb blasts in Mumbai, with regional security as well as growing trade links high on the agenda. Clinton will hold “strategic dialogue” talks with leaders in New Delhi before heading south to Chennai, one of many Indian cities undergoing rapid expansion as the country’s economy opens up to foreign investment. Her arrival in India late yesterday comes after the blasts in Mumbai last week that killed 19 people and injured more than 130 in the latest reminder of the region’s struggle to crack down on terror attacks.

No one has claimed responsibility for the blasts, but relations between India and arch-rival Pak istan have been undermined in the past by militant strikes in India that the government blames on Pak istan-based groups.

Pakistan’s instability and the threat of the Taleban’s re - emergence in Afghanistan are likely to feature in Clinton’s discussions with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh today.

I ndia is war y of the planned US troop withdrawal from Afghanistan, fearing that Islamist elements within Pakistan could take advantage of a power vacuum in the war-torn country.

New Delhi broke off its peace process with Islamabad af ter the deadly November 2008 attacks on Mumbai, which were blamed on the Pakistanbased Lashkar-e-Taiba group. Robert Hathaway, director of the Asia programme at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars, said the latest attacks “will inevitably colour

Secretary Clinton’s visit.”

Clinton will also put much of the focus on her three-day trip on economic ties, which have been fast improving but which many see as yet to fulfil their potential. A landmark deal between the two countries in 2008 that allowed India to buy nuclear reactors and fuel was meant to lead to major contracts for US firms, but legal obstacles and uncertainty have undermined such hopes.

And the US was deeply disappointed in April when its bidders were dropped from the $12-billion competition to provide India with 126 combat aircraft, one of the largest militar y contracts of recent years. “The depth of the US-India Strategic Dialogue demonstrates the United States’ strong support for India as an important actor on the world stage,” a statement from Clinton’s office said before the visit.

It said that Chennai had been chosen for a stop as the city has become a centre of the international trade and investment “that is driving the US-India relationship.” Ahead of Clinton’s trip, which comes after President Barack Obama’s visit last year, Indian government spokesman Vishnu Prakash said that it was “no exaggeration to say that the relationship has got transformed in recent years.” He said that in 2010 bilateral trade increased by 30 percent to nearly $50 billion and that, including goods and services, the US was India’s largest business partner. Clinton, who was in Athens on Sunday to offer support for the Greek government as it tries to tackle its perilous and worsening debt crisis, is scheduled to head on to China, Hong Kong and Indonesia. —AFP

NEW DELHI: The government of the Indian state of West Bengal signed an agreement yesterday offering greater autonomy to the Gorkha ethnic group in hopes of ending their often violent agitation for a homeland in the Himalayan foothills. The agreement was negotiated by the newly elected government in West Bengal with the main Gorkha organization, Gorkha Janmukti Morcha, or Gorkha Peoples’ Freedom Front. However, it did not appear to go far enough for some activists who want a separate state carved out of West Bengal and have called a 48-hour strike in the area to protest the deal.

Gorkha nationalist leader Roshan Giri has said they have not abandoned the demand for a separate homeland but would wait for recommendations from a committee set up under the new accord. India’s Home Minister Palaniappan Chidambaram was present at a ceremony to mark the signing of the landmark accord in the hill town of Sukna, about 300 miles (480 kilometers) north of Kolkata, the capital of West Bengal. Tens of thousands of Gorkhas cheered and applauded as the deal was signed by representatives of the three sides. —AP

News

in brief

Indian waterfall deaths captured on camera NEW DELHI: An amateur cameraman captured five members of a family being swept away by flood waters at the weekend in a deadly accident at a waterfall in central India.

Local police officer P S Maravi said the holiday-makers were bathing below the 300-foot (90-metre) Patalpani waterfall in Madhya Pradesh state on Sunday when they were caught by a torrent of water. After hanging on to each other and clinging to support, they were swept away. Three were found dead, while two survived, the Press Trust of India news agency quoted officer Maravi as saying. Almost 200,000 people have been effected by flooding in the northeastern state of Assam and monsoon rains have created havoc in several other states including in Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtara and Uttar Pradesh. The footage can be seen at: http://www.ndtv.com/video/special/videosthat-will-make-your-pulse-race-506 .

Taleban release video showing execution ISLAMABAD: The Taleban have released a video showing the execution of more than a dozen Pakistani security forces in the northwest last month. The video, posted on the LiveLeak website showed the security forces, all wearing traditional baggy trousers and tunic, lined up before four militants with their faces covered. “They are enemies of the religion of God. They are apostates,” one of the militants shouted as the security forces looked on calmly. He also accused the security forces of “brutally” killing six children in the former Taleban stronghold of Swat in the northwest.

“They (security forces) were arrested in the operations,” the militant said before they opened fire on the soldiers. The soldiers cried out as they died. Later, one militant fired shots into the soldiers’ heads to ensure all were dead.

Pakistani army spokesman Major-General Athar Abbas said yesterday the security forces were captured during a crossborder raid by militants from Afghanistan in the northwestern Dir district on June 1. He gave no other details.

Pakistani government officials at the time said up to 400 militants crossed from Afghanistan and clashed for more than 24 hours in the village of Shaltalo in Dir. Twenty-seven Pakistani forces and 45 militants were killed in clashes, the officials said. Pakistani Taleban claimed responsibility for the attack. Pakistan later lodged a protest with Kabul over the attack and called for stern action by Afghan and US-led forces against the insurgents.

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7,500 quakes strike battered NZ town 23% chance of another big quake this year: Geologist

BEIJING: Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri Al-Maliki (left) accompanied by Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao arrives for a welcoming ceremony at the Great Hall of the People yesterday. — AP

Al-Maliki visits Beijing to meet Chinese leaders BEIJING: Iraq’s prime minister began his first official visit to China yesterday in a likely bid to attract more Chinese investment in the war-battered but oil-rich nation seeking international investments to fund reconstruction.

Nouri Al-Maliki was leading a high-level delegation on his visit to Beijing, where he was to hold talks with Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao yesterday and President Hu Jintao today.

During the rest of his visit that ends Thursday, he will also meet Chinese entrepreneurs and visit high-tech firms, the China Daily newspaper said.

The visit comes as cooperation between the countries has surged in recent years as China has emerged as one of the biggest economic beneficiaries of the 2003 US led invasion of Iraq, which Beijing opposed. While Western firms were largely subdued in their interest in Iraq’s recent oil auctions, China snapped up contracts, shrugging off the security risks and the country’s political instability for the promise of oil.

The state-run China National Petroleum Corp. last month started operations in the AlAhdab oil field in central Iraq, the first major new area to start oil production in the coun-

try in two decades, according to the China Daily. The site is expected to produce around 25,000 barrels of oil per day in the first three years, it said. The development of the 1 billion-barrel Al-Ahdab oil field was the result of a $3 billion pact in 2008, the first made by the new Iraqi government after the 2003 invasion and was the first Chinese-led oil deal. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Hong Lei said China and Iraq aim to develop economic cooperation and cultural exchanges. “China is ready to work with the international community and to continue to provide assistance for the Iraqi people to improve their livelihoods,” Hong said in remarks carried by the official Xinhua News Agency. China also agreed last year to write off 80 percent of Iraq’s debt, a move that could further push Chinese business interests in the country, the Iraqi government said in February last year. Iraq’s Saddam Hussein-era debt to China stood at $8.5 billion, it said then. The approximately 46,000 US troops remaining in Iraq are to depart by the end of 2011 under an agreement negotiated in 2008 by the Bush administration, which went to war in 2003 to topple Saddam Hussein’s government. — AP

UN court draws DMZ for Thai, Cambodia troops THE HAGUE: The UN’s highest court yesterday ordered troops from both Thailand and Cambodia to immediately withdraw military forces from disputed areas around a World Heritage temple straddling their border. The court drew a “provisional demilitarized zone” around the 1,000-year-old Preah Vihear temple that would push Thai troops back from positions they have long occupied and would see Cambodian armed forces leave the temple’s immediate vicinity. At least 20 people have died since 2008 in clashes between the two countries that continued as late as last April, when military commanders agreed to an oral cease-fire. By a vote of 11-5, the judges of the International Court of Justice went beyond Cambodia’s request to order Thai troops out of the area, and imposed restrictions on both armies and police forces.

It said it decided to intercede to avoid the risk of more clashes and further damage to the ancient Hindu shrine.

It also called on the two nations to allow officers from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations into the area to observe the cease-fire, which was called for by the UN Security Council last February. Both sides said they were satisfied with the decision. Thai Foreign Minister Kasit Piromya noted the court had declined Cambodia’s demand for a unilateral Thai pullback. A withdrawal of armed Cambodians from the temple complex “has been our consistent position,” he said outside the courtroom.

He said the decision is binding on both countries, and Thailand would abide by the ruling to withdraw forces and facilitate the observers’ deployment.Thailand also agreed to the court’s instruction to allow unhindered supplies to Cambodian civilian personnel at the temple complex, he said. Cambodian Foreign Minister Hor Namhong said the establishment of a demilitarized zone would mean “a permanent cease-fire. This is tantamount to a cessation of aggression” by

Thailand. He also voiced satisfaction with the dispatch of truce observers, which he said Cambodia had been seeking since last February.

In brief remarks to reporters, he made no reference to the demand for Cambodian troops to abandon the temple grounds. The court ruled in 1962 that Preah Vihear is in Cambodian territory, a judgment Thailand does not dispute. But the earlier ruling failed to draw definitive boundaries. Cambodia went to the UN tribunal for clarifications on “the meaning and scope” of the ruling.

Thailand argued that the court has no need to take further action.

The court said its ruling would not prejudice any final ruling on the where the border should fall. It could take the court many months or even years to reach that decision.

Fighting since 2008, when the shrine to the Hindu god Shiva was declared a World Heritage site, has driven tens of thousands of people from the area and wounded dozens, in addition to the score who have been killed.

A map of the demilitarized zone proscribed an area of several square kilometers, with Thai troops moving off a ridge line north of the temple and Cambodian forces moving across a deep valley south of the shrine.

Supplies to the temple would have to come via a road that Thailand claims runs through its territory. Preceding Thai elections earlier this month, border tensions in the area escalated, in part by pressure from influential Thai nationalist groups that have protested in Bangkok, urging the government to take back disputed territory. Hardcore nationalists insist the 1962 World Court ruling awarding the temple to Cambodia was unfair.

According to its World Heritage listing, the temple “is exceptional for the quality of its architecture, which is adapted to the natural environment and the religious function of the temple, as well as for the exceptional quality of its carved stone ornamentation.” — AP

MANILA: Filipinos ride a horse-drawn carriage loaded with pillow cases along a street yesterday. Carriages are still used as a means of transportation and is popular among tourists in the capital. — AP

CHRISTCHURCH: It’s been 10 months since the first big earthquake struck New Zealand’s secondlargest city. It’s been nearly five months since a far more devastating one killed 181 people and crippled the downtown. But it’s been just a few hours since yet another aftershock startled Christchurch residents during the night. “I stop breathing,” said Sheridan Cattermole, a bartender and a mom.

“I get pins and needles all over. I either freeze or run. I just want things to be back to what they were like this time last year. I had my vege garden, and my sunflowers.”

Seismologists have recorded 7,500 earthquakes in Christchurch since September - an average of more than 20 a day. The rumblings are rattling the psyche of the stillbattered city. They have left the land under thousands of homes unsafe to build on. Some people have left town entirely. Yet many have proven resilient, and some now see a reconstruction boom on the horizon. Christchurch is the disaster that the world forgot. When the deadly quake toppled the iconic Cathedral spire and flattened buildings in this city of 390,000, people around the globe paid attention. But two weeks later, the massive earthquake and tsunami that killed more than 20,000 in Japan took center stage.

In New Zealand, the events in Christchurch continue to reverberate. In a country of 4 million, the cost of the quakes - estimated at more than $12 billion - amounts to eight percent of the country’s annual economic output. Compare that to Hurricane Katrina, whose costs were less than 1 percent of US gross domestic product. Christchurch will likely eclipse the Japan disaster in cost per person. And nobody knows if the worst is over. Not even the experts. When Kevin Furlong, a professor of geosciences at Penn State University, came to Christchurch on a sabbatical last year, he thought he would be studying earthquakes in the abstract - not living through them.

The quakes in the city have not followed the classic pattern, he said.

Typically, a big quake hits and is followed by a series of ever-diminishing aftershocks. In Christchurch, the initial Sept 4 magnitude-7.0 quake didn’t cause widespread destruction because it was centered 30 miles (50 kilometers) west of the city, but it helped trigger at least two distinct new quakes on different fault lines, each with their own pattern of aftershocks. First came a deadly magnitude 6.1 quake on Feb 22, which was centered almost directly under a residential area and flattened buildings that had withstood the earlier quake. Then a 6.0 magnitude quake struck on June 13. Though no one died, it was a psychological blow to people trying to rebuild.

Earthquakes are maddeningly difficult to predict, Furlong said.

There’s no way of knowing whether there’s more to come, he said, though the odds improve with each

day that passes without a major event. New Zealand geologists estimated last week that there was a 23 percent chance another big quake would hit within a year, down from 30 percent last month. “I’ve become much more attuned to what the public wants to know: ‘When will it stop and why are we having them,’” Furlong said. “To be honest, it’s really frustrating. You just can’t answer those very appropriate first-order questions.”

That uncertainty is no comfort to people like Cattermole. She and her husband Pete, a cabinetmaker, and their three young children remained in their home in the working class suburb of Bexley long after most

and, with the sewer system broken, used a portable toilet on the street or a chemical toilet inside. “There’s so much stress around, you can just see it,” she said. They have since found a rental home and are moving out.

Their previous home was among more than 5,000 condemned by the New Zealand government last month because of liquefaction.

Most are in the city’s low-income eastern suburbs. Thousands more are likely to be condemned in what will force a major redesign of the suburbs. The government has offered to pay homeowners for their losses, but many, Cattermole included, fear they will be priced out of

When the city center reopens, fewer than half the buildings will remain. The new downtown is likely to be much lower. Christchurch residents appear to have little appetite for high-rises these days. “The magic number I’m hearing is three stories,” said Connal Townsend, chief executive of the Property Council of New Zealand, which represents commercial property owners. Around the country, building owners are bracing for big insurance premium increases, particularly for older structures, Townsend said.

Homeowners are also likely to see earthquake insurance rates climb significantly.

The Port of Christchurch in

CHRISTCHURCH: In this photo, an excavator works on clearing rubble. Christchurch is the disaster that the world forgot. — AP neighbors had left. As recently as late June, they were sleeping in the living room to escape the muck creeping through the walls and floor at the sunken rear of their home.

Their ruined possessions lay in a heap in the front yard, awaiting an insurance assessment.

All around, buckled homes sat abandoned atop a sea of mud and sand. A makeshift blue water pipe snaked along the sidewalk. The few who remained announced their presence with cardboard signs like the Cattermoles’: “3 Children & 2 Adults Still Here.” The problem: a phenomenon called liquefaction, when an earthquake forces underground water up through loose soil.

“It’s the same physics as quicksand,” Furlong said. “Whole acres turn into something of a liquid. Houses sink.

Water and mud jet up through the surface. You get cracks, sand volcanoes, flooding.”

He said that geologists are reassessing the importance of liquefaction after the devastating impact it has had on Christchurch.

Cattermole and her family endured long stretches without fresh water

new homes. “There’s a plentiful supply of Rolls Royce-priced sections, but they’re not affordable for people on Toyota Corolla incomes,” said Hugh Pavletich, a longtime Christchurch property developer and critic of the city’s land-use policies. City officials say they’re working hard to ensure there’s plenty of affordable new land for displaced residents. It’s hard to gauge what long-term effect the quakes will have. School enrollment is down about 7 percent - an indication of families leaving - and the economy is fragile. Retail sales are down about 11 percent from pre-earthquake levels, and unemployment claims are up about 14 percent. The center of the city remains off-limits behind chain-link fences and will stay that way for months, possibly years.

Demolition crews are planning to tear down about 1,000 hotels, office buildings and other unsafe structures. So far, they’ve taken down fewer than 150. City officials estimate it will take nine months just to demolish the 26-story Hotel Grand Chancellor, which has been teetering since February.

Lyttelton, which handles almost all the region’s freight, has been unable to secure any earthquake insurance since June. The port’s chief executive, Peter Davie, said he is essentially crossing his fingers, hoping that no more damaging quakes hit. Even the Christchurch City Council has been unable to secure new earthquake insurance for much of its infrastructure. Still, many are hoping that the billions of dollars flowing in from government and insurance payments will stoke a boom within a couple of years.

As the city looks to rebuild, Townsend said much will depend on the vision of city leaders: A bold reconstruction plan would inspire confidence and investment, while a second-rate one could scare away investors. Attention is turning to Roger Sutton, a former energy executive who took a pay cut in June to become the first Christchurch earthquake czar, with broad planning powers. Asked if he was worried whether new earthquakes could cause more damage, Sutton shook his head and said, “Hopefully, there’s not much more to break.” — AP

Australia govt ups rhetoric over Murdoch CANBERRA: Australia’s government accused a tabloid paper in Rupert Murdoch’s media empire yesterday of campaigning for “regime change”, as lawmakers weigh up a possible review of media laws in the wake of the worsening UK phone hacking scandal. Communications Minister Stephen Conroy, who for months has bristled at the minority government’s treatment

by Murdoch papers, accused the company’s Daily Telegraph tabloid of bias and trying to bring down ruling Labor, which relies on backing from Green and independent lawmakers to stay in power.

“It’s decided it wants to have an election.

Ignore the fact that we had an election nine or 10 months ago. Ignore the fact the Australian people put in place a parliament with a minority government,” an exasperated Conroy told Australian radio. “It has demanded that it knows best and that people should just fall into line with what the Daily Telegraph (says). It is just running a campaign on regime change,” he said.

Conroy’s comments follow similar accusations by Treasurer and Deputy Prime Minister Wayne Swan last week, as the Australian-born Murdoch flew to London to tackle the political storm over phone hacking at the News of the World paper. The influential Greens, who control the balance of power in Australia’s upper house since dead-heat elections last August, have for months accused News Corp’s Australian arm, News Ltd, of having a radical anti-government agenda. Greens Leader Bob Brown, who has labelled journalists working for New Ltd’s national broadsheet, The Australian, as “hate media”, called last week for a parliamentary inquiry into media laws in the wake of events in Britain, with Prime Minister Julia Gillard agreeing to discuss a review.

One of the independents who gives the government a one-seat lower house buffer, Rob Oakeshott, also accused News Ltd of running a

“malicious” campaign against him, prompted by his support for Gillard and key policies, including a controversial planned tax on carbon emissions now worrying voters. “I think it really raises the broader question of media in Australia generally, whether the market is big enough to have a couple of players dominating the marketplace,” Oakeshott told state broadcaster the ABC earlier this month.

News Ltd controls 70 percent of Australia’s newspaper readership market. Lawmakers will decide whether to support a review of media laws when parliament resumes in August, after the current winter break News Ltd chief John Hartigan denied last week that there was any widespread campaign against Labor, defending the company’s newspaper coverage as aggressive but fair. “We’re the only organization that really takes it up to the government, and also when they’re at record low levels of public support, I think that endears that sense that, ‘Hey, there’s one organization out to get us,’ rather than the performance of the party,” he told Australian television.

News Corp’s Australian shares tumbled more

than 7 percent to a two-year low yesterday, as the phone hacking scandal fallout worsened, before ending down 4.1 percent.

The group’s woes, which have received front page coverage in Australia, coincide with a decision by Gillard’s government to re-open a bitterly-fought tender involving Murdoch’s partowned Sky News for the country’s taxpayerfunded overseas TV service.

An independent panel set up to decide the A$223 million Australia Network tender unanimously backed Sky over the incumbent ABC, but was reportedly overruled by the government which decided to impose a new “national interest” test.

Conroy declined to comment on the confidential tender process, but said News Ltd’s antiLabor agenda had been obvious to senior ministers since executives attended a recent meeting at Murdoch’s US property at Carmel in California.

“This is a democracy. It is entitled to choose to go down the path it’s going, and equally people like myself and (Treasurer) Wayne Swan are entitled to point out their coverage is biased,” Conroy said. — Reuters

N Korea slams Obama-Dalai meeting SEOUL: North Korea yesterday lashed out at US President Barack Obama’s meeting with Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama calling it interference in China’s internal affairs. The Dalai Lama, who is branded a separatist by China, was in Washington from July 5 to 16 for meetings with US political leaders that included Obama, drawing condemnation from Beijing.

Obama welcomed the Dalai Lama to his residence, urging respect for human rights and cultural traditions in Tibet. China said it undermined relations between the world’s two largest economies. “The US has been continuing its anti-China scheme, interfering with China’s internal affairs by inviting the Dalai Lama and inciting Tibetan independence,” Rodong Sinmun, the North’s ruling-party newspaper, said in an editorial.

Such an act is breeding “discord” between China and the United States, it said. China is the North’s sole major ally and provides a crucial prop for its ailing economy. The newspaper also accused the Nobel Peace Prize laureate of trying to raise his personal profile and to win support for his so-called separatist movement by negotiating with senior US politicians. — AFP

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ne ws Post 9/11, biggest terror threat...

Continued from Page 1 a concern shared in other countries reliant on mass transit and viewed as enemies by terrorists.

The human toll - going back when the Aum Shinrikyo cult’s 1995 nerve gas attack killed 12 people and injured thousands in Tokyo’s subways - has already been devastating. In Madrid, Islamist militants set off 10 backpack bombs on the commuter rail network in 2004, killing 191 people and wounding more than 1,800; in London, another suicide bomb strike killed 52 commuters and injured 700 in the city’s deadliest attack since World War II; and earlier this year in Minsk, a remote-controlled bomb killed 12 people and wounded 200 in the city’s main subway station.

In New York, no one has pulled off an attack, but there have been plenty of scares. Last year, a homegrown AlQaeda operative, Najibullah Zazi, pleaded guilty to plotting a suicide bomb attack timed for rush hour to cause the most bloodshed. The former airport shuttle driver told a judge his plan was “to conduct a martyrdom operation on the subway lines in Manhattan as soon as the material was ready.” The NYPD also foiled a 2004 plot to bomb Manhattan’s Herald Square subway station. And there were reports in that Al-Qaeda considered a cyanide attack on the subway system in 2003.

New York’s subway system, the largest in the country, has more than 465 far-flung stations, most with multiple entrances, and 800 miles of track that would stretch to Chicago if laid end to end. Last year, it carried 5.2 million riders on the average weekday - well more than double the number of travelers who pass through US airports each day. “It’s really a potentially very vulnerable environment - one that you can’t totally protect,” said William Bratton, a Kroll security firm executive who’s headed New York and Los Angeles police departments and was chief of the New York City transit. “That’s the reality of it. ... It’s a unique challenge.”

Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly has said the NYPD tries to meet that challenge by going to “extraordinary lengths” in the subways each day “to make our presence seen and felt in different ways, giving would-be terrorists and common criminals cause to think twice”. “We have a lot of ground to cover,” he says. Pre-9/11, covering that ground meant mostly fighting conventional crime from robberies and assaults to fare beating and drug possession. Post, the department has asked its 2,500 uniformed and plainclothes transit officers to fight terror as well. Officers have been given training in how to spot terror suspects casing the subways. They’ve also been instructed to be on the alert for people walking in a stiff manner, sweating heavily and talking to themselves signs of a potential suicide bomber. The counter-terror arsenal includes more than 30 bomb-sniffing dogs; silent alarms and motion detectors intended to prevent tampering with ventilation systems to make a chemical or biological attack more lethal; and a vast system of security cameras wired with live feeds from Penn Station, Grand Central Terminal and Herald Square.

More new normal: Random bag checks - once challenged in court as a civil rights violation - are done tens of thousands of times each year in the subways with

barely any complaints. The department uses high-tech detection devices to screen riders for peroxides or nitrates common in homemade explosives, sometimes with the help of agents on loan from the Transportation Safety Administration. The security strategy also includes regular inspections of tunnels under the East River, and sending officers periodically onto subway cars, asking passengers to beware of suspicious package. The roving teams can calm commuters, discourage would-be attacks or disrupt plots already set in motion, police say.

Police rely on counterterrorism drills to stay sharp, said Shanley. One exercise involves having an undercover officer with a mock device, stashed in a backpack and emitting gamma rays, slip into the subway to test the ability to detect and neutralize a real radioactive threat. Above ground, NYPD analysts constantly mine for intelligence about potential plots that can dictate how it deploys forces. The department has dispatched detectives to Moscow, Madrid, London and Mumbai to see what lessons can be learned from overseas terror attacks.

London’s transit system has long been affected by the threat of bombs - there are no garbage bins on the subway or in train stations, for example, a legacy of the years when London was an IRA target. After the 2005 attack, the emergency services were criticized for lapses in their response - confusion, a shortage of first aid supplies and radios that did not work underground. Police have since been issued with digital radios capable of operating throughout the subway system.

The biggest change since the bombings has been the decision to equip some members of the British Transport Police officers who patrol the transit network with guns.

Most British police do not carry firearms. There also were intelligence lapses. Britain’s domestic intelligence service, MI5, had two of the London bombers under surveillance as part of an investigation into an earlier, foiled, bomb plot. They were never pursued because officials were overwhelmed with other threats perceived to be more serious. Home Secretary Theresa May, the government official responsible for MI5, said earlier this year that “a considerable number of improvements” had been put in place since 2005 but declined to give details for security reasons.

In Spain, the national rail company Renfe said security measures on that network have in fact been beefed up since the massacre. But it refused to give details, calling the issue confidential and sensitive. Another state-owned company, Adif, which manages Spain’s long-distance train stations, said it has assigned more guards at train stations and broadened use of closed-circuit security cameras. It also has sought more coordination with various national and local law enforcement agencies to identify threats.

The heightened security in subways has become second nature in New York, though fears persist. At Grand Central Terminal last week, 54-year-old consultant Robin Gant said the threat of terrorism still weighs on her 10 years after the Sept 11 attacks. But she wondered about how one can fairly point out who’s a threat. “I look at people and who’s to judge? You just never know who might be the one,” she said. “No matter how safe you feel, you’re always on yellow alert.” — AP

Saudi witchcraft unit breaks spell Continued from Page 1 Promotion of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice (CPV ), Saudi Arabia’s religious police.

“In accordance with our Islamic tradition we believe that magic really exists,” Abdullah Jaber, a political cartoonist at the Saudi daily AlJazirah, told The Media Line. “The fact that an official body, subordinate to the Saudi Ministry of Interior, has a unit to combat sorcery proves that the government recognizes this, like Muslims worldwide.” The unit is charged with apprehending sorcerers and reversing the detrimental effects of their spells. On the CPV website, a hotline encourages citizens across the kingdom to report cases of sorcery to local officials for immediate treatment.

In the case of the wolf’s head, the Anti-Witchcraft Unit in Tabouk was able to break the spell. The Saudi daily Okaz reported on Monday that the unknown family that had fallen victim to the spell had been “liberated from the jaws of the wolf.” The Anti-Witchcraft Unit was created in order to educate the public about the danger of sorcerers and “combat manifestations of polytheism and reliance on other gods,” the Saudi Press Agency (SPA) reported.

The belief in sorcery is so widespread in Saudi Arabia, that it is even used as a defense in criminal court cases. Last October, a judge accused of receiving bribes in a real-estate

project told a court in Madinah that he had been bewitched and is undergoing treatment by Quranic incantations, known as ruqiyah, a common remedy for the evil eye.

Jaber noted, however, that most sorcerers both inside and outside the kingdom were charlatans that take advantage of illiterate citizens who believed they were afflicted by the evil eye. He said that such beliefs were more prevalent among older, rural and often illiterate individuals than with younger, educated Saudis.

“A while ago my arm was hurt and I couldn’t draw,” the cartoonist said. “Many older people told me that I must have been afflicted by the evil eye and should be treated by a sheikh.” “It’s a matter of ignorance,” Jaber added. “If people were more educated they wouldn’t believe in this.”

The last time Saudi Arabia executed a convicted sorcerer was in late 2007, but this did not indicate the penalty has since been lifted, Cristoph Wilcke, a senior Middle East Researcher at Human Rights Watch and expert on Saudi Arabia, told The Media Line. Human Rights Watch had appealed King Abdullah in 2008 to halt the death sentence of Fawza Falih, a Saudi woman, on charges of witchcraft. The sentence was postponed, but Falih died in prison of ill health.

Saudi Arabia lacks a penal code, making court decisions on whether a given act constitutes witchcraft

completely dependent on the judge’s discretion, Human Rights Watch said. “We hear time and again of foreigners, such as Ethiopians or Nigerians, accused of sorcery in Saudi Arabia because of traditional practices from their countries of origin,” Wilcke said. “They are usually apprehended by the religious police, brought to court, and let off with a warning or lashes.”

In other cases, however, false accusations are made against foreign domestic workers in order to counter their charges of sexual harassment within a Saudi household. “They will often say that the [female] domestic worker bewitched the Saudi into falling in love with her,” Wilcke noted. Belief in sorcery is not necessarily more widespread in Saudi Arabia than in other Gulf countries, Wilcke added. Yesterday, the Emirati daily Al-Khaeej reported that Dubai police had arrested an Arab African national on charges of fraud and sorcery, after he charged 15,000 dirhams ($4,000) from a woman whose husband had left her, promising to bring him back using magic.

But the strictly orthodox brand of Islam practiced in Saudi Arabia, known as Wahhabism, did contribute to the country’s zero-tolerance policy on magic, Wilcke noted.

“Wahhabism believes in strict monotheism,” Wilcke said. “Sorcery is a way of praying to someone other than God.” — Media Line

MPs slam KU shenanigans Continued from Page 1 “More pressure is needed to have the university accept all those meeting the admission conditions,” he insisted.

Barrak said that admitting students according to previous years’ admission numbers rather than on the basis of their grades was a very serious problem. “It’s as if we’re telling students not to work hard to get high grades that won’t count for KU admission,” he asserted.

“I still remember when the sons of the late Amir Sheikh Jaber Al-Ahmed didn’t get adequate grades to be admitted to KU, he insisted on treating them equally with the rest of the people and they weren’t admitted,” the MP added, also questioning the prime minister’s ability to monitor the progress of any development plan projects whilst in Switzerland. Barrak suggested that in order to resolve the current problem, the university’s administrators should arrange for teaching staff to work extra hours until 8:00 pm in return for handsome bonuses.

Meanwhile, the chairman of the parliamentary edu-

cational committee, MP Jamaan Al-Harbash, warned of the consequences of the KU medical faculty’s decision to reject nine outstanding female students who wish to continue with their studies there, despite all nine being exemplary students who passed their first year finals with flying colors. “The faculty came up with a sudden decision refusing the students’ wish and transferring them to other faculties they don’t wish to attend merely because they were girls,” he asserted. “If we accept a reduction in the minimum grades [required by] male KU applicants, we must at the same time reject random decisions to reduce these grades once students have begun their university studies and gone through the first year.”

Harbash also questioned the premier’s and education minister’s silence over the issue despite the pleas of the students and their parents. The lawmaker threatened to raise the issue of what he described as arbitrarily taken decisions and violations at the KU faculty of medicine in parliament unless the problem is immediately resolved and the education minister lives up to his responsibilities.

CAIRO: An Egyptian man leaves a traditional lanterns shop yesterday. Egyptians shop for lanterns in preparation for the upcoming holy month of Ramadan to decorate their houses, shops and streets, giving Egypt colorful and distinguished Ramadan nights among the Islamic world. — AP

Another top UK policeman quits Continued from Page 1 “Assistant Commissioner John Yates has this afternoon indicated his intention to resign to the chair of the MPA (Metropolitan Police Authority),” said a Scotland Yard statement. “This has been accepted.”

Yates was one of the Met’s most senior officers and had responsibility for special operations. As the scandal kept scything through the heart of the British establishment, Cameron was forced to defend his own position after Stephenson took a swipe at his own decision to hire a former News of the World editor as his spokesman. Stephenson quit on Sunday over the force’s hiring of Neil Wallis - who was deputy to Cameron’s former media chief Andy Coulson at the tabloid - and over a spa break he accepted from a firm where Wallis was a consultant.

“I don’t believe the two situations are the same in any way, shape or form,” Cameron told a joint news conference in Pretoria with South African President Jacob Zuma when asked about the troubles at Scotland Yard. Coulson resigned from Downing Street in January and was arrested on July 8. Cameron had already cut short his trip to Africa from four days to two, and after demands from the opposition

Labour Party he said that he now wanted to delay parliament’s summer break for a day to give a statement to MPs. But Labour leader Ed Miliband piled pressure on Cameron - who has also faced criticism for his social contacts with Murdoch aides - by calling on the Conservative premier to apologise for hiring Coulson. “It is his failure to do that that now draws the sharp contrast between his actions and the honourable actions of Sir Paul Stephenson who resigned over the hiring of Mr Coulson’s deputy,” he said.

Rebekah Brooks, former chief executive of Murdoch’s British newspaper arm and editor of the News of the World when it allegedly hacked a teenage murder victim’s phone, was arrested on Sunday on suspicion of hacking and bribing police.

Her lawyer Stephen Parkinson said she was “not guilty of any criminal offence” and said Scotland Yard would have to account for the “enormous reputational damage” to the 43-year-old. He said she still planned to testify alongside the Australian-born Murdoch and his son James, who is chairman of his father’s British newspaper operation News International, before a committee of British lawmakers today.

At a previous hearing in 2003 the

flame-haired Brooks, the 10th person and most senior Murdoch aide to be arrested over the scandal, admitted the paper had made payments to police. An original police investigation into the tabloid in 2006 led to the jailing of its former royal editor and a private investigator, but it later emerged that thousands more celebrities, royals and even crime victims also had their voicemails targeted by alleged “industrial-scale” hacking.

Despite allegations that the Sunday paper had also paid police for information, Yates refused to reopen the investigation, but Scotland Yard finally decided to revive the probe in January this year. The chairman of a British parliamentary committee which grilled Yates last week told him his evidence had been “unconvincing”.

Senior police officers have since faced criticism for having a series of dinners with top News of the World executives.

Murdoch’s US-based News Corp is in crisis, having also had to abandon its bid for full control of pay-TV giant BSkyB and accept the resignations on Friday of Dow Jones chief Les Hinton, who had worked with him for 52 years. Shares in News Corp plummeted 5.82 percent in Australian trade yesterday. — AFP

30 killed in sectarian killing spree in Syria Continued from Page 1 Then shooting started and we did not know where it was coming from and people started dying from both sides.” Saleh said that residents of Homs blame Sunni and Alawite “thugs” for the violence. “This is very dangerous, we are trying to calm things down. Nobody in Homs accepts this, the people do not want these (sectarian) divisions,” he said.

Pro-government Alawite thugs called shabiha went on a rampage, another activist said, opening fire in predominantly Sunni neighborhoods of Homs. The dead included a 27-year-old mother of three, who was shot as she left her home, and a man in his 50s who was struck by a bullet on his balcony, a resident said.

“I was at the man’s funeral yesterday, all he did was go out on his balcony,” he said, adding that civilians have started setting up roadblocks to protect their neighborhoods. He spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of reprisals. Up to 40 shops were vandalized or burned, he said. “It was a catastrophe, the situation could easily have slipped out of control,” the resident said, adding the situation calmed down yesterday but tensions were high.

Sectarian warfare is among the most dire scenarios facing Syria. The country is home to more than 1 million refugees from neighboring Iraq, who serve as a clear testament to the dangers of regime collapse and fracture in a religiously divided society. They also see the seemingly intractable sectarian tensions in Lebanon as a cautionary tale. “The

Assad regime itself has a vested interest to portray the protest movement as one which is violent led by criminals, terrorists and by external actors,” said Anthony Skinner, associate director at Maplecroft, a Britishbased risk analysis company. “This is potentially an issue that Assad can manipulate to try and divide the momentum that we have seen building up,” he said.

The Assad regime has long held together a fragile jigsaw puzzle of Middle Eastern backgrounds Sunnis, Shiites, Alawites, Christians, Kurds, Druse, Circassians, Armenians and more. An offshoot of Shiism, the Alawite sect represents about 11 percent of the population in Syria.

The sect’s longtime dominance has bred seething resentments, which Assad has worked to tamp down by enforcing a strictly secular identity in Syria.

But now, Assad is relying heavily on his Alawite power base to crush the uprising, par ticularly amid rumors that Sunni army conscripts have been refusing to fire on civilians. He has tried to dampen enthusiasm for the revolt by blaming the unrest on “armed gangs” and a foreign plot to sow sectarian strife. Minority groups have been receptive to Assad’s argument that only his regime can guarantee law and order, in part because they fear being marginalized if the Sunni majority takes over.

In part due to the shabiha’s role in the crackdown, Syria’s sectarian tensions have been laid bare for the first time in decades - a taboo subject because of the Assad fami-

ly’s 40-year dynasty of minority rule. Assad’s father and predecessor crushed a Sunni uprising in 1982, shelling the town of Hama and killing tens of thousands in a massacre that is seared into the minds of Syrians. Yesterday, the Interior Ministry said it will deal firmly with “terrorist groups” and armed gunmen who are carrying out terrorist acts and torching private and public property.

Human rights group say more than 1,600 people, most of them unarmed civilians, have been killed in Assad’s crackdown on a largely peaceful protest movement. The government disputes that toll and blames the unrest on gunmen and religious extremists looking to stir up sectarian strife. Some 350 soldiers and policemen also are believed to have died in the unrest. The Syrian Observatory for Human R ights and Saleh, the Homs activist, put the death toll in Homs at 30 and said they have the names of the victims. But another activist in Homs said he’s not certain if the death toll was as high as 30 and said the number could be lower.

Also yesterday, Syria’s pro-government Al-Watan newspaper said that the Qatari embassy in Damascus has suspended operations because of recent protests outside the embassy against AlJazeera’s coverage of the Syrian uprising. Al-Jazeera is based in Qatar. Syria accuses Al-Jazeera and other media of incitement and fabricating events in their coverage of the protests. — Agencies

14

TUESDAY, JULY 19, 2011

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Issues

Blogging for change in Palestine

By Ziad Khalil Abu Zayyad was born in Jerusalem in the 1980s into the reality of occupation. My father had been politically active in the 1970s and my uncle is a former cabinet minister.

As for myself, during my teenage years I became head of my high school union, which joined other Palestinian movements struggling against occupation. I lost close friends to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict that is unfortunately still on-going.

With time, I felt that my activism wasn’t enough. We were not reaching the other side, or getting our message out to the rest of the world. I felt the need to do something that could contribute more substantially to ending the suffering of my people and reaching peace with our neighbours. I also felt that we needed to bring about change within the Palestinian community that would deepen our commitment to democratic values and cultivate effective tools in our efforts to bring about an end to the occupation of our lands.

Four years ago I began writing emails to friends and acquaintances that seemed interested in my views about what was happening in Israel and Palestine. I analysed the political and social events that were unfolding around me and also articulated ideas for a long-term solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict that has been so costly for both sides. As a result of these emails and the attention they garnered, in 2007 I founded the Middle East Post (MEP) Blog to give young people from across the Middle East the chance to share their perspectives on political and social issues. I believe that everyone in this region has the right to be heard about the conflict provided that they aim to bring about a better understanding of our reality and promote a fair solution. I found that mainstream media outlets, whether Palestinian or Israeli, did not offer an opportunity for young Israelis or Palestinians to express their feelings or invest in a process of change. It was a difficult decision, but I decided that the blog would be open to anyone regardless of who they were and what kind of political background they came from.

I felt strongly about the need to communicate the Palestinian cause to Israelis and the rest of world so they could gain a more vivid picture of the reality that Palestinians live in. At the same time, I also wanted to offer the opportunity for Israelis to publish on the website, regardless of their views, in the belief that Palestinians need to hear from “ordinary” young Israelis, not just media pundits or politicians.

MEP went through some challenging times. During the war in Gaza in 2008, for example, the discussions on MEP between Israelis, Palestinians and internationals were very heated. One commentator wrote with outrage about the civilian victims in Gaza, while another talked about the Israelis of Sderot who were subject to missile attacks. Some of the comments on these articles were harsh, but what mattered to me most was the fact that communication was taking place between Israelis and Palestinians at a time when mainstream media outlets were not giving voice to people from the other side.

My writings in MEP helped me forge many important relationships. Through it I developed a network of writers and friends from all around the world. It also became a source of opinion and news for people who are interested in reading a variety of different perspectives about the conflict and other events in the region.

Beyond the virtual world, I also use social media to generate participation in real world events. Last year I was elected as head of the Watan Student Movement that worked to create a union among Palestinian students at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, encouraging them to stay away from political extremism. Using social media we succeeded in bringing more than 1,200 Arab students to a conference which called for greater unity in our socially and politically fragmented society. I believe that writing and talking can bring real change to the political and social conditions of the Palestinian community. It seems difficult or even futile sometimes but we learn from history that only through determination and real passion can we succeed in achieving change. Our leaders may have failed so far in reaching a solution, and maybe we will too, but I feel that every word we write is a step forward towards achieving freedom for ourselves and peace with our neighbours.

I

NOTE: Ziad Khalil Abu Zayyad is Founder of the Middle East Post and President of the Watan Student Movement. — CGNews

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.

Tables turn on Murdoch

By Michael Liedtke

o his many enemies, Rupert Murdoch is getting his comeuppance. Murdoch’s tabloid newspapers long have reveled in the misdeeds of others with salacious photos and punpacked headlines. Now, one of the world’s most powerful media executives is learning what it’s like to be enveloped in his own scandal. “There is a feeling that Murdoch has been king of the world for too long and it’s about time that somebody brought him back to Earth,” says Mungo MacCallum, a political journalist and commentator who once worked for a Murdoch-owned newspaper, The Australian.

But no one is calling press conferences to gloat about Murdoch’s troubles. Even his bitterest media rivals are keeping quiet. Liberty Media chief John Malone, who engaged in media-mogul head butting with Murdoch over his stake in Murdoch’s News Corp. and other issues, did not respond to AP requests for comment. CNN founder Ted Turner, who once challenged Murdoch to a boxing match in Las Vegas, was unavailable, according to a spokesman. New York Daily News Publisher Mort Zuckerman, whose tabloid fights every day for dominance with Murdoch’s New York Post also did not return a message seeking comment. It’s hardly surprising. Despite a scandal that has claimed two of his top executives and prompted him to close his 168year-old UK tabloid News of the World, Murdoch still runs News Corp., one of the world’s most imposing media empires. But others aren’t as charitable.

In recent days, the 80-year-old Murdoch has drawn comparisons to a cruel monarch, Richard Nixon, even the devil. The scandal centers on revelations that journalists at News of the World gathered information through illegal phone hacking and bribing police officers for information. Last week, he closed the tabloid and withdrew a hard-fought bid for 100 percent ownership of prized satellite TV carrier British Sky Broadcasting. He even met with and apologized to the family of a missing, murdered girl whose phone was hacked by U.K. journalists even as police searched for her. On Friday, he accepted resignations from two top News Corp executives: Rebekah Brooks, who ran News International, the British arm of News Corp, and Wall Street Journal publisher and Dow Jones & Co CEO Les Hinton, who used to run the same British unit as Brooks. The unfolding saga threatens to expose Murdoch and his company to further scorn and legal troubles.

News Corp stock has shed billions of dollars in value in the last two weeks. A criminal investigation is under way in Britain and an FBI inquiry has begun in the US, where the company’s holdings include the nation’s largest newspaper, The Wall Street Journal, the New York Post, the Fox TV network and the 20th Century Fox movie studio.

For now, Murdoch’s job as News Corp’s CEO is secure because he controls 40 percent of the company’s voting stock through a family trust and the board is stacked with directors that shareholder activists have long criticized as his cronies. He also remains one of the world’s richest people, although a fortune pegged at $7.6 billion in March by Forbes magazine has been clipped by a 13 percent decline in News Corp.’s stock during the past two weeks.

But the British lawmakers who have traditionally supported Murdoch rather than risk being pilloried in his newspapers no longer seem to be in his corner because their fear of retaliation is fading. He will surely face tough questions Tuesday when he appears before a Parliament committee eager to grill him about the phone hacking and bribery allegations. “All the powerful allies that used to help him, either publicly or behind the scenes, have faded to the sidelines,” says Eric Boehlert, a senior fel-

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low at Media Matters, a liberal group that frequently criticizes Fox News for what it says is biased and inaccurate reporting. “He is on his own, and he is in over his head.”

Boehlert likened the crisis and widespread antipathy surrounding Murdoch to the unraveling of Richard Nixon’s presidency in 1974 as details of the Watergate cover-up were revealed. Like Nixon then, Murdoch is in “free-fall mode. There is nothing he can do to stop this story,” Boehlert says. The lack of control over the situation seemingly bothers the notoriously autocratic Murdoch, who told The Wall Street Journal on Thursday that he was “getting annoyed” with the media’s unrelenting coverage of the scandal.

If the scandal widens, newspaper analyst Ken Doctor believes Murdoch eventually will have to step down as CEO, though he could still retain the chairman’s title. Disgraced newspaper publisher Conrad Black, whose former ownership of The Daily Telegraph turned him into a bitter Murdoch rival, thinks his old foe is more like another polarizing historical figure - French emperor Napoleon

Bonaparte. Like Napoleon, Murdoch is a “great bad man,” Black wrote in a column Wednesday for the Financial Times. “It is as wrong to dispute his greatness as his badness.”

Black, who was convicted of fraud in 2007 and still has some prison time to serve, wrote that it would be “astonishing” if Murdoch’s British newspapers didn’t commit crimes while “reveling in the climate of immunity that has been the group’s modus operandi for decades.” Although he stopped short of calling him a crook, Black lambasted Murdoch as

an “an exploiter of the discomfort of others” and “a malicious myth-maker, an assassin of the dignity of others and of respected institutions, all in the guise of anti-elitism.”

The criticism exemplifies Britain’s widespread antipathy toward Murdoch, says Porter Bibb, a former media executive and now managing partner of advisory firm Mediatech Capital Partners. “The people who are gloating now are much more in the UK,” Bibb says. “He’s really browbeaten the competition, most specifically the politicians.”

Murdoch also is despised by union workers, who still remember how he used a new printing plant to foil a printers’ strike in the gritty London district of Wapping in 1986 and 1987. Nic Oatridge, who lived in the area, recalls seeing police regularly harass and arrest picketers while making sure delivery trucks got into and out of the printing plant. That fed his suspicions that the police were in Murdoch’s pocket. “I’m pleased he’s been exposed,” Oatridge, 55, says. “Something we’ve always believed was going on 25 years ago is finally going to be visible.”

In the US, much of the ill will toward Murdoch has stemmed from the belief that he uses his media properties, especially the Fox News cable channel, to promote a conservative political agenda. “ There is essentially a partisan reaction against Murdoch and his use of right-wing politics,” Doctor, the newspaper analyst, says. Fox News isn’t covering Murdoch’s scandal as aggressively as other outlets.

From July 4 through July 13, Fox aired 30 segments about the story, according to an analysis by Media Matters.

Rival CNN showed 109 segments and MSNBC 71.

When Murdoch bought Dow Jones, parent company of the Wall Street Journal, for $5.7 billion in 2007, there were fears the Journal’s quality would deteriorate. But Paul Steiger, who left as the Journal’s top editor shortly after the acquisition was completed and started a non-profit journalism service called ProPublica, credits News Corp for investing in the newspaper to maintain its quality and increase its circulation. “The hacking scandal in London makes me very sad, for the impact it may have on journalism in general,” Steiger wrote in an email to The Associated Press. “But I see no evidence it has affected the Journal.”

Even so, some members of the family in control of the company that sold the Journal to Murdoch seized on the scandal to express seller’s remorse. “We did a deal with the devil and it really saddens me,” one of the family members, Bill Cox III, wrote in an email excerpt published by ProPublica on July 13.

Hinton, 67, became the first of Murdoch’s US executives swept out in the scandal. He resigned Friday from his post as CEO of Dow Jones & Co and publisher of The Wall Street Journal, ending a 52-year career working for Murdoch. Hinton was executive chairman of the division that included News of the World during some of the years in which the phone hacking occurred. He had assured British parliament in 2007 and 2009 that the hacking had been limited to a rogue reporter, an assertion that proved to be untrue. Hinton joined AP’s board of directors in April. In his resignation statement, Hinton said he never knew about the rampant hacking at the British tabloid.

MacCallum, the former reporter for The Australian newspaper, finds it hard to believe News Corp. executives weren’t aware of what was going on at News of the World. “In the Murdoch organization, everybody knew what was going on,” he says.

Yet he doubts Murdoch himself would condone something as underhanded as phone hacking.

“Murdoch’s never been a devious back-stabbing operator,” MacCallum says. “If he came after you, you knew he was coming after you.” — AP

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TUESDAY, JULY 19, 2011

a na ly s i s

Focus

An $8 life in Egypt

By Marjorie Olster he sun was already searing the pavement on the early June morning when Mariam Hawas and her co-workers from the garment factory descended on the bank. The bank employees knew why they’d come and rushed to bolt the doors. The roughly 100 workers, most of them women, were looking for unpaid back wages from the United Bank in the city of Mansoura, until recently the largest shareholder in their factory. Labor protests like this are sweeping across Egypt after the uprising in January, as workers scramble to right decades of economic injustice.

Hawas, a 44-year-old mother of three, was hoping to collect her monthly salary from April - 300 pounds ($50). But as the workers pounded on the doors, the bank employees responded with taunts from inside their air-conditioned offices. “You can knock from now until next year,” one jeered. “Go and block traffic in the streets if you want your rights,” said another.

And so they did.

Traffic was snarled, temperatures and tempers were rising. A truck driver climbed out to see what the commotion was about, and a frustrated policeman directing traffic goaded him on. “Run them over.

The blood money for each one is 50 pounds ($8),” the policeman said, according to several factory workers who witnessed the scene. The driver climbed back into the cab of his truck. The engine revved, once, then a second time. On the third time, the truck lurched forward.

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••••••••••••••••••••••••• Egyptians have long complained that the cheapest thing in this country is their lives. Under the former regime, wages in the public sector - the single largest employer - were miserably low and the already vast gap between rich and poor only widened. The public sector minimum wage stood at about 300 pounds ($50) per month, including standard bonuses. While the cost of living soared, unemployment spread like an incurable disease. The hundreds of thousands of new entrants into the job market far eclipsed the number of jobs created in this nation of 80 million.

Poverty was a key catalyst for the 18-day uprising earlier this year, which forced President Hosni Mubarak out and raised hopes for improved working conditions. The success of the protesters emboldened millions of workers to seek better pay, and fast perhaps faster than the country’s embattled economy can accommodate, say some officials and businessmen. For workers, the changes since Mubarak’s ouster on Feb 11 are coming far too slowly. “A worker who earns 189 pounds ($31) a month is not going to go home and tell his children: ‘Wait six months for elections,’” said prominent Egyptian labor activist Hossam El-Hamalawy.

“There is a feeling that if we don’t get it now, we may never have a chance.” Sporadic strikes became daily events. They spread to the banking, public transportation, textile, construction and medical industries. Workers for the vital Suez Canal, one of Egypt’s main foreign currency earners, joined in the strikes. Employees confronted their bosses, sometimes violently, challenging large inequalities of pay, poor working conditions, a lack of job security and benefits, and even managers’ ties to the ousted ruling party and the old regime.

“This is first of all an enormous social movement, the likes of which Egypt and the rest of the Arab world have not seen for a very long time,” said Joel Beinin, a professor of Middle East history at Stanford University who has long studied Egypt’s labor problems. “The fact it is being sustained and advanced is, in and of itself, an achievement.”

There has been modest progress. A longtime demand for a raise in the minimum wage has gone into effect, doubling it to 700 pounds ($118) a month for public sector workers. Most agree it is still paltry.

More than 30 new independent trade unions have been set up, which was essentially illegal under Mubarak’s regime. But the unions are largely toothless. “ This was supposed to be a new era,” said Mohsen El-Sha’er, a trade unionist at the garment factory, one of roughly half a dozen labor organizers fired for what management said was inciting unrest.

“But here we were, still fighting for the same thing we’d been fighting for before.”

••••••••••••••••••••••••• The stor y of Hawas and the workers at the Mansoura Espana factory reflects the struggle of millions of workers for economic justice under Mubarak’s regime, and how little has changed since the regime fell. The Associated Press pieced together the events from more than a half-dozen interviews with factory workers, relatives, witnesses, bank officials and a lawyer for one of the workers, as well as police, prosecutor, forensic and medical reports.

Mansoura Espana was set up in the early 1980s in the Nile Delta, producing ready-to-wear garments for the local and international market. It was located in Talkha, a city of 1 million neighboring the provincial capital of Mansoura and encircled by some of Egypt’s most fertile land.

But urban encroachment is slowly eating away at tens of thousands of acres of agricultural land, worked largely by peasant farmers. Red brick buildings are sprouting in the place of crops, with exposed steel girdings rising from the roofs to make way for added floors. The development has made land prices in the Nile Delta at least rival those in the capital, Cairo, about a three hours’ drive to the south.

By 2006, factory workers said, the owners of Mansoura Espana wanted to sell, knowing that the real estate alone would bring in more money than the company could generate. A buyer was reportedly looking at the land to expand the campus of a private university nearby.

The factory was losing money every year, and the owners delayed paying salaries and governmentmandated bonuses. The workers saw this as a management strategy to whittle down the work force, and pushed back. In 2006, they held a three-day strike that won them six months of pay through a government emergency fund. About a year later,

they embarked on a 64-day sit-in on the factory floor.

For two months, men and women slept under the same roof, defying strict social taboos. Deeply religious husbands made the trip to the plant daily to bring food for their wives in a show of support.

“The factory was a small Tahrir Square,” AbdelFattah Hawas, Mariam Hawas’ uncle, said in homage to the epicenter of the national uprising. Hawas was one of the workers who camped out. “I told her not to leave until she got her rights,” said her husband, Bayoumi Abdel-Latif Bayoumi. The sit-in ended when officials promised to pay bonuses for 2007. But no sooner than one strike was settled, another began almost monthly for the next three years.

From a business standpoint, this was a company that should never have been, said Ali El-Hosary, the banker who got saddled with the troubled factory. ElHosary came on board at United when it was set up in 2006 from the merger of three public sector banks with a massive portfolio of non-performing loans and investments. That portfolio totaled 6.4 billion pounds ($1.1 billion) and included Mansoura Espana. “What was the bank’s administration going to do?” he asked.

“We essentially inherited a pile of garbage. But we had to wake up the dead, and Mansoura Espana was among the dead.”

From day one, it was clear that wasn’t going to happen. The company’s debts were five times higher than the roughly $500,000 the company started with in capital, and the management was incompetent, elHosary said. There was no system to track operating expenses. The workers were poorly trained and inefficient, he maintained, and the machinery was inadequate. “They bought a bunch of sewing machines like you’d have at home,” he scoffed.

“How are you going to compete with Asian nations ... with that kind of equipment?” Selling Mansoura Espana was just good business, and in any case, the bank was required to unload toxic assets by law. In November 2010, after repeated delays, a deal

2011. Over the years, the minister of manpower intervened, as did the central bank governor. But in Mubarak’s Egypt, assurances that were extended with one hand were brushed aside with the other.

June 7 began like almost every other day. Hawas woke before sunrise to offer a simple prayer: “We rely on God.” Then she made breakfast for her family.

Hawas headed out of her apartment, her hair tucked under a headscarf, and hopped on a minibus for the short ride to the factory. She punched her time card and joined about 100 colleagues in a fleet of taxis and minibuses that shuttled them from Talkha to the United Bank in nearby Mansoura. The mood on the short drive was subdued, the workers determined.

They decided to draw as much attention as they could in front of the bank, and tried to close off one side of the street.

“There were people who stopped and supported us,” said 28-year-old Samah Eissa, one of the protesting workers. “We were telling them how we weren’t getting paid.” But traffic was building up and horns the soundtrack of Egypt’s roads - began to blare.

Hawas turned to Eissa, who was standing near her, and said: “We’ll get our rights.” Not long after that, the truck rammed into both of them. Eissa was dragged under it for about 50 yards before the driver stopped. Her right ear was shorn off, and two fingers on her right hand were broken. The friction from the tarmac shredded the skin on her back and shoulders.

By the time Hawas reached the hospital, she was dead.

••••••••••••••••••••••••• In the reception room of her family’s home, Eissa sits on a couch, the bandages on her head poking out from under a black-and-white flowered headscarf. Her face is swollen, her right eye is bloodshot red and her left eye is black. Two fingers on the right hand are bandaged together. Surgeons spent about nine hours trying to stitch her ear back on, but failed.

In this June 23, 2011 photo, family members of late Mariam Hawas (seen inset), her daughters, Iman, 12 (right), Fatmah, 16, and her husband Bayoumi Abdel-Latif Bayoumi pose for a photo in front of the family house in Talkha, Mansoura, Egypt. – AP was completed with an Egyptian investment and development firm. All along, El-Hosary clashed with the striking workers. Once they held him hostage for five hours during a protest. Seven court verdicts were handed down against him, with sentences ranging from six months to a year, after workers filed claims over unpaid benefits. El-Hosary described the garment factory employees as “exactly the same as someone who comes out at you at night and demands everything that’s in your pocket.”

••••••••••••••••••••••••• After working at the factory for 24 years, Hawas earned about $1.40 a day, or $50 a month. It was hardly a living wage, although not unusual in a country where the World Bank estimates that more than 40 percent of the population lives near or under the poverty line of $2 a day. Her husband, a school administrator who moonlights at a pharmacy, brought in about $190 a month. Their combined income, assuming Hawas actually got paid, was never enough to cover their expenses.

The couple shared a two-bedroom apartment with their three children in a working-class neighborhood where laundry hangs outside the buildings and streets are wide enough for a single car to pass.

Sagging electrical wires crisscross above the alleys in a tangled web. The walls around the neighborhood are scrawled with religious graffiti. One slogan says: “My headscarf is my shield in this world, my way to heaven, my savior from hell.”

Rent alone ate up a third of Hawas’ family income.

Almost all the rest went to the $165 a month they paid for private tutoring for their children, a standard for Egyptian households because of the shoddy education system. Then there was food and transportation - just getting to and from work cost Hawas 40 cents every day. She was a quiet, devout woman who fasted from dawn to dusk four months out of the year instead of the traditional one month.

But she came home depressed and angry most days, according to her husband, dragged down by the oppressive conditions at work. As the years passed, management extended workers’ hours to nearly 12 a day, they said. Overtime was calculated at 10 piasters, about a penny, an hour. Friday remained an official holiday, but workers said they were told they would be fired if they didn’t show up.

They were promised 35 cents for that day of work, but the extra money, like the basic salary, often went unpaid, along with all bonuses from 2007 through

And she will need skin grafts in a future that her brother, Abdel-Aziz Eissa, fears may not include marriage. “When she brushes her hair every day and looks in the mirror, what hope does she have?” he asks. She used to earn 250 pounds ($42) a month at the factory, where she ironed clothes. Now nothing matters to her except justice, she says, especially when she remembers the price that the traffic policeman put on each of the worker’s lives. “How can a life be worth 50 pounds ($8)?” she wonders. “I don’t see a future until I get my rights. That’s what I want.” Hawas’ family wants the same thing.

The truck driver is facing trial on charges of wrongful death and injury, according to Eissa’s lawyer, Taha Kawoud. After about a month in prison, he was recently released without bail. A court date is set for late this month. The traffic policeman has not been tracked down, according to both women’s families and several workers. The anger and frustration was palpable among Hawas’ relatives when they gathered in her parents’ modest home a couple of weeks after her death. The women sat in an outside reception room, with an old radio piping out chants of Quranic verses, while the men sat in another room and fumed. Someone brought out a recent passport photo of Hawas. She is smiling, pretty, with shiny brown eyes and hair covered in a pale gray headscarf. Her 16-year-old daughter Fatmah Bayoumi gazes at the floor, out of grief or shyness or both.

A studious-looking teenager with thick, square glasses, dressed in a long black robe and headscarf, she is on the verge of tears as she talks about her mother. “Sometimes, we look up at the clock at the time she is supposed to come home and that’s when we feel her absence,” she says. “We did everything together.” On June 17, 10 days after Hawas’ death, the workers were paid their back wages for April.

The bank also doled out about $62,000 for buyouts ranging from $1,650 to $23,200 for each worker. On average, the workers say, they were offered 2A1/2 months’ severance pay for every year of service.

But court verdicts awarded to workers who filed suit have not been honored, according to Hussein Fahim, a worker and witness to Hawas’ death who filed suit himself. And neither Hawas’ nor Eissa’s families have received compensation for what happened. Work at the plant has largely stopped, the employees say. The sewing machines are idle.

“Mariam’s death was a weight on us all,” says Aida No’man, Hawas’ friend and colleague. “No one wants to go to the factory.” — AP

Old conspiracies live on in Egypt

By David E Miller hen a European laboratory announced two weeks ago that an infected shipment of Egyptian fenugreek seeds was the source of an E. coli epidemic that killed 48 Germans and a Swede, the Egyptian agriculture minister didn’t apologize, nor did he call for an investigation into the matter. The problem had nothing to do with Egypt, the minister, Ayman Abu-Hadid, told Egyptian press. “Israel is waging a commercial war against Egyptian exports,” he explained and that case was closed.

Abu-Hadid isn’t the only minister in Egypt’s postrevolutionary government to blame Israel for his country’s woes. In June, Deputy Prime Minister Yehia ElGamal told the Lebanese news site Al-Nashra that Israel was inciting sectarian strife between Muslims and Christians in the country. “Israel understands that a strong Egypt is a danger for them and they want to make Egypt weak,” El-Gamal said. “Nothing breaks or weakens Egypt more than sectarian tension or clashes between Muslims and Christians.”

Conspiracy theories - with Israel fingered as the power by the scenes - were common currency in the years Husni Mubarak ruled Egypt. Many Egyptians expected that with the transition to a more open, accountable and democratic society, the politicians and press would no longer need to point to cabals to explain away problems.

Egypt’s press today is freer than any time in the last half century, but the government remains in the hands of the Mubarak-era army leadership and the cabinet, even after this week’s reshuffle, is made up of veteran politicians. And, even though Egypt and Israel are formally at peace, many Egyptians remain hostile to the Jewish state. Travel, commercial ties and cultural links are minimal.

“Conspiracy theories are part of the texture of our culture,” Hani Henry, a psychology professor at the American University in Cairo, told The Media Line.

“Even if we have a democratic government, the problem will not go away.” He says blaming Israel for Egypt’s problems could be both a cynical attempt by politicians to distract the public or an honest belief that Israel is constantly conniving against Egypt. In either case, however, conspiratorial thinking was deeply ingrained in Egyptian thinking.

The Egyptian government, nominated and directed by the Supreme Council of Armed Forces (SCAF), is struggling with soaring unemployment, a sharp decline in tourism and inflation of nearly 12%. Given these troubles, it is much easier to blame an outside enemy than take responsibility and face public rage, experts say.

The arrest in mid-June of Ilan Grapel, a 27-year-old American-Israeli law student, on charges of spying for Israel and stirring social unrest in Egypt was viewed by many Egyptians as a government ploy to deflect public attention from its shortcomings. Grapel traveled to Egypt as part of his work for a charity helping African refugees. His family, as well as the Israeli government, deny he was involved in espionage. “Those scoundrels want to occupy the people with the spy so that they don’t talk about Mubarak and the gas [exports to Israel] ...Come on, it’s the same old regime, nothing has changed,” one Facebook commentator wrote.

When protestors and police clashed at Cairo’s Tahrir Square at the end of June, leaving 1,000 injured, SCAF announced that it was all part of an “organized plan” to destabilize Egypt. “Here we come to the question that blew off the lid of Pandora’s Box: Who sent the thugs?

And all kinds of answers start popping up, and with each answer an entire world of sneaky intrigues and mischievous plots reveals itself to an audience yearning for an action-packed story that absolves them from blame and holds some invincible power accountable for their misery,” wrote Sonia Farid, who teaches English literature at Cairo University, on the Al-Arabiya television website.

Ishaq Ibrahim, a researcher at the Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights, a Cairo human rights organization, says that decades of Western failure to address the Palestinian issue has caused Egyptians to become bitter and suspicious of the West. However, he added, that doesn’t exempt them from examining their own mistakes. “I don’t like hearing about conspiracy theories,” Ibrahim told The Media Line. “Even if we assume there was external intervention, someone from the inside must have contributed.”

While he understood why simple Egyptians would blame the Israelis for the E. coli epidemic, Ibrahim says that such statements from an educated government official are unacceptable. “The government is placating the sentiments of the masses,” Ibrahim said. “Rather than leading the way and enlightening the people, they are feeding their fears.”

Conspiracy theories have been a part of Egypt’s political discourse since the days of populist President Gamal Abdul Nasser, who toppled the Egyptian monarchy almost 60 years ago and was the first in a line of dictators that ended with Mubarak. “There always has to be a foreign threat,” he said. “In Nasser’s day, imperialism was the bogeyman. Today imperialism has been replaced with Israel. It’s a way of uniting a fragmented society,” says Henry.

In the years before Mubarak was ousted last February, international conspiracies led by Jews or by Israel were regularly employed by government officials and echoed in the media. When Culture Minister Farouq Husni lost his bid for head of the United Nations Agency for Culture and Education (UNESCO) in 2009, he blamed a Jewish plot “cooked up in New York” for his failure. Some outrageous theories have become the laughingstock of Western media. In Dec 2010, for instance, the governor of South Sinai blamed the Israeli Mossad spy agency for a spate of shark attacks in the resort town of Sharm Al-Sheikh.

In the early days of unrest in Egypt, an anonymous figure, cited as a former journalist, went on the proMubarak Al-Mehwar television station to accuse Israel of backing the demonstrators in a bid to throw Egypt into disarray. She claimed to have been trained by Jews in the US to destabilize the government. The Protocols of the Elders of Zion, a fraudulent anti-Semitic text purporting to describe a Jewish plan for achieving global domination, is only one example of many books espousing Jewish and Israeli conspiracies found in bookstalls on Cairo’s streets.— Media Line

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TUESDAY, JULY 19, 2011

Years

sp orts Denilson to leave Arsenal LONDON: Arsenal’s Brazilian midfielder Denilson, who struggled to hold down a first team place last season, is set to return home on loan, manager Arsene Wenger said.

The 23-year-old, who did not play in Arsenal’s last nine matches of the season being an unused substitute twice, is going back to Brazil although Wenger did not say what club he would be joining.

He made 16 Premier League appearances last season, starting just six times, after having been a regular in 2008-09 and playing roughly half the games in the campaign that followed.

“Denilson is likely to leave to go to Brazil on loan,” Wenger was quoted as saying on the club’s website (www.arsenal.com). The Brazil Under-19 captain joined Arsenal in 2006 from Sao Paulo and, to date, has played 153 games scoring 10 goals.

Meanwhile Arsenal completed the signing of Ivory Coast international striker Gervinho yesterday on a long-term contract for an undisclosed fee from French champions Lille. —Reuters

Major League Baseball results and standings on Sunday. Detroit 4, Chicago White Sox 3; NY Yankees 7, Toronto 2; Philadelphia 8, NY Mets 5; Cincinnati 3, St. Louis 1; Baltimore 8, Cleveland 3; Atlanta 9, Washington 8; Pittsburgh 7, Houston 5 (11 innings); Minnesota 4, Kansas City 3; Florida 7, Chicago Cubs 5; Milwaukee 4, Colorado 3; San Francisco 4, San Diego 3 (11 innings); Oakland 9, LA Angels 1; Texas 3, Seattle 1; Arizona 4, LA Dodgers 1; Boston 1, Tampa Bay 0 (16 innings).

GB 1.5 7 11.5 18.5 4 5 12 4 11.5 13

3.5 12 12.5 13.5 .5 .5 3.5 13 19.5 3.5 9.5 12.5 14

SINGAPORE: Liverpool great Ian Rush believes new arrival Stewart Downing is one of three “fantastic signings” for the Merseyside club.

England winger Downing arrived from Aston Villa last week for a reported 20 million pounds ($32.2 million), joining Jordan Henderson and Charlie Adam as Liverpool’s close season signings.

Rush, Liverpool’s all-time top scorer, told repor ters in Singapore on Sunday that Downing would get the best out of Andy Carroll, the former Newcastle United striker who joined Liverpool in January for 35 million pounds.

“Andy (Carroll) likes the crosses coming in to him. So, hopeful-

ly, Downing can supply the right balls for him,” said Rush on the sidelines of a coaching clinic.

“Charlie can score goals from anywhere and can pass the ball and I believe Jordan will be an England regular one day,” added the 49-year-old.

Liverpool finished sixth in the English Premier League last season, missing out on a European spot, and Rush believes the key to winning the league is getting the new faces to settle in quickly.

“You’re looking at six teams who could win it. But whoever’s new signings settle in best and early on will be the side that win the league,” added Rush, who was a member of the last Liverpool team to win the league in 1990. —Reuters

Boonen to race in Poland PARIS: Belgian rider Tom Boonen, who dropped out of the Tour de France on the seventh stage after an earlier crash, is to return to the road in the Tour of Poland, his Quick-Step team announced yesterday.

The 2005 world road race champion was one of five Quick Step riders to hit the deck in the fifth-stage run to Cap Frehel as strong winds and narrow roads took their toll, leaving him with scrapes all down his right side. He retired two days later.

However, the 30-year-old received the green light for the Tour of Poland from the team’s medical staff after performing a few work-outs last weekend. “I’m happy I can get back to training and I’m relieved that the fall didn’t have any major repercussions,” said Boonen.

“The withdrawal from the Tour forced us to re-examine our schedule for the rest of the season.

We’ve decided I will make my comeback in the Tour of Poland on Sunday, July 31. “This race was my first race as a trainee in a professional team in 2000. “I have a lot of good memories about that race. It was the first time ever I rode more than 200 kilometres. — AP

Reds rally to beat Cardinals

MLB results/standings

American League Eastern Division W L PCT Boston 57 36 .613 NY Yankees 55 37 .598 Tampa Bay 50 43 .538 Toronto 47 49 .490 Baltimore 38 54 .413 Central Division Cleveland 49 44 .527 Detroit 50 45 .526 C’ White Sox 46 49 .484 Minnesota 44 49 .473 Kansas City 38 57 .400 Western Division Texas 55 41 .573 LA Angels 51 45 .531 Seattle 43 52 .453 Oakland 42 54 .438 National League Eastern Division Philadelphia 59 35 .628 Atlanta 56 39 .589 NY Mets 47 47 .500 Washington 47 48 .495 Florida 46 49 .484 Central Division Milwaukee 51 45 .531 Pittsburgh 49 44 .527 St. Louis 50 45 .526 Cincinnati 47 48 .495 Chicago Cubs 38 58 .396 Houston 31 64 .326 Western Division San Francisco 55 41 .573 Arizona 51 44 .537 Colorado 45 50 .474 LA Dodgers 42 53 .442 San Diego 41 55 .427

Reds ‘fantastic signings’

CINCINNATI: Zack Cozart hit his first major league home run on Sunday as the Cincinnati Reds used a disputed call and a pair of wild pitches by Jaime Garcia to rally for a 3-1 victory over the St. Louis Cardinals.

The defending National League Central champs got a much-needed win against Garcia (9-4), who was 5-0 in his career against them.

Cardinals shortstop Ryan Theriot was ejected while arguing a call in the sixth that set up the tying run. Garcia then threw a pair of wild pitches that let Cincinnati pull even.

Ryan Hanigan singled home the tiebreaking run an inning later, and Cozart homered in the eighth. Homer Bailey (4-4) gave up three hits, including Lance Berkman’s 25th homer, in 7 1-3 innings. Bailey got his first win since May 16.

New York, Michael Martinez hit a three-run shot for his first major league homer to back a steady outing by Kyle Kendrick and lead Philadelphia past New York for its seventh straight series win. Kendrick (5-4) singled twice and scored on Martinez’s drive in the fifth inning off Mike Pelfrey (5-9). Martinez, a Rule 5 pick from Washington, added a sacrifice fly in the seventh for a career-high four RBIs. Ryan Howard hit a run-scoring single in the first and Philadelphia took two of three from the NL East rival Mets for the fourth time this season.

Jimmy Rollins had a two-run single in a three-run eighth aided by Jason Bay’s error in left field and reliever Pedro Beato’s three walks.

At San Diego, Chris Stewart drove in the go-ahead run in the 11th inning, then pounced on a bunt moments later to start a slick double play that helped San Francisco hold off San Diego.

Emmanuel Burriss, who entered as a pinch-runner in the ninth, reached on a one-out single off Chad Qualls (4-3) in the 11th. Burriss stole second and continued to third on catcher Kyle Phillips’ throwing error.

With the infield in, Qualls pitched out on his first delivery to Stewart, who stayed in the game after pinch-hitting in the ninth. But on a 3-1 count, Stewart laid down a perfect bunt to easily score Burriss.

At Atlanta, Freddie Freeman singled home the winning run in the ninth inning following an intentional walk,

base after Prado scored easily.

Nationals All-Star reliever Tyler Clippard recorded five straight outs, four on strikeouts, before giving up Nate McLouth’s tying homer in the eighth.

Danny Espinosa had three hits, including a two-run homer and an RBI triple for Washington.

CINCINNATI: St. Louis Cardinals’ Tony Cruz (48) reacts after striking out against Cincinnati Reds starting pitcher Homer Bailey during the eighth inning. —AP giving Atlanta a victor y over Washington.

Ryan Mattheus (2-1) walked pinchhitter Brooks Conrad to start the bottom of the ninth. With two outs, Martin Prado stole second and the Nationals issued an intentional walk to Brian McCann, who hit a three-run homer in the fifth.

Freeman lined a 1-0 pitch into right field and was soon in the middle of a celebration between first and second

At Denver, Shaun Marcum tossed five solid innings before leaving with a strained neck as Milwaukee held off Colorado.

Rickie Weeks, Casey McGehee and Nyjer Morgan had two hits each for Milwaukee. The Brewers last won backto-back road games when they swept a four game series in Florida from June 3-6. Jason Giambi homered and Seth Smith also had two hits for Colorado.

At Phoenix, Daniel Hudson threw a

five-hitter, belted his first big league home run and finished with three RBIs, almost single -handedly leading Arizona past Los Angeles.

Hudson (10-5) struck out three and walked none in his second complete game of the season. The right-hander also earned his first win since he beat Kansas City on June 23 and improved to 9-1 in 16 starts after beginning the season 0-4. Ryan Roberts homered for the Diamondbacks.

At Houston, pinch-runner Josh Harrison scored the first of Pittsburgh’s three runs in the 11th and rookie Alex Presley drove in his third run of the game later in the inning to lead the Pirates over mistake-prone Houston.

Brandon Wood doubled to start the 11th and was replaced by Harrison.

Xavier Paul reached on an error when Astros closer Mark Melancon (5-3) couldn’t handle his dribbler that sent Harrison to third.

Harrison scored on a passed ball by catcher Humberto Quintero to make it 5-4. Presley followed with an RBI single and scored on an error by reliever Aneury Rodriguez.

Jeff Keppinger hit a two-run shot for Houston two pitches after manager Brad Mills was ejected for arguing balls and strikes.

At Chicago, Greg Dobbs hit a tworun homer and drove in the go-ahead run with a bases-loaded walk in the eighth inning to lead Florida past Chicago.

After Dobbs’ four-pitch walk against Kerr y Wood (1-5), Logan Morrison capped the Marlins’ three-run rally with a two-run single that made it 7-4.

Aramis Ramirez hit a two-out RBI double in the bottom half but Randy Choate came in and got Carlos Pena to bounce out to end the inning.

Leo Nunez worked the ninth for his 26th save.

Hanley Ramirez homered during Florida’s three-run first, belting a long solo drive for his ninth of the season.

John Buck hit three singles and reached four times.—AP

Red Sox edge Rays ST. PETERSBURG: Dustin Pedroia singled with two outs in the top of the 16th inning to snap a scoreless deadlock and give the Boston Red Sox a 1-0 victory over the Tampa Bay Rays on Sunday.

Josh Beckett and five relievers combined to pitch a three-hitter for the Red Sox, who won for the eighth time in nine games, retaining a 1 1/2-game lead over the second-place New York Yankees in the American League East.

Pedroia lined a single to right field off Adam Russell (1-2), driving in Josh Reddick from third base. Reddick drew a leadoff walk, moved to second on a sacrifice bunt and to third on Marco Scutaro’s infield hit.

Alfredo Aceves (5-1) pitched three scoreless innings for the win. Jonathan Papelbon worked the bottom of the 16th for his 21st save in 22 opportunities.

At Seattle, Matt Harrison allowed one run in 7 2-3 innings and Mitch Moreland hit a three-run homer as Texas beat Seattle for its 11th consecutive victory.

The Rangers’ streak is baseball’s best since Philadelphia won 11 in a row last September and is tied for second-best in team history.

Harrison (8-7) allowed five hits, struck out four and walked one, continuing Texas’ run of dominant pitching. The Rangers held Seattle to two runs over 36 innings in the four-game set. Going back to before the All-Star break, Texas has allowed just two runs in its last 47 innings. Neftali Feliz struck out a pair in the ninth for his 20th save in 24 chances.

At Minneapolis, Jim Thome hit his 596th career home run and Joe Nathan picked up the save for the second day in a row to lift Minnesota over Kansas City.

Thome’s tiebreaking three-run drive off Felipe Paulino soared into the upper deck in right-center field in the sixth inning, leaving him four shy of becoming the eighth player to hit 600 home runs.

Jeff Francoeur homered and Melky Cabrera added two hits for Kansas City. Paulino (1-3) struck out eight in seven innings, yielding four

ST PETERSBURG: Boston Red Sox Dustin Pedroia singles to right field sending in teammate Josh Reddick for the go ahead run during the sixteenth inning. —AP

runs and seven hits. At Detroit, Carlos Guillen hit a tiebreaking RBI single in Detroit’s threerun sixth inning to lead Detroit past Chicago.

The Tigers came back from a 3-0 deficit and avoided a three-game sweep.

Chicago led 3-1 when Victor Martinez tied it with a two-run single in the sixth. Jhonny Peralta then singled, and Guillen followed with a line drive to right field that drove in Martinez. Detroit’s Brad Penny (7-6) allowed three runs and nine hits in 6 2-3 innings. Three relievers finished for the Tigers, with Jose Valverde working the ninth for his 25th save in 25 chances.

At Toronto, Phil Hughes pitched six effective innings to earn his first win of the season as New York salvaged a split of the four-game series with Toronto. Brett Gardner had three hits and Curtis Granderson finished with three RBIs for the Yankees, who were outscored 23-8 over the first two games in the set.

Making just his fifth start of the season and his second since missing 84 games with a sore right shoulder, Hughes (1-2) gave up two runs and four hits to win for the first time since Oct. 2, 2010, at Boston.

At Oakland, California, Conor Jackson hit his first career grand slam to highlight Oakland’s eight-run first inning. Hideki Matsui added a two-run single as the A’s sent 14 batters to the plate and chased Joel Pineiro (5-4) after just one-third of an inning. Seven of the runs came before an out was recorded, a first for Oakland in its history at the Coliseum.

All-Star Gio Gonzalez (9-6) pitched seven shutout innings, rebounding from his worst outing of the season. The left-hander allowed four hits, struck out eight and walked none.

At Baltimore, Robert Andino homered and had a career-high four RBIs as Baltimore beat Cleveland to secure its first winning streak in nearly a month.

Adam Jones, Nick Markakis and Matt Wieters hit solo shots for the Orioles, who scored the final eight runs after falling behind 3-0 in the first inning. Baltimore had not put together successive victories since June 19-20 before winning twice to earn a split of the series. — AP

SYDNEY: Ruan Pienaar (center) throws out a pass during a South African Springboks training session. The South African Springboks will play the Australian Wallabies in the first Tri-Nations match in Sydney on July 23. —AFP

Wallabies look ahead after Samoa humiliation SYDNEY: It has been 38 years since the Wallabies had to pick themselves up after a defeat to a second tier rugby nation and there was understandably a sombre air about Australia’s training camp yesterday.

Sunday’s 32-23 loss to Samoa was the worst upset the twice world champions had suffered since they were beaten by Tonga in 1973 and even the prospect of an afternoon “recovery session” on a sunbathed beach failed to lift spirits in the camp.

With the Springboks already training in the north of the city for Saturday’s Tri-Nations opener, there will be little time for the Australians to pick over the scabs of a humiliating loss.

Coach Robbie Deans described it as a “wake up call” before defending his players against charges of complacency and himself against media criticism

over the team he put out. Pilloried by Wallaby great David Campese among others for offering several debuts and first starts, Deans said he had no option but to rest most of the Queensland Reds players who had won the Super rugby title the previous weekend.

“We were between a brick and a hard place. Damned if you do, damned if you don’t,” the New Zealander told reporters.

“It wasn’t an experiment. From our perspective, we had no choice. The Reds didn’t come in until Monday night, they’d had a long campaign. We gave them a window to recover, out of necessity, and chose a combination based on that fact.”

With the Reds players now available for selection, Deans said the side to face the Springboks would “obviously” be different. — Reuters

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Open shows McIlroy isn’t, yet, golf’s crown prince SANDWICH: A really bad week for Rory McIlroy proved to be a really good week for learning a lot more about golf ’s hottest new star. The British Open opened a more illuminating window into his mind and game than victory in the US Open did. Lesson No. 1: McIlroy and bad weather are not, and may never be, good friends.

The spanking that the Old Course at St Andrews handed him at the 2010 Open - he shot 80 in howling winds wasn’t rookie teething pains, a fluke or just a bad day at the office. That was proved here at Royal St. George’s, with successive poor rounds of 74 and 73 over the weekend when gales and rain again made his golf miserable.

The Open may be golf’s oldest and most prestigious major, steeped in history and tradition, but it hasn’t yet wormed its way into the 22-year-old’s heart. Last month, McIlroy blew away records and opponents in more pleasant climes at the US Open.

In soggy Sandwich, he finished in the anonymous no man’s land of 7-over par for the week, not what the bettors who made him the pre-tournament favorite were counting on.

At the end, the Ulsterman sounded not like a kid who learned golf on the wind-swept shores of Belfast Lough but more like a player pining for less capricious courses in the United States where, so far, he has made his biggest impact.

No sooner than he was done Sunday with his 3-over-par round, McIlroy was already talking about Akron, the PGA Championship and “getting back into some nice conditions.”

“I’m not a fan of golf tournaments that are, you know, the outcome’s predicted so much by the weather” was his frank verdict on the venerable Open. “It’s not my sort of golf.”

That sounds like a young man talking.

Tom Watson talked at this Open about how he, too, used to hate links golf, the unpredictable severe conditions that

“can tear you up and spit you out.” The rest, as they say, is history.

Watson went on to win five Opens and still, at age 61, sagely smiled his way through the rain that dripped off the beak of his cap. In winning his first major here at 42, Darren Clarke also showed how the patience and steadiness that can come with age can be a genuine ally when frustrating winds are sending balls in unexpected directions.

For the moment, McIlroy says he is not about to tailor his game to the Open’s oft-changing conditions and will bide his time until the conditions are tailored for him. Given the oxymoron that is the British summer, that could be a long time coming.

“Just wait for a year when the weather’s nice,” he said. “My game is suited for basically every golf course and most conditions, but these conditions I just don’t enjoy playing in really. That’s the bottom line. I’d rather play when it’s 80 degrees and sunny and not much wind.”

“There’s no point in changing your game for one week a year.” Give him time, that could change. If the Open becomes the only major McIlroy needs to complete a full collection, you can bet that he will do what it takes to win - just as Clarke did.

After 13 years living in London, he moved his family back to Northern Ireland last summer, allowing him to regularly practice and play links golf at Royal Portrush. That looked such a smart move as he hoisted the claret jug on Sunday.

There was no better example of how the weather gods toyed with McIlroy than on the par-5 No. 7 on Sunday. Just as he was about to strike an 8-foot putt, his ball rolled several inches right.

Although the real culprit appeared to have been a gust of wind, the rules official handed McIlroy a penalty shot, judging that the player was addressing the ball when it moved. McIlroy’s golf was lackadaisical from that point on.

“I got a bit down,” he said later. “You’re looking at an 8-foot birdie putt and then all of a sudden, it’s for a par and then you’re a bit scrambled and you miss it and end up making bogey.”

Lesson No. 2 from McIlroy’s collision with Royal St. George’s is that winning his first major last month didn’t make him the new Tiger Woods. Destroying the field as he did was hugely impressive but also sent expectations too high, too quick. Jack Nicklaus is absolutely correct: it is way too early to anoint McIlroy as golf’s new crown prince. Only when he wins two, three, four or more majors can golf have a serious debate about his place in the sport’s pantheon of greats.

Until then, McIlroy is still a member of an elite group of several dozen players who all have the talent to win majors, but is not yet floating above them on a level all of his own. As McIlroy himself now says: “ To start talking about winning 18 majors and doing this and doing that, yeah, that was very premature.”—AP

Kirk wins Viking Classic

DHAKA: Bangladesh’s new cricket head coach Stuart Law (right) addresses a press conference while new fielding coach Jason Swift (left) looks on at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium. Former Australian batsman Stuart Law has been appointed head coach for the Bangladesh national cricket team for the next two-year term.—AP

Chappell: India will miss Sehwag NEW DELHI: The absence of hardhitting Virender Sehwag could affect India’s hopes of imposing themselves early in the Test series in England that starts Thursday, former Australia captain Ian Chappell has warned.

Opener Sehwag, known for dominating bowlers with exciting strokeplay, is recovering from a shoulder injury and set to miss the first two Tests of the four-match series.

“There’s no batsman in the world who can disrupt bowling plans quicker than Sehwag,” Chappell wrote in his Sunday column on the ESPN Cricinfo website.

“It appears that fate has come down ever so slightly in England’s favour. The first two venues in this

series, Lord’s and Trent Bridge, are known to favour swing bowling.

“England’s ability to swing both the new and old ball is a big reason behind their recent rise up the rankings. In addition, India are missing their greatest counter-attacking weapon.”

Sehwag played a key role in India’s six-wicket win over England in the first Test of the last series between the two countries in 2008 when he hammered a 68-ball 83 to help his team achieve a stiff 387-run target in Chennai.

“The one time a captain should not be overly cautious is at the start of a series, when a team can take a huge step towards mental superiority by being aggressive,” said Chappell.

“This is where Sehwag’s absence hurts India; being at the top of the order, he’s likely to gain the upper hand in the series just by batting normally in the first session.”

Sehwag has so far scored 7,694 runs in 87 Tests with 22 centuries since making his debut in 2001.

The match at Lord’s will be the 2,000th Test, with Indian batting superstar Sachin Tendulkar on the verge of an unprecedented 100th international centur y. He has already scored 51 hundreds in Tests and 48 in one-day internationals.

India, who won their last Test series in England in 2007 under Rahul Dravid, will also play five one-day internationals and a oneoff Twenty20 match during the tour.—AFP

NEW YORK: PGA Tour rookie Chris Kirk birdied two of the last four holes on Sunday to win the Viking Classic at Madison, Mississippi by a single stroke and claim his firsr career win.

The 26-year-old American birdied the 15th and 17th holes in a closing round of four-under-par 68 to regain the outright lead and capture his first PGA Tour title with a total of 22-under-par.

Tom Pernice and George McNeill finished tied for second at 21-under while a further three players, Bud Cauley, Hunter Haas and Jim Renner, were a further shot behind as Americans filled the top six places. The highest placed foreigner was South Korea’s Kang Sunghoon, who finished tied for seventh after briefly holding a share of the lead. Kirk led the tournament by a shot heading into the final round but with the Annandale Golf Club’s soft greens ideal for low scoring, he was under immediate pressure and did not pull clear until the penultimate hole as a handful of players took turns sharing the lead.

Kirk, who earned his PGA Tour card by finishing second on the Nationwide Tour money list last year, went out in 35 then made two early birdies on the back nine before a bogey on 14.

He steadied himself with a birdie at the par-3 15th before regaining the outright lead on the par-4 17th when he hit his approach over the water to within five feet of the hole for an easy birdie putt.

“It was 140 yards and it was a 9iron,” Kirk said. “So I was aiming right at the pin and nowhere else. That was my only thought.”

Kirk became the fifth rookie to win on the Tour this year, joining Jhonnatan Vegas, Brendan Steele and Keegan Bradley and Masters champion Charl Schwartzel.

Pernice, who normally plays on

MADISON: Chris Kirk pumps his fist at the 18th hole after winning the Viking Classic PGA golf tournament.—AP

the Seniors Tour, missed a birdie putt on the final hole that would have got him into a playoff and given the 51-year-old the chance to become the second oldest winner on the PGA Tour. Sam Snead was 52 when he won the Greater

England can hurt India, says Miller LONDON: England selector Geoff Miller has warned India that Andrew Strauss’s team are in the perfect form to take advantage if the tourists are below their best in the first Test at Lord’s.

India have struggled against Somerset during their only warmup match ahead of Thursday’s clash in London and Miller believes they could pay the price for such a short preparation period.

Somerset piled up a massive 4253 declared before bowling out India for just 224 and then cruising to 260-2 in the second innings of the drawn match.

To make matters worse for India, England Test captain Strauss rediscovered his form with scores of 78 and 109. Miller hopes England take advantage of India’s struggles and he said: “It’s tough for India to come straight over from the West Indies and play in our conditions. It hasn’t

been ideal preparation for them.

“They didn’t seem to do particularly well with the bat the other day in their first innings against Somerset - but that doesn’t mean they won’t be able to turn it on at Lord’s.

“We prepare very thoroughly and are ready. So we hope we can hit the ground running and I’m sure we will. We’re playing good cricket at the moment, and India will have to play very well to actually combat that. “We know they’re a good side and it could be a fascinating series.”

Miller named a 12-man England squad on Sunday ahead of the Lord’s clash, which included a return for Nottinghamshire pace bowler Stuart Board.

Miller revealed that a scouting trip in Nottingham had persuaded him and his colleagues Broad is returning to form in time for England’s major assignment of the

summer against the world’s number one Test team.

Broad, almost bereft of international wickets so far this season as he has made his way back after a winter wrecked by injur y, was dropped for England’s one -day decider against Sri Lanka last weekend to accommodate an extra spinner at Old Trafford.

Instead he played in a County Championship match for Nottinghamshire at home to Somerset last week and responded with match figures of 6-162 on a benign surface. “We watched him bowl at Trent Bridge in the four-day game,” Miller told Sky Sports News.

“There were signs he was getting back to where he was. We know what he is capable of doing, and when he puts on that England shirt we feel sure he will show exactly that and produce the goods and make it difficult for India.”—AFP

Sun bring down Fever

UNCASVILLE: Indiana Feverí’s Tamika Catchings (front) pulls down a defensive rebound in front of Connecticut Sun’s Tina Charles during the first half of a WNBA basketball game.—AP

Fish eyes Atlanta title ATLANTA: Top seed Mardy Fish says a week of rest for an abdominal strain has him fit to defend his title at the ATP Atlanta Championship starting yesterday.

Fish, the top-ranked American at ninth in the world, lost both of his singles rubbers a week ago as the US went down to Davis Cup defeat against Spain in Texas.

But Fish skipped a TeamTennis obligation this week and rested under doctor’s orders to be ready for the start of

the pre-US Open hardcourt season.

He earned the inaugural Atlanta title a year ago at the event which replaced Indianapolis on the calendar, beating Wimbledon marathon man and friend John Isner in the final.

Fish had been troubled by his abdominal strain since he was injured at Roland Garros nearly two months ago.

He managed to soldier on into the Wimbledon quarter-finals.

“I’ve been playing a lot of matches recently with Wimbledon and Davis

Greensboro Open in 1965. The only other player over 50 to win was Fred Funk in 2007. “I just needed to make a good firm stroke, maybe just outside the right edge and all that good stuff. But it looked like I pulled it,” Pernice said. —Reuters

Cup, and I haven’t had a lot of time off since I injured it,” the 29-year-old said.

“I have to be smart and listen to my body. I believe I have a chance to do some great things this summer, and the only way I’ll be able to do that is by taking care of my body.”

South African Kevin Anderson, a semi-finalist here last year, is the second seed. Isner is seeded third ahead of Belgian veteran Xavier Malisse and Bulgarian teenager Gregor Dimitrov.

The top four seeds all have first-

round byes. Tommy Haas, the Floridabased German, received one of three wild cards, with the other two going to Americans Robby Ginepri and Donald Young.

Ginepri once reached the ATP Top 15 and won three tournament titles, including two in Indianapolis, the event which Atlanta replaced in 2010.

Australian Lleyton Hewitt, whose ranking has now dropped to 174th, will open against a qualifier in the first round. —AFP

UNCASVILLE: Rookie Danielle McCray scored a career-high 22 points to help the Connecticut Sun beat the Indiana Fever 76-71 in the WNBA on Sunday.

Tina Charles added 18 points and 10 rebounds for the Sun (8-5) who are the lone team in the Eastern Conference undefeated at home (6-0).

Tamika Catchings led Indiana (10-5) with 18 points and 14 rebounds. Indiana trailed 72-65 with 39 seconds remaining before Jessica Davenport made two free throws.

Catchings stole the ensuing inbounds pass and assisted on Katie Douglas’ basket to cut it to 72-69 with 34 seconds left. Connecticut guard Renee Montgomery made one of two free throws to push the Sun lead to four at 73-69.

Catchings made it a two-point game with 18 seconds left on her lay-in.

Kalana Greene made one of two free throws, giving Indiana a chance, but Catchings threw an errant pass to Douglas that went out of bounds with 7.7 seconds left.

Kara Lawson’s two free throws sealed it with 6.9 seconds remaining. At Newark, New Jersey, Cappie Pondexter scored 18 points and Essence Carson had 17 as New York cruised to a victory over Tulsa.

Kia Vaughn had 15 points and Plenette Pierson, back after missing one game due to a strained tendon in her left knee, added 12 points to help the Liberty (9-6) win for the seventh time in nine games.

Tiffany Jackson scored 17 points, Doneeka Lewis and rookie Liz Cambage added 11 each for Tulsa (1-14), which lost its ninth straight. The Shock shot 34 percent (21 for 62) from the field, including 5 for 25 on 3-pointers, as Teresa Edwards fell to 0-4 since replacing Nolan Richardson as coach and general manager nine days earlier.

At Los Angles, Matee Ajavon scored 27 points as Washington overcame a 22-point deficit in the second half to beat Los Angles.

The Mystics (3-10) trailed by as many as 24 points in the first half and were down by 14 heading into the fourth quarter before surging back. Washington scored the first five points of overtime to go ahead 82-77 on Marissa Coleman’s layup. Crystal Langhorne finished with 24 points and 14 rebounds, and Coleman added 10 and nine boards for Washington, which snapped a five-game losing streak.

The Mystics, who scored 29 points in the fourth quarter to force overtime, went ahead for the first time since the opening quarter when Coleman’s 3 pointer made it 73-70 with 1:40 remaining in regulation. Kristi Toliver led the Sparks (6-7) with 21 points, while Jantel Lavender had 13.AP

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Spanish spending rules unlikely to rein in clubs MADRID: Spanish soccer’s bid to police itself with rules aimed at curbing financial excess goes in the right direction but there are serious doubts as to whether it will be enough to reverse an entrenched culture of profligacy.

The country’s professional soccer league (LFP), which groups the 42 clubs in the top two divisions, last week backed the proposals which are in line with UEFA regulations that begin to come into force next season. Under the new rules, Spanish clubs will have three years to get their finances in order and the LFP will create a committee of independent professionals to analyse accounts and recommend sanctions for transgressors from the 2014-15 season onwards.

These could include docking points or the withdrawal of licences for the worst offenders. “The intention is positive but I see a lot of practical problems in the implementation,” said Jaume Llopis, a senior lecturer at the IESE business school in Barcelona. “Given the state of many clubs’ finances, it is going to be extremely difficult to enforce these rules within three years when the sanctions are due to kick in,” he told Reuters.

“But at least it might force them to reflect and perhaps encourage some to be more rigorous in their management.” Recently published figures on the finances of Spanish soccer clubs make for grim reading and the lack of transparency and up-to-date accounts for some suggests the situation may be even worse than the available data indicate. Many clubs have drastically overspent on

players and wages in an attempt to stay competitive and preserve their status in the top two divisions.

The Spanish system of clubs negotiating contracts with television companies individually, unlike in rival European leagues where a system of revenue-sharing is in place, has exacerbated the situation.

Around half the pot of Spanish TV income of some 600 million euros ($849 million) is paid to increasingly dominant Real Madrid and Barcelona, the world’s two richest clubs by revenue.

Racing Santander this month became the latest side to seek protection from creditors, joining fellow La Liga clubs Real Mallorca and Real Zaragoza as well as all three teams promoted to the first division at the end of last season - Real Betis, Rayo Vallecano and Granada - in administration.

A study published last month by Jose Maria Gay, an accounting professor at Barcelona University, showed the 20 clubs in the top flight made a combined net loss of some 100 million euros in the year to the end of June 2010, up from around 19 million in the year-earlier period. Total debt shrank slightly from the previous year, to 3.43 billion euros, but was still more than double revenue of 1.61 billion. A separate study Gay published this month showed the 22 second-tier sides made a combined net loss of some 43.1 million euros in the 2009-10 season and total debt was more than 550 million.

Llopis at IESE noted several potential problems with

the LFP’s new regime and said that if the rules were applied to the letter around 50 percent of Spanish clubs would disappear, unleashing what he called “terrible social chaos”. One difficulty he picked out was that when Spanish clubs seek voluntary administration they are automatically protected from sanctions, which would render the LFP rules irrelevant.

Another problem is that soccer clubs have a special status in Spain and the authorities would be extremely reluctant to do anything that might threaten their survival. “No government would ever have the courage to call in the debts to the social security system and the tax authorities for example,” Llopis said.

“I don’t think much is going to change because there are some things that are untouchable,” he added.“Do you imagine that a club like Real Madrid would ever be relegated to the second division because it had too much debt? Impossible.

Nobody is capable of taking that decision.” Gay at Barcelona University noted that the LFP’s planned committee of independent professionals would report to the league’s existing Economic Control Committee. “The doubt therefore arises that if an Economic Control Committee has already been in existence for some time then what exactly has it been doing,” he asked.

“There are also question marks around who will be marking out the economic course for clubs to take and if they will have power and independence to decide. “If

they are not given independence this package of measures will be good for absolutely nothing.”Both Gay and Angel Barajas, an associate professor of financial management at the University of Vigo, believe the introduction of an effective system of TV revenue sharing would help to ease the financial difficulties of many clubs.

An agreement Real and Barca brokered late last year with 11 other top-flight sides on sharing some of the TV cash from 2015 is likely to cement their advantage while helping the others only marginally, analysts have said.

Figures collated by Gay for the 2009-10 season show Barca earned 158 million euros from their TV deal, or 26 percent of the total, and Real 136 million euros, or 22 percent. Real’s city rivals Getafe, UEFA Cup quarter-finalists in 2008, earned a mere six million, or one percent. In the English Premier League, by contrast, Manchester United made 64.5 million euros from domestic TV rights in 2009-10, some 5.8 percent of the total. Far smaller clubs such as Wolverhampton Wanderers (43.8 million) and Wigan Athletic (42.8 million) were given about four percent of the pie and seven percent was reserved for clubs who suffered relegation from the top flight. Gay said clubs should take immediate steps to centralise the negotiation of TV rights and use the proceeds to renegotiate their most pressing debts. “This needs to happen not in months or weeks or even days but in hours,” Gay said. “Otherwise the dance of bankruptcies and insolvencies will continue.” —Reuters

Confusion over Tevez deal

SPAIN: Barcelona’s players take part in the first training session of the 2011-2012 football season at the Sports Center FC Barcelona Joan Gamper. —AP

Wydad hold Ahly to 3-3 draw JOHANNESBURG: Last-minute addition Wydad Casablanca of Morocco held six-time champion Al Ahly of Egypt to a 3-3 draw as the African Champions League group stage opened with ties in every one of its four games over the weekend. Wydad - which only earned its place in Group B after defending champion TP Mazembe was disqualified - claimed a valuable away point with Mouhssine Iajour’s late equalizer in Cairo on Sunday.

Al Ahly, winner in 2008 before back-to-back titles for Mazembe, twice surrendered the lead in a match played behind closed doors at the Cairo Military Academy Stadium after Ahly was punished for excessive use of flares by fans.

Also Sunday, Al Hilal of Sudan drew 2-2 at Enyimba of Nigeria in Group A with two goals from Zimbabwe striker Edward Sadomba.

The eight-team group stage kicked off on Saturday with Algerian team MC Alger’s 1-1 home draw with 2010 finalist Esperance of Tunisia in Group B. Saturday’s Group A match between Raja Casablanca and Coton Sport of Cameroon ended 0-0 in Morocco. The clubs play each other home and away, with the top two from each group qualifying for the two-legged semifinals.

Missing its vocal home support, Al Ahly fell behind after just 56 seconds to defender Sherif Abdul-Fadil’s own goal. Striker Emad Moteab

and a Wael Gomaa penalty then turned it around for Al Ahly, but Iajour scored his first after 61 minutes to make it 2-2.

Mauritius international Dominique da Silva put Al Ahly - the African Champions League’s most successful team - ahead again before Iajour’s 89th-minute leveler for Wydad.

Wydad - the 1992 African club champion beat Simba FC of Tanzania in a one-off match last month to earn a place in the group stage.

Mazembe was thrown out for including Congolese international defender Janvier Bokungu in the preliminary rounds when he wasn’t registered with the club.

Newly crowned Tunisian champion Esperance led MC Alger in Algiers on Saturday in Group B’s opening fixture through Yacine Derradji’s goal on 15 minutes.

But Alger — in disarray after recently parting company with its coach and reportedly with only 14 players to choose from for the tie — earned the draw two minutes later with Algeria defender Mohamed Megherbi’s header.

Zimbabwe’s Sadomba gave Al Hilal the lead at Enyimba and then forced a 77th-minute equalizer for an away point in Aba, in southern Nigeria, in Group A. Three-time African champion Raja Casablanca couldn’t make home advantage count against Coton Sport as Group A’s opener ended goalless on Saturday.—AP

New Chelsea coach makes Champions League pledge KUALA LUMPUR: New Chelsea manager Andre Villas-Boas yesterday vowed to lead the club to an elusive Champions League title at the first attempt, dismissing suggestions his squad of super stars are past their prime.

“In the next year for sure the trophy will arrive in this club,” the former Porto coach declared confidently, in shades of his compatriot Jose Mourinho, the self-proclaimed “special one” who failed to deliver club football’s top prize for Chelsea’s ambitious owner Roman Abramovich.

“Chelsea have been in a couple of semi-finals and also one final in recent times. I don’t see why we can’t go on to win it,” the Portuguese told reporters as the London team arrived in Kuala Lumpur to kick off their 15-day Asia tour.

The trip will be Villas-Boas’ first chance to see his players in competitive action on foreign soil

Chelsea FC manager Andre VillasBoas

and he said he will make a decision based on that whether to dip into the transfer market.

“We need to get the most information as possible (during the tour). By the time we go to the market, we will know the kind of players we want. Hopefully we can do the deal that we want,” he said. “I will use all 26 of my players in the tour and we will make a decision once the tour is over.” And despite being linked with a midfielder to replace the injured Michael Essien, Villas-Boas hinted he would give his ageing squad every chance to show their worth.

“There is plenty of talent in this squad. I believe the players can still find new things in them to exploit and I want to fully potentiate that talent,” he said.

The 33-year-old said all the players will have to prove themselves to him, including £50 million star striker Fernando Torres, who only scored once in 18 appearances for the Blues after joining from Liverpool in January.

“I am not a striker. I am just trying to build on their confidence. This comes with the qualities they have. It is them who offer me ideas,” he said when asked if he will change the shape of the team to suit Torres.

Providing an insight into how he handles senior players-some of whom are about the same age-Villas-Boas said: “It is the players that offer me solutions and we find a balance in between of ideas to put us on the road to success, which is what we want.

“I have to keep the standards high. Any person who sits on the manager’s job at Chelsea is expected to win. I cannot run away from that.”

After playing against a Malaysia XI on Thursday, the Stamford Bridge club, which has a strong following in this football-mad Southeast Asian country, will go to neighbouring Thailand for a match with the Thailand All Stars.

They then head to Hong Kong, where they play a friendly against Kitchee, a local team, before ending their tour against either Blackburn Rovers of Aston Villa.—AFP

LONDON: Manchester City manager Roberto Mancini said yesterday that the English Premier League club had agreed a deal to sell their Argentinian star Carlos Tevez to Brazilian side Corinthians.

“At the moment we have an agreement with Corinthians, but Carlos now is still a City player,” Mancini told Sky TV. Reports claimed that the deal would be closed when personal terms between the 27-year-old Tevez and his new club are agreed.

However, Corinthians later released a statement denying any such agreement had been reached. “The truth is that Manchester City sent Corinthians a counter-proposal this morning,” the statement read.

“In that proposal, the English club have asked for changes in the form of payment and the total value of the transaction.

“Furthermore, Manchester City insisted that Tevez renounce a sum outstanding with the English club. “Finally, Corinthians president Andres Sanchez informs that for the moment nothing concrete has been agreed regarding Tevez and that the counter-proposal will be analysed by him and his board.”

The Brazilian side’s initial offer for the striker was reportedly worth 40 million euros ($63.57m).

The striker wants to leave Manchester to be closer to his daughters, who live in Buenos Aires with their mother, his estranged partner.

The Argentina forward, formerly with West Ham United and Manchester United, led City to FA Cup glory and Champions League qualification last season.

Tevez, who missed the crucial penalty kick as Argentina went out of the Copa America quarterfinal 5-4 on penalties against Uruguay on Saturday, arrived in English football at West Ham from Corinthians in August 2006.

Selling Tevez to Corinthians would enable City to offload him to a club with whom they are not in direct competition, either domestically or in Europe, while also improving the player’s family arrangements.

Tevez said yesterday that he “would have no problem to go back to Corinthians”, where he won

the 2005 league title and became a great crowd favourite.

City defender Joleon Lescott admitted he would be disappointed to see his team-mate depart but understood his wishes.

The England international told Sky Sports News: “We’ll be disappointed if Carlos leaves but it

Argentina’s Carlos Tevez was down to the club and Carlos what was best for each other and they have come to an agreement so I wish both parties all the best.

“Carlos is his own man. Last season he played to 110 percent every game so none of us will be holding any grudges towards him and we’ll wish him all the best if he does leave.”

If Tevez does leave City they are expected to bid for compatriot Sergio Aguero of Atletico

Brazil media scathing after Copa collapse BRASILIA: Brazil’s media were scathing yesterday after the national team were unceremoniously dumped from the Copa America by Paraguay in a quarter-final penalty shoot-out.

The Paraguayans were on the rack for much of the match but the Brazilians, the holders of the trophy, wasted several chances and then missed all four of their spot-kicks as their rivals advanced 2-0 to a semi-final with Venezuela.

“Historic incompetence,” was the verdict of national daily O Globo, which saw the five-time world champions eliminated “in embarrassing fashion”.

LA PLATA: Brazil’s Neymar reacts during a Copa America quarterfinal soccer match against Paraguay. —AP O Globo noted the match had taken place on the anniversary of Brazil’s 1994 World Cup success over Italy, which likewise came in a shootout following a goalless draw.

Correio Braziliense was no less forgiving.

“What incompetence!” was the glaring headline in the paper, which added that the manner of the exit “places a question mark over the work of coach Mano Menezes and over his remaining in the job until the 2014 World Cup”.

Menezes, who took over from Dunga after a quarter-final exit to Holland at last summer’s

Madrid, who is currently keeping him on the Argentine bench.

Aguero, Diego Maradona’s son-in-law, has a release clause of 50 million euros at Atletico.

Aguero’s agent Hernan Reguera admitted that the striker’s future will soon be resolved now that Argentina are no longer in the Copa America.

World Cup, said all along that the 2014 event, which Brazil will host for the first time since 1950, is the overriding priority-but that could not mask current shortcomings in the media’s eyes. Correio Braziliense said that Menezes’ insistence that the poor state of the pitch had played a major role in their exit was farcical.

“After the Brazilians’ disastrous showing, they tried to shift the blame and were unanimous in pinning it on the pitch,” the paper wrote.

Jornal de Brasilia summed things up by saying: “Brazil did not manage to score a goal in normal time, nor in extra-time, and, worse still, not even in the penalty shoot-out.”

The same paper published a picture of young starlet Neymar covering his face at the end, accompanied by the caption: “They cannot hide their shame. It seems like a joke in poor taste-but it isn’t.

“Brazil achieved the unthinkable-they were given four penalties and missed the lot.” Elano, Thiago Silva, Andre Santos and Fred were the guilty parties.

Estado de Sao Paulo daily said the “attack was useless” and that “Menezes’ side bowed out of the Copa America quite miserably”.

Meanwhile, Brazil coach Mano Menezes insisted yesterday that there was no need to panic after his side lost their Copa America quarter-final shoot-out to Paraguay.

The media were scathing after a poor match ended goalless following extra-time and lambasted the auriverde for contriving to miss all four of their penalties.

“I know you live and die by results,” said Menezes. “But these will come if we continue on the path we are on. “Of course if we keep raking over the four missed penalties that saw us go out then we will not talk about the game we played, which marked an evolution in the team and the squad,” Menezes told a news conference. The team had struggled to draws against Venezuela and Paraguay in the first phase before an improved performance saw them beat Ecuador 4-2 and allowed them to qualify for the last eight as Group B winners.

However, hope among fans that that improvement would continue into the knockout stages was quickly crushed and overall the impression left was of a patchy side with some fine approach play but a lack of end product.

Menezes did insist, however, that they were on the right track to shine where he wants them to-at the 2014 World Cup they will host. —AFP

“He wanted the Copa America to end to sit down and talk. During this week everything will be settled,” Reguera told Ole. Reguera insisted that Aguero’s decision to leave Atletico had nothing to do with money and that he wants a new challenge.

“In seven days the subject will be closed, but this has nothing to do with money. He wants his career to grow.”—AFP

ASEC suffer early African Cup setback JOHANNESBURG: ASEC Mimosas of Ivory Coast were held 1-1 at home by 10-man Club Africain of Tunisia in the African Confederation Cup at the weekend and suffered an early setback to hopes of ending a 12-year continental trophy drought.

French coach Sebastien Desabre was confident his young, multi-talented side would get their Group A campaign off to a winning start after warming up with a lonegoal national cup win over bitter Abidjan rivals Africa Sports. A 4-0 thumping of Angolan visitors Primeiro Agosto in a Confederation Cup play-off last month was another morale boost and the Ivorians appear on course for three points when Hugues Zagbayou opening the scoring on 63 minutes.

But a Club Africain side that lost three of four previous away games in Africa this season drew level 15 minutes from full-time through Youssef Mouihbi and held on despite having Wajdi Mechergui sent off.

Despite boasting one of the best football academies on the continent and developing a host of players who perform in top European leagues, ASEC have found it difficult to collect African trophies.

It took many African Champions League campaigns before they finally lifted the trophy in 1998 thanks to a 42 aggregate victory over Dynamos of Zimbabwe with all the goals coming during the second leg at the Felix Houphouet-Boigny Stadium.

That success earned ASEC an African Super Cup clash with Esperance of Tunisia, which they won 3-1, but there has been no continental silverware since and Desabre believes more clinical finishing holds the key to success.

“We need to be more decisive in front of goal. The strikers should have scored many goals against Africa Sports instead of just one,” he told the Confederation of African Football website.

Fortunately for the Ivorians, the other Group A match was also drawn with Patrick Lembo scoring in stoppage time to earn Angolan police outfit InterClube a 1-1 draw at Kaduna United of Nigeria.

Ali Adamu gave Kaduna a 58th-minute lead as they tried to match the expectations of Belgian coach Maurice Cooreman, who has predicted his side will go on to become the first African Confederation Cup winners from Nigeria.

The other Nigerian challengers for a 660,000-dollar first prize, Sunshine Stars, fared better with a 2-0 Group B home win over former African Cup Winners Cup title holders Daring Club Motema Pembe from the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Dayo Ojo and Ibrahim Ajani scored the second-half goals that took Stars to the top of the table on goal difference from Moghreb Fes of Morocco, who edged 10-man JS Kabylie of Algeria thanks to a late header from Chemseddine Chetaibi.—AFP

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Women’s game comes of age at World Cup in Germany FRANKFURT: The Women’s World Cup came to a bastion of the men’s game — and, for three weeks, the whole of Germany responded. One of the most knowledgeable crowds in the world lapped it up, game after game with full stadiums and soaring television ratings.

Then came Sunday’s final to bring the party to a fitting and emotional climax. Japan became the first Asian nation to win the title, coming from behind twice with quick, nimble passing moves to force a 2-2 draw after extra time and then triumphing in a penalty shootout.

Last weekend, Japan used the same intricate tactics to outlast a big, lumbering Germany in the quarterfinals. “They are comfortable with the ball,” US coach Pia Sundhage said.

“They believe in their technique. It is good for women’s football.” All through the tournament, Japan was

carrying the burden of the March 11 earthquake and tsunami which left some 23,000 dead or missing back home. Coach Norio Sasaki showed pictures to his players right before the match against Germany to motivate them. After that win, he didn’t have to anymore. And the Americans?

Twice within eight days they were involved in matches so intense and enthralling they could easily rank among the best in the men’s game as well. In their quarterfinal, they came from behind with a last-minute goal and beat Brazil in a shootout.

Japan’s win also spread the reach of the World Cup beyond the traditional women’s powers of Europe and the United States for the first time.

Any snide comments on how it all compared to men’s football were an afterthought as fans reveled in the women’s game.

“You should never compare such matches with those by men, even if it is the same game,” FIFA President Sepp Blatter said. “There was great atmosphere and it continued even after the Germans were eliminated.”

The Commerzbank Arena had a sellout crowd of 48,817 for Sunday’s final, which set a new record for tweets per second on the social networking website Twitter.

Many other matches were sellouts too, including the opening game at Berlin’s 73,680-capacity Olympic Stadium which was watched by a peak television audience of 18 million in the host country.

The players rewarded the fans with a great many standout games and goals. Most of the games were tight, and gone were the days when one -sided results showed how unevenly spread the quality of the game around the world still was.

“There were no weak teams anymore,” Blatter said of the 15 nations that joined the hosts in Germany. The competition moves to 24 nations when Canada hosts the tournament in 2015.

So even if the goal average slumped to 2.65 a game from 3.47 four years ago, many of the games and goals were outstanding.

Saturday’s bronze medal game between Sweden and France was a case in point. Late in the game, down to 10 players, Sweden’s Marie Hammarstrom picked up a loose ball, beat two defenders and then struck a left left-footed shot into the top corner from just inside the box.

Many of the 32 games had moments like that. Marta was supposed to be the player to define the tournament, and she did score four goals to lead Brazil to the brink of the semifinals and equal Germany’s Birgit

Prinz as the all-time World Cup scorer with 14 goals.

The shootout loss against the United States stopped her run and shattered her aura. All through that match, she was petulant and didn’t stop complaining to the referee, right up to the moment that the ref finally gave her a yellow card.

And despite Marta’s stupendous talent, the German crowd started whistling and booing her, unlike any other player at the tournament.

When the game’s only superstar left, she wasn’t missed for a moment.

The player to watch was Japan’s captain Homare Sawa, playing in her fifth World Cup at age 32. She was resilient enough to lead Japan’s midfield and end up as the tournament’s top scorer with five goals, i nc l ud i ng a t hr i l l i ng one i n t he 117th minute which set up Japan for the shootout. —AP

Japan sets new benchmark for Asia with World Cup triumph

MILWAUKEE: Robyn Vinje and Nicholas Iwaniuk (right) react in the final seconds of the Women’s World Cup soccer final between Japan and the United States. —AP

US fail to pull off one last thriller FRANKFURT: The Americans stood on the field, watching in stunned silence as Japan celebrated. This, they were certain, was their World Cup to win. Through every comeback, to every last second, they never doubted that, somehow, they would emerge as champions.

But the resilience that had carried them so far and captivated their country disappeared when they needed it most. Shannon Boxx, Carli Lloyd and Tobin Heath all failed to convert penalties as Japan stunned the Americans 3-1 in a shootout after the U.S. twice conceded a lead.

“There are really no words,” Abby Wambach said. “We were so close.” Wambach, whose vital contribution against Brazil and France was the reason the Americans were in the final, scored from another header in the 104th minute. But in the 117th, five minutes before extra time was to expire, Homare Sawa flicked in a corner kick to equalize and send it to penalties. It was the fifth goal of the tournament for the 32-year-old, playing in her fifth World Cup. The Americans had beaten Brazil on penalties in a quarterfinal thriller, but they didn’t have the same touch Sunday. “It’s hard to do two rounds of penalties,” Wambach said. “The keeper, in a way, knows which way we’re going to go.”

Though the US is the two-time defending Olympic champion, it has been 12 years since that watershed team in 1999 won the World Cup. This squad was certain it could turn it around.

It was not a smooth ride. There was an upset in regional qualifying by Mexico, a team that had not beaten its neighbors to the north in its first 25 tries, forcing the two-time champs to beat Italy in a playoff to get the very last spot in Germany. They dropped their first game of the year, to Sweden, and lost to England for the first time in 22 years - so long ago Alex Morgan hadn’t even been born yet.

They won their first two games in Germany easily - despite squandering dozens of chances.

Then they lost to Sweden, their first defeat in group play at the World Cup.

But they rallied with one of the most riveting finishes ever in a World Cup game - men’s or women’s - against Brazil in the quarterfinals.

Down a player for almost an hour and on the verge of making their earliest exit ever from a major tournament, Wambach’s magnificent, leaping header in the 122nd minute tied the game.

They scratched out another gritty win against France to earn a spot in the finals. “It’s devastating,” Megan Rapinoe said. “Just to get to the final and not win it is devastating.” Even when they went to penalty kicks, the Americans still never doubted themselves.

“This is sports. This is the way it goes,” Wambach said. “Unfortunately, it didn’t go our way tonight. All of us are devastated.”

But the Americans lost this game as much as Japan won it. Their struggles to finish, a problem all year, cost them big. “I don’t blame anybody,” Wambach said. “We had so many chances tonight.”

The Americans finished the first half with a 12-5 shot advantage but had just one attempt on target. Lauren Cheney came up short three times, Wambach shook the crossbar and Rapinoe banged one off the near post. The Americans finally broke through in the second half, with Morgan scoring her second goal of the tournament in the 69th.

But with just nine minutes or so before they could claim the title, the Americans gifted Japan a goal. Rachel Buehler tied to clear the ball right in front of the goal and knocked it to Ali Krieger, who botched her clearance, too. The ball fell to Aya Miyama, who poked it in from five yards to tie it.

“There is such a little difference between success and not success,” U.S. coach Pia Sundhage said. “Of course, it’s disappointing.”

Americans had rallied around this team like no other since 1999, impressed by its grit and charmed by its copurage. Hollywood celebrities, fellow pro athletes and people who don’t care about any sport, let alone soccer, adopted the players. Even President Barack Obama was a fan, taking to Twitter himself on Sunday morning to wish the team well. —AP

WASHINGTON: Jessica Doyle (center) and other fans react in Washington as the US loses to Japan during the Women’s World Cup soccer final. —AP

TOKYO: It was case of “anything you can do, I can do better” for Japan’s women footballers as they defied the odds to lift the World Cup just six months after the country’s men had captured a record fourth Asian title.

When Saki Kumagai slotted home the winning penalty in a dramatic shootout victory over the United States in Frankfurt on Sunday, Japan completed an astonishing run that overshadowed any achievement by an Asian soccer team at any level.

“There is no happier president than a World Cup winner,” Japan Football Association (JFA) president Junji Ogura said after the side had rallied twice to force extra time and a penalty shootout, which they won 3-1.

“The players demonstrated the wonders of Japanese women.”

With their women crowned world champions and the “Blue Samurai” currently on top in Asia, envious eyes will be cast at Japan from their continental rivals to far beyond.

South Korea put Asian soccer firmly on the map with their remarkable run to the 2002 World Cup semi-finals as tournament cohosts with Japan.

However, despite success at Asian club level, South Korea have flattered to deceive since, while the domestic K-League has been tainted by an embarrassing match-fixing scandal.

China, the world’s most populous country and second largest economy, has failed to make much of a dent in the game despite qualifying for their first World Cup in 2002.

Runners-up to Japan at the Asian Cup on home soil in 2004, China has lurched from one crisis to another since, with betting syndicates and poor leadership blamed for stunting the game’s growth.

Japan’s slow but steady ascent

TOKYO: A couple reads the extra edition of a Japanese newspaper reporting that Japan beat the US in the final match at the Women’s Soccer World Cup. —AP to the top of the pile underlines the hard work done by the JFA, which has invested heavily from grassroots level upwards.

However, ‘Captain Fantastic’ Homare Sawa’s superb extra-time equaliser in Sunday’s thrilling final also highlighted the rich vein of talent Japan possesses.

Bursting away from her marker to flick a corner past the goalkeeper with the outside of her foot, Homare’s strike was one Cristiano Ronaldo or Lionel Messi would be proud of.

“I want Sawa to be on the organising committee if Japan hosts the women’s World Cup,” gushed Ogura of the tournament’s most valuable player and Golden Boot winner.

Tadanari Lee’s stunning volley to give Japan’s men a 1-0 victory

Minister: Resignations won’t affect Olympic plans LONDON: Security preparations for the 2012 Olympics will not be harmed by the resignations of London’s top two police officers a year before the games, the British government said yesterday.

Scotland Yard chief Paul Stephenson and Assistant Commissioner John Yates, Britain’s top anti-terrorist officer, have resigned amid an intensifying scandal involving phone hacking and alleged police bribery.

Both indicated that they quit to ensure the police force had stable leadership and no distractions in the run-up to the first Olympics in London since 1948, which have a 757 million-pound ($1.2 billion) security budget.

And Olympics minister Hugh Robertson insisted that much of the security framework was already in place before counter terrorism minister Pauline Neville-Jones left her job in May .

“I am not concerned about the resignations in relation to Olympics security,” Robertson said Monday in statement to The Associated Press. “Pauline NevilleJones made a massive contribution to get this in a good place. The appointment of Chris Allison, as the Met assistant commissioner in charge of all of this, has also really driven it forward. He is the point man on Olympic security and I am 100 percent confident that we are where we ought to be.”

Jonathan Evans, the director of domestic spy agency MI5, has said that the Olympics “represent a significant target for terrorist groups.”

London was hit by terrorists the day after London was awarded the Olympics in July 2005, with homegrown suicide bombers attacking the transit network, killing 52 commuters.

Britain is planning for the terror threat to be “severe” during the Olympics, meaning an attack is highly likely, despite the national level being downgraded by the government last week. —AP

over Australia in the Asian Cup final in Doha in January displayed similar jaw-dropping technique and flair.

Sawa, who has scored 80 goals in 173 games for Japan, has appeared in five World Cups and is famous in her home country, appearing in Nike commercials among her many endorsements.

She has now shot to fame worldwide, leading by example as Japan’s women gave the public back home a welcome shot in the arm after the deadly earthquake and tsunami in March.

Nicknamed “Nadeshiko” after a frilly pink carnation symbolising the traditional ideal of the stoic Japanese woman, coach Norio Sasaki’s side captured the hearts of a nation.

Impressive as the men’s Asian

Cup triumph was in the sweltering heat of Qatar, Japan had to overcome enormous odds at the women’s World Cup. Despite shock wins over hosts and holders Germany and powerhouse Sweden in the previous two games, Japan had never beaten the Americans in 24 meetings before Sunday.

Giving away an average of seven centimetres to their powerful opponents, at crunch time it was the size of heart and depth of determination which mattered.

“We were outplayed really but it was a triumph for perseverance,” Sawa told reporters. “There was more pressure on them in the penalty shootout. There was no pressure on us. “The Americans were so strong. They really are the best team in the world.” —Reuters

Smith out of Champions League JOHANNESBURG: South Africa forced test captain Graeme Smith to withdraw from the Champions League Twenty20 tournament yesterday to allow him to fully recover from knee surgery in time for the international season.

Cricket South Africa said Smith’s 6-8 week recovery period following last week’s operation on his right knee will be complete before the Sept. 23 start of the Champions League, but the lefthanded opener is out of the event as “a precaution.”

Smith aggravated an old injury playing for Pune Warriors in the Indian Premier League in April and underwent a successful cartilage operation on Friday, CSA said.

“Although his rehabilitation period will be over by the time the Champions League commences, we feel that he will not be match-ready at the time,” Proteas team manager Mohammed Moosajee said. “He will now undergo a guided rehabilitation program in the coming weeks and hopefully he will recover in time for the start of a very busy international summer.”

The Proteas host Australia in two tests, three one-dayers and two Twenty20s from Oct. 13, followed by a three-test and five-ODI series against Sri Lanka.

South Africa, the second-ranked test team, then tours New Zealand for three

tests, three ODIs and three Twenty20 internationals in early 2012.

Smith, who has given up the T20 and one-day captaincy for South Africa, would have played for his regular provincial side Cape Cobras in the 10-team Champions League in India.

The Cape Town-based Cobras South Africa’s domestic T20 champions signed Smith’s international teammates Jacques Kallis and Mark Boucher in the offseason. They are likely to play at the Champions League, alongside fellow Proteas Dale Steyn, JP Duminy, Robin Peterson and Justin Kemp.

Former South Africa batsman Herschelle Gibbs was also selected in last week’s Cape Cobras squad for the coming season. —AP

Matches on TV (Local Timings) COPA AMERICA (WEDNESDAY) Peru v Uruguay 3:45 Al Jazeera Sport +2 Al Jazeera Sport +3 Al Jazeera Sport 1 HD

Confusion over Tevez deal

Kirk wins Viking Classic

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Women’s game comes of age at World Cup in Germany Page 19

SHANGHAI: Canada’s Elise Marcotte and Marie-Pier Boudreau-Gagnon compete in the final of the technical duets sychronised swimming competition. (Inset) Russia’s Natalia Ishchenko and Svetlana Romashina compete in the technical duets final synchronised swimming competition in the FINA World Championships.—AFP

Ishchenko wins synchro technical duets SHANGHAI: Russia’s Natalia Ishchenko scooped her 12th world championships gold medal as she combined with Svetlana Romashina to win the synchronised swimming duets technical competition yesterday.

The 25-year-old Ishchenko, who won her third successive solo technical gold on Sunday, dazzled to an upbeat jungle-themed routine with heavy drum rhythms and animal calls to help score 98.20 points, which brought an audible gasp from the small crowd that bounced around the Oriental Sports Centre.

China’s Huang Xuechen, who clinched silver behind Ishchenko in the solo competition, was second with Liu

Ou on 96.50. Spain’s Andrea Fuentes won her second bronze of the championships after she and Ona Carbonell combined to a techno pop version of the “Crazy Frog” to score 95.40 points.

Ishchenko said she and Romashina would continue to work together at the London Olympics next year. “We will participate in the Olympic Games.

We will work but we can’t say the goal,” Ishchenko told reporters.

“I have no secret to maintain the top position (except for) our coach plus hard working, and I like the sport.”

Liu, who admitted to nerves before the final, said they were now going to target the Russian duo next year.

“Technical duets commands highly

on details, and the execution matters,” she said. “We poured a lot of energy to our training, (but) our goal is Russia. I think we can exceed them some day.”

Meanwhile, China doubled their gold medal haul at the world championships’ diving events yesterday as their bid for a historic clean sweep quickly gathered pace.

Chen Ruolin and Wang Hao dominated the women’s 10m platform synchro, shortly after Li Shixin and He Min’s brave one-two in the men’s 1m springboard, giving China all four diving titles so far.

Chen won her third straight world title in the event after amassing 362.58 points with Wang, with Australian

Olympic silver-medallist Melissa Wu and Alexandra Croak second and Germans Christin Steuer and Nora Subschinski third.

“I think the top three teams all could have won, it just depends on who performs the best,” said Chen. “I never think too much during the competition, or my performance will be affected.”

After three days of competition China have won not only every title, but also every heat at Shanghai’s open-air Crescent Lagoon venue, putting them on course to become the first country to win all 10 diving gold medals.

In the men’s event, Li Shixin

Venezuela dump Chile SAN JUAN: Venezuela completed a weekend of Copa America shocks by reaching the semifinals for their first time in their history with a gutsy 2-1 win over fancied Chile on Sunday.

Oswaldo Vizcarrondo gave Venezuela a 34thminute lead, nodding in after good work by Juan Arango, only for Humberto Suazo to level midway through the second half with his first competitive international goal since November 2009. That gave the Chileans fresh energy and they had the Venezuelans on the rack for the best part of the next quarter-hour.

But just as extra-time seemed to be on the way once again for the fourth time in four quarter-finals Gabriel Cichero struck from close range to spark scenes of joy among the travelling Venezuelan fans and leave the Chileans, fourtimes finalists, stunned.

The giant-killers will now go up against a Paraguay side which sent holders Brazil packing after a penalty shootout success at La Plata outside Buenos Aires.

But the baseball-loving Venezuelans will have to make do without Tomas Rincon, red-carded in injury-time for some shirt pulling. Chile also finished a man short after having Gary Medel sent off eight minutes from the end.

The shockwaves reached as far as Cuba, where joyous Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, preparing for chemotherapy on the Communist island, sent out his customary congratulatory tweet.

“Glory to the brave people! Let’s pay supreme tribute to our boys from the Glorious Vinotinto (the team nickname),” Chavez tweeted.

“Viva Venezuela! Oh what a goal. Bravo Venezuela,” tweeted an exuberant Chavez at half-time after Vizcarrondo’s opener, indicating his belief that former Cuban leader and longtime friend Fidel Castro had “brought the Vinotinto luck.”

SAN JUAN: Chile’s Alexis Sanchez, controls the ball past Venezuela’s Gabriel Cichero during a Copa America quarter final soccer match. —AP

Coach Cesar Farias was also delighted though in typically more restrained fashion. “The happiness we feel gives us the desire to keep on in the same vein,” said Farias.

But he added that winning the semi would be a tall order. “Paraguay are a strong team and they will start favourites, insisted Farias.

Goalkeeper Renny Vega told Fox Sports that “we are getting stronger all the time. I just hope we can get to the final now.”

“It may be a surprise for many people but I saw Venezuela came here with humility yet merit respect. Our dream has always been to win the Copa.” Chile missed the creative Jean Beausejour, sent off against Peru, and although they had a second-half purple patch with Alexis Sanchez always looking as if he could provide a mathwinning flash of inspiration they were undone when Cichero reacted quickest in a crowded box to turn home the winner.—AFP

stormed back from a ragged dive three to clinch first place, while compatriot He Min clawed his way from fourth to second spot, leap-frogging Germany’s Pavlo Rozenberg with his very last plunge. Li’s messy entry on the third of his six dives, a reverse 2.5 somersault in the pike position, looked to open the door to Rozenberg. But the 23-year-old nailed his last three dives to finish with 463.90 points.

Meanwhile, He saved his best for last as he pulled off a precision inward 2.5 somersault in the pike for 81.60 points, pushing Rozenberg into the bronze medal position.

The climax of the competition was briefly interrupted when Mexico’s

Daniel Islas crashed his right foot painfully against the board during his final dive, and left the pool deck in a wheelchair.

“I believe I didn’t perform all that well at first because I was a bit nervous.

But in the later dives I started to relax,” said Li, who cheekily gave a victory salute after only four dives.

“I showed the victory gesture because I didn’t want people to see I was nervous,” he said. China won seven out of eight titles at the Beijing Olympics and another seven from 10 at the 2009 worlds in Rome, raising hopes that the sweep is on despite the retirement of “diving queen” Guo Jingjing.—Reuters

Three surprises left at Copa BUENOS AIRES: A weekend of quarter-final shocks has left the Copa America shorn of some of its biggest names, leading fans of Uruguay to dream of what would be a record 15th title. Uruguay came here as essentially third favorites behind usual suspects Brazil, the holders, and Argentina, the hosts.

But having survived a nervous start to progress from their group and then dump out the Argentinians on penalties, the albiceleste, World Cup semi-finalists last year, appear well-placed going into a today’s meeting with Peru. Uruguay have tradition behind them even more than the Brazilians, having been in on the start of the Copa adventure right at the start when the world’s oldest international tournament began life in 1916. The celeste won the inaugural event-in Argentina-and, with their close neighbours, dominated the early years while also famously lifting the first World Cup in 1930 before adding a second global title in 1950.

Since those heady days the Charruas have lived in Argentinian and Brazilian shadowsthough they did win the Copa on home soil in 1995. Now, with Diego Forlan, the star of last summer’s World Cup, keen to land a first international title at the age of 32 having just won a Uruguayan record 80th cap against Argentina, and with Liverpool striker Luis Suarez maturing rapidly, the Uruguayans feel this year’s title can be theirs.

First, however, they must beat a determined Peru, who held them in the group phase before stunning fancied Colombia in another quarter-final shock. Each of the quarters saw results going the way of the underdog with the Uruguayans edging out an Argentina side still unable to draw the best from Lionel Messi. Brazil went out to Paraguay after a woeful penalty shootout,

Peru stunned the Colombians in extra-time, while Venezuela saw off a useful-looking Chile to reach the semis for the first time ever.

The Venezuelans will take on Paraguay in the second semi-final on Wednesday in Mendoza. When those two met in the first phase they served up the match of the tournament to date with Venezuela snatching a 33 draw, coming from 3-1 down with two goals in the dying minutes.

Although the form book has been thrown out of the window here, the Uruguayans will attempt to retrieve it and dust it down as they now take on the favourites’ role.

Forlan’s men have qualified for the semis for the fifth time in succession and coach Oscar Tabarez says now they have to revise their ambitions upwards as they smell a first title since 1995. “Peru are going to give us a tough game. We have now reached our minimum pre-tournament objective and we have to raise our ambitions,” says Tabarez.

Uruguay, who will be without suspended midfielder Diego Perez, have beaten the Peruvians 11 times with the Incas winning just six meetings. Peru finished bottom of the South American group in qualifying for the 2010 World Cup and came here without injured forwards Claudio Pizarro and Jefferson Farfan.

But under Uruguayan coach Sergio Markarian they have been a revelation and stunned Colombia with goals from Carlos Lobaton and Juan Vargas. “Peruvian football has endured some frustrating years and this generation of players inherited the deadweight of this recent history for which they are not responsable. We must shoulder this weight,” says Markarian as the Peruvians attempt to win a third crown and first since 1975.—AFP

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India inches forward on major tax reform Page 26 TUESDAY, JULY 19, 2011

KD45.5m net profits for KFH in H1: Al-Nafisi

Euro-zone leaders race to bridge split on debt Page 25

Page 22 KUWAIT: A trader follows the downturn of shares at Kuwait Stock Exchange yesterday. The KSE Index yesterday closed 1.57% lower at 5,973.1 points.

— AP

Kuwait stocks slump on economic jitters Saudi, Egypt plunge as global crisis deepens KUWAIT: Kuwait’s benchmark slumped to a new seven-year low after the country’s central bank governor said the economy needs corrections. Sheikh Salem Abdul-Aziz AlSabah said the economy is witnessing an imbalance which could lead to a lot of risks, according to state news agency KUNA. The benchmark slumped 1.6 percent to 5,973 points, its lowest close since September 2004.

Investor sentiment has been negative recently following new regulations announced by Capital Market Authority (CMA). Market participants are given until September to implement the by-laws announced in March. One of which is that investment firms will need separate licenses to operate their lending and investment businesses.

“There are many issues affecting

the Kuwait market. One is the CMA laws that create conflict through their application, mainly on funds and the new regulations,” says Safaa Zbib, head of research at Kuwait and Middle East Financial Investment Co. “The government seems very pessimistic about the economy. And a lack of lending is crippling the banking sector. When companies are not in a good shape to borrow, economic activity stops.”

Kuwait Finance House dropped 5.2 percent to a year low after reporting a 43 percent fall in quarterly net profit.

The country’s biggest Islamic lender, missed analysts forecasts for the fourth consecutive quarter.

Logistics firm Agility tumbled to a fresh 12-month low, falling 3.2 percent as it extends declines following an adverse US court ruling on fraud

charges on Saturday. The firm said on Sunday it is committed to resolve the dispute with the US Department of Justice (DOJ ). Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia’s shares slipped to a four-week low, taking cues from declining oil prices and global markets. The kingdom’s benchmark ended 0.6 percent lower at 6,423 points, its lowest close since June 20.

The euro, stocks, and bonds of highly indebted European countries fell yesterday as investors fled riskier assets, while safe-haven gold rose to a fresh high. Bellwether Saudi Basic Industries Corp (SABIC) slipped 0.5 percent. The world’s biggest petrochemical firm by market value, on Sunday said maintaining profitability would be a tough challenge after posting a record profit in the second quarter. Other petrochemicals also

Debt worries hang over stock market NEW YORK: Debt worries continue to hang over the stock market, overshadowing a string of strong earnings reports yesterday.

Europe’s banking troubles and a debate over lifting the US government’s borrowing limit helped drag down markets in the US, Asia and Europe yesterday.

Traders are keeping watch on negotiations in Washington to raise the US government’s debt ceiling. The Treasury Department says the limit must be raised

by Aug. 2 or the government risks defaulting on its debt. Rating agencies warned last week that the impasse puts the country’s top AAA credit rating grade at risk.

The results of stress tests on European banks released Friday did little to reassure investors. Of the 90 European banks tested for how they would fare in a recession, eight flunked. Another 16 barely passed.

The Dow Jones industrial average fell 97 points, or 0.8 percent, to 12,382 in early trading. The S&P 500 index dropped 8 points, or 0.6 percent, to 1,307. The Nasdaq fell 19 points, or 0.7 percent, to 2,770.

Newspaper publisher Gannett Co, oilfield services company Halliburton Co and discount brokerage Charles Schwab Corp all reported higher earnings.

European shares fell sharply yesterday, and were testing key technical lows, with the financial sector among the biggest fallers as long-awaited bank stress tests result served only to intensify worries about the regional debt crisis. At 1119 GMT, the FTSEurofirst 300 index of leading shares was down 1.2 percent at 1,074.28 points.

In results announced after Friday’s close, the failure of eight small banks was in line with market expectations but the test was not considered strict enough by many in the market and also failed to factor in the potential for a Greek sovereign default.

Added to the failing banks, a further 16 were close to failing the test-by seeing their core capital slide below 5 percent in the face of a prolonged recession-and all of them may need to take action to shore up their balance sheets.

The STOXX Europe 600 Banking Index fell 1.7 percent. Heavyweight fallers included I taly ’s Intesa SanPaolo and UniCredit, down 3.9 and 3.6 percent respectively, with renewed worries about Italy’s sovereign risk Insurers, many of which are also exposed to the euro-zone crisis, fell, with France’s Axa down 3.7 percent, taking its decline in July to more than 16 percent. — Agencies

enedd lower. Bank Aljazira dropped 6.6 percent despite its second-quarter profit nearly tripling on higher special commission and banking services income as well as decreasing expenses. The stock had gained 5.3 percent over the previous month, but yesterday’s fall leaves it at a four-month low.

Renewed concern over an uncertain political outlook dragged Egypt’s main index down, a day after posting its biggest single-session gain since March on news of a Cabinet reshuffle, traders said. Declines by heavyweights Orascom Construction and Commercial International Bank helped drag the index down 1.7 percent to close at 5,175 points.

“Today, the foreigners are more on the sell side,” said Mohamed Radwan of Pharos Securities. “The political situation is still putting pressure on the

market ... We’re still seeing protesters on the streets, we still see criticism of the new cabinet candidates. It’s not all over yet.” Abu Dhabi’s Etisalat dragged the emirate’s index lower after second-quarter earnings missedforecasts, while analysts see attractive valuations for banks. The operator sheds 1.4 percent after reporting a 14.9 percent drop in quarterly net profit amid a rise in operating costs.

The benchmark falls 0.9 percent to 2,707 points, halting three-session gains. The three largest banks by market value end lower with National Bank of Abu Dhabi declining 0.9 percent, First Gulf Bank dropping 1.4 percent and Abu Dhabi Commercial Bank falling 1.8 percent.

“In the UAE, banking is really a short term theme at best while provisions normalize,” says Ibrahim

Masood, senior investment officer at Mashreq Bank.

“I just struggle to see where the extraordinary growth opportunities are but that’s the operating side. The good thing is that in many cases not even 1-2 percent type of growth is factored in on the valuation side, so there is at least a story for the near term.” Property stocks are also down, with Aldar Properties and Sorouh Real Estate down 2.3 percent each.

Dubai’s benchmark slips 0.8 percent to 1,533 points, down in five of past six sessions. Losers outnumber gainers 17 to one. Elsewhere, Qatar ’s benchmark drops 0.5 percent to end at 8,441 points. “You will find locals will shift to lower volume and less liquid names for this season,” says a Doha-based trader on condition of anonymity. — Reuters

Democrats, Republicans still at odds WASHINGTON: With five days remaining before President Barack Obama’s deadline for a deal to raise the US debt ceiling and still no deal in sight, Republicans and Democrats yesterday scrambled to work out details on a fallback plan that would avoid an unprecedented US default.

Although no deal has yet been made to avoid default, Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner was optimistic, saying top Republicans had taken “default off the table.”

“Despite what you hear, people are moving closer together,” Geithner, who met with top House of Representatives Republicans on Friday, told CNBC television. “You have seen the leadership of the Republican Party ... take default off the table. That’s encouraging.” Republican congressional leaders all have agreed they want to avoid default but some members in the conservative Tea Party movement say it would sacrifice their chance for big spending cuts.

The top Republican in the Senate, Mitch McConnell, submitted a plan that would essentially make Obama the one with the power to raise the debt limit. A vote is planned in the Senate, which has a Democratic majority, later this week but prospects are uncer tain in the House,

where the Republicans hold sway.

Efforts to reach a comprehensive deficitreduction deal are at an impasse over tax breaks as lawmakers-with an eye on 2012 elections-hold on to entrenched positions.

This week, senators will likely move forward with a potential fallback plan that would authorize more borrowing power and could also include some spending cuts.

Obama had set a Friday deadline for Congressional leaders from both parties to agree on a deal to raise the country’s debt ceiling. He said the July 22 deadline would give Congress enough leeway to write and pass legislation before Aug. 2, when the government will run out of money to pay its bills.

Failure to increase the debt ceiling by then could send shockwaves through global financial markets and may plunge the United States into another recession, economists have warned.

Gold prices hit record highs above $1,600 an ounce as deepening concerns over the threat of a US default prompted investors to seek a safe haven. Credit rating agencies have signaled they may cut the top-notch AAA US rating if the borrowing limit is not raised and deficit reduction measures are not laid out.

Leaders of both parties agree on the need to raise the debt ceiling. But they disagree on how to get there. Republicans want a deficit-cutting deal before they will vote to raise the debt limit but they do not like Democratic proposals to raise taxes on wealthier Americans.

White House budget director Jack Lew was optimistic a deal would be reached and the debt limit would be raised in time.

“As we approach it, more and more (members of Congress) seem to be coming to it,” Lew told CNN on Sunday. “There will be a fringe that believe that playing with Armageddon is a good idea. But I don’t think that’s where a majority will be.”

Obama held White House talks with congressional leaders for five straight days last week. But no White House talks were listed on Obama’s official schedule for yesterday.

There were no formal talks over the weekend but McConnell and Senate Democratic leader Harry Reid were negotiating a plan

by McConnell that would allow Obama to raise the debt limit while sparing Republicans from having to take the politically toxic vote in favor of it.

Reid is seeking some changes to make the plan attractive to Democrats, including $1.5 trillion in spending cuts. — Reuters

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Years

business

KD45.5m net profits for KFH in H1: Al-Nafisi Earnings per share 17.1fils l Deposits growth of 14% to KD 8.4bn and to maintain steady growth and balanced performance in all businesses.

Moreover, he shed light on KFH’s efforts in supporting the national economy, such as financing numerous companies according to the credit terms and regulations, where those companies either have their own projects or are working in collaboration with other authorities in major developmental projects. He asserted that this strategic role will not stop, since the bank firmly believes in supporting the national economy and in prioritizing Kuwaiti companies; especially during the current circumstances of the market. He pointed out that KFH organizes many marketing and promotional campaigns in collaboration with suppliers and major companies, in order to boost the economy and meet the demands of clients. Furthermore, he stated that KFH

KUWAIT: Kuwait Finance House (KFH) Chairman Sameer Al-Nafisi announced that KFH achieved gross profits during First Half of this year that reached KD 120.8 million, and shareholders’ share in profit reached KD 45.5 million.

Earnings per share reached 17.1 fils during First Half. Assets reached KD 12.9 billion with an increase of KD 945 million with 8% increase over the same period last year.

Deposits reached KD 8.4 billion with a KD 1.030 billion increase and 14 % increase over the same period last year.

Shareholders’ equity reached KD 1.267 billion, with an increase of KD 23 million and 2% over same period last year. He stressed that the achieved profits reflect the conservative policy that aims to reinforce precautionary provisions, and highlighted KFH’s efforts to reinforce its financial status

has received several prestigious awards from specialized financial authorities during the past period, such as Best Islamic Bank in the Gulf and Kuwait, in addition to the Best Islamic Real Estate Financer from Global Finance. This award underscored KFH’s leading role in financing local real estate that offered residency for thousands of Kuwaiti families over the past 30 years. KFH has also taken part in major real estate development projects around the world.

Al-Nafisi stressed the importance of the local market, and mentioned that KFH is keen to develop its market share through opening new branches in various locations, in order to be close to clients everywhere; in addition to offering unique and competitive products and services to expand client base.

He remarked that KFH offered products that never existed before, such as the five-year

deposit and transparent banking cards.

Concerning overseas expansion, he noted that KFH gains a foothold in strong competitive markets whenever possible, in order to serve as platforms to reach other neighboring markets. KFH-Turkey serves as a gate to Central Asia and Europe, which is evident by the fact that KFH-Turkey had opened a branch in Germany. KFHMalaysia also serves as a gate to other neighboring countries and China, while KFH-Bahrain is considered to be a main pillar in the GCC markets and some markets in the Middle East. He explained that the GCC markets are Kuwait’s economic and social strategic depth, and revealed that KFH is currently considering several investment opportunities in some GCC countries in light of the promising economic developments in those countries.

Sameer Al-Nafisi

Global Center, KGL hold lecture on ‘Leadership, Corporate Governance for Sustainable Growth’

X-cite’s cooking challenge a resounding success KUWAIT: Sponsored by Philips, X-cite by Alghanim Electronics held a wonderful, two-day cooking challenge on 15th and 16th July, in an aim to enhance consumer awareness and promote healthy cooking. The two-hour contest was held in the Al-Rai showroom under the supervision of the chef from Movenpick Hotel Al Bidaa. The exciting event was hosted by the famous radio presenter Oussama Fouda who added to the event’s air of fun and enthusiasm.

The cooking challenge highlighted Xcite’s level of professionalism and skill in perfectly preparing the event for attendees and contestants alike. Apart from rewarding the contest’s winners and participants, X-cite also distributed gifts to audience members through the entertaining Oussama Fouda.

The contestants at the event were asked to prepare a pre-set dish using Xcite’s exclusive range of Phillips cooking appliances. The usage of these appliances will help in building consumer awareness as well as educate the people

on the benefits of healthy cooking. The second phase of the cooking challenge will be held in The Avenues Mall on July 29 and 30, 2011. The event will be open for everyone to attend and participate in.

X-cite is the largest consumer electronics retailer in Kuwait and the Middle East. X-cite delivers a modern, dynamic and convenient shopping experience, with the sole objective of delighting its customers. With touch and feel displays, cash and carry shopping, a highly trained multi-lingual sales force and the latest gadgets and gizmos, shopping at X-cite is a superlative experience. Operating a network of 16 stores, X-cite’s customers are offered an unparalleled shopping experience by having access to amazing international brands under one roof and at guaranteed lowest prices.

The X-cite experience is fur ther enhanced by providing customers with Easy Credit, 24-hour shopping in certain outlets and extended warranty programs with 24-hour free delivery and installation.

KUWAIT: The Global Center, College of Business Administration and KGL Holding organized recently a lecture presentation by Professor Nabil El-Hage entitled “Leadership & Corporate Governance For Sustainable Growth” at the Abdullah Al-Jaber Hall, Kuwait University. The event was attended by key executives both from the public and private sectors. This was the second lecture following the successful series conducted by Nabil ElHage in 2009 under the patronage of Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, Sheikh Dr Mohamed Sabah Al-Salem AlSabah, entitled “Disarray in the Capital Markets, is the World Ending?” This initiative is in line with KGL Holding’s Corporate Citizenship in seeking every opportunity to help in the advancement of education in the communities it serves.

KGL Holding’s active partnership with The Global Center has been providing a forum for International Exchange, Development and Leadership Program by continuously providing executive training programs and inviting world-renowned speakers and experts to conduct seminars and workshops for the private and public sectors as well as for non-profit organizations.

The presentation tackled the ever-changing landscape of the business world that used to be considered straightforward responsibilities to shareholders that has become a tangle of stakeholders, with conflicting goals and objectives. In his lecture, El-Hage stressed that business leaders need help and guidance with the challenges of navigating this new multi-stakeholder landscape. The global financial crisis of 2008 attested that the presence of effective leadership that provides strategic guidance and strong corporate governance is crucial to the long term resilience and sustainability of corporations. In fact, strong and effective corporate governance is not just a cost center; it can and should be a source of significant strength.

During the three-hour session, El-Hage outlined the meaning of corporate governance and explored who are the stakeholders in every company and the nature of the responsibilities of the directors to them and how to fulfill those responsibilities. He made the attendees understand clearly the role of the Board and fiduciary responsibilities of directors to stakeholders, thereby developing

heightened awareness of the changing legal, regulatory and business environment, and reflect on its immediate and long term implications for board. The attendees also were

given some guidelines in discovering whetheror not their current leadership behavior positively impacts their organization’s performance.

KUWAIT: Professor Nabil El-Hage (4th from right) and KGL Holding Chairman Dr Ali Dashti (2nd from left) with some of the attendees during the lecture.

Saudi Aramco starts gas production from Karan KHOBAR: State energy giant Saudi Aramco started producing gas last week from Karan, its first non-associated gas field, two industry sources said.

Sources did not say when the field-a key part of Saudi’s plan to increase gas production to reduce dependency on oil-would reach its summer 2011 target production of 400-450 million cubic feet per day (cfd) of gas. First gas started flowing from the field on schedule last week, said one source who declined to be identified. New gas fields typically increase production gradually over weeks as engineers test equipment.

Aramco, which has focused on new gas projects since completing a massive crude expansion plan in 2009, said in its 2010 annual review that Karan should reach a full production capacity of 1.8 billion cfd in April 2013, in time for the peak power demand period of May to September.

South Korea’s Hyundai Engineering &

Construction and Britain’s Petrofac are working on onshore parts of the project, while US-based McDermott International is building offshore platforms and a subsea pipeline to carry sour gas from Karan for processing at the Khursaniyah plant onshore.

Saudi Arabia is focusing on tapping new sources of gas that are not tied to oil production to help meet seasonal demand for electricity and rising petrochemical feedstock needs. In its widening search for fuel Aramco plans to probe as yet unexploited areas such as the Red Sea for more oil and gas.

The state-run firm is looking at unconventional tight and shale gas sources, focusing initially on the northwest of the country and around Ghawar, the world’s biggest oil field, where gas infrastructure is already in place and Aramco hopes to identify specific wells in 2011. — Reuters

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 .2840000 .2890000 .0040000 .0020000 .0742660 .7235520 .3810000 .0700000 .7093110 .0040000 .0430000 CUSTOMER TRANSFER RATES .2735500 .4414140 .3871550 .3355620 .2868450 .0519080 .0421960 .2912350 .0350960 .2243500 .0034570 .0000000 .0000000 .0000000 .0000000 .0745060 .7258860 .0000000 .0729660 .7107960 .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 3.501 6.171 3.190 2.509 3.869 226.090 35.317

.2765000 .4590000 .3850000 .3450000 .2950000 .3010000 .0072500 .0035000 .0750120 .7308240 .4010000 .0770000 .7164400 .0072000 .0530000 .2756500 .4448030 .3901270 .3381380 .2890470 .0523060 .0425200 .2934710 .0353660 .2260720 .0034840 .0062290 .0025230 .0032150 .0037120 .0750780 .7314580 .3898870 .0735260 .7162530 .0064710

Bangladesh Taka Philippine Peso Thai Baht Irani Riyal - Transfer Irani Riyal - Cash

3.675 6.384 9.145 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 73.416 75.646 715.080 731.230 74.966

Saudi Riyal Qatari Riyal Omani Riyal Bahraini Dinar UAE Dirham

ARAB COUNTRIES Egyptian Pound - Cash 48.600 Egyptian Pound - Transfer 46.186 Yemen Riyal 1.260 Tunisian Dinar 200.000 Jordanian Dinar 388.780 Lebanese Lira 183.500 Syrian Lier 5.943 Morocco Dirham 35.237 EUROPEAN & AMERICAN COUNTRIES US Dollar Transfer 275.200 Euro 387.760 Sterling Pound 444.170 Canadian dollar 288.650 Turkish lire 166.010 Swiss Franc 340.170 Australian dollar 291.710 US Dollar Buying 274.000

Sterling Pound US Dollar

SELL CASH 295.300 731.520 3.920 290.800 540.300 36.600 53.400 167.800 48.240 391.500 36.030 6.510

388.760 0.185 94.580 3.880 234.100

SELL DRAFT 293.800 731.520 3.680 289.300

227.100 46.213 390.000 35.880 6.175

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

340.900 5.600 9.330 74.890 275.000

TRAVELLER’S CHEQUE 445.300 275.000

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. 714.260 3.210 6.395 75.650 73.440 227.050 42.570 2.508 445.300

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 1,646.760

10 Tola

GOLD 293.000 147.500 76.000

20 Gram 10 Gram 5 Gram

0.033 0.240 0.240 3.570 390.510 0.186 94.580 47.400 4.320 235.500 1.865 52.700 714.440 3.300 6.620 76.090 73.440 227.050 42.570 2.645 447.300 45.100 342.400 5.600 9.480 198.263 74.990 275.400 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) 275.000 3.205 6.180 2.525 3.685 6.420 74.975 73.535 731.100 46.185 449.300 0.00003280 3.910 1.550 390.700 5.750 392.700 294.500

Al Mulla Exchange Currency Transfer Rate (Per 1000) US Dollar 274.650 Euro 389.800 Pound Sterling 445.100 Canadian Dollar 289.000 Japanese Yen 3.490 Indian Rupee 6.170 Egyptian Pound 46.169 Sri Lankan Rupee 2.508 Bangladesh Taka 3.666 Philippines Peso 6.380 Pakistan Rupee 3.190 Bahraini Dinar 731.000 UAE Dirham 74.825 Saudi Riyal 73.350 *Rates are subject to change

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TUESDAY, JULY 19, 2011

BUSINESS

Arab Spring: Business revolution must follow political revolution

South Sudan launches new currency, tensions simmer Kiir orders officials to repatriate funds

INSEAD Business School Report

By Dr. Sami Mahroum he planned elections in Egypt, Tunisia, Yemen (and eventually Libya) will almost certainly bring new groups to power, but unless the legacy structure of power in these countries changes, the ‘euphoria’ of the revolutions will descend into the sobering reality of continued disempowerment.

Elections will bring new forces to power, but the forthcoming Arab governments will find empowering new groups such as youths, women and the poor, who constitute the majority of the populations, more challenging. Fundamental aspects of the traditional power structure and governance in Arab societies will have to change.

Traditionally, the power structure in the Arab state has rested on a strong centralised state with a ‘command and control’ system of governance guarded by a large security machine. It is particularly this pillar of the power structure that the revolutions have sought to bring down, and they might have succeeded.

But it would be naive to believe that the removal of the security state will bring empowerment to the masses. The security machine is a major tool of people disempowerment, but it is not the only one. An important factor is the second pillar of the traditional Arab power structure, which is the ‘national bourgeoisie’.

After the cruel nationalization movement of the 1950s and 1960s, an unholy alliance began to emerge between the state and some large businesses in the 1980s onwards.

The state has sought to trade business rights with legitimac y and cooperation from co-opted businesses. ‘Arabia Inc.’, is largely a family owned business and many business relations therefore are mere extensions of inter-family and inter-personal relations. This has added to the concentration of the circle of influence in these societies and the further marginalization of the majority of population. The alliance, also, was not extended to small and medium size businesses, which represent a majority of the businesses in these countries, and thus the gap between the haves and have-nots increased.

For democracy to succeed, governments will have to address the systemic problem of disempowerment in the legacy power structure.

Particularly, the state’s style of governance had to become more participatory and the business environment more open and representative.

Governments should decentralize power to regions and communities

T

and its governance mechanisms should shift from ‘command and control’ to ‘guiding and facilitating’ participation by NGOs, business and professional associations and community representatives. This should help weaken the traditional bonds between the states and the national bourgeoisie replacing it with a more encompassing relationship with society at large.

Indeed, an engaging government gives rise to a more open and more professional businesses-society relations. Business will feel compelled to widen their own circle of cooperation to thinktanks, advocacy organisations, and PR agencies in order to influence and manage government and societal relations.

The dominance of family-owned businesses will make reform more challenging for governments. In the 1960s, governments chose to nationalise many such family-owned businesses, but nationalisation is a tested and failed model.

What is needed is a series of reforms in corporate governance law to make businesses more transparent, accountable and representative.

Governments can entice businesses through a carrot and stick approach.

Board representation of employees, women and other groups should become the hallmark of the new reforms. Equal opportunity and quota systems for youths, women and long term unemployed should be considered too. Social corporate responsibility should expand to include issues of representation.

Governments need to create legal institutions that will monitor and enforce compliance with the new reforms.

Increased transparency and representation in the business environment will both help attract new investments and reduce social unrest.

Without such reforms the space currently available for nepotism and corruption can eat up the rewards of democracy. Arab business culture continues to be characterised by a culture of secrecy and informality where non-disclosure and corruption are rampant.

Empowerment is a long journey but like all journeys it needs to be started. Governments should use their power to reform their own administrations to make them more inclusive and participatory, and work in parallel to make the business environments more open, responsible and representative.

— Dr. Sami Mahroum, Executive and Academic Director of Innovation & Policy Initiative, INSEAD Business School

Samsung unveils new multi-function SCX printer range DUBAI: Samsung Electronics Co, Ltd, a global leader in digital media and convergence technologies, today announced the new SCX range of printers designed to help large workgroups and small and medium businesses to increase productivity through a trouble-free printing experience.

The new product range unveiled includes the multi-functional printers SCX4833FD, SCX-4833FR and SCX-5637FR. The new SCX series of printers are designed to provide optimum performance, productivity, ease-of-use, and efficiency.

“These latest additions to Samsung’s everexpanding portfolio of printing solutions ensure that working environments of all sizes can benefit from Samsung’s commitment to excellence in printing,” said Mehdi Heidari, General Manager - IT Sales Group at Samsung Gulf Electronics. He continued, “The new SCX range of mono laser multi-function printers are designed to handle large volumes of documents in a simple and ease to operate way, whilst the Dual Core CPU guarantee that your printer will be at the cutting-edge of your office environment.”

Samsung’s SCX-4833FD, SCX-4833FR and SCX-5637FR series are equipped with four-in-one functionality that enables users to print, scan, copy and fax through an intuitive interface and a powerful engine.

Target customers include small and medium workgroups who need a device that offers a productive, economical, and versatile solution for the office.

Samsung’s SCX-4833FD/4833FR/5637FR series support various paper types such as thick paper or cardstock and conveniently holds these pages in the cassette.

Especially the SCX-5637FR model’s 600MHz dual core processor delivers faster throughput with large volume documents such as various graphs and images. The series has a capacity of up to 820 sheets of paper with second cassette option and support up to 80,000 prints of maximum monthly duty. In addition to incredible throughput, the SCX5637FR also has 2GB hard disk capacity.

This allows users to manage files directly on the machine and provides a useful additional storage resource.

With features like a one-touch ECO button that turns on environmentally-friendly settings like double-sided printing and toner saving mode, the SCX4833FD/4833FR/5637FR series are economical and eco-friendly. An easy-to-read result simulator displays data on reduced carbon emissions, used electricity and the amount of saved paper based on the selected setting. A compact form factor ensures that this model takes up less space than competing products. Extra high yield toner can print up to 10,000 pages and results in a lower cost per page and fewer replacements on the SCX-5637FR series.

These machines come complete with Samsung’s in-house solution for fleet management and MPS. Samsung SyncThruAdmin remotely monitors and manages all Samsung device and print settings and the CounThru solution counts billing and job accounting. Unlike many competitor models in this category, Samsung has included specific anti-jam technology to prevent paper from miss-feeding through multiple pickups whilst software applications enable easy management of printing needs.

JUBA: South Sudan started rolling out its new currency yesterday-the South Sudan Pound- escalating a point of simmering disagreement with Khartoum after the country split away from the north on July 9. South Sudan became the world’s newest nation after seceding from Sudan under a 2005 peace deal that ended decades of civil war, but the two sides have yet to agree on how to manage the oil industry, split national debt and other issues.

The new nation’s announcement last week that it would launch its own currency earlier than expected added urgency to a dispute over what to do with the 1.5 to 2 billion Sudanese pounds in circulation in the South.

“It is out, we have launched.

The president came this morning and changed some money. It is in operation now,” South Sudan’s Central Bank Governor Elijah Malok told Reuters, adding the currency was already being used on Juba’s streets.

South Sudan’s new currency is being exchanged at a one-to-one rate with the existing Sudanese pound. Malok has estimated it would take between one to three months to replace the pounds in circulation now.

Meanwhile South Sudan’s President Salva Kiir ordered government officials to repatriate funds, amid concerns about rampant corruption in the world’s youngest nation.

“I want to sincerely advise all of you-those of you who have money outside the country-you bring your money back to this bank,” Kiir said at the launch ceremony, at the Central Bank of South Sudan, attended by ministers and top government officials.

“I know people have very huge accounts outside the country. You repatriate this money,” he added, in a short speech, before changing some of his personal cash into South Sudan pounds.

International Crisis Group warned in April, three months before the oil-producing country on July 9 declared formal independence from the north, about

JUBA: South Sudan President Salva Kiir holds freshly-minted notes of the new South Sudan pound, in Juba yesterday. —AFP the potential for the large-scale diversion of state revenues for the personal enrichment of individuals in positions of power.

Each note of the country’s new currency carries the head of John Garang, the revered rebel leader who died just months after signing the 2005 peace accord that ended Africa’s longest-running conflict and paved the way for nationhood. The central bank governor, Elijah Malok, said that Garang’s image was a “mark of respect” for him and for the country’s history.

Malok appealed to the governors of South Sudan’s 10 states to

work with a technical committee, composed of bank and finance ministry officials, to ensure the swiftest possible circulation of the new money, to avoid the country being flooded with old Sudanese pounds.

“The danger is... if we don’t change quickly and it is still a legal tender in the north, a lot of money will pour in and destroy our economy,” he said. The Sudanese pound could be withdrawn from circulation within three months, he added.

Last week, Sudan’s President Omar Al-Bashir said he would launch a new currency in the

north “in the coming days” to replace the Sudanese pound, which has plunged in value over the past six months, mainly because of a surge in commodity prices and weak state finances. The difficulty of swiftly circulating the south’s new currency has been compounded by the ongoing rainy season, Malok said, with many of the chronically-underdeveloped countr y ’s roads impassable at this time of year. Currenc y was one of a number of key outstanding issues that nor th and south failed to agree on prior to the country’s partition.—Agencies

Third and last grand draw on ‘Transfer and win with Al Muzaini’ More than $120,000 cash prizes KUWAIT: Al Muzaini Exchange Co is the leading Exchange Company in Kuwait. The company has been established in 1942 and is known for its dedication towards its customers and the top quality services. Al Muzaini Exchange Co has more than 45 branches spread all over Kuwait including Kuwait International Airport as well as the latest branch in Zahra Area. Al Muzaini Exchange Co offers a wide variety of services including: Banknotes exchange, remittance services, Drafts, Buying and selling of traveller’s cheques, door to door service for draft ad cash, sending drafts through international courier and instant money transfer through Western Union.

Al Muzaini Exchange Co has recently launched its first 2011 yearly promotion under the theme “Transfer and you may win.” The campaign has started on 24/04/2011 and ended on 10/07/2011and offered the chance to

win more than $120,000 cash prizes.

For every money transfer transaction, customers had many chances to enter all the 3 draws.

Al Muzaini Exchange Co held three draws since the start of the campaign. The fist draw was held on 15/5/2011 with total Prizes of $ 25,000. The second draw was held on 6/9/2011 at Al Muzaini Farwaniya Branch at 7:30pm under the supervision of the ministry of commerce.

The third & last grand draw took place on Thursday, July 14, 2011 at Al Muzaini Salmiya Branch Amman, Street Branch, Amman Street at 7:30pm under the supervision of the ministry of commerce. Twenty winners of 20 cash prizes were revealed, with a total prizes cash amount of $71,000 (1st prize = $35,000, 2nd prize $10,000, 3rd & 4th prizes each $ 5,000, from 5th to 20th prize each of $1,000) and below is the list of the lucky winners:

NO 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20

Name MOHAMED SABIYULLAH JABBAR ALI RAJASHEKAR MANDA RAMA RAO ABU TAHER AMEEN AHMED ABDULLAH MAMAD MOHD RAHMAT ALI MOHD HABIB ALDIN NASSER AMRAN HASSAN SALEM AL-HAMADI CAETANO DSOUZA JOSEPH VICTOR DSOUZA VARGESE ANTONY DIA ABBAS ABDULAZIM ALARBASH QASEM AHMED HASAN AL BALOUSHI MOHAMMAED OMER SAEED BATWIH ABDUL MUTTLIB TALIB ALI NAZIMUDDIN SHABIR HAMID MUSTAFA ALI AHMED BUNUR ANJAM KRISHNA RAJ BUNUR ANJAM ANTAR ABDUL HAMID KAMEL AL KHAWAJA MUDASSIR RAZA ALI ABBAS HUDA AHMED ABDEL HARSS AHMED MOHAMED SHAHADAT HOSSAIN HAAJI MOHD ALI LORGINA P. MANO

ID Number 286071704554 283062103649 259060203347 260031000039 264031203539 287091200868 265122601983 272031303441 258092001606 271040600582 265022603412 285012402308 288040403061 269020109435 256061001882 278071704175 285031004882 259081300912 261050105826 279031207558

Prize 35,000 $ 10,000 $ 5,000 $ 5,000 $ 1000 $ 1000 $ 1000 $ 1000 $ 1000 $ 1000 $ 1000 $ 1000 $ 1000 $ 1000 $ 1000 $ 1000 $ 1000 $ 1000 $ 1000 $ 1000 $

Morocco to sell part of telecom stake RABAT: The Moroccan government will sell part of its 30 percent stake in Maroc Telecom after a spending push to calm street protests eroded its public finances and raised concern over its ability to fund key projects.

A source familiar with the plan told Reuters on Friday the government had revived plans to sell

part of its stake. The finance and economy ministry said yesterday it will sell up to 7 percent of Maroc Telecom’s capital, or 61.53 million shares. French Vivendi holds a 53 percent stake in the firm, the country’s biggest telecom company.

The ministry did not say when the transaction would be complet-

ed but market sources in Casablanca said it would be before the end of the fourth quarter of 2011.The stake is worth 8.86 billion dirhams ($1.1 billion) based on Maroc Telecom’s closing stock price on Friday.

“The receipts will most likely be directed to investment funds run by the state,” said a Casablanca-

based fund manager who asked not to be named because his merchant bank plans to bid to advise the ministry on the sale. At 144 dirhams a share, Maroc Telecom trades at 13.4 times its forecast 2011 earnings, but even though the firm has no debt, its growth prospects are relatively modest, the manager said. —Reuters

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Kuwait equities plunge GLOBAL DAILY MARKET REPORT KUWAIT: Kuwait Stock Exchange (KSE) shares continued their free fall for the second day in a row.

Official statements gave negative picture to investors. The Central Bank of Kuwait Sheikh Salem Abdul-Aziz Al-Sabah said that the economy is witnessing an imbalance which could lead to a lot of risks. Kuwait Finance House (KFH) 1H2011 financial results added more pressure on market indices.

Global General Index (GGI) ended the day down by 2.61 percent, at 182.8 point. Market capitalization was also down for the day reaching KD29.89bn. On the other hand, KSE Price Index closed at 5,973.1 point, shedding 95.50 points (1.57 percent) from its previous close.

Market breadth During the session, 102 companies were traded. Market breadth was skewed towards decliners as 84 equities retreated versus 7 that advanced.

Trading activity was up this session. Total volume traded was up by 4.78 percent with 107.59mn shares changing hands at a total value of KD31.59mn (31.09 percent higher compared to the day before). The banking sector was the volume leader yesterday, accounting for 22.64 percent of total shares. The same sector was the value leader, with 55.66 percent of total traded value. National Bank of Kuwait (NBK) was the most active in terms of volume and values traded during the session, with 7.63mn shares exchanged at an aggregate value of KD8.45mn.

In terms of top gainers, Sokouk Holding Co was the top gainer for the day, adding 14.29 percent and closed at KD0.020.

On the other hand, Al Dar National Real Estate Co. shed

Sector-wise The market continued declining with all sectors down except for the insurance and the food sectors that had small positive

drops were the share prices of Boubyan Bank and Gulf banks, shedding 5 percent and 3.85 percent, respectively.

Global Investment Index was another notable decliner in the session, shedding 3.25 percent.

The sector had many decliners with only one advanced stock.

that rose by 6.67 percent. Many other companies in the sector had notably declines while, Al Dar National Real Estate was the biggest decliner in the market, shedding 14.29 percent.

Mabanee also went down to close at KD0.800, that is 3.39 percent lower than its previous close.

notes. Global Banking Index was the biggest loser during the session and it had the biggest damage on the general index.

Global Banking Index went down by 3.87 percent to close at 323.18 points. Seven out of nine banks in the sector declined and the rest remained unchanged.

The heavyweight, National Bank of Kuwait (NBK), notably declined by 5.26 percent to settle at KWD1.080. Another notable

Sokouk Holding, that was the biggest gainer in the market by the end of the day added 14.29 percent to its share price and closed at KWD0.020. On the other hand, Ekttitab Holding Company stock price went down by 10.64 percent to close at KD0.021.

The real estate sector was down by 2.62 percent. The sector had one advanced company which is Real Estate Trade Center

Corporate news 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 KD62.9126bn, compared to May. The price of OPEC basket of twelve crudes stood at $112.20pb on Friday, compared with $112.74pb the previous day, according to OPEC secretariat calculations.

14.29 percent and closed at KD0.015, making it the biggest decliner in the market.

Oil prices fall on US, Europe debt fears LONDON: Crude oil prices fell yesterday amid growing fears of a sovereign debt default on either side of the Atlantic and on the possibility of another emergency stock release from the International Energy Agency (IEA).

By 1413 GMT, Brent crude futures fell $1.61 to $115.65 a barrel. US crude, meanwhile, extended losses, taking a cue from Wall Street, losing $2.16 at $95.08 a barrel. Oil prices reversed Friday’s gains as nervous investors took refuge in gold, which rallied to record highs above $1,600 an ounce in Europe yesterday. Policymakers on both sides of the Atlantic have offered no clear solutions to markets on their respective debt problems, forcing investors into perceived ‘safe havens’. In Europe, eight of 90 banks failed stress tests to determine whether they could withstand a long recession. Expectations were for up to 15 banks to fall short.

The better-than-expected results of the tests failed to dispel the broader gloom sweeping markets.

“This week, we think market focus will remain on both the US debt talks, but perhaps more importantly on what the EU leaders decide to do about the various ‘fires’ around them when they meet on Thursday,” MF Global analysts said. German Chancellor Angela Merkel called on Sunday for private investors to make a major contribution to bailing out Greece as pressure rose for radical action to cut the country’s debt burden.

“The lingering debt ceiling crisis in the US is not as serious, as in a worst case scenario politicians will make only marginal cuts and run for cover, thus providing themselves with ‘the out’ they need in order to raise the debt ceiling,” MF Global added in a note.

Republican and Democratic senators sought on Sunday to craft a plan that could avert an unprecedented default by the top oil consumer while making modest cuts in the deficit.

But there were few signs of progress as the Aug. 2 deadline to avoid a default drew dangerously close. Failure to increase the debt ceiling by then could send shock waves through global financial markets and may plunge the United

States into another recession, economists have warned.

Global consumer confidence fell in the second quarter to its lowest level in a year and a half as the uncertain economic outlook, a deepening euro zone debt crisis and rising inflation made people more cautious, a survey showed.

The dollar index, which tracks the greenback against a basket of currencies, meanwhile, rallied by 0.59 percent by 1227 GMT. “Oil prices are standing their ground relatively well given the strong US dollar, though we believe this relative strength is not really due to economic reasoning or the current supply bottlenecks.

Instead, it shows investors’ growing interest in commodity investments, which are in high demand amid the uncertainty on equity and foreign exchange markets,” Commerzbank analysts said in a note.

Speculators betting on oil raised sharply their net long positions on Brent and gasoil contracts trading on the Intercontinental Exchange (ICE) in the week to July 12, the exchange said yesterday. On the physical front, pricing service Platts said it is considering extending its physical dated Brent crude price assessment period to a longer 1025 days as of January next year.

The IEA is expected to confer with its member countries by July 23 to decide whether to draw further on emergency oil stocks, a move that requires the backing of all 28 members.

Last month, member countries released 60 million barrels, only the third such move in the IEA’s history.The IEA stock release drove Brent down to $102.28 on June 27, but now prices are at a similar level to where the frontmonth contract was trading when the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries failed to agree on a collective output increase on June 8.

“It is too early for the IEA to release stocks for the second time within such a short time,” said Serene Lim of ANZ bank. “In the previous release, there were some countries that were not producing or releasing the stipulated amount.”— Reuters

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No need for more IEA oil reserves yet LONDON/PARIS: There is no sign yet of the kind of shortage to mandate another dip into the West’s emergency oil reserves when a 30-day deadline for assessing the impact of a first release expires at the end of this week, traders and analysts say.

And now the market has learnt to brace for the unexpected, it would take an even bigger shock than last month’s nearly 60 million-barrel supply injection to have a significant impact on prices of more than $116 a barrel for Brent crude.

For another International Energy Agency release to take place, it would have to be endorsed by all 28 members of the energy consumer body. Germany and Italy are likely to resist any plans for a second release for now, a French government source told Reuters last week.

Analysts from across the producer-consumer divide agree that does not mean another release will not happen this year.

Some do not even rule out unilateral action by top oil consumer the United States, which provided 30 million barrels of the June 23 release. “The IEA will undoubtedly repeat the release of oil from inventory in

the last quarter of 2011 but probably not again this summer,” said Sadad Al-Husseini, an oil analyst and former top official at state oil giant Saudi Aramco.

“We don’t see a strong response to the incremental Saudi oil offerings and that must mean that the market cannot absorb any additional oil supplies at the current prices. “By year-end, the situation will be different. This is because supplies will again be lagging demand and will remain so over the next two years.”

The IEA’s announcement of emergency supplies in June followed the failure of leading OPEC member Saudi Arabia, traditionally a price moderate and U.S. ally, to convince the group to increase supplies.

In defiance of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries’ refusal to back an output rise, Saudi Arabia independently increased its output, which hit 9.8 million barrels per day (bpd) in June, a senior Gulf OPEC delegate told Reuters.

Not all of that will make it to international markets. The IEA in a monthly report last week made a case both for more action and inaction, analysts said. It noted Saudi Arabia

was this year burning record amounts of oil, averaging nearly 600,000 bpd, to meet domestic demand for power.

In common with a report from OPEC, the IEA found a gap of around one million bpd between expected OPEC production and anticipated demand for its oil.

But it also said the June release had helped to narrow a pricing gap between high-quality, light, easy-to-refine crude and heavier grades, even if the overall oil price has bounced to higher levels than before the IEA supply injection.

“They have given themselves justification to do just about anything they want. I’m sure it will be a lively debate internally,” said Mike Wittner, an analyst at Societe Generale, who used to work for the IEA. For him the most likely outcome of this week’s review would be a statement the IEA would continue to monitor the situation.

“It’s hard to pull the trigger again on another release when you don’t know how much of what’s already been released has been taken up,” he said.

The IEA said slightly less than the 60 million barrels initially announced would be

released, but so far the take-up rate had been higher than after its previous release in 2005 when Hurricane Katrina devastated oil infrastructure in the US Gulf of Mexico.

To date, the only other release in the 37year history of the IEA was at the time of the first Gulf War, while the United States on rare occasions has independently released oil from its Strategic Petroleum Reserve.

This time, all of the 30 million barrels made available by the United States has been sold into the market, but a German government official, asked about a possible further release, noted not all of the reserves had been “fully utilised”.

The IEA’s report said inventory levels had dropped, taking onshore stocks at the end of June “close to five-year average levels” after many months of being substantially higher than historical levels.

That does not suggest an immediate crisis, but some analysts saw an argument for pre -emptive action before the peak demand final quarter of the year, especially as incremental Saudi Arabian oil tends to be heavy and unsuitable for some refiners.

“To get the crude out to the market in

September, they would have to act soon,” said Bob McNally, a former White House energy official who runs energy consulting firm Rapidan Group, which accurately predicted the first measure.

He took the view US officials were likely to seriously consider pushing the IEA to release more oil. “ The odds of another release are much higher than the oil market expects,” he said. “While it’s not a foregone conclusion, it’s a good possibility.”

The United States is seen as particularly keen for lower oil prices in the run-up to a presidential election and when the economy is fragile. Just as Saudi Arabia might have been more comfortable acting with the backing of OPEC as a whole, it would be more convenient for the United States to work within the IEA framework.

But in Europe, high levels of tax mean consumers are more resigned to high prices and less sensitive to rises on international markets. The IEA has said its reserves release is primarily designed to meet the supply shortfall left by the loss of Libyan barrels to civil war, although it has also mentioned a need to protect the economy. — Reuters

Euro-zone leaders race to bridge split on debt Second Greece bailout may be tricky

SYDNEY: The Newscorp share price is shown (center) during morning trading at the Australian Stock Exchange in Sydney yesterday. Shares in Rupert Murdoch’s News Corporation plummeted more than five percent in early Australian trade yesterday as the phone hacking scandal continues to hurt the global company’s image. — AFP

News Corp shares fall in Australian trade SYDNEY: Shares in Rupert Murdoch’s embattled News Corporation plummeted in Australian trade yesterday as the escalating phone hacking scandal continues to harm the global media giant’s image.

The stock ended 4.13 percent, or 61 cents, lower at Aus$14.16 on heavy volumes, having clawed back from a 7.6 percent slump that saw it touch a two-year low of Aus$13.65.

The losses came on the heels of a more than 11 percent fall last week. “It’s completely sentiment-driven and people are wondering if it will be forced to sell assets in the wake of the phone hacking scandal,” said RBS head of domestic sales and execution Justin Gallagher.

Shaw Stockbroking senior dealer Jamie Spiteri said the shares likely had further to fall.

“It could go lower. It’s not their commercial management of the situation but their political management of the situation-that’s very hard to value,” he said.

The plunge came as the scandal surrounding Australian-born Murdoch’s media empire intensifies with Rebekah Brooks, the former head of Murdoch’s British newspaper wing, arrested on Sunday.

She was questioned for 12 hours, then bailed, over claims she conspired to intercept communications and that the now-defunct News of the World tabloid, of which she was editor, paid police for stories. At the same time, Britain’s top police officer resigned due to speculation about his links to Murdoch’s company and the force’s botched investigation into hacking at the News of the World.

Long-time Murdoch ally Les Hinton also quit at the weekend, stepping down as chief executive of Dow Jones and publisher of the Wall Street Journal, both owned by News Corp.

The 80-year-old media baron Murdoch, now a US citizen, has been

called to testify before a public inquiry in Britain, which will examine phone hacking and links between politicians and the press.

His son, James, and Brooks have also been summoned and Prime Minister David Cameron has warned that anyone found guilty of wrongdoing could be barred from future roles in Britain’s media. In Australia, the birthplace of Murdoch’s global empire, the heat was turned up with Communications Minister Stephen Conroy lashing out at Sydney’s Daily Telegraph newspaper.

Conroy accused the Murdoch-owned daily of being intent on bringing down the government, claiming it adopted an anti-Labor policy after a recent meeting of executives from his Australian arm, News Limited, in Carmel, California.

“It is just running a campaign on regime change,” he told ABC radio. “As John Hartigan (News Limited Australia CEO) admitted in the papers on the weekend, arising from the conference they had in Carmel, they decided to do more issues-based campaigning.

“I think the Daily Telegraph is probably the worst of the examples at the moment where it is running a campaign.”

Hartigan last week denied there was any News Limited push to unseat Labor, which is languishing in the opinion polls.

News Limited controls a large chunk of the Australian metropolitan and regional newspaper market, including national broadsheet The Australian, as well as having extensive Internet assets.

The company also has a stake in broadcasters Sky News and Fox Sports, and is angling to run the international Australia Network TV channel.

Australia’s Greens party has called for a parliamentary review of the nation’s media, with News Limited saying it would co-operate with an inquir y, although it wants the scope of any probe to be clearly defined. — AFP

DALLAS: Halliburton human resource associates Heather Hopkins (left) and Sonja Franks (center rear) meet with attendees at a National Career Fairs job fair, in Dallas. The expansion of oil and natural gas drilling in North America continued to drive Halliburton Co as its earnings jumped by nearly 54 percent in the second quarter. Revenue also hit a company record for the period. —AP

BRUSSELS: The euro-zone rushed yesterday to overcome divisions over a second bailout for Greece in time for a pivotal summit this week and douse the flames of a debt crisis searing bigger nations.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel raised the stakes at the weekend, warning that she would attend the emergency meeting on Thursday only if a deal is on the table.

Germany’s insistence on making the private sector share the pain in a new bailout, even if its means causing a Greek debt default, has put Berlin in deep disagreement with the European Central Bank and other euro-zone nations. Merkel forced EU president Herman Van Rompuy to cancel plans, early last week, to hold the summit last Friday.

He had wanted to convene a summit after a turbulent week in the markets as Italy and Spain looked like being dragged into the debt crisis.

The euro and the markets were down in early trading yesterday in anticipation of the summit. An EU official said that Germany had yet to hammer out differences with the ECB and other euro-zone states but that EU president Herman Van Rompuy would never have called a summit of the 17 euro-zone leaders for this coming Thursday if a deal were impossible. “Van Rompuy would not have called a summit if he had not received enough signals from the big countries, and Germany in particular, that there was enough on the table to negotiate” an agreement, the official said.

Senior finance ministry officials from eurozone nations will meet tomorrow to try to break the deadlock ahead of the summit.

Merkel stressed on Sunday that the meeting was “urgently necessary,” but she added: “I am only going if there’s an outcome.”

French Budget Minister Valerie Pecresse voiced cautious optimism that a deal will come through.

“We hope it will be adopted and, from our point of view, the comments by Angela

ATHENS: US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton speaks to US Embassy employees in Athens yesterday. Clinton said Greece’s “resilience” in tackling its huge debt could inspire the world, as she expressed Washington’s support for the government’s efforts. —AFP Merkel that she wants there to be something of Greek debt being discussed by euro-zone concrete on Thursday make good sense,” she leaders, either through a debt rollover, swapping Greek bonds for new ones or a bond told France’s LCI television.

Pecresse said all options are being buy-back, could be seen rating agencies as a explored so that the private sector’s involve- default. The dangers posed by the euro-zone’s ment “does not impact euro-zone stability, festering debt crisis was highlighted last meaning that it should not lose its attraction Friday when eight of 90 European banks failed a “stress test” on their ability to withstand new for investors.”

ECB president Jean-Claude Trichet reiterat- a financial shock.

The EU and International Monetary Fund ed that the central bank, which owns billions of euros in Greek debt it bought to keep bailed out Greece in May 2010 with a package Athens afloat, was opposed to any form of worth 110 billion euros ($160 billion) in default. “ The governments have been exchange for a series of unpopular austerity warned,” Trichet told the Financial Times measures to stabilise its public finances.

The country is still in serious difficulty and Deutschland yesterday, that “if a country defaults, we will no longer be able to accept needs another bailout valued at around the its defaulted government bonds as normal eli- same amount. Its debt has exploded and market hostility has kept it from raising fresh gible collateral.”

There are concerns that any restructuring loans. — AFP

Indonesia to let private industry to import gas JAKARTA: Indonesia will allow private firms to import natural gas for the first time, signalling a shortage of gas supply in a country that is now the world’s thirdlargest exporter of liquefied natural gas (LNG).

The import plans come as Malaysia and India are also stepping up buying while the world’s top LNG importer Japan cranks up gas-fired power plants to make up for lost nuclear generation, and so are likely to stoke already strong prices.

“The president in a cabinet meeting has approved in principle the plan by firms to import gas,” Industry Minister M S Hidayat said, adding that volumes would be determined later.

Commercial firms could import gas from the world’s top exporter Qatar, Hidayat said, without giving details.

Indonesia is expected to export 362 LNG cargoes this year, down 15 percent from last year. It is building LNG import terminals with capacity of nearly 10 million tons, as strong economic growth means its domestic industrial demand is rising.

“Net exports could shrink significantly if they are importing LNG,” said Neil Beveridge, senior analyst at Bernstein Research in Hong Kong. “It alludes to a growing gas deficit in Indonesia... which will ultimately lead to even tighter LNG markets.”

State energy firm Pertamina is already talking to Qatar as well as Australia over LNG imports to fill a 1.5 million-ton annual shortfall at its planned receiving terminal near Jakarta, its chief told Reuters last month. Qatar will reach full export capacity of the super-cooled gas of 77 million tons per year (tpy) by the end of 2011, the state

oil marketing company told Reuters last month. Malaysia is the world’s secondbiggest exporter, but it is also turning to imports to feed growing local demand.

Indonesia’s state utility firm PLN plans to sign a sales and purchase deal with Malaysian state energy firm Petronas to supply 116 million standard cubic feet per day (mmscfd) for its Tambak Lorok steam power plant in central Java by 2014, the Investor Daily newspaper quoted Nur Pamudji, the company’s primary energy director, as saying yesterday.

Private industrial gas users could include manufacturing industries such as cement and autos, both having seen rising foreign investment from Asian firms to tap economic growth of more than 6 percent in the world’s fourth most populous country. Evita Legowo, the director general for oil and gas at the energy ministry, said the lack of receiving terminals mean such imports from firms are not likely in the near future. Indonesia’s first LNG receiving terminal, developed by Pertamina and Perusahaan Gas Negara , is expected to begin operating near the capital in the first quarter of 2012.

Industrial gas users pay market rates, but PGN, Indonesia’s largest gas distributor, and PLN face subsidized prices for small individual or business users of gas and electricity.

“It doesn’t matter who does the importing in Indonesia, the price justification must be there. In other words, for imports to happen, the private company must be able to make the necessary returns-you can’t have a sustained situation where the company imports at high costs but is selling at subsidized prices,” said Erwin Chan of Facts Global Energy in Singapore. — Reuters

Allianz suggests 25-30% haircut on Greek debt FRANKFURT: German insurer Allianz , owner of the world’s largest bond investor Pimco, favors private investors writing off 25-30 percent of Greece’s debt, company managers were yesterday quoted as saying. Three weeks of talks between European officials and the private sector have failed to reach a deal on how they would be involved in a second bailout of Greece, but the lobby group representing commercial banks said on Sunday that some progress had been made.

Banking sector sources told Reuters last week that “haircuts” of 30-50 percent on their holdings of Greek government debt had been discussed.

But the talks continue to struggle to overcome legal and political obstacles which centre around efforts to avoid a Greek default or deal with opposition from the European Central Bank to any such default. Allianz Chief Financial Officer Paul Achleitner told the Financial Times Deutschland any deal would have to be on a voluntary basis-a solution aimed at avoiding a default.

“For example, the country (Greece) could offer to exchange old bonds with a nominal value of 100 for new ones worth 70,” he said comments to another German paper, Die Welt. “That way they would achieve a voluntary de facto debt reduction of 30 while at the same extending the maturity.” A third newspaper, Handelsblatt, cited a paper from Allianz as backing a 25 percent haircut.

Insurers have to date said little publicly on the efforts to involve the private sector in resolving Greece’s debt problems, but they are among the biggest holders of its debt.

Allianz held some 1.3 billion euros ($1.84 billion) in Greek debt as of the end of 2010. Handelsblatt, reported Achleitner as saying a haircut of 25 percent would reduce Greek debt by 50 billion euros to less than 300 billion. To guarantee the bonds, Greece would take out a loan from the European Financial Stability Facility (EFSF) and put that money in a trust, Achleitner said, reiterating proposals made earlier by Allianz. As any new bonds would be less risky they would have an interest rate of 5 to 6 percent, he added. Pressure for a buy-back or a swap of Greek debt mounted over the weekend as German Chancellor Angela Merkel reiterated her call for private investors to make a major contribution to bailing out Greece. — Reuters

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India inches forward on major tax reform Major tool for faster economic reform

ISLAMABAD: A Pakistani boy rests on his watermelons as he displays them for sale next to a wholesale fruit and vegetable market on the outskirts of Islamabad yesterday. — AP

How logical is the link between oil, dollar?

Currency conundrum LONDON: At the end of this week, the International Energy Agency is expected to announce the results of its 30day review of an emergency reserves release, which shocked oil markets and sent ripples across foreign exchange.

Some countries are said to be opposed or at least reluctant to agree to further action for now, but there could still be another release at some point this year.

In addition, the United States, which accounted for half of the 60 million-barrel oil injection announced on June 23, could add more oil to international markets from its strategic reserves regardless of what the IEA as a whole decides.

The release from emergency stockpiles was only the third in the 37-year history of the IEA, and the announcement last month initially prompted a 6 percent sell-off on the oil market.

On the currency markets, the dollar index rose 0.9 percent on the day, exaggerating the negative correlation that typically characterises the relationship between oil and the US currency. Oil prices have since recovered, with Brent crude futures trading above $116 per barrel, versus just over $114 before the reserves release. The following looks at some of the questions surrounding the influence of currency markets on oil and vice versa.

The negative correlation with the dollar was particularly sustained for much of 2009 as the world began to emerge from deep recession and economic stimulus provided a wave of cheap money.

That weakened the US dollar but drove a wave of buying across other assets, notably dollar-denominated commodities such as oil, which became relatively cheap to holders of currencies other than the dollar.

NEGATIVE CORRELATION A weak dollar can also provide a motive for the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries to seek a higher oil price as it seeks to protect its dollar income.

A second round of US quantitative easing (QE2) helped to spur a sustained oil market rally, which began in the final quarter of last year and gained added momentum this year after Libyan output was shut in by civil war. Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke has canvassed the idea of further QE should economic growth and inflation slow, comments that could add to dollar weakness.

The negative correlation with oil could be curbed, however, by sentiment on oil markets that high prices are denting demand, especially in the United States, the world’s largest oil consumer and the largest-but fragileeconomy.

The 66-day rolling correlation between US crude and the dollar index, a measure of the dollar’s performance against a basket of currencies, was at minus 0.50 yesterday.

The negative correlation narrowed sharply to minus 0.09 in March when the earthquake and tsunami in Japan prompted huge repatriation flows from the dollar into the yen, while oil prices fell in a wave of risk aversion across asset classes.

In a medium-term report earlier this year, the IEA cited econometric techniques that suggested causality might run from the oil price to the exchange rate, rather than the other way round.

“When the price of an import rises, if the demand for that import is very inelastic (i.e. quantities demanded hardly fall at all when the price is increased as is the case for oil), this produces a deterioration in trade balance, which will decrease the value of the local currency,” it said.

The IEA has maintained so far “a resolutely positive view” of its emergency supply release, which it said had added much-needed supplies of high quality oil to a tight market. It says it has changed the structure of the oil market and narrowed the gap between easy-to-refine crude and

heavier grades, even if the price of benchmark Brent crude is higher than before the IEA announcement.

SPECULATION OPEC has, however, disputed that the IEA has done anything to quell speculation. Analysts generally say it is too soon to tell how much impact the reserves release has had, although some say oil has become a financial market like any other, including foreign exchange markets, and there is a limit to how much it will respond to fundamentals of supply and demand.

“It’s a financialized market and it reacts in part as a financialised market,” Heiner Flassbeck, a director at the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development, who has argued in favor of increased government measures, including direct intervention, to curb speculation.

Julian Jessop, chief international economist at Capital Economics, said the IEA could have changed trader activity. “If the aim is simply to inject a sense of two-way risk into the market and make people think oil prices are not simply a one way bet-the IEA has succeeded,” he said.

INTERVENTION In March the Japanese authorities led coordinated intervention in the currency markets, buying dollar/yen after the dollar plunged below 79 yen following the tsunami and nuclear disaster. The move stabilised the pair at around 80 yen until last week, limiting the volatility that hurts Japanese exporters.

The dollar and oil are the obvious couple as the dollar is overwhelmingly the currency of international crude trade. Analysts see little sign that this status quo will change, although individual trades can be carried out in whatever currency is considered appropriate, notably euros.

Oil traders and analysts say they monitor the dollar index and the dollar/euro .

Some fund managers avoid direct exposure to volatile and highly leveraged commodities such as oil, but see the need for taking an indirect stake, which can be provided by the Brazilian real for instance. Brazil has huge reserves of oil and a fast-growing economy, although the pace of growth and strength of its currency is a concern.

In general the currencies of resource -holding countries, as opposed to consumer countries, are positively correlated to the oil price, but Middle Eastern Gulf producers, with currencies pegged to the US dollar, are an exception.

Another potential exception can be the Russian ruble as investors remain mindful of a default in the 1990s, said Jane Foley, currency strategist at Rabobank.

A lower oil price can also indirectly affect the euro, one of the preferred currencies for reserve diversification.

A drop in prices reduces the accumulation of petrodollars by oil-producing economies, and their scope for reserve diversification into other currencies.

OIL VERSUS GOLD? Gold is often regarded as a substitute currency and a relatively safe haven for risk-averse investors, particularly those seeking an inflation hedge.

Oil can also be an inflation hedge in a portfolio of assets because it is a significant driver of inflation, although the inflation link has been weakened as developed economies have improved their energy efficiency.

Both oil and gold are likely to rise in response to a weak dollar, but their relationship is less straightforward than that as oil is perceived as a risky asset and gold as the opposite.

“In a risk-on trade, oil will be bought whereas gold is more likely to be sold, so there should be a negative correlation between the two,” Foley said. — Reuters

NEW DELHI: India’s government and main opposition party took a small step towards forging consensus yesterday on introducing the country’s first ever nationwide indirect tax, a reform seen as a major tool for faster economic growth in Asia’s third largest economy. The government agreed to appoint Sushil Modi, a senior member of the opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to head a panel on implementing the tax that aims to improve India’s meandering tax regime. It is the first breakthrough for the two sides in moving the stalled tax reform forward.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has been accused of running a lame duck government, though he recently won some praise from investors and analysts with some bold policy decisions, including raising fuel prices to ease the subsidy burden. “It now looks as if sharp criticism has shaken them (government) out of lethargy,” a research note by Macquarie Equities Research said of India’s government.

The Congress party-led government has since its re-election in 2009 failed to make headway on the so-called key Goods and Services Tax (GST) due to opposition among

some of India’s 28 states who fear that they will lose their fiscal autonomy.

The GST is intended to usher in a uniform market for goods and services, cut business costs and boost government revenues. At the moment, a manufacturer who wishes to move goods from one state to another has to struggle with a number of different taxes, as if taking goods across several countries.

The law is as much in focus for investors and the public because it shows the difficulties policymakers have in simplifying India’s bureaucratic regulatory landscape, a key obstacle to economic development.

HURDLES AHEAD The law needs to be approved by twothirds of parliament and half of India’s states, hence the need for the government to seek support from the opposition. The Congress government has in the past accused the opposition BJP of stalling the bill for political advantage. Officials have said the bill would miss its April 1, 2012 deadline.

“Earlier there was a stalemate between the centre (federal government) and some state

governments ruled by the BJP. The process will at least start with this appointment,” said N R Bhanumurthy, a New Delhi-based analyst.

GST slashes through a maze of local taxes that can be raised or lowered at will by states at present, making life harder for firms navigating in a country of 1.2 billion people with notorious bureaucratic red tape.

Speaking after his appointment, Modi, a finance minister in the eastern state of Bihar, sought to dispel talk that the legislation had become a political football.

“It is not a political issue,” he said. “It has nothing to do with the BJP or the Congress.

Even in the BJP manifesto there is GST, but the empowered committee is concerned about states’ revenues and other state issues,” he added. But former finance minister Yashwant Sinha, a senior BJP leader who currently heads a separate parliamentary panel on the GST, played down the significance of the appointment. “No, it does not mean anything of that kind at all,” he told Reuters when asked whether the new appointment indicated the opposition party could agree to the tax. — Reuters

Man Group buys Lehman exposure from GLG funds LONDON: Hedge fund firm Man Group is to buy exposure to the estates of defunct US bank Lehman Brothers from funds run by its GLG unit for $355 million, in an effort to clean up the funds’ holdings and make them easier to sell to new investors.

GLG-bought by Man Group last year for $1.6 billion-was using Lehman as its main prime broker at the time of the US bank’s collapse at the nadir of the credit crisis in 2008, and yesterday’s move means Man will benefit or bear the risk of any change in the value of the claims.

The cash deal mainly affects GLG’s European Long Short fund, run by star manager Pierre Lagrange, and its North American fund, which will share upside in “limited circumstances” in return for transferring the risk.

“These transactions will remove the remaining uncertainty from funds with residual claims against the Lehman estates, to the benefit of both existing and new investors,” Man Group Chief Executive Peter Clarke said in the statement. The deal, which was approved by directors of the funds rather than the investors themselves, raises the question of whether investors would have benefited more from holding on to the claims.

High-profile hedge fund manager

John Paulson is an investor in Lehman Brothers Holdings inc, which last month upped its estimated payback for creditors to $65 billion.

Man Group declined to give details on how far the GLG funds had written down the value of their Lehman claims. “We ... assume that Man would not be taking on the risk if it did not expect to gain or at least come out even,” said analysts at Oriel Securities in a note.

“This has been in the works for some considerable time,” a source close to Man Group told Reuters. “This is not something that GLG could have done (by itself ).”

At 0929 GMT Man’s shares were down 2.2 percent at 235.7 pence. The regulatory capital impact of acquiring the exposure is expected to be about $50 million and the move will have a “negligible” impact on Man’s net interest expense, the group said.

“In this way, Man can use its resources productively to provide clarity for fund investors and the opportunity to grow assets in the affected funds more quickly,” Clarke added.

Directors of the relevant funds have received independent financial and legal advice with respect to the transactions, Man said. — Reuters

Aid for trade funding holds steady in 2010, says WTO GENEVA: Donor aid to fund trade appeared to hold up in 2010 despite weak global economic growth and increasing concerns over state debt, the World Trade Organization said yesterday.

But with pressure expected to grow in coming months over the high debt of major donor countries such as the United States, emerging economies may have to take a bigger role in financing aid for trade, the WTO said. “At this stage, crisis effects and pressure on budgets of major donors-the European Union, Japan and the United States, have not yet bit into aid for trade,” WTO deputy director general Valentine Rugwabiza said.

“We have a mere indication of the numbers in 2010, not that the numbers have decreased, but there is a kind of plateau,” she added.

Nevertheless, there is “clearly going to be increased pressure” on aid for trade funding in coming years as major donors are themselves struggling with large budget deficits and high unemployment, she acknowledged.

She called therefore on emerging economies to fill in the gap.

“We are already seeing an increased role of south-south cooperation in aid for trade, not yet at the potential it could reach. We think that that is also another avenue,” she said ahead of this week’s WTO Aid for Trade review conference.

Heads of international organizations, including UN Secretary-General Ban Kimoon, World Bank President Robert Zoellick and OECD Secretary-General Angel Gurria are expected to attend the two-day conference opening yesterday.

The Aid for Trade process launched at a W TO ministerial conference in December 2005 aims to help developing countries build infrastructure to take full advantage of a successful world trade liberalization deal.

Aid for trade encompasses grants and loans to build roads, ports and telecommunications, among others, as well as technical assistance in helping countries develop trade strategies or negotiate more effectively. In 2009, aid for trade commitments reached $40 billion, up just 2 percent from 2008, slowing significantly from the 28 percent jump recorded in 2008 against 2007.

However, Africa also surpassed Asia for the first time in 2009 to become the biggest recipient region of aid for trade funding.

This was because the donors are focusing more on low-income countries, which have become better at marketing their potential and therefore attracting more aid. In addition, new players such as China was contributing significantly to aid for trade in Africa, added Rugwabiza. — AFP

GENEVA: Pascal Lamy, World Trade Organization (WTO) Director General, talks to Helen Clark, right, administrator of the United Nations Development Programme, during the third Global Review of aid for trade co-hosted by the World Trade Organization in Geneva, Switzerland, yesterday. The World Trade Organisation holds its third review conference on the aid for trade process, launched in 2005 to help poorer countries build trade facilitating infrastructure. —AP

BRUSSELS: European Commissioner for the Internal Market Michel Barnier gestures during a media conference at EU headquarters in Brussels yesterday.

The European Union is asking states to allow all EU citizens to open a basic bank account, regardless of where they live, their income or credit history. — AP

EU banks told to come clean on fees BRUSSELS: Banks in the European Union have until mid-September to come clean on fees they charge customers or face mandatory transparency rules.

“We think the fees should be easy to understand across the board, with comparable fees charged for comparable services. That is not the case today,” Michel Barnier, the bloc’s financial services commissioner, told a news conference. Full transparency on fees would make it easier for customers to compare charges and switch to a cheaper account, helping to drive down the high charges seen in some EU states.

“I am disappointed with the response from European banks with the request I put to them a year ago asking for more transparency,” Barnier added. If banks don’t take his request seriously by Sept. 15, Barnier will take “legislative action with a view to introducing more standardization across European markets”.

Banks must give clear terminology on what customers are charged for and by how much, Barnier said as he also gave lenders a year to make it easier for everyone to open a cheap basic account anywhere in the 27-nation bloc or face legislation in this area too.

About 30 million people over 18 years old in the EU do not have a bank account, with 6-7 million turned down because of poor credit history, no proof of income or failing to meet residency requirements, the Commission said in a statement.

The EU executive adopted a recommendation” yesterday, a non-binding request for member states to crack down on restrictions used by banks as an excuse to reject account applications. “This recommendation does not state that payment service providers will have to accept any application from an individual in any case-it focuses on what is strictly necessary to enable consumers to use payment services,” the Commission said. “It will assess the situation in one year’s time and propose any further measures as necessary, including legislative measures,” the Commission added. The Commission said consumers should be able to open a basic bank account at an unspecified reasonable charge irrespective of where they live or their financial circumstances.

It only covers people who are legally resident in the EU and need an account for personal but not business or professional use. A basic payment account is defined by the Commission as one that allows the customer to deposit and withdraw cash, receive payments such as salaries, issue payment orders, make payments through direct debits and buy goods and services online.

Overdrafts would not be allowed as this would mean credit was being given, which requires credit history checks.

The EU executive had said it would propose a draft law to make it mandatory for banks to offer basic accounts but opted for a non-binding recommendation as it gives member states more flexibility to tackle hurdles to opening an account. — Reuters

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TUESDAY, JULY 19, 2011

TECHNOLOGY

Kaspersky Lab appoints overseas business machines in Oman OMAN: Kaspersky Lab, a leading developer of secure content and threat management solutions, announces today the appointment of Overseas Business Machines (OBM), an IT integrated solutions company based in Muscat, as an enterprise partner in Sultanate of Oman.

Overseas Business Machines will play a key role in providing on-ground pre-sales, technical and maintenance support to the corporate customers based in Oman.

With its significant presence in the country, OBM will work closely with Kaspersky Lab to develop the enterprise business by presenting Kasperskyís corporate solutions directly to the corporate customers with networks larger than 500 nodes.

Commenting on this new partnership, Tarek Kuzbari, Managing Director, Kaspersky Lab Middle East and Turkey said, ìBeing closer to our clients is key for our business growth and success. We believe that this

partnership with Overseas Business Machines will strengthen Kaspersky Labís presence in Oman, while bringing the customers closer to the brand, with easier and direct access to the companyís latest technologies and experts, and will help in leveraging OBMís enterprise customers.î ìKaspersky Labís main aim for this year is to become one of the top three providers of IT security solutions in the global market, and this partnership comes in line with this vision

and our commitment to developing a stronger security infrastructure for the endusers and corporate customers worldwide and in the Middle East regionî, continued Kuzbari. Mohamad Al-Bolbol, General Manager of Overseas Business Machines said, ìWe are very proud to have added a respected vendor like Kaspersky Lab to our companyís portfolio. This new partnership reinforces our positioning in the market as a high-integrity partner, providing world-class

technology brands and solutions. Our local presence will help us understand the specific needs of our customers, and provide them with a faster support and responseî.

OBM is an affiliate to OmniTech Holding group, part of the MiDiS group of companies, operating as networked partnership of focused profit centers, and backed by the financial strength of the group. It is known for its long-term and solid relation with its suppliers.

Using apps and the net to learn a new language New Web 2.0 language courses offer more excitement

Women surfing the website.

MUST educational colleges HAVE various research centers CAIRO: Misr University for Sciences and Technology, MUST, is one of the oldest private universities in Egypt. The university has approximately 14000 students, studies in 12 colleges. MUST developed its own educational conceptual framework which follow the most modern philosophical educational principles. This is empowering the students to manage all student affairs.

The student in MUST is an active stakeholder. MUST provide its students with all logistical facilities such as GYM, sport places, electronically library, transportation and dorm. It is a fact that MUST is an Arab Egyptian University because approximately 50% of all students are from various Arab countries.

MUST is located in an environmentally friendly satellite town by Cairo, this is 6 October City near the pyramids of Giza.

We can call 6 October town a Universities town because it has more than 10 Universities and educational institutions.

MUST cooperate with various European and north America universities. The cooperation includes exchange of faculty members and students. Must has 12 colleges, there are: Medcine,Dental Surgery, Pharmacy, Physical Therapy, Engineering, Business, Mass Media, Foreign Language, Information Technology, Biotechnology,

Applied Medicine Sciences and Archaeology and Tourism Guidance. The Business and Mass Media Colleges offer all educational programs in Arabic and English sections. MUST is a unique University in offering its students University requirement which prepare the students for the practical life such as course in job market orientation.

MUST has beside its educational colleges various research centers in different specializations such as Environment Research Center, the Medical Research Center, Stem cell Research Center and the Center for Management development. All colleges in MUST organized yearly conferences, Seminars and Symposiums. Through inviting scientific figures from most distinguish universities from all over the world maintained MUST its relationship globally.

All degrees offered by MUST are accredit by the Egyptian Supreme Council of higher education. An educational conference being held currently at Kuwait, with Mr. Hosny Kamel, MUST vice president for academic and student affairs Prof. Dr. Mohamed El-Azzazi, Prof.Dr. Hala Almonofy from the College of Dental Medicine and Mostafe Kamal from the registration department, aimed to present MUST specially its academic programs and rules.

BERLIN: Many online classes and apps promise to turn learning a foreign language into child’s play. But none of them work unless they mesh well with the pupil’s personal knowledge and individual learning curve.

That said, being able to make yourself understood in the local language when you’re abroad is useful and fun, even if the way there can be hard. And traditional language courses or educational books can be a drag.

Thus, the new Web 2.0 language courses, which offer more excitement and entertainment. There are also online courses that individualize themselves for each student.

A person’s ability to learn can be charted on a matrix with three areas, explains education specialist Michaela Meier of Projekt Bildung Institut in Augsburg, Germany, an educational organization. Differences can be seen as soon as information is gathered.

“The way it’s processed can be completely different. Some people handle this very rationally: Others more emotionally.” A person’s learning characteristics are heavily influenced by their communications and media use habits.

The advances made by the 3 million users of the language lesson portal Busuu show how different learning functions can be. “We want to use this data to create an intelligent learning platform that can factor in the individual learning process,” says Bernhard Niesner, the Austrian founder of Busuu. “This

is a big challenge for me and there’s a lot still to do.” At Busuu - the name is derived from a Cameroonian language threatened with extinction - there are nine different languages people can learn online: English; Spanish; Por tuguese; Italian; German; Russian; French; Polish and Turkish. More languages are expected to be added this year, like Japanese and Mandarin, the most used language in China.

Busuu also has apps for a quick lesson on the run on mobile devices. A basic course is free, but the four courses that build upon it each cost 2.99 euros (4.35 dollars).

“Smartphones are especially conducive to quickly learning foreign languages,” says Vicente Arioli, who works at developing apps at Cornelsen publishers in Berlin. “The lessons have to be divided into little bites, so you can squeeze them in, like on the metro.”

People who want to concentrate for a longer time are better off heading to a PC or using a tablet. Cornelsen happens to have vocabulary trainers and educational crime novels available for the iPhone and iPad. At Babbel, Busuu’s competition, Markus Witte says: “Tablets are extremely interesting for us.” That’s because those devices allow language lessons to be combined with games and social networking.

“We’re in the middle of undertaking our first experiments with Facebook games,” says Witte. “We don’t want to get rid of traditional methods for learning, but we want to create

SURFING, SOUND AND SYSTEMS Archos tablets BERLIN: Archos has promised two new tablets using Android 3.1 for an operating system: the 8-inch 80 G9 and the 10.1-inch 101 G9. Both have a recess in their housing which contains an optional UMTS stick, which can serve as a modem for other computers. The tablets run on a dual-core processor with a speed of 1.5 gigahertz. They don’t rely on flash building blocks for storage, but an especially flat 2.5-inch hard drive with a 250-gigabyte capacity. The tablets should be available at the end of September.

The 80 G9 will cost 249 euros (349 dollars), while the 101 G9 will go for 299 euros.

Preventing overheating of laptops in summer BERLIN: Once it gets really hot outside, laptops make a lot of noise - and in extreme cases they even break down.

That’s why laptop owners should make sure their equipment always gets plenty of air, especially in the summer.

“When the ventilation slots are continually covered it could lead to lasting damage in the computer in the worst case,” said Peter Knaak of Germany’s Stiftung Warentest consumer protection group. The battery also loses its capacity quickly with temperatures over 70 degrees. Therefore, laptops should never be kept in direct sunlight and always on a flat, hard surface.

The first warning for possible overheating is a loud, lasting noise of the fan.

Users should at this point avoid using computation-intensive games and programs. That also includes the transparency effect in the Windows operating system, according to Knaak: “They may look sleek but they require a lot of work for the graphic card.”

Charging the battery while working

on the laptop also creates heat. Those who attach their laptop to the mains should when possible take out the battery in the summer.

A cooling laptop support pad can help. They provide additional head space underneath the computer as models made of aluminium are better at disposing of the heat than plastic equipment.

But Knaak doesn’t think too highly of coolers with built-in fans. “You don’t really get that much extra cooling and you have an additional source of noise at your desk,” he said.

Desktop PCs meanwhile usually have fewer problems with heat compared to laptops. Still, in this case as well, the ventilation slots should be kept unblocked and not be situated along a wall. Knaak warned that removing the case covering during severe heat is actually counterproductive.

“The computers are built so that air can be circulated and discharged,” he said. This circulation is destroyed if the case covering is removed. — dpa

PALO ALTO: Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg talks about Group Chat and Video Calling during an announcement at Facebook headquarters in Palo Alto, California. — AP

opportunities for people who might not normally get around to learning a language.”

He says the average time to successfully finish the beginner’s course is about two and a half months, assuming students study a quarter hour three times a week. “After that, you can make yourself understood in the foreign language when it comes to simple things.”

Babbel offers six languages: English; French; Italian; Spanish; Portuguese and Swedish. A month of study costs 9.95 euros.

Signing up for three or six months provides a discount, 6.65 or 5.55 euros, respectively.

Digital learning tools can’t be an end in itself, warns Meier, but they can be good for learning vocabulary. Learning grammatical structure with the help of animation and film can also be a boon. Plus, practicing speaking gets easier with a speech recognition programme on hand. “But face-to-face communication has its own special value here,” says Meier. Busuu values its community highly.

“Our users correct 30,000 texts amongst themselves per day,” says Niesner. One retired teacher in Australia has already processed 50,000 texts. “It’s fun to share your individual language skills online within the community.”

That’s the hope of online language lesson community Livemocha, which reportedly offers more than 35 languages. Along with free basic courses, there are extension courses for some languages that cost 149 dollars for a full-year subscription. — dpa

The new Archos tablet.

Season’s new PC games HAMBURG: Japanese horror films; eternal ice; battlefields; futuristic dictators: this is the stuff of which PC games are made. PC gamers will have to be ready to jump into the role of soldier, biologist, field commander, pilot or dissident this summer as they prepare for scenarios ranging from eerie to dark to frosty to action-packed.

There’s FEAR 3, determined to make you break out in a sweat, while Alpha Polaris, a discovery adventure in Greenland, will make you break out in goose bumps. Battle is at the centre of the wide-ranging military simulator Arma 2: Free, as well as the flight simulator Air Conflicts: Secret Wars. Meanwhile, Alternativa brings players into a distant future.

If you like frights and chills, FEAR 3 should be right up your alley. Inspired by Japanese horror films, the game takes players to dark and threatening settings as they slip into the role of soldier Point Man, chasing the mysterious Alma Wade, possessor of paranormal powers.

Dark settings and intricate light effects create an intensely morbid mood. The fighting segments in this third installment of the game include a new timeloop mode, allowing Hollywood-style moments. There are also changes to the multi-player mode. The developers have decided to skip the everyone-againsteveryone mode, instead adding four new fighting styles developed especially for the game. Those include a mode in which players have no choice but to run from the Wall of Death.

The game, released by Warner Interactive, costs about 50 euros (73 dollars). There are also console versions for the XBox 360 and the Playstation 3. It is recommended for players aged 18 and up. Horror can chill your blood, but so can absolute cold. Alpha Polaris takes players on a frosty adventure where they take on the role of biologist Rune Knudsen as he

travels to Greenland to examine mysterious events at a research station.

Characters and their backgrounds are laid out in great detail and there is plenty of audio dialogue. Like most adventures, the controls are fairly simple and intuitive.

Of special note are the switches from day into night, which truly enrich the atmosphere. The game costs about 26 euros.

Arma 2: Free takes players to modern battlefields. This free version of Arma 2: Operation Arrowhead can be downloaded at www.arma2.com/free. It differs from the paid version in that it has no high-definition images, solo missions or expansions.

But the version of the tactical game still has a missions editor, solo missions and all the weapons, planes and vehicles of the main game. A key characteristic of the game is the seemingly never-ending landscape in which to fight.

Developer Bohemia Interactive has allowed itself some freedom in planning the multi-player mode. Along with allagainst-all and cooperative modes, it also allows players to develop their own multi-player scenarios. The game is recommended for players 18 and older.

Players who want to follow in the footsteps of fighter pilots from the two world wars can look to Air Conflicts: Secret Wars from dtp Entertainment and BitComposer.

The game offers 16 different airplane models for the aerial fights over 20 historically appropriate landscapes. There is an arcade version as well as a simulation mode, which should appeal to simulation fans since the controls mimic real flight physics. The game costs 26 euros for the PC version and 36 euros for XBox and PS3 versions.

Alternativa from Peter Games takes players into the dark future of 2045, where the hero, Richard Rocek, is leading the opposition to a dictator when he is accused of a murder. — dpa

Monitor with USB cable BERLIN: The new e2251Fwu monitor gets all it needs from a USB cable: everything from data to power. Designed by AOC, the 21.5-inch monitor can turn into a mobile digital picture frame if its stand is removed. With a light intensity of 200 candela and a reaction time of five milliseconds, the device is set to go on sale at the end of August. No price has been set.

Nvidia releases Geforce BERLIN: Nvidia has expanded its lineup of graphic cards for notebooks with the GTX 580M. The graphics processing unit (GPU) has a chip speed of 620 megahertz, 384 cores and 2 gigabytes of memory, making it Nvidia’s new mobile top model. The new GPU supports 3D pictures and can be linked to a second graphics chip. The graphics processor can automatically turn on or off to save energy. Nvidia says some devices with the GTX 580M are already on sale.

Trio camera system HAMBURG: Olympus is spawning a new generation of its Pen series. Starting in August, the company wants to bring the three new camera systems into stores. First will be the flagship EP3. With a metal housing, it includes a newly designed image processor for non-single lens reflex cameras and a built-in flash. Next, in the autumn, comes the Pen Lite (E-PL3) model, with a folding and rotating three-inch display and image stabilizer. Also coming in the autumn will be the Pen Mini (E-PM1), the smallest and lightest camera in the group. No prices have been set for the Pen Lite and Mini. The E-P3, packaged with a zoom lens (3.5-5.6/14-42 mm) will cost 949 euros (1,330 dollars). Portrait (2.0/12 mm) and wide-angle (1.8/45 mm) lenses will also be available, for 299 and 799 euros respectively.

In-ear headsets MUNICH: The company Creative has presented a new in-ear headset, the Aurvana In-Ear 3. The set includes silicon earbuds that are supposed to be especially good at blocking outside noises. Creative also promises especially balanced sound reproduction, comparable to studio speakers. The earphone’s frequency runs from 10 hertz to 17 kilohertz, with volumes running up to 112 decibels. They are already available for 150 euros (210 dollars), including silicon and foam earbuds in a variety of sizes. Accessories like cleaning tools and airplane adapters are also included. — dpa

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TUESDAY, JULY 19, 2011

health & science

Lung cancer scans can be unreliable: Study NEW YORK: C T scans to measure lung tumors can be unreliable, potentially leading patients and doctors to believe cancer is growing when it’s not, according to a study.

In principle, that could mean stopping a treatment that is actually keeping the tumor in check, researchers said in the study, which they said was the first to test how reliable lung cancer scans are, and appeared in the Journal of Clinical Oncology.

“The patient and the doctor both need to understand that small changes don’t necessarily mean much,” said Gregory Riely, at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York. “Changes of up to 10 percent can

happen simply as a result of the inherent variability of CT imaging.”

For the study, the Sloan-Kettering team asked patients with late-stage lung cancer if they’d be willing to have two chest CT scans within minutes. Thirty-three patients said yes. Doctors normally scan such patients every few months to see if their tumor is growing, which could be a signal to change drugs.

Then the researchers gave the images to three radiologists who had no idea the scans had been repeated before the tumors could have grown or shrunk appreciably.

But the radiologists reported many

changes, ranging from a 23 percent shrinkage to a 31 percent growth.

Overall, three percent of the tumors appeared to have grown so much that doctors would diagnose disease progression according to common criteria. And the smaller the tumor, the bigger the variation.

Riely said some doctors will make treatment decisions based on tiny changes seen on scans, although that might be a costly mistake, according to the study’s findings.

“We begin to put more and more stock in the data without really understanding the true variability of those measurements,” he said. “The changes are not clinically mean-

ingful and we should not alter clinical care based on them.” Riely did say, though, that the findings did not mean that patients should get repeat scans, which would increase their radiation exposure.

Most likely, the results also apply outside of lung cancer, although patients’ breathing could make the chest scans especially variable. Michael Maitland, at the University of Chicago and who wrote an editorial accompanying the study, said it was surprising such a study had not been done up to now and it was likely to be useful.

“This is telling us scientifically how much noise is naturally there without any treat-

ment or the cancer getting worse,” he told Reuters Health. “It’s an important thing to do whenever you are going to use any kind of marker for a disease. He added that the findings will be helpful to drug developers, who look at increasingly small changes in tumor size during drug testing, forgetting that the scans might be unreliable at that scale. In addition, the new data can help scientists build better models of cancer progression that might save both time and energy in clinical trials.” There is a real opportunity here to update our systems and take advantage of the new technology,” Maitland said. — Reuters

AIDS forum down to nitty gritty after breakthrough trials WHO scrap guidelines on administering antiretrovirals

GAUHATI: An Indian farmer walks with his ploughing tools and cattle in a paddy field on the outskirts of Gauhati, India, yesterday. The annual monsoon season from June to October brings rains that are vital to agriculture in India. — AP

Foraging for fitness at the driving range NEW YORK: Hitting golf balls at the driving range can lift the spirit, but does it also tone the flesh? The exercise potential of swinging a club may be limited, experts say, but the more fitness you bring to the range, or the golf course, the stronger your stroke will be.

“Most people don’t think of the driving range or playing golf as a form of exercise, but it is,” said Robert Yang, a sports performance coach and founder of the Performance Lab in Encinitas, California. “ The professionals make it look smooth like butter but there’s quite a bit of power and strength involved,” Yang said. He explained that wielding a driver can be compared to hoisting a weight so heavy you can only lift it four times. “ That’s how much load or torque there can be on the body.” But don’t expect to swing your way to streamline shape. “The concept of getting in shape from just hitting balls is pretty tough.”

Yang said. “You wouldn’t be able to change your body shape.” The volume of exercise is simply not high enough. Yang said even on a golf course, people actually swinging the club for only two-andone-half to three minutes.

“The rest of the time you’re just walking,” he said. Conversely, Yang said fortune, on the golf course or on the driving range, favors the fit. “Each body has physical limitations, whether it’s lack of strength or flexibility. If you improve them, you’ll hit the ball further,” he said.

“Whether 16 or 60, you should be focusing on strength and power training to improve your golf game.”

He said older, often more sedentary, golfers, can transform their game by

working on their posture. “They’ll stand up straighter. They’re able to rotate more efficiently. That improves their golf swing.” Yang said the fit golfer represents a fairly recent paradigm shift in a sport not typically regarded as requiring strength or speed training.

“Tiger Woods basically started that whole thing,” he said. “Younger players are much more into fitness, or they’ve been athletes all their lives.” Taking a golf club back over your head, following through and moving your body to strike the ball, involves a range of motion not experienced by most people on a day-today basis, according to Kevin Burns of the American Council on Exercise.

The good news is it benefits muscle groups in the core, back, shoulder and abdominals that might not get a lot of attention. The bad news is that’s almost all there is. “Outside of adrenalin rush of striking the ball and hitting it a long distance, there’s very little cardiovascular benefit,” said Burns, a group fitness instructor based in Mankato, Minnesota.

Burns said the driving range compares unfavorably to the golf course. “Walking nine to 18 holes has tremendous cardiovascular benefits, especially if you do it on a regular basis,” he explained.

Any activity that will get someone off the couch and moving is a good activity, he said , but an overall fitness plan should include cardiovascular, range of motion and weight-bearing exercises.

Yang concurs.

“If your goal is just to swing a club and be active, then you’ll achieve the goal,” he said. “If you’re looking to lose five inches (12.7 cm) on your waist, that’s not going to happen.” — Reuters

MOSCOW: Swans swim on Patriarshiye (Patriarch’s) Ponds, a popular residential area in downtown Moscow, yesterday. — AFP

ROME: Buoyed by trials of drugs to prevent the spread of HIV, a global AIDS conference yesterday debated how to draft recommendations and muster funds to transform these dramatic results into action in the field.

Researchers from around the world were getting their first look at full peer-reviewed data from a trial that, say veteran campaigners, could slow the 30-year-old juggernaut of AIDS. It was carried out among 1,763 couples where one partner was infected by the human immunodeficiency virus while the other was HIV-free. When the infected partner was given an early start on HIV drugs, this slashed the risk of transmitting the virus to the other by 96 percent-a figure readily comparable to the effectiveness of a condom.

Other trials, in which the non-infected partner took the drugs, found a risk reduction of up to 73 percent. Even battle-hardened veterans in the war on AIDS are stunned.

Antiretroviral drugs which are a lifeline to millions of infected people are poised for a glittering new role, as a tool to prevent viral spread, they say.

“We are at an important tipping point,” Anthony Fauci, director of the US National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), told AFP. “There is an extraordinary window of opportunity and the sooner we act on it and the more robustly we act on it, the quicker we’ll achieve the goal of turning around the epidemic.

“Pure, simple math tells you that the fewer people who are infected, the fewer the people who are going to get infected. We’ve got to turn that knob and get it on the right trajectory.” But Fauci and others said many tasks lay ahead in safely transposing a trial, which takes place in carefully controlled conditions where couples are counselled and supported, into the messy reality of everyday life.

Reflecting the historic turn of events, the UN’s World Health Organisation (WHO) yesterday scrapped plans to issue new guidelines on administering antiretrovirals, said delegates. These will now be reviewed in the light of the latest discoveries, they said. “People will be arguing about the next six or eight weeks

ROME: Demostrators clap their hands during the 6th IAS Conference on HIV pathogenesis, treatment and prevention in Rome’s Parco della Musica Auditorim yesterday. — AFP about what to do, the maximum transmission benefit and the maximum treatment benefit, where do they overlap,” said Myron Cohen, lead investigator of the landmark HPTN 052 trial and professor of microbiology and immunology at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

“There will be formal recommendations and there will be momentum, the two things will go in parallel.” Another question, though, is money. After a surge in funding in the last decade, support for AIDS from rich countries has plateaued. Poorer countries are doing more, but there is still a huge gap.

Overall, around 16 billion dollars have been earmarked this year, compared to needs estimated at 22 to 24 billion dollars depending on the treatment. Michel Kazatchkine, head of the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, turned a worried eye to this problem.

“The priority right now is reaching people who really need treatment,” he said in an interview, referring a threshold defined by

Snoring can be treated BERLIN: The noises in the bedroom are frightful, night after night after night: wheezing, whistling, snorting, gasping.

Snoring can really put a strain on a relationship. While the slumbering partner saws wood, the wakeful one tosses and turns. Often the latter cannot take the chronic sleep deprivation any longer and urges the former to get to the bottom of his or her snoring, noted Alexander Blau, a physician at the Interdisciplinar y Centre for Sleep Medicine at the Charite university hospital in Berlin.

The central question is whether the snoring is merely a nuisance or a sign of a serious health condition. “Not everyone’s who snores is ill,” Blau remarked.

He said the spectrum of snoring, caused by air flowing through relaxed throat tissues that partially obstruct the airway, ranged from completely harmless noisemaking, to laboured breathing, to lifethreatening sleep apnea, a respiratory disorder “that can cause problems in waking hours as well as during sleep,” according to the German Sleep Society (DGSM).

“Benign snoring merely causes noise and stress,” said Jan Loehler, a member of the German Association of Otorhinolaryngologists. Being overweight is one possible cause. Excess body fat stored in the neck and throat can constrict the airway during sleep.

The simple remedy: weight loss. Alcohol consumption before bedtime can also cause snoring, Loehler said, because alcohol relaxes throat muscles even more than is usually the case during sleep, thus obstructing the passage of air. The solution is to drink less alcohol or none at all.

The DGSM also recommends a “stable circadian rhythm with corresponding sleep hygiene” because people who go to bed at irregular times are at a greater risk of snoring. People with loud, irregular snoring that is punctuated by breaks should by all means see a doctor, advised Blau. Waking up unrested after a night’s sleep and feeling exhausted during the day are also warning signs of what Loehler calls “malignant snoring,”

medically known as obstructive sleep apnea (OSA).

This type of snoring can be particularly dangerous for people with a cardiovascular disorder such as cardiac arrhythmia or high blood pressure. In OSA, throat muscles can become so relaxed during the night that the upper airway repeatedly collapses and breathing stops for as long as 30 seconds. The body’s oxygen supply sinks, the amount of carbon dioxide rises and the heart rate slows.

Every time this happens, an alarm goes off in the brain, after which blood pressure, heart rate and muscle tension increase. This results in unusually deep breathing and loud snoring, and the snorer feels exhausted the following morning. “There are many methods of treatment, but their effectiveness in many cases hasn’t been scientifically verified,” Blau noted. One of the two standard treatments, he said, is to wear a mask over the nose at night, which keeps the airway open by means of continuous positive air pressure.

An alternative is a dental mouthpiece that advances the position of the tongue and soft palate to keep the air passage open. “Theoretically, both the mask and mouthpiece also help in cases of harmless snoring,” Blau said. “But that would be like using a sledgehammer to crack a nut.”

Snorers should find out whether anatomical abnormalities of the nose and throat are causing them to snore, Loehler said. Enlarged tonsils, a deviated nasal septum (the partition between the nostrils) or an enlarged inferior nasal concha (a bone in the nose) can hinder breathing through the nose.

While surgery can sometimes help, Blau said, much of the available medical literature on the effectiveness of such treatment is not clear-cut. He added, however, that some recent data backs the use of nasal plugs, which also keep the airway open by means of positive air pressure. According to Blau, in industrialized countries more than 50 per cent of the men and about 30 per cent of women snore. — dpa

current WHO guidelines as below 350 CD4 immune cells per microlitre of blood.

“There will be spectacular progress over the next five years. We will practically be reaching universal access” to people in this category, Kazatchkine told AFP. “But putting everyone on treatment is not a prospect, either from the resource point of view or from the operational point of view. Half of the people who are infected aren’t even aware of their (infection) status.”

AIDS has killed around 30 million people since it was recorded as a novel disease in 1981. More than 34 million people were living with HIV, two-thirds of them in Africa, at the end of 2010, according to UNAIDS. The conference gathers 5,500 specialists, ranging from virologists to pharmacologists and disease trackers.

It is staged once every two years by the International AIDS Society (IAS), which also organises the International AIDS Conference, a bigger event that touches on the pandemic’s many social dimensions. — AFP

Astronauts load storage bin on last space shuttle CAPE CANAVERAL: NASA’s orbiting astronauts detached a huge storage bin full of trash from the International Space Station yesterday and loaded it aboard Atlantis for the last shuttle ride back to Earth. The astronauts used a hefty robotic arm to move the bus-size canister, stuffed with nearly 3 tons of packing foam and other space station refuse.

It was the last job shared by the shuttle and station crews, numbering 10 astronauts altogether. The hatches between the two spacecraft were to be sealed less than two hours later in what was expected to be an emotional goodbye. “Be sure to give them lots of hugs from all of us!” Mission Control said in a written message to the four shuttle astronauts.

Atlantis will undock from the space station early today and aim for a pre-dawn touchdown Thursday. Then it will be retired.

It will be some time before there are so many people aboard the space station again. The Russian Soyuz capsules - the only way to get astronauts to the space station for at least the next few years - carry no more than three. Most of the new commercial spacecraft under development also would seat three, although a few may hold four or more. These are still three to five years away from flying.

The 21-foot (6.4-meter)-long storage canister named Raffaello, given its Italian roots - was launched aboard Atlantis back on July 8. It carried up nearly 5 tons of food, clothes and other household goods - enough to keep the space station going for another year. NASA wanted to stockpile the orbiting lab in case private companies get delayed in launching their own cargo ships. The first such supply run is expected by year’s end.

The retirement of NASA’s three remaining shuttles has been in the works since 2004, barely a year after the Columbia disaster. Then, President George W. Bush announced a new exploration vision aimed at returning astronauts to the moon. President Barack Obama nixed the moon in favor of an asteroid and Mars. The target launch dates: 2025 for an asteroid and the mid2030s for the red planet.

Atlantis will remain at Kennedy Space Center for retirement, going on public display.

Discovery and Endeavour will be transported to museums in suburban Washington and Los Angeles, respectively. — Reuters

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Expectant mothers who quit smoking help baby Hospital apologizes for mistakenly swapping babies STOCKHOLM: Expectant mothers who stop smoking around the time of getting pregnant can eliminate the heightened risk of low birthweight, premature birth and associated brain damage from tobacco, according to British research. A team led by Professor Nick Macklon, from the Depar tment of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, University of Southampton, UK, studied data from some 50,000 pregnancies registered at the Southampton University Medical Centre between 2002 to 2010.

I t found that babies from women who stopped smoking either immediately before or shortly after conceiving had a significantly higher birthweight than those from mothers who

had continued to smoke.

Macklon said that babies in this group had also reached the same gestational age and head circumference as those born to mothers who had never smoked. The study, he said, gave mothers-to-be hard evidence that stopping smoking no later than in the early phase of pregnancy was beneficial for their baby.

Macklon said that low birthweight was “the most common negative outcome” of smoking during pregnancy. Pointing to long-term effects, too, he warned expectant mothers who continued to smoke because they believed that a smaller baby meant an easier birth.

“Smoking during pregnancy is not just bad for the mother

and baby,” Macklon said, “but for the adult it will grow into.” The findings were reported at the annual meeting of the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embr yology (ESHRE) in Stockholm.

Meanwhile, an Australian hospital yesterday apologized after two new mothers were given each other’s babies to breastfeed, a news report said.

“There’s been a breakdown in process,” St John of God Hospital chief executive Stephen Roberts said of last Friday’s confusion in the Geelong, Victoria, maternity unit.

“I t appears that a name bracelet wasn’t checked and the babies were placed in incorrect cots,” he was quoted as saying by national broadcaster ABC.

The maternity mixup came to light when a family member raised concerns more than eight hours after the two babies were switched. “ We’re obviously deeply apologetic and regretful for the pain and concern that we’ve caused these families,” Roberts said. Jennifer James, a breastfeeding expert from Melbourne’s RMIT university, said no harm had been done.

“Midwives, like anybody else, do make the occasional mistake,” she was quoted as saying by the report. “For me, it highlights the importance of keeping mothers and babies together from birth.” “If babies were staying with their mothers then there wouldn’t be any chance of that happening.” — dpa

Sports can help alleviate depression BERLIN: Sports can bring depressed people out of their self-imposed isolation because exercise helps to relieve anxiety and stress. According to Fritz Hohagen, executive committee member of the German Association for Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, sports make it easier for them to shed their “withdrawal behaviour” and gain self-assurance.

Sports counter depressives’ lack of motivation and get them to become active, added Hohagen, who noted that the positive effects of exercise in combating depression were now well documented. He said it was important for depressives who engaged in a sport to train regularly and see their sport as a

constant in their life.

Particularly effective in raising one’s mood are moderate endurance sports such as Nordic walking, jogging, cycling and swimming. Beyond that, team sports can have a positive effect on the social behaviour of the mentally ill, who learn how to deal with their body and other people.

Participation in sports is also a component of therapy for anxiety disorders, addictions, eating disorders and mental illnesses such as schizophrenia.

Hohagen said that regular exercise also benefited healthy people, who can thereby allay depressive moods and better alleviate stress. — dpa

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Greetings

Happy first birthday to Raeed Waqar.

Greetings coming from dadoo, papa, mama, Jabbar Chachu, Chachi, Iqaa Phoo, Phopha, Phophi, Haseb & Fatma.

Announcements Family conference Home land family conference of KTMCC (Kuwait Town Malalyali Christian Congregation) will be conducted on July 23 at Kumbanadu, Kerala including its ex-members and the present members who are on vacation at that time. Meantime it decided to honor those who completed age of 70 and above. For the registration of conference to visit www.ktmcc.com or to contact HFC (Home land family conference) Kerala Chapter Convener T. John Mathew Mob: - (+91) 94463-68878 or Secretary Roy. K.Yohannan 66570486.

Jumanah High School celebrates graduation day

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.

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ponsored by Waleed Khaled Al-Askar, Jumanah High School honored its graduates during the graduation ceremony for 20102011. The head president, teachers and their parents attended these celebrations where certificates and memorial trophies were distributed to the students. —Photos by Fouad Al-Shaikh

Your passport to good times only at Holiday Inn Kuwait

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ood times are here again and with the best at hand, it is your time to enjoy the fun! Welcome to Holiday Inn Kuwait where there is always something new for you, at any time of the day. Collecting points is a fun activity this summer.

Visit any of your favorite restaurants at Holiday Inn Kuwait and spend only KD 5 to get a reward stamp on your passport. The more stamps you collect, the greater your gift gets. You can also redeem your stamps to get the gift that you wish. Select from an assortment of gifts that come your way from food discounts to complimentary items for your meals, from complimentary lunches and dinners to food discounts while dining, from gift vouchers in restaurants to Outside Catering services, or even a birthday surprise for your

child, a Privilege Club membership or Health Club membership. It is all yours to choose from.

Mouth -watering delicacies await you at all our outlets, with dishes from around the world to please and pamper your palate.

Enjoy perfectly grilled steaks at the Rib Eye Steakhouse, while global delights are on the buffet for breakfast, lunch and dinner at the Al Diwan International. Sakura Xpress is the corner for every Japanese food lover, with its perfectly created Sushis, Makis and Tempuras, making a dining an art in itself. The days of the ancient come alive at the Tang Chao, where Schezuan, Canton and every other variety of Chinese flavor is at your fingertips. Stay with the traditional Lebanese cuisine and create more memories at the Ayam Zaman, while L’Aroma is your place to be for favorites from every country or simply savor your coffee and pastry with your loved ones at the Sucre.

Grab your passport and let the fun begin as you collect more stamps with each visit! Holiday Inn Kuwait is waiting for you!

Diwaniya at Aware Ramadan Lecture & Iftar dinner buffet ‘The Meaning of Ramadan’ by Dr. Teresa Lesher on Thursday, August 11 at 5:30pm. Ramadan presents a wonderful opportunity for Westerners to learn more about Kuwait, to meet new individuals and have questions regarding Islam and the Holy month of Ramadan answered. During this special month, the communal meal referred to as Iftar, breaks the fast at the end of the day and brings family and friends together. As part of AWARE’s Ramadan activities, we invite you to join us for a Ramadan presentation followed by a traditional Iftar dinner, at the AWARE Center August 11th. Additional Ramadan programs are offered: Tuesday, Aug. 2 at 8pm Tuesday, Aug. 16 at 8pm.

Special offers and awards in celebration of Ramadan

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ingful benefits and awards to their travel experiences.

The Holy Month of Ramadan is an extremely special time and this offer gives them the perfect opportunity to enjoy quality time with families and friends.”

Along with its Ramadan promotion, SPG also recently announced its “SPG Kids Pass”, through which kids 12-and-under can enjoy food and drink on an all-

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 4A-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.

Starwood Hotels & Resorts offers members of its award-winning loyalty programme tar wood Preferred Guest (SPG), the world renowned and award winning loyalty pro gramme from Starwood Hotels & Resorts, will be celebrating the Holy Month of Ramadan with its members across a number of properties across the Middle East and in Egypt.

During Ramadan, SPG members will receive a 20 per cent discount on Iftars at 30 participating Starwood hotels in Kuwait, the UAE, KSA, Egypt, Lebanon, Bahrain, Qatar and Jordan. SPG members will also have the chance to win up to 10 prizes including a seven-night stay or weekend stays at one of Starwood’s 200 luxurious resorts.

Iftar guests at participating hotels will also have the opportunity to sign up on the spot as an SPG member allowing them to benefit immediately from the discount and enter the raffle draw.

“We are proud to celebrate the heritage of Ramadan with our SPG members by offering an array of celebrations and dining experiences to enjoy ”, said Steven Taylor, Vice President Marketing, Starwood Hotels & Resorts. “Our SPG members are some of our most valued and loyal customers and we are always looking at ways we can add mean-

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.

inclusive basis throughout their stay at nearly 150 Starwood resorts.

The SPG program’s breakthrough policy of No Blackout Dates at the world’s most sought after collection of hotels, reinvented the hospitality loyalty program when it launched in 1999. By creating a program centered on its members, SPG has developed the most passionate and knowledgeable membership base in the hotel loyalty space. Through its use of new technologies and innovative channels such as SPG.com, SPG.com/moments, SPG.com/stayconnected, SPG.com/flights and others, SPG continues to innovate and lead the industry. By offering No Blackouts on standard rooms at over 1,000 hotels and resorts in nearly 100 countries, No Blackouts on hundreds of airlines, and once in a lifetime experiences available through SPG Moments at spg.com/moments, the program has proven to be a big draw for the world’s most frequent travellers, and a significant competitive advantage for Starwood. For more information about Starwood Preferred Guest please visit SPG.com or call (877) - STARWOOD.

Significance of the Holy Month of Ramadan “O you who believe! Fasting is prescribed for you as it was prescribed for those before you so that you may have God-consciousness.” (2:183) Ramadan is the most blessed and spirituallybeneficial month of the Islamic year as it was the month in which The Quran was revealed to the Holy Prophet. (Peace be upon him) Prayers, fasting, charity, sincerity and self-accountability are stressed at this time. Ramadan is a period of reflection, generosity and sacrifice observed by all Muslims at the same time, all over the world. From dawn until dusk, Muslims must practice self-control and focus on prayers and devotion. Even though it requires great discipline, most Muslims do not see it as a time of hardship or sorrow. It is a yearly opportunity to refocus both the mind and the body on our true ground of existence-God. In fact, Ramadan has a joyful, almost festive atmosphere.

The Diwan Book Club by Yousef Khalifa at 7pm Diwaniya: The Fascinating and Delicious World of Dates (To be followed with a traditional dinner buffet known as ‘Gabkha’) August 16, at 8pm By Claudia Farkas Al-Rashoud. One of nature’s most perfect foods, the date holds a special place in the history, hearts, and homes of Kuwaitis. Dates were once a vital source of sustenance for desert travelers and a staple commodity of Kuwait’s seafaring trade. Today, the date is still one of the most important cash crops in the region, with between 600 to 700 varieties grown. Of all the traditional foods eaten during Ramadan, nutritious and delicious dates undoubtedly have the most benefits for those who are fasting. With this Ramadan coinciding with the local date harvest, now is the time to enjoy them, whether you are fasting or not. Join local photojournalist Claudia Farkas Al Rashoud for a diwaniya presentation that will immerse you in the fascinating world of dates at the AWARE Center premises where you will learn about dates in local tradition, culture, cooking, and agriculture, and sample some of the different types of these healthy fruits of the desert.

Diwaniya: Ramadan in Kuwait (To be followed with a traditional dinner buffet known as ‘Gabkha’) Tuesday, August 2 at 8pm by Wad’ha Al-Shaheen.

Ramadan is a holy month that is special to Muslims.

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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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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 ■■■■■■■

—Photos by Fouad Al-Shaikh

International English Nursery holds graduation ceremony

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heikh Talal Al-Sabah with the presence of Sheikh Meshaal Talal Al-Fahed the International English Nursery celebrated the graduation of its children for 2011 at the Holiday Inn hotel (Salmiya) with the presence of the Director of Women and Children Department in the Ministry of Affairs (MOA) Eqbal Al-Ramideen and

the Director of the Education Affairs in the Private Education Abdullah AlBasary.

The celebration started by reading verses from the holy Quran then the national anthem after that the children did their performances which was with creativity and confidence.

Certificates were distributed for

group of the children by the head of the nursery department Dr Najlaa AlYousef and Sheikh Meshaal Talal and the other group received certificates from Eqbal Al-Ramideen. The head president gave Sheikh Talal Al-Fahed a memorial trophy for sponsoring the event which Sheikh Meshaal Talal received on his behalf. The celebration

concluded with words of wisdom from the head president who thanked the audience and the parents on their trust in the nursery and their employees.

The kids preformed a song expressing the education period that they experienced in the nursery and preformed the national anthem both in English and Arabic in a significant way.

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. ■■■■■■■

Ambassador of Venezuela hosts reception

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mbassador of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, Hadel Mostafa Paolini hosted a reception at the Embassy to mark the declaration of Independence last week. A large number of Venezuelans attended the reception, which coincided with the first cultural exhibition.

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 its new office in Mishref. Block 3, Street 7, House 4. For enquires please call 25379541. Fax25387719. Email- nigeriakuwait@yahoo.com or nigeriankuwait@yahoo.co.uk

—Photos by Joseph Shagra

A

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TUESDAY, JULY 19, 2011

Years

TV PROGRAMS

00:45 Dogs/Cats/Pets 101 01:40 Untamed & Uncut 02:35 Queens of the Savannah 03:30 Speed of Life 04:25 I’m Alive 05:20 Animal Cops Houston 06:10 Trophy Cats 07:00 Lemur Street 07:25 The Really Wild Show 07:50 Jeff Corwin Unleashed 08:15 Natural Born Hunters 08:40 Breed All About It 09:10 Cats 101 10:05 Dogs/Cats/Pets 101 11:00 Michaela’s Animal Road Trip 11:55 Lemur Street 12:20 Wildlife SOS 12:50 New Breed Vets with Steve Irwin 13:45 Animal Cops Houston 14:40 Animal Precinct 15:30 RSPCA: On the Frontline 16:00 The Really Wild Show 16:30 Jeff Corwin Unleashed 17:00 Natural Born Hunters 17:25 Dogs/Cats/Pets 101 18:20 Breed All About It 18:45 Orangutan Island 19:15 Crocodile Hunter 20:10 Dogs/Cats/Pets 101 21:05 Venom Hunter with Donald Schultz 22:00 Wildest Africa 22:55 Buggin’ with Ruud 23:50 Mutant Planet

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

The Weakest Link Holby City The Fixer Eastenders Doctors Dinnerladies Dinnerladies Fimbles Balamory Tikkabilla Charlie And Lola Fimbles Balamory Tikkabilla Fimbles Balamory Tikkabilla Charlie And Lola Fimbles Balamory Tikkabilla Charlie And Lola Dinnerladies Dinnerladies The Weakest Link Inspector Lynley Mysteries Doctors Eastenders Holby City Dinnerladies Dinnerladies 2 Point 4 Children Inspector Lynley Mysteries The Weakest Link Doctors Eastenders Holby City Inspector Lynley Mysteries The Weakest Link Doctors Eastenders Holby City Spooks Dinnerladies

00:15 Come Dine With Me 01:55 New Scandinavian Cooking With Andreas Viestad 02:20 New Scandinavian Cooking With Andreas Viestad 02:45 Come Dine With Me 04:25 Come Dine With Me 04:50 Fantasy Homes By The Sea 05:35 Daily Cooks Challenge 07:10 Ching’s Kitchen 07:40 New Scandinavian Cooking

With Andreas Viestad 08:05 New Scandinavian Cooking With Andreas Viestad 08:30 Antiques Roadshow 09:20 Come Dine With Me 11:00 Come Dine With Me 11:25 New Scandinavian Cooking With Andreas Viestad 11:50 New Scandinavian Cooking With Andreas Viestad 12:15 Antiques Roadshow 13:05 Cash In The Attic 13:50 Bargain Hunt 14:35 Come Dine With Me 17:00 Come Dine With Me 17:25 Rhodes Across China 18:15 New Scandinavian Cooking With Andreas Viestad 18:40 New Scandinavian Cooking With Andreas Viestad 19:05 Antiques Roadshow 19:55 Cash In The Attic 20:40 Bargain Hunt 21:25 Come Dine With Me 22:15 Fantasy Homes Down Under 23:00 Cash In The Attic USA 23:40 Cash In The Attic USA

00:00 BBC World News 00:30 World Business Report 00:45 Sport Today 01:00 BBC World News America 01:30 Asia Business Report 01:45 Sport Today 02:00 BBC World News 02:30 Asia Business Report 02:45 Sport Today 03:00 Newsday 03:30 Asia Business Report 03:45 Sport Today 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 08:00 BBC World News 08:30 World Business Report 08:45 BBC World News 09:00 BBC World News 09:30 World Business Report 09:45 Sport Today 10:00 BBC World News 10:30 World Business Report 10:45 Sport Today 11:00 BBC World News 11:30 Hardtalk 12:00 BBC World News 12:30 World Business Report 12:45 Sport Today 13:00 BBC World News 13:30 World Business Report 13:45 Sport Today 14:00 GMT With George Alagiah 14:30 GMT With George Alagiah 15:00 BBC World News 15:30 World Business Report 15:45 Sport Today 16:00 Impact 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 23:00 BBC World News America 23:30 Hardtalk

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 Hero 108 10:00 Batman: The Brave And The Bold 10:30 Batman: The Brave And The Bold 10:55 Ben 10 11:45 Bakugan Battle Brawlers 12:35 Samurai Jack 13:25 Fantastic Four: World’s Greatest Heroes 14:15 Robotboy 15:05 The Secret Saturdays 15:50 Ben 10: Ultimate Alien 16:35 Bakugan: New Vestroia 17:15 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 23:40 Chowder

00:00 00:30 01:00 02:00 03:00 04:00 05:00 06:00 06:30 07:00 07:30 08:00 09:00 10:00 10:30 11:00 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 23:00

Backstory World Sport The Situation Room World Report World Business Today Piers Morgan Tonight Anderson Cooper 360 World Sport African Voices World Report Backstory World Report World Report World Sport Inside Africa World Business Today World One World Sport World’s Untold Stories Piers Morgan Tonight News Stream World Business Today International Desk The Brief World Sport Prism International Desk World’s Untold Stories Quest Means Business Piers Morgan Tonight Connect The World

00:40 01:35 02:30 03:25 04:20 05:15 05:40 06:05 07:00 07:50 08:45

Dirty Jobs Miami Ink Ultimate Survival Heartland Thunder Mythbusters How It’s Made How Stuff Works Dirty Jobs Heartland Thunder Street Customs 2008 How It’s Made

ME AND ORSON WELLES ON OSN CINEMA

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 22:50 23:45

Mythbusters Cake Boss Border Security Auction Kings Flying Wild Alaska Swords: Life On The Line Ultimate Survival Miami Ink Dirty Jobs Twist The Throttle Mythbusters Dual Survival Cake Boss Border Security Auction Kings How Stuff Works How It’s Made LA Ink Taking On Tyson Pit Bulls And Parolees Dual Survival

00:05 Science Of The Movies 00:55 Mega Builders 01:45 Things That Move 02:10 Things That Move 02:35 Nyc: Inside Out 03:25 Catch It Keep It 04:15 How Does That Work?

04:45 Mega Builders 05:40 One Step Beyond 06:10 Nextworld 07:00 Catch It Keep It 07:55 Through The Wormhole With Morgan Freeman 08:50 The Gadget Show 09:15 The Gadget Show 09:40 Da Vinci’s Machines 15:45 Weird Connections 16:10 Brainiac 17:00 The World’s Strangest UFO Stories 17:50 Sci-Fi Science 18:15 The Gadget Show 18:40 Space Pioneer 19:30 Sci-Fi Saved My Life 20:20 Catch It Keep It 21:10 The Gadget Show 21:35 The Gadget Show 22:00 Space Pioneer 22:50 Sci-Fi Saved My Life 23:40 The Gadget Show

00:00 00:50 01:15 01:35 02:00 02:25 02:50 03:15 03:35 04:00 04:25 04:50 05:15 05:35 06:00 06:20 06:45 07:05 07:30 07:55 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 17:00 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

Kim Possible Fairly Odd Parents Stitch Stitch Replacements Replacements Emperors New School Emperors New School Stitch Stitch Replacements Replacements Fairly Odd Parents Fairly Odd Parents Emperors New School The Suite Life Of Zack & Cody Phineas & Ferb Wizards Of Waverly Place The Suite Life Of Zack & Cody Good Luck Charlie Fish Hooks Mickey Mouse Clubhouse Jake & The Neverland Pirates Jungle Junction Handy Manny Jake & The Neverland Pirates Sonny With A Chance Yr 2 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 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

06:00 Kid Vs Kat 06:20 Kick Buttowski 06:40 Pokemon Dp: Sinnoh League Victors 07:05 Phineas & Ferb 08:05 Kick Buttowski 08:30 American Dragon 09:00 Zeke & Luther 09:50 I’m In The Band 10:15 The Super Hero Squad Show 10:40 Suite Life On Deck 11:05 Suite Life On Deck 11:30 Pair Of Kings 11:55 Phineas & Ferb 12:45 Kid Vs Kat 13:50 The Suite Life Of Zack & Cody 14:15 The Suite Life Of Zack & Cody 14:40 Zeke & Luther 15:05 Kick Buttowski 15:35 Pokemon Dp: Sinnoh League Victors 16:00 I’m In The Band 16:25 Suite Life On Deck 16:50 Zeke & Luther 17:15 Zeke & Luther 17:40 Phineas & Ferb 18:05 Phineas & Ferb 18:30 Escape From Scorpion Island 18:55 Kick Buttowski 19:20 American Dragon 19:45 Aaron Stone 20:15 Kid Vs Kat 20:40 I’m In The Band 21:05 The Avengers: Earths Mightiest Heroes 21:30 Zeke & Luther 22:00 The Suite Life Of Zack & Cody 22:20 The Super Hero Squad Show

00:55 Kendra 01:25 E!es 02:20 E!es 03:15 25 Most Stylish 04:10 Sexiest 05:05 Extreme Hollywood 06:00 E!es 07:50 Behind The Scenes 08:20 E! News 09:15 Married To Rock 10:15 THS 12:05 E! News 13:05 The Dance Scene 14:05 Keeping Up With Kardashians 14:35 THS 15:30 E!es 16:25 Behind The Scenes 16:55 Khloe And Lamar 17:55 E! News 18:55 THS 19:55 Keeping Up With Kardashians 20:25 Keeping Up With Kardashians 20:55 Holly’s World 22:25 E! News 23:25 E!es 23:55 Keeping Up With Kardashians

The

The The

The

00:15 Aiya TV 01:30 M1 Selection 2010 02:20 Sports Jobs 04:00 Carpocalypse 04:50 Lucas Oil Ama Motocross Championships...

05:40 Lucas Oil Ama Motocross Championships...

06:30 FIA European Drag Racing 2008 08:00 Cape Epic 09:15 Cape Epic 09:40 FIM World Motocross MX1/MX2...

10:30 FIM World Motocross MX1/MX2...

11:20 Lucas Oil Ama Motocross Championships...

12:10 Lucas Oil Ama Motocross...

13:00 BMX Megatour 13:50 Glutton For Punishment 14:15 BMX Masters 2010 14:40 Fantasy Factory 16:45 Untracked 17:10 I’ll Do Anything 18:00 Glutton For Punishment 18:25 BMX Masters 2010 18:50 Lucas Oil Ama Motocross Championships...

19:40 Lucas Oil Ama Motocross...

20:30 BMX Megatour 21:20 Eds Up 21:45 Eds Up 22:10 Glutton For Punishment 22:35 BMX Masters 2010 23:00 I’ll Do Anything 23:50 Aiya TV

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

Ghost Lab A Haunting I Was Murdered I Was Murdered Most Evil Dr G: Medical Examiner Black Museum Ghost Lab Mystery Diagnosis Murder Shift Forensic Detectives Street Patrol Real Emergency Calls Mystery Diagnosis Disappeared FBI Files On The Case With Paula Zahn Fugitive Strike Force Mystery Diagnosis Street Patrol Real Emergency Calls Disappeared FBI Files Forensic Detectives Murder Shift Real Emergency Calls Mystery Diagnosis Street Patrol On The Case With Paula Zahn Fugitive Strike Force Deadly Women Deadly Women: Face To Face Dr G: Medical Examiner

01:25 03:00 04:30 06:20 08:20 10:20 12:00 13:25 15:05 16:50 18:20 20:15 22:00 23:35

Body And Soul (TV Movie)-PG Seduced By Madness Love Is All There Is-PG Who’ll Stop The Rain?

Comes A Horseman-PG Conan The Destroyer-PG Haunted Honeymoon-PG Article 99-PG Tennessee Nights Killing Mr. Griffin-PG Play Dirty-PG Stanley And Iris-PG Fluke-FAM Just Another Story-PG

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

I, Predator Alaskan Killer Shark World’s Deadliest Animals How Big Can It Get Predator CSI Hunter Hunted Asia’s Deadliest Snakes Megafish Fish Warrior Alaskan Killer Shark World’s Deadliest Animals How Big Can It Get Triumph of Life Leopard Queen Monster Fish of The Congo Fish Warrior Ultimate Shark World’s Deadliest Animals Wild Amazon Leopard Queen Monster Fish of The Congo Fish Warrior Ultimate Shark World’s Deadliest Animals

00:00 02:00 04:00 06:00 08:00

The Forsaken-18 Jennifer’s Body-18 Let Me In-R Bad Girls-PG15 Shanghai Knights-PG15

I, ROBOT ON OSN MOVIES ACTION 10:00 12:00 14:15 16:15 18:00 20:15 18 22:00

Ghost Town (TV Movie)-18 The Sum Of All Fears-PG15 Shanghai Knights-PG15 Hardwired-PG15 The Sum Of All Fears-PG15 Smokin’ Aces 2: Assassin’s Ball-

01:00 03:00 05:00 07:00 09:00 11:00 13:00 15:00 17:00 PG15 19:00 21:00 23:00

The Limits Of Control-18 The Client List-PG15 Far North-PG15 Astro Boy-FAM The Last Airbender-PG15 Far North-PG15 Green Lantern: First Flight-PG Me And Orson Welles-PG The Sorcerer’s Apprentice-

4.3.2.1.-18

Leap Year-PG15 Bustin’ Down The Door-PG15 The Last Station-PG15

00:00 It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia 00:30 The Daily Show Global Edition 01:00 The Colbert Report Global Edition 01:30 The Ricky Gervais Show 02:00 Comedy Central Presents 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 Traffic Light 10:00 Seinfeld 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 Traffic Light 15:00 Seinfeld 15:30 The Daily Show Global Edition 16:00 The Colbert Report Global Edition 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 Raising Hope 20:00 The Tonight Show With Jay Leno 21:00 The Daily Show With Jon Stewart 21:30 The Colbert Report 22:00 The Cleveland Show 22:30 Party Down 23:00 The Ricky Gervais Show 23:30 Late Night With Jimmy Fallon

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

The Closer In Treatment Private Practice Cold Case Strong Medicine Good Morning America Glee Emmerdale Coronation Street The Ellen DeGeneres Show The Martha Stewart Show The View The Closer Cold Case Live Good Morning America Strong Medicine The Ellen DeGeneres Show Emmerdale Coronation Street Hawthorne Body Of Proof House Private Practice Glee

00:00 01:00 02:00 02:30 03:00 04:00

Alias Breaking Bad In Treatment In Treatment The Closer Cold Case

05:00 06:00 07:00 07:30 08:00 09:00 10:00 11:00 12:00 14:00 15:00 16:00 18:00 19:00 20:00 21:00 22:00 23:00

The Glades Alias 8 Simple Rules ...

Coronation Street No Ordinary Family The Glades The Closer Cold Case 8 Simple Rules ...

No Ordinary Family Alias 8 Simple Rules ...

No Ordinary Family Hawthorne Body Of Proof House Breaking Bad The Glades

01:15 03:00 05:00 06:45 PG15 09:00 10:45 13:15 15:00 17:00 19:00 21:00 23:00

Bangkok Adrenaline-PG15 Killshot-18 Halloween 2-18 The Hunt For Red October-

00:00 02:00 04:00 06:00 08:00 10:00 12:00 13:30 16:00 18:00 20:00 22:00

Mr. Baseball-PG The Freshman-PG15 Head Of State-PG15 Houseguest-PG15 The Perfect Score-PG15 Dr. Dolittle-PG Dr. Dolittle 2-PG Renaissance Man-PG15 Mr. Baseball-PG I Love You Beth Cooper-PG15 Man About Town-18 Serial Mom-18

01:30 03:15 05:30 09:00 11:00 13:15 15:15 17:00 PG15 19:00 21:00 23:00

For Keeps-PG15 Proteger And Servir-PG15 Almost Famous-PG15 Rudy-PG Ghost-PG Michael Jackson’s This Is It-PG Free Style-PG15 The Young Black Stallion-

The Bodyguard 2-PG15 Alatriste-PG15 Virtuality-PG15 The Bodyguard 2-PG15 I, Robot-PG15 The Rig-PG15 4.3.2.1.-18 Basic Instinct 2-R

Mary Reilly-PG15 Crazy Heart-PG15 Quills-18

01:00 The Sweetest Thing-18 03:00 Hachiko: A Dog’s Story-PG15 05:00 It’s A Wonderful AfterlifePG15 07:00 Swing Vote-PG15 09:00 The Adventures Of Rocky And Bullwinkle-FAM 11:00 Maneater: Part I-PG15 13:00 Maneater: Part II-PG15 14:45 The Lovely Bones-PG15 17:00 The Adventures Of Rocky And Bullwinkle-FAM 19:00 Crazy Heart-PG15 21:00 Assassination Of A High School President-18 23:00 The Hurt Locker-18

00:00 Leave It To Beaver-PG 02:00 Nativity!-PG 04:00 Dark Crystal-PG 06:00 102 Dalmatians-PG 08:00 Gladiators: The TournamentPG 10:00 Leave It To Beaver-PG 12:00 Fly Me To The Moon-PG 14:00 Ponyo On The Cliff By The Sea-FAM 16:00 Barbie In A Fashion FairytaleFAM 18:00 Fly Me To The Moon-PG 20:00 Aliens In The Attic-FAM 22:00 Ponyo On The Cliff By The Sea-FAM

00:00 Greenberg-18 02:00 Another Year-PG15 04:30 Frequently Asked Questions About Time Travel-PG15 06:00 The Missing Person-PG15 08:00 Mama I Want To Sing-PG

10:00 11:30 14:00 16:00 18:00 20:00 22:00

Oceans - Into The Deep-PG Another Year-PG15 9-PG Mama I Want To Sing-PG You Again-PG15 Up In The Air-PG15 Salt-PG15

03:00 04:00 05:00 06:00 07:00 08:00 12:00 13:00 15:00 16:00 17:00 18:00 20:00 21:00

Le Mans Highlights Speedway UFC The Ultimate Fighter Trans World Sport WWE NXT Darts World Matchplay WWE Bottom Line Powerboats F1 H2O Trans World Sport Le Mans Highlights Speedway WWE SmackDown WWE Vintage Collection Live Darts World Matchplay

01:00 01:30 02:30 03:00 07:00 08:00 12:00 14:00 15:00 16:00 18:00 20:00 20:30 21:00

ICC Cricket World AFL Highlights World Hockey Rugby Union International Golfing World Darts World Matchplay Rugby Union International AFL Highlights Trans World Sport Rugby Union International NRL Premiership NRL Full Time ICC Cricket World Live Darts World matchplay

02:00 03:00 03:30 05:00 07:00 10:30 11:00 12:00 12:30 16:00 17:00 17:30 18:00 19:00 20:00 20:30 21:00 21:30

Golfing World Futbol Mundial ICC Criket World Super League Live Snooker World Hockey Golfing World Mobil 1 The Grid Live Snooker Golfing World Spirit of Yachting NRL Full Time Aussie Rules Highlights Super Rugby Highlights FIVB Beach Volleyball Mobil 1 The Grid Futbol Mundial Snooker

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

Speedway Powerboats WWE SmackDown UFC Unleashed WWE NXT WWE SmackDown Speedway FIM Powerboats V8 Supercars Extra WWE Bottom Line Super Formula Powerboats Speedway V8 Supercars Extra WWE SmackDown WWE Vintage Collection UFC Wired UFC 132 Prelims UFC 132

00:00 01:00 02:00 03:00 03:55 05:00 06:00 07:00 08:00 09:00 09:55 11:00 12:00 13:00 14:00 15:00 15:55 17:00 18:00 19:00 20:00 22:00

Modern Marvels Ice Road Truckers American Pickers IRT: Deadliest Roads Mega Movers Man Moment Machine Modern Marvels Ice Road Truckers American Pickers IRT: Deadliest Roads Mega Movers Man Moment Machine Modern Marvels Ice Road Truckers American Pickers IRT: Deadliest Roads Mega Movers Man Moment Machine Modern Marvels Ice Road Truckers American Pickers Pawn Stars

Classifieds TUESDAY, JULY 19, 2011

Science Matters

ACCOMMODATION

Antimatter caught at last

Big room available for family in Khaitan with bathroom in a villa. Only for Indian or Pakistani families.

Contact: 66757903/ 67732788/ 94974793.

(C 3530)

Physicists using a giant atomic collider near Geneva have managed to trap antimatter atoms for study in a magnetic container.

2

ALPHA magnetic antimatter trap

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

1

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)

1

Powerful magnetic field created in tunnelshaped device

3

2

Anitmatter hydrogen created in huge underground collider is fed into trap

NOTE: Illustration shows layout, not actual appearance of trap

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

3

More than 300 antihydrogen atoms were trapped and held for 15 minutes

What is antimatter?

There is an antimatter version of every kind of subatomic particle (neutron, electron, etc.); when the two touch, they are both “annihilated”

Hydrogen atom

Anti-hydrogen atom

PROTON

+

–

ANTIPROTON

–

Once trapped, antimatter can be studied with lasers and microwaves

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: 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 Corolla XLi 2002, silver color, KD 1,350/-. Contact: 55323839. (C 3514) 12-7-2011

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) 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

CHANGE OF NAME

MATRIMONIAL Marthomite parents invite marriage proposals, for their daughter, fair 28/164 B.Com, MBA, working in

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: 15154

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

ANTI-ELECTRON (positron)

ELECTRON

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)

FOR SALE

+

© 2011 MCT

Source: ALPHA Collaboration (Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, University of California at Berkeley, European Organization for Nuclear Research) Graphic: Helen Lee McComas

Sharing available for family in a double bed room flat + 2 toilet + hall, Abbasiya near opposite Asianet building, opposite Garden, Variety Store. Contact: 50202206/ 97213877.

(C 3513) 12-7-2011

DIAL 161 FOR AIRPORT INFORMATION In case you are not travelling, your proper cancellation of bookings will help other passengers to use seats Airlines RJA JZR THY ETH LZB UAE DHX ETD MSR JZR FDB GFA QTR AFR JZR KAC FAH JZR JZR KAC BAW KAC JZR KAC KAC KAC FDB KAC KAC UAE IRA QTR ABY QTR ETD GFA IRA MEA JZR JZR MHK JZR KAC MSR UAL RJA KAC FDB QTR KAC KAC

Flt 642 267 772 620 7779 853 370 305 614 269 67 211 138 6700 529 544 201 505 555 412 157 416 1541 206 302 332 53 352 284 855 605 132 125 6130 301 213 619 404 165 121 711 201 672 610 982 640 512 57 140 562 546

Arrival Flights on Tuesday 19/7/2011 Route AMMAN BEIRUT ISTANBUL ADDIS ABABA SOFIA / BOURGAS DUBAI BAHRAIN ABU DHABI CAIRO BEIRUT DUBAI BAHRAIN DOHA PARIS ASSIUT CAIRO DUBAI LUXOR ALEXANDRIA MANILA / BANGKOK LONDON JAKARTA / KUALA LUMPUR CAIRO ISLAMABAD MUMBAI TRIVANDRUM DUBAI COCHIN DHAKA DUBAI ISFAHAN DOHA SHARJAH DOHA ABU DHABI BAHRAIN LAR BEIRUT DUBAI BAHRAIN BAGHDAD / NAJAF DAMASCUS DUBAI CAIRO WASHINGTON DC DULLES AMMAN TEHRAN DUBAI DOHA AMMAN ALEXANDRIA

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

SVA KNE KAC JZR QTR JZR MLR ETD UAE GFA SVA JZR JZR ABY JZR FDB RBG ALK JZR KAC KAC KAC KAC KAC KAC KAC KAC KAC KAC JAI SIA FDB VOS OMA MEA KAC SYR MSR DHX KLM UAE JZR GFA QTR UAL AIC JZR JZR MSR DLH AXB JZR BBC PIA

500 745 746 257 134 535 403 303 857 215 510 777 239 127 213 63 3555 227 177 104 166 502 542 618 786 614 674 774 790 572 458 61 93 647 402 552 341 618 372 443 859 183 217 136 981 981 135 787 612 636 389 539 45 205

JEDDAH JEDDAH ABU DHABI / DAMMAM BEIRUT DOHA CAIRO COLOMBO / DUBAI ABU DHABI DUBAI BAHRAIN RIYADH JEDDAH AMMAN SHARJAH DEIREZZOR DUBAI ALEXANDRIA COLOMBO / DUBAI DUBAI LONDON PARIS / ROME BEIRUT CAIRO DOHA JEDDAH BAHRAIN DUBAI RIYADH MEDINAH MUMBAI SINGAPORE / ABU DHABI DUBAI KANDAHAR / DUBAI MUSCAT BEIRUT DAMASCUS DAMASCUS ALEXANDRIA BAHRAIN AMSTERDAM DUBAI DUBAI BAHRAIN DOHA BAHRAIN CHENNAI / AHMEDABAD BAHRAIN RIYADH CAIRO FRANKFURT KOZHIKODE / MANGALORE CAIRO DHAKA / BAHRAIN LAHORE / PESHAWER

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

Airlines JZR DLH AIC PIA THY ETH LZB UAE FDB DHX ETD MSR QTR AFR JZR RJA GFA JZR KAC JZR BAW FDB JZR KAC KAC JZR KAC KAC UAE ABY KAC IRA QTR ETD GFA IRA QTR KAC MEA JZR KAC JZR JZR MHK KAC KAC JZR MSR RJA FDB

Departure Flights on Tuesday 19/7/2011 Flt Route 1540 CAIRO 637 FRANKFURT 576 GOA / CHENNAI 240 SIALKOT 773 ISTANBUL 620 BAHRAIN / ADDIS ABABA 7780 SOFIA 854 DUBAI 68 DUBAI 371 BAHRAIN 306 ABU DHABI 615 CAIRO 139 DOHA 6700 DUBAI / HONG KONG 164 DUBAI 643 AMMAN 212 BAHRAIN 200 DAMASCUS 545 ALEXANDRIA 120 BAHRAIN 156 LONDON 54 DUBAI 534 CAIRO 671 DUBAI 745 DAMMAM / ABU DHABI 256 BEIRUT 511 TEHRAN 561 AMMAN 856 DUBAI 126 SHARJAH 101 LONDON / NEW YORK 604 ISFAHAN 133 DOHA 302 ABU DHABI 214 BAHRAIN 618 LAR 6131 DOHA 165 ROME / PARIS 405 BEIRUT 776 JEDDAH 541 CAIRO 212 DEIREZZOR 238 AMMAN 712 NAJAF / BAGHDAD 501 BEIRUT 785 JEDDAH 176 DUBAI 611 CAIRO 641 AMMAN 58 DUBAI

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

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

KAC UAL KAC KAC KAC KNE SVA KAC QTR KAC JZR VOS JZR ETD MLR QTR UAE GFA ABY JZR RBG SVA FDB JZR JZR ALK KAC KAC JAI FDB JZR KAC KAC OMA MEA SIA MSR SYR DHX KLM JZR UAE GFA FAH KAC QTR KAC KAC JZR JZR KAC UAL MSR

789 982 551 673 617 746 501 773 141 613 538 82 182 304 1405 135 858 216 128 266 3556 511 64 786 134 228 283 361 571 62 528 343 351 648 403 457 619 342 373 443 240 860 218 102 381 137 301 205 502 554 411 981 613

MEDINAH BAHRAIN DAMASCUS DUBAI DOHA JEDDAH JEDDAH RIYADH DOHA BAHRAIN CAIRO BAGHDAD DUBAI ABU DHABI DUBAI / COLOMBO DOHA DUBAI BAHRAIN SHARJAH BEIRUT ALEXANDRIA RIYADH DUBAI RIYADH BAHRAIN DUBAI / COLOMBO DHAKA COLOMBO MUMBAI DUBAI ASSIUT CHENNAI COCHIN MUSCAT BEIRUT ABU DHABI / SINGAPORE ALEXANDRIA DAMASCUS BAHRAIN BAHRAIN / AMSTERDAM AMMAN DUBAI BAHRAIN DUBAI DELHI DOHA MUMBAI ISLAMABAD LUXOR ALEXANDRIA BANGKOK / MANILA WASHINGTON DC DULLES CAIRO

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

34

TUESDAY, JULY 19, 2011

s ta rs CROSSWORD 383

STAR TRACK

CALVIN & HOBBES

Aries (March 21-April 19) You may have trouble getting moving today, but once rolling, others better stand aside. You have a stick-to-itiveness that finds you in the thick of things. Work situations may throw you into positions where you must deal with enclosed hidden interests. You may deal with education, psychology, spiritual enlightenment or teaching principles and techniques. Your attention may be drawn to the new ways in which you are getting around and staying in touch—communication at the everyday level is being changed by technology. You may not desire to learn new things, but you will try. At home this evening you prefer the simple, ordinary virtues. A special friend needs your help in getting to the bottom of a problem and you are eager to help.

Taurus (April 20-May 20) You will prosper through new insights, inventions and an independent point of view. Your career could open up by taking the road less traveled and by you daring to be the oddball with new approaches.

Communicating and getting your message across to others is at a high. Your timing is perfect for whatever you want to accomplish. You will get the most efficiency out of yourself and others in order to meet deadlines. Others may find you especially witty this afternoon. Everything conspires to reveal you at your most elegant, particularly in social situations this evening. This is a great time to reflect and understand your own situation. You are successful at getting your message across to others today—and others listen.

POOCH CAFE ACROSS 1. Any of several small ungulate mammals of Africa and Asia with rodent-like incisors and feet with hooflike toes.

4. Alligator-like reptile of Central and South America having a more heavily armored belly.

10. Light informal conversation for social occasions.

13. Made warm or hot.

14. (Greek mythology) One of the three Graces.

15. American prizefighter who won the world heavyweight championship three times (born in 1942).

16. Title for a civil or military leader (especially in Turkey).

17. In a bold manner.

18. One of the most common of the five major classes of immunoglobulins.

19. Send a signal by waving a flag or a light according to a certain code.

21. That is to say.

23. Of or relating to or involving an area.

24. An Indian nursemaid who looks after children.

26. Open-heart surgery in which the rib cage is opened and a section of a blood vessel is grafted from the aorta to the coronary artery to bypass the blocked section of the coronary artery and improve the blood supply to the heart.

28. Obvious and dull.

32. In addition.

37. Resinlike substance secreted by certain lac insects.

38. Any of a number of fishes of the family Carangidae.

40. The sixth month of the civil year.

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

43. In bed.

45. Inquire about.

46. Related to or located at the back.

49. Employed in accomplishing something.

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

53. Two items of the same kind.

54. A coffee cake flavored with orange rind and raisins and almonds.

58. The act of slowing down or falling behind.

60. A genus of Ploceidae.

64. Any of numerous local fertility and nature deities worshipped by ancient Semitic peoples.

65. The elementary stages of any subject (usually plural).

66. Form or weave into a braid or braids.

68. Considerate and solicitous care.

69. The cry made by sheep.

70. A city in western Germany near the Dutch and Belgian borders.

71. Relating to or characteristic of or occurring on the sea or ships.

DOWN 1. An Indian tree of the family Combretaceae that is a source of timber and gum.

2. A high wave (often dangerous) caused by tidal flow (as by colliding tidal currents or in a narrow estuary).

3. Any distinct time period in a sequence of events.

4. An esoteric or occult matter that is traditionally secret.

5. Highly excited.

6. Not in good physical or mental health.

7. Genus of sticky herbs with yellow flowers open in morning or evening but closed in bright light.

8. United States choreographer noted for his use of African elements (born in 1931).

9. A negative.

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

11. Primitive chlorophyll-containing mainly aquatic eukaryotic organisms lacking true stems and roots and leaves.

12. Slanting diagonally across the grain of a fabric.

20. A city in east central Texas.

22. God of wealth and love.

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

27. (computer science) A computer that is running software that allows users to leave messages and access information of general interest.

29. A quantity of no importance.

30. A river that rises in northeastern Turkey (near the source of the Euphrates) and flows generally eastward through Armenia to the Caspian Sea. 31. North American yellow-breasted songbirds.

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

34. Someone who works (or provides workers) during a strike.

35. (Babylonian) God of wisdom and agriculture and patron of scribes and schools.

36. In the Roman calendar.

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

42. Having undesirable or negative qualities.

44. A young woman making her debut into society.

47. (British) A cup of tea.

48. Sluggish tailless Australian arboreal marsupial with gray furry ears and coat.

50. A light touch or stroke.

52. A small cake leavened with yeast.

53. A brittle gray crystalline element that is a semiconducting metalloid (resembling silicon) used in transistors.

55. Informal or slang terms for mentally irregular.

56. Informal terms for money.

57. Type genus of the Alcidae comprising solely the razorbill.

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

61. The last (12th) month of the year.

62. The longer of the two telegraphic signals used in Morse code.

63. (informal) Of the highest quality.

67. A colorless explosive liquid that is volatile and poisonous and foul-smelling.

Gemini (May 21-June 20) It is personal business that has your interest today. There is a lot of mental energy churning around and it may be hard to put it to work. Circumstances may prove difficult regarding communication, writing, ideas, etc.

Things can get tight and you may find it hard to think or study. A break is welcomed this afternoon and some form of exercise will help you become better focused.

Whether you like it or not, consider regular exercise for stamina and endurance. You will find that this will help you to get rid of stress. You may find yourself more than a little acquisitive—your current appreciation for just about everything may lead you to overspend and perhaps indulge too much. This is not your usual style—compare prices. Laugh with friends.

Cancer (June 21-July 22)

NON SEQUITUR

There is an emphasis on close relationships and a preoccupation with ideas of fairness and harmony this Monday. You will be concerned with issues of freedom and independence far beyond the average person.

There could be long discussions with your friends about inventions and electronics this afternoon. You adjust your ideals often and struggle not to become carried away with each new vision. The world of your imagination is a major focus of change. You are independent, confident and more than likely, more than a little self-centered. You love attention and somehow manage to gravitate to the center of almost any group.

Others accept you—for they sense you are a leader and admire your manner. You fiercely protect your independence tonight.

Leo (July 23-August 22) Others may oppose your ideas and thoughts. Outwardly you are passionate. This quality is so essential to your character that all else revolves around it. However, your current situation may demand some reevaluation. Your ability to cut through the superficial and get to the real heart of a subject comes through loud and clear. There are no secrets with you—it is just that sometimes others do not want to deal with the truth. Do not lose your cool now—you will get the response you want soon enough. Your career, sense of judgment and problem-solving abilities are at the top of the list as the key components to look out for whenever you are stressed. Romance and such creative pursuits as hobbies are a good way to express excessive energy.

ZITS

Virgo (August 23-September 22) The key to understanding your personality and the circumstances in which you find yourself can be found in the environment or support system that surrounds you. You are very much the creature of habit and habitat, the encircling network of friends, relationships, etc., are crucial to your success; or lack thereof. There are opportunities to network this afternoon. You appear perhaps more charming and refined than usual. Now is the time to make yourself known. Your brilliant imagination and enchanting manner transports all who meet you beyond the mundane and into the extraordinary regions where you spend a lot of your time.

Romance is possible this evening. This is a time when love, creativity and self-expression satisfy a deep yearning.

Libra (September 23-October 22)

MOTHER GOOSE AND GRIMM

Scorpio (October 23-November 21) This could be an action-filled day when time seems to slow down as you encounter some of your more sensitive areas. This kind of intensity and vulnerability points to inner change and growth. An older person may give you reason to contemplate some old thinking on your part.

Communication with influential figures or older members of your family is enhanced now. A surplus of insights is available. The evening brings opportunities for whatever you heart desires: quiet, romantic, adventurous, educational or whatever else you can think of is yours for the asking. Surrounding yourself with friends and young people and for having a good time is yours for the asking this evening. You appreciate and enjoy the company of friends and family.

Sagittarius (November 22-December 21) With little patience for red tape and superficialities, you insist on getting right to the heart of any question. You have a knack for putting the feelings of a group into words and may serve as a teacher or spokesperson.

Communication is one area where you can always get backing from friends and coworkers. Historical ideas, articles or books may be of interest to you now. You find yourself through home and family and all things domestic. It would be excellent if you could somehow make your living in these areas. An instinctive urge to get serious about taking care of yourself at many levels is emphasized. There is a burning zeal for humanitarian goals, what is best for the many—the community. You may find yourself in a volunteer service this evening.

Capricorn (December 22-January 19)

To

Yesterday’s Solution

Taking care of business is a major theme where your organization techniques are concerned. You will make career gains by your ability to sense quality and choose accordingly. There are plenty of opportunities to move and excel in any direction you desire. This could mean your personal financial affairs, as well as your professional accounts. This may be a great time to work with family relations and improvements. Health and work goals take on a greater importance at this time and plans for less stress and more relaxation may be a good thing.

This is also a time of good fortune, but you will be wise in determining how your finances are channeled. Perhaps a budget is in order so that you will know how and where to spend your earnings.

This week is one of action and embarking on new projects. You will feel more and more confident and outgoing. There is a sense of confidence that grows stronger with each passing day. Things that may have been in suspended animation for many years will now take on structure and shape. These next few months, perhaps even years, are ones in which you should plan to work hard to bring out and give shape to the ideas you have pored over in the past. You are beginning to really move forward now and can expect positive recognition. Your career and social standing takes an outward trend. In summary, from this time forward, expect a more confident, outgoing attitude, for you have brought to a close a time of inward examination.

Yesterday’s Solution Yester

Aquarius (January 20- February 18) This can be an expansive and creative time in the business world. Your finances are beginning to look better and better. You may be able to enjoy and value your own life situation today or feel especially kind towards a friend or loved one. A visitor in your home may compliment you on your unique tastes or belongings. This is a very nice day, perhaps filled with some renewed appreciation for all that is beautiful. There is a sense of value and valuing that may find you lavishing affection on those near you. There is also a constant yearning to broaden your horizons. You may find yourself taking on new studies. Learning about a foreign country, law, politics, education, or religion are some of the areas which you may enjoy studying.

Pisces (February 19-March 20)

Word Sleuth Solution

You resist getting personal and tend to avoid issues that are touchy and might result in confrontation and change. Your very organized self tends to hide behind duties and responsibilities today. Your career may be at a rather delicate point and under a lot of pressure. It could be hard to find solutions or make the right decisions as to how to proceed. The whole process could be stopped up and sluggish. You may have to bide your time for now. There could be eruptions that overturn all of the more orderly rituals. Friends and family are a different story this evening. There is a chance to understand those around you and to have a special time with someone you love. General good feelings make this a time worth remembering.

A

y

e niv rsar n

TUESDAY, JULY 19, 2011

Years

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

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Anthony admits he is single lyrics in reference to Jennifer. But he skipped that part.” Meanwhile, the pair are said to be “at war” over who should drop out of TV talent show ‘Q’Viva! The Chosen’ - devised by media mogul Simon Fuller - with their split having been “far from amicable”. An insider told the Daily Mirror newspaper: “Simon has been assured Marc and Jennifer are both professional enough to put on a good show regardless of any personal problems they may be having. “But behind the scenes it’s a very different story. They are barely on speaking terms, and only converse to talk about their children. The split is far from amicable although they do hope to be friends in the future. “The idea was for the couple, along

arc Anthony has confirmed he is a “single” man. The 42-year-old singer - who announced his split from wife of seven years Jennifer Lopez on Friday - dedicated his track ‘No Hay Nadie Como Ella’, which translates in English to ‘None Like Her’. to his fans at a gig in Bogota, Columbia, on Saturday night in what was believed to be a tribute to his estranged wife. He told the crowd: “Rumor has it I’m single now. That’s why I want to dedicate the next song to you.” However, Marc - who has two-year-old twins Max and Emme with Jennifer - left out the lyrics “te amo Lola”, or “I love you, Lola”, in his song ‘Valio La Pena’. Onlooker Rosa Gomez Klee told Life & Style magazine: “He always says those

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icky Gervais says “losers” are the real “interesting” characters in life.

The comedian - who shot to fame starring and writing in 90s sitcom ‘The Office’ - would much rather focus his TV shows on the less-successful people because they provide the humor. Talking about office worker Tim Canterbury, Ricky said: “Tim is based on a guy I used to work with, mixed with Norm from ‘Cheers’, a little Chandler from ‘Friends,’ and a touch of Oliver Hardy. Stan and Ollie feature in all my work really. The blind leading the blind. Both thinking they’re with an idiot. Both right. Both struggling. And both needing each other to survive. Beautifully precarious. “They could fall at any moment. But just for us they get back up again. Who needs winners? They’re not in the slightest bit funny or interesting. Give me a loser any

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vanka Trump, daughter of Donald and a judge on his TV show “The Apprentice,” has taken on another role-that of mother-as the former model

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gave birth on Sunday to a baby girl in New York City. Trump, 29, announced the birth of her daughter via Twitter, sharing that she and husband Jared Kushner “welcomed a beautiful and healthy little girl into the world.” “We feel incredibly grateful and blessed. Thank you all for your support and well wishes!,” read the tweet. Trump and Kushner married in October 2009. The name of the baby has not yet been announced.

day.” Ricky also says he feels great affection for his alter-ego David Brent - the buffoon-like office manager who catapulted him to fame. Writing for the Huffington Post, he revealed: “David Brent doesn’t represent evil, or nastiness or even ignorance. He’s just a little out of place. Out of time. His worst crime is that he confused respect with popularity. He wanted both but concentrated on the wrong one. He didn’t really know what people wanted of him. He shouldn’t really have worried about that at all. He just tried a little too hard. He wasn’t a bad man. In fact he was quite a nice man and I have a real affection for him. I like all my characters I play or create, to be honest.”

aniel Craig will never reveal what happened on his wedding day. The James Bond actor tied the knot with actress Rachel Weisz last month in a surprise low-key ceremony and he is adamant he will never make the details of his big day public because he wants to keep his private life out of the spotlight. He told ‘Access Hollywood’: “I did it secretly - I can’t tell you how I pulled it off. My private life is incredibly important to me, and certainly that aspect of it is more than incredibly important to me.” While Daniel, 43, won’t talk about his marriage, the actor’s friend Jason Isaacs recently revealed his pal is “very happy” following the nuptials.

Asked if he would like to be James Bond, Jason said: “No, Dan is Bond - Daniel is one of the sexiest men! “ The thing about Dan is women all obviously want to sleep with him and men all think he’s having more relationships with women than they are - and they’re right!

But not anymore, thank God, because he’s married and very happy, but he just exudes sex.

He’s the perfect Bond.” Rachel

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Lavigne has a pizza named after her he Canadian singer says people from her hometown of Napanee are very proud of her achievements and one of the local restaurants has paid homage by creating a dish in her honor. She told Live! magazine: “I’m a small-town girl and go home when I can, and the people there always look out for me. I think they’re proud that someone from there made it so big.

There’s a pizza restaurant in the centre that I used to go to when I was at high school, and they’ve turned it into kind of an Avrilthemed place. There’s even a pizza named after me made from my favorite toppings: pepperoni, olives and mushrooms.” Avril says food is quite important in her life and as well as pizzas, she also enjoys cooking a tra-

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ditional British Sunday roast dinner.

She said: “I may be Canadian, but I cook the best Sunday roast. My mom cooked every night when I was growing up and one thing I picked up from her was roast beef and Yorkshire pudding. Growing up, a lot of the mums I knew used to cook a British dinner. I love making little Yorkshires and getting them to rise perfectly. I like being domesticated. It’s my way of unwinding.

After months of touring and promotion I just want to stay in and be normal. Going out shopping for groceries and cooking food is my way of chilling out. I like to have my friends around and entertain for them, cook up some Italian food and open a bottle.”

Bieber and Gomez crash wedding J ustin Bieber and Selena Gomez crashed a wedding over the weekend. The couple were having a romantic dinner date at a restaurant on Malibu beach when they heard Justin’s music playing at some nearby nuptials. So they ventured over, leaving the bride and groom and their guests stunned. A source said: “Unbeknownst to all of the guests, Justin Bieber and his girlfriend Selena Gomez were just done eating at a restaurant up the road from the Adamson House estate and had decided to take a stroll down the beach.

I guess he heard his song play and decided to crash the wedding party to check the scene out. He was cool enough to make a cameo, which surprised

with choreographer Jamie King, to tour 21 countries scouting for fresh Latino talent, but obviously, the last thing either of them feels like doing right now is touring together.” It is believed Jennifer - who judges ‘American Idol’ alongside Randy Jackson and Steve Tyler - will be the one to drop out. The source added: “Jennifer has been brilliant on Simon’s other pet project, ‘American Idol’, so the feeling is she will leave Marc to do ‘Q’Viva!’ “The only other option is that Marc and Jennifer still do it but travel separately, and have Jamie sit between them on the judging panel. Things could get very awkward.”

all of the wedding guests.” The ‘Baby’ singer also congratulated the newlyweds, Rob and Jeanine McCool, on tying the knot and posed for pictures with the couple and guests. The source added to PerezHilton.com: “He even took the microphone, congratulated the newlywed couple, and said a few nice words, while posing for a series of pictures with his fans. That was one of the coolest and nicest things a person of his celebrity can do, and it certainly made a memorable night for the newlywed couple Mrs and Mrs Rob and Jeanine McCool.”

Johansson has superhero body S carlett Johansson has the best superhero body in ‘The Avengers’. The stunning actress plays Natasha Romanoff and her alter-ego Black Widow in the action movie - which features a huge ensemble of Marvel Comics superheroes - and she has already impressed her co-star Clark Gregg with her amazing physique. Clark - who plays Agent Phil Coulson - said: “I don’t know why, but anytime you say ‘bod’, I just have to say it’s got to be Scarlett Johansson. That’s a superhero bod. It’s a super bod, it’s a superhero bod. Agent Romanoff is the last person you want to mess with.” As well as Scarlett’s stunning body, Clark has also been impressed with Lou Ferrigno, who provides the voice of The Incredible Hulk. He told

Collider.com: “If there is a close second it has to be The Hulk. If The Hulk was mad at me, or Agent Coulson, there are a number of people I would think of calling, but I would definitely call Agent Romanoff first.” While male fans will be excited at the prospect of seeing Scarlet’s amazing body - which she first showed off in Black Widow’s skintight costume in ‘Iron Man 2’ - in the film, Clark insists cinemagoers everywhere are in for a treat when the movie is released next year. He said: “ There’s almost nothing I can say, except that it’s the funniest ensemble movie in the history of the planet, and that (director) Joss Whedon is God.” — BangShowbiz

and Daniel - who star in horror movie ‘Dream House’ together, which was filmed throughout 2010 and is due to be released in September - began dating in December and tied the knot in front of just four people. The actress split from director Darren Aronofsky last year. They have a five-year-old son Henry together.

TUESDAY, JULY 19, 2011

lifestyle Music & Movies In this photo made available on the Internet byVictoria Beckham, British soccer player David Beckham is seen holding his daughter Harper Seven Beckham.—AP

Photo shows Victoria Beckham holding her daughter Harper Seven Beckham.—AP

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avid Beckham took to Facebook on Sunday to introduce to the world his new baby daughter, Harper Seven Beckham, the latest addition to his

growing brood. Briton Beckham posted a black-and-white photo showing Harper and her mother, Victoria Beckham, dozing away while doting Dad snapped the shot. He

captioned it: “I took this picture of my two girls sleeping.”

In another posted on Victoria’s Twitter account, footballer Beckham, 36, cradles his newborn in his hands

and poses with her, nose-to-nose.

“Daddy’s little girl,” the mom tweeted. Harper was born on July 10, to Beckham and former Spice Girl and fashion designer, Victoria. Their new

daughter joins brothers, Brooklyn, 12 years-old, Romeo 8 and Cruz 6.

—Reuters

Harry Potter finale shatters US box office record I

t’s the end of an era, and it’s going out with a bang worthy of a truckload of magical fireworks from Zonko’s: “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows-Part 2” shattered the opening weekend record at the North American box office, industry trackers said Sunday.

Muggles-non-magical people-of all ages handed over a collective $168 million as they flocked to see the eighth and final film in the Harry Potter series. The haul is $10 million more the previous opening weekend record of $158-million set in 2008 by the Batman film “The Dark Knight.” “DH-2” had already raked in a record $92.1 million in opening day sales, smashing the previous record held by “The Twilight Saga: New Moon,” which took $72.7 million in 2009.

In the finale to one of the most successful film franchises of all time, released in both 2D and 3D versions, the boy wizard takes on the evil Lord Voldemort in a climactic showdown at the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

It is the second of two movies based on the final book in the wildly successful coming of age Potter series by British author JK Rowling.

Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson and Rupert Grint-Potter, Hermione Granger and Ronald Weasley respectively-are accompanied by a cast of big-name British actors that include Alan Rickman as Severus Snape, Ralph Fiennes as Voldemort,

File photo shows actor Rupert Grint arrives for the North American premiere of “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Part 2” at Lincoln Center in New York.—AFP and Helena Bonham Carter as Bellatrix Lestrange. To the delight of fans, many of whom showed up at the movie theater dressed as their favorite Potter characters, the movie also sees a return of most of the secondary personalities from past films.

“DH-2” covers the final third of the last Potter book and is a fastpaced adventure that follows the scene set in “DH-1.” It is also the best-reviewed movie of the series.

Many fans have mixed feelings about the end of the series. “This is the end of my childhood,” Los Angeles resident Celeste Perez, 24,

The Wanted climb to top of UK charts

Taiji Sawada

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Japanese rock musician who tried to hang himself after being arrested for unruly behavior on a flight to the Mariana Islands has died in hospital, reports said yesterday. Rocker Taiji Sawada, who was best known as the former bass player with heavy metal group “X”, died on Sunday when medics at Saipan’s Commonwealth Health Centre turned off his life support, the Saipan Tribune reported. The Marianas Variety newspaper reported that Sawada, 45, had been in intensive care since July 14 after he tried to hang himself with a bedsheet in a jail in the US-administered Pacific territory.

He had been arrested three days before for allegedly assaulting a female cabin crew attendant during a Delta Airlines flight from Tokyo to Saipan, court documents showed. The documents, filed on the Northern Marianas District Court, said the flight attendant went to the business class section after hearing banging and found Sawada struggling with a female passenger. The crew member said a number of male passengers helped her subdue the musician and move him to another chair but he caused another commotion, punching windows and kicking seats, as the plane prepared to descend to Saipan.

Eventually, the plane’s captain ordered Sawada to be placed in physical restraints and he was arrested after the flight landed, the court documents said. No reason was given for Sawada’s behavior. Sawada enjoyed success with “X” in the late 1980s but left in 1992 and since then had played in various other bands, according to fan websites.—AF

told the Los Angeles Times as she was preparing to meet with friends ahead of a midnight Thursday show.

“It’s like, ‘Now what’s left for me?

What can I cherish as much?’” she told the newspaper. Dan Fellman, president of domestic distribution for Warner Bros, told the newspaper he believes “DH-2” will break the $1 billion mark in worldwide ticket sales.” We had the most successful franchise in the history of the motion picture business and we had a huge fan base. We also got fantastic reviews,” Fellman said.

“That all enables us to expand our

footprint. We are going to be around for a long time.”

The series on the adventures of the orphan who discovers he has magical powers are a global phenomenon, with the books available in 69 languages. More than 400 million copies of the books have been sold since Rowling, a one-time struggling single-mother on welfare, published the first installment in 1997. Rowling has a personal net worth of a billion dollars, reportedly making her richer than the British queen. The Harry Potter brand alone has an estimated worth of some 15 billion dollars. Rowling, whose mother died of multiple sclerosis in 1990, has donated millions to MS research and treatment.

She also has become a leading supporter of British poverty-fighting charity Comic Relief.

The films and books may have come to an end, but stories from Hogwarts have not: Rowling has unveiled an interactive website featuring new material about Potter’s world, and promised that will be open starting in October. The first Harry Potter film was released in 2001 and the seven movies so far have earned over 6.4 billion dollars (4.4 billion euros) globally, making stars-and multi-millionaires-out of Radcliffe, Watson and Grint.—AFP

ritish/Irish boyband The Wanted have secured their place at number one in the UK singles chart for a second time, with their fourth Official Singles Chart Top 5 hit in less than a year.

The band’s latest single, “Glad You Came” broke through the 100,000 sales barrier and had a final first week tally of over 117,000 giving the five band members the largest first week single sales of their career so far.

The toe-tapping tune is the first to be taken off their approaching second album and follows their entrance onto the music scene with “All Time Low” which also went straight to number one last November. Meanwhile, in the Official Albums Chart, Adele’s “21” returned to number one for a third time this year after already spending 17 weeks at the top and having never been lower than number two. Her debut album “19” is also benefiting from continued success after rocketing to number three.

Despite being released some two

years ago, it has spent 34 weeks in the top 10, one of those weeks at number one and has not been out of the top 10 this year. According to the Official Album Chart, female artists have overshadowed male artists this year. Adele with 21, Rihanna with “Loud”, Lady Gaga with “Born this Way” and Beyonce with “4” have altogether spent a whole 25 weeks at number one.

However albums by male artists, Bruno Mars with “Doo-Wops & Hooligans”, Foo Fighters with “Wasting Light”, Arctic Monkeys with “Suck it and See” and Take That with “Progress” have only totaled four weeks at number one.

The Official Albums Chart Top 10 gathers only one new entry; alternative rockers The Horrors scored their best Official Albums Chart performance yet with third album “Skying” directly in at number five, ahead of previous albums, “Primary Colours” and debut “Strange House”.Reuters

The Wanted

South African schoolchildren pray before singing happy birthday to former President Nelson Mandela as he turned 93 yesterday, at a Primary School in Johannesburg.

S Africa cheers Mandela’s 93rd birthday with a song

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Similar activities were underway around illions of South African schoolthe country, as South Africans cleaned and children sang happy birthday to painted schools, orphanages and clinics, Nelson Mandela as he turned 93 while others donated food, clothes, books yesterday, while politicians and ordinary and toys to charity. President Jacob Zuma, citizens did charity work to support his call who planned to visit Mandela in Qunu after to do good. For the third year, at the meeting with visiting British Prime Minister request of his charitable foundation, July 18 is observed as Mandela Day, recognized David Cameron in Pretoria, used the occasion to call for greater efforts to end poverby the United Nations as a global call to ty.” We have achieved a lot, but we must still volunteer for good causes for 67 minuteswork further to eradicate poverty and representing each year of Mandela’s life in improve especially the lives of children, active politics. The nation’s 12.5 million because Madiba loves them so much,@ schoolchildren sang “Happy Birthday” Zuma said, using before starting Mandela’s clan class yesterday, name. with television Zuma was also and radio staexpected to tions urging the launch a drive to nation to join in increase memthe special rendibership in the rultion of the song, ing African given an African National twist by a local Congress “as part composer. of realising ANC “This week stalwart there will be no Mandela’s dream extra mural activand that of his ities. You will organization.” UN spend that time Secretary General going to charities Ban Ki-moon to do your charity urged the world work. It is only to observe appropriate as a Mandela’s call to school to devote carry out volun67 minutes of our teer work. time in his honor,” “Everybody Les Lambert, remembers and, principal at indeed, needs an Johannesburg’s A picture released by the Mandela Family inspirational figRosebank primary school, told shows South Africa’s iconic elder statesman ure who has his 500 students. Nelson Mandela, dubbed Madiba, flanked by played a signal his former wife Winnie Madikezila Mandela role in their lives.

Kabelo celebrating his birthday with his family in Nelson Mandela Masemola, 10, Qunu yesterday.—AFP has been that said he wished role model for Mandela a long countless people and happy around the life.”He must relax world,” Ban said. Increasingly frail with age, and must not get sick. He must live long.”

Mandela spent is his birthday with his fami- Mandela was last seen in public just before his 92nd birthday, when he and his third ly at his childhood village Qunu in the wife Graca Machel made an appearance at Eastern Cape province. the football World Cup final in “He’s just going to have a relaxing time Johannesburg. with his family,” Nelson Mandela As South Africa’s first black president, Foundation spokesman Sello Hatang said.

Mandela is revered for having ushered in His grandson, chief Mandla Mandela said democracy and for his personal sacrifices in the family would give blankets to elderly fighting the apartheid regime. On his people around his nearby birthplace of release in 1990, he led negotiations that Mvezo. “We’ll be ensuring that at least our paved the way to elections in 1994. He elderly citizens are looked after and taken used his warmth, dignity and self-deprecatbetter care of, but we are also having kids ing humor to help heal racial divisions and from the school in Mvezo that will be opened a process of reconciliation.—AFP cleaning the community because we want to ensure that we preserve our area,” he told national broadcaster SABC.

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Turkey

At home in : Staying with villagers in Kurdistan

Kurds were originally nomadic sheepherders. Most families in Yuvacali in southeastern Turkey keep a flock of sheep and use the milk to make yogurt and cheese

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efore most people are awake, Pero Salva has baked a day’s worth of bread over an open fire, milked the cows, fed the chickens and used a broom made from twigs to sweep the dirt walkway in front of the house she shares with her husband and three children. As the roosters crow and a muezzin sings the Muslim call to prayer, we take our places for breakfast on the floor around a table fashioned from a sheet of vinyl spread over a woven rug. Men on one side. Women on the other.

Pero Salva starts each morning baking bread over an open fire in the Kurdish village of Yuvacali in southeastern Turkey.

Everything before us-tomatoes and cucumbers, cheese, yogurt, honey and sheets of warm bread-was made or grown by the family, our hosts for a one-night homestay in the village of Yuvacali in Turkish Kurdistan.

Situated in the middle of Mesopotamia-the flat, fertile plains between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers that were a cradle of civilization-the towns and villages of southeast Turkey trace their history around 10,000 BC when bands of hunter-gatherers settled into communities and became the first farmers.

Originally nomadic sheep and goat herders, the Kurdish have their own language and cultural traditions, much of which was suppressed after Turkey became a republic in 1923 and the government pushed to unite ethnic groups under a national identity Migration to the cities was encouraged, leaving rural outposts such as Yuvacali, first settled more than 6,000 years ago, alone and on their own, often without basic services such as running water and electricity.

It wasn’t that long ago that “Children would go to school not knowing Turkish, and not knowing how to hold a pencil,” says Bridget Purcell, an American anthropologist who volunteers as a translator for homestay guests. Traipsing about on a farm, learning how to milk sheep and bake bread while wearing an ankle-length skirt, wasn’t part of the itinerary when my husband, Tom, and I began planning a trip to Turkey. But then I found Nomad Tours Turkey on the Web while doing some research, and emailed the founder, Alison Tanik, a British woman married to a Kurdish man.

She and her husband, Omer, had moved from Istanbul to his home in Yuvacali when they began looking for a project that might help improve the lives of the 700 or so residents, mainly subsistence farmers with an average income of $1 per day.

Nearly everyone intermarries. (Villagers share just three last names). Disputes are settled by tribal elders. The rate of birth defects is high. There’s no sewage system. No garbage collection. No high school. No Internet. Only 50 percent of villagers read or write. Alison had launched a project for the local women to sell their handicrafts to a boutique in Istanbul, when an acquaintance from Australia’s Intrepid Tours asked about the possibility of homestays in the area.

She suggested Yuvacali, and Nomad Tours was born.

Halil Salva serves cake to homestay guests on the porch of his home.

Painted bright lavender, a favorite color in this part of Turkey, the Salva family’s one-story, concrete house has a small kitchen and two rooms-one used by the family for living, watching TV, eating and sleeping, and the other for guests. The toilet is an outhouse and running water comes from a tap connected to tank on the roof filled with water pumped from a well.

Sitting in the garden, sipping tea, we joined six other guests traveling together on an Intrepid tour, and talked with Pero, 45, and her husband, Halil, 46. Hosting and cooking for groups of strangers is hard work, Pero said, but it means she no longer has to pick cotton and gets to work indoors, a relief in summer when temperatures can top 100.

She greeted us wearing a wispy lavender head scarf, a long polkadot skirt and blue sweater set. Halil wore traditional Kurdish-style trousers, baggy in the crotch and tight around the legs. Villagers aren’t particularly religious, but they are conservative. The women in our group followed Nomad’s instructions to wear long skirts, considered more modest than pants for sitting on the floor or milking animals.

Like most of the married villagers, Pero and Halil are first cousins.

They support themselves and their children, Faruk, 18; Fatih, 17; and Aylin, 10, by growing barley, wheat, lentils, cotton and peppers and raising sheep, chickens and cows. Before the homestays, their only outside income came from the sale of the cheese and yogurt that Pero makes in a hut where she also does the cooking over a wood fire.

For lunch we ate her homemade lentil soup and roasted vegetables and talked about the differences in our home lives. The nearest big city is 35 miles away, and like most women, Pero rarely leaves the village. Men do the shopping and most other jobs that require going to town.

Walking around the village, past flat-roofed houses made of mud bricks, we saw women seated on the ground sewing cotton mattresses by hand. Others were herding sheep in from the pastures.

Only women are allowed to bake bread and milk the animals, so the men in our group could only watch as we helped Pero milk, and joined her at a low table to roll out big circles of dough.

Dinner was “Turkish pizza,” sheets of the thin, round bread topped with minced meat and herbs. Afterward, the family converted the dining room into a bedroom by blanketing the floor with floral-covered cotton mattresses filed with sheep’s wool. We snuggled under the covers slumber-party style, women in one room, men in an another, while the family slept in an annex they built for themselves off the main house.

The Yuvacali homestay project is small. So far, there are just two host families, but the homestays have done much to bring a bit of the outside world to Yuvacali. Nomad Tours has used the income to buy supplies for the school (the government supplies only a building and a teacher), and launch a dental-hygiene project, with toothbrushes and toothpaste donated by homestay guests.

Neither Pero nor Halil read or write, but their children go to school and are learning English. All the money they earn from the homes-

Homestay guests eat dinner at a “table’’ fashioned from a piece of vinyl spread over a woven rug on the floor of the Salva family’s home in the Kurdish village of Yuvacali in southeastern Turkey.

—MCT photos tays goes to pay for their education. The result: Faruk plans to enter college next year, and Fatih, who walks three miles each way to high school, will forgo his usual job at a beach resort this summer to stay home and hone his English skills. He is preparing for what everyone hopes will be his new career: official village homestay host.

If you go

Yuvacali village homestays Where: Yuvacali is near Sanliurfa, a city in southeast Turkey where the prophet Abraham supposedly was born. A visit could be combined with a trip to Mount Nemrut, noted for its large statues built around an ancient royal tomb, or Gobekli Tepe, where archaeologists have uncovered the remains of a 11,000-year-old temple.

More information: Nomad Tours Turkey offers a variety of half-day, full-day and four-day tours in southeast Turkey. Prices vary depending on the tour. Cost of a one-night homestay is 60 Turkish lira person, $37 at current exchange rates, including three meals. — MCT

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Tree-like columns rise in Sagrada Familia.

Light streams through the stained-glass windows of the Sagrada Familia.

The Nativity Facade fronts the Sagrada Familia in Barcelona, Spain, the massive church designed by Gaudi. — MCT photos Construction begun in 1882 continues on Sagrada Familia.

By Thomas Huang

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ravel is motion, but in the unfamiliar city, I sought stillness. I missed my family desperately. Christmas Day had passed, and I was alone in Spain. And so I looked for a sacred space. I hoped it would be the Sagrada Familia, one of the most famous churches in the world, the unfinished masterwork of Antoni Gaudi.

Could the symbols of God, maybe even the presence of God, quiet the chaos inside me? A brisk walk took me through the Catalan cold, the gray shuttered streets that promised colors come spring. The church towers imposed themselves on my view, four of them in front, four of them in back, rising like gigantic, skeletal missiles-or, since Gaudi was a vegetarian, let’s say asparagus spears.

As I approached the Sagrada Familia, my first thought was not of spirituality, but of fantasy. The look of the building is what I had in my mind’s eye when I was a boy, reading “The Lord of the Rings,” imagining the fortress at Helm’s Deep, long before Peter Jackson made his films.

I waited in line to get in (it took about an hour), and I wondered what it would have been like to be Gaudi. He was a genius. He was pious and moralistic. Stark raving mad, too.

Construction on the Sagrada Familia (Sacred Family) began in 1882, and Gaudi, a devoted Catholic, became the architect of the project soon after. He must have suspected that, because of its scope and grandeur (it was cathedral-like, if not officially a cathedral), he would not live to see the church’s completion.

The Sagrada Familia was Gaudi’s obsession. He never married, never had a family. In his last years, he lived like a hermit in a studio next to the church. He let his hair and beard grow for months. He wore threadbare clothes and old slippers. He went from house to house, asking for donations to keep the project going. In June 1926, he was walking on the street and, like most eccentric architects, was probably paying more attention to design than to traffic.

He was hit by a tram. He died a few days later. As I finally entered the church, I asked: Why would you dedicate your life to one project, knowing that you wouldn’t live to see its fruition?

In the church’s expansive, parabolic space, I succumbed to insignificance. Sweeping stained-glass windows, designed by Joan Vila-Grau in the past decade, depicted the Resurrection. Treelike spiraling columns rose to touch the ceiling. They reminded me of bones, too, as if I were in a whale’s rib cage. It was late in the day. The sun, filtered through windows, cast its light as flowers against high walls.

Wandering into the apse, I came upon Jesus on the cross but, strangely, he appeared to be falling from the sky, buoyed by a parachute, as if he had taken up parasailing.

I searched the ceiling and saw stars, shells, more flowers. Gaudi had grown up in rural Spain and loved the organic shapes found in nature: flowers, trees, branches, plants, vegetables. Nature, he said, was “the Great Book, always open, that we should force ourselves to read.” This was my solitude, then, watching the German and Italian tourists crane their necks to catch a glimpse of God, only to encounter the vision of an egotistical, self-righteous architect who struggled with his own internal contradictions-of staying within the lines ... and not staying within the lines.

Art critic Robert Hughes explained in his history,

Flowers are among the organic shapes used in the Sagrada Familia.

“Barcelona,” that Gaudi’s imaginative life was “bound up with ideas of death, obedience, penance, deliverance and transcendence,” and yet his brand of art nouveau “declared one’s freedom from the straight line, the corporate grid, and all that was ... soulless in modern architecture.”

And yet ... what the Germans, Italians and I beheld was not fully Gaudi’s vision. Most of his plans were destroyed in 1936 during the Spanish Civil War, when anarchists blew up part of the church. A whole line of architects, artists and designers have added their own imprint to the church in the past 75 years. This transmogrification of Gaudi’s original vision will go on and on until the church is completed-some hope in 2026, the centenary of the genius’s passing. In the fading light outside the church, I studied Gaudi’s Nativity scene, chronicled in sculpture on the temple walls.

I asked: What does all of our work amount to if, to achieve it, we end up forsaking our families? When I was younger, I thought it was brave to do so. Now, standing outside the Sagrada Familia, I wasn’t so sure.

A group of young people stepped out of the church and began to sing “Silent Night,” and I stood there for a long time. Travel is motion, but sometimes, as writer Pico Iyer once said, we need to find “a place where we can hold our breath and stop, and prepare for the time when conversation ends.”

In the temple’s expansive, parabolic space, visitors are driven to ask: Why would you dedicate your life to one project, knowing that you wouldn’t live to see its fruition?

Critics have lambasted artist Josep Subirachs on his work on the Passion Facade on Sagrada Familia.

Admission: adults, about $18 (about $24 with audio guide or guided tour); retirees, students and kids under 18, about $15 (about $19.50 with audio guide or guided tour). Guided tours, which last about an hour and 10 minutes, are available until 30 minutes before closing.

Towers: The church’s towers are accessible via elevator for a charge of about $4. The towers on the Passion facade side close 30 minutes before church closing; the towers on the Nativity side close 15 minutes before church closing. — MCT

When you go Visiting hours: October to March, 9 am -6 pm; April to September, 9 am -8 pm; Dec 25 and 26, and Jan 1 and 6, 9 am -2 pm.

Shells are among the organic shapes used in the Sagrada Familia.

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Beckham baby debuts on Facebook

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Thousands flock to

Macedonian Galicnik wedding D

uring the year only one couple lives up in this remote mountain village: but for one weekend, thousands of visitors descended on Galicnik to celebrate a traditional wedding.

Music from drums and special zurli trumpets filled the narrow streets of Galicnik as the wedding party made its way to the church of St Peter and Paul for the ceremony Sunday. Spread out along the slopes of the Bistra mountain the streets are lined with traditional houses maintained by natives who return for the holidays, although some of them are in ruins. The bride arrived at the church on horseback, accompanied by a lively procession of family and friends. She was dressed in 47 different pieces of clothing, each heavily embroidered and decorated with handmade ornaments and carvings, and weighing some 25 kilos in all.

Only the closest family attended the wedding ceremony inside the 14th-century church. The other 5,000 or so visitors were seated outside in an amphitheatre, as musicians and dancers entertained them.

The two-day celebration started on Saturday, running through a set of centuries-old customs and dances, including a ceremony inviting dead ancestors to the wedding. The event is traditionally held on the weekend closest to St Peter’s day, July 12th, and draws the former inhabitants of Galicnik and tourists to the village in Macedonia’s Mijak region.

On the eve of her wedding, this year’s bride, 24year-old dental technician Verica Mitricka, estimated she would need an hour to dress.”I do not think it will be heavy. I am so excited about all this,” she told AFP smiling, on Saturday. Her husband, geologist Ljupco Ravanovski, who is originally from Galicnik said he had been dreaming about being married in this ceremony since the age of 15.

“I really adore all these unique customs and it was my great wish to be part of this tradition,” he said. Every year several couples apply to be wed in the Galicnik wedding, with the feast paid for by

sponsors and the state. Only one couple is chosen and at least one of the partners must have roots in the village to be eligible. There was a time in the past, when more than 30 couples at a time would marry during the St Peter’s days feasts, Meletije Brkovski, a Mijak writer and historian from Galicnik, fondly recalled. “What an event that was, when the mountains were filled with people, music and drums coming from all sides,” he said.

“It is sad that now this village is empty like many others in the region.” There were 1,000 inhabitants in 1940 but nowadays only one couple still lives in the village year round, he said.The Mijak tribe, known for their extraordinary wood carving and icon painting, have long had a tradition of men going abroad to work and study. But villagers always tried to come back on St Peter’s Day. After World War II and the ensuing communist regime in Macedonia-then part of Tito’s Yugoslavia-the village emptied. Residents tried to save the marriage tradition, passing on the message to young people: “Whereever you are: be home for St Peter’s day”.

“In 1947 it started as a cultural manifestation with all the customs but without any church weddings-and since 1995 we have a real church wedding,” Aleksandar Krzalovski, one of the organizers of this weekend’s event, told AFP. Krzalovski is proud to have married this way himself in 1996.

People from all over the Mijak region flock to the Galicnik celebration each year. “I cannot explain the The bride and groom walk in front of the church before the wedding ceremony. feeling this gives me. At this moment I am seeing a picture of my whole family and the whole history in front of me,” 27-year-old Ivana Liceska, from “Everything is great fun but we are really astonSkopje but with roots in neighboring Tresonce, told ished by the Hard Dance,” they told AFP, sitting under the shade of a tree to escape the heat. Their AFP. “I am proud and I’d like to cry at the same time,” friend James, a Scottish traveler, marveled at the she said as she watched the ritual Teskoto, or Hard breathtaking mountain setting of the village. “The Dance. A slow, dignified dance performed to the nature is so untouched, driving here was very intersound of traditional instruments, it symbolizes the esting. I liked that as much as I liked the Hard difficult times Macedonia has endured. For Greek Dance,” he told AFP. — AFP tourists George and Katarina, a couple in their 20s, the Teskoto was the highlight of the celebrations.

Macedonians dance a national folk dance “Teskoto” dressed in traditional folk costume in front of church St Peter and Paul.

The bride rides to the church in the western Macedonian village Galicnik, some 150 km southwest of Skopje, during ‘Galicnik wedding’.

The bride looks at her groom through her wedding ring in front of her house. — AFP photos

Spain’s richest man runs world’s biggest fashion retailer

D

iscordant brass notes escape from a rehearsal room in Sliven’s gypsy ghetto, as 15 local boys prepare for band practice and take a break from the poverty-stricken life of the slum outside. “Now boys-one, two, three...,” band leader Angel Tichaliev calls out and the tunes merge into a bold, lively melody that resonates in the room barely bigger than a one-car garage. The retired trumpet player formed the Karandila Junior band in 2007 to give a new chance for children and grandchildren of fellow gypsy musicians in this neighborhood incongruously named Nadezhda, or “hope” in Bulgarian.

“Music is a way to steal the boys away from the everyday reality in the ghetto and to keep the gypsy orchestra tradition alive,” says the 56-year-old, who used to play in a military band. Karandila Junior is Bulgaria’s only youth gypsy band. It has already performed at several popular music festivals abroad, including the Vienna Balkan Fever festival and Hungary’s famous Sziget Festival. In January, they released their first album called “Ghetto Hope”, named after their run-down slum of 20,000 inhabitants where hope, indeed, is in small supply-as it is for most of Bulgaria’s 700,000-strong Roma community, one of the largest in Europe.

Crowds of ragged children jostle with horse carts in the narrow, laundry-draped alleys of Nadezhda-notorious since communist times for its high levels of crime, illiteracy and poverty.

Chickens peck for food outside the band’s rehearsal room, oblivious to the loud music inside. While Bulgarian Roma are still ghettoised and face rampant prejudice, “there’s no such thing as discrimination when it comes to music,” insists Tichaliev. The band’s compositions-a blend of gypsy music, Bulgarian and Turkish folklore and even jazz and reggae-have received a warm welcome from some of Bulgaria’s leading composers and musicians and they have a run of upcoming gigs across the country and in neighboring Macedonia. “People like us there because we make motley gypsy music where everything sounds natural,” Tichaliev says.

‘We gypsies have a knack for it’

His hope to open up new horizons for the boys, aged 12 to 18, seems to be paying off. For some, the Vienna trip was their first time abroad. Others are rethinking goals.”My dad is a barber and he teaches me, but I want to become a musician,” says Rumen, 15, patting his borrowed old trumpet like a pet. Marian and Filcho, both 12-year-old clarinet players, think music might be a better option than their earlier dreams of becoming great football players. All the boys play by ear, often improvising during performances. A few have started to learn to read music.

“We gypsies have a knack for it and can’t do anything better than this,” Tichaliev says. He insists that all his boys go to school “even if I don’t quite know how well they teach them there.” While he hopes some will study music seriously some day,

his immediate dreams involve replacing the band’s ageing instruments and finding money for new performance suits since many boys have grown out of their old ones. “Friends here and abroad help me financially but in Bulgaria hardly anyone ever takes it upon himself to lend a hand,” he says. As for support from government Roma programs, they have contributed nothing, he shrugs. Undeterred, Tichaliev is planning a second album for Karandila Junior and wants to form an even younger Karandila Mini band next year.—AFP

‘Karandila Junior’ (pictured) is Bulgaria’s only youth gypsy band. — AFP

F

rom his workship in the rugged northwestern region of Galicia, Amancio Ortega has conquered the world. But he is something of an enigma.

A billionaire thanks to his Inditex retail empire, including its flagship Zara brand, on Tuesday he will pass the torch on to his number two, but as always with complete discretion. The son of a railwayman, Ortega, 75, is the richest person in Spain and seventh in the world according to Forbes magazine, with a fortune estimated at $31 billion (22 billion euros). His humble origins meant he left school at 13, to work as a salesman in a shirt store in the city of La Coruna. Just four years later, he set up his own business, initially handling wholesales. He opened his first Zara boutique in 1975, in La Coruna. More followed, and he expanded into Portugal in 1988, the United States in 1989, France in 1990.

But Spanish media have been hard put to dig up any stories about him. Married twice and the father of three children, he never gives interviews. For years, nobody even knew what he looked like. Ortega agreed to pose for an official photo only once when the company was officially listed on the stock market in 2001. “In the street, I only want to be recognized by my family, my friends and people I work with,” he told Covadonga O’Shea, the only journalist who has been able to get close to him, and who wrote his biography.

For almost 40 years, Zara has become the emblem of his low-cost fashion empire. Inditex (short for Industria de diseno textil) is the largest fashion retailer in the world. Aside from Zara, its brands include youth label Bershka and the upmarket Massimo Dutti. The group, which rode out the economic crisis, saw its profits leap 30 percent in 2010, to 1.7

billion euros. It now has more 5,000 stores in 78 countries, the most recent in India and Australia, and employs some 100,000 people. Its success has been put down to a rapid turnover — 40 percent of stock is replaced every week. The 2010 collection had more than 30,000 designs, each in small quantities to create more demand.

Transport costs are kept low as more than 50 percent of the goods are produced in Europe and neighboring Morocco.

“The business model is so innovative that it has been studied at Harvard and some (competitors) have copied it,” said Covadonga O’Shea. But Inditex also has its critics. “In the beginning, there were some things that resembled others, for example Chanel designs,” said O’Shea. But “today (Inditex) has 600 designers.” Spanish employees this month also staged protests over working conditions, complaining that 80 percent of them work part-time on law salaries. Ortega will not be at Tuesday’s shareholders meeting where his departure as chairman will be retiring. The billionaire, who regularly eats at the staff canteen, will be not be retiring however. He will remain the main shareholder in Inditex, holding 59.3 percent. His successor, Pablo Isla, currently the managing director, has a very different background. A 47-year-old lawyer, he was formerly co-chairman of tobacco giant Altadis and joined Inditex in 2005.—AFP