7 Aug

ON IP TI SC R SU B

SUNDAY, AUGUST 7, 2011

Mogadishu fully ‘liberated’ from Shabab fighters

Indian Ambassador takes office with ‘great expectations’

40 PAGES

NO: 15173

150 FILS

5

www.kuwaittimes.net

RAMADAN 7, 1432 AH

7

Stuttgart, Wolfsburg off to flying starts

New 5-star hotel in Gaza amid poverty

20

7

Emsak: Fajer: Shoruk: Dohr: Asr: Maghreb: Eshaa:

31 US troops die as copter crashes

Max 47º Min 36º Low Tide 11:46 & 23:29 High Tide 04:29 & 18:07

Single highest death toll for foreign troops

GCC urges end to Syria ‘bloodshed’ DAMASCUS: Gulf Arab states yesterday turned up the heat on Damascus, joining a growing chorus of pressure after Syrian security forces shot dead at least 22 people as tens of thousands staged antiregime protests. The six-member Gulf Cooperation Council called for an “immediate end to violence... and bloodshed.” Its statement urged a “resort to wisdom and introducing serious and necessary reforms that would protect the rights and dignity of the (Syrian) people, and meet their aspirations.”

That call followed a pledge by the US, French and German leaders to consider new steps to punish Syria after a deadly crackdown on the first Friday of Ramadan, the holy Muslim month of fasting. President Barack Obama spoke separately to France’s Nicolas Sarkozy and German Chancellor Angela Merkel as Western nations cranked up pressure on Syrian leader Bashar Al-Assad.

“The leaders condemned the Assad regime’s continued use of indiscriminate violence against the Syrian people,” a White House statement said Friday. They “also agreed to consider additional steps to pressure the Assad regime and support the Syrian people,” it added. The telephone consultations came as Washington appeared to be moving towards a direct call for Assad to leave. The Syrian government has sought to crush the democracy movement with brutal force, killing around 1,650 civilians and arresting thousands of dissenters, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights Group.

“Twenty-two people were killed Friday, 15 during daytime protests... and seven at night after the evening Taraweeh prayers,” said Abdel Karim Rihawi, who heads the Syrian League for the Defense of Human Rights.

Continued on Page 13

US loses stellar AAA rating for first time WASHINGTON: Standard & Poor’s cut the US credit rating for the first time in history late Friday, saying the country’s politicians were increasingly unable to come to grips with its massive fiscal deficit and debt load. S&P cut the US rating from its top-flight triple-A one notch to AA+, and added a negative outlook, saying there was a chance it could be downgraded again within two years if progress is not made in cutting the huge government budget gap.

It said the “political brinksmanship” of recent months shows that governance in the country is becoming “less stable, less effective, and less predictable,” raising the risks that one day it might not honor its debt. It was the first time the US was downgraded since it received an AAA rating from Moody’s in 1917; it has held the S&P rating since 1941. The rating came after a strong pushback from the White House, which called S&P’s analysis of the economy deeply flawed and politically-based.

A Treasury spokesperson alleged that there was a “two trillion dollar error” in the S&P analysis, arguing that the agency admittedly used the wrong baseline and erred on spending plans and debt projections. But John Chambers, chairman of the S&P sovereign ratings committee, defended the decision. “It’s a matter of the medium and long-term budget position of the United States that needs to be brought under control,” he said on CNN. Continued on Page 13

KHOST: US Army soldiers take positions after racing off the back of a UH-47 Chinook helicopter in this file photo. A helicopter from the NATO-led foreign force in Afghanistan crashed yesterday during an antiTaleban operation, killing 31 foreign troops. — AFP

Gunman shot dead near Saudi palace JEDDAH: Saudi security forces killed a gunman yesterday after he fired at a checkpoint near the Interior Minister’s palace in Jeddah, the state news agency said. Police said they were unable to confirm whether the incident was militant-related. “At 1 am yesterday, a person carrying a gun fired at a checkpoint in Abdulrahman Al-Malki Street in Jeddah. He was dealt with swiftly and was killed. The event is still under investigation,” the SPA statement said. There were no other deaths or casualties, it said.

About two years ago, the interior minister’s son, Prince Mohammed bin Nayef, who oversees the Saudi counter-terrorism program, was the target of a failed suicide bombing by a man posing as a repentant militant.

Interior Ministry spokesman Mansour Al-Turki referred a call for comment to Jeddah police spokesman Mesfer Aljoayed, who was not immediately available. Police First Lieutenant Nawaf Nasser said he could not confirm the incident was a militant attack. “There is an investigation ongoing. It is not complete yet and there will be a final statement once it is,” he said.

The world’s No 1 oil exporter, Saudi Arabia, is an absolute monarchy without an elected parliament or political parties. Interior Minister Prince Nayef

bin Abdul-Aziz, who is believed to be in his late 70s, spearheaded a crackdown in 2003-06 on Al-Qaeda militants who aimed to destabilize the country through a campaign of attacks. “Nayef and his sons are a primary target for Al-Qaeda and the cells, as you saw with the attack on his son,” said Riad Kahwaji, chief executive of ENIGMA think tank in Dubai.

“It will come as no surprise if it turns out that the attack was by one of the Al-Qaeda cells. It shows deter-

mination and some capacity, also their intent to keep the Saudi officialdom on its toes,” he said. Saudi Arabia, a close US ally, has grown increasingly concerned that months of political turmoil in neighboring Yemen have strengthened Al-Qaeda’s Yemenbased regional wing, Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP). AQAP last month issued a message from its military commander threatening to attack Saudi Arabia and its ruling family. — Reuters

RIYADH: Saudi men smoke waterpipes at a coffee shop in western Riyadh hours before dawn marking the start of a fasting day during the holy month of Ramadan. — AFP

03:34 03:44 05:11 11:54 15:29 18:36 20:00

KABUL: A NATO helicopter crashed during a battle with the Taleban in Afghanistan, killing 31 US soldiers and 7 Afghans, the Afghan president said yesterday, a devastating toll and easily the worst single incident for foreign troops in 10 years of war. A brief statement from the presidential palace said the troop-carrying Chinook helicopter had crashed in Syedabad in central Maidan Wardak province, just to the west of the capital, Kabul, and identified the Americans as Special Forces troops.

The Taleban quickly claimed to have shot down the helicopter during a firefight, although the Islamist militant group often exaggerates incidents involving foreign troops or Afghan government targets. They also said eight insurgents had been killed in torrid fighting.

“They wanted to attack our muhahideen who were in a house, but our mujahideen resisted and destroyed a helicopter with a RPG (rocket-propelled grenade) rocket,” Taleban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said by telephone from an undisclosed location.

“Eight mujahideen were martyred and 38 Americans were killed and today they (US soldiers) carried away parts of their plane and shattered pieces of their bodies.” The NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) earlier confirmed that a helicopter had crashed but gave no information about the possible cause or casualties. Afghan President Hamid Karzai “shared his deep sorrow and sadness” with US counterpart Barack Obama and the families of the US and Afghan victims, the palace statement said.

Afghanistan’s Defence Ministry spokesman, Zaher Azimy, also said the helicopter had crashed. He said the Afghans killed had also been from a commando unit.

“The incident is under investigation right now as this helicopter belongs to international forces,” Azimy told Reuters television. “Obviously they will provide details of the crash and the reason.”

The high casualties come only two weeks after the start of a gradual process of handing security responsibility from foreign forces to Afghan troops and police, and at a time of growing unease about the increasingly unpopular and costly war. That process is due to end with all foreign combat troops leaving Afghanistan Continued on Page 13 Ramadan Kareem

5 ways to make this Ramadan extraordinary

W

elcome to our long-lost friend: Ramadan.

How we have missed the days of selfrestraint and the nights of mercy and delight! After eleven months of sinning, we now have the opportunity to avail ourselves of a month of mercy and forgiveness. For those whose duas have not been answered, the month of answered duas has arrived. For those who have drifted away from the soothing night prayer, or who have never achieved it, the month of the blessed taraweeh has arrived.

Welcome to our Lord’s mercy: the month of Ramadan.

No doubt each and every one of us approaches Ramadan with a special excitement. Alas for many of us, however: the excitement is met with fear and dread instead. Will this Ramadan be like the previous ones where I failed to truly take full advantage and mend my ways? Will this Ramadan only demonstrate to me how far away from Allah I truly am? Will it be yet another month that passes by without my taking full advantage of it?

Continued on Page 13

in the

news

Iraq to trim dinar’s zeros BAGHDAD: Iraq plans to re-denominate its dinar currency by knocking three zeros off the nominal value of bank notes to simplify financial transactions, a senior central bank official said yesterday. Central Bank Deputy Governor Mudher Kasim said he expected the new currency to be used in the market in three years and it would have no impact on inflation. “This will facilitate the payments system ... instead of carrying a lot of money, we will carry less. This is an important reform,” Kasim said. Iraq is recovering after years of war and sanctions and oil still dominates the economy, accounting for 95 percent of government revenues. Investors complain Iraq’s still heavily centralized economy is mired in red tape and bureaucracy, and transactions are still often carried out in cash.

5 killed in Iraq jailbreak HILLA: Four prisoners and a guard were killed in clashes at a prison in the central Iraqi city of Hilla, during which eight inmates escaped, officials said yesterday. The clashes, in which nine people were also wounded, broke out after a prisoner seized a rifle from a guard and killed him, said Mohammed Ali Al-Massudi, the governor of Babil province, of which Hilla is the capital. “It seems this operation was organized with the help of other groups who helped the prisoners and were waiting for them outside the prison,” Massudi told a news conference in Hilla, 95 kilometers south of Baghdad. Prisoners also set fire to areas of the prison, he said. “The prisoners who escaped are senior members of Al-Qaeda and Shiite militias,” said Haidar AlZambur, a member of the provincial council security committee, adding “they were all sentenced to death.” Two silenced pistols were found on the inmates, he said, adding the incident was under investigation. A justice ministry spokesman said earlier the clashes occurred on Friday night, and put the initial toll at three dead, while a first lieutenant in the Hilla police had said 15 inmates escaped, of whom three were later apprehended.

MPs discuss grilling KUWAIT: Several legislators are working towards forming a coalition to tackle the two interpellation motions initiated against His Highness the Prime Minister Sheikh Nasser Al-Mohammad Al-Sabah. It will be reviewed by the National Assembly Council at the beginning of next term. Parliament officials said that MPs discussed ways to face the country’s political turbulence, and defuse tension under the prevailing conditions to restore internal stability. They pointed out that the MPs discussed the grilling motion filed by MP Ahmad Al-Saadoun, and Abdulrahman Al-Anjeri. It was referred to the Constitutional Court, along with the grilling motions initiated by MPs Musallam Al-Barrak and MP Khalid AlTahous and Dr Faisal Al- Mislem. It has been listed on the agenda of the first session, reported Al-Anba. The MPs agreed to corral support from fellow lawmakers and arrive at solutions to overcome the repercussions of initiating two grilling motions.

A

y

e niv rsar n

Years

SUNDAY, AUGUST 7, 2011

local

JW Marriott Hotel holds exclusive Ghabqa for media KUWAIT: The JW Marriott Hotel held an exclusive Ramadan Ghabka for the members of the press at the Ramadan Tent “Layaly JW Marrriott El Ramadaniya” at Al Jahra Ballroom on the first floor sponsored by Al Zayani Company “London Taxi”, Tanagra, Zain, Etihad Airways, Home Selection, IKEA, Hassan’s optics, Damas Jewelery,

Kuwait Air ways, Morad Yousuf Behbehani, Kefan Optics and Joyalukkas Jewelry.

The annual Ramadan Ghabqa was organized to thank the members of the press for their continuous support on all activities undertaken by the JW Marriott Kuwait Hotel.

The guests enjoyed shisha with dif-

ferent flavors and the traditional juices served during the month of Ramadan and much more. In the background musicians played authentic Arabic numbers. The Al Jahra Ballroom was transformed into traditional Arabic setting complete with rich drapery, comfortable cushions and seating.

The members of the press enjoyed a

lavish buffet in addition to live cooking stations serving pasta, Saj, Shawerma, foul medames and the traditional Lamb Ouzi with Oriental Rice and much more.

The guests were welcomed by Mr. George Aoun, Cluster General Manager, Georges El Khoury Director of Sales, Amal Mikahil, Director of

Marketing & Communications and the entire sales team.

“We wish Ramadan Mubarak to all Kuwaiti and GCC nationals and residents. We look forward to serving our guests and diners delectable Ramadan Iftar and Sohour at our three properties,” said Amal Mikahil, Director of Marketing & Communications.

—Photos by Fouad Al-Shaikh

Press and media family ghabqa at The Palms Beach Hotel & Spa Long lasting memory ...

KUWAIT: Wednesday August 3 was a magical night with the presence of the press and media representatives to celebrate with the Palms Beach Hotel and Spa family The Palms Ramadan Andalusia Nights.

The invitation was extended by The Palms Management to express the hotel gratitude and appreciation for the press and media contribution and everlasting support extended to The Palms Hotel. The valued guests were warmly welcomed by the Palms Management team to the new typical Andalusia tent with its magnificent atmosphere and decoration in Jawa Grand Tent.

Invitees where treated to a lavish Ghabqa buffet abounded with Ramadan traditional Sweets & Beverages and got indulged into distinctive live cooking stations while enjoying the oriental music and the selective flavors of Shisha. Valuable gifts have been offered by Beidoun General Trading, Optical Supplies Co and SebaMed to our valuable invitees while participating to our grand raffle with the Palms valuable prizes provided by the Palms Ramadan Nights sponsors: Ritz Travel and Tourism, Quality Net, Al-Rai TV, L’Espace International, Silver Corner, Beidoun Co and Clarins from Mohamed Naser Al-Hajery as a main sponsors were offered to the press and their families which added more joy to the night.

The Press Ghabka lasted till after midnight where all the guests praised the Nights meticulous attention to details, well planning, delicious treats & food diversity specially the live cooking stations which the Palms Beach Hotel & Spa is well known for. The recall of this night will remain in our hearts and mind as a cheerful memory that we will carry with us for a long time, The Palms Management said, and it would have never been so magical without your presence shimmering one of our Palms Ramadan Andalusia Nights at The Palms Beach Hotel & Spa.

—Photos by Joseph Shagra

NBK distributes Iftar banquets to fasters ‘Do good deeds in Ramadan’ KUWAIT: National Bank of Kuwait (NBK) dis- Watani Iftar banquets this year will be broader, tributes daily Iftar banquets daily during the more extensive and involves a larger number holy month of Ramadan as part of NBK “Do of NBK staff volunteers, in addition to distributing hundreds of fast-breakGood Deeds in Ramadan” caming meals via special convoys paign and as an extensive to numerous mosques, stratesocial program specifically gic and crowded locations in developed by NBK in concorKuwait”, Al Turki said. dance with the spirit of the Al Turki further added: holy month of Ramadan and as “NBK has dedicated fasta further testament of the breaking banquets which it Bank’s commitment to its social hosts daily during the holy responsibility. month of Ramadan, to people NBK Public Relations Officer, in Somalia who are suffering Talal Al Turki said: “NBK Iftar from lack of food and water banquets, an annual NBK phildue to famine, among the anthropic tradition and a landworst hit are children”. mark activity within the bank’s “By ‘Doing Good Deeds’ corporate social responsibility, NBK hopes to encourage a acquires much more momenTalal Al-Turki greater sense of community tum this year as a result of and charity during Ramadan widening the scale of Iftar meals distribution to embrace most mosques, and encourages its customers and staff to participate by ‘doing good deeds’ all month long”, strategic and crowded locations in Kuwait”.

“The distribution scale and range of Al Al Turki concluded.

A

y

e niv rsar n

Years

SUNDAY, AUGUST 7, 2011

local

Dasman Diabetes Institute, Zain Kuwait join forces KUWAIT: To coincide with the holy Month of Ramadan, the Dasman Diabetes Institute and Zain Kuwait, the country’s largest mobile network operator, announced that they have joined forces to promote and raise health issues. The initiative means that Zain customers will now receive public health alerts, as well as medical tips and advice, via text messages directly to

their mobile phone.

In presenting the initiative, Dr. Kathem Behbihani, Director General of the Dasman Institute, explained how mhealth can be used in: • health education and awareness raising • remote data collection and data transfer • communication and training for

CHICKEN AND VERMICELLI SOUP 1 chicken breast, split and boneless 1 med. onion, chopped 2 cloves garlic, minced 2 tbsp. Vegetables oil 1/2 tsp. oregano leaves 1 L chicken broth 1 1/4 c Vermicelli noodles, broken Salt & black pepper for test How to prepare 1. In 3 quarter Sauce pan, cook chicken, onion and garlic until tender.

2. Add broth and salt. Boil, simmer and cover for 20 minutes. Remove from heat. Add oregano for serve.

Musakhan chicken 1 skinless, boneless whole chicken halves 3 finely chopped onion 2 spoon sumac 1 tbsp fried pine nuts 2 Iranian Fresh bread Salt & black pepper to test 3 tbsp olive oil 2pcs Arabic bread How to prepare 1. Wipe the chicken with salt, pepper and cinnamon.

2. Place the chicken in a pot with water and cover it, then add in 1 whole onion and a little bit of salt. Cook over medium heat until chicken is cooked. Remove and place on a plate. Reserve the chicken broth.

3. Put down onion slowly in a saucepan. Add in the sumac, some salt and 2 tablespoons of olive oil and cook over medium flame. Stir for a few minutes then add in 1/2 cup of olive oil and stir well until the onions are tender.

4. Pour 1/2 cup of oil and all chicken broth in a baking pan.

5. Place the Arabic bread in the bottom of the baking pan and cover with the fried onions. Then put the pieces of chicken on top and season with salt and pepper.

6. Bake in the oven for about 20 minutes, until the chicken turns tender and crispy brown.

7. Add Fried Pine on the top for decoration.

Zalabiey Bel Simsim 1 cup flour 1cup cornstarch 1/2 cup water 1/4 cup white sesame 1 tee spoon yeast Syrup 3 cup sugar 1 cup water 1 tbsp of Lemon Juice How to prepare 1. Mix the yeast with water. Add flour & cornstarch until it becomes dough.

2. Add sesame and water slowly together.

3. After mixing together leave aside in a warm area for 2 hours.

4. Cut the dough with a small scoop or spoon.

5. Heat the oil and deep fried the dough until it becomes light brown.

6. After frying put directly in a cold syrup and mix well.

7. Add Sesame for decoration.

healthcare professionals • disease and epidemic tracking • diagnostic and treatment support “This is yet another example of both Zain’s willingness to partner like-minded organizations in its pursuit of creating ‘A wonderful world’ for our customers,” said Khalid Al Omar, CEO of Zain Kuwait. “It is also a further demonstration of the versatility of mobile tele-

com and how it makes a positive difference in almost every area of our daily lives. It is a responsibility we take very seriously.” Dr. Behbehani concluded that one could not overstress the impact Information Communication Technology (ICT) has had on health care and how it has become essential in implementing m-health strategies for the good of the people of Kuwait.

Khalid Al Omar

y

A

4

e niv rsar n

Years

SUNDAY, AUGUST 7, 2011

LOCAL

Local Spotlight

kuwait digest

Think wisely

A hotline number for workers

By Dr Mubarak Al-Therwa here are two opposing opinions prevalent in Kuwait on the controversial Mubarak Al-Kabeer port. One strongly protests against halting the project, similar to stance adopted by MP Daifullah Buramia who even demanded that the Iraqi ambassador to Kuwait be expelled. On the other hand, there are people who attempt to understand Iraqi concerns on the mega port’s construction, and assess the impact that these concerns might have on the port’s success. This was brought to light when MP Dr Waleed Al-Tabtabaei questioned if the port can achieve its goal in the region when Iraq and Iran object to its current location.

The reality that Al-Tabtabaei’s questions point out supports the claim that the current location of the port is unsuitable in term of security. After all, Iraq has the right to ensure that the project does not affect naval traffic.

When we stop thinking strategically, fail to understand the other parties’ concerns, and allow ourselves to become imprisoned by the conspiracy theory of Iraqis being Kuwait’s archrivals, we become victims of an ideology of being unable to convince others about the feasibility of our regional projects. In other words, our region has witnessed many conflicts related to differences over sharing the Shat Al-Arab outlet between Iraq and Iran, sending both countries to war during the early eighties.

I am not against building the Mubarak Al-Kabeer port, I’m just not convinced with Ali Al-Rashid the Minister of Cabinet Affairs’ claim that that the port will not have a negative effect on maritime boundaries, without providing evidence to back up his claim.

If the Mubarak Al-Kabeer port truly won’t pose a hurdle to Iraqi maritime activity, then we are required to prove that through explanations provided by environmental experts can show how the port will not have any negative effects on the safety of waters and marine biodiversity. Iraqis should be provided with reports that show how the project can serve interests of the region.

Maritime activity is necessary to facilitate trade, oil transport, and other aspects. Before building the Mubarak Al-Kabeer project, Kuwait should’ve studied its viability from the vantage point of political, economic and environmental aspects corresponding to its neighbors. This is in order to reach an understanding on all points of concern regardless of whether it is better for each country or not.

Today, more than 20 percent of the construction work has been completed, and reported have surfaced that Kuwaiti military has beefed up its presence there.

This proves that the project wasn’t studied from the security and environmental issues were cold shouldered. Iraq is our northern neighbor; whether we like it or not, and such conflicts usually happen around the world during which the aggrieved party files a complaint with international organizations.

I believe that Kuwait should seriously reconsider relocating the port, before we are forced to do so through an international diktat. Many countries have taken a decision to thwart their nuclear ambitions like Germany, Jordan and China. They are increasingly reliant on less costly alternatives like solar power. My point is, countries change their plans all the time, and it’s not a bad thing when the risks are high.

I understand that the criticism and escalating political statements have infuriated Iraq who are still feeling the pain of the 1990 Iraqi Invasion. But we need to make sure that we move away from the current designated location. We need to show that we are committed to the project because we are convinced of its feasibility and strategic benefit to future generations. To put it simply, we need to act wisely and objectively. — Al-Rai

T

in my view

Medical negligence

By Khalid Al-Jarallah f you were to be admitted to a hospital tomorrow in any country in the world, the ratio of possibility of falling victim to medical errors or negligence is estimated at one in ten. The possibility of death can be estimated at one in 300 cases of medical errors.

Compare this to the danger of dying in an airplane crash, which is estimated at one in every ten million passengers, according to World Health Organization (WHO) Commissioner Dr Leonard Nelson.

Of every 100 patients entering hospital at any one time, seven of these in advanced countries and ten in the underdeveloped countries will get infections from bacteria there, according to some UN bodies’ studies.

In the US, annually 1.7 million patients catch infections inside hospitals with 100,000 dying as a result,

I

which is more than the average in the European countries, in which 4.5 million patients will catch bacterial infection, of whom 37,000 will die (again, according to WHO statistics).

One study written about in the New England Journal of Medicine estimated that the percentage of diseases caused by medical negligence in hospitals stands at 36 percent (290 cases at 815 institutions were researched), most of these due to poor treatment and practices, such as inadequate cleaning of the intravenous or artificial respiration equipment.

This supports Dr. Nelson’s warning for a greater need for monitoring of infections in hospitals and far more implementation of safety measures to avoid more of these ‘mistakes.’ — Al-Anba

By Muna Al-Fuzai

muna@kuwaittimes.net he Ministry of Social Affairs and Labor has reportedly issued a directive that prevents business owners from forcing employees to work when the sun is at its peak - from 12 noon until 4:00 pm. The announcement was made by Jamal Al-Dousari, Assistant Undersecretary of the Ministry of Social Affairs and Labor.

This is not a new decision. In fact, it was passed a few years ago, and there were no measures taken to follow up this law, either by the Ministry of Social Affairs and Labour (MSAL) or by companies. This law is applicable to construction field where workers stay outdoors for long hours.

Secondly, one needs to wait until around 6 or 7 pm to feel the heat recede. So, why don’t we pass a legislation allowing these companies to work at night? For example from 7 pm until 2 am? I know that more money will have to be shield out because more lighting equipment will be needed. But, aren’t we concerned about peoples’ health and safety?

Also, we are observing Ramadan under the scorching August sun. While some of us are lucky to be staying indoors at day time, laborers are not fortunate enough and toil under the heat. With most of them being Muslims, they observe fasts during Ramadan, sometimes forced to break their fasts due to the extreme heat. Sadly, there are instances of them being on the receiving end. We don’t hear any one saying that business owners should be held accountable for coercing laborers to work under extreme weather conditions while fasting!

Since the law has not been effectively implemented, I think a hotline number has been set up where violations can be reported. Keeping in mind that most workers are expatriates who do not speak Arabic as a native language, services should now be offered in foreign languages so that communication barriers can be eliminated. I had once met with some Chinese workers who spoke neither Arabic nor English. I wonder how their complaints can be comprehended. The telephone numbers are 24334906 or 24334067, ext 262.

Even though the ministry has asserted that sponsors should comply with this decision, he has confirmed that the ministry is determined to inspect construction companies’ sites. I hope that the promise will be kept and that offenders are held liable for their actions.

T

in my view

The Ramadan charity collection comedy show

By Ahmad Essa ince the events of September 11, 2001, the world has been attempting to stop the flow of money collected in the name of religion, in order to stop the sources that finance terrorism.

We in Kuwait have been watching the annual Ramadan comedy show called ‘donation collection,’ whose stars include the Ministry of Social Affairs and Labor (MSAL), as well as several charities. The series begins one month before Ramadan and continues for another month after it. The first episode is launched with the MSAL’s announcement that it will control the donations process in mosques during Ramadan, and that the only accepted means of donation is via money transfer or credit/debit cards, with no cash donations allowed and any violators to be held to account. When Ramadan is over, the ministry declares that there were several violations by various NGOs during the period, with some failing to collect the money properly or to obtain receipts. The ministry later announces that it will implement the law against all violators and that’s how the last episode ends, with the ministry’s announcements that it’s listened to the NGOs’ suggestions and will implement them next year.

It is noticed that there is a fierce battle by NGOs to collect donations during the month of Ramadan, through dividing and distributing mosques among them. This comes out of the people’s wish to do good and donate and obtain extra blessings during the holy month. They consider the easiest way to do this as being via a direct cash donation instead of going through a bank transfer process. The charities take advantage of the spiritual atmosphere of this month, and the donors’ quick decisions, so we see them seeking sympathy at the gates of mosques and in TV advertisements broadcast during prime time.

S

What is disturbing is that those charities trade in religion, seeing the holy month of Ramadan as a harvest season which they await all year, as if it were a race where the winner is the one who collects the most without regards to how this money will be spent, because the imperative thing for them is to collect the money, then decide on it later; this is why it is rare for these societies to participate in campaigns to save the needy or to collect funds after Ramadan, since they simply collect the money during this month then disappear.

On the other hand, we find the state supervising the Zakat House, and the Secretariat General of Awqaf, with the core of these bodies’ activities being to collect donations and Zakat and manage Awqaf (endowments), while both are under the supervision of the Finance Ministry, Audit Bureau and internal and external accounts auditors, as well as being closely monitored by the International Islamic Charity Organization which was established in Kuwait according to Kuwaiti law. This is before we even mention the Kuwait Red Crescent Society (KRCS). The four aforementioned organizations represent both official bodies and NGOs and all are subject to thorough vetting as to how donations are spent, either by the state or by neutral bodies. Those organizations deserve support because they work openly throughout the year, with their funding and spending mechanisms being openly announced and well known. They declare the amounts they collect annually, whether in Ramadan or any other period, and publish their data publicly and transparently, showing how they spend the funds raised, unlike those societies who cynically use religion as a commercial and economic consideration to make money, straying very far indeed from the content and mission of faith. — Al-Jarida

A

y

e niv rsar n

Years

SUNDAY, AUGUST 7, 2011

local

‘provocative’ school girl drama banned

By Nawara Fattahova

KUWAIT: Every Ramadan the television dramas come under the axe. This year, the Ministry of Information has banned Kuwaiti soap opera (Bannat Althanawiya) ‘Female High School Students. According to Dubai Electronic Media Company website, the drama received high viewership. The website: http://vod.dmi.ae registered 33.740 visitors that viewed the first three episodes.

‘Bannat Althanawiya’ was to be aired on the Kuwaiti television channel Al-Watan, until the ban was placed on it. The Al-Watan newspaper published survey results that gauged readers’ opinion on telecasting the drama. More than 60 percent voting against its telecast and it was taken off air.

Currently it’s aired on Dubai TV. Althanawiya is a romantic drama that focuses on the lives of five female students at a girls’ high school. It charts the course of the problems they face and the manner in which they are resolved. The soap opera does not contain explicit references or content, but portrays some negative social practices.

“It’s a pity that a Kuwaiti drama is being telecast on channels other than Kuwait’s. I really liked it, and I think it has many followers. By banning it, people are now going to be encouraged to watch it on other channels. I don’t understand how somebody could vote against it without even watching it,” Mohammed, a 24-year-old citizen told Kuwait Times.

Some were against showing it, “I voted for pulling the plugs on the show, and I told my friends to do so, and we all voted against it. I think that such soap operas portray Kuwait in aan unflattering light. People from other countries may come to believe that all Kuwaiti girls are like that. Also, teenager viewers in our conservative community will be misled,” said Salah, a28-year-old citizen.

There are viewers who opposed it at first but changed their opinion later, “I watch Bannat Althanawiya everyday and I like it. I just graduated from high school, and in this soap opera,reality is depicted as it is. I’m watching it with my mother and sister. My sister was against watching it. After watching the first episode, she changed her mind,” noted May, an 18-year-old Jordanian.

PM to receive Ramadan well-wishers Wednesday KUWAIT: His Highness the Prime Minister Sheikh Nasser Al-Mohammed Al-Sabah will be receiving members of the public wishing to offer their congratulations on the holy month of Ramadan at Shuwaikh Palace this Wednesday (August 10) from 8:30 PM. — KUNA

Mehta seeks to enrich and energize Kuwait-India ties New Indian Ambassador takes over with ‘great expectations’

By Sajeev K Peter

KUWAIT: Satish C Mehta took over as the new Ambassador of India to Kuwait a few days ago. This is his first appointment in this important region, offering many challenges and opportunities to his 28-year-long diplomatic career.

Mehta told the Kuwait Times in an exclusive interview that he is quite honored to be India’s new ambassador to Kuwait, a country with which India enjoys very close relations. Simple and unassuming, Mehta spoke at length about many topics ranging from diplomacy to community issues.

“I had heard a lot about the rich traditions and customs as well as the warmth and large-heartedness of the Kuwaiti people. I have been fortunate to have already experienced the warmth and cordiality of the government, and the people of Kuwait towards India. In less than two days of my arrival in Kuwait, I was able to present my credentials to His Highness the Amir of the State of Kuwait. I could not have expected a better beginning. It would be my endeavor to further expand, enrich and energize India’s close relations with Kuwait,” he stated.

Bilateral ties “India-Kuwait bilateral relations are historically close, dating back more than three centuries. Geographic proximity, trade links, cultural affinities, shared values and presence of a large number of Indian expatriates in Kuwait continue to sustain and nurture this relationship,” he said. To him, Kuwait is part of India’s extended neighborhood as it is home to a large expatriate community from India.

Tracing the historical footprints of the bilateral relations, he said Kuwait and India have been natural trading partners for long. “In earlier days, enterprising Kuwaitis used to voyage to India on dhows carrying dates that were traded for wood, rope, rice, tiles, cloth and spices from India. Good quality timber like teak, brought from India, was used for shipbuilding in Kuwait. Until 1961, Indian rupee was the legal tender in

Kuwait. Kuwaitis retain fond memories of their linkages with India, which they recall nostalgically in diwaniya meetings,” he mentioned. Talking about the strong political relations, he said they have been constantly nourished by regular highlevel visits from both sides. “The visit of His Highness the Amir in 2006 was an important milestone in our relations.

India from the Gulf region, providing 10 to 11 percent of India’s crude oil imports.

Many leading Indian companies have their presence in Kuwait, especially in the petroleum and power sectors, he pointed out. To another question, Mehta said the Indian community in Kuwait is present practically in every sector: professionals like engineers, doctors, lawyers

Indian Ambassador Satish C Mehta talks during an interview with the Kuwait Times. —Photo by Sajeev K Peter From the Indian side, in recent years, India’s Vice President visited Kuwait in 2009 and External Affairs Minister in 2010 and 2011. Various institutional mechanisms to enhance these relations have also been put in place,” he added.

Trade relations In the area of commerce, India has consistently been among the top trading partners of Kuwait. India-Kuwait bilateral trade grew from $6.6 billion in 2006-07 to over $9 billion in 2009-10, dominated by export of oil and oil products from Kuwait to India. There are ample indications that the figure for 2010-11 would be well over $10 billion. Kuwait is the second largest supplier of crude oil to

and chartered accountants, scientists, software experts, management consultants, architects, skilled workers like technicians and nurses, semi-skilled workers, unskilled workers, domestic workers, retail traders and businessmen. “Indians have a reputation for being sincere, loyal, hard-working, talented and law-abiding.

Indians are considered to be the community of first preference by their hosts. I see our community as a source of strength as it contributes much to promoting closer relations between India and Kuwait,” he stated.

Consular services As Indians in Kuwait come from different social, economic and linguistic back-

grounds, their expectations from the embassy and the ambassador reflect their diversity, he answered a question regarding the embassy’s services. “It will be our earnest endeavor to meet their expectations as well as we can, even though our resources and means are modest,” he said.

To meet the growing demand for various services, the embassy had outsourced its consular services (visa and passport services) in May 2009 with the establishment of two service centers at Sharq and Fahaheel. Despite some teething troubles, these service centers are operating satisfactorily today.

“The feedback I have received so far is positive. Immediately after taking charge, I visited these service centers in order to personally assess the quality of services provided by them. We would strive to constantly improve the service delivery through close engagement with the service provider as well as with users and address any difficulties that the users may witness. We, therefore, elicit objective user feedback and asuggestions,” he said.

Mehta joined the Indian Foreign Service (IFS) in 1983. After serving in various capacities in Indian embassies in France, Cote d’Ivoire and Italy in 1980s and 1990s, he was political advisor to the UN Head of Mission in Haiti during the UN Peace Keeping Operations during 1995-96. From 1999-2002, he served as Political Counselor in the Indian mission to the United Nations in New York from where he served as Consul-General in Toronto, Canada.

At headquarters, Mehta has served as Director in Office of the Prime Minister of India from 1997 to 1999, and before that, as undersecretary in BSM Division that deals with India’s southern neighbors in early 90s. Before taking up the assignment in Kuwait, Mehta headed the Northern Division that deals with Nepal and Bhutan-two of India’s closest neighbors. Mehta is married to Preeti Mehta and has two sons who are working abroad. Mehta, who studied in the ‘Pink City’ of Jaipur, is also a qualified chartered accountant. sajeev@kuwaittimes.net

A

y

e niv rsar n

SUNDAY, AUGUST 7, 2011

Years

LOCAL

Lawmakers want Syrian ambassador’s expulsion MPs react on Syria, KU KUWAIT: The dilemma faced by some applicants for Kuwait University, as well as reactions to Kuwait’s official statement to the ongoing horrific events in Syria, have dominated MPs’ statements over the weekend.

While the chances of holding an extraordinary parliamentary session to discuss the issue of the high school graduates left without university places, called for by some parliamentarians, remain slender, MPs have kept up their pressure on the government over its reaction or lack of reaction to events in Syria, despite its acknowledgement that what is taking place is the “killing of civilians.”

MPs Al-Abdulhadi, Al-Harbash and Mohammad Hayef demanded that the Kuwaiti government expel the Syrian ambassador from the country in protest of the violent crackdown against Syrian civilians by the regime there.

Meanwhile, on the university issue, a number of lawmakers have prepared a petition calling for an extraordinary parliamentary session in order to find solutions for over 3,000 high school graduates who weren’t granted places at KU despite meeting all the necessary criteria due to the lack of available places at

the university, which is already facing serious overcapacity problems, according to the administration.

The lawmakers are aware, however, that the Cabinet is unenthusiastic about holding such a session and could use blocking tactics to prevent it from taking place. The issue is expected to be discussed during the Cabinet’s weekly meeting today (Sunday), as well as during the meeting of the parliamentary educational committee the following day, which is to be attended by Minister of Education and Higher Education Ahmad Al-Mulaifi.

“The fact that there are students who were rejected by Kuwait University despite meeting all the conditions is an unbelievable calamity”, said MP Nadji Al-Abdulhadi, who urged the Cabinet to approve the petition “which is endorsed by the majority of MPs.” According to one parliamentary insider, whilst 33 MPs have already signed the petition, a number are likely to change their minds after minister Al-Mualifi’s meeting with the educational committee tomorrow (Monday).

“It’s shameful to think of 3,000 students with no places at the Kuwait University

despite all capabilities that the government could use,” said MP Khalid Al-Tahous, blaming the government for failing to come up with preemptive measures to solve the problem before it escalated. “ The Cabins is held accountable for failing to utilize the state’s resources in serving human development projects”, he added.

In other news, a parliamentary investigation committee is set to open an investigation today into suspected irregularities in a contract signed between the state-owned Kuwait Petroleum Corporation (KPC) and oil multinational Shell.

Committee chairman Dr. Ali Al-Omair indicated that today’s meeting will not see any KPC officials being summoned for questioning, but will focus on analyzing the information collected to date and planning future moves. Committee rapporteur Dr. Maasouma Al-Mubarak also indicated that the committee will be basing much of its investigation on the facts about the contract detailed in the State Audit Bureau report on it, adding that the members also plan to look into other violations allegedly committed in the oil sector. — Al-Rai

Interior extends SMS service to Zain users

PR and Advertising Department, thanking the bank for its generous gesture.

The meeting was also attended by Captain Majid Al-Otaibi, the Director of the KFSD’s Awareness Department, and Capt.

Suleiman Al-Ju’aidi, the head of its Media Department. The bank’s gifting of the diwaniyas to the fire service was part of its social program for Ramadan, which will also feature other initiatives, including a Gergian festival for children with special needs.

Filipina woman dies after falling from eighth floor Jilted lover tries to kill himself

Body found An investigation is underway after the body of an Egyptian man was found dead inside his apartment in Mahboulah.

Police eventually broke down the door of the apartment after friends of the man expressed concern at not seeing him for a couple of days. The body was removed for autopsy to assess the cause of death. and his body was referred for an autopsy to reveal the time and cause of death.

Police had headed to the man’s apartment after his friends reported him missing for two days.

Jilted lover in suicide bid An Indian man leapt from a second floor window at a Mahboula apartment block in a bid to end his life after his girlfriend jilted him in order to marry another man. Emergency services personnel were quickly at the scene, with paramedics rushing the man, who sustained multiple fractures to his hands and feet, being rushed to Adan Hospital.

Police found a letter in Hindi from the man’s girlfriend at the scene and, with the help of an Indian national to translate, discovered that she had written to him to end their relationship and tell him of her intention to marry another man.

He is currently recovering.

News

in brief

600 kg rotten fish destroyed KUWAIT: Nuwaiseeb police prevented the sale of 600 kilograms of rotten fish that was imported from a GCC country. The entire consignment was destroyed as it was found unfit for human consumption, said Istiqlal Al-Mislem Director of Imported Food Department at Municipality. AlMislem said that the fish decayed owing to soaring temperatures, and was transported under poor storage conditions. She pointed out on the importance to taking climatic conditions under consideration so that perishable goods can be safely delivered to its destination.

Nasty mix-up An Indian housemaid was rushed to Mubarak Al-Kabeer hospital in a critical condition after mistakenly consuming Clorox bleach, believing that it was a soft drink. Police initially believed that the woman had drunk the bleach in a suicide attempt, but the woman’s sponsors, also Indian, explained that she had drunk the liquid by mistake and she confirmed this herself once her condition stabilized.

Fire erupts in Shuwaikh depot KUWAIT: Firefighters quickly put out a blaze that broke out in a storage in Zone Nine of Shuwaikh Port on Friday evening.

According to Mohammad Al-Zubi, the director of safety and security at the port, firefighters were “very rapidly” at the

scene after the blaze was spotted at 7:30 PM, with the fire being fully extinguished within two hours.

Al-Zubi revealed that a committee has been formed to investigate the cause of the fire. — KUNA

Barrak slams SAB chief

By A. Saleh

MOH test fees inconsistent KUWAIT: The prices charged by various Ministry of Health (MoH) laboratories to perform blood tests or other medical tests for expatriates are variable and inconsistent, according to a ministry insider. The MoH has failed to introduce any unified tariff for such tests at all its facilities, as well as failing to set any prices for medical tests like those for Vitamin D amongst others, said the insider, adding that this has created major disparities between different facilities in the prices charged.

This lack of a unified fees system has led to some medical facilities exploiting this shortcoming to charge large fees for basic tests and others actually losing money since they charge too little, said the insider, adding that the latter cases are leading to major financial losses for the ministry itself. The official, speaking on condition of anonymity, urged the MoH to introduce a unified fees system as quickly as possible in order to end the current inconsistencies and confusion. — Al-Anbaa

KUWAIT: The Commercial Bank of Kuwait (CBK) has provided four local fire stations with diwaniyas fully equipped with electrical and sports equipment as a gesture of appreciation for the Kuwait Fire Service Directorate’s (KFSD’s) efforts.

At a recent meeting of senior CBK and KFSD officials, Lieutenant Colonel Khalil AlAmir, the head of the fire service’s Public Relations department, expressed gratitude on the fire service’s behalf to Amani AlWara’a, the Executive Director of the CBK’s

KUWAIT: A Filipina woman died from fatal injuries sustained when she fell from the eighth floor of an apartments’ building in Fintas. Paramedics and police rushed to the scene after a tenant reported finding the woman lying outside.

Early investigations revealed that the victim fell from an apartment in the eighth floor of the same building where she lives. The body was removed for autopsy, with an investigation underway to assess whether or not foul play was involved.

KUWAIT: The Ministry of Interior (MoI) has launched the second phase of its SMS service for the public, extending the service, which offers people the chance to track the status of their transactions with the ministry, to Zain, as well as Viva, subscribers.

MoI Assistant Undersecretary Sheikh Meshal Al-Jaber Al-Sabah explained that with the launch of the latest phase, Zain users will now be able to subscribe to the service in order to track the status of their transactions or find out about such details as the date of their residency visa or passport expiry, the status of their car registration and any traffic violations recorded, or whether or not their names are on the electoral roll, amongst other things.

The ministry is currently coordinating with the remaining telecom providers to cover their subscribers, Sheikh Meshal Al-Jaber explained, adding that the service will provide reminders to the public of when they need to renew visas or other documents, which could save them money in the long run since failure to renew these documents can result in hefty fines or other penalties.

The senior MoI official stressed that the ministry is keen to offer the best services to all citizens and expatriates in Kuwait using the most advanced technical services available.

CSC to enforce digital fingerprint system KUWAIT: The Civil Service Commission (CSC) intends to enforce the use of the digital fingerprint recognition system for staff at all government ministries to ensure that staff members’ arrival and departure times and absenteeism rates are correctly registered, with failure to use the system to be correspondingly penalized. One CSC insider said that the new initiative is being introduced in response to complaints from senior officials at many state bodies that employees were failing to use the recently introduced system. The initiative will mean that the pay of those who fail to use the fingerprint recognition system to register their arrival at and departure from work will be automatically docked, with only the hours which are recorded on the system being paid. The commission is determined to ensure that all staff use the system and that lateness and absenteeism rates are reduced, said the insider. Al-Anbaa

CBK supports firefighters’ efforts

KUWAIT: MP Musallam Al-Barrak yesterday voiced astonishment at the what he said were the attempts of the State Audit Bureau chairman Abdulaziz Al-Adsani to circumvent a recent court decision restoring the former Assistant Undersecretar y of the SAB’s Administrative Department, Abdulaziz Al-Yahya, to his previous position by transferring him to another department.

Accusing the SAB chief of exploiting the system, which he said was the first example of this sort of behavior at the bureau, Al-Barrak claimed that Al-Yahya was the victim of the bureau head’s political gamesmanship, further asserting that Al-Yahya is known for his integrity and honesty regardless of what these qualities might cost him.

The MP hinted that Al-Adsani is fearful of returning the subordinate official to his former position, suggesting that if Al-

Yahya were to review the department’s records for the past two years he might find that irregularities had taken place there during his absence.

Speaking to reporters, Al-Barrak asserted that the SAB head had subsequently instituted a policy of rotating Assistant Undersecretaries between departments, for the first time in the bureau’s history, solely in order to prevent Al-Yahya from returning to head the department which he was previously in charge of, despite the court ruling which ordered that Al-Yahya should return to the post.

Addressing a question to Al-Adsani, the MP enquired whether it wasn’t enough for the SAB chief that 14 judges and legal consultants had supported AlYahya’s petition to return to his post, and asking pointedly if Al-Adsani was afraid of what the subordinate official might discover if he were to return to his previous position.

Junkies hospitalized A young man was hospitalized after being found in a coma induced by a drug overdose. Paramedics and police rushed to a location in Waha where a citizen reported finding what he thought was a dead body inside a car at a school parking lot. Paramedics discovered that the 18-year-old boy was in a coma after overdosing on drugs, discovering drug paraphernalia inside the car. Police are waiting for the man to recover in order to take him into custody to face charges.

Meanwhile, police arrested a 27-year-old Kuwaiti man who went on a rampage inside his family’s house in Mubarak AlKabeer whilst under the influence of drugs. Some narcotic tablets were found in the man’s possession and he was taken to the Adan Hospital.

Beggars nabbed Police have arrested 25 beggars found panhandling at markets and mosques across Kuwait since the start of Ramadan.

All those apprehended admitted that they had arrived shortly before the holy month using visitors’ visas.

Fishermen rescued Coastguards managed to rescue four fishermen after their boat began sinking in the waters just off the Marina Mall. The officers were quickly at the scene a few minutes after the incident was reported, and they were able to save the fishermen who were rescued unharmed. The damaged boat was towed to shore.

Lost couple rescued Police used a helicopter to rescue a couple who got lost in the Salmi desert recently. According to a security source, the Kuwaiti couple had set out for a drive in the area in their all-terrain vehicle when the husband complained of dizziness shortly before passing out. His wife took the wheel intending to take him to hospital, but quickly became lost.

Eventually conceding defeat, she called the emergency services hotline, with police immediately launching a hunt for the vehicle. After two hours, the police helicopter located the car, with the couple being airlifted to safety and the still unconscious husband rushed to hospital. — Al-Rai, Al-Qabas, Al-Anbaa

Fish prices skyrocket amid low demand KUWAIT: Fish prices are on an all time high during the month of Ramadan, despite low demand. Secretary General at Kuwait Fishermen Union Taher Al-Sonan said that fish supplies in the market is insufficient to meet demand.

He explained that consumers are victims of such unjustified price hikes.

He added that prices have been soaring because fishermen are reluctant to practice their trade due to regulations imposed by the Public Authority for

Agricultural Affairs and Fish Resources(PAAAFR). The use of nylon nets has been banned, and laws are only imposed on Kuwaiti fishermen who incur losses due to such decisions.

It was put in place without coordinating with concerned parties. As a result the local fish supplies are limited, and more expensive, reported Al-Anbaa.

Al-Sonan added that is no cooperation is displayed between the Union and PAAAFR, and that all decisions are solely made by the government body.

KUWAIT: A Kuwaiti citizen checks fish at the fish market. — Photo by Joseph Shagra

SUNDAY, AUGUST 7, 2011

UAE officer cleared of charges in servant case Page 10

Chile marks emotional mine accident ‘versary Page 12

Shabab abandon Mogadishu Somali government declares Islamist rebellion defeated MOGADISHU: Somalia’s Islamist Shabab rebels pulled out of key positions in the war-torn and famine-struck capital yesterday, with the country’s president proclaiming the city “fully liberated”. “Mogadishu has been fully liberated from the enemy, and the rest of the country will soon be liberated too,” Sharif Sheikh Ahmed told reporters. The Al-Qaeda affiliated Shabab insurgents abandoned several strategic positions overnight that were then taken over by government troops. “We are very happy - the fruits of bloodshed and the wars that we fought against the rebels are finally attained,” Ahmed said.

African Union-backed government troops have been battling Shabab rebels in Mogadishu in an offensive to secure aid delivery routes for victims of the drought threatening some 12 million people in Somalia and other Horn of Africa countries. “We have two enemies to fight - one of them is the Shabab, while the other is those who try to rob the people,” the president said. “We will not tolerate looting, and anyone found committing such a crime will be brought to justice.”

Lawless Somalia is awash with rival militia factions. On Friday, food aid being handed out to famine victims in Mogadishu was looted by gunmen, who killed five people.

However, a spokesman for hardline rebels, Ali Mohamed Rage, said yesterday’s withdrawal involved merely “a change of military tactics”. “The mujahideen fighters applied military tactic changes to undermine the allied enemy of Allah, and you will soon be hearing a good news.”

Shabab fighters are waging a bloody campaign to overthrow the country’s Western-backed transitional government, and control large areas of the south and centre of the country. Until yesterday morning, government and AU troops controlled just over half of Mogadishu, including the airport and port, while the Shabab controlled the city’s northeast. “The enemy is defeated, they pulled out of Mogadishu - and we will fight them to eliminate them from the rest of the country,” Somalia’s prime minister Abdiweli Mohamed Ali said.

Since February, the African Union mission (AMISOM) with its 9,000 Ugandan and Burundian soldiers has clawed

MOGADISHU: Somali government soldiers leave their barracks as they head out to take control of positions emptied by the Islamist insurgents near northern Mogadishu’s Sinay area yesterday. — AFP back key positions from the insurgents. Major Paddy group up to $60 million annually through taxes, according the majority in areas controlled by the Shabab, which Ankunda, a spokesman for the AU’s AMISOM force in to a UN report released last month. However, the pullout is expelled key foreign aid groups two years ago. The UN has Somalia, said they were reacting cautiously to the Shabab’s unlikely to bring an end to conflict in Somalia, with pro- officially declared famine for the first time this century, move. “We’re getting reports that they have pulled out Shabab websites stressing the fight would continue. “The including Mogadishu and in four southern Somali regions, from all their positions. We are still verifying,” Ankunda said. move will enable the Shabab to gain the upper hand over warning that famine could still spread further. The UN’s the African invaders,” one website read, referring to the Food Security and Nutrition Analysis Unit describes “We’re very, very cautious because it could be a trap.”

Somalia as “the most severe humanitarian crisis in the The Shabab pullout will likely be a major economic AMISOM force.

The UN has estimated that nearly half of Somalia’s esti- world today and Africa’s worst food security crisis since blow to the rebels, whose control of Mogadishu’s main Bakara and Suuqbaad markets have in the past netted the mated 10 million people require humanitarian assistance - Somalia’s 1991-92 famine”. — AFP

New 5-star hotel in Gaza amid poverty AL-SOUDANIA, Gaza Strip: The Gaza Strip’s first five-star hotel gleams with marble floors, five luxury restaurants and a breezy cafe overlooking the territory’s white sandy beaches and sparkling blue Mediterranean Sea. The only thing missing are guests. Nearly all of the newly opened hotel’s 222 rooms, decked out with ornate metal-worked lamps, flat screen televisions, oversized beds and sea views, sit empty. The tourists whom the developers expected to flood to Gaza when they launched the project 13 years ago are nowhere to be seen. Local residents, most of them living in poverty, can only dream of staying in the gleaming complex.

The eight-story structure is an anomaly in Gaza, yet it cannot escape its surroundings. Residents riding donkey-driven carts occasionally trot by. Women cannot swim in the pool, in a nod to conservative Gaza tradition. There is no alcohol - banned by Hamas in line with Islamic law. On a recent day, two women in conservative Islamic headscarves and loose gowns sipped drinks by the pool, as children splashed inside. Earlier this month, the hotel’s developer, Palestinian investment company Padico decided to finally open it. The company, controlled by politically independent billionaire Munib Al-Masri, hopes to recover at least some of its costs and

hopes that Gaza’s knotty problems may finally be solved in the coming years. “It’s risky - but we need to have a change in Gaza,” said public relations manager Shadi Agha. For now, the risk is not paying off.

There are no foreign tourists in Gaza, just a handful of Western aid officials who pass through. Only 80 rooms are even available. Management doesn’t want to spend on maintenance for the remaining rooms, Agha said. Early this month, there were just 10 guests in the entire hotel, though the royal suite, at $880 a night, was occupied. The guests ranged from international aid officials to a honeymooning Gaza couple who wanted to go somewhere nice, Agha said. He wouldn’t identify them further or say who was in the royal suite.

The tale of the $47 million Al-Mashtal has mirrored the plight of the Gaza Strip over the past decade. Padico began construction of the hotel in 1998, a time when Gaza was awash with optimism. The Palestinians had signed interim peace agreements with Israel, and a final deal to end decades of conflict appeared to be in reach. Tourists would pour in. But the area had collapsed into violence by 2001.

Despite fierce fighting with Israel, the hotel’s shell was in place by 2006. But it was badly damaged during a brief civil war the following year as Hamas battled the rival Fatah faction and seized control

of Gaza. Palestinian militants smashed some 180 windows during the fighting, Agha said.

The fighting left the Palestinians split between two governments - Hamas in Gaza, and the Fatah-dominated Palestinian Authority in control of the West Bank. The two territories flank either side of Israel, and Palestinians want them to build their future state. Seeking to contain Hamas, Israel and Egypt imposed a blockade that prevented raw materials and limited most commercial goods from entering Gaza. Although the West Bankbased Padico does not have relations to the militant group, the company was unable to bring in key materials.

The building suffered further damage when Israel launched its three-week offensive against Hamas in Dec 2008. At one point, two Israeli missiles slammed into the hotel. The hotel was repaired, but it couldn’t be opened still, because the managers needed to make the final touches, like the gym equipment. Israel’s blockade prevented those materials from entering. Under heavy international pressure, Israel eased the blockade in May last year following a deadly naval raid that killed nine international activists trying to sail to Gaza. The hotel was finally completed and opened in late last month - years behind schedule. — AP

GAZA CITY: Photo taken on July 15, 2011, shows Gaza Strip’s first five-star Arcmed Al Mashtal hotel, which was recently opened. — AP

A

y

e niv rsar n

Years

SUNDAY, AUGUST 7, 2011

I N T E R N AT I O N A L

Turkish bureaucrats are literature watchdogs ISTANBUL: A 10-member board headed by an agricultural economist and including a doctor, an imam and a psychologist, is the only legal body in Turkey authorised to send a piece of literature to court for obscenity. The Board to Protect Minors from Harmful Publications is assigned to read books at the request of prosecutors and follow periodicals in Turkey to evaluate them for possible obscenity. Recent victims whose novels the board deemed obscene and without any literary merit include Chuck Palahniuk, author of “Fight Club”, and the Beat Generation’s leading figure William Burroughs. The trial of Burroughs’ “Soft Machine”, the first novel of his Nova trilogy, is pending, while the probe into Palahniuk’s “Snuff” goes on.

Last month the board, which comes under the prime minister’s office, forced a new comic, Harakiri, to be withdrawn after a fine for obscenity. Media reports quoted the board as saying that the comic “encourages relations out-ofwedlock” and, paradoxically, both “laziness and adventurousness”. “A comic encourages only one thing, reading.

Nothing else,” said illustrator M K Perker, the Turkish-born founder of the magazine now based in New York, whose

work has appeared in the New York Times and the Wall Street Journal. The board can also order an “obscene” periodical to be sold in a black nylon bag as a precaution.

“You know, pornographic magazines are put in these bags. But this is a comic, each work in this magazine is a piece of art... It makes me feel like living in the Twilight Zone,” Perker said when asked what he would feel if Harakiri went into the black bag. “These are attempts to dissuade publishers. This is an attack on our freedom of expression,” said Irfan Sanci, the publisher of Burroughs’ “Soft Machine”. A prosecutor has indicted Burroughs’ novel for obscenity, claiming that its “pornographic content” conflicted with the moral values of Turkish society in a finding based on the board’s report.

The board concluded that the novel “has no literary value... due to lack of integrity in its content” and “has no utility for readers’ intellectual world”. “The board is not qualified to decide about literature. It is a board including representatives from different public institutions,” said Sanci, the winner of the 2010 Freedom Prize of the International Publishers’ Association.

The head of Turkey’s Publishers’

ISTANBUL: A woman checks a book by Chuck Palahniuk in the bookstore on Aug 3, 2011. — AFP Union, Metin Celal Zeynioglu, agreed one single opinion in a case related to with Sanci, saying the board members children,” he added.

The board was founded by law in “are not familiar with the world’s most important authors”. “Of course there can 1927. Most of its members are from varibe publications that might affect chil- ous ministries including health, justice, dren adversely. The board should follow culture and education, alongside an this but... there is no pedagogue or child imam from the Religious Affairs literature author on the board,” he said. Directorate, an academic and a journal“I have never seen this board delivering ist. The head of the board, Ruhi Ozbilgic,

an expert on agricultural economy, refused to comment about the issue.

Sanci does not believe that the actions of the board can be explained by the rule of the governing Justice and Development Party (AKP), a liberal offshoot of a banned Islamist movement, in power since 2002.

“This board was founded in 1927.

This is about the founding philosophy of the Republic, it is the result of social engineering,” said Sanci, who has had ten books prosecuted during his 20 years in the publishing business. “I was prosecuted for a novel by the French author Jeanne Cordelier before the AKP rule,” he said. Cordelier’s account of a prostitute, “La Derobade” (The Life), was found obscene in the 1990s and sold in a black nylon bag until it was acquitted.

For Zeynioglu, the publications targeted depend on “the spirit of the political atmosphere”. “In the past people were prosecuted for making religious propaganda. Later cases were opened for insulting religious values,” he said. “The prime minister appoints the board members. They are his employees... At least their perspective is in harmony with the government’s, which is a conservative one,” Zeynioglu said. — AFP

Plea for rebel unity as NATO blasts Brega Libya insurgents capture Bir Ghanam

TEHRAN: A picture released on Feb 6, 2011 shows US hikers Shane Bauer (left) and Josh Fattal during the first session of their trial at the Tehran Revolutionary Court. — AFP

Activists seek ‘critical mass’ at Israel protests JERUSALEM: Israel’s growing protest movement hoped to draw a “critical mass” of demonstrators across the Jewish state yesterday night, as they push the government for reforms to ease living costs. The demonstrations will test the appeal and staying power of a movement that began in mid-July over housing costs and has since mushroomed into a full-blown social uprising calling for across-the-board reforms to ease the cost of living and reduce Israel’s income disparity.

“We’re hoping to reach a critical mass of more than 200,000 protesters to force the government to radically change social policy,” Hadas Kushlevitch, a representative of the protest movement, told AFP. Kushlevitch, a student, accuses Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of failing to take demonstrators’ demands seriously and rejects his promise of a committee to look into their calls for reform.

The premier appears to have been caught off-guard by the protests, which drew 100,000 people into the streets in cities across Israel last Saturday. He cancelled a foreign trip to address the rallies, setting a ministerial committee to look into their demands and expressing his sympathy with some of the concerns raised by protesters. But his government has so far shied away from the sort of sweeping reforms that protesters are calling for, with Netanyahu explicitly warning against costly measures that he says could plunge Israel into a financial crisis.

Uri Metuki, another protest leader, makes no secret of the fact that he expects “the battle will be long”. “We are trying to change nothing more and nothing less than a whole system that privileges the interests of the individual to the detriment of the collective interest,” he said.

But he does not see the movement running out of steam anytime soon. “The movement has the support of a very large part of the population, which is not ready to renounce its demands,” he says, accusing Netanyahu of acting “cynically ... in the hope that the movement will lose support”.

The burgeoning movement sparked off over

housing prices, when a handful of young activists set up a tent city in one of Tel Aviv’s trendiest neighbourhoods to publicise their inability to afford homes. It has tapped into deep frustration over what Israelis say is a growing gap between rich and poor and a general decline in social services that the state once provided. Largely absent so far from the protesters’ discourse has been the issue of Israel’s settlements in the West Bank and east Jerusalem, with many reluctant to raise the controversial issue for fear of losing public support.

But individually, some protesters say they see a link between the outsized financial support that goes to support settlement construction and the dwindling government assistance for housing inside Israel. In recent days, protesters have seen a new infusion of support from the Histadrut labour union, with several thousand members of the organisation joining demonstrators in Tel Aviv on Thursday.

Brandishing placards reading “the workers are with the protests,” the union members listened as their secretary general Ofer Eini addressed the crowd and promised to support the demonstrations.

The Israeli media has also largely thrown its support behind the movement, with commentators flaying Netanyahu for his decision to submit protesters’ claims to a committee and push through controversial housing legislation. The laws, passed this week before the Knesset broke for a summer recess, streamlines the building process for contractors, which Netanyahu said would flood the market with housing and bring down prices.

But social and environmental activists say it will simply allow the construction of more luxury housing and could be abused by contractors who want to build without meeting environmental regulations. The top-selling Yediot Aharanot newspaper on Friday questioned why Netanyahu had taken so long to act. “If the protests are justified as Netanyahu says ... then why did he not come to this realisation before they were triggered?” it asked. — AFP

BENGHAZI: Libya’s rebel chief pleaded for unity yesterday after a high-profile murder within the ranks, as the insurgents said they captured a town south of Tripoli and NATO pummeled a key oil town. Mustafa Abdel Jalil, who heads the de facto government of east Libya, issued the plea for unity following the July 28 assassination of General Abdel Fatah Yunis, a long-time ally of Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi before his defection. “I would like to send a message to all Libyans in the liberated areas: we need to focus all our resources on the battle for freedom,” he said in a statement urging rebels to keep battling to end Gaddafi’s 41-year rule.

“We need to unite now for a bigger cause,” he said.

Abdel Jalil spoke a day after NATO warplanes blasted the area around the eastern oil hub of Brega. Of 43 strike missions carried out

by NATO on Friday, the alliance reported 38 hits on loyalist targets around the town.

Among the targets reportedly hit were two tanks and 20 other armoured vehicles.

Elsewhere on the battlefield, rebel commanders said their fighters captured Bir Ghanam, 80 km south of the Libyan capital, yesterday. An AFP correspondent, although he did not visit Bir Ghanam itself, was with the several hundred fighters as they advanced north on a road strewn with burned-out vehicles of regime forces, some with bodies of soldiers inside.

Most of the rebels in Bir Ghanam’s capture were members of a “Tripoli Battalion” made up of volunteers from the capital and other coastal towns who received military training in the Nafusa mountains southwest of Tripoli.

However, residents of a small town 100 km from the capital, who took up arms against the regime, were said to be under siege. A representative from Al-Qusbat’s rebel military committee told AFP the town was surrounded

by Gaddafi loyalists and that fears were growing of a bloodbath.

“All roads going to Al-Qusbat are blocked

by Gaddafi’s forces. They cut electricity and communications since yesterday,” Khamis Nuri El-Kasseh said from the rebel capital of

BENGHAZI: National Transitional Council chairman Mustafa Abdel Jalil gives a press conference at the NTC headquarters in this rebel stronghold as rebel commanders said their fighters captured the town of Bir Ghanam, 80 km south of the Libyan capital. — AFP

Benghazi after contacting the town by satellite phone. “Gaddafi’s forces are not yet in control of the town, but we expect it will be bloody today,” he said. Al-Qusbat is cut off from other rebel positions in western Libya, with 70 kilometres (45 miles) separating it from the nearest positions at Zliten to the east.

Last month’s murder of Yunis as he returned to Benghazi under arrest presented Abdel Jalil’s lawyer-dominated National Transitional Council with a formidable political challenge. The NTC has come under fire for its role in events leading up to the killing and its handling of the aftermath. Although details are still under investigation, it is known that an arrest warrant was signed by senior NTC member Ali Essawy, raising allegations that the NTC unknowingly helped facilitate his murder.

The council has faced angry and sometimes violent protests from Yunis’s tribe, as well as demands for reform from groups that were at the forefront of the Feb 17 outbreak of the armed revolt. In response, Abdel Jalil

Muslim Brotherhood holds vote in public

Salehi ‘hopes’ court will free Americans TEHRAN: Iran’s Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi hopes that the trial of two US citizens detained in the Islamic republic on espionage charges will lead to their freedom, reports said yesterday. “We hope that the trial of these two (US) nationals will proceed in a manner that will result in their freedom,” Salehi was quoted as saying by Fars news agency. The trial of the Americans, Shane Bauer and Josh Fattal, who were detained two years ago on the border with Iran, ended on Sunday. The last hearing in the case was held behind closed doors without the presence of a third accused, Sarah Shourd, who is in the United States after being granted bail.

Salehi said the judiciar y would announce the verdict in due course for the case which he added “is being pursued with justice and fairness”. His comments came nearly a week after Iran’s

general prosecutor Gholam Hossein Mohseni said a verdict in the case would be issued “soon”. Shourd, who got engaged to Bauer in prison in Tehran, was tried in absentia after returning to the United States following her release on humanitarian and medical grounds in September 2010, after bail of about $500,000 was paid. Bauer and Fattal, both 29, were arrested along with Shourd, 32, on the unmarked border between Iran and Iraq on July 31, 2009 with Tehran accusing them of “spying and illegally entering the country”. They have pleaded not guilty to spying charges, saying they were hiking in Iraq’s northern province of Kurdistan when they innocently walked into Iran across an unmarked border.

Washington has vehemently denied Tehran’s charge that the three are spies and has pressed for their release.—AFP

insisted a criminal investigation was under way and would yield prompt results. “Soon the investigation will reveal the offender and the details of the incident,” he said, and also promised that an internal investigation into the NTC’s handling of the crisis would not flinch from apportioning blame. “No one is above the law, starting from the top of the NTC,” Abdel Jalil said.

Since Yunis’s death, his Obeidi tribesmen have exerted pressure for speedy justice and even retribution in a country where clans for decades formed the basis for solving disputes in the absence of functioning judicial institutions. Meanwhile, the rebel government said it has flown nearly $10 million in cash to the Nafusa mountains in the west. Around 14 million Libyan dinars was “to be distributed directly to families throughout the Nafusa mountains during the holy month of Ramadan”, the NTC said in a statement. “It’s the first step of our plan to kick-start the economy and bring back stability to the region,” said NTC economic adviser Mazen Ramadan. — AFP

KARZAKAN, Bahrain: An anti-government protester waves a national flag as he passes a billboard that reads “Ramadan” and expresses prayers for the Islamic holy month in this western Shiite village late Friday.

Thousands chanted anti-government slogans during a rally organized by the Shiite opposition Al-Wefaq group, held late in the night after the day’s fast had ended. – AP

CAIRO: Egypt’s Muslim Brotherhood held a public internal election yesterday for the first time in its history in a display of openness before a parliamentary election in November. The Brotherhood, Egypt’s most popular and organised political force, was banned and often harassed, but semi-tolerated, during the 30-year rule of former President Hosni Mubarak, who was ousted by an uprising in February. “The group is doing this now as it wants to set a model in democracy and transparency ahead of the parliamentary vote,” Mustapha Al-Sayyid, political science professor at Cairo University, said of the Brotherhood’s public vote. “Having an internal election in public will certainly increase the credibility of the group among the public,” he said.

The Brotherhood is generally seen as the best prepared group for the November election in which its newly formed “Freedom and Justice” party will contest half the assembly ’s seats.

Founded in the 1920s, the organisation has endured years of repression and maintained strong grassroots support in Egypt’s conservative Muslim society partly through a broad social programme. It won a fifth of the seats in the 2005 parliamentary election when it fielding its candidates as independents.

But the Brotherhood has lately been

suffering from internal squabbles and criticism about its vague economic and political plans. It has also come under fire for some public statements in which it took the side of the military council which took over from Mubarak, rather than backing groups seeking faster change. Yetsreday’s vote, to which journalists were invited, was to pick replacements for three senior figures who resigned from the Brotherhood’s administrative body in April to join the Freedom and Justice Party, which the group says will be independent.

The three men are par ty leader Mohamed Mursi, deputy leader Essam Elarian and secretary-general Mohamed Saed Elkatatny. “ The elections taking place in this open manner is one of the gains of the blessed revolution that has allowed freedom of expression and granted freedom to all Egyptian citizens, including the Muslim Brotherhood,” the group’s Guide, Mohamed Badie, said in a speech at the event at a Cairo hotel. The voters were members of the Brotherhood’s 122-strong decision-making Shura Council. The Brotherhood then hosted a Ramadan iftar banquet, at a cost put by a local newspaper at about a million Egyptian pounds ($168,000), with guests expected to include military council members, government officials and presidential candidates. — Reuters

y

A

9

e niv rsar n

Years

SUNDAY, AUGUST 7, 2011

I N T E R N AT I O N A L

Ex-Ukrainian PM’s allies protest dramatic arrest Tymoshenko: They will never break me KIEV: Supporters of former Ukrainian prime minister Yulia Tymoshenko yesterday started an indefinite sit-in to protest her detention as European capitals expressed concern over her dramatic arrest. A Kiev court Friday placed the glamorous Tymoshenko under arrest for contempt of court in her ongoing trial on charges of abuse of power, which she claims is a vendetta pursued by her rival, President Viktor Yanukovych. In extraordinary scenes, the opposition leader was driven through central Kiev’s Kreshchatyk avenue in a prison van surrounded by hundreds of police to the Lukyanovsky detention centre in Kiev where she spent the night.

MADRID: Thousands of “indignant” protesters take part in a demonstration in the Puerta del Sol square after it was re-opened to the public on Friday. —AFP

Thousands march in Madrid against riot police charge MADRID: Thousands marched through the streets of Madrid on Friday against the use of force by police on demonstrators who rallied at the interior ministry to protest the closure of the city ’s main square. At least 20 people were injured when riot police late Thursday charged demonstrators who had gathered outside the ministry after trying unsuccessfully to gain access to Madrid’s Puerta del Sol square for the third straight day. Seven of the injured were policemen. It was the most serious incident since the “indignant” movement began in mid-May in the square against Spain’s economic crisis, soaring unemployment and political corruption.

Television images showed several protesters with blood on their faces being surrounded by police or being loaded into ambulances. The protesters, many wearing orange stickers that read “Very Fragile”, regained access to the square - a symbol of their movement - on Friday after marching for several kilometres across the city.

“This square belongs to the people. We have much to celebrate today. We won this battle,” a spokesman for the movement said through a megaphone to applause and cheers from the crowd.

The protesters chanted “Shame! Shame!

Shame!” as they passed in front of the interior ministry, which was protected by more than 50 riot police who stood side by side outside the entrance to the building. Oriol, a 33-year-old whose arm was broken during the police charge on Thursday, tried to give a white carnation

to the head of the riot police. The policeman refused to accept the flower but shook hands with the protester after a brief chat. “I asked them to be more respectful of the protesters. My goal was to show that it does not matter if they hit us, we are not afraid. I think this movement deserves the people’s support,” he told AFP, refusing to provide his last name.

“I had my back to the police and they struck me three times, once in my arm.

The riot police hit everyone, women, old people.”

Smaller protests were held in other Spanish cities, including Barcelona and Valencia. The police say they were forced to intervene after some protesters tried to climb the ministry’s fence to hang a sign.

The demonstrators say there was no violence on their part. Police cleared dozens of “indignant ” protesters who were camped at an wooden information stand in the Puerta del Sol square in a dawn operation Tuesday that resulted in no injuries or arrests.

Since then members of the movement have staged daily demonstrations where they try to gain access to the square were blocked by rows of riot police. Many of the protestors linked the police action to clear the square to Pope Benedict XVI’s plans to visit Madrid between August 1821 to attend the Roman Catholic Church’s World Youth Day celebrations. “ This square does not belong to the pope,” and “Less crucifixes and more jobs” were among the signs on display at the march in Madrid. —AFP

At least 100 supporters, including parliament deputies, have now pitched a line of some 30 tents on Kreshchatyk avenue near the courthouse and vowed to maintain their sit-in until Tymoshenko is released. “Freedom to political prisoners!” “He ( Yanukovych) turned the countr y into a prison”, were among the slogans brandished by the demonstrators. Tymoshenko’s right-handman Olexander Turchinov meanwhile warned of a repeat of the 2004 Orange Revolution uprising in Kiev’s Maidan square that brought a pro-Western government to power. He said that if people turned out in force in the streets, “already in September, Ukraine could have a true government of the people”.

Tymoshenko, one of the leaders of the Orange Revolution, narrowly lost to her old rival Yanukovych in presidential elections last year. The presidency has denied any involvement in her trial. Ukraine’s human rights ombudswoman Nina Karpacheva visited Tymoshenko late Friday and said she was being kept in a cell with one other woman and would be allowed a television and refrigerator if relatives sent them. Tymoshenko’s allies released a video address recorded a day before her arrest in which she predicted her detention. She vowed to protect Ukraine and not to seek asylum abroad. “Be sure - they will never break me,” she said.

France said it has concerns over the motivations of the trial while EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton said the events were “a cause for concern about the state of the rule of law in Ukraine”. Sweden’s Foreign Minister Carl Bildt was even blunter, saying the trial was an “embarrassing spectacle which “does great damage to a great countr y ”. Meanwhile, politically-committed Ukrainian boxing star Vitali Klitschko said he halted training for an upcoming world championship fight to return to Kiev and take part in a “battle for democratic values” following the arrest of Tymoshenko.

Mother sends kids back to famine as camps overflow DOLO ADO, Ethiopia: When Somali mother Eblah Sheikh Aden gathered her seven children and set off walking for Ethiopia to find food, she never imagined she would end up sending some of her brood back into the hear t of famine. But that’s just what the 35year-old did to four of them when she realised they were not going to get fed in time at one of the Horn of Africa’s over flowing refugee camps - swelled by a deadly mixture of drought, war and bored donors. “ They were extremely sick and there wasn’t food here,” she told Reuters in the Kobe Camp in Ethiopia. “I couldn’t watch them die and had to make a

descend on the sprawling Kobe complex they leave both a swirl of dust and a trail of people in their wake, as dozens of refugees jostle for space to grab that day’s rations.

Last week, as aid workers and police scattered a crowd to maintain order, 68-year- old Hasano Abderahman cast a lonely and confused figure amid the boisterous hungry, scurrying with a worried look on his face past queues, tents and shacks tr ying to find somewhere to bury his baby. “We had taken Addo to the clinic but he never recovered,” said Hasano, who had fled southern Somalia with his wife and his one monthold son. “I’m now looking for space

MOGADISHU: Somali refugee children from southern Somalia eat food in front of their makeshift shelter at a camp for displaced people yesterday. –AP decision.”

It took Eblah two days to walk to the camp but another nine days for her to be registered to stay, such are the numbers of sick and hungry streaming in. Now that she has managed to register her family, she says she hopes her husband will bring the four children back to the camp soon. The United Nations says about 3.6 million people are now at risk of starvation in Somalia and about 12 million people across the Horn of Africa region, including in Ethiopia and Kenya. When trucks loaded up with food

to bury him,” he said, nearly an hour after Addo died from severe malnutrition.

One aid worker told Reuters the fate of Addo was common in the area’s refugee camps, and said that the majority of children were suffering from severe malnutrition.

“The mortality rate is one of the highest in the world. I t ’s ver y alarming,” he said. The figures are even more alarming among those dwelling in the scrubs awaiting registration for several days, he added.

Hasano, Eblah and their families

fled a region in Somalia that has been declared a famine zone by the United Nations - a rare call for agencies used to dealing with drought. The body says it expects the whole of southern Somalia to follow, as rebels hinder food shipments and they struggle to fill shortfalls in funding to respond to the disaster, despite constant international appeals. The World Food Program ( WFP) says aid groups cannot reach more than 2 million Somalis in the worst-hit areas because the Islamist Al Shabaab fighters have blocked access to most aid agencies.

In Ethiopia, the UN refugee agency and a government agency have established four camps along the border with Somalia to accommodate a refugee population that now exceeds 100,000. After peaking at 2,000 a day last month, the number of people streaming into Ethiopia has fallen during the past few days - numbering in the hundreds at the beginning of this week . But the crowds keep on coming and an MSF spokeswoman said people in the camps are now suffering from measles, water y diarrhoea and respirator y tract infections.

For some refugees, the wait has been unbearable. As the heat soared with the afternoon sun, 34year-old Dakat Ibrahim spread out an old rug on the parched earth for a nap, her three boys - all emaciated - lying next to her. “We are hungry. We’ve been hungry since all our livestock perished the past two months,” she said, after spending the day collecting food and firewood.

The aid workers trying to help people like Dak at say they are struggling to manage the influx, with no end in sight to the Somali conflic t. “ The population of refugees coming over has slowed down but there’s still almost 20,000 outside of camps needing shelter, food and medical care,” said Jo Hegenauer, head of regional operations for the UN High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR).

“Everyone’s here to help, it’s just that the number of people who have arrived is tremendous,” he said. —Reuters

Tymoshenko is accused of causing a loss to Ukraine’s budget of 1.5 billion hryvnias ($190 million) when she signed a new energy contract with Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin after a brief interruption of gas deliveries in 2009. Friday’s drama coincided with a cour t appearance by Ukrainian Prime

of our state,” Azarov said yesterday, according to the Inter fax-Ukraine news agency.

According to online newspaper Ukrainska Pravda, Tymoshenko built a friendly rapport with prison officials on arrival but had to let down her trademark knotted hair braid in line with the detention centre’s rules.

KIEV: Supporters of former Ukrainian Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko (on T-shirt) gather at a tents camp near the court building during their protest in Kiev’s downtown early yesterday. —AFP Minister Mykola Azarov, who gave witness testimony backing the prosecution and was promptly described by Tymoshenko as a “fully-certified, corrupt old man”.

This comment appeared to trigger the court’s order to arrest Tymoshenko, who since the trial started in June had irritated youthful judge Rodion Kireyev by mercilessly mocking him on Twitter. “I advise no-one to mock the court, as the court is one of the foundations

Known in Ukraine as the “Iron Lady” after her heroine ex-British prime minister Margaret Thatcher, Tymoshenko was also briefly imprisoned in 2001 on forgery charges that were eventually quashed. The current charges carry a sentence of between seven and 10 years in prison. Even a suspended sentence would disqualify her from parliamentary polls next year and the next presidential elections in 2015. —AFP

A

y

e niv rsar n

Years

SUNDAY, AUGUST 7, 2011

I N T E R N AT I O N A L

75-yr-old pilot explains encounter with F-16s a spokesman for the Nor th American Aerospace Defense Command, which scrambled the two warplanes, a proposition that costs $9,000 an hour for each jet.

“Anyone who flies an aircraft should know the restrictions.”

Rose said she was about 30 miles from O’Hare Airport when her plane was intercepted. As the fighters appeared, she wasn’t alarmed. “I thought, ‘Oh, well, they’re just looking at how cute the Cub is,” she said Friday in an interview with AP. The blue-and-yellow plane had won a best-inclass award at the Oshkosh Air Show, a huge annual gathering in Wisconsin.

Another NORAD representative suggested Rose had no business thinking that a military jet racing toward her would be in any way related to the cuteness of her plane.

“The biggest thing to keep in mind is that when F-16s come screaming up to you, they are probably trying to tell you something,” spokeswoman Stacey Knott said.

Rose, who has been flying since the mid1960s and even performed as a wing walker until five or six years ago, said the jet pilots could not have been more considerate. Though she never saw their faces - hard to do, she said, since she was puttering

CHICAGO: Myrtle Rose was taking a short flight over suburban Chicago when the 75year-old aviation enthusiast looked out her cockpit window to see two F-16 fighter jets.

She assumed the military pilots were just slowing down to get a closer look at her antique plane. It wasn’t until she landed her 1941 Piper J-3 Cub that friends and the police told her the attention was much more serious - for straying into restricted airspace during a visit by President Barack Obama.

Rose, who tries to fly every day when weather permits, said she had been itching to get back in the air Wednesday after a number of days on the ground. She normally uses her computer to check for airspace restrictions, but it wasn’t working properly.

“I hadn’t flown in over a week,” she said. “It was a beautiful afternoon.” After some guests depar ted her home, she “just climbed in the airplane and left.” To make matters worse, she said, “I didn’t have my radio on. I was just flying around.”

On any other day, the brief flight would never have attracted notice. But Obama was in Chicago for a fundraiser marking his 50th birthday. “There’s really no excuse for not knowing,” said Lt Col Mike Humphreys,

SOUTH BARRINGTON, Illinois: Myrtle Rose, 75, stands by her 1941 Piper J-3 Cub named “Winston” on her property Friday. — AP along at about 60 mph and the jets were doing what she figured was about 300 mph - she was impressed with the way the pilot who pulled in front of her kept his distance to avoid rattling her wood-and-fabric plane.

“He was very respectful,” she said. Rose returned to land on the grass airstrip at her home in the affluent South Barrington area.

Her late husband owned Rose Packing Co, a meat packer that supplies Canadian bacon

UAE officer cleared of charges in servant case Maid’s testimony ‘doesn’t have ring of truth’ PROVIDENCE, Rhode Island: A United Arab Emirates naval officer was acquitted Friday of keeping an unpaid servant after a judge concluded that the woman’s testimony “doesn’t have the ring of truth”. Col Arif Mohamed Saeed Mohamed Al-Ali embraced his defense attorney and wept after Chief Judge Mary M Lisi found him not guilty in US District Court in Providence of fraud in foreign labor contracting. Earlier this week, Lisi acquitted him of lying to a US Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent.

Elizabeth Cabitla Ballesteros, who testified twice at trial, had claimed Al-Ali didn’t pay her for long hours of cleaning, cooking and babysitting and forced her to sign a document that acknowledged her pay. “The complaining witness’s testimony simply doesn’t have the ring of truth,” Lisi said. Ballesteros, who also filed a civil lawsuit, left the courtroom without commenting. Her civil attorney, Ivy O Suriyopas, called the verdict a “gross miscarriage of justice”.

Defense attorney Robert C Corrente said Ballesteros made up her story in search of a payday. “This woman is a pathological liar who concocted this story to extort him,” Corrente said. “Her story on its face was ridiculous. I think it’s a disgrace that somebody of his distinction was treated like this.” Ballesteros accompanied Al-Ali’s family last year to Rhode Island, where he was studying for a year at the US Naval War College in Newport. He has since completed the program, and his wife and five children returned to the UAE in April after AlAli said they were shunned as a result of the criminal charges.

The trial pitted the word of Ballesteros, a Filipina mother seeking a better life for her children, against the testimony of Al-Ali, her educated and wealthy boss. Lisi said she had doubts about Ballesteros’s story even before Al-Ali took the stand in his own defense. She questioned why a naval officer with 30 years of service would jeopardize his opportunity to be among a select few to study in the US by scamming a woman who had worked for him for three years and cared for his youngest son

Col Arif Al-Ali since infancy. “It simply doesn’t make sense,” she said.

Lisi said she found “rather odd” Ballesteros’s account of claiming to be forced to sign a payment receipt indicating she received 12 monthly payments of $1,600 before leaving for the US. She called Ballesteros’s desire to go back to the Philippines after seeing the size of the rented East Greenwich home for the first time “very strange”. Lisi also called Ballesteros’s testimony that she worked long hours cleaning the house, washing two cars daily, cooking, doing laundry and ironing for a family of seven “exaggerated.”

She also highlighted the vastly differing accounts of a note Ballesteros said she left before leaving the house on Oct 7. She testified that the note thanked Al-Ali for bringing her to the US and told the family she loved their children. Al-Ali denied ever receiving such a note. “If he had done what is alleged in this indictment, why if she left a note, would he call the police and call attention to himself?

It doesn’t make sense,” Lisi said. Al-Ali’s story, Lisi said, was “plausible”.

She said his account of paying Ballesteros her full salary in cash for working in Rhode Island before leaving for the US at her request made sense given that Al-Ali always paid her cash and knew he could not bring more than $10,000 cash into the country. Lisi added AlAli’s wealth and access to cash in his home also checked out. She also said she believed Al-Ali’s story about attempting to accompany his family back to the UAE with the intention of returning to the US. Officials arrested Al-Ali at a New York airport after he boarded the plane with his family. Authorities portrayed it as an attempt to flee.

Rhode Island US Attorney Peter F Neronha defended the decision to prosecute Al-Ali. “We of course accept and respect Judge Lisi’s decision,” he said in a statement. “That said, we believed, and continue to believe, that there was probable cause to bring this case, and that it was important, under these circumstances, to give Ms. Ballesteros an opportunity to be heard.” Suriyopas, of the Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund, said Ballesteros will continue with her lawsuit against Al-Ali and his wife, Samah Alharmoodi, in which she is seeking $200,000 in damages. “The fact that (Lisi) didn’t find it credible that a domestic worker would perform the amount of work that she did for the amount of time that she did demonstrates how out of touch she might be,” Suriyopas said. Lisi also was presiding over the lawsuit, but she recused herself on Friday.

The civil case was reassigned to Judge John J McConnell Jr. The criminal trial, which began on July 18, was beset by delays prompted by translation problems and defense allegations that prosecutors had withheld evidence before trial. Ballesteros’ initial testimony was thrown out after an interpreter retained by prosecutors acknowledged she did not translate verbatim questions posed to the witness and her responses. A new interpreter from California was later retained to help Ballesteros, who speaks a dialect of the Tagalog language. — AP

Man wants terror trial moved, statements out DETROIT: A Nigerian man charged with trying to blow up a plane near Detroit in 2009 accused US agents Friday of failing to read him his rights and interrogating him while he was sedated and recovering from major burns soon after his arrest.

Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab wants a judge to throw out statements made at University of Michigan hospital.

He also asked that his fall trial be moved out of the state of Michigan because of the public’s “overall hostility” toward him.

Abdulmutallab, 24, is charged with trying to ignite explosives in his underwear on an Amsterdam-toDetroit flight with nearly 300 people aboard. Passengers pounced on him and put out the flames on Christmas Day 2009. Friday was the deadline to challenge the government’s evidence ahead of the Oct 4 trial in Detroit. Abdulmutallab insists on acting as his own lawyer, but he’s being assisted by standby counsel Anthony Chambers, who signed the latest court filings.

At the hospital after his arrest at Detroit Metropolitan Airpor t, Abdulmutallab was sedated by medical staff but still interrogated by federal agents without waiving any right against self-incrimination, Chambers said.

The medication “literally rendered him incapable of voluntarily submitting a statement. ... The agents could have easily waited four to six hours as the hospital staff advised, but they knew at that moment the defendant was confused and unable to think clearly, therefore they seized the opportunity, violating all constitutional rights that one in the United States of America is afforded,” Chambers wrote. “During the entire interrogation the defendant feared for his life and was scared to even move around on his hospital bed,” the attorney said.

US Attorney Barbara McQuade

UK teen slain by polar bear in Norway Arctic OSLO: A polar bear attacked a group of British students camping on a remote Arctic glacier as part of a high-end adventure holiday, killing a 17-year-old boy and injuring four other young people before a trip member fatally shot the bear. Two were hospitalized with severe injuries after the Friday attack, according to the British Schools Exploring Society, the organizer of the trip. The attack took place on the Svalbard archipelago, which is home to about 2,400 people and 3,000 polar bears and attracts well-off and hardy tourists with stunning views of snow-covered mountains, fjords and glaciers. The British Schools Exploring Society is affiliated with Britain’s Royal Geographic Society and has run expeditions for young people to remote and challenging corners of the globe for at least 75 years. Expedition members were spending three to five weeks in the Arctic, and had each paid £2,000 ($3,300) to £3,000 ($4,900) to join the trip, designed to mix science experiments with adventure. Participants were hunting for Arctic fossils and taking part in environmental experiments, including a project to install hydro and solar power systems. The group also was clearing beaches of tidal debris.

Before heading to the Arctic, youngsters had been urged to raise their fitness levels to cope with the challenging terrain, and to prepare for a diet of freezedried meals. The campers were in a group of 80 people, most of them between 16 and 23, the British Schools Exploring Society said. Many posed Wednesday for a final photo together before splitting into smaller groups to head out to more remote parts of the

Arctic. On Friday morning, some of the youths were camping on Spitsbergen Island, the largest in the Svalbard archipelago, and a place where researchers say there is not much food available for polar bears during the summer.

The bears, which can grow to around 3 m and weigh up to550 kg, are the world’s largest non-aquatic predators.

Although they don’t usually hunt humans, they can attack nearly anything if they are hungry. With their broad paws and claws as long as 5 cm, polar bears are extremely dangerous and visitors to Svalbard are advised always to be armed, avoid confrontation and store smelly

food securely. The bear attacked a group of 13 people in the early morning, leaving them with moderate to severe wounds that included head injuries, officials said. One of the campers shot the bear, said Liv Asta Oedegaard, a spokeswoman for the Svalbard governor ’s office. The injured were evacuated by helicopter to Tromsoe, the nearest city on the Norwegian mainland. “ With great sadness the British Schools Exploring Society confirms the tragic death this morning of one of the members of its expedition in Svalbard,” said Edward Watson, chairman of the British Schools Exploring Society. He

SPITSBERGEN, Norway: This image shows the dead male polar bear which had attacked youths who were camping on a remote Arctic glacier as part of a highend adventure holiday at Svalbard archipelago yesterday. — AP

to McDonald’s restaurants. Once she was on the ground, some friends rushed over and told her that the rendezvous had nothing to do with the good looks of the plane named Winston. After the aircraft was in the hangar, her yard began filling with police cars. Rose said she filled out a report with the Federal Aviation Administration, including a note describing how she mistakenly believed the jets were circling to admire her plane. She said she has not heard from the agency.

FAA spokeswoman Elizabeth Cory said the investigation would probably take several weeks. Penalties could include a fine or a suspension of her pilot’s license, or the agency might not take any action at all.

Rose, a Republican who said she did not vote for Obama, joked about mailing the president a note for his birthday. “Oh, dear, maybe I should send him a belated birthday card and say, ‘You should have stayed home and Michelle baked you a birthday cake.’” Rose said she does have a bone to pick with NORAD, or whoever released the information about her close encounter with the jets. “The worst part is they put my age in there,” she said. “I don’t think that was nice.” — AP

named the teen as Horatio Chapple, who hoped to study medicine. “By all accounts, he would have made an excellent doctor,” Watson said, adding that his thoughts were with the family. The parents of the dead teenager have been informed and the names of the dead and injured would be released once Norwegian authorities had concluded investigations, he said.

The attack happened about 40 km outside Svlabard’s capital, Longyearbyen, the main tourist hub with a population of about 2,000. Visitors are urged to carry high-powered rifles whenever venturing outside Longyearbyen. Polar bear safety brochures advise campers against setting up their tents in areas where bears roam. Oedegaard said campers normally lay a tripwire around tents before they go to sleep. An emergency flare is triggered if an animal crosses the wire. It was unclear whether the British campers’ wire had worked properly, she said. “It is not unusual to camp here, but it is necessary to carry weapons,” she said.

In a July 27 posting on the society’s website, expedition member Marcus Wright wrote that the group had encountered polar bears shortly after arriving in Longyearbyen. “I think we must have all dreamed of polar bears because the next day we were eagerly waiting for the ice floes to break up so we could move on to base camp,” Wright wrote in his blog posting. Wright wrote that the group had spotted a polar bear across a fjord, and also another bear floating on some ice. “This time we were lucky enough to borrow a kind Norwegian guide’s telescope to see it properly,” he wrote. — AP

declined to comment and said the government would respond in court.

In 1984, in a case from New York state, the US Supreme Court said there are circumstances where an immediate concern for public safety can trump someone’s rights.

Separately, Abdulmutallab wants his trial moved to federal cour t in another state.

He believes the jury pool is poisoned, partly because of widespread news reports of the Christmas incident. “Many of the residents in the state are enraged that such an alleged incident occurred, not just in their country but in their home state, near their home city, at the airport that they frequent. ... It is without question that there is an inflamed public community atmosphere in Michigan toward defendant Abdulmutallab,” Chambers wrote.

The government predicts the trial will last three weeks. — AP

Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab

US officers convicted in Katrina shootings NEW ORLEANS: A federal jury on Friday found four New Orleans police officers guilty in the shooting deaths of two civilians in the chaotic aftermath of Hurricane Katrina and also convicted a former policeman of helping cover up the killings.

The jury’s decision means the deaths of Ronald Madison, 40, and James Brissette, 17, were the result of police willfully violating the victims’ civil rights but that the slayings were not murder. Four people also were seriously injured in the shootings on the Danziger Bridge on Sept. 4, 2005, after the officers responded to a call about gunfire. The five convicted officers could be sentenced to life in prison.

“Today’s verdict sends a powerful, a powerful unmistakable message,” said US Attorney Jim Letten, speaking to reporters outside the New Orleans courthouse. The shootings occurred a few days after Hurricane Katrina had submerged parts of New Orleans under roof-high floodwaters, leaving thousands of people homeless and setting off chaos throughout the city. In the death of Brissette and shooting of four others, officers Kenneth Bowen, Robert Faulcon, Robert Gisevius and Anthony Villavaso were found guilty of depriving citizens of their rights and using firearms in doing so.

In addition, Faulcon, the only defendant who testified at trial, was found guilty of violating civil rights and use of a firearm in the killing of Madison. The officers also were convicted of various charges connected with the cover-up, including conspiracy to obstruct justice and violate civil rights, and false prosecution.

Prosecutors painted a picture of out-of-control officers firing indiscriminately on innocent bystanders in the incident while defense lawyers maintained the police saw guns in the hands of civilians and believed they were in danger.

They said chaotic conditions in New Orleans after Katrina, which killed more than 1,800 people, heightened police officers’ expectations that civilians in the streets had and would use guns. Faulcon testified he had been filled with “indescribable fear” at the time of the shooting. — Reuters

y

A

12

e niv rsar n

Years

SUNDAY, AUGUST 7, 2011

i n t e r n at i o n a l

Missing migrant workers hunted down in Singapore SINGAPORE: The man with his right arm draped casually over Mohammad’s shoulders as they walk out of a metro station could be mistaken for the Bangladeshi guest worker ’s best buddy. But V Balakrishnan has been hired to track him down and ship him home - and the smiling Mohammad suddenly bolts, dropping a small bag of possessions and kicking away his flipflops in his haste to escape.

Watching Mohammad’s bright red shirt rapidly disappearing into the distance Balakrishnan says: “See, I told you he’d surely run.”

Balakrishnan works for UTR Services, a company hired by employers to find and repatriate foreign workers who are reported missing or who are no longer needed by the companies that sponsored their visas. Under Singapore law, employers are responsible for repatriating guest workers whose contracts lapse or are terminated. Balakrishnan and his partner traced Mohammad’s whereabouts and staked out his forest hideout near Singapore’s border

with Malaysia for five days, only to lose him in the end.

Labour-starved and densely populated Singapore employs around 900,000 guest workers like

Mohammad and has strict laws against those staying beyond their allotted time, generating business for repatriation companies like UTR Services. Such firms, which get paid

SINGAPORE: This photo taken on July 21, 2011 shows a staff member (right) of repatriation company UTR Services handing over the last salary of a foreign worker (left) as the latter signs documents before being repatriated from Singapore. —AFP

around Sg$250 ($200) per case, have drawn criticism from human rights groups who accuse them of resorting to unsavoury methods to force workers to board flights home.

“Repatriation companies use force, violence and illegally confine workers against their will,” said Jolovan Wham, executive director of Humanitarian Organisation for Migration Economics (HOME). “The workers are usually seized and locked up at the repatriation company’s premises against their will... this is kidnapping and wrongful confinement, and can be classified as penal code offences, which are offences against the law.”

Wham said some foreign workers had gone to HOME for help. “The repatriation company men are careful not to leave any visible injuries on the workers to avoid any possible investigation by the police. Men from the repatriation companies also threaten and verbally abuse the workers into agreeing to leave,” he added. The alleged abuses committed by Singapore repatriation firms

were mentioned in a US State Department global report on Trafficking In Persons (TIP) issued in June.

The US report said some employers use the firms “to prevent workers from complaining of abuses, including conditions of forced labor, or seeking redress through the Ministry of Manpower ”. The Singapore government has slammed the report, saying in a statement that it “does not tolerate the wrongful confinement of workers or their forceful repatriation without settling of salaries and other legitimate claims”. A police spokesman said that “if any reports are lodged against such companies, the police will look into the matter to establish if any offence has been committed and take action accordingly”.

UTR Services director J Ravi also denied any use of force by his staff.

“It’s not like what people say,” he told AFP. “There’s no force, no nothing.” Ravi maintained that 85 percent of the 2,000 workers he sends

back annually voluntarily agree to be repatriated. But he conceded that the practice of “lodging” foreign workers in the offices of repatriation firms and barring them from leaving unescorted was “a little bit controversial” and he was looking into abolishing the practice. As for unscrupulous employers, Ravi said his staff check for any signs of physical injury on workers brought in for repatriation and will refer suspected abuse cases to the manpower ministry. “The law states very clearly, the employer has the right to terminate...You terminate the permit, I send back the worker for you.”

A senior official of the manpower ministry said it responded to only two complaints of illegal confinement by repatriation companies in 2010. But HOME’s Wham said forced repatriation happens daily. “Migrant workers are perceived as social problems and potential immigration offenders and the authorities are happy that repatriation companies can perform this function for them,” Wham said. —AFP

Japan PM in Hiroshima vows nuke-free future Mayor: Govt must review energy policy HIROSHIMA: A ceremony yesterday to mark the anniversary of the Hiroshima bombing was dominated by national soulsearching on atomic power as Japan’s prime minister pledged a nuclear-free future. Marking the 66th anniversary of the world’s first atomic bombing at an annual event usually devoted to opposing nuclear weapons, Prime Minister Naoto Kan said the ongoing Fukushima crisis meant Japan must turn to other energy sources. “The large-scale, long-running nuclear accident has triggered radiation leakage, causing serious concerns not only in Japan but also in the world,” Kan, in black suit and tie, said at a memorial ceremony in Hiroshima’s Peace Park.

“I will reduce Japan’s reliance on nuclear power, aiming at creating a society that will not rely on atomic power generation,” he added. The March 11 earthquake

remarks on energy policy, Hiroshima mayor Kazumi Matsui also called for the government to review its sources of power after Fukushima, the world’s worst

Japanese government must quickly review the energy policy... to regain people’s understanding and trust,” he said.

A city official said around

HIROSHIMA: Japanese Prime Minister Naoto Kan gives a speech at the Peace Memorial Park yesterday during the service to commemorate the 1945 atomic bombing of Hiroshima. —AFP and tsunami triggered the ongoing nuclear accident, which has leaked radiation into air, soil and sea and forced tens of thousands to leave their homes, leading to rising public anger. In more rare

nuclear accident since Chernobyl 25 years ago. “The continuing radiation scare has made many people live in fear and undermined people’s confidence in nuclear power,” he said. “ The

50,000 people took part in the ceremony to remember the 1945 atomic bombing, which killed an estimated 140,000 people instantly or due to burns and radiation sickness soon after the

blast. Over 70,000 perished as a result of another US atomic attack on the port of Nagasaki three days later. Yesterday’s ceremony was attended by representatives of more than 60 countries including the United States.

Kan, who also plans to attend a ceremony to mark the Nagasaki bombing on Tuesday, stressed in his speech: “We must never forget the calamity of a nuclear arm that attacked Hiroshima 66 years ago.

We must never let it happen again.” At a press conference in Hiroshima afterwards, Kan said a nuclear accident and an atomic bombing share something in common - causing worries due to spreading radiation. “I felt even more strongly (after the accident) about the importance to seek a society free from nuclear weapons, a society that doesn’t trigger problems due to radiation,” he said. “The government’s policy and my speech (at the ceremony) correspond with each other.”

Kan, a onetime environmental activist, has pledged to boost alternative energy sources to 20 percent of the nation’s energy mix by the 2020s. They currently make up about nine percent, most of it hydroelectric power.

But the embattled prime minister has been fighting calls to resign amid rock-bottom poll ratings, while his government is still struggling to control the crippled Fukushima nuclear plant. The government and operator Tokyo Electric Power Co ( TEPCO) are aiming to bring the damaged nuclear reactors at the plant to a state of cold shutdown by January.

Chile marks mine accident ’versary President Sebastian Pinera was among many of hugs and kisses. “I’ve very excited and very happy COPIAPO, Chile: Miners who were trapped underground for over two months led Chile Friday in those involved in the rescue who attended the cer- to be reunited with so many people we worked marking the first anniversary of the start of their emony. Even Rolly the clown, a former miner who with so long and who suffered so much, we had remarkable ordeal, which has scarred many of them entertained the children and grandchildren of the sorrow and then we had great joy,” Golborne said. forever. Friday’s religious ceremony in northern Chile miners while their relatives kept up a long vigil “It’s nice to be back and remember a moment that was a moving reunion for the men who endured a outside the mine, joined the celebrations. Public was so beautiful and so tragic at the same time, survival story that began on Aug 5, 2010, when a Works Minister Laurence Golborne, who was new but that ended so well.”

The event was briefly disrupted when cave-in trapped 33 miners deep inside the two women were arrested after denouncSan Jose mine in northern Chile’s Atacama ing Chilean public education policy, the Desert. For the next two months, the focus of massive student demonstrations world’s attention was riveted on them and across Chile over the past two months. their battle to survive against the odds, Three other protesters were arrested as the until their rescue on Oct 14, when they celebrations came to a close. Four of the were hauled back to the surface one by miners could not attend due to flight conone in a complex operation. nection problems from the United States, The anniversary ceremony, attended by and two others decided against attending.

27 of the 33 miners, was organized by the Most of the men wore suits and ties, but men as a gesture of gratitude for their suconly a few of them said they were having a cessful rescue, and many of the workers good year after their ordeal ended last who saved the miners attended. “We are October. the survivors of a catastrophe. Thanks to Former miners Dario Segovia and Osman their efforts, there are not 33 crosses plantAraya developed a shared business selling ed in the desert today,” said Luis Urzua, who fruit and vegetables at a market. Luis Urzua, was the shift leader of the miners and who the last man pulled out of the mine, now organized the event. All of the trapped miners were brought to safety in a feat of engi- COPIAPO, Chile: Chile’s President Sebastian Pinera (left) dedicates his time to giving public lectures. neering 69 days after the mine shaft caved smiles as formerly trapped miner Jose Ojeda holds up He is also the spokesman for the group and in. “Thanks for not forgetting, not losing the note Ojeda wrote revealing that all the miners had is coordinating a film project to produce a hope, for fighting to get us back to our fam- survived the collapse, during the inauguration of a film about their story. But most of the men ilies, for giving us the encouragement to museum honoring the 33 trapped miners Friday. —AFP spoke of the extreme hardships they faced since the cave-in last August. Seven miners hang on. Because of you we can say that ‘All 33 of us are well inside the shelter,’” the miners wrote to office at the time of the crisis, spearheaded remain on medical leave and most have no steady on a photograph distributed at the ceremony, refer- efforts to save the miners in his then-post as min- work. Jimmy Sanchez said he was better off inside encing a now-famous message sent during the ing minister. Pinera and Golborne greeted each the mine, and now he is overwhelmed by memories miner and his family individually, amid a flurry of of long days of confinement. —AFP ordeal.

ALIGARH, India: In this photo taken on July 9, 2011, farmers tie a turban onto India’s Congress party general secretary Rahul Gandhi at a rally held for farmers. —AFP

Rahul Gandhi gets a hand on power reins NEW DELHI: The decision by an ailing Sonia Gandhi to ask her son Rahul to help steer India’s ruling party in her absence could fasttrack his long-anticipated succession to power, analysts say. The scion of India’s NehruGandhi political dynasty was named Thursday to a four-member panel tasked with running the party’s daily affairs while his mother recovers from surgery for an undisclosed medical condition. Although long billed as a premierin-waiting, Rahul, 41, has hitherto shunned high-profile cabinet berths in favour of grassroots activism and building up the party’s youth wing.

But his nomination to the temporary panel - despite not even being in the country - coupled with uncertainty over the seriousness of Sonia’s condition has led many to believe his rise to the top has now begun in earnest. “The whole plan of Sonia has always been that the sceptre must be handed to the son,” political analyst Inder Malhotra told AFP. “This regency could well be the beginning of transition.”

Rahul steps into the fray as the Congress party battles its gravest crisis since taking power in 2004 after a string of corruption scandals and soaring inflation. While 78-yearold Prime Minister Manmohan Singh is formally in charge of the government, Sonia is widely seen as India’s most powerful politician who calls the shots from her power-broking position as party president. She is expected to be absent for at least two or three weeks while recovering from surgery in the United States.

Rahul has been by his mother’s bedside in hospital and Congress officials have declined to speculate when he will return to India.

Aside from Rahul, the temporary leadership panel comprises Defence Minister A K Antony, Sonia’s private secretary Ahmed Patel and top party official Janardan Dwivedi.

Eyebrows were raised at the non-inclusion of potential rivals for the premier’s job, such as Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee. Congress officials said many party heavyweights would be too busy attending a crucial parliamentary session that began on Monday. Sonia’s appointment of Rahul “confirms him as the

first among equals in Congress. It instills a sense of continuation,” Rasheed Kidwai, a biographer of Sonia, told AFP. Since independence in 1947, power in Congress has passed from Rahul Gandhi’s great-grandfather Jawaharlal Nehru, India’s first premier, to his grandmother Indira Gandhi, who was slain by Sikh bodyguards, and in tragedy-studded succession to his father Rajiv, who was blown up by a Tamil suicide bomber. Leadership now rests with Rajiv’s Italian-born widow and many Congress backers cannot imagine the party without a Gandhi at the helm. “Sonia Gandhi gives Congress keys to Rahul,” said an Indian Express newspaper headline after the panel was announced.

Sonia has carefully managed her son’s career, giving him time to carry out his aim of learning politics “brick by brick”, but the track record of the partly US-educated politician has been lacklustre. Rahul is not a natural orator like his younger sister Priyanka, who has opted to raise her children and keep out of the political frame. He has rarely spoken in parliament debates and never dealt with such thorny issues as Pakistan or the economy, preferring to embrace populist causes including farmers’ land rights. “But Rahul Gandhi is clearly the most important in the party after Sonia that is why he was appointed. There is a symbolism in this appointment,” said political analyst Mahesh Rangarajan.

Prime Minister Singh, a Gandhi loyalist accused by the opposition of shutting his eyes to massive corruption, is often seen as keeping the premier’s seat warm for Rahul.

Critics decry the need for continuation of the Gandhi-Nehru dynasty, seeing it as a sign of political immaturity that undermines India’s superpower aspirations. Rahul has never declared outright he wants to lead India and has said becoming prime minister is not the only “job” in the world. But Congress billboards drill home the message of succession, showing the elderly Singh, beaming mother Sonia and in front Rahul - poised to take the reins. —AFP

GI gets 3 years for Afghan killing spree JOINT BASE LEWIS-MCCHORD, Washington: A member of a rogue US Army unit has been sentenced to three years’ prison after pleading guilty to killing an unarmed Afghan civilian in US custody in May 2010. Specialist Adam Winfield, 23, of Coral Gables, Fla., had been charged with premeditated murder, aggravated assault and conspiracy to commit murder in several incidents, including the deaths of three Afghan civilians in Kandahar Province. He pleaded guilty to the reduced charge of involuntary manslaughter in military court, along with one count of illegal use of marijuana, in exchange for his testimony against other soldiers accused in the killings.

On Friday, his rank was reduced to private and Winfield was stripped of pay

and allowances, as well as discharged for bad conduct. The Coral Gables, Florida man will get credit for the approximately 507 days he has already served in prison.

Winfield’s defense attorney, Eric Montalvo, said he felt the sentence was fair. “The government finally recognized that Adam Winfield was not a monster like Staff Sergeant Gibbs,” Montalvo said. Winfield, who tried to blow the whistle on the murder plot, is among five soldiers accused of killing the civilians for sport and then planting evidence on the bodies to make it seem as though the victims had attacked the soldiers first. He is a member of the 2nd Battalion, 1st Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade, also known as the Stryker Brigade, based at Joint Base LewisMcChord near Seattle. —AFP

A

y

e niv rsar n

Years

NEWS

SUNDAY, AUGUST 7, 2011

DOVER AIR FORCE BASE: Marine team moves a transfer case containing the remains of Staff Sgt Leon H Lucas Jr at Dover Air Force Base, Del. According to the Department of Defense, Lucas, 32, of Wilson, NC, died while conducting combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan. — AP

GCC urges end to Syria ‘bloodshed’ Continued from Page 1 “Among the 15 killed in the daytime, seven were in Irbin, three in Damir and one in Maadamiya,” all near Damascus, he said by telephone. Rihawi added that three others were killed in the central city of Homs and one in Nawa, in the south. At night, “seven protesters were killed by security forces firing to disperse the demonstrators, two in the Nahri Aisha district of Damascus, four in Homs and one in Douma,” an outer suburb of Damascus, he said.

Rami Abdel Rahman, head of the Syrian Observatory, told AFP more than 50 people were seriously wounded.

State news agency SANA, meanwhile, said two members of the security forces were killed and eight wounded in an ambush on a road in the northwestern Idlib region, near the Turkish border. And gunmen on an apartment block rooftop in Douma shot and wounded two other security force members, it said, while assailants also opened fire in Homs. Assad’s regime blames the unrest on “armed terrorist gangs”.

On Friday, communications were completely cut off as the army stepped up an operation to crush dissent in Hama, where security forces killed at least 30 civilians and wounded dozens more earlier in the week. More than 1,000 families had already fled the central city, according to Abdel Rahman. “Thousands of demonstrators marched in Deir Ezzor, Daraa and Qamishli in sup-

port of the city of Hama despite the extreme heat,” said Rihawi, adding they numbered 30,000 in Deir Ezzor alone. “More than 12,000 people” also marched in Bench, in Idlib province, “to demand the fall of the regime and express their support for Hama and Deir Ezzor,” said Abdel Rahman.

The call for Friday’s protests came from activists on Facebook group The Syrian Revolution 2011, a driving force behind the demonstrations that have been calling for greater freedoms since mid-March. Late Friday, scores of Kuwaitis staged two demonstrations in solidarity with Syria’s people, demanding the expulsion of the Syrian ambassador and the recall of Kuwait’s envoy from Damascus. The same day in Egypt, several hundred people demonstrated at the Syrian embassy in Cairo under the slogan, “Free Syria, Bashar out.”

In Tunisia, several political parties, NGOs and known figures created a collective support group backing Syria’s people, said Mokhtar Yahyawi, a former judge and the group’s coordinator. The crackdown on Hama has also prompted harsh words from Washington and Moscow, with Russia hinting at a possible change of heart after stonewalling firm UN action against Syria, its ally since Soviet times. Washington has already imposed a raft of measures against Assad, his family and associates of the regime, but lawmakers have called on Obama to ban all US businesses from operating in Syria, and for more sanctions.— AFP

5 ways to make this Ramadan...

Continued from Page 1 If you are feeling this way, know that you are not alone. Many of us feel this way and do not know how to tackle it. As a result, the fear and dread are enough for us to avoid setting new goals and higher aspirations for this month. As a result, we find ourselves at the end of the month in the situation of having failed to benefit from this opportunity and languishing in sorrow at the thought that we will never improve.

I too used to get these whispers and thoughts in my mind. However, I overcame these thoughts with the help of Allah. Here are five things that I have done to tackle these “Ramadan blues”. Let me share them with you; perhaps the suggestions may benefit you, and help you to overlook the past and focus on the future.

Good thoughts about Allah: I remind myself that my Lord is most Generous and Kind. He loves me sincerely. The proof is that even when I disobey Him He still provides for me. That is why He is giving me yet another Ramadan; yet another opportunity to get closer to Him again. He loves to forgive, and His best friends are those who seek His forgiveness the most. He has brought me to another Ramadan so that I can have yet another chance at Laylatul Qadr, and yet another chance to make my duas accepted at the time of iftar, and yet another chance to do Hajj with Rasul-Allah (sall-Allahu ‘alaihi wa sallam) by doing umrah in this month.

He has brought me to Ramadan to sooth the sorrows in my heart with His remembrance, and for me to be reminded of the nights in my grave by the solitude of i’tikaaf; by seeing how it feels to be alone with Him in the mosque. He wants me to lighten the load on my mind, so that is why He has given me the month of the Quran: so that I can relive the amazing Word of my Rabb (Lord and Master). The salaf (pious predecessors) would beg Allah for another opportunity for Ramadan, so how fortunate I am that He has given me this chance once again.

How fortunate I am that He has given me the chance to know when this month is, so that I can take advantage of it. How fortunate I am that He has given me the yearning in my heart to meet my Lord in this month and I know that the one who loves to meet His Lord, Allah subhaanahu wa ta’ala also loves to meet him.

Forget the past and focus on the future: I remind myself that past deeds are just that; a matter of the past.

I live for the future, not the past. The past will be forgiven insha’Allah if I can mend the future. My concern should be the next deed that I do, because Allah loves to forgive; so I can have every confidence that He will forgive the past because I have nothing but regret for my past sins. The most important consideration for me is what sort of amends I make now.

Evaluate previous attempts in order to plan a strategy to make it work this time: I remember that it is illogical to think that my future chances of success are a reflection of my failures in the past. My past inabilities only show me what to do better this time so that I can increase my chances this time around. So if I tried to pray taraweeh every night but failed, I should look back at what happened in order to learn lessons from those failures. Was it that the Imam’s recitation was not good?

If so, then let me try to find a mosque to go to whose Imam recites better.

If I failed to complete reciting the whole Quran last

year, let me look at why that was the case and how I can change it. Can I put up reminders to read the Quran, or shall I buy a few more copies of the Quran and put them in more convenient places, such as one in my car, another in my briefcase and another on my table, so that I have a mushaf always on hand? If I missed getting up for fajr last Ramadan, why did it happen and how can I change it? Perhaps I should buy more alarm clocks, so let me go to the store right now.

Perhaps I should SMS my friends to start a fajr prayercalling group so that each day one of us is responsible for waking the others up. Perhaps I should make my suhur my heaviest meal so that my body feels hungry at suhur-time and so I get up more easily.

Reward, challenge and penalise myself: I can plan and prepare to reward myself if I finish this Ramadan satisfactorily. So I tell myself that if I can make myself pray all my prayers at the earliest time this Ramadan and recite the Quran five times this month, then I will buy myself a new laptop; if I can recite it ten times then I will go away with my family for a holiday, or some other significant reward that I know I would definitely like to treat myself with. I warn myself that if I fail to at least recite the Quran five times in this month, then I will donate a thousand dollars to charity. I remind myself that even Allah’s Messenger sall-Allahu ‘alaihi wa sallam used to give worldly rewards to those who excelled in battle: eg half the war-booty from the raids to the Muslim knights who had taken part in the raid; he (sallAllahu ‘alaihi wa sallam) would consider it a great sin upon the one who fails to join the obligatory battle.

In the same spirit of reward, challenge and penalty, I would do this for my children and my wife as well by helping them with a reward if they do something extraordinary this month, and a penalty if they did not even do the minimum extra level. In this way I can give them an added incentive to do good in this limited time of Ramadan. I remind myself that ultimately we must do it for Allah and never for a physical prize, but associating an emotional desire with an action and fear of a punishment at the non-performance of it will cause that action to be foremost in the subconscious part of my mind. I remind myself that the worst thing about not making this Ramadan special is going to be something worse than the penalty I have stipulated. It will be the disappointment of a Ramadan wasted, and the risk of Allah’s wrath.

Create peer-pressure and responsibility: I remind myself that if I make my friends and family aware of some of my goals, then they might help me. So I share some of my goals with them, ensuring that I am doing it to engage their help in performing it, not in a spirit of boasting. I hope that this will give me added support and encouragement to ensure that they help me in achieving the good things I have set out to do. If they do not help, at the very least they should not mind when I excuse myself from their service or company in order to spend some time on working towards my goal.

I hope that some or all of these things will help you to look upon this Ramadan with a fresh outlook. Make lots of dua to Allah that this Ramadan will be special for you, for your family, and for the Ummah of our beloved sall-Allahu ‘alaihi wa sallam. I am interested in hearing from you if you have other things that you do to focus positively at the advent of another Ramadan.

—www.islamway.com

World fails Afghanistan despite spending billions KABUL: The global community has failed to create a politically stable and economically viable Afghanistan despite pouring billions of dollars into the South Asian nation during a decade-long war against the Taleban, says the International Crisis Group. The Brussels-based think tank said the United States and its allies still lacked a coherent policy to strengthen Afghanistan ahead of a planned withdrawal of foreign combat troops from the unpopular war by the end of 2014.

“Despite billions of dollars in aid, state institutions remain fragile and unable to provide good governance, deliver basic services to the majority of the population or guarantee human security,” it said in a report released this week. Violence is at its worst in Afghanistan since USbacked Afghan forces toppled the Taleban government in late 2001, with high levels of foreign troop deaths, and

record civilian casualties during the first six months of 2011.

Afghanistan relies on foreign aid for around 90 percent of its spending, but many international donors are reluctant to channel aid through the country’s ministries because of a lack of capacity and rampant corruption. Public sector corruption is seen as worse than in any other country except Somalia, and equal to Myanmar, according to Transparency International.

President Hamid Karzai has acknowledged graft exists in his government but says foreigners are also to blame. “The impact of international assistance will remain limited unless donors, particularly the largest, the US, stop subordinating programming to counter-insurgency objectives, devise better mechanisms to monitor implementation, adequately address corruption and wastage of aid funds,” said the International Crisis Group (ICG). —Reuters

US loses stellar AAA rating for first time Continued from Page 1 “ This is a problem a long time in the making whether this administration and prior administration,” he said. He pointed to the White House, Democratic and Republican lawmakers battling for months until the country was on the precipice of default last Tuesday before they finally agreed to a deal to raise the nation’s debt ceiling and slash the deficit. The fight had sent jitters across the global economy. A debt downgrade will be a symbolic embarrassment for President Barack Obama, his administration and the United States, and could raise the cost of US government borrowing.

There were also worries that the downgrade would wreak unpredictable havoc in global financial markets where the US dollar has long been the most important currency. Initial reaction overseas was subdued. An unnamed Japanese government official told Dow Jones Newswires yesterday that Tokyo continued to trust US Treasuries “and their attractiveness as an investment will not change because of this action.” But China said it “has every right” to demand the United States address its debt problem.

In a stinging commentary, the official Xinhua news agency said Washington needed to “come to terms with the painful fact that the good old days when it could just borrow its way out of messes of its own making are finally gone.” And South Korea held an emergency meeting of senior finance ministry officials to discuss possible fallout from the downgrade.” There is possibility that South Korea’s economy might be affected in the short term,” Vice Finance Minister Yim Jong-Yong warned after the meeting.

Some analysts believe the cut will not have much impact at all. Indeed, despite a downgrade hanging overhead, the Treasury easily auctioned off tens of billions of dollars in new debt this week, and Treasury yields fell to the year’s low. S&P linked the downgrade

directly to the stalemate in US politics. Tuesday’s fiscal consolidation plan “falls short of what, in our view, would be necessary to stabilize the government’s medium-term debt dynamics,” it said.

“More broadly, the downgrade reflects our view that the effectiveness, stability, and predictability of American policymaking and political institutions have weakened at a time of ongoing fiscal and economic challenges to a degree more than we envisioned” back in April. S&P said the negative outlook pointed to the possibility of lowering the rating to AA within two years if the political will to cut weakens or economic conditions worsen. “Our opinion is that elected officials remain wary of tackling the structural issues required to effectively address the rising US public debt burden in a manner consistent with a ‘AAA’ rating.”

S&P is considered the most influential of the three major rating agencies which also include Moody’s and Fitch-both of which said this week that they continue to review the country’s deficit reduction plan for possible downgrades.

S&P first warned Washington of a possible downgrade in April. Then in July, during the protracted standoff over raising the government’s debt ceiling between Obama and Republicans, S&P placed the United States on credit watch and warned of a possible cut within 90 days.

The agency indicated it would wait to see what the warring Republican and Democratic lawmakers came up with in their deficit reduction plan. The plan finally agreed on Tuesday calls for $917 billion in cuts over 10 years, but also mandates an as-yet unnamed congressional panel to come up with another $1.5 trillion in cuts by the end of the year. That fell short of what S&P has been saying would merit retaining the AAA rating: $4 trillion in deficit reduction over 10 years that includes both cuts and revenue increases, which Republicans have refused to accept.— AFP

31 US troops die as copter crashes Continued from Page 1 by the end of 2014, but some US lawmakers have already questioned whether that handover is fast enough. Incidents with heavy death tolls are sure to raise even more questions about the transition process and how much longer foreign troops should stay. The crash was by far the worst incident of the war for foreign troops and easily surpassed the worst incidents of battlefield losses. In April 2005, another CH-47 Chinook helicopter crashed, killing 15 US servicemen and three civilian contractors. Another Chinook crash in June the same year killed 17 US troops.

US and other NATO commanders have claimed success in reversing the momentum of a growing insurgency in the Taleban heartland in the south, although insurgents have shown a worrying ability to adapt their tactics and mount major attacks in other areas. Those gains, however, have come at a price, with 711 foreign troops killed in Afghanistan in 2010, easily the deadliest year of the war for all concerned since the Talban were toppled by US-backed foreign troops in late 2001. The crash in Maidan Wardak means that at least 374 foreign troops have been killed so far in 2011, more than twothirds of them American, according to independent monitor www.icasualties.com and figures kept by Reuters.

Neither ISAF nor the US military in Afghanistan confirmed whether there had been any casualties in the crash despite repeated telephone calls, much less any nationalities that might have been involved. The majority of foreign troops in Wardak, which comes under ISAF’s eastern regional command, are American.

Despite the alarming military toll, ordinary Afghan civil-

ians have continued to bear the brunt of the war, with civilian casualties also hitting record levels in the first six months of this year, according to UN figures.

Earlier yesterday, Afghan police said a NATO air strike killed eight civilians in southern Helmand province on Friday. ISAF confirmed there had been an air strike in Helmand’s Nad Ali district and said it was investigating whether civilians had been present at the time. Civilian casualties caused by foreign troops hunting Taleban fighters and other insurgents have long been a major source of friction between Kabul and its Western backers. Nad Ali district police chief Shidi Khan said the air strike was called in after insurgents attacked ISAF troops in the area.

The victims of Friday’s air strike in Helmand were members of a family that had fled fighting in neighboring Uruzgan province, police said. ISAF said the civilians may have been held hostage by the insurgents. The most contentious of the first seven areas to be handed over was the Helmand provincial capital of Lashkar Gah. Helmand province has been the site of some of the most vicious fighting of the war. Far more foreign troops have died there than in any other province and there are still several Helmand districts dominated by the Taleban.

In the past month, insurgents have carried out a string of destabilizing assassinations of high-profile southern leaders, including president Karzai’s half brother, and several large attacks killing police and civilians. A UN report last month said 1,462 civilians were killed in conflict-related incidents in the first six months of 2011, up 15 percent on the first half of 2010. It blamed insurgents for 80 percent of those deaths. —Reuters

14

opinion

SUNDAY, AUGUST 7, 2011

THE LEADING INDEPENDENT DAILY IN THE ARABIAN GULF ESTABLISHED 1961

Founder and Publisher

YOUSUF S. AL-ALYAN Editor-in-Chief

ABD AL-RAHMAN AL-ALYAN EDITORIAL : 24833199-24833358-24833432 ADVERTISING : 24835616/7 FAX : 24835620/1 CIRCULATION : 24833199 Extn. 163 ACCOUNTS : 24835619 COMMERCIAL : 24835618 P.O.Box 1301 Safat,13014 Kuwait.

E MAIL :info@kuwaittimes.net Website: www.kuwaittimes.net

Issues

For some Arab autocrats, the goodbyes are longer

By Warren Strobel t a press conference on Thursday, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton spoke at length about the Syrian government’s brutal crackdown on protesters. But she was suddenly reticent when a reporter asked directly whether Syria’s leader should leave power. “I think I’ve said all I can say,” Clinton said. “I come from the school that actions speak louder than words.” There have been words aplenty on Syria from the podia at the White House and State Department in recent weeks, as the regime of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has intensified efforts to snuff out a dogged anti-government movement.

But a demand that Assad immediately leave power in Damascus has not been among them-in stark contrast to the position Washington adopted with other embattled Arab autocrats, namely Egypt’s Hosni Mubarak (toppled in February) and Libya’s Muammar Gaddafi (still there). The Obama administration’s cautious use of language is more than a rhetorical curiosity. It has left some observers questioning where Washington really stands on Assad, dashed for now the hopes of Syria’s still-nascent opposition, and highlighted how all Arab revolutions are not equal-at least in US policymakers’ calculations.

At bottom, the White House hasn’t demanded Assad’s ouster because it has no means to enforce such an edict, analysts and former US officials say. Gripped by financial crisis, Washington has neither the spare firepower to topple the Assad government by force; the leverage years of military-to-military ties gave it in Egypt; or the international alliance that supported airstrikes on Gaddafi’s pillars of power. Demanding that a leader go “is said when the regime is about ready to collapse,” said Andrew Tabler of the Washington Institute for Near East Policy think tank, and author of a forthcoming book on Syria. “This is going to be a slow-motion train wreck.”

Officials within the Obama administration who favor a cautious stance argue “if we say that (Assad must go), and the death toll goes up, don’t we look really weak?” said a former US official with close administration ties.

“At the end of the day what can we do? We’re not going to bomb him,” said the former official, who requested anonymity.

A

CALIBRATED ESCALATION Not that the administration hasn’t hardened its policy toward Assad, especially since Sunday, as Syrian tanks and security forces have besieged the city of Hama, killing an estimated 300 people. But it’s done so over the last three months in carefully- painfully, some might say-calibrated rachetings up of rhetoric and economic sanctions. In a major Middle East speech May 19, President Barack Obama suggested he still saw some hope for the Syrian leader he once tried to court, saying Assad must “lead that transition (to democracy), or get out of the way.”

But a month later, as the crisis deepened, then-Defense Secretary Robert Gates said Assad’s legitimacy was “open to question.” Just two days later, on June 12, the White House declared that his legitimacy as a leader had, indeed, evaporated. On Tuesday, the White House crept even closer to the point of no return, without quite getting there: “Syria would be a better place without President Assad,” spokesman Jay Carney said. The administration is also preparing sanctions on Syria’s oil and gas sectors, which Tabler said account for between a quarter and a third of the government’s revenue.

Such sanctions, experts say, are unlikely to have a major impact unless Europe, which purchases most of Syria’s energy exports, participates muscularly. At a deeper level, the administration’s hesitance to say a final goodbye to Assad appears rooted in fears about what comes next in a geographically vital nation with ethnic and confessional fault lines. Those fears likely have been reinforced by the scene in Libya, where the opposition, embraced first by some European governments and then by the United States, has failed to dislodge Gaddafi and is now divided into squabbling factions.

All of which leaves the impression that Obama and Clinton are not averse to Assad staying longer, if only just a little, while a smoother transition can be arranged. Others say the lesson of Libya is different, showing the danger that if the international community waits too long to act, it invites chaos. Libya proves “that if you procrastinate long enough, things start unraveling and the naysayers’ arguments become reality,” the former official said.— Reuters

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.

Dueling narratives emerge from US debt fight

By Matt Spetalnick he White House and Republicans are competing to shape the first draft of history after an epic battle over the US debt, but the next chapter could be critical in deciding who wins the message war. Now that the threat of a crippling US default has been averted, dueling narratives are in play-and each side is hoping to gain traction with opinionmakers and voters as the 2012 election race looms. The risk of keeping this rancorous debate going is that President Barack Obama and Congress, already politically diminished by the long standoff, will suffer further fallout.

But that hasn’t stopped either side from working to chronicle its story line in a drama that exposed a deep ideological divide in Washington and has yet to reach the finale. “This is the age of Twitter when contemporaneous history comes and goes in a nanosecond,” said Douglas Brinkley, a political historian and author at Rice University in Houston. “Politicians have only a narrow window to make their case and try to make it stick.” Feeling that sense of urgency, both sides have used everything from mainstream media and news websites to blog posts and Twitter messages to try to win over a public mostly fed up by weeks of acrimony in Washington.

T

WHO’S WINNING PR WAR SO FAR? NOBODY Obama’s aides maintain that he was the voice of reason, compromising on spending cuts, taking the heat from his liberal Democratic base and finally securing a deal despite Republican intransigence. The door to future tax increases remains open, they insist. But Obama still comes out politically bruised after making steep concessions and getting little in return. The Republicans depict themselves as champions of deficit reduction who held the line against Obama on taxes rises. But polls show most Americans blame them more than the president for pushing the country to the brink of fiscal disaster.

While the next test will come in the fall when Obama’s Democrats and Republicans begin negotiating a $1.2 trillion deficit reduction package, for now neither side is winning the public relations battle. Polls show that most Americans were disgusted by the legislative spectacle and see all the players less favorably. And analysts see the dysfunction continuing as Republican Tea Party conservatives-whose anti-tax orthodoxy laid bare a new political reality in Washington-become even more emboldened. “The political food-fight has come out into the open, and this will set the tone for the 2012 campaign,” said Tobe Berkovitz, a political communications expert at Boston University.

SPIN CYCLE Spinning the news is an age-old practice in Washington, but the latest crisis took it to a new level by the time a deal

was ratified on Tuesday just hours before the deadline to lift the government’s $14.3 trillion debt ceiling. Mindful that journalism is essentially the first draft of history, spokespeople for each side waged a nonstop message war as negotiations moved in fits and starts behind closed doors. Reporters writing play-by-play stories-known in the news business as “ticktock”-were treated to a steady flow of sometimes contradictory leaks from tense meetings at the White House and on Capitol Hill. Washington was left puzzling one night whether the president-known for his “no-drama Obama” persona-had stormed out of a meeting, as a Republican account held, or simply stood up and left after final remarks, as the White House said.

Aides to Obama and the Republican leadership even found themselves sparring via live Twitter feeds-though always constrained by the service’s strict 140-character limit. While the final chapter of debt drama has yet to be written, the importance of telling a compelling story isn’t likely to be lost on

Obama or his Republican opponents. Obama’s personal storyas the son of a white mother from Kansas and a black father from Kenya-helped propel him to the presidency. Since taking office, he is said to have told scholars meeting him privately that he thinks often about his place in history.

But Obama-despite being a gifted orator and memoiristhas looked at times to have lost control of his own narrative.

Republicans have gained traction casting him as a tax-andspend liberal even though he has declared deficit cutting a priority. Despite that, with a USA Today/Gallup poll showing 46 percent of Americans disapprove of the debt deal and 41 think it will hurt the stumbling economy, it is likely that neither side will score many political points by continuing to dwell on it.

Instead they may see it as more beneficial to change the subject. Obama has already moved to refocus on tackling the nation’s 9.1 percent unemployment, an issue considered most critical of all to his 2012 re-election chances. — Reuters

US politics in dock after S&P downgrade

By Stephen Collinson merica’s embarrassment at losing its stellar credit rating will cement a growing view that its gridlocked political system is simply incapable of fixing the debt disaster choking recovery. Standard & Poor’s Friday sparked new political recriminations by chopping its AAA rating for US debt to AA+ with a negative outlook, citing Washington dysfunction which led the country to the brink of a debt default last week. It said that a deal finally reached by the White House with Republicans to cut spending by up to $2.1 trillion return for raising the US government’s borrowing authority came too late, and was too small.

The agency, one of the three giants of the credit rating business, hinted that the US political scene was too polarized and drained of trust to underwrite wrenching decisions needed to nurse the US economy back to health. The downgrade could further spook lurching global markets, and raise borrowing costs for American consumers. “The downgrade reflects our view that the effectiveness, stability, and predictability of American policymaking and political institutions have weakened at a time of ongoing fiscal and economic challenges,” S&P said. “The political brinksmanship of recent months highlights what we see as America’s governance and policymaking becoming less stable, less effective, and less predictable than what we previously believed.”

The move dealt another blow to the political prestige of President Barack Obama, who emerged diminished from the debt fight, and is haunted by a limp US recovery from the

A

worst recession in years. Obama, is no stranger to making history-but being the first incumbent president to see the US credit rating slide is one distinction he could do without.

While S&P said there was plenty of blame to go around for the downgrade, the harshest light will likely shine on Obama as he bears ultimate responsibility for shepherding the economic recovery.

The ratings rebuke came as Obama’s approval ratings plumb the low 40 percent range, and raise doubts over his capacity to win reelection next year. But Democrats could also seek some consolation in the report. But S&P’s view of Washington’ did appear to mirror Obama’s own survey of the current political battlefield where he is locked in combat with Republicans who control the House of Representatives.

“The American people may cast their votes for divided government but not a dysfunctional government,” the president said at the height of the debt showdown. Immediate political reaction to the downgrade if anything confirmed the S & P diagnosis of a divided and dysfunctional political elite.

Leaders of both sides lashed out from familiar, rigid positions, offering no sign that being wrapped on the knuckles

by S&P would spur a new mood of compromise. Democrats, who blame George W Bush-era tax cuts and deficit-financed wars for the size of the fiscal deficit, interpreted the downgrade as an indictment of Republicans who they say balked at closing tax loopholes. They chose however not to dwell on S&P’s contention that controlling entitlement spending on programs like Medicare for the elderly was also crucial to restoring America’s fiscal luster.— AFP

Markets facing fresh chaos on US downgrade, eurozone woes

By Roland Jackson orld equities, fresh from their worst week since the 2008 global financial crisis on eurozone debt fears, face more turmoil after Washington lost its AAA rating, analysts said yesterday. Standard & Poor’s cut the rating to AA+ with a negative outlook, saying US politicians were increasingly unable to come to grips with the country’s huge fiscal deficit and debt load. “The news that S&P finally pulled the trigger... will surely rock the financial markets when they open on Monday,” said Capital Economics analyst Paul Dales.

And he warned: “If the market mayhem continues, the risks of a recession will rise further.” European markets had slumped last week on concerns that the eurozone debt debacle-which threatens to engulf Italy and Spain-and the faltering US economy could spark another vicious worldwide downturn. London’s FTSE 100 index plunged by almost ten percent, wiping £150 billion ($246 billion, 173 billion euros) off the value of top British companies, to register its worst weekly loss since November 2008. Wall Street also suffered its worst week since the financial crisis, shedding 5.75 percent despite Friday’s better-than-expected US jobs report and hints of progress in Europe’s debt crisis.

The S&P move, which followed persistent downgrade rumors in markets, will send investors hunting for safer assets and away from risky equities, according to Lloyds TSB Corporate Markets economist Charles Diebel. “The key theme will be risk off-so equities will be marked lower,” Diebel said. And CMC Markets analyst Michael Hewson added: “The effect on the US dollar is not likely to alter that much-it’s been on a down-

W

ward trend for quite some time now. The stock market could be a different matter.” Saxo Bank economist Steen Jakobsen described recent turmoil as evidence

FRANKFURT: Market analyst Robert Halver wipes his face at the German stock exchange in Frankfurt, central Germany.— AP

of a second financial crisis, as many western nations buckle under vast debts that were incurred in the 2008 banking crisis and subsequent global recession.

“Welcome to the official Crisis 2.0 which is now in progress,” Jakobsen said.

“Crisis 1.0 was the failure of the banking system to sustain the losses from the (US) subprime loans. “This created a run on the banks, which the policymakers solved by moving the debt burden from the private sector into the government sector, under the presumption that governments would be able to finance these debt obligations cheaper and guaranteed by tax issuance. “This was followed up with massive fiscal and monetary policy in a size not seen before in economic history. The policymakers used all the tools in the toolbox in order to buy some more time. Jakobsen added: “This worked short-term-but, as seen in Europe, the market is now questioning government ability to repay their debts.”

Financial sector shares were especially hammered last week amid fears of contagion from Europe’s debt crisis, despite rumors that the European Central Bank was buying Spanish and Italian government bonds.

Yields on the two country’s bonds have surged in recent days as investors fret about the solvency of the two countries. An Italian minister confirmed Friday that the ECB had guaranteed it would buy his country’s bonds starting on Monday, but only after Europe’s markets had closed with painful losses. Italy will speed up austerity measures approved last month to achieve budget balance by 2013, Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi said, warning that the world had entered a new financial crisis.— AFP

15

SUNDAY, AUGUST 7, 2011

a na ly s i s

Lasting legacy of Afghan wars: Deaths due to landmines

By Abdol Wahed Faramarz itting in the shade of a tree in the Kabul children’s hospital, Karimullah recalls the exact moment his young son was injured in a mine blast. Two weeks earlier, the boy had been playing with other children in their village in the Qara Bagh district of Ghazni province, south of the Afghan capital, when Karimullah heard a loud explosion and rushed to the scene. “When we got there, four children were dead and 10 others were injured, including my son,” Karimullah said. His son’s injuries were so serious that he had to come to the capital for treatment.

“The mine was left over from the civil war in the 1990s,” he said, adding that despite several similar explosions in the area, local officials had done little to address the menace. Afghanistan’s landmine legacy dates from the arrival of Soviet forces in 1979. Defense ministry spokesman Gen Zaher Azimi said the mines were planted in many areas, particularly around military camps and checkpoints. After the Soviets left in 1989, more mines were planted by both sides of the civil war that followed, making Afghanistan one of the most heavily mined countries in the world.

Many minefields were left unmarked and forgotten. Sometimes, anti-person-

S

nel and anti-tank mines were dug up and moved for reuse in new conflicts.

Meanwhile, unexploded ordinance from more than three decades of conflict also pose a serious threat. During the latest conflict, in addition to planting landmines, the Taleban have made extensive use of improvised explosive devices, or

roadside bombs, adding to the existing threat. Dayem Kakar, the head of Afghanistan’s Natural Disaster Management Authority, the agency charged with landmine removal, says 1 million people have been killed or disabled by the hidden weapons over the past three decades of war. An additional

KABUL: An Afghan policeman shouts for help as he stands in front of burning fuel tankers on the outskirts of Kabul, Afghanistan. Police said around five fuel tankers carrying fuel for NATO and US forces in Afghanistan caught fire at the depot. — AP

3 million are still at risk from living near minefields.

Mohammed Haidar Reza, head of the United Nations’ Mine Action Center for Afghanistan, said that although the number of casualties had fallen over the years, there was no prospect of the landmine threat being eliminated in the foreseeable future. Landmines and IEDs, are responsible for an average of 52 casualties per month, according to the center.

Although foreign donors have contributed around $700 million to mineremoval projects, Reza says more financial support is needed to finance the 11 mine-clearing agencies currently working in Afghanistan and employing nearly 14,000 people. Mohammad Shahab Hakimi, director of the Mine Detection Dog Center, said 70 percent of the 16,000 known mine fields have been cleared, with a total of 2 million mines defused so far. In the process 1,200 mine-clearance workers have been killed or injured. But there’s much work still to be done, with both known and unmarked mine fields still to be cleared. Hakimi said the remaining work would take an additional three to six years. “In some parts of the country, we’re unable to clear minefields because of warfare or lack of security,” he said. “In addition, mines have been replanted in areas that have already been cleared.”—MCT

Fighting Grassroots Terrorism: How local vigilance can help

By Scott Stewart

far-right and far-left actors.

n the wake of the July 22 Oslo attacks, as I have talked with people in the United States and Europe, I have noticed two themes in the conversations. The first is the claim that the attacks came from an unexpected source and were therefore impossible to stop. The second theme is that detecting such attacks is the sole province of dedicated counterterrorism authorities.

As discussed in last week’s Security Weekly, even in so-called unexpected attacks there are specific operational tasks that must be executed in order to conduct an operation. Such tasks can be detected, and unexpected attacks emanating from lone wolf actors can indeed be thwarted if such indicators are being looked for.

Alleged Oslo attack perpetrator Anders Breivik reportedly conducted several actions that would have made him vulnerable to detection had the authorities been vigilant and focused on those possible actions.

This is why it is critical to look at the mechanics of attacks in order to identify the steps that must be undertaken to complete them and then focus on identifying people taking such steps. Focusing on the “how” rather than the “who” is an effective way for authorities to get on the proactive side of the action/reaction continuum.

Considering this concept of focusing on the how, one quickly reaches a convergence with the second theme, which involves the role and capabilities of dedicated counterterrorism resources. The primary agency tasked with counterterrorism in most countries tends to have limited resources that are stretched thin trying to cover known or suspected threats.

These agencies simply do not have the manpower to look for attack-planning indicators - especially in a world where militant actors are increasingly adopting the leaderless-resistance model, which is designed to avoid detection by counterterrorism forces.

When these factors are combined they highlight the fact that, as the threat posed by militants adhering to the leaderlessresistance model (whom we frequently refer to as “grassroots militants”) increases, so does the need for grassroots defenders.

Stretched Thin As noted above, most counterterrorism intelligence efforts have been designed to identify and track people with links to known militant groups, and in that regard they are fairly effective. However, they have been largely ineffective in identifying grassroots militants. The focus on identifying and monitoring the activities of someone connected to a known militant group is understandable given that operatives connected to groups such as Hezbollah or Al-Qaeda have access to much better training and far greater resources than their grassroots counterparts.

In general, militants linked to organizations pose a more severe threat than do most grassroots militants, and thus counterterrorism agencies focus much of their attention on the more potent threat. That said, grassroots operatives can and do kill people. Although they tend to focus on softer targets than operatives connected to larger groups, some grassroots attacks have been quite deadly. The July 2005 London bombings, for example, killed 52 people, and Breivik was able to kill 77 in his twin attacks in Norway.

One problem for most counterterrorism agencies is that counterterrorism is not their sole (and in some cases even primary) mission. Often, such as the case with MI5 in the United Kingdom, the primary counterterrorism agency also has substantial foreign counterintelligence responsibilities. In the case of the FBI, it has not only counterterrorism and foreign counterintelligence missions but also a host of other responsibilities such as investigating bank rob-

I

Grassroots Threats As we noted last week, Breivik’s concept of self-appointed and anonymous “Justiciar Knights” who operate as lone wolves or in small phantom cells is not a unique concept. Breivik was clearly influenced by the militant-group case studies he outlined in his manifesto. In recent decades, governments have become fairly efficient at identifying and gathering intelligence on known groups that pose a threat to conduct violent attacks. This is especially true in the realm of technical intelligence, where dramatic increases have been made in the ability to capture and process huge amounts of data from landline, cellphone and Internet communications, but governments have also become quite adept at penetrating militant groups and recruiting informants. Even before 9/11, government successes against militant groups had led white supremacist groups and militant animal-rights and environmentalist groups to adopt a leaderless resistance model for their violent and illegal activities.

In the post-9/11 world, intelligence and security services have dramatically increased the resources dedicated to counterterrorism, and the efforts of these services have proved very effective when focused on known organizations and individuals. Indeed, in recent years we have seen a trend where jihadist groups like AlQaeda and its franchises have encouraged aspiring militants to undertake lone wolf and small cell activities rather than travel to places like Pakistan and Yemen to link up with the groups and receive training in terrorist tradecraft.

For several years now, STRATFOR has emphasized the nature of this decentralized threat. We see no sign of this trend toward leaderless resistance reversing in the near future, and our forecast is that the grassroots threat will continue to grow, not only from the jihadist realm but also from

preters and supervisors.

Again, given the potential threat posed by known or suspected Al-Qaeda, Hezbollah or, currently, Libyan government operatives, it is understandable why so many resources would be devoted to investigating and neutralizing that potential threat. However, the problem with this focus on known actors is that it leaves very little resources for proactive counterterrorism tasks such as looking for signs of potential operational activities such as preoperational surveillance or weapons acquisition conducted by previously unknown individuals. Indeed, this is a huge undertaking for agencies with limited resources.

Furthermore, in the case of a lone wolf or small cell, there simply may not be any clear-cut chain of command, a specific building to target or a communication network to compromise - the specialties of Western intelligence agencies. The leaderless-resistance organization is, by design, nebulous and hard to map and quantify.

This lack of structure and communication poses a problem for Western counterterrorism agencies, as Breivik accurately noted in his manifesto. Also, since this grassroots threat emanates from a large variety of actors, it is impossible to profile potential militants based on race, religion or ethnicity. Instead, their actions must be scrutinized.

Grassroots Defenders All grassroots militants engage in activities that make their plots vulnerable to detection. Due to the limited number of dedicated counterterrorism practitioners, these mistakes are far more likely to be witnessed by someone other than an FBI or MI5 agent. This fact highlights the impor-

OSLO: Workers remove flowers and candles, placed in front of Oslo Cathedral in memory of the victims of the July 22 attacks in Oslo, Norway. — AP beries, kidnappings, white-collar crime, cyber crimes and public corruption.

The resources of the primary counterterrorism agencies are also quite finite. For example, the FBI has fewer than 14,000 special agents to fulfill its many responsibilities, and while counterterrorism has become its top mission in the post-9/11 era, only a portion of its agents (estimated to be between 2,500 and 3,000) are assigned to counterterrorism investigations at any one time.

Counterterrorism investigations can also be very labor intensive. Even in a case where a subject is under electronic surveillance, it takes a great deal of manpower to file all the paperwork required for the court orders, monitor the surveillance equipment and, if necessary, translate conversations picked up from the surveillance efforts and run down and/or task out additional investigative leads developed during the monitoring. Seemingly little things like conducting a “trash cover” on the subject (sifting through the trash a subject places out on the curb for evidence and intelligence) can add hours of investigative effort every week. If full physical and electronic surveillance is put in place on a subject, such a 24/7 operation can tie up as many as 100 special agents, surveillance operatives, technicians, photographers, analysts, inter-

tance of what we call grassroots defenders, that is, a decentralized network of people practicing situational awareness who notice and report possible indications of terrorist behavior such as acquiring weapons, building bombs and conducting preoperational surveillance.

Clearly, the most important pool of grassroots defenders is ordinary police officers on patrol. While there are fewer than 14,000 FBI agents in the entire United States, there are some 34,000 officers in the New York City Police Department alone and an estimated 800,000 local and state police officers across the United States. While the vast majority of these officers are not assigned primarily to investigate terrorism, they often find themselves in a position to encounter grassroots militants who make operational security errors or are in the process of committing crimes in advance of an attack, such as document fraud, illegally obtaining weapons or illegally raising funds for an attack.

In July 2005, police in Torrance, Calif., thwarted a grassroots plot that came to light during an investigation of a string of armed robberies. After arresting one suspect, Levar Haney Washington, police searching his apartment uncovered material indicating that Washington was part of a small jihadist cell that was planning to

attack a number of targets. Hezbollah’s multimillion-dollar cigarette-smuggling network was uncovered when a sharp North Carolina sheriff’s deputy found the group’s activities suspicious and tipped off the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, thus launching the massive “Operation Smokescreen” investigation.

Traffic stops by regular cops also have identified several potential grassroots jihadists. In August 2007, two Middle Eastern men stopped by a sheriff’s deputy for speeding near Goose Creek, SC, were charged with possession of a destructive device. Likewise, a traffic stop by a police officer in September 2001 in Alexandria, Va, led to an investigation that uncovered the so-called Virginia Jihad Network. At the time of the 9/11 attacks, the operation’s leader, Mohamed Atta, was the subject of an outstanding bench warrant for failing to appear in court after being stopped for driving without a license. More recently, in May 2011 we saw the New York Police Department disrupt an alleged jihadist plot. Then in June, the Seattle Police Department detected a plot that it thwarted with the cooperation of the FBI. Both of these plots were disrupted during the weapons-acquisition phase.

In some countries, networks have been established to promote this concept of heightened local-police vigilance and to provide training for officers and crime analysts. The US government has established something it calls the National Suspicious Activity Reporting Initiative, which is an attempt to provide local police with training to optimize their situational awareness and to help them collect and analyze information pertaining to potential terroristplanning activity and then to share that information with other agencies enrolled in the program. However, the initiative has only a handful of state and local law enforcement agencies participating at the present time.

But police are not the only grassroots defenders. Other people such as neighbors, store clerks, landlords and motel managers can also find themselves in a position to notice operational planning activities. Such activities can include purchasing bombmaking components and firearms, creating improvised explosive mixtures and conducting preoperational surveillance. On July 27, 2011, an alert clerk at a gun store in Killeen, Texas, called the local police after a man who came into the store to buy smokeless powder exhibited an unusual demeanor. They located the individual and after questioning him learned he was planning to detonate an improvised explosive device and conduct an armed assault against a local Killeen restaurant popular with soldiers from nearby Fort Hood. The clerk’s situational awareness and his decision to call the police likely saved many lives.

And it’s important to remember than an alert street vendor was the first person to sound the alarm in the failed May 2010 Times Square bombing attempt, and it was a concerned family member who provided authorities with the information to thwart a planned November 2010 attack against a Christmas tree lighting ceremony in Portland, Oregon.

Ordinary citizens exercising situational awareness can and have saved lives. This reality has been the driving force behind programs like the New York Police Department’s “If You See Something, Say Something” campaign. This program was subsequently adopted by the US Department of Homeland Security as a means of encouraging citizens to report potential terrorist behavior.

There is one other factor to consider. As we have previously discussed, counterterrorism spending comes in a perceptible boom-and-bust cycle. Next month will mark the 10th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks. Since those attacks there has not been a successful large-scale terrorist attack on U.S. soil. This, along with the budget problems the United States is facing, will increase the current downward trend of counterterrorism funding in the United States and accentuate the need for more grassroots defenders. — Stratfor

Focus

Critics of polls disrespect the Arab public opinion

By Dr James J Zogby ritics’ reactions to polling results can sometimes be as interesting and disturbing- as the results themselves. During the month of July, we released the findings of a six nation survey of Arab public opinion on topics ranging from the standing of the US two years after President Obama’s celebrated Cairo University speech, to evolving Arab attitudes toward Iran, and the expectations created by the “Arab Spring”. The essential findings shouldn’t have been a surprise to anyone. US favorable ratings across the Arab World are lower than they were in 2008, the last year of the Bush Administration; Attitudes toward Iran have plummeted, dropping in almost every Arab country since 2006; and Expectations for the “Arab Spring” were high, but so too was regional nervousness, and a prevailing “wait and see” attitude toward the changes underway.

However when the hard data of these findings ran up against the ideological convictions or political aspirations of some, their responses were both predictable and troubling. In some cases there were those who “cherry-picked” the findings they liked, while ignoring the rest, in an effort to buttress their ideological positions. And then there were those who, finding results with which they couldn’t agree, decided that it was easier to “shoot” or at least try to discredit “the messenger”.

It was in reaction to the findings about America’s current standing in the Arab World that the “cherry pickers” had their day. Right wing newspapers here in the US could barely disguise their glee. Casting off the pretense of super-patriotism, they appeared to take delight in the increase in America’s unfavorable ratings, making the unsupportable claim that the poll demonstrated that “Bush was better”. In fact, what our history of polling in the Arab World shows, if anything, is that the policies of the Bush Administration deeply damaged the US image across the Middle East.

Torture, Guantanamo, Abu Ghraib, Iraq, and the devastation of Gaza and Lebanon were unforgettable policies that marked the Bush era. It was because Arabs expected that Obama would change all of this that US ratings soared in 2009. But with the realization that the new President could not or would not be able to make those changes, US ratings have sharply dropped. Expectations raised and then let down can be quite devastating-but nowhere is there an Arab cry to “bring back Bush”. The holes Bush dug were so deep and the damage he did was so great that the Arab World and the US will be living with the consequences of his policies for a long time to come.

Strange reaction to the Iran findings came from the other side of the political spectrum. Being unable or unwilling to accept the fact that Arab attitudes toward Iran have been in steady decline since 2006, critics have chosen to take shots at the poll itself. It has alternately been accused of being funded by the Saudi Foreign Ministry or the Israelis. One critic called me a “stooge of Bahrain”, while another suggested that in releasing this data, we were laying the ground work for an attack on Iran.

Why should it be so surprising that Arab attitudes toward Iran are in decline? In 2006 and 2008, these attitudes were largely being shaped in reaction to US and Israeli actions in the region. The situation in Iraq was at its bloody worst. And Israel’s devastating assault on Lebanon was still taking its horrifying toll.

Back then, Iran was seen as standing in defiance to both Israel and the US, with both using bellicose language to regularly denounce Iran-Bush going so far in one series of speeches as to conflate Al-Qaeda and Iran, even comparing Iran to the Soviet Union, as if it was its equal in managing a world-wide revolution. As a result, Iran’s standing was bound to rise among a deeply alienated and angry Arab population.

Much has changed since then, most especially: Turkey’s rise as a regional challenger to Israel; the Iranian regime’s internal disarray and brutal repression of their own “Green Movement”; the “Arab Spring” creating a more self-confident mindset among many in the Arab World; concern, as our poll demonstrates, with Iran’s meddling in Iraq and Lebanon, and (among some Arabs) Bahrain; and the fact that a distracted Washington, has turned its attention somewhat away from Iran toward other regional concerns.

Given all this, it is logical that Iran, increasingly seen on its own terms and judged by its own behavior, would suffer a significant decline in support. Or one could simply dismiss the whole exercise as a ploy of the Saudi Foreign Ministry, Bahrain, or Israel - which, this poll, most certainly, was not! The Arab Spring results should also have not been surprising. In most countries, respondents displayed high expectations for the future. But in response to the question “is the Arab World better off or worse off following the uprising” pluralities in almost every country said that “it was too early to tell”.

Critics replied that the poll was “pouring cold water” on the “Arab Spring”, with some suggesting that these results served the goals of “the regimes” that had been overthrown or discredited by the revolts. In fact, these responses were quite logical given the uncertainty that exists across the region. With Egypt and Tunisia struggling to get their economies and governance on track, and with events in Libya, Yemen, and Syria exacting a daily bloody toll, is it no wonder that “too early to tell” would be the reaction of many? But expectations remain high, and this strikes both a positive and a cautionary note since these regional aspirations must now be met-or face a letdown that could produce negative consequences all their own.

Which brings me back to my initial point about the polling and the various ways critics respond to numbers they don’t like and won’t try to understand. It’s always easier to pick the numbers with which you agree, and ignore the ones with which you don’t agree or to simply try to discredit the poll in toto. But the danger in both approaches is that they ignore realityand the reality here is one that demands attention.

When over 4,000 Arabs from Morocco to the Arab Gulf States are asked their views about critical issues of importance to the region and to peace, it is important that they be heard and understood. For too long, Arabs have been ignored. Polling opens a window, letting Arab voices be heard. There is a danger in ignoring what they are saying.

C

SUNDAY, AUGUST 7, 2011

sp orts

Lochte eyes Phelps record SAN FRANCISCO: The lure of trying to beat Michael Phelps’ record of eight Olympic gold medals is becoming an irresistible goal for Ryan Loche, who has now surpassed his fellow American as the world’s best all-round swimmer. Lochte has no idea whether he, or anyone else, will ever eclipse Phelps’ golden haul from Beijing but that has not stopped him from at least considering the challenge. “What he (Phelps) did in Beijing was just out of this world, never been done before, it was amazing,” Lochte told Reuters in an interview.

“I don’t know if people can duplicate what he did or can do even better but I’ll tell you this though, I’m trying.”

Lochte, who won five gold medals and a bronze at last week’s world championships in Shanghai to cement his place as the top swimmer in the world, is now contemplating adding more events to his busy programme for next year’s London Olympics. He still has not decided on exactly how many he will swim, although the numbers swirling around his head are already mind-boggling.—Reuters

Springboks recalls 15 players JOHANNESBURG: South Africa World Cup winners Bryan Habana, Fourie du Preez and Francois Steyn were among 15 players recalled to the Tri Nation’s squad on Friday as the Springboks look to avenge heavy defeats against Australia and New Zealand. Twenty front-line players missed the overseas leg of the Tri Nations campaign because of injury and in their absence South Africa lost 39-20 to the Wallabies in Sydney and 40-7 to the All Blacks in Wellington.

Springboks coach Peter de Villiers is hoping the return of wing Habana, scrumhalf Du Preez, utility back Steyn plus locks Bakkies Botha and Victor Matfield will produce better results although six players are still on the

injured list, including flanks Schalk Burger, Juan Smith and Willem Alberts. “We still have a number of injury concerns but the majority of the players who were in rehabilitation have recovered well and are now available for selection,” De Villiers said in a statement. “It’s very satisfying to see that Victor Matfield and Bakkies Botha have now largely overcome their injuries but they still require management as we have a shortage of fit locks at the moment. “We also have injury problems among the loose forwards but I am hopeful that all of the four who are not currently in the playing squad will be ready for selection by the time of the World Cup (later this year).”—Reuters

Trott out of England squad LONDON: Batsman Jonathan Trott has been left out of the England squad for the third Test against India after failing to recover from a shoulder injury, the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) announced yesterday.

Trott, who was therefore omitted from the 13-man squad, will be replaced by Ravi Bopara, rather than the uncapped James Taylor, who had been touted as a possible replacement for a match that starts at Birmingham’s Edgbaston ground on Wednesday after impressing for the second string England Lions this season.

England have also named Steven Finn as fastbowling cover for Chris Tremlett, who is expected to be fit after suffering from hamstring trouble and back spasms.

Trott sustained the injury diving in the field during England’s 319-run victory over India in the second Test at Nottingham that left the hosts 2-0 up in the four-match series. Should England win again at Edgbaston they will replace India at the top of the ICC’s Test Championship table. —AFP

Phillies down Giants

BOSTON: New York Yankees closer Mariano Rivera delivers during the ninth inning of a baseball game against the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park.—AP

Yankees edge Red Sox BOSTON: The New York Yankees reclaimed the leadership of the American League East division with a 3-2 win over the Boston Red Sox on Friday in the opening game of another vital series between the archrivals.

The win gave New York the division lead for the first time in a month and was only its second win in 10 games between the teams this season. Yankees reliever Boone Logan (3-2) struck out Adrian Gonzalez with the bases loaded to end the fifth inning, and New York responded, with Nick Swisher getting an RBI double off Jon Lester (11-5) to put the visitors ahead. Yankees closer Mariano Rivera pitched the ninth for his 29th save.

Rangers 8, Indians 7 In Arlington, Josh Hamilton drove in the winning run with a two-out infield single in the 11th inning, lifting Texas over Cleveland.

Elvis Andrus sparked the game-ending rally with a two-out bunt single against Rafael Perez (4-2). Andrus advanced to second on Perez ’s wild pitch, and Hamilton hit a soft grounder to shortstop Asdrubal Cabrera.

Hamilton slid headfirst into first, beating Cabrera’s throw. Andrus never stopped after rounding third and beat the one-hop throw to the plate. Texas’ Neftali Feliz (1-2) pitched 1 2-3 scoreless innings for the win.

Angels 1, Mariners 0 In Anaheim, Jered Weaver struck out eight in nine innings in his first start since he was suspended for throwing at a batter, setting up Los Angeles’ tight win over Seattle.

Torii Hunter led off the 10th with a single against rook ie Dan Cor tes (0-2), advanced on a wild pitch and came home when Vernon Wells lined a pitch to leftcenter. The victory ended Seattle’s threegame winning streak and sent the Mariners to their 17th loss in their past 19 games at Angel Stadium. Angels closer Jordan Walden (3-3) pitched a perfect inning for the win.

Rays 8, Athletics 4 In St. Petersburg, Tampa Bay starter Jeff Niemann pitched into the ninth inning to guide the Rays past Oakland. Niemann (64) gave up four runs in 8-2/3 innings and

was replaced after a couple of runs. He won his fifth consecutive decision since returning from a back injury.

Evan Longoria and Casey Kotchman both had run-scoring doubles, and Matt Joyce hit an RBI single in the fifth that put the Rays up 4-0. Athletics starter Guillermo Moscoso (4-6) gave up four runs in 4 2-3 innings.

Tigers 4, Royals 3 In Kansas City, Brennan Boesch hit a go-ahead RBI single in the 10th inning to lift Detroit past K ansas City. Wilson Betemit led off the inning with a walk and Andy Dirks took second on a wild pitch by Aaron Crow (3-3) with one out. Tigers reliever Daniel Schlereth (1-1) worked two scoreless innings and Jose Valverde pitched the bottom of the 10th for his 31st straight save.

Austin Jackson and Boesch opened the game with back-to-back triples in Detroit’s two-run first inning. Alex Avila tacked on a solo homer in the fifth.

White Sox 5, Twins 3 In Minneapolis, Chicago snapped a sixgame losing skid, beating Minnesota.

Carlos Quentin had two home runs and four RBIs. It was his 14th career multihomer game, and the two-run shot in the fifth off starter Nick Blackburn (7-9) gave Chicago the lead for good.

White Sox starter Mark Buehrle (9-5) was sharp after a rough first inning, allowing four hits over eight innings, extending his streak of allowing three runs or fewer to 17 straight games. He retired 22 of the last 24 hitters he faced.

Blue Jays 5, Orioles 4 In Baltimore, Brett Lawrie got two hits and an RBI in his major league debut, helping Toronto edge Baltimore. Lawrie, who is the 17th Canadian to play for the Blue Jays, hit a run-scoring single in his first at-bat and singled in the eighth inning, missing a chance for a second RBI when Colby Rasmus was thrown out at the plate.

Aaron Hill drove in two runs for Toronto. Blue Jays starter Brad Mills (1-1) allowed four hits in 5 1-3 innings to earn his second big league win. Tommy Hunter (1-2) gave up four runs in four innings for the Orioles.—AP

SAN FRANCISCO: A bench-clearing brawl marred Philadelphia’s 9-2 win over the San Franciso Giants on Friday as the Phillies made it eight straight wins in the National League.

Philadelphia’s Shane Victorino and San Francisco’s Ramon Ramirez and Eli Whiteside all were ejected after benches cleared in the top of the sixth inning. Tempers flared after Ramirez hit Victorino in the back with a pitch. Victorino began walking toward the mound and Whiteside, the catcher, stepped in front of him.

Placido Polanco raced in from second base and was tackled by Whiteside.

John Mayberry Jr. hit a two-run homer for his second clout in two games, while Victorino and Hunter Pence also went long for the Phillies.

Philadelphia starter Vance Worley (8-1) won his sixth straight decision, allowing two runs in seven innings, striking out six and walking only one.

Giants starter Jonathan Sanchez (4-6) lasted 4 2-3 innings.

Braves 4, Mets 1 In New York, Dan Uggla extended his career-best hitting streak to 26 games with a two-run single in the eighth inning, as Atlanta beat New York. Rookie Freddie Freeman doubled twice to run his own hitting streak to 19 games, a personal best, while Braves starter Tim Hudson (117) allowed three hits in seven innings.

Jose Constanza had an RBI triple and Michael Bourn a sacrifice fly for Atlanta off R.A. Dickey (5-10).

Constanza also made two acrobatic catches to deny Jose Reyes and Jason Heyward also made a diving grab.

The Mets los their fifth straight and fell nine games behind the wild cardleading Braves.

Cardinals 3, Marlins 2 In Miami, Lance Berkman’s second double of the game brought in the winning run in the eighth inning to lead St. Louis over Florida.

Albert Pujols doubled off Florida starter Anibal Sanchez (6-5) to lead off the inning, and Berkman drove Sanchez’s final pitch of the game into center field to put St. Louis on top.

Matt Holliday hit his 18th home run for St. Louis. Mitchell Boggs (1-3) threw a scoreless seventh for the win, and Lance Lynn struck out Mike Stanton with the bases loaded to end the game and seal his first majorleague save.

SAN FRANCISCO: Giants catcher Eli Whiteside, 22, tackles Philadelphia Phillies’ Placido Polanco, 27, during a brawl in the sixth inning of their game.—AP Dodgers 7, D’backs 4 In Phoenix, Rod Barajas homered and drove in three runs as Los Angeles prevented Arizona taking the NL West lead. The Dodgers matched a season-high with six runs in the third inning off Josh Collmenter (6-7) and escaped a big jam in the seventh when shortstop Dee Gordon made a rally-killing diving catch, turning a bases-loaded line drive into an inning-ending double play. Los Angeles starter Chad Billingsley (10-9) pitched effectively before running into trouble late, while Casey Blake had three of his team’s 11 hits.

Nationals 5, Rockies 3 In Denver, Ian Desmond had four hits, including a liner that hit Colorado pitcher Juan Nicasio in the head, to lead Washington over the Rockies. Nicasio was struck in the second inning. The ball slammed into the right side of his head and rebounded off past the first-base line.

Nicasio (4-4) was taken to the hospital where he was undergoing tests, the Rockies announced. Michael Morse homered, Rick Ankiel had

three hits and Ryan Zimmerman and Danny Espinosa had two hits each for Washington. Nationals starter Jordan Zimmermann (7-9) allowed just two hits through the first five innings.

Padres 15, Pirates 5 In Pittsburgh, Chase Headley’s grand slam highlighted San Diego’s first four-homer game of the season, as the Padres handed Pittsburgh its eighth straight loss.

Headley’s shot capped a six-run fourth inning and was the Padres’ first grand slam of the season. Kyle Blanks, Aaron Cunningham and Jesus Guzman also homered for San Diego, which has won seven consecutive games at PNC Park.

Will Venable had three hits, two runs and two RBIs, Cameron Maybin added three hits and scored two runs and Luis Martinez had three RBIs for San Diego.

Padrews starter Aaron Haring (103) won despite allowing 13 hits in five innings. Pittsburgh’s Jeff Karstens (86) gave up nine earned runs in 3 1-3 innings.

Cubs 4, Reds 3 In Chicago, Tony Campana drove

New HGH tests praised by anti-doping chiefs

MLB results/standings Major League Baseball results on Friday.

Chicago Cubs 4, Cincinnati 3; Toronto 5, Baltimore 4; San Diego 15, Pittsburgh 5; NY Yankees 3, Boston 2; Tampa Bay 8, Oakland 4; St. Louis 3, Florida 2; Atlanta 4, NY Mets 1; Texas 8, Cleveland 7 (11 innings); Milwaukee 8, Houston 1; Detroit 4, Kansas City 3 (10 Innings); Chicago White Sox 5, Minnesota 3; Washington 5, Colorado 3; La Dodgers 7, Arizona 4; LA Angels 1, Seattle 0 (10 innings); Philadelphia 9, San Francisco 2.

American League National League Eastern Division Eastern Division Philadelphia 73 39 .652 W L PCT GB Atlanta 65 48 .575 8.5 NY Yankees 69 42 .622 NY Mets 55 56 .495 17.5 Boston 68 43 .613 1 Florida 55 57 .491 18 Tampa Bay 59 52 .532 10 Washington 54 58 .482 19 Toronto 57 55 .509 12.5 Central Division Baltimore 43 66 .394 25 Milwaukee 63 50 .558 Central Division St. Louis 60 53 .531 3 Detroit 60 52 .536 Pittsburgh 54 57 .486 8 Cleveland 55 55 .500 4 Cincinnati 54 58 .482 8.5 Chicago 53 58 .477 6.5 Chicago Cubs 48 65 .425 15 Minnesota 51 61 .455 9 Houston 37 75 .330 25.5 Kansas City 48 64 .429 12 Western Division Western Division San Francisco 62 51 .549 Texas 63 50 .558 Arizona 61 51 .545 .5 LA Angels 62 51 .549 1 Colorado 52 61 .460 10 Oakland 49 63 .438 13.5 LA Dodgers 51 60 .459 10 Seattle 48 63 .432 14 San Diego 49 64 .434 13

in two runs with an inside-the-park homer to help Chicago edge Cincinnati and win its sixth straight.

It was the first major league homer for Campana, who also singled and doubled. He became the first Cub to hit an inside-the-park shot at Wrigley Field for his first homer. Chicago starter Ryan Dempster (9-8) matched his season worst with six walks, but held the Reds to four hits in six innings. Carlos Marmol got three outs for his 24th save. Reds starter Mike Leake (9-7) allowed three runs in six innings. He had an RBI single.

Brewers 8, Astros 1 In Houston, Milwaukee got its ninth win in 10 games by downing Houston. Brewers starter Yovani Gallardo (13-7) allowed one run over eight innings to take his seventh straight decision over the Astros.

Corey Hart homered in the sixth inning to stretch Milwaukee’s lead to 7 -1. The Brewers got a quick 3-0 lead off J.A. Happ (4-14) in the first inning on an RBI double by Ryan Braun, who had three hits, and a two-run single

by Casey McGehee.—AP

Sue Bird of Seattle Storm in action

Storm defeat Sun SEATTLE: Sue Bird hit a 3-pointer with 0.4 seconds left to give the Seattle Storm a 8179 win over the Connecticut Sun in the WNBA on Friday. Bird, who finished with 20 points, received an inbound pass from Katie Smith and hit the 3 from the top of the arc as defending champion Seattle (128) moved into sole possession of second place in the Western Conference.

Tanisha Wright added 18 points for the Storm, who won three in a row for the first time this season. Tina Charles had scored on a putback with 3.1 seconds left to put the Sun up by a point before Seattle called timeout to set up the winning shot. Renee Montgomery scored 19 points to lead

Connecticut, which had won six of seven.

Fever 85, Shock 65 In Tulsa, Indiana opened a two-game lead atop the Eastern Conference while condemning Tulsa to a franchise recordtying 13th straight loss.

Jessica Davenport scored 17 points and Tamika Catchings had 15 for the Fever, who have won five straight. Tiffany Jackson and Jennifer Lacy scored 12 points each for the Shock, who tied the team mark set in 2002, when they were in Detroit. Jackson scored Tulsa’s final four points to eclipse 1,000 for her career. The Shock trailed from the outset, shooting 4 for 18 in the first quarter while trailing 22-12—AP

TORONTO: The National Football League’s decision to test for human growth hormone (HGH) was applauded by anti-doping crusaders on Friday for putting pressure on other North American professional leagues to step up their drug-testing efforts. In ratifying a new collective bargaining agreement on Thursday, the NFL became the first major U.S. professional sports league to use blood testing for HGH, bringing the league closer to international standards.

The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) welcomed the news. “The NFL collective agreement that allows for HGH testing of their players is a positive development in the fight against doping in sport,” WADA director general David Howman told Reuters. “It is vital that HGH testing is increased and the NFL’s example will hopefully encourage other sports federations to follow suit.”

While the NFL provided few details about their testing procedures, the decision to start testing was regarded as a major breakthrough given that North American sports have traditionally been reluctant to embrace doping tests and impose punishments.

Last year, Major League Baseball (MLB) implemented random blood testing for HGH in the minor leagues, but has yet to introduce it at the major league level. Tougher drug-testing was also on the agenda in the ongoing talks between the National Basketball Association (NBA) and their players association over a new collective bargaining agreement while the National Hockey League (NHL) has had meetings with WADA about beefing up its testing, which will also be part of its next contract negotiations.

Former-WADA boss Dick Pound, who had a long running battle with the commissioners of the big four North American leagues, also viewed NFL testing for HGH as a positive development. But he said he wanted to wait and see how it was applied, and whether it included random, unannounced out-of-competition testing, before giving it his full stamp of approval. “It’s progress,” Pound told Reuters. “I haven’t seen anything that tells you how it will get organized or applied but it is a step forward. “But it’s one of these things where you can have the program and say, ‘OK now we’re testing for HGH we’re the leaders in professional sport’”. —Reuters

A

y

e niv rsar n

Years

17

SUNDAY, AUGUST 7, 2011

S P ORT S

Fowler shares Firestone lead

RENO: Vaughn Taylor watches his tee shot on 18 during the second round of the Reno-Tahoe Open golf tournament. —AP

Taylor ahead at Reno-Tahoe Open RENO: Vaughn Taylor, whose only two career wins on the PGA tour have come at the Reno-Tahoe Open, is making a claim to take a third after a 6-under-par 66 on Friday gave him a one-shot lead.

Taylor had an eagle and four birdies, then parred the last five holes to move to 9-under 135 at Montreux Golf & Country Club, where his victories in 2004 and 2005 make him the 13-year-old tournament’s only two-time winner.

“It’s good to come back to a place you’ve played well,” said Taylor. “I’m sure those other guys would say the same thing,” he said. “A lot of good memories, a lot of good vibes, and you almost feel like you kind of pick up where you left off.”

Taylor is a stroke ahead of Will McKenzie (69). Steve Flesch, the 2007 champion, shot a 69 and is tied for third with Hunter Haas (67) and first-round leader Nick O’Hern (72).

“It’s fun to just get back in contention,” said Flesch, who also won at Turning Stone in 2007 for his fourth career victory but hasn’t won since. “I’ve been playing so poorly for three years now. It was fun too actually see my name up there.”

Steve Elkington birdied four of his last five holes for a 65 to get to 6-under 138 in a group that includes 2002 Reno champ Chris Riley (72) and Notah Begay III (67), the winner of the inaugural tourney in 1999 and who made his first cut in two years.

“I’m usually going home after the first two rounds,” Begay said. “But it feels good. I played great. My putting has been fabulous.”

“You come back, good memories, past champion, people remember you and they cheer for you and it kind of gives you good energy,” he said.

His group at 6-under also includes Roland Thatcher (67) along with Michael Thompson (68) and Robert Garrigus, Jay Williamson and Rod Pampling, who all shot 70.

They were all trailing Taylor, who holed out from a greenside bunker on the first hole, made a 20-foot birdie putt on the par-5 second hole and added a 25-foot birdie on the par-3 11th. He

drove the ball 302 yards on the 518-yard 13th, then hit a 5-iron stiff from about 210 yards to set up the short eagle putt.

“It ended up about three or four feet from the hole and those are always nice to have for eagle,” Taylor said. He credited a switch to a “spinnier ball” for part of his success on the 7,472-yard mountain course where the ball typically travels about 10 percent farther than at sea level.

“You need it to stay in the air in the altitude,” he said about one of the many calculations required to determine yardages often in swirling wind. “The caddie does all the math, and we decide on clubs together. It’s too difficult to do on your own.”

MacKenzie, who followed an opening 67 with a 69, said even a little bit of wind can make the course play much harder.

“You’re judging so much - 10 percent air quality, elevation changes and then we’ll throw in the wind and the greens dry out. It’s really difficult to get close to the hole,” he said.

Garrigus ranks third on tour averaging 310 yards per drive but even he’s getting a kick out of the added length. “I know I hit it far already, but it’s extra special when you can hit a tee shot 400 yards and you don’t really have to do much,” he said. “I can hit 3 wood off the tees on the par 5s and still get to them in two and some of them are 600 yards.”

Elkington birdied three of the four par 5s, settling for par when he missed a 20footer on the 620-yard 18th. “You’ve got to play those holes well if you want to shoot low,” he said.

Haas birdied all four of the longest holes and had looks at eagle putts on three of them, including the 18th when he drove the ball 311 yards then hit his approach 310 yards to inside 28 feet.

“It makes the round a little easier when you’re hitting good approach shots from 270, 280, 300 yards,” Haas said. He said the problem is “trusting that distance.” “You’re hitting a pitching wedge from 175 yards or something like that. You’re used to hitting a pitching wedge 140. That’s kind of hard to trust,” Haas said. “It’s a guessing game sometimes.” —AP

Haas, Huston leave pack behind BLAINE: Jay Haas reeled off four straight birdies to complete a round of 8-under 64 on Friday, taking a share of the lead with John Huston after the first round of the 3M Championship.

Haas, who also recorded a hole-in-one earlier in the round, recorded successive bogeys when he missed short putts on No. 13 and 14 but immediately got back in the groove by sinking a 30-foot putt on No. 15 to start his strong finish.

“That was huge because I’d gone back to 4-under and I was a little disappointed to be only 4-under at that stage because I played pretty well,” Haas said. “I’d been playing beautifully. I was frustrated that I’d given two shots back, but at the same time I felt if I kept playing this way I’m going to get some more chances.”

He hit a wedge to about 5 feet on No. 16, and a 6-iron to about 15 feet on No. 17 to set up more birdies. Haas settled for birdie on the par-5 No. 18 after two-putting from about 10 feet.

“It was a very, very eventful day,” Haas said. After recording par on the first three holes, Haas’s tee shot with a 5-iron on the 184-yard fourth hole landed about a foot short and bounced into the hole. “It was probably my best shot ever that went in the hole. It was just a pretty shot from the start,” he said. “I was laughing with Mark (Calcavecchia) because he’d hit a beautiful 5-iron shot about 10 feet left of the hole, and I said walking up to the green, ‘I’d have taken your shot.’ Good shots don’t always go in the hole; great shots don’t always go in the hole.”

Haas drained a 30-footer on No. 5 to begin a string of three straight birdies.

Huston, who has one win in seven Tour starts since turning 50 on June 1, bogeyed the first hole, but made six birdies in a seven-hole span to get to 6-under after the 12th hole. He closed with two straight birdies.

“Everybody knows you’re going to have to shoot low scores here.

Fortunately, I was able to get off to a good start today and set myself set up for the weekend,” he said.

Gary Hallberg, Tom Lehman, Peter Senior and Rod Spittle were one shot back at the TPC Twin Cities. Calcavecchia, who finished second last year, was two shots back after a 66. Joining him were David Eger, Kenny Perry and Joey Sindelar.

Brad Faxon, playing in his first event on the Champions Tour, was among a group of nine players shooting 68.

Lehman, a native Minnesotan playing the tournament for the first time, birdied his first three holes, but did not get another until going back-to-back on Nos. 11 and 12.

“I was happy with the way I played. ... I drove the ball very well, my iron shots were solid and I rolled the ball decently,” he said. “It’s a good start.”

The combination of mild temperatures, high dew points and little wind meant 53 of the 80 players finished under par.

“You’re going to have to put up 20under this week,” Senior said. “I don’t think the course is going to play tough enough for the guys to have any sort of problem with it.”

Because of the nearly 2 inches of rain received in the past week, the only complaint was that balls hit off the tee would sometimes stick in the damp fairway and leave mud on the ball, reducing the player’s ability to control a second shot.

“I had four or five shots that did not go within 20, 25 yards of where I wanted them to go,” said Sindelar, who suggested lift, clean and place may want to be used if the course doesn’t dry out. Defending champion David Frost shot a 1-under 71.

No champion has defended his title in the event’s 19-year history. —AP

AKRON: While a faltering Tiger Woods failed to build on his solid start to the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational in Friday’s second round, fellow American Rickie Fowler rocketed into a four-way tie for the lead.

The long-haired Fowler, six strokes off the pace overnight, fired a sizzling six-under-par 64 at Firestone Country Club to post an eight-under total of 132 in the elite World Golf Championships (WGC) event.

Helped by an eagle at the parfour third, where he holed out with a wedge from 110 yards, the 22-year-old ended the round level with compatriots Ryan Moore (66) and PGA Tour rookie Keegan Bradley (65), and Australian Adam Scott (70).

Seven-times champion Woods, however, was unable to capitalise on the momentum of his opening 68 as he followed up with a rollercoaster 71 to lie seven off the lead on his long-awaited return to competition.

“Overall it was a lot of fun today,” said Fowler, who totalled only 21 putts while playing alongside 18-year-old Italian Matteo Manassero for the first two rounds.

“I had a couple mistakes and made four bogeys but a lot of positives and a lot of good things came out of today. I made some good putts and I’m building some confidence going into the weekend.”

First-round pacesetter Scott briefly claimed the outright lead at nine under before bogeying his final hole for a 70. “Today was a little tougher,” said the 31-year-old, who has teamed up with Woods’ former caddie Steve Williams. “I started really solid, but couldn’t make anything on the front nine.

“It’s a hard golf course, and if you’re just a little off, you get quite severely penalised. There’s no real secret that it’s not easy to

shoot a couple of 62s.”

Scott’s fellow Australian Jason Day, who fired a first-round 63, also got to eight under before he dropped a shot at the par-four 18th for a 70 and a share of fifth with Swede Robert Karlsson (65) and Britain’s Martin Laird.

On a tightly bunched leaderboard, 20 players were within four

“It was kind of just go, stop for a second, go, stop for a second,” Fowler said with a smile. “But it’s fun. Making a lot of birdies is a good thing.

“I just happened to make a couple of bad swings and mistakes there that cost me a couple of strokes, but hopefully we’ll set those aside for the

it’s coming.”

Woods, who has missed the last two majors because of leg injuries, said he had struggled with his distance control for a second day in a row.

“I got so much more compression and the ball is just going,” he said. “I’ve just got to get used to that and trust the number. I’m hit-

OHIO: Tiger Woods looks over the line of his ball in the 16th fairway during third round play in the Bridgestone Invitational golf tournament. —AP strokes of the lead in the final PGA Tour event before next week’s PGA Championship in Atlanta, the last of the year’s four majors.

Fowler, one of the game’s most exciting young prospects who is still seeking his first PGA Tour victory, surged up the leaderboard with a wild mix of eight birdies, an eagle and four bogeys.

After parring his first three holes, the Californian treated the large gallery watching the young duo to a thrilling display of superb shot-making, offset by a few blemishes.

weekend and move on.”

Woods, who made an encouraging start on Thursday in his first tournament in three months, struggled for consistency with a mixture of four birdies, three bogeys and a double bogey.

“I didn’t putt as well as I did yesterday, and consequently I just never got the round going,” the 14-times major champion said after finishing at one under.

“I know my stats don’t show it, but just the way I’m driving the golf ball ... I’m so close to putting the ball on a string, so

ting the ball numbers I’ve never hit before.”

Of the other big names, US Open champion Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland carded a second successive 68 to lie four strokes off the pace, one better than British world number one Luke Donald who struggled with his putting on the way to a 69.

Second-ranked Briton Lee Westwood had been close to the lead at six under with six holes to play but he stumbled to the finish with four bogeys to card a 71. —Reuters

Jenkins wins as Olympic course favors fleet of foot

LONDON: Australia’s Sally Pearson (right), leads with US Danielle Carruthers (centre) and Great Britain’s Tiffany Olifi-Porter (left) in the final of the women’s 100m hurdle during the Diamond League at Crystal Palace stadium. —AP

Robles wins 110 hurdles LONDON: Olympic champion Dayron Robles won his 110 meters hurdles showdown with David Oliver at Crystal Palace on Friday, but it was Grenadian teenager Kirani James who stole the limelight with a worldleading time in the 400 in his first race as a professional.

Robles laid down a marker ahead of the world championships by setting a new stadium record of 13.04 seconds, leaving American rival Oliver trailing in third.

In the last Diamond League meet before the world championships begin Aug. 27 in Daegu, South Korea, 18-year-old James burst into contention by clocking 44.61 to upstage his more experienced rivals.

Yohan Blake took advantage of the withdrawal of injured fellow Jamaican Asafa Powell with victory in the 100 in a time of 9.95 into a headwind, while world record holder David Rudisha won the 800 in 1:42.91, the fastest time ever run on British soil.

Robles and Oliver were separated by three-thousandths of a second when the Cuban won their head-to-head at the Paris Diamond League meet last month. Oliver is still the only man to go under 13 seconds this year but that came back in June and he was a distant third in London.

Robles, the world record holder, held off

Jason Richardson of the United States, who beat Oliver for the second time in a row after his Stockholm win last Friday.

“I feel very good because the time is my best this year,” Robles said. “I am working to run under 13 seconds in Daegu — I think I can do it.”

Oliver didn’t seem concerned by his performance, tweeting later: “Finish felt strong, technique felt good, got three weeks to sharpen this start and get back fresh...no worries.”

James of Grenada is the current world junior champion and set world age best times at aged 14, 15 and 17. His time at Crystal Palace beat the 44.65 set in April by fellow Grenadian Rondell Bartholomew, who could only manage seventh. Jermaine Gonzales of Jamaica was second, ahead of Chris Brown of the Bahamas.

“I’m feeling really good this shows that I’m on course for Daegu,” James said. “I just went out there and tried to improve on my time and that’s what I did.”

Blake gave Jamaican rivals Powell and Usain Bolt a warning that it may not be a straight head-to-head in Daegu by equaling his season’s best 100 time against a 1.6 meters per second headwind. Powell pulled out earlier Friday with a slight groin injury. —AP

LONDON: British former world champion Helen Jenkins raced to an impressive victory in the London leg of the triathlon world championship series yesterday to put her in great heart for next year’s Olympic race on the same Hyde Park course.

Jenkins was world champion in 2008 but had never previously won a leg of the International Triathlon Union world series. However, she broke her duck in style in front of her home fans to effectively book her place in the 2012 Games.

The Olympic course had been expected to be fast and heavily favouring the stronger runners, with no hills to break up the 40km cycling leg. It proved to be the case with a huge pack of around 50 athletes coming through the 1,500m swim in the Serpentine and the bike together.

Jenkins was right among them and used her run speed over the 10km final leg to forge clear and eventually win in two hours, 34 seconds, seven seconds ahead of America’s Gwen Jorgensen, with Anja Dittmer of Germany another eight seconds back in third.

“Oh, it hurt so much. Normally when you win you are like ‘oh yeah, its easy’, but that hurt,” Jenkins said.

“I didn’t feel great in the swim and the bike was pretty easy but my legs didn’t feel great.

“I was just trying to follow my team mate Kerry Lang. I was just trying to sit with her as she’s riding really well and then I hit the run and I thought, I’ll just see how I can do. But I had to keep pushing right to the end.”

Jorgensen proved the fastest run split of the day 33 minutes 43 seconds - to secure her place on the Unites States team having been spotted in athletics and fast-tracked into the sport by USA Triathlon.

“It really is surreal and give credit for USAT for coming to me, I mean I wouldn’t have even known about this without them, so it’s awesome,” she said.

Dittmer snatched third in a mass sprint finish to become the first athlete to qualify for all four Olympic Games triathlons after the sport was first held in Sydney 2000.

The men’s event is today when 2010 world champion Alistair Brownlee is favourite to complete a British weekend double. —Reuters

India track will be ready, says chief MUMBAI: India’s motor sports chief has dismissed concerns about the readiness of the track for the country’s Formula One debut in October but is unhappy about reports the race could be shifted to the stifling heat of April next season.

Subject to a final inspection, the Indian Grand Prix will be held at the Buddh International Circuit, about 40 kilometres from New Delhi, on Oct. 30.

Media reports have said that Formula One supremo Bernie Ecclestone has proposed an April slot for the 2012 race.

“I am not happy with April because it’s going to be hot,” Vicky Chandhok, president of the Federation of Motor Sports Clubs of India, told Reuters in an interview.

“But if we have to go in April we will go. But I really think that the ideal dates for India are when it’s cooler. Maybe March or you go to October,

November, December.”

Temperatures in Delhi usually hover around 40 degrees in April. It gets hotter in May. “In Delhi there is no humidity, it’s not that high. You are racing in Malaysia where the humidity is higher,” Chandhok, father of Lotus driver Karun, said with a grin.

The International Automobile Federation (FIA) has postponed the final inspection of the circuit by a month to Sept. 1 but Chandhok allayed fears that there was a delay in construction and said the issue was purely “logistical.”

“Purely administrative reasons. Track advisor Charlie Whiting, who has been here three-four times, asked us ‘doesn’t it make logical sense for me to combine it with Korea?’”, Chandhok said.

“He is visiting Korea at the end of this month.

On his way back he is flying over Delhi. So he

will stop over at Delhi as it will make logical sense for the FIA. “We said we are fine with it. It’s purely procedural and a matter of convenience for the date of inspection. Nothing else.”

The 5.14-km track would be one of the fastest circuits in the world and would encourage overtaking, said Chandhok, who was in Mumbai for the launch of a racing venture modelled on citybased franchises.

“I have been to every single racetrack in the world. It’s going to be one of the fastest circuits in the world,” he said. “1.2 km straight and three corners that have now been redefined.

They are following the new FIA guidelines to encourage overtaking. “I think it’s going to be phenomenal. There will be lot of scope of overtaking.” —Reuters

A

y

e niv rsar n

Years

18

SUNDAY, AUGUST 7, 2011

SPORTS

England hold off Wales

SRI LANKA: Australia’s batsman David Warner plays a shot as Sri Lankan fielder Jeevan Mendis (right) looks on during the first Twenty20 cricket match. —AP

Dilshan hits century in Sri Lanka victory PALLEKELE: Tillakaratne Dilshan hammered a maiden Twenty20 century to set up Sri Lanka’s 35-run victory over Australia in the opening match yesterday. The captain made a 57-ball 104 not out, smashing five sixes and 12 fours in a superb display of hard and clean hitting to help his team post a challenging 1983 in the day-night match at the Pallekele International Stadium.

Australia were restricted to 163-8, with opener David Warner top-scoring with a 31-ball 53 with the help of two sixes and six fours.

Sri Lanka virtually wrapped up the match when they reduced Australia to 63-4 in the opening nine overs, with debutant off-spinner Dilruwan Perera doing the maximum damage with three wickets.

Dilshan needed 16 runs to complete his hundred in the last over bowled by paceman Mitchell Johnson, but struck

two sixes and as many fours. His second fifty came off just 16 deliveries.

The Sri Lankan captain and Jeevan Mendis (29 not out off 19 balls) plundered 104 runs in the last 7.3 overs to help their team set a stiff target.

Dilshan, who also added 52 for the third wicket with Kumar Sangakkara (30), went for big shots after 15 overs, hitting four boundaries in an over from seamer John Hastings and then two sixes and as many fours off Shane Watson.

Sangakkara was batting confidently before driving Watson straight to skipper Cameron White at mid-wicket. He hit four boundaries in his 22-ball knock.

Fast bowlers Brett Lee, Johnson and Watson each took one wicket. The second and final Twenty20 game will be played at the same venue tomorrow.

Australia will also play five one-day internationals and three Tests on their tour.—AFP

SCOREBOARD PALLEKELE, Sri Lanka: Complete scoreboard of the first Twenty20 match between Sri Lanka and Australia at the Pallekele International Stadium yesterday:

Sri Lanka: M. Jayawardene b Lee 11 T. Dilshan not out 104 D. Chandimal hit wkt b Johnson 11 K. Sangakkara c White b Watson 30 J. Mendis not out 29 Extras (lb7, w6) 13 Total (for three wickets; 20 overs) 198 Fall of wickets: 1-12 (Jayawardene), 2-42 (Chandimal), 3-94 (Sangakkara).

Bowling: Lee 4-0-38-1 (w2), O’Keefe 3-018-0 (w1), Johnson 4-0-47-1 (w1), Hastings 3-0-34-0 (w2), Smith 2-0-13-0, Watson 4-0-41-1.

Australia: S. Watson b Kulasekara D. Warner c Dilshan b Kulasekara S. Marsh lbw b Perera

10 53 4

D. Hussey b Perera 6 C. White b Perera 7 S. Smith st Sangakkara b Herath 12 B. Haddin run out 7 M. Johnson not out 22 S. O’Keefe b Lakmal 22 J. Hastings not out 14 Extras (lb1, w5) 6 Total (for eight wickets; 20 overs) 163 Fall of wickets: 1-18 (Watson), 2-39 (Marsh), 3-49 (Hussey), 4-63 (White), 5-89 (Smith), 6-103 (Haddin), 7-105 (Warner), 8-144 ( O’Keefe).

Bowling: Kulasekara 4-0-39-2 (w3), Lakmal 3-0-23-1 (w1), Perera 4-0-26-3 (w1), Prasad 3-0-37-0, Dilshan 3-0-26-0, Herath 3-0-11-1.

Result: Sri Lanka win by 35 runs

LONDON: England held off a spirited Wales 23-19 at Twickenham here yesterday to win their opening World Cup warm-up match. But both sides suffered injuries just weeks before the showpiece tournament in New Zealand.

Wales outscored England three tries to two, coming from 20-7 behind to set up a grandstand finish when wing George North crossed for the second of his two scores with four minutes left.

But, not for the first time, England great Jonny Wilkinson’s kicking proved the difference in the scores with the fly-half landing two conversions, a penalty and two dropgoals in front of a crowd of more than 80,000.

Wales had earlier seen Morgan Stoddart carried off on a stretcher before England captain Lewis Moody, who missed the Six Nations, also exited in the second half with what looked like a recurrence of the flanker’s knee injury. Wales suffered a setback shortly before kick-off when veteran fly-half Stephen Jones had to pull out through injury on the verge of winning what would have been a Welsh record 101st cap.

Full-back Rhys Priestland moved to No 10 with Stoddart coming off the bench to fill Wales’s last line of defence. England took a fifth minute lead through Wilkinson, starting in place of Toby Flood, after Wales were penalised for not releasing in the tackle.

But Wales scored the first try of the match.

They kicked a penalty close to the England line to set up an attacking line-out and then regained possession.

Centre Jamie Roberts tried to barrel his way over from close range but was repelled

by England, wearing an all-black away kit that has angered New Zealand fans, even though they were at home.

However, Wales recycled the ball out wide on the right where Stoddart’s pass created the space for North to go over for a 17th minute try.

Priestland, taking over from Jones as Wales’s goalkicker, added the tricky conversion and Wales were 7-3 in front. But seven minutes later, England regained the lead with a converted try of their own.

England full-back Delon Armitage, making his first Test appearance since November, regathered from Wales No 8 Toby Faletau’s hack and counter-attacked.

He was bundled into touch but Wales’s tap-back from the ensuing lineout was too strong and they conceded a five-metre scrum.

England then cleverly wheeled the scrum to creat a gap on the blindside which No 8 James Haskell exploited to score a try.

The hosts then laid siege to Wales’s line but were unable to profit from it until Wilkinson, reviving memories of his matchwinning score in the 2003 World Cup final, kicked a drop-goal to leave England 13-7 in

LONDON: England’s Tom Croft (right) and Wales’ Bradley Davies vie for the ball in a lineout during the international rugby union match.—AP front at half-time. And four minutes into the second half, dynamic Leicester centre Tuilagi, who comes from a family of Samoa internationals, scored a well-worked try.

From a ruck in Wales’s 22, the ball was fed to Wilkinson and Tuilagi, qualified for England on residency grounds, cut back on the inside in a classic ‘scissors’ move and crossed for a try under the posts.

Wilkinson added the easy conversion and England had a healthy 20-7 lead. But Wales, who dominated possession in the second half, hit back.

Wales scrum-half Mike Phillips almost

Scots stroll past Irish

Dravid recalled to ODI squad MUMBAI: Rahul Dravid received a surprise recall to India’s one-day squad after a two-year absence while selectors left out the injured Yuvraj Singh and Harbhajan Singh for the limited-overs series against England.

The last time the 38-year-old Dravid, who has scored 10,765 runs from 339 ODIs, played an ODI was in September 2009 against West Indies during the Champions Trophy in South Africa.

India are struggling in England and the world’s top-ranked test side trail 2-0 with two tests left in the four-match series. “We have selected the team on basis of the conditions in England. We have selected the team after a lot of deliberation and I am sure it is a very good side,” selection committee chief Krishnamachari Srikkanth told reporters.

Off-spinner Harbhajan and batsman Yuvraj were excluded from the squad after they suffered injuries during India’s 319-run defeat in the second test at Trent Bridge.

Left-hander Yuvraj fractured his index

finger after he was hit by a short-pitched delivery from England seamer Tim Bresnan while Harbhajan suffered an abdominal muscle strain.

“Yuvraj Singh is one of our main players but unfortunately when you have a fracture in the finger, you cannot do anything about it,” Srikkanth said after the selection committee meeting in Chennai.

Seamer Shanthakumaran Sreesanth failed to find a spot as India went with Zaheer Khan, Praveen Kumar, Ishant Sharma, Munaf Patel and R. Vinay Kumar as the five pacemen in the 16-man squad.

ODI world champions India will play a Twenty20 match on Aug. 31 followed by five ODIs starting on Sept. 3.

Squad: Sachin Tendulkar, Virender Sehwag, Gautam Gambhir, Virat Kohli, Suresh Raina, Rohit Sharma, Mahendra Singh Dhoni (captain), Rahul Dravid, Parthiv Patel, Amit Mishra, Ravichandran Ashwin, Zaheer Khan, Praveen Kumar, Ishant Sharma, R. Vinay Kumar, Munaf Patel.—Reuters

Indian batsman Rahul Dravid

caught England napping with a burst towards the line that saw him just held up short but the ball was worked out to the right where wing Shane Williams scored a 57th minute try.

But Priestland missed the conversion to leave England two scores in front at 20-12.

Wilkinson then landed his second drop-goal.

Wales captain Sam Warburton went close to a try only to be denied by the video referee before North’s second try came just too late for the visitors.

The teams continue their World Cup preparations when they face each other again on Saturday week in Cardiff.—AFP

AUCKLAND: New Zealand All Blacks perform their haka before the start of their Tri Nations and Bledisloe Cup rugby match against Australia. —AP

All Blacks crush Wallabies AUCKLAND: New Zealand left no one in doubt they will be one of the favorites for the rugby World Cup after a clinical 30-14 victory over Australia in their TriNations clash at Eden Park yesterday.

With the Tri-Nations shortened because of the World Cup, which starts next month in New Zealand, the All Blacks retained the Bledisloe Cup with three well-taken tries to Ma’a Nonu, Keven Mealamu and Sitiveni Sivivatu.

Flyhalf Daniel Carter added 15 points with three conversions, two penalties and a drop goal, while Digby Ioane and Rocky Elsom scored tries for the Wallabies.

Australia flyhalf Quade Cooper converted both tries, though the Wallabies had plenty of scoring opportunities only to be thwarted by a brutal All Blacks’ defence. James O’Connor also missed three penalties. “It was great to win and the Bledisloe Cup is very important to Richie (McCaw) and the boys,” All Blacks coach Graham Henry told reporters.

“They’re delighted about that and the way they played the game.

“They played very professionally. I thought the defence was outstanding.”

While Carter opened the scoring with a 38-metres penalty after David Pocock was penalised at the breakdown, the All Blacks scored two well-worked tries after soaking up sustained pressure from the Wallabies. Scrumhalf Piri Weepu sparked the first when he exploited a weak Wallabies’ blindside defence to sprint untouched for 30 metres before the home side switched play back across field for Nonu to barrel over.

The All Blacks’ second try again came from deep inside their own half as they burst down field before Nonu got within centimetres of the line only to be stopped just short. Mealamu, however, scooped the ball up and wrestled his way over.

Carter converted to give the All Blacks a 17-0 lead, but O’Connor could have reduced that advantage twice in the final 10 minutes of the half only to scuff both penalty attempts.

O’Connor missed another penalty opportunity after the break and Carter twisted the knife, extending New Zealand’s lead to 20-0 when he landed a drop goal from 25 metres.

Australia, however, showed their potent attacking ability when Genia and Beale combined to put Ioane into space for the Wallabies’ first try.

Australia looked to have gone to sleep at the re-start, though, as Kieran Read contested the ball and Smith scooped it up before sprinting clear and putting Sivivatu over. Carter’s sideline conversion extended the lead to 27-7.

Carter converted a scrum penalty to give the home side an unassailable lead with about 10 minutes remaining, before Elsom added a consolation try with less than five minutes remaining.

“We are pretty disappointed with our effort,” Wallabies coach Robbie Deans said. “Tactically, we probably didn’t help ourselves. We allowed the All Blacks to establish the d-line (defensive line) and allowed them to establish some line speed in that defence and that stymied our attack.—Reuters

EDINBURGH: A first international try by Jo Ansbro saw Scotland grab a late 10-6 win over Ireland in their rugby union World Cup warm-up test at Murrayfield yesterday. The Irish, mainly a second-string side as coach Declan Kidney bids to reduce a 43-man squad to 30 for the World Cup, scored their points through two penalties by Jonathan Sexton.

Ansbro’s fine late individual try was converted by Ruaridh Jackson while the Scots’ other points came fron a penalty by veteran Chris Paterson, who is bidding to play in his fourth World Cup. Scotland coach Andy Robinson credited 25-year-old Ansbro’s try down to his scrum. “What a great finish! Joe took his try absolutely superbly and I think we got what we deserved,” said Robinson, rebuilding his reputation after a bruising spell as England coach.

“The score was all down to the speed of ball from the forwards. “If you want to break down good defences you must have fast ball and the try underlined that. “We had kept our shape in attack throughout the game and our scrum had been solid. “Overall I am pretty pleased with the result and the performance at this stage in our build up to our departure for New Zealand.”

Robinson, who was assistant coach of England when they won the 2003 World Cup, was full of praise for man of the match prop Geoff Cross.

“He (Cross) is a very strong man and I was good to see him using that power to such good effect,” said Robinson. “Another aspect which pleased me hugely was the fact that Ireland did not score a try against us and didn’t even look like scoring. “But I am also the first to admit that we also need to improve our line-speed when we are in the opposition half. “We need to step up and take our game forward when we face Italy here in a couple of weeks.” Kidney, who has been rewarded with a new contract ahead of the World Cup, insisted the outcome had not been a major setback. “Obviously we came here wanting to win and I think we were a bit unlucky not to get that result,” said Kidney, who guided Ireland to the Six Nations Grand Slam in 2009.

“But I was delighted with many features of our play and many of the younger guys did what was asked of them and more.” The Scots had made a storming start when wing Nikki Walker burst through three challenges before Johnnie Beattie burst into the danger zone.

But the good work was ruined when Jackson sent a wayward pass to Allan Jacobsen in the shadow of the posts. The hosts suffered a setback midway through the half when Walker went off with a head injury and was replaced by Bath’s Jack Cuthbert, who was earning his first cap. His entrance was the cue for Ireland to pile on the pressure and unlike their opponents they capitalised by edging in front with a simple penalty Sexton.

The initial stages of the second half were a carbon copy of the first as the Scots earned the bulk of possession and territory. But there was still no sign of the Irish defence buckling. Beattie set up the most potent attack by grabbing Fitzgerald’s chip-ahead, however instead of feeding the unmarked Ross Rennie he opted to duck infield and the move broke down.

Two minutes later the Scots did equalise via the boot of Paterson when the Irish defence sneaked offside close to their own tryline. —AFP

A

y

e niv rsar n

Years

SUNDAY, AUGUST 7, 2011

S P ORT S

Cash-rich Leicester make winning start LONDON: Sven Goran Eriksson’s Leicester justified their billing as one of the Championship’s promotion favorites by grinding out a 1-0 win at Coventry on the opening day of the season yesterday.

Eriksson was handed a substantial transfer kitty

by Leicester’s Thai owners during the close-season and splashed out over £8 million on 10 new signings.

The spending spree paid instant dividends as Leicester recovered from Darius Vassell’s early dismissal to take the points thanks to defender Lee Peltier’s goal soon after half-time at the Ricoh Arena.

Coventry were also down to 10 men by then after Carl Baker saw red for a reckless challenge.

The Asia Football Investments consortium, fronted by Vichai and Aiyawatt Raksriaksorn, have set Eriksson a target of promotion to the Premier League this season and this gritty victory gave the former England coach encouragement for the hard

work ahead.

Eriksson’s team got the winner in the 52nd minute as Richie Wellens produced a perfectly weighted cross that Peltier headed past Joe Murphy.

Steve McClaren, another former England coach, fared less well as his Nottingham Forest were held to a 0-0 draw by Barnsley at the City Ground.

It was a disappointing return for McClaren, who is back in English football following spells with FC Twente and Wolfsburg after being sacked by England in 2007.

Ipswich made a flying start as new signing Michael Chopra scored twice in a 3-0 victory against Bristol City. Chopra arrived from Cardiff for around £1 million and he gave a quick repayment on that fee with goals either side of Lee Martin’s effort as Keith Millen’s hosts were jeered off by their fans at Ashton Gate.

Birmingham suffered a miserable start to life out-

side the Premier League as Chris Hughton’s side were beaten 2-1 at Derby. The League Cup holdersrelegated on the final day of last season-had taken the lead through Curtis Davies’s 19th minute header.

But Derby responded well and Jason Shackell headed a 26th minute equaliser before Steve Davies bagged the winner with a cool finish in the 42nd minute.

Brighton left it late to make a winning start at their new Amex Stadium as substitute Will Buckley scored twice in the last seven minutes to seal a 2-1 victory over Doncaster.

The Seagulls-promoted as League One champions last season-are back in their own purpose-built stadium after years in exile at a converted athletics arena. Their homecoming party looked set to turn sour when boss Gus Poyet was sent to the stands for protesting against a decision before Billy Sharp fired Doncaster ahead in the 39th minute.

But Buckley, a £1 million signing from Watford, got the 20,219 crowd roaring when he equalised in the 83rd minute and then buried the winner in stoppage time.

Reading, beaten in the play-off final by Swansea last season, staged a dramatic fight-back to draw 2-2 against Millwall at the Madejski Stadium. Brian McDermott’s team were deep in trouble after second half goals from Millwall strikers Darius Henderson and John Marquis.

But substitute Mathieu Manset got one back for the Royals with a stunning 86th minute strike and he then popped up with a headed equaliser three minutes later.

In the day’s other matches, Burnley scored twice in the last 13 minutes to draw 2-2 against Watford, while Middlesbrough drew 2-2 with Portsmouth and newly-promoted Peterborough beat Crystal Palace 2-1. —AFP

Chelsea sink Rangers

BUENOS AIRES: Argentina’s new soccer coach Alejandro Sabella (second left) poses for pictures next to his assistants Julian Caminos (left), Pablo Blanco (second right) and Claudio Gugnali during a press conference. Sabella replaces Sergio Batista. — AP

Media row set to disrupt Premier League coverage LONDON: A deepening row between English soccer leagues and the country’s newspapers and news agencies is threatening to disrupt coverage of the new season after key talks over media rights broke down.

The row, which follows similar disputes in recent years in other sports, is centred around how quickly photographers can publish photos when at a game and how live online commentary can be handled.

The media groups believe the rules are out of date at a time when members of the public can access sites such as Twitter and the photo site Flickr during games.

News agencies, such as Reuters, also objec t to the obligation that media clients who use their pictures from a match have to pay the soccer authorities for a licence to do so.

The two sides have failed to agree terms despite holding talks for several months, with the news organisations charging that the Premier League wants to place highly restrictive limits on the use of news and pictures produced at matches.

The media groups protesting against the rules include the majority of the

national newspapers and news agencies including Reuters and Associated Press.

The Football League, which includes the lower professional leagues, starts a new season this weekend and the Premier League begins on Aug. 13.

“We are unable to guarantee our coverage as the proposed terms and conditions compromise our ability to properly cover and to serve the interests of our clients,” Reuters said in a statement.

The Reuters news agency is owned by Thomson Reuters. The Premier League and The Football League said they had entered the talks in good faith but said the media groups had rejected an interim extension of the existing agreement which was offered to cover the period until a permanent deal was found. “(They) have not taken up that offer which creates the possibility of disrupted match-coverage in newspapers,” they said in a statement. “ This serves nobody ’s interests, particularly not football fans looking forward to the start of the season.

“We remain open to further negotiations and are hopeful of reaching a satisfactory conclusion as soon as possible.” — Reuters

Fergie lights fuse ahead of Man City showdown LONDON: Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson lit the fuse ahead of an explosive Community Shield clash with Manchester City by warning his bitter rivals that even their financial muscle can’t guarantee success in the Premier League.

Ferguson initially seemed unconcerned when City’s Abu Dhabi-based owners started lavishing vast sums on a host of big names three years ago.

But his dismissive jibes about dealing with “noisy neighbours” have been replaced by an awareness that Roberto Mancini’s expensively assembled team are now a serious threat.

Now Ferguson has paid City the ultimate back-handed compliment by starting his mind games before the season has even begun.

He chose the eve of this weekend’s traditional curtain-raiser to issue a stern reminder that splashing the cash doesn’t necessarily mean prizes will follow. “We get this almost every year when clubs round about us buy, and that’s how you view the importance of winning the league these days,” Ferguson said.

“Chelsea had this great spell of buying when Jose Mourinho first went there and we accepted that challenge.

“To win the league in England is very difficult. If you look at the Premier League you are looking at the top six fighting for four places.

“I think 84 points will win the league next year. We had less last year but you have to consider the increasing competition. “Liverpool are expected to be better, the top four we know about and Tottenham as well. You expect it to be a really tough league.”

Despite Ferguson’s attempt to pile pressure on City, the Scot has spent nearly as much as Mancini since the end of last season. While City’s £51 million spree netted Sergio Aguero, Gael Clichy

and Stefan Savic, United paid £50 million for David De Gea, Ashley Young and Phil Jones. De Gea and Young are likely to feature for United on Sunday, while all three of City’s new buys should be involved at some stage.

Aguero, City’s record £38 million signing, will be among the substitutes at the start after suffering blisters while wearing the wrong size boots in training.

City’s unsettled captain Carlos Tevezwho hopes to engineer a move to Inter Milan-will be absent until next week after playing in the Copa America, giving Mancini a chance to show if he retains faith in Mario Balotelli after falling out with the temperamental Italian in pre-season.

United have appeared in this event 18 times-winning it against Chelsea 12 months ago-since City last took part in 1973, but the champions are up against a team on the rise after last season’s FA Cup triumph ended 36 years without a trophy. Mancini’s men enjoyed a memorable 1-0 semi-final win over United at Wembley en route to that final victory against Stoke.

Yet Ferguson insists the fixture is nothing more than a high-profile opportunity for his players to improve their fitness before the Premier League kicks-off next weekend.

“It’s very easy to get emotional about this type of game. I don’t think we’ll be changing our policy,” Ferguson said.

“I’ve always viewed the Community Shield as a stepping stone for the first game of the season and there are two or three players who will need a game to boost their fitness.”

Mancini would dearly love to land an early psychological blow against United, but he believes his squad is still short of the depth required to compete with Ferguson’s side for the next nine months. —AFP

LONDON: Chelsea completed their preparations for the new Premier League season in emphatic fashion as two goals from Daniel Sturridge sealed a 3-1 victory over Scottish champions Rangers yesterday.

Andre Villas-Boas’s team have won all six of their warm-up matches and look in good shape ahead of next Sunday’s opener at Stoke.

They conceded for the first time in preseason when Rangers striker Nikica Jelavic headed the hosts into the lead from a Steven Naismith cross in the sixth minute at Ibrox.

But England Under-21 forward Sturridge who spent the second half of last season on loan to Bolton - underlined his case for more first-team action at Chelsea by scoring twice before the break. Substitute Florent Malouda, who had replaced Sturridge on the hour mark, headed in Chelsea’s third in the 72nd minute.

The scoreline could have been worse for Rangers-who crashed out of the Champions League in qualifying round in midweek-but substitute goalkeeper Neil Alexander saved Frank Lampard’s late penalty.

David Goodwillie scored on his Blackburn debut as Steve Kean’s side signed off their pre-season preparations with a 4-1 win over Kilmarnock at Rugby Park.

Scotland striker Goodwillie had not even trained with his new colleagues following his move from Dundee United to Rovers on Wednesday, but he was on the scoresheet along with David Dunn and Jason Roberts, who netted twice.

Danny Graham grabbed his first goal for Swansea as Brendan Rodgers’ newly-promot-

ed side beat Spanish club Real Betis 1-0 at the Liberty Stadium. The former Watford striker per formed a lovely turn from an Angel Rangel pass to loft the ball into the net in the 63rd minute.

Norwich-promoted along with Swansea last season-enjoyed a comfortable 3-0 win over Italian club Parma at Carrow Road.

Canaries captain Grant Holt opened the scoring and winger Andrew Surman added the third as the Canaries warmed up for next

weekend’s Premier League opener at Wigan.

George Elokobi and Steven Fletcher scored in the space of five minutes midway through the second half to give Wolves a 2-0 win over Real Zaragoza at Molineux.

Sunderland were held to a goalless draw

by Hibernian at Easter Road, while Newcastle’s match against Fiorentina at St James’ Park was abandoned by referee Mark Halsey in the 64th minute because of a waterlogged pitch with the match goalless. — AFP

LONDON: Newcastle United’s Yohan Cabaye (right) vies for the ball with Fiorentina’s Andrea Lazzari, left, during their pre season friendly soccer match. — AP

Dundee United, St Mirren top GLASGOW: Dundee United and St Mirren top the Scottish Premier League after the pair shared the points in a 1-1 draw at Tannadice yesterday.

Former United player Steven Thompson gave St Mirren the lead in the 12th minute with a simple finish after good work from Nigel Hasselbaink. United missed a golden chance to equalise minutes later when Keith Watson took a fresh air swipe at the ball with an open goal to aim at. St Mirren were reduced to ten men in first-half stoppage time when Hasselbaink was sent off for serious foul play when he appeared to catch Paul Dixon with his arm.

United applied the pressure after the break and got the equaliser when Scott Allan crossed for Jon Daly to knock home from close range. Dusan Pernis was fortunate not to concede a second goal for United when his

clearance clattered off an opponent and flew into the side netting but the home side held on to claim the point that sees them top the SPL. A last minute goal saw Dunfermline claim a point in a 3-3 draw with Inverness Caledonian Thistle at East End Park.

Dunfermline took the lead midway through the first-half when a long ball caused havoc in the Inverness defence and Andy Barrowman headed the ball on to Andy Kirk, who volleyed past Ryan Esson.

Inverness equalised shortly after the break with their first goal of the season thanks to a deflected Greg Tansey effort but Kirk headed home his second of the game minutes to put the Pars in front again.

Two goals in three minutes helped Inverness get their noses in front for the first time. Johnny Hayes got the first when he slid the ball home from close range after

Feyenoord make winning start ROTTERDAM: Feyenoord beat neighbours Excelsior Rotterdam 2-0 on Friday to give new coach Ronald Koeman a winning start on the opening day of the Dutch league season.

Feyenoord started with six Under-21 internationals and dominated the first half but had to wait until the 55th minute before Guyon Fernandez opened the scoring from close range after a defensive blunder by Niels

Volthoren.

A 71st-minute own goal by Leen van Steensel, after good work from winger Jerson Cabral, sealed the victory for Feyenoord.

Champions Ajax Amsterdam will be in action today at Graafschap Doetinchem, while Twente Enschede and PSV Eindhoven travel to NAC Breda and AZ Alkmaar respectively. —Reuters

Dunfermline keeper Paul Gallacher spilled Owain Tudur Jones’ shot before Tansey bravely headed home his second as Inverness looked to have picked up their first win of the season. However there was more drama to come when Martin Hardie fired a superb free-kick into the top corner to grab a last gasp point for Dunfermline.

Celtic are away to Aberdeen on Sunday while Old Firm rivals Rangers were excused SPL duty as they lost 3-1 to English Premier League side Chelsea at Ibrox. —AFP

Matches on TV (Local Timings)

FA Community Shield Man United vs Man City ............. 16:30 Al Jazeera Sport +1 Al Jazeera Sport +3 Al Jazeera Sport 1 HD

World Youth Championship Australia v Spain ......................... 1:01 Al Jazeera Sport +5 Al Jazeera Sport +3 Al Jazeera Sport +4 Saudi Arabia vs Nigeria .............. 4:00 Al Jazeera Sport +3 Al Jazeera Sport +4 Al Jazeera Sport +10

POLAND: A general view of the PGE Arena stadium as it opens for the first time for the public in Gdansk. The PGE Arena is one of the four Polish stadiums that will host the Euro 2012 European Soccer Championships. — AP

Fowler shares Firestone lead

Yankees edge Red Sox

17

16

SUNDAY, AUGUST 7, 2011

Dilshan hits century in Sri Lanka victory Page 18

BEIJING: AC Milan’s players hold the Italian Super Cup trophy after winning the game against their city rival Inter Milan at China’s National Stadium, also known as the “Bird’s Nest”. —AP

Milan edge out Inter in Super Cup BEIJING: Serie A champions AC Milan scored twice in nine second-half minutes to come back and beat city rivals Inter Milan 2-1 in the Italian Super Cup played in Beijing yesterday.

Milan, who ended Inter’s five-year reign as Italian champions by winning the scudetto in May, fought back through exInter striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic and KevinPrince Boateng.

Inter dominated the first half with Dutch midfielder Wesley Sneijder, heavily linked in the media with a move to Manchester United or City, firing in the

opener on 22 minutes with a freekick after Gennaro Gattuso had escaped a red card.

Ibrahimovic equalised with a header against the run of the play in the 60th minute after being set up by Clarence Seedorf and nine minutes later Boateng scored the winner.

“A derby game is always a derby. We really faced difficulties with stamina in the first 30 minutes as players looked tired,” Milan coach Massimiliano Allegri told a news conference after the season curtainraiser. “But in the second half, it has turned out to be much better. We did not give

any more chances to Inter except Wesley Sneijder.” The defeat was an inauspicious start for new Inter coach Gian Piero Gasperini, who replaced Leonardo during the close season as the Brazilian became Paris St Germain sports director having had short spells as both Milan and Inter boss. “We played very well in the first half,” Gasperini said in a bid to find some positives. “As for the rumor of Sneijder leaving, we will talk about it next week after we go back Italy.” Gasperini’s appointment disappointed many Inter fans given he was sacked by modest top flight side Genoa

early last campaign and has no big club experience.

His penchant for three at the back, rare in European football nowadays, has also raised eyebrows but his side got off to a good start only to let Milan impose themselves like they did in the two derbies last season which practically swung their first Serie A title since 2004 their way.

Transfer movement over the break has been limited for both clubs but despite the familiarity, the match had the feel of a friendly given there are several weeks before the actual season begins.

The new league season starts on Aug 28 when Milan travel to Allegri’s former club Cagliari and Inter, Italian Cup winners last term having won the treble the previous season under Jose Mourinho, host Lecce. The games are under threat of a strike by the Italian player’s association over a long-running disagreement with the league over a collective contract, with two strikes narrowly averted last season.

The Super Cup was played in the packed Bird’s Nest Olympic Stadium in Beijing in front of over 70,000 under a deal between the league and Chinese authori-

Real end China tour with six-goal romp

Colombia see off South Korea BOGOTA: Host nation Colombia asserted its claim to being among the favorites to win the Under-20 World Cup, defeating South Korea 1-0 on Friday to finish atop its group with a perfect record.

Colombia finished with nine points in Group A, ahead of France, who defeated Mali to clinch second place with six points, with South Korea advancing as one of the best third-place teams with three points.

Mali was eliminated. Two other teams advanced on Friday to the round-of-16 knock-out stage.

Portugal defeated New Zealand 1-0 to clinch first place in Group B, ahead of Cameroon in second on four points after a 1-0 victory over Uruguay. The loss eliminated Uruguay, a nation that had become accustomed to tournament success in recent times.

Group play will wrap up late yesterday with Australia facing Spain and Ecuador playing Costa Rica in Group C. In Group D, Saudi Arabia will play Nigeria to decide first and second, while Croatia is against Guatemala.

Thirteen teams are quaranteed place in the round-of-16: Colombia, France, South Korea, Portugal, Cameroon, Spain, Nigeria, Saudi Arabia, Brazil, Egypt, Argentina, Mexico and England.

Luis Muriel scored for Colombia in the 37th minute. Muriel’s goal came after a mistake by South Korea keeper No Donggeon, who raced off his line for a loose ball in the area, but was beaten to it by Muriel who recovered and scored into the empty net with No stranded.

“My idea is to keep scoring goals,” Muriel said. “ This is my motivation.”

Colombia attacked throughout the first half with South Korea trying to defend and counterattack. Muriel also hit the crossbar with a rising shot from 20 meters (yards), which came just minutes before he finally

broke through.

There were fewer shots in the second half with South Korea perhaps worn down by the altitude in Bogota of 2,600 meters (8,600 feet). Even the home fans, who have deafening every match with their vuvuzelas and non-stop cheering, were relatively quiet in the second half with both teams seeming to settle for the result.

“Korea was the most difficult team we have played,” Colombia coach Eduardo Lara said. “That’s what the players said.

They could not find much space but fortunately we got a goal.”

Cedric Bakambu and Alexandre Lacazette scored second-half goals as France defeated 10-man Mali 2-0.

Bakambu found the net with a right-footed shot into the far corner in the 70th minute - a minute after Mali had a man sent off - and Lacazette sealed the victory with a sharp-angled shot from the right in the 77th. Mali played a man down from the 69th after defender Mohamed Konate received a second yellow card.

In Group B, Mario Rui scored in the first half to give Portugal a 1-0 win over New Zealand. Rui netted in the 31st minute, taking advantage of a well-timed through ball by striker Nelson Oliveira. Rui got in front of the New Zealand defenders inside the penalty area and placed a low leftfooted shot into the far corner.

Emmanuel Mbongo scored in the 28th minute for Cameroon against Uruguay, whose junior team could not match the impressive run of the senior team, which won the Copa America last month and reached the World Cup semifinals last year. “ The elimination is very painful,” Uruguay coach Juan Verzeri said. “The plan was to reach the last 16. ... The early goal by Cameroon had an impact on us, and later - unfortunately - we could not find a goal.”—AP

ties to host Italy’s season curtain-raiser there four times over six years.

Lazio previously beat Inter at the Bird’s Nest in 2009. “I came from Sichuan province with a bunch of Milan fans to Beijing just to watch the Milan derby,” 29year-old Dai Wei, wearing a Milan shirt, told Reuters as he entered the stadium.

An Italian campaign to have the game played back in Milan failed to succeed because of the contract with the Chinese authorities and the huge marketing opportunities for European clubs in the world’s most populous nation.—Reuters

BOGOTA: Colombia’s player Luis Muriel (left) vies for the ball with South Korea’s goalkeeper No Dong Geon during the FIFA U-20 World Cup Group A first round football match. —AP

Stuttgart, Wolfsburg off to flying starts BERLIN: VfB Stuttgart and VfL Wolfsburg, both Bundesliga strugglers last season, got off to flying starts yesterday with 3-0 wins in their opening matches of the new campaign.

Stuttgart, who spent most of last season fighting relegation and employed three coaches, beat last season’s German Cup winners and Champions League semi-finalists Schalke 04 to celebrate the opening of their rebuilt stadium.

Wolfsburg overcame the absence of playmaker Diego to win at Cologne, who look to be in for another arduous season and were jeered off by the 47,000 crowd.

Brazilian Diego has been told by coach Felix Magath that he has no future at the 2008/09 champions after walking out when he was dropped on the final day of last season when the club escaped the drop.

Promoted Augsburg, playing in the top flight for the first time, twice came from behind to hold Freiburg 2-2 and Werder Bremen, hoping for a vast improvement on last season’s uninspiring 13th place, beat Kaiserslautern 2-0.

Champions Borussia Dortmund kicked off

the campaign on Friday with an emphatic 3-1 win over Hamburg SV. Stuttgart, who have avoided the temptation to splurge in the transfer market, took the lead when Brazilian-born forward Cacau diverted Francisco Rodriguez’s header into the net eight minutes before halftime. Schalke had plenty of openings but the hosts struck again with another header from Austria striker Martin Harnik just before the hour.

Japanese substitute Shinji Okazaki completed the scoring with a superb 89th minute effort when he cut in from the right, left his marker standing and scored from the edge of the area.

“That was a special day for Stuttgart, a newly opened stadium and a win against such strong opponents,” said coach Bruno Labbadia, who took over halfway through last season and led the underachieving side to safety.

Patrick Helmes scored twice and Marcel Schaefer helped himself to the other goal in Wolfsburg’s win at Cologne as the visitors repeatedly caught their defensively sloppy hosts on the counter-attack. —Reuters

TIANJIN: Real Madrid thrashed Tianjin Teda 6-0 in a preseason friendly yesterday as they wrapped up their China tour with a warning to fierce rivals Barcelona ahead of their Spanish Super Cup clash.

Boss Jose Mourinho said the emphatic scoreline-coupled with a 7-1 smashing of Guangzhou Evergrande on Wednesday-was proof he did not need to enter the transfer market again for a forward.

He had been quoted as saying recently he was after another striker, but he jokingly declared afterwards that was the fault of the Spanish press for not understanding his English. But he was serious when he said he did not need any more new signings after a highly successful pre-season during which his side has not lost in games that included jet-setting to the United States, England and China.

“I want a squad of 20 players,” he said, adding: “I hope tomorrow I won’t read in the Spanish papers that Mourinho wants more players.”

The Portuguese-who had been forced to flee a 200strong mob of screaming fans in Guangzhou-admitted the intense interest in his side on the tour had been testing. “We stay in the hotel for 22 hours a day and just leave for a two-hour practice. We can’t even put one foot out,” he said. Real take on La Liga and Champions League winners Barcelona over two legs this month in the Super Cup, the traditional curtain-raiser to a season in which Mourinho will be expected to overhaul Barcelona at home and in Europe.

Kaka opened the scoring with a penalty eight minutes in, with the Brazilian star slotting low past Tianjin keeper Song Zhenyu, who was rattled by the onslaught of shots he faced against the Spanish giants. Angel Di Maria, who also scored against Guangzhou, added another minutes later on a rebound after Song failed to hold his shot. With the score 2-0 at half-time Real asserted their authority in the second period as striker Gonzalo Higuain made it 3-0 with some nifty dribbling in the box, sending it low past an exposed Song.

It took second-half substitute Cristiano Ronaldo less than 10 minutes to get on the scoresheet by crashing in a left-footed effort from 12 yards. Frenchman Karim Benzema, who has enjoyed a prolific pre-season, swiftly added a double to make it 6-0.—AFP

y

A

Saudi stocks shed 5.46% over US woes

e niv rsar n

Years

Page 23

G-7 to discuss central bank action Page 22 SUNDAY, AUGUST 7, 2011

Asia moves to calm US debt downgrade fears Page 25

Customers reaffirm Porsche as most attractive brand Page 23

FRANKFURT: Stock traders work at the German stock exchange. —AP

China flays US over credit rating downgrade China renews call for another global reserve currency NEW YORK/SHANGHAI: The United States lost its top-tier AAA credit rating from Standard & Poor’s, drawing a blast of criticism yesterday from its biggest creditor China and deepening investors’ alarm over the euro zone’s debt crisis. China said Washington only had itself to blame and called for a new stable global reserve currency. “The US government has to come to terms with the painful fact that the good old days when it could just borrow its way out of messes of its own making are finally gone,” China’s official Xinhua news agency said in a harshly worded commentary.

The S&P cut in the US long-term credit rating by a notch to AA-plus resulted from concerns about the nation’s budget deficits and climbing debt burden. The move is likely to eventually raise borrowing costs for the US government, companies and consumers. By calling the outlook “negative,” S&P signaled another downgrade is possible in the next 12 to 18 months. Worries that the United States was slipping into recession and the euro zone debt crisis was spreading drove a week-long rout in which $2.5 trillion was wiped off global markets.

Better-than-expected US jobs growth in July helped support Wall Street on Friday but stocks slipped back into the red in late trading. China roundly condemned the United States for its “debt addiction” and “short sighted” political wrangling and said the world needed a new stable global reserve currency.

“China, the largest creditor of the world’s sole superpower, has every right now to demand the United States address its structural debt problems and ensure the safety of China’s

dollar assets,” the Xinhua commentary said.

It urged the United States to cut military and social welfare expenditure. It also said further credit downgrades would very likely undermine the world economic recovery and trigger new rounds of financial turmoil.

“International supervision over the issue of US dollars should be introduced and a new, stable and secured global reserve currency may also be an option to avert a catastrophe caused by any single country,” Xinhua said.

British business minister Vince Cable backed China’s call for a new stable global reserve currency but said that for the moment the US dollar remained key. “This argument’s been around a long time and it would be a sensible way for the world to move but it’s not something we’re going to do overnight,” Cable told BBC TV. Cable has been a vocal critic of the US Congress’s protracted arguments to agree a deficit-cutting deal and had warned Washington’s sovereign debt rating was at risk.

“In the short run, the United States dollar is the key international currency and although, frankly, the American legislators made a terrible mess of things a few weeks ago, they have now got back on track, they have undertaken to manage their debt in a prudent way,” he said. S&P blamed in part the political gridlock in Washington, saying politics was preventing the United States from addressing its deficit and debt problems.

While the impact of the rating cut on financial markets when they reopen tomorrow may be modest because the decision was expected, the shift may have a major long-

World stocks slide NEW YORK: World stocks fell for an eighth day on Friday in a dizzying descent that has wiped around $2.5 trillion off the value of global equities this week, but hopes the European Central Bank will buy bonds of crisis-hit Italy helped lift markets off the lows of the day. Wall Street stocks swung violently between gains and losses in a heavily traded session a day after indexes posted their worst losses in two years. The MSCI’s All-Country World Index fell 1.3 percent on the day. The Dow Jones industrial average eked out a small gain, rising 0.5 percent.

Composite trading volume was the highest since the day after the US “flash crash” in May 2010, when US equity markets plummeted 9 percent in a single day.

World leaders moved to address the turmoil, which has been driven by fears the global economy is slipping back into recession and by the inability of policymakers in Europe to extinguish the debt crisis engulfing the region. Italy, under pressure to help halt the market rout that is endangering the global economy, pledged to speed up austerity measures and social reforms in return for European Central Bank help with funding. “That was the real thing that got us started (off the lows),” said Rick Klingman, managing director of Treasury trading at BNP Paribas in New York. That “may clear the

way for the ECB to start buying some Italian bonds.”

The ECB’s reluctance to buy Italian bonds and ease pressure on markets has frustrated investors. Sources with knowledge of the matter said earlier on Friday that the bank is willing to take that step only if the country carries out reforms. The euro last traded up 1.3 percent at $1.4278 on trading platform EBS. The US dollar fell broadly, reversing some of the prior day’s sharp gains, as traders feared a downgrade to the United States’ credit rating was imminent.

China and Japan called for global cooperation. French President Nicolas Sarkozy was to discuss the financial markets with German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Spanish Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero. Brazilian Finance Minister Guido Mantega said the world economy “is in a situation of stress” and South American nations must work together to create mechanisms to protect their economies from turmoil. News of stronger-than-expected US jobs growth in July relieved some of financial markets’ worst fears, but that was not enough to spur sustained buying after an early bounce. US Treasury debt prices fell after the jobs data, reversing some of the gains made in Thursday’s panic of riskaverse trading. —Reuters

term impact for the US standing in the world, the dollar’s status, and the global financial system. “The global system must now adjust to the many implications and uncertainties of the once-unthinkable loss of America’s AAA,” Mohamed El-Erian, co-chief investment officer at Pacific Investment Management Co, which oversees $1.2 trillion in assets, told Reuters. In Europe, Italy buckled to world pressure by pledging to bring forward cuts to balance the budget in 2013 in return for European Central Bank help with funding.

“We consider it appropriate to introduce an acceleration of the measures which we introduced recently in the fiscal planning law to give us the possibility of reaching our objective of balancing the budget early, by 2013 instead of 2014,” Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi told a news conference after a day of calls with world leaders including German Chancellor Angela Merkel and US Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner.

Berlusconi said finance ministers from the Group of Seven nations would meet in “just a few days” to seek a common plan of action but his spokesman said later the idea had not yet been agreed with Italy’s partners. The White House said US President Barack Obama had spoken separately with Merkel and French President Nicolas Sarkozy about the euro zone crisis but offered no details.

Discord among EU policymakers over how to stop a disastrous spread of the sovereign debt crisis to Italy and Spain, the euro zone’s third and fourth biggest economies, has frustrated investors.

The European Central Bank disappointed

markets by buying Irish and Portuguese bonds but not government paper in Italy and Spain where bond yields have blown out this week on fears they may need bailing out. That now appears to have been a gambit to force Italy to act. Bank of Spain governor Jose Manuel Gonazalez-Paramo, a member of the ECB’s governing council, said he expected Spain to announce further measures on Aug 19 to ensure it meets its budget austerity targets.

Earlier in the day, China and Japan called for coordinated action to avert a new worldwide crisis sourced to Europe and the United States, as did EU Economic and Monetary Affairs Commissioner Olli Rehn. “International policy coordination through the G7 and G20 is of critical importance,” Rehn told a news conference, having broken off his vacation and returned to Brussels. Britain called for a “concerted international effort” to show governments would work together to avert a financial crisis and Brazil also urged unity, saying the world economy was “in a situation of stress.”

In BRIC nation India, the prime minister’s chief economic adviser said the country’s economic growth would not be affected by the cut in the US credit rating. “I don’t think India will be much affected beyond the temporary market jitters and we should still grow at 8.2 pct (this fiscal year),” C.Rangarajan, Chairman of the Prime Minister’s Economic Advisory Council, said. “The US has to show that they have a credible plan of fiscal consolidation and clearly the recent deal is not enough.” —Reuters

Italy to balance budget amidst financial crisis ROME: Italy pledged to work swiftly for a constitutional amendment requiring the government to balance its budget, as Rome feverishly tried to assure domestic and foreign investors its finances are sound and calm ner vous markets in Europe.

Premier Silvio Berlusconi told a hastily convened evening news conference Friday that the government will “speed up measures” in its budget law approved last month by Parliament, “with the possibility of reaching a balanced budget by 2013 instead of 2014” as first planned. His conservative government, now more than three years into its five-year term, will also work to amend the Constitution to include a requirement for a balanced budget, Berlusconi said.

Berlusconi, saying he conferred by phone with world leaders, announced that G-7 finance ministers will meet “within days” about the exploding financial crisis.

Later, his spokesman clarified that convening an “extraordinary meeting” of the G-7 finance ministers was still “at the reflection stage” with no decision yet taken, although Italy favored one. Concern over the crisis was trans-Atlantic. US President Barack Obama spoke separately by phone with

French President Nicolas Sarkozy and German Chancellor Angela Merkel about the latest developments in Europe’s sovereign debt crisis, the White House said.

Berlusconi, in turn, said at the news conference that he was set to speak to Obama later Friday. The uncertainty stemming from the 17-nation’s shared currency - used by some 330 million people across the continent - sent European shares plummetting this week, and was also seen as contributing to sending US stock markets lower.

Italian Finance Minister Giulio Tremonti, who stood beside Berlusconi, said a balanced budget could be achieved by 2013 by speeding up reform of Italy’s extensive, and expensive, social welfare system, which includes national health care and generous retirement payments.

Also key to this goal, Tremonti said, would be what he promised as the “mother of all liberalization,” especially in Italy’s highly regulated world of labor. “The principle that all will be allowed unless specifically forbidden” by labor laws will be the guiding principle of the government’s strategy, Berlusconi said, vowing that that, too, would be soon enshrined in Italy’s constitutional. — AP

y

A

22

e niv rsar n

Years

SUNDAY, AUGUST 7, 2011

BUSINESS

G-7 to discuss central bank action

Air Arabia announces Q2 2011 net profit of AED51m

ECB reluctant to intervene in Spanish debt BRUSSELS: Financial officials from the Group of Seven industrialized nations will discuss how to coordinate action between their countries’ central banks, a person familiar with the matter said yesterday, following several days of market panic and a downgrade of the US credit rating. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the level and timing of the contacts had yet to be confirmed. French Finance Minister Francois Baroin, whose country currently holds the G-7 presidency, said he had been in close contact with his G-7 counterparts “throughout the previous days and also this very morning.”

“We’ll be carefully watching the evolution of what might happen tomorrow,” Baroin told France’s RTL radio, without providing details on the contacts.

The G-7 members are Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan and the US. Standard & Poor ’s downgrade of the US. credit rating Friday night added to growing fears over debt levels and economic growth in the world’s biggest economy and in large European nations, like Italy and Spain.

The European Central Bank has so far been reluctant to intervene in the Italian and Spanish debt markets in an attempt to stabilize plummeting bond prices, as it has previously done for Greece, Ireland and Portugal, the three eurozone countries that have already been bailed out. But Luc Coene, the head of Belgian’s central bank and a member of the ECB’s decision making board, said Friday that

follow calls for more action from the EU and the ECB - came after one of the worst weeks in global financial markets since the collapse of US investment bank Lehman Brothers in 2008. The downgrade of the US credit rating is also bad for Europe, whose economy is closely linked to the US and whose weak members need strong demand for their goods to help them grow through exports. Stabilizing Italy and Spain is set to be the biggest test for the 17-country eurozone, since their large economies are likely too big to support with full-blown bailouts.

Because of that, eurozone leaders last month decided to give their bailout fund new preemptive powers, such as the ability to buy distressed government bonds on the open market, extend short-term credit lines or help re - capitalize struggling banks. However, those new powers have not been implemented

the ECB may be prepared to help Italy and Spain once the two countries have taken more concrete steps to get their public finances under control.

Many investors have also been calling on the US Federal Reserve to start pumping money into the US economy again to help underpin the slowing economic recovery, as it has done through two large-scale bond buying programs since the 2007 financial crisis. Italian Premier Silvio Berlusconi and EU Monetar y Affairs Commissioner Olli Rehn on Friday called for coordination between G-7 countries, saying the crisis has to be tackled on a global level. Berlusconi also announced that his country burdened with a debt that stands around 120 percent of economic output amid lackluster growth would speed up cuts to balance its budget by 2013 and take other steps to boost growth.

The announcement - which

yet - a process that may take until early next month unless national parliaments are called back from their summer recess.

Analysts also warn that at the moment, the bailout fund is too small to successfully use its new tools.

Of the €440 billion ($623 billion) initially committed to the so-called European Financial Stability Facility, less than €300 billion ($425 billion) will be left once the two Greek rescue packages and the bailouts for Ireland and Portugal have been paid out. Mansoor Mohi-uddin, a managing director at UBS, warned that besides undermining investor confidence in the US, S&P’s downgrade may herald similar action from rating agencies on other top-rated countries. “The sovereign ratings of other AAA rated countries like the UK and France are likely to come under question,” Mohiuddin said in a note. —AP

CBK operating profit before provisions KD52.333m for H1 KUWAIT: Commercial Bank of Kuwait announced an operating profit before provisions for the period of KD52.333 million (2010: KD42.046 million) with an increase of 24.5 percent. This was allocated as provisions against the loan and investment portfolios resulting in a net profit attributable to shareholders of the parent bank for the six months to June 30, 2011 of KD1.461 million (H1 2010: KD0.840 million).

Commenting on the financial results for the period, Chairman Ali Yousef Al-Awadhi said that the bank has continued its prudent policy towards building up a strong provision base the bank has total provisions for credit facilities of KD180.3 million. Al Awadhi noted that other performance indicators showed a return to profitable growth with net interest income of KD46.0 million up 16 percent on last year and operating income up 15 percent.

Al-Awadhi went on saying that Commercial Bank is moving well ahead according to its planned strategy that aims at strengthening the bank’s financial position, reduce the percentage of NPLs and generating income from the bank’s core business activities. Al-Awadhi explained that Commercial Bank continues to develop and upgrade its services and product offerings to attain customers’ utmost satisfaction. AlAwadhi further explained that the downward trend is still predominating the performance of Kuwait economy as a result of weak government spending, sluggish per-

formance of KSE and related negative impact on assets values in addition to internal political issues and geo-political situations, noting the improvement in the economic and business environment will posi-

Ali Yousef Al-Awadhi tively reflect on the banking sector and on Commercial Bank. Commercial Bank’s financial position and balance sheet is strong with additional judgmental provisions that provide the bank with more comfort when taking up businesses, added Al Awadhi noting that when these provisions are no longer

required they will be released to the income statement.

The bank continues to demonstrate its cost control leadership with operating expenses down 9 percent on 1H2010 and staff expenses also down 10 percent for the period. Operational efficiency is a competitive advantage for the bank which continues to maintain one of the lowest cost/income ratios with 20.91 percent for 1H2011.

Commercial Bank’s total assets at the end of June 2011 reached KD3.589 billion (6/2010: KD3.604 billion) with shareholders equity of KD458.8 million (6/2010: KD438.6 million). The capital adequacy ratio at June this year is 20.14 percent (6/2010: 19.10 percent) which exceeds the minimum 12 percent required by the Central Bank of Kuwait.

The bank continues to have a strong capital base with more than twice the international ratio required by Basel II. Commercial Bank of Kuwait takes the opportunity to thank the bank’s valued customers for their trust and confidence, the Executive Management team and staff for their hard work and loyalty and shareholders for their continued support and faith.

Commercial Bank of Kuwait provides its corporate and retail customers with wide spectrum of bank ing products and ser vices through one of the largest full ser vice branch networks in Kuwait. For information on Commercial Bank of Kuwait products or services please contact 1-888-CBK or visit www.cbk.com.

KUWAIT: Air Arabia, the first and largest low-cost carrier (LCC) in the Middle East and North Africa, announced yesterday its financial results for the three months ending June 30, 2011, demonstrating steady growth in profit, revenue and passenger traffic. Air Arabia’s net profit for the three months ending June 30, 2011, rose to AED51 million, an increase of 2 percent compared to AED50 million in the corresponding period in 2010. This increase in profitability exceeded analyst expectations, showing the strength of the airline’s core business amidst tumultuous market conditions.

In the second quarter of this year, Air Arabia posted a turnover of AED592 million, an increase of 22 percent compared to AED 485 million in the same period of 2010. The airline served 1,161,944 passengers in the second quarter of 2011, an increase of 5 percent compared to 1,108,310 passengers in the same period last year. In the three months ending June 30, 2011, Air Arabia’s average seat load factor - or passengers carried as a percentage of available seats - maintained its impressive rate and stood at 82.5 percent.

“Air Arabia has consistently shown its resilience to dynamic market conditions,” said Sheikh Abdullah Bin Mohammad Al Thani, Chairman of Air Arabia. “The second quarter of this year has seen fuel price averaging to 46 percent increase in the market fuel bill compared to same quarter of correspondent year.

The political turmoil of the region has continued with further escalation in several countries. Despite the challenging market conditions, Air Arabia has achieved steady growth and solid profits for the second quarter, thanks to our focused business model and appealing product.”

“We remain confident about the outlook of low cost travel in the region amidst market ambiguity, continuous challenging conditions and rise trend in

Sheikh Abdullah Bin Mohammad Al-Thani fuel cost” Sheikh Abdullah Bin Mohammad Al-Thani continued. “Air Arabia’s proven business model has well expanded into new markets and ventures, giving the airline a resilient commercial and operational strength. We are pleased with our performance in Q2 and look forward to providing best-in-class services for our customers throughout the year and beyond.”

Air Arabia recently announced that it has welcomed onboard its 20 millionth passenger, demonstrating the enormous appeal of the first and largest low-cost carrier (LCC) in the Middle East and North Africa. The airlines legacy remains in changing the whole air travel philosophy in this region and redefining the way residents and visitors travel; not to mention, creating a niche market for intra-regional air transport.

Additionally, Air Arabia and for the fifth consecutive year, won the A320 Family Operational Excellence Award by Airbus for the year 2009-2010 in June. The airline received the award for achieving the highest level of Airbus A320 family aircraft utilisation in the world for a fleet of less than 30 aircraft, with 99.8 percent operational reliability.

IKEA revamps Facebook page KUWAIT: IKEA Kuwait announced yesterday it has revamped its Facebook page to offer its customers a more personalized experience. IKEA enhanced the look and feel of the Facebook page to make it easier for online fans to maneuver the page for latest news and updates, upcoming offers as well as promotions. Social media are a growing source of extensive information and entertainment, making it one of the most preferred medium for customers to gain access to the store. IKEA Kuwait continues to improve its communications channels to provide enhanced functionality and engage its fans through interactive online features and activities with an aim to provide an overview of the company’s latest initiatives. Fans need only “like” the IKEA Kuwait Facebook page to start receiving regular updates. Recently, IKEA Kuwait

updated its bilingual website, and included a wide range of features that include the Catalogue, a view of all products and departments along with a service to ask questions and receive answers from IKEA staff promptly via email, the IKEA newsletter, IKEA card and the latest news on IKEA and new offers.

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 .4420000 .3860000 .3480000 .2810000 .2910000 .0040000 .0020000 .0739140 .7201210 .3810000 .0700000 .7059470 .0040000 .0430000

.2765000 .4600000 .4010000 .3600000 .2930000 .3010000 .0072500 .0035000 .0746570 .7273590 .4010000 .0770000 .7130420 .0072000 .0530000

CUSTOMER TRANSFER RATES .2722500 .2743500 .4440260 .4474510 .3881060 .3911000 .3505670 .3532710 .2835490 .2857370 .0521010 .0525030 .0427200 .0430500 .2932680 .2955300 .0349180 .0351880 .2253910 .2271300 .0035270 .0035540 .0000000 .0062210 .0000000 .0025100 .0000000 .0031810 .0000000 .0036880 .0741520 .0747240 .7224360 .7280080 .0000000 .3880480 .0726190 .0731800 .7074180 .7128750 .0000000 .0065710

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 Bangladesh Taka

ASIAN COUNTRIES 3.539 6.107 3.171 2.490 3.831 225.580 35.163 3.657

Philippine Peso Thai Baht Irani Riyal - Transfer Irani Riyal - Cash

6.440 9.152 0.271 0.273 GCC COUNTRIES 73.056 75.750 711.580 727.650 74.598

Saudi Riyal Qatari Riyal Omani Riyal Bahraini Dinar UAE Dirham Egyptian Pound - Cash Egyptian Pound - Transfer Yemen Riyal Tunisian Dinar Jordanian Dinar Lebanese Lira Syrian Lier Morocco Dirham

ARAB COUNTRIES 47.650 45.978 1.253 200.480 386.880 1.838 5.914 35.199

EUROPEAN & AMERICAN COUNTRIES US Dollar Transfer 273.850 Euro 395.300 Sterling Pound 452.950 Canadian dollar 282.030 Turkish lire 157.390 Swiss Franc 361.760 Australian dollar 286.450 US Dollar Buying 273.400

Sterling Pound US Dollar

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

SELL CASH 290.000 727.940 3.860 283.500 537.600 36.400 53.000 167.800 48.000 396.000 35.780 6.340

SELL DRAFT 288.500 727.940 3.662 282.000

228.400 46.005 394.500 35.830 6.135

0.033 0.241 0.238 3.580 388.730 0.185 93.660 47.200 4.210 234.600 1.856 50.900 710.940 3.290 6.610 75.720 73.080 226.410 42.430 2.633 453.500 43.000 361.000 5.600 9.510 198.263 74.630 274.100 1.220

0.033

386.850 0.184 93.660 3.840 233.100

359.500 5.600 9.370 74.530 273.700

TRAVELLER’S CHEQUE 451.500 273.700

Selling Rate 272.950 287.750 448.881 398.614 336.036 723.683 74.287 74.920 72.747 384.203 45.810 2.490 6.230

3.163 3.652 6.476 669.512 3.571 9.218 5.739 3.937 90.730

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) 273.400 3.165 6.195 2.505 3.665 6.550 74.565 73.135 727.200 45.945 452.700 0.00003280 3.910 1.550 388.600 5.750 393.100 293.300

Al Mulla Exchange

Dollarco Exchange Co. Ltd 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

Pakistani Rupees Bangladesh Taka Philippines Pesso Cyprus pound Japanese Yen Thai Bhat Syrian Pound Nepalese Rupees Malaysian Ringgit

Kuwait Bahrain Intl Exchange Co. 710.760 3.180 6.440 75.290 73.080 226.410 42.430 2.492 451.500

GOLD 1,708.260

10 Tola

GOLD 305.000 155.000 80.000

20 Gram 10 Gram 5 Gram

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

Currency US Dollar Euro Pound Sterling Canadian Dollar Japanese Yen Indian Rupee Egyptian Pound Sri Lankan Rupee Bangladesh Taka Philippines Peso Pakistan Rupee Bahraini Dinar UAE Dirham Saudi Riyal *Rates are subject to change

Transfer Rate (Per 1000) 273.550 393.100 449.500 285.400 3.430 6.110 45.960 2.487 3.650 6.460 3.170 727.850 74.450 72.975

A

y

e niv rsar n

Years

SUNDAY, AUGUST 7, 2011

BUSINESS

Saudi stocks shed 5.46% over US woes Leading banking shares drop by 4.7%

Customers reaffirm Porsche as most attractive brand DUBAI: American customers have awarded top marks to Porsche AG, Stuttgart, for the seventh time in succession: according to the latest study entitled “Automotive Performance, Execution and Layout Study (APEAL)” by J D Power and Associates, the renowned American market research institute, Porsche is still the most attractive car brand in the USA. In regard to vehicle rating, the Cayenne SUV took first place in its segment. The Porsche 911 also gained the most points in its class. The overall ranking is calculated from ten different categories, includ-

ing driving dynamics and design, but also suitability for daily use and comfort of the vehicles.

This year’s survey is based on the information from around 73,000 new car buyers regarding a total of 234 different models which were registered between November 2010 and February 2011. This outstanding result from the American market researchers is especially significant for the Stuttgart-based sports car manufacturer: North America is traditionally the world’s most important market for Porsche.

June inflation at 5.0% NBK ECONOMIC BRIEF KUWAIT: Consumer price inflation gained 0.2 percent month on month in June and was 5.0 percent year on year (y/y). The y/y rate was a 10-month low as sources of upward pressure relented some. Excluding food, the y/y rate was a moderate 3.5 percent. We still expect that inflation will average 4.7 percent this year. Food prices were up 11 percent y/y for June, but saw a 0.6 percent decrease from May. The two largest components of food are still seeing double-digit increases y/y. Meat, poultry and fish was up 10.9 percent y/y while fruits and vegetables saw an increase of 15.1 percent. This is despite m/m decreases in most food subcategories, including fruits and vegetables, which went down 4.5 percent m/m.

Food prices are still a long way from

their 2009 lows, but should see lower inflation as the year progresses.

International prices for food and other commodities have seen some decreases in the past few months, which should abate a primary source of upward pressure on inflation in the second half of the year.

Overall, core inflation (which excludes food prices since they are affected more by volatile international conditions and do not always reflect the underlying consumer price inflation in Kuwait) eased to 3.5 percent y/y from 4.1 percent in Q1 2011, registering a 10-month low. With food and other commodities prices in a downward drift, in part due to slowing world growth, CPI inflation should be on track to average 4.7 percent this year and 4.4 percent in 2012.

RIYADH: Shares shed 5.46 percent yesterday in the first day of trading in oil-rich Saudi Arabia after the Muslim weekend, as investors reacted to the historic US credit downgrading and European debt woes. The Tadawul All-Shares Index closed 5.46 percent down, at 6,073.44 points as all shares tumbled a day after Standard & Poor’s cut the US credit rating for the first time in history over its massive fiscal deficit and debt load. “The S&P rating and (debt) problems in Europe... have scared investors,”

said financial analyst Abdulwahab Abu Dahesh, pointing out, however, that the “down trend had started a while ago.”

Leading banking shares dropped by 4.7 percent while shares of the petrochemical sector shed 6.7 percent. Construction shares were also 6.4 percent lower.

Al-Rajhi bank was down 5.2 percent in afternoon trading, while SAMBA bank dropped 6.98 percent.

Petrochemicals giant SABIC saw its shares drop 5.54 percent. In the telecommunications sector, STC

shares dropped 2.56 percent, while Zain KSA plummeted 6.15 percent.

Etihad Etisalat also fell 5.9 percent.

“Saudi shares have reacted to two events: sharp drops on Thursday in markets, especially oil, and the S&P cut of the US rating,” economist Mohammed Al-Omran told Al-Arabiya news channel. He noted that the Saudi market was the first to react globally to the late Friday S&P statement on the US economy, with the start of the trading week in Saudi Arabia, while all other markets remained shut for

the weekend. “The Saudi economy relies on exports, mainly petrochemicals, so it is normal that it would be strongly affected,” he added. Global oil prices fell sharply but then recovered on Friday as economic worries in Europe and the United States cast more clouds over the market. Abu Dahesh expected “further drops in the Saudi market, depending on the (movement of) international markets.” Saudi Arabia sits on one-fifth of world oil reserves and is the largest exporter of crude oil. — AFP

GIC issues $253m five-year sukuk KUWAIT: Gulf Investment Corporation GSC, Kuwait (GIC) has on August 3, 2011 successfully issued MYR750 million ($253 million) under its existing 20year MYR3.5 billion ($1.18 billion) sukuk Wakalah bi Istithmar Medium Term Notes Programme (the GIC sukuk).

AmInvestment Bank Berhad (AmInvestment Bank) acted as the Sole Lead Manager for this GIC sukuk issuance with AmIslamic Bank Berhad appointed as the Transaction Agent to facilitate the commodity trading via the Suq Al-Sila’ trading platform on Bursa Malaysia (Bursa Suq Al-Sila). This is the second issuance from the GIC sukuk and the fourth issuance from GIC in Malaysia since 2008. The GIC sukuk which has been assigned a long term rating of AAA

by RAM Rating Services Berhad will enable GIC to tap the Malaysian capital markets for long-dated funding and improve its asset-liability management, thereby mitigating and interest rate risks.

The second issuance from the GIC sukuk in 2011 has a tenure of five years and carries a semi-annual profit payment of 4.90 percent per annum. In March this year, GIC had sold its first tranche of MYR600 million ($202million) of five year GIC sukuk in Malaysia at a yield of 5.25 percent per annum. GIC and AmInvestment Bank had conducted investor presentations in Kuala Lumpur in mid July followed by an accelerated private placement process.

Despite the recent uncertainties in the global markets, the issuing pricing process was competitive and managed to come in tighter than the issuance in March, meeting with GIC’s current target pricing levels. A broad range of local investors including fund managers, insurance companies, financial institutions and government agencies participated in the issue which represents the largest issue launched to-date for GIC in Malaysia. In 2008, GIC had issued its inaugural

Hisham Al-Razzuqi dual-tranche conventional bonds with tenures of five (5) years (MYR600 million or $202 million) and fifteen years (MYR400 million or $135million) in the Malaysian capital markets, the first by a GCC issuer.

“GIC is pleased to have successfully completed our fourth issuance in Malaysia since our inaugural issuance in 2008, making us a frequent foreign issuer which offers an additional avenue to diversify our sources of funding as part of the management’s efforts to enhance its liquidity risk management structure. We anticipate more issuers from the GCC region following suit in tapping into non-traditional sources to obtain long term funds,” said Hisham Al-Razzuqi, Chief Executive Officer of GIC. “We are also pleased that the Islamic medi-

um term notes which was structured in accordance with the Shariah principle of Wakalah bi Istithmar was an innovative structure which met the Shariah compliance of both Kuwait where GIC is based and Malaysia where the sukuk is issued. We were also able to support the Suq al Sila’ initiatives by Bursa Malaysia as part of the broader Malaysian government strategy under Malaysia as an Islamic Financial Centre (MIFC) initiatives spearheaded by Bank Negara Malaysia since August 2006,” added Al-Razzuqi.

The GIC sukuk is based on the underlying Shariah principles of Wakalah (agency) and Istithmar (investment). GIC, as the Issuer will issue the sukuk in one or several series under a programme. The investors will provide capital as investment for their subscription of a particular series. “AmInvestment Bank is pleased to have successfully completed this transaction, whereby we were able to provide a one-stop solution for GIC from lead managing the issuance, facilitating the swap transaction and acting as the Transaction Agent under Bursa Suq Al-Sila’ commodity trading platform under AmIslamic Bank Berhad, a wholly owned subsidiary of the AmBank Group,” said TC Kok, Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer, AmInvestment Bank.

The 20-year programme will provide GIC greater flexibility to issue sukuk of varying tenures of up to 10 years on a “need to” basis from time to time to fund its general working capital requirements that conform to Shariah principles at competitive pricing given its strong credit rating, underscored by its strengthening credit fundamentals and improved asset quality. “Moving forward, with our investment banking capacity, expertise in the Islamic capital markets and established track record, AmInvestment Bank aims to be a key enabler for GCC issuers accessing the Malaysian Islamic capital markets,” added Kok.

Qatar Airways launches daily flights to Kolkata

Propshell launches new land projects CHENNAI: Propshell, one of the leading property developers in Chennai and proud to launch its DTCP government approved world class gated community projects with the plot size ranging from 1,500 sq ft - 4,000 sq ft. Director of the company is in town for consultation and can be contacted at 94970530. Chennai ranks third in foreign direct investment approvals and second most industrialized state in India. Sriperumbudur is popularly known as the “Detroit of Asia” in recognition of the large number of automotive, auto component and telecom companies present.

The Sriperumbudur Sunguvarchatram stretch was chosen by many global companies such as Hyundai , Nissan, BMW, Ford, Hindustan Motors, Mitsubishi, Saint-Gobain Glass, Nokia, Samsung, Dell, Motorola, Flextronics, Foxconn, Daimler and lately Peugeot and many more companies are operating there, with their auxiliary companies. As of 2011, Sriperumbudur is a Special Economic Zone (SEZ) with more than $3 billion invested, more than two lakh people are employed.

Sriperumbudur with its growth in automobile and electronic components manufacturing has a huge demand for integrated township, thus making it as ideal destination for appreciating investment.

According to sources, the state put forward the suggestion to take Metro Rail to Sriperumbudur at a recent meet-

ing held with Metro Rail officials and Southern Railway. This would benefit the fast developing industrial hubs and also might decongest traffic at Chennai Central railway station. And a recent developments with Tamil Nadu government allotted 150 acres of land for Chennai Free Trade Zone (FTZ) for the ware house project. World’s leading freight services DHL being the pioneer company to setup the ware house for their operations in Sriperumbudur.

Recently Shipping Minister G K Vasan inaugurated the Rajiv Gandhi Dry Port near Mapedu, Sriperumbudur at an investment of 380 crores INR. G K Vasan says “In a world of increasing population, civilization and industrialization, investment on land has a productive power.

Good times are here again to posses the best land in the fastest growing destination near Chennai.”

Propshell has the fully satisfied investors across the globe and our uniqueness in developing the Gated community with all the infrastructure like bitumen roads, overall compound wall, security services, drinking water supply, sewage connections, electricity connections, children play area with parks. The company not only developing the gated communities and also we undertake maintenance of those townships with first three years being free of cost. Propshell can transform your investments to valuable assets for your brighter future.

KUWAIT: Qatar Airways has widened its passenger flight network in India with the launch of daily non-stop scheduled services from Doha to Kolkata. Formerly known as Calcutta, addition of the latest route reaffirms the carrier’s commitment to India where it now operates 95 flights a week across 12 destinations. In addition, the Doha-based airline also operates twice-weekly freighter services to Kolkata, one of six Indian destinations where Qatar Airways already offers dedicated cargo flights.

The inaugural flight QR 294, carrying a full load of passengers including international media, arrived at Kolkata’s Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose International Airport earlier today to a traditional water salute welcome following its fivehour flight from the capital of the State of Qatar. Kolkata, capital of West Bengal state in eastern India, is the country’s third largest city with a metropolis population of over 15 million people.

It is also the commercial capital of eastern India taking advantage of its lucrative location on the Hooghly River, and is regarded as the country’s cultural and intellectual capital. Kolkata also once served as the capital city of India. Home to a rich mix of creeds and cultures, Kolkata boasts colonial buildings, monuments, elegant buildings and India’s only tram system - the oldest operating electric tram in Asia - reflecting the days of the British ruling India. With excellent

connections from Europe, Middle East, Africa, United States and Canada, Qatar Airways’ newest passenger route is expected to appeal to expatriates returning to Kolkata, as well as the international business community having strong commercial links with the city and surrounding areas.

Kolkata now becomes part of Qatar Airways’ large family of routes in India that also covers Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Ahmedabad, Hyderabad, Trivandrum, Cochin, Kozhikode, Goa, Amritsar and Bengaluru (Bangalore). Speaking about the airline’s newest route launch, Qatar Airways Chief Executive Officer Akbar AlBaker said: “Introduction of our latest destination has been well timed to coincide with the busy holiday season as families travel to and from India, one of our most important markets.

“As our 12th Indian gateway, the addition of Kolkata demonstrates Qatar Airways’ commitment to one of the world’s fastest growing economies with India’s rapid pace of development prompting the need for more flights to serve rising demand for air travel to and from the country. “Qatar Airways has strategically positioned itself as a global connector flying passengers seamlessly across continents, from East to West in comfort and style, with an award-winning service onboard that has become the envy of others across the global airline industry.”

DOHA: Pictured at Doha International Airport’s Premium Terminal are international media travelling on the inaugural flight to Kolkata.

Mouawad Store is pictured at the Dubai Mall.

Mouawad celebrates with promotions KUWAIT: To celebrate Ramadan, and in the spirit of giving, Mouawad, the 120 year old jewellery house, is offering a special promotion to its customers across the Middle East region. Throughout the Holy Month, Mouawad will gift every customer who makes a purchase at its stores across the region with a complimentary item from one of its jewellery or watch collections. “This year we decided to mark this important occasion with a unique promotion, and to gift all of our customers with one of our precious creations”, explained Pascal Mouawad, co-guardian of the Mouawad brand.

For more details on this very special offer, customers simply have to visit any of Mouawad’s boutiques in the region and ask one of Mouawad in-store experts. “Our in store assistants can provide every customer with all the information they need to take advantage of this special promotion and assist them in finding the perfect jewellery piece for themselves or their loved ones”, added Fred Mouawad, coguardian of the Mouawad brand. This special gift is Mouawad way of saying thank you and wishing all its customers a lovely Ramadan. Mouawad operates a chain of boutiques across the Middle East covering the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Dubai in the United Arab Emirates, Oman, Jordan and Lebanon.

A

y

e niv rsar n

Years

SUNDAY, AUGUST 7, 2011

business

Bourse makes gains in US debt shadow

KUWAIT: Kuwait Stock Exchange (KSE) ended last week in the green zone. The price index ended the week with an increase amounted to 0.50 percent, while the weighted index advanced by 0.71 percent compared to the closings of the week before. Moreover, last week’s average daily turnover increased by 8.57 percent, compared to the preceding week, whereas trading volume average recorded a growth of 8.09 percent. Moreover, the market had a positive support on the shadow of the news about the United States of America congress approval to raise the ceiling of the USA government debt, as a result, many of the world markets including KSE recorded positive performance.

On the other hand, the traders were waiting for the listed companies announcements, as until last week 58 listed companies announced their results, representing 27 percent of the total number of listed companies. The total announced profit was KD637.40 million with retreat of 50.26 percent compared to the same period of last year. By the end of the week, the price index closed at 6,066.2 points, up by 0.50 percent from the week before closing, whereas the weighted index registered a 0.71 percent weekly gain after closing at 421.23 points.

BAYAN INVESTMENT WEEKLY REPORT 6 months’ results By mid of last trading day of the week, 58 companies announced their results for the six months 2011 with a total net profits amounting to KD637.40 million, with retreat of 50.26 percent compared to the same period of last year, which amounted to K.D. 1.28 billion. The banks sector came first in terms of total net profits for the period, with a total of KD294.71 million, followed by the services sector with a total of KD182.89 million, then the nonKuwaiti companies sector in the third place with KD51.24 million.

Furthermore, all KSE sectors have recorded growth, except for two sector, In their companies’ total net profits for the six month 2011, compared to the same period of last year.

Sectors’ indices Five of KSE’s sectors ended last week in the green zone, while the other two recorded declines, whereas the insurance sector ’s index closed with no change from the week before. Last week’s highest gainer was the banks sector, achieving 1.46 percent growth rate as its index closed at 11,919.1 points.

Whereas, in the second place, the

food sector’s index closed at 4,271.3 points recording 1.10 percent increase. The real estate sector came in third as its index achieved 1.07 percent growth, ending the week at 2,075.3 points. The industry sector was the least growing as its index closed at 4,406.7 points with a 0.56 percent increase.

On the other hand, the NonKuwaiti Companies sector headed the losers list as its index declined by 2.02 percent to end the week’s activity at 5,688.9 points. The investment sector was second on the losers’ list, which index declined by 0.05 percent, closing at 3,785.6 points. On the other hand, and as per the announced results, KSE average P/E ratio is currently at 18.98.

Sectors’ activity The real estate sector dominated total trade volume during last week with 107.08 million shares changing hands, representing 28.69 percent of the total market trading volume.

The investment sector was second in terms trading volume as the sector’s traded shares were 18.18 percent of last week’s total trading volume, with a total of 67.84 million shares. On the other hand, the

banks sector’s stocks where the highest traded in terms of value; with a turnover of KD23.62 million or 40.68 percent of last week’s total market trading value. The services sector took the second place as the sector ’s last week turnover of KD10.07 million represented 17.35 percent of the total market trading value.

Market capitalization KSE total market capitalization grew by 0.72 percent during last week to reach KD29.63 billion, as five of KSE’s sectors recorded an increase in their respective market capitalization, whereas the Insurance sector’s market capitalization remained the same from the week before, whereas the other two recorded declines.

The banks sector headed the growing sectors as its total market capitalization reached KD13.09 billion, increasing by 1.57 percent.

The real estate sector was the second in terms of recorded growth with 1.11 percent increase after the total value of its listed companies reached KD1.68 billion. The third place was for the Food sector, which total market capitalization reached KD733.42 million by the

end of the week, recording an increase of 0.38 percent. The services sector was the least growing with 0.04 percent recorded growth after its market capitalization amounted to KD7.42 billion. On the other hand, the non-Kuwaiti companies sector headed the decliners

list as its total market capitalization decreased by 0.68 percent to reach, by the end of the week, KD1.83 billion. The investment sector was second on this list, which market value of its listed companies declined by 0.10 percent, reaching KD2.26 billion.

A

y

e niv rsar n

Years

25

SUNDAY, AUGUST 7, 2011

BUSINESS

Asia moves to calm US debt downgrade fears S Korea warns against ‘over-reacting’ to rating HONG KONG: Japan led Asian governments in seeking to calm fears over the American debt downgrade yesterday, saying Tokyo’s trust in US Treasuries remained unchanged. Standard & Poor’s has cut the US rating a notch from the top flight triple-A to AA+, saying its politicians were becoming less able to get to grips with the country’s huge fiscal deficit and debt load. But Japan, the second largest holder of US debt after China, said the move would not affect its confidence in US government bonds, while Australia and South Korea warned against over-reacting to the downgrade.

LARNACA: In this photo, aircraft are seen at Larnaca International airport in Larnaca, Cyprus. —AP

Fight for Cyprus skies invites disasters in air NICOSIA: One divided Mediterranean island.

Two air traffic control centers that don’t communicate. Tens of thousands of airline passengers flying popular tourist routes. That potentially disastrous math hovers over Cyprus every day. Confidential reports by international aviation authorities obtained by The Associated Press warn of “a high risk of accident” in the airspace where Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot air controllers give overlapping and contradictory instructions, confusing pilots on increasingly busy routes. The AP has uncovered details of four near misses in a large swath of Cypriot airspace sandwiched between Turkey and Egypt.

The most serious of those incidents, involving an Airbus 330 passenger jet and a cargo aircraft in October 2008, could have resulted in a mid-air crash, according to a senior official with the Cyprus Civil Aviation Department. There were at least three other near misses between June and October 2006 in which competing flight instructions brought aircraft close enough for their onboard collision avoidance system to activate, according to a confidential document.

The airspace is crisscrossed hundreds of times a day by flights between Europe and the Middle East.

Turkish Cypriots in the breakaway northern part of island have operated their own air control center since 1977 and lay claim to about a quarter of the 175,000-square-kilometer (67,570-square-mile) Nicosia Flight Information Region, or FIR. World aviation authorities recognize only Nicosia Air Control Center - in the internationally recognized Greek Cypriot south - as having control over Nicosia FIR. But the Turkish Cypriot air traffic controllers have been issuing unauthorized flight instructions anyway - instructions that many pilots unfamiliar with the island’s complicated politics have been following.

Air traffic controllers on both sides are able to listen in on each other’s chatter with pilots as a means of guarding against disaster. But they don’t communicate directly. “Yes, there is something that actually endangers flight safety, but it is controlled and nobody takes it to the extent that it would actually cause an accident,” said Ayda Soylu, the foreign ministry director general in the breakaway Turkish Cypriot north.

International aviation officials have long acknowledged that the problem is compromising flight safety. But the extent of the danger has been unknown to all but a small circle of officials and aviation experts because no serious incident has ever been publicly disclosed. A confidential European Commission briefing memo states that both the International Civil Aviation Organization, the UN’s global aviation body, and the International Air Transport Association, which represents 230 airlines worldwide, see the problem as containing the seeds of disaster.

“IATA believes that there is a high risk of accident in the region in the present situation,” says the internal memo dated Nov 3, 2008. “ICAO has also stated that all the ingredients are laid for an accident to happen.”

Another body that represents airline pilots worldwide considers the northern part of Nicosia FIR as “critically deficient” because of the confusion sown by conflicting instructions.

IATA declined AP requests to comment on the issue. ICAO spokesman Denis Chagnon denied the European Commission memo reflected the official position of his organization. But he said that his agency recognizes only Nicosia FIR and double communications “can indeed negatively impact aviation safety.” He added that international aviation officials have “developed and promoted procedures that pilots in the region should follow to ensure the safety of air operations.”

Aviation analysts say that Cyprus poses a unique safety risk.

“It’s unprecedented to have competing or conflicting flight instructions that have resulted in many near misses over the years,” said Bill Voss, president of the Flight Safety Foundation of Alexandria, Virginia. Voss said that even an air traffic dispute between longtime rivals China and Taiwan over the Taiwan straits “has been managed more effectively than Cyprus.” Voss said recent agreements on cross-strait flights have resolved the Asian dispute. Voss has appealed to American authorities to help resolve the Cyprus air traffic dispute.

“A number of the airlines involved are code-share partners with US carriers. It is logical to assume American citizens are being exposed to an unacceptable level of risk,” Voss said in a March 23, 2009, letter to Frank C Urbancic, the US ambassador to

Cyprus. The matter did not go any further.

On Oct 22, 2008, a Turkish Cypriot air traffic controller’s flight instructions led a Monarch Airlines flight carrying an unspecified number of passengers from Manchester, England, to the Cypriot coastal resort of Paphos to nearly crash with an Egyptian cargo plane, according to a senior Greek Cypriot aviation official.

Flying at a busy air traffic junction over the Mediterranean about 60 nautical miles south of Antalya, Turkey, the Airbus 330 pilot was told to lose altitude, taking the plane directly into the path of the Egyptian aircraft 2,000 feet (610 meters) below, according to the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the issue. A Greek Cypriot air traffic controller at Nicosia Air Control Center monitoring both aircraft on radar noticed the mistake and immediately told the Monarch pilot to stop his descent, the official said.

The two planes missed each other by “a couple of hundred feet,” close enough for the Egyptian aircraft’s onboard collision avoidance alarm to warn pilots that a collision was only 30 seconds away, according to official documents shown to the AP. The Turkish Cypriots have declined to comment on any instances of near misses. Experts point out that Cyprus’ already busy skies are getting busier - making it an ever greater challenge to keep track of flights.

The Nicosia FIR airspace sees about 850 commercial flights on an average day and as many as 1,000 on peak days, according to Europe’s air safety agency EUROCONTROL. About a third of those go through airspace claimed by the Turkish Cypriots. Regional air traffic is projected to grow at around 3.7 percent annually over the next seven years, especially from fast-growing airlines in the Middle East and the burgeoning traffic of private jets.

A report detailing incidents inside Nicosia FIR shows that the October 2008 near miss was preceded by at least three other incidents between June and October 2006 in which overlapping flight instructions brought aircraft so close that the onboard collision avoidance system - or TCAS - activated. In an April 25, 2006, incident, one plane cruising at 35,000 feet (10,670 meters) had to climb rapidly after a TCAS alert to avoid another plane coming from the opposite direction.

“I believe the other A/C (aircraft) may have been confused about his climb clearance. The requirement to communicate with 2 separate ATC (air traffic control) units is inherently dangerous and unsafe,” said the unnamed author of the report. Dangerous incidents continue to occur regularly, illustrating the ongoing risk to flight safety. On June 12 this year, a TRA Boeing 737-800 flying from Amsterdam to Paphos was instructed by air traffic controllers at the Turkish Cypriot north’s Ercan Airport to start descending from its cruising altitude of 39,000 feet (11,890 meters). It was at the same busy air traffic junction south of Antalya where the Monarch Airlines near miss occurred.

According to a Nicosia FIR report provided by the Greek Cypriot aviation official, the pilots ignored Nicosia air traffic controllers’ attempts to contact them - even on an emergency frequency - and verify their intended flight level. That prompted Nicosia controllers to notify a Moscow-bound NWS Boeing 737-200 flying through the same air corridor in the opposite direction to be on alert for the inbound aircraft.

On April 7, a Beirut-bound Air France 777 flying off Cyprus’ northeastern coast was cleared by Turkish Cypriot air traffic control to descend to 19,000 feet (5,790 meters), putting it in the flight path of a Romebound military transport plane flying from an unnamed Middle Eastern country, the Greek Cypriot aviation official said. Again, Nicosia Air Control Center halted the Air France jet’s descent to allow the military plane to pass 1,000 feet (305 meters) below.

“Conflicting or overlapping flight instructions have resulted in some serious incidents in the past, but fortunately, Nicosia ACC controllers ... intervened to prevent the worst,” said Cyprus Foreign Minister Erato Kozakou-Marcoullis. Nicosia ACC chief Haris Antoniades said “much time and effort” is spent to keep the situation from getting out of hand, raising stress levels for his 70 air traffic controllers. According to Antoniades, there were 100 instances in 2009 in which aircraft flying through Nicosia FIR deviated from Nicosia ACC flight instructions because of Turkish Cypriot interference. —AP

“ The trust we have in US Treasuries and their attractiveness as an investment will not change because of this action,” an unnamed senior Japanese government official told Dow Jones Newswires. Another official also said that Japan’s investment policy regarding its foreign reserves remains unchanged, the newswire said. Japan is unlikely to sell any of its dollar-denominated assets as it is fighting to stem the yen’s rise to near a record-high against the greenback.

China, which held $1.15 trillion of US debt at the end of April, according to the state news agency Xinhua, has yet to react to the downgrade. But Xinhua has launched stinging criticism of US lawmakers in recent days over their deal to raise the limit on the countr y ’s borrowing, saying Washington had simply taken on new debts to repay old ones. S&P gave a negative outlook for the US, saying there was a chance its rating could be cut again within two years if progress is not made cutting the government budget gap.

The downgrade followed days of heavy losses on stock markets around the world, as investor confidence was hammered by fears for the US economy and a warning from the head of the European Commission that the eurozone debt crisis had likely spread. South Korea held an emergency meeting of senior finance ministry officials yesterday to discuss possible fallout from the downgrade, but warned against over-reaction. “There is possibility that South Korea’s economy might be affected in the short term,” Vice Finance Minister Yim Jong-Yong said after

the meeting.

“However, there is no need to be concerned excessively about our economy and financial markets.” Yim also called for talks with policymakers from the central Bank of Korea and financial watchdog bodies today to discuss what actions Seoul should take ahead of markets reopening tomorrow.

Australian Prime Minister Julia

Washington about the American budget and fiscal consolidation, that they were intending to do that downgrade,” she said.

“At the same time, the other two major ratings agencies, Moody’s and Fitch, continue to have the American economy rated at AAA. So I think people just need to look at all of the facts.”

Australian stocks plunged 4.00 percent on Friday, the worst loss-

Holdings, said he expected Asian market reaction to S&P’s move to be “muted” as the downgrade had already been priced in. “Of course globally there is greater uncertainty now... There will be some investors who follow a ‘triple A’ credit rating who need to sell-off... So the market will see some adjustments,” Yeah told AFP. He said he expected Asian countries to hold on to their US

HONG KONG: A man walks past a money exchange outlet yesterday. —AP Gillard also urged a measured response to the downgrade, pointing out that it was not unexpected and the two other key agencies still rated US debt at top grade. “Standard and Poor’s had been signaling for some time that unless they saw a certain figure of budget cutbacks out of the discussion that there’s been in

es seen in a single session since the height of the 2008 financial crisis, but Gillard insisted yesterday the country’s economic fundamentals were strong and could weather any financial storms that were brewing.

In Kuala Lumpur, Yeah Kim Leng, a senior economist with financial research firm RAM

dollar reserves amid “few available alternatives”, describing Asia as a “relative sea of stability” compared to the volatile European and US markets. The Philippines said the downgrade would serve as a “wake-up call” but it was confident the world’s largest economy could address its problems. —AFP

Australia PM downplays US debt deal

The 2011 Chevrolet Camaro Convertible. —MCT

Muscle car idolized in 2011 Camaro droptop For the first time since anyone can remember, the Chevrolet Camaro is outselling the Ford Mustang. According to Automotive News, Chevy moved 40,275 Camaros for the first five months of this year. During the same period, Ford sold 30,206 Mustangs. One could suppose that the Camaro’s new shape is still fresh when compared to that of the Mustang, whose look remains relatively unchanged. In the world of sport coupes, new designs always garner more buyers than do the familiar. And boy, is the Camaro a looker.

Its design reveres it roots without being beholden to them. Instead, it moves the styling needle with a menacing futuristic scowl and burly stance. The 1969 Camaro which was the modern car’s inspiration looks dainty by comparison. And for 2011, the Camaro’s top goes down in less than 20 seconds. If anything, the Camaro convertible is better looking than the coupe. With the top lowered, you get to see the sensuous, flowing body sculpting. It’s quite alluring, with a graceful air missing from ‘80s and ‘90s Camaros.

The droptop Camaro comes in two flavors: LT and SS. The former uses GM’s ubiquitous 3.6-liter double-overhead-cam V6 rated at 304 horsepower. The latter has GM’s legendary 6.2-liter V8 rated at 400-hp with a sixspeed automatic transmission, 426-hp with the six-speed manual. Six-cylinder buyers get the same transmission choices. All of the car’s important bits are placed on a platform originally developed for the Pontiac G8 sedan. Among the options on the LT test car was a $1,500 RS Package with 20-inch aluminum wheels, rear spoiler, unique tail lamps and high-intensity discharge headlamps.

Like the coupe, the V6 can reach 60 mph in 6.1 seconds. OK, it’s not the V8’s 4.7 seconds, but fast enough if you’re cruising with the top down. Besides, giving up 1.4 seconds allows you to enjoy this car’s style while

yielding 18 mpg city, 29 mpg highway.

That’s not bad, but try both models before you buy. The V6 certainly is fast on paper, but for some reason, it doesn’t feel so when driving. The driveline has a surprisingly sedate feel, especially when compared to the Ford Mustang’s V6. But there’s no quibbling with the way this rear-driver handles.

There is plenty of reinforcement to quell vibration. The car’s tight, solid feel can be seen when traversing bumps; there’s little of the flex one experiences in some convertibles. The rearview mirror can be used; it doesn’t vibrate. The steering is a willing partner in crime, telegraphing what’s going on. It’s neither too light nor too heavy. Like the steering, the suspension muffles road imperfections without filtering out their presence. Road and wind noise are nicely muffled. The front seat is spacious, although it feels as if you’re sitting very low thanks to this car’s small windows. Unlike the coupe, which can be hard to see out of, the convertible’s top goes down, eliminating that problem.

High-quality materials line the cabin; it’s nicely assembled. The gauges and switches are distinctively styled, especially the audio system. It has eight buttons, six for station presets. But each button is, in reality, a toggle switch. Hitting the top of the button offers up your favorite station, while hitting the bottom activates a different function.

Each button has a backlit label, and the primary function of each shines brighter. It’s a small thing, but it indicates that GM sweats the design details.

That said, the already small trunk is puny on the droptop: 10.24 cubic feet with the top up, 7.85 cubic feet with it stowed. But hey, that’s what the back seat is best used for. If you’ve waited to buy one, think of the money you’ll save. Someone bought one of the first convertibles recently at a Barrett-Jackson charity auction for $205,000. —MCT

SYDNEY: Australia’s prime minister warned yesterday against over-reacting to the Standard & Poor’s downgrade of US debt, pointing out that the two other key agencies still rated US Treasuries at top grade. S&P “had been signaling for some time that unless they saw a certain figure of budget cutbacks out of the discussion that there’s been in Washington about the American budget and fiscal consolidation, that they were intending to do that downgrade,” Prime Minister Julia Gillard said. “At the same time, the other two major ratings agencies, Moody’s and Fitch, continue to have the American economy rated at AAA. So I think people just need to look at all of the facts.”

With global markets already in turmoil, S&P cut the US rating late Friday from its top-flight triple-A one notch to AA+ and added a negative outlook. Australian stocks plunged 4.00 percent Friday, the worst losses in a single session since the height of the 2008 financial crisis, but Gillard insisted yesterday the country’s economic fundamentals were strong.

“People should look with confidence at our economic credentials and fundamentals, and people should look with confidence at the ability of this government to deal with global instability,” Gillard said.

“We came out of the global financial crisis without having gone into recession.” Friday’s losses on the markets rattled the many Australians who have their retirement savings invested on the stock exchange. “People did see impacts on their super(annuation) funds during the days of the global financial crisis and many Australians will be looking now on impacts here on super funds and on their direct share investments,” Gillard said. —AFP

Philippines calls for ‘more stable’ reserve currencies MANILA: The Philippine finance secretary yesterday called for the US to address “fundamental issues” after its debt downgrade and said the world needed other “more stable” reserve currencies beyond the dollar.

“Unless the US address their fundamental issues, I think we may have entered an era of less predictable and less stable global financial markets,” finance secretary Cesar Purisima said. “This development highlights the need for alternative global reserve currencies and benchmarks that are more stable and as liquid and convertible.” To avert market unease, he said it was important for Washington, issuer of the world’s reserve currency and benchmark debt instrument, to deal with the issues that led to its loss for the first time of its top-notch AAA rating. “This resulting unease may in the short term make investors more tentative and may slow down the global economy,” Purisima said in a statement.

According to US Treasury data, the Philippines holds $23.6 billion in US securities, now rated AA+ by S&P with a negative outlook.

President Benigno Aquino’s spokesman Ricky Carandang told AFP: “In a way it’s a wake-up call for the US to begin to seriously address its economic issues.

We’re confident they will be able to do this.” The United States is also its top export market, main provider of foreign military aid, and a key host for the Philippines’ nine million-strong overseas workers. —AFP

A

y

e niv rsar n

Years

SUNDAY, AUGUST 7, 2011

business

Europe crisis revives ’08 fears but risks are less LONDON: Wild gyrations in the stock market. Big banks holding risky bonds.

Fear that toxic assets will contaminate banks and freeze up credit on both sides of the Atlantic. Wall Street is having a flashback to the panicky days of September and October 2008, when Lehman Brothers collapsed and American International Group needed a bailout that became the biggest on Wall Street - $182 billion. This time investors are worried that Europe’s debt crisis could slam an already weak US economy.

But few analysts think it will do as much damage as the collapse in home prices and mortgage-backed securities did in 2008, when they caused a credit squeeze and banks feared lending to each other.

Compared with the fall of 2008, “our larger banks are in pretty good shape,” says Philip Swagel, a former Treasury official who is now an economist at the University of Maryland. “They’ve rebuilt their capital positions. The institutions that are exposed (to European debt) are in much better shape.” After months of

worrying about the risk of default by Greece and Portugal, investors fear that two much bigger countries - Italy and Spain - might be unable to meet their debt payments. They also worry that Italian and Spanish banks have loaded up on their countries’ government bonds and haven’t valued them accurately.

Analysts say a default by an economy as big as Italy’s or Spain’s would likely throw Europe into recession. That would further strain a fragile US economy and weigh on the global financial system. If Italy or Spain defaulted, their banks would absorb big losses that could spread to other institutions. French banks have lent heavily to Italian banks, and US banks have lent heavily to French banks. “You have the potential for a domino effect,” says Thomas Abruzzo, head of the North American financial institutions team at Fitch Ratings.

But Abruzzo says he’s confident that US banks have hedged much of the risk they’ve taken in Europe to protect against steep losses. They’ve also built up

their capital - the financial buffer that protects them against losses. What’s more, the Italian and Spanish government debts are better understood than the exotic mortgage securities at the heart of the 2008 crisis that began in the United States. Then, no one knew which banks were holding how much in mortgage securities or what those securities were worth. Banks stopped lending to each other. Credit froze up. Panic set in.

Corporations that relied on short-term loans faced a debilitating cash crunch.

These days, US corporations are hoarding cash and don’t require immediate access to financial markets. Banks also have changed the way they fund themselves. In 2007, they relied heavily on very short-term loans. They needed to be repaid, and replaced, quickly. When markets seized up, banks quickly ran out of money. Now they have diversified their funding streams with longer-term borrowings. They have more agility to avoid heavy losses. “Companies now are not in a position where they can be

quickly put into a liquidity crisis,” said Thomas Tzitzouris, head of fixed income research at Strategas Partners. The scope of the current trouble, however, is much wider than it was in 2008. The institutions in trouble now are not a few banks or trading firms: They are entire countries. Italy is the third-largest borrower in the world, with more than $2 trillion in debt. That dwarfs the debt of Lehman Brothers, Bear Stearns and Merrill Lynch, the companies on the brink in 2008.

Measured by the interest rates being charged on Italian debt compared with other countries’ debt, investors are putting the odds of an Italian default at higher than 50 percent. “The markets are saying Italy is on the chopping block,” Tzitzouris says. An Italian default, he says, would bust huge holes in the balance sheets of banks and insurance companies, among others. “Contagion would quickly spread, and you are looking at a severe worldwide recession.”

Though US banks are better protected from a credit crisis this time, a deep

recession in Europe would hurt a US economy already struggling to grow. The economy expanded at an annual rate of only 0.8 percent in the first half of the year. July’s 9.1 percent unemployment rate was down a tick from June’s - but still stuck at recessionary levels. Consumers, pinched by high gasoline and food prices, are reluctant to spend. And businesses, worried about future sales, are reluctant to hire.

A European default crisis would put a dent in US exports, which have been one of the US economy’s few bright spots. The Standard & Poor’s 500 companies get about 20 percent of their earnings in Europe. “In this interconnected world, such a large default would have repercussions on banks and corporations around the world,” says Uri Dadush, director of the international economics program at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. “ We know it’s going to be big. But we don’t want to find out how big.” — Reuters

Investors struggle to see beyond panic Fed seen with few options for FOMC meeting NEW YORK: Wall Street hit the panic button this week and survived. But the shocks have left investors stranded. Following its worst week in almost three years, the S&P 500 has fallen into correction territory and year-end forecasts are already being lowered. Safe havens like gold and the Swiss franc rallied. Economic growth has slowed and budget-cutting legislation recently passed in the US Congress could further dampen economic activity. That leaves the path uncertain. So what are investors to expect in the weeks ahead? “In a word, volatility,” Citigroup strategist Jamie Searle said. The CBOE Volatility Index, the market’s gauge of anxiety, had its largest daily percentage spike since early 2007 on Thursday.

Another source of worry was thrown into the mix late Friday, when Standard & Poor’s stripped the United States of its top-notch triple-A credit rating. In its report, S&P sounded pessimistic that US lawmakers could reach the consensus needed to rein in deficits that were responsible for this ratings cut. “The long-term implications are daunting,” said Jack Ablin, chief investment officer of Harris Private Bank in Chicago. “Shortterm, Treasurys remain a premier safe-haven refuge.”

Until June, equity investors could count on the Federal Reserve to keep pumping money into the system, boosting equity and commodi-

ty prices. The $600 billion the Fed used to buy assets in a second round of quantitative easingknown as QE2 — flooded markets with cash and helped lower interest rates. That’s over now.

Following a political showdown in Congress that took the United States to the brink of a default and a bitter battle to rein in spending, few expect more fiscal stimulus. And additional action from the Fed is unlikely after its meeting this coming Tuesday.

“There is certainly not going to be any fiscal stimulus coming, given the debt situation we are in,” said Paul Mendelssohn, chief investment strategist of Windham Financial Services in Charlotte, Vermont. “You’ve got so much discord and so much dysfunctionality in Washington that (Fed Chairman Ben) Bernanke has to think twice before he does anything.” Fears of another recession have crept back, fed by flagging economic growth and a perceived inability of politicians on both sides of the Atlantic to deal with escalating government debt.

In Europe, a credit crisis that initially hit Ireland, Greece and Portugal escalated and now threatens to engulf Italy, the euro zone’s thirdlargest economy. Bond yields soared this week to highs not seen in more than a decade, worrying investors about Rome’s ability to finance-and balance-its budget. During the afternoon of New York’s Friday session, Italy pledged to speed

NEW YORK: A trader works on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange on Friday, Aug 5, 2011. — AP

Invest in Africa to boost global economy WASHINGTON: With an ailing US economy, European debt battles and Japan rebuilding after a crisis, investors should be looking south to Africa, the head of the African Development Bank said. Investing in the continent at a time when developed countries’ economies are struggling would boost the world economy, Donald Kaberuka told AFP in an interview in Washington this week. Africa is rich in mineral wealth and proven oil reserves, has a growing, urban middle class and undeveloped infrastructure. And its leaders are working to improve security, stability and rule of law.

They have also learned from the uprisings in North Africa and the Middle East that economic advances have to benefit a country’s people, not just its president and his inner circle, in order to be sustainable. “Opportunities elsewhere are not many. So Africa is the opportunity,” Kaberuka said. “Some of our bonds are better than, certainly, Greek bonds.” Economies in sub-Saharan Africa are projected to grow at 5.6 percent this year and 6.5 percent next year, with a dozen countries growing at the critical rate of seven percent, considered the minimum for sustainable poverty reduction.

“Growth now is happening in emerging markets,” Kaberuka said. “Imagine if there were no China and India or Brazil at a time when Europe and the US are in difficulty. It would be a big recession because China and India and Brazil are picking up the slack. “If we could now

add Africa, I think that that could give a boost to the world economy,” he continued. Besides Africa’s oil and mineral wealth, which foreign investors have long had a hand in exploiting, Africa offers other business opportunities up for grabs.

“Forty percent of Africans live in urban areas. That means they want housing, infrastructure. They’ll be using Colgate; they’ll need fridges, household appliances,” said Kaberuka. ”You have the choice of making it in Africa or importing it. Either way creates business.” The bank chief also advocated setting up free trade agreements with Africa. Just last month, British Prime Minister David Cameron said that an African free trade zone could increase gross domestic product across the continent by $60 billion a year — $20 million more than the world now gives Africa in aid.

“Rich countries would not have to give us aid; trade would create wealth,” Kaberuka said.

African leaders agreed in South Africa in June to launch negotiations on creating a free trade zone that would include 26 countries with a combined economy estimated at $875 billion.

For their part, African leaders are working to improve stability and security and ensure that the continent’s wealth benefits its people.

Kaberuka said the popular uprisings now roiling Arab countries highlighted the importance of “inclusive, shared” economic growth rather than national wealth figures alone.—AFP

up austerity measures and social reforms in return for European Central Bank help with funding.

Panic begets panic Having fallen in nine of the last 10 sessions, the S&P 500 closed this week down 7.2 percentits biggest percentage drop since the third week of November 2008. Selling was broad as average daily volume for the week soared to 11.6 billion shares traded on the New York Stock Exchange, NYSE Amex and Nasdaq. That represents about a 55 percent jump from what was until last week the yearly average of nearly 7.5 billion. Frantic moves in markets like the ones seen this week go beyond curbing investor confidence.

Nervous consumers hold off on spending.

Corporations don’t sell their products and services so their earnings don’t rise. Stock prices fall, creating a vicious circle.

“We’re facing years of markets that will be at times scary and chaotic and that won’t be providing the kinds of returns people want to expect from investments,” said Rob Arnott, chairman of Research Affiliates in Newport Beach, California, who oversees $80 billion in assets.

“Most people think double digits in the past was not difficult so, ‘I’m going to be conservative and expect 7 to 8 percent.’ But that’s not what the markets are priced to give you-it’s more like 3 to 5 percent,” Arnott said.

Following downgrades to US gross domestic product estimates and weak global figures on factory and services sector activity, hopes for a boom in the second half of the year have evaporated. “I just don’t think 3 percent GDP growth in the second half is anywhere close to realistic at this point,’ said Keith Davis, bank analyst and principal at money manager Farr, Miller & Washington in Washington, DC. “The third quarter is starting off pretty slow, and people are bringing down their numbers.”

On Friday, Credit Suisse equity strategists cut their year-end estimate for the S&P 500 by 7 percent to 1,350 from 1450, with 1,400 as the target for year-end 2012. Contrarian views are, nonetheless, ready to dismiss the panic and take it as a good time to jump back in. “The biggest fear in our mind is: ‘Is it a self-fulfilling prophecy? Is the market volatility causing people to really pull back?’” said Thomas Villalta, portfolio manager for Jones Villalta Asset Management in Austin, Texas. “I think you’ll see things kind of calm down over the weekend, and I suspect next week will be a better week for the market as people calm down and reassess the situation.” — Reuters

Jobs report is okay to calm Wall Street WASHINGTON: The US job market beat expectations, and the stock market managed a modest gain - not great, but good enough after a turbulent week. America added 117,000 jobs in July, the government said Friday far from what happens in a healthy economy, and only good for a reduction of one notch in the unemployment rate, to 9.1 percent. But the jobs number beat the forecast of economists, who were expecting no more than 90,000. And it was an overwhelming relief for investors, who just lived through two of the most brutal weeks in Wall Street history.

“Nothing to pop Champagne corks over,” said Diane Swonk, chief economist at Mesirow Financial, “but a muchneeded shot in the arm for confidence at a time when we have so little.” The Dow Jones industrial average finished with a gain of 60.93 points and closed at 11,444.61. It made up only a small fraction of the losses from Thursday, when the Dow dropped 512, its worst since the financial crisis of 2008. Friday was not exactly quiet for the market, either. At the start of trading, investors were thrilled with the unemployment report, and the Dow rose 171. Ten minutes later, the gains were gone. Investors focused on Europe, which is struggling to keep Italy and Spain from being consumed by a growing financial crisis, and the Dow fell 243.

“The fear was that they had no plan to deal with the situation,” said Randy Warren, chief investment officer at Warren Financial Service. Later in the day, Italy promised to work toward a constitutional amendment to balance its budget. It was trying to calm investors around the world, who are worried that financial problems are spreading in Europe. The Dow’s gain was only its second in the past 11 trading sessions. —AP

LAGOS: A man sells copies of the Holy Quran, Islam’s holy book, during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan at the central Mosque. Nigeria’s government has taken over management of three banks rescued under a major 2009 bailout amid concerns over their ability to recapitalize by a September 30 deadline, officials announced Friday. — AP

Nigeria to take over management of banks ABUJA: Nigeria’s government has taken over management of three banks rescued under a major 2009 bailout amid concerns over their ability to recapitalize by a September 30 deadline, officials announced Friday. The three banksAfribank Plc, Bank PHB Plc and Spring Bank Plc-”have not shown the necessary capacity and ability to recapitalize within the September 30th deadline,” an official statement said.” To this effect, the assets and liabilities of the affected banks, whose licenses have now been revoked by the CBN (Central Bank of Nigeria), have been duly transferred” by the Nigeria Deposit Insurance Corporation (NDIC) to newly incorporated “bridge banks”, the corporation said in the statement. The three “bridge” banks are to be called Enterprise Bank Limited, Keystone Bank Limited, and Mainstreet Bank Limited.

“The federal ministry of finance supports the decision of the NDIC to organize and incorporate bridge banks ... as a means of resolving the problems and deficiencies facing Afribank Plc, Bank PHB and Spring

Bank,” Yerima Ngama, junior finance minister, said in a statement. “The federal government is pleased to note that this process has not resulted, and will not result, in the loss of any depositors’ funds.” The central bank said in a statement that “the depositors of the bridge banks are assured of the safety of all their deposits.”

Nigerian authorities removed top management from a number of banks in 2009 amid a bailout that the central bank chief said stemmed in part from huge amounts of bad loans. Central Bank head Sanusi Lamido Sanusi has listed a range of abuses at banks leading up to the sweep, including CEOs setting up side companies to loan money to themselves for stock price manipulation. Banks were given a September 30 deadline to recapitalize, and doubts lingered over the ability to do so of the three banks involved in Friday’s action.

The stock market lost 70 percent of its value in 2008-2009, much of it due to the banking crisis in one of the world’s largest oil producers and Africa’s most populous nation. — AFP

In tough times, business at thrift stores booming KANSAS CITY: When Kansas City preschool teacher Elizabeth Eastburn walked down the aisle last April she wore an $800 wedding gown from a major bridal retailer. Only she didn’t pay $800 for it. She paid $15 for the never-worn dress at a thrift store. With money tight these days, this is Eastburn’s new way to shop. “I’ll go to thrift stores first,” she said. “You can find anything, anytime. It’s like a garage sale inside.” So on a recent day off from school, with book shelves and exercise pants on her shopping list, Eastburn wandered the aisles of Hillcrest Thrift Shop, one of several stores changing their ways to attract, and keep, new customers like Eastburn.

With its Le Boutique (sequined evening gowns for $15) and sporting goods department ($3 for a Royals T-shirt), the store is one of her favorite stops. Manager Lou Warner couldn’t be happier. “We’re going gangbusters,” he said of business. “It’s the economic times the way they are. People are just needing to find things cheaper.” And thrift stores are thriving. Members of the Association of Resale Professionals, which represents nearly 1,000 consignment and thrift stores, reported that net sales increased 12.7 percent in 2009 from 2008, trouncing overall retail sales that declined 7.3 percent over that time. “People are so distressed right now,” said the group’s president, Kitty Boyce, who runs a shop in Rochester, Ill. “A family with a limited income has to spend more on gas and food, and they have less money to spend on clothing and housing and everything else.” In the Hillcrest store, more than 90,000 transactions last year boosted sales 55 percent over 2009. It has been so successful that its nonprofit parent, a ministry for the homeless called Hillcrest Transitional Housing, plans to model two new stores after it.

As Americans become increasingly comfortable with and interested in buying “used,” thrift stores are stepping up their game. Stores are being remodeled and redesigned with tradi-

OLATHE: Leah Spradling, from Independence, Missouri, looks over a selection of dresses at the recently remodeled Goodwill Store. — MCT tional retail details - think mall-bright lighting, dressing rooms, shopping carts, public rest rooms. If you’re shopping at the Hillcrest store on the right day, you might even get a free cookie. “We want to compete. We want people to see that we are an avenue that they can use and they don’t have to deal with the image of dirty, smelly thrift stores,” said Teri Mairet, manager of Synergy in Style thrift store in Gladstone, Mo. The story is run by Synergy Services, which helps abused women and children. Synergy and other thrifts have launched marketing efforts too, emphasizing the eco-friendly, reuserecycle nature of buying secondhand and, in the case of charity thrift stores, what the money is being used for. —MCT

y

A

27

e niv rsar n

Years

SUNDAY, AUGUST 7, 2011

TECHNOLOGY

Google, Microsoft go public with patent spat Google accuses others of launching ‘hostile organized campaign’

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg is named by GQ magazine as worst-dress man in technology.

Zuckerberg beats Jobs as Worst-Dressed in Technology Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg was named worst-dressed man in technology

by GQ magazine, beating out Apple’s Steve Jobs and proving that astronomical sums of money can’t buy style.

Zuckerberg hit the top spot in the tongue-in-chic survey because of his casual, forever-collegiate wardrobe of illfitting hoodies, jeans, t-shirts and Adidas sandals, which GQ called a “fresh-fromStats-class look.”

The CEO is “oblivious to the fact that jeans and ties come in skinny sizes-or that suits exist.” Zuckerberg has donned suit jackets in the past, such as when he met with President Barack Obama for a tech summit with major technology executives, but stuck with his trademark jeans even on these special occasions.

The social network CEO’s style has even inspired a mock fashion line, Mark by Mark Zuckerberg, “which thankfully doesn’t sell any actual clothing,” according to GQ. Zuckerberg managed to beat out Apple CEO Steve Jobs, who took second place in GQ’s poll. Jobs was criticized for his trademark uniform of “black turtleneck, dad jeans and Seinfeld kicks,” which the magazine said was a “style blunder no AutoCorrect can fix.” “Apple

releases an iPhone every 0.5 seconds,” said the magazine. “Steve Jobs never gets an upgrade.” Taking third place was Microsoft founder Bill Gates, which GQ took down for his “lazy preppy ” wardrobe.

“Curious how Harry Potter will age post-Hogwarts?” GQ said. “When you’re Scrooge McDuck rich, a snazzy ensemble isn’t tops on your to-do.” Other highranking tech executives who made the GQ worst-dressed tech list were HTC CEO Peter Chou, with his penchant for loose, high-waisted jeans; Howard Stringer, CEO of Sony, who apparently dresses like a fisherman; and Craigslist founder Craig Newmark, who stepped over the “fine line between looking ‘artsy’ and uncomfortable.”

Of course, Zuckerberg, Jobs, Gates and other tech leaders probably are too busy guiding world-changing technology companies to make style much of a priority. They can take consolation in their personal wealth-Zuckerberg’s fortune, for example, was recently estimated to be at least $18 billion. Fashion arbiters would probably suggest, however, that a bit more of it go to spiffing up his wardrobe. —Forbes

NEW YORK: Tech heavyweights Microsoft and Google are acting like a couple of feuding starlets in a public online spat over - wait for it - patents. It’s not the first time Microsoft and Google have gone at each other ’s throats, nor is it likely the last. But with Twitter and blog posts, the dispute is playing out in public in a way that wasn’t possible in 2005, when lawsuits over an employee Google hired from Microsoft revealed the bitter rivalry between the two.

Now, Google is accusing Microsoft, Apple and others of launching a “hostile organized campaign” against its Android operating system, which runs smartphones that compete with iPhones, BlackBerrys and Windowsbased mobile devices. At issue are thousands of patents from Novell Inc., a maker of computer-networking software, and Nor tel Networks, a Canadian telecom gear maker that is bankrupt and is selling itself off in pieces. Last month, a consor tium that includes Microsoft Corp., Apple Inc. and Research In Motion Ltd. prevailed over Google Inc. with a $4.5 billion cash bid for the Nortel patents.

Google lost out after a strange bidding process that included what published reports said was an offer for a billion times the mathematical constant “pi.” “Their response seems to be to whine about the process,” technology analyst Rob Enderle said. Enderle was referring to a scathing blog post by Google Chief Legal Officer David Drummond, who wrote on Wednesday that Microsoft was banding with others to acquire “bogus patents” to make sure Google can’t get to them.

“They want to make it harder for manufacturers to sell Android devices,” Drummond wrote. “Instead of competing by building new features or devices, they are fighting through litigation.” Not so fast, says Microsoft, which brought the feud to Twitter. There, Microsoft’s communications chief, Frank Shaw, posted an image of an email from Google’s general counsel, Kent Walker, declining to join Microsoft in the consortium to bid for the patents.

The email was sent to Microsoft’s own

Hacker drone launches airborne cyber attacks LAS VEGAS: Computer security specialists showed off a homemade drone aircraft Friday capable of launching airborne cyber attacks, hijacking mobile phone calls, or even delivering a dirty bomb. Rich Perkins and Mike Tassey built the bright yellow Wireless Arial Sur veillance Platform in a garage from a used US Army target drone that they customized to find mobile phones and Internet hotspots.

“It will fly a plotted course and return to base,” Perkins said while showing the WASP to AFP at a DefCon hackers gathering in Las Vegas. “We loaded it up with the ability to attack Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and GSM cellular networks.” WASP can grab packets of data being sent over the air on wireless networks, or use unsecured hot spots as gateways through which c yber attacks can be launched on computer systems.

The drone can grab GMS mobile phone identification numbers that can then be used to bill outgoing calls. It can also let hackers impersonate cell phone towers and eavesdrop on people’s calls. Second-hand

drones such as that used for WASP can be bought online for about $150. The rest of the parts were purchased by mail-order for a total tab reaching $6,200, not counting the tremendous number of hours spent working on the project started in 2009.

Perkins said the 14-pound (six-kilogram) drone was built to put the computer security industry on notice that the components are available for such “do-it-youself” creations, which could be used for good or evil.

WASP could find mobile phones in disaster areas, potentially leading rescuers to survivors. It could also fly over a disaster zone to act as a mobile phone tower enabling calls.

On the evil side, WASP could help slip into a company’s computer networks through unsecured wireless networks set up in cafeterias or other spots for the convenience of customers and employees.

The modified drone could also identify key executives by their mobile telephones and then track their movements to look for data-stealing opportunities, such as working on a lap-

LAS VEGAS: Hackers attend the DefCon conference on Friday. —AP

top connected wirelessly to the Internet at a cafe. “I can take the various pieces of your digital life -Bluetooth headset, cell phone, Wi-Fi-and find the least secure place you exist and attack you there,” Perkins said of WASP. Such a drone could also carry a small payload, opening up the potential for smugglers to use it or to serve as a targeted biological or nuclear weapon in a terror attack, its creators warned.

“I really fear a policy reaction that stifles research,” Perkins said. “Let’s look at how to protect from the bad guys doing the same thing without telling us,” he urged.

Perkins and Tassey displayed their creation to security industr y professionals here for a major Black Hat conference this week before taking it to DefCon, the world’s largest hacker gathering that kicked off Friday.

Authorities wouldn’t permit WASP to fly over populated areas such as Las Vegas, but video taken from the drone during a flight over a rural area in the United States was posted online at rabbit-hole.org. —AFP

general counsel, Brad Smith, who also chimed in. Smith wrote to his 2,000-plus Twitter followers that “Google says we bought Novell patents to keep them from Google. Really? We asked them to bid jointly with us. They said no.”

Shaw offered a reason in another Twitter post: “Why? BECAUSE they wanted to buy something that they could use to assert against someone else.” Enderle says it’s no secret that Microsoft and Google don’t like each other. Microsoft has banded with another Google rival, Facebook, to include data from the online social network in Microsoft’s search engine, Bing. Google can’t do that because Facebook erected barriers preventing Google’s search engine from indexing all the data on its network.

And earlier this year, Microsoft complained about Google to the European Commission in its first formal antitrust complaint against a rival. Microsoft accused Google of abusing its dominance of online search and advertising.

Then there was the 2005 incident, in which, according to court documents, Microsoft’s boisterous CEO, Steve Ballmer, threw a chair and vowed to “kill” Google in an obscenitylaced tirade over the online search leader’s hiring of Kai-Fu Lee. Lee helped develop Microsoft ’s MSN

Internet search technology, including desktop search software rivaling Google’s. He left the company that July after Google offered him a $10 million compensation package. He has since left Google, too.

So far, the patent feud has lacked obscenities, at least in public. But the verbal tirade continued Thursday when Drummond updated his blog post to say that Microsoft is trying to divert attention from the real issue and push a “false ‘gotcha!’” instead.

“Microsoft’s objective has been to keep from Google and Android device-makers any patents that might be used to defend against their attacks. A joint acquisition of the Novell patents that gave all parties a license would have eliminated any protection these patents could offer to Android against attacks from Microsoft and its bidding partners,” he wrote.

Enderle says Google needs to grow up, and part of that process is that “they’ve got to get through the whining stage.”

Google had the chance and refused to participate. Now, it is calling the process unfair, Enderle said, “which is something you can do as a little company but probably not when you yourself are a multinational.”

Google and Microsoft told The Associated Press that they had no comment beyond the public statements. —AP

‘Spam King’ charged with bombarding Facebook users WASHINGTON: Sanford Wallace, known as the “Spam King,” has turned himself in to US authorities after he was indicted for masterminding a scheme that sent more than 27 million unsolicited junk messages through Facebook’s servers. The Las Vegas man surrendered to FBI agents to face 11 counts of fraud, intentional damage to a protected computer and criminal contempt for violating previous orders to stay off the social networking sites Facebook and MySpace, prosecutors in San Jose, California said late on Thursday.

Wallace, 43, developed a program that evaded Facebook’s spam filters and posted messages encouraging account holders to visit a website, purportedly from a friend, according to the indictment unsealed on Thursday. Instead, unsuspecting users were prompted to enter their email addresses and passwords and then were redirected to an affiliate

Groupon subscribers jump to 115 million SAN FRANCISCO: Groupon Inc subscribers have more than doubled to 115 million so far this year, according to a person familiar with the situation.

Groupon had 50 million subscribers at the end of 2010. That jumped 64 percent to 83.1 million at the end of the first quarter. Since then, the number of subscribers has climbed to 115 million, the person said. That means subscribers are up about 38 percent since March 31. Most of the recent growth has not come through acquisitions because Groupon has not bought many companies lately, the person added.

Groupon filed plans in June for a $750 million initial public offering that may value the company at as much as $20 billion.

However, Groupon is facing more competition from big rivals including Google Inc and Facebook. “There are few growth opportunities on the scale of companies like Groupon,” said Lou Kerner, vice president in equity research at Wedbush Securities covering social media and e-commerce.

“That’s really what a lot of investors are seeking today.” — Reuters

website that earned Wallace “substantial revenue” for directing the traffic, the indictment said.

Wallace’s program scooped up their information, including their lists of friends, and sent spam messages to them. Accounts of about 500,000 Facebook users were compromised between November 2008 and March 2009, leading to more than 27 million spam messages being sent, federal prosecutors said.

Facebook previously sued Wallace in 2009 and a federal judge had ordered him not to access Facebook’s computer network. But he repeatedly violated that order earlier this year, the prosecutors said.

In that civil lawsuit, the judge awarded Facebook some $711 million, although the company said it did not expect to receive much of that amount. Facebook welcomed the new indictment. “We will continue to pursue and support both civil and criminal consequences for spam-

mers and others who attempt to harm Facebook or the people who use our service,” Chris Sonderby, a lawyer for the company, said in a statement.

Wallace made an initial appearance in federal court on Thursday and was released on a $100,000 unsecured bond. He pleaded not guilty. He was again ordered not to access MySpace or Facebook. “Mr Wallace looks forward to defending himself,” said his lawyer K C Maxwell.

If Wallace is convicted, the six fraud counts are subject to a maximum three-year prison term.

The three counts of damage to a protected computer carry a maximum sentence of up to 10 years.

The two criminal contempt counts are subject to penalties determined by the court. The case is USA v Sanford Wallace, No. 11-cr456, in US District Court for the Northern District of California (San Jose). —Reuters

Apple, Samsung smartphones outdo Nokia NEW YORK: Apple Inc. and Samsung Electronics Co zoomed to the top of the list of global smartphone makers in the second quarter, blowing past Nokia Corp. and BlackBerr y maker Research In Motion Ltd., according to research firm IDC. Korea’s Samsung made the biggest jump, from No 4 in the first quarter to No. 2 in the second, on the strength of its Galaxy phones, which run Google Inc.’s Android software. It sold 17.3 million smartphones in the second quarter, up from 10.8 million in the first, IDC said.

Apple rose to No. 1, taking the spot from Nokia, by selling 20.3 million iPhones, up from 18.7 million in the first quarter.

That relegated Finland’s Nokia, the long-time leader, to third place. Apple has yet to top Nokia’s high-water mark of 28.1 million phones in a quarter. “But given Apple’s momentum in the smartphone market, it may not be a question of whether Apple will beat that milestone, but when,” IDC said.

Remarkably, Apple’s sales record comes nearly a year after

it released its latest model, the iPhone 4, and it’s still selling millions of the even older iPhone 3GS. Competitors such as Samsung put out new models every few months. Nokia sold 16.7 million smar tphones, a sharp drop from 24.2 million in the previous quarter.

The company has struggled to come up with an answer to the iPhone. Nokia is now transitioning to smartphone software from Microsoft Corp., but it’s first Windows Phones won’t be on sale until late this year, at the earliest.

Canada’s RIM fell from third to fourth place, as it saw a decline in BlackBerry sales from the first quar ter to the second. Like Nokia, it has been struggling to update the high end of its line to compete with touch-screen phones such as the iPhone.

It unveiled five new models with updated software this week. HTC Corp of Taiwan remained in fifth place, but it’s seeing rapidly growing sales.

Like Samsung, it has bet on Google’s Android software for its phones. —AP

A

y

e niv rsar n

SUNDAY, AUGUST 7, 2011

Years

HEALTH & SCIENCE

WHO warns leprosy spreading in India NEW DELHI: Six years after leprosy was declared officially eliminated in India, officials and doctors are warning that the disfiguring disease is spreading in poverty-stricken pockets of the country. The head of the World Health Organization (WHO) in India, Nata Menabde, told AFP in an interview that nearly a third of India’s districts needed urgent attention to address the spread of new infections. “There are about 209 out of 640 districts where the number of new cases exceeds the WHO target of less than 10 new cases per 100,000,” she said. “India is the biggest con-

tributor to the global burden with 120,000 new cases per year,” she added.

Leprosy, an ancient disease which causes lesions on the skin and attacks nerves in the hands and feet, resulting in disability, was declared officially eliminated in India in 2005 according to WHO guidelines on prevalence rates. The WHO allows governments to declare that leprosy is no longer a public health risk if the prevalence rate falls below one case per 10,000 people. Ten percent of the new cases occurring in India involve children, the WHO’s Menabde said.

“The high incidence among children shows that the transmission rate is very high,” she said, calling it an early warning for the government. “It suggests that progress against leprosy can also reverse and it can grow and India can also lose its position as having eliminated the disease,” she said. Vivek Pai, director of the non-profit Bombay Leprosy Project, said a sense of complacency had crept into the government’s policy towards leprosy after 2005. “They changed tracks too soon, took their focus off and now we are seeing a rise in cases in certain pockets,” he said,

citing the case of Maharashtra, India’s richest state and home to the national financial hub of Mumbai. “Just a couple of months back, the central leprosy division found that the number of new cases in Maharashtra has gone up from 9-10 per 100,000 in 2006-07 to 13 per 100,000 now. It’s very worrying,” he told AFP. He said a decline in funding from state and private donors hurt efforts to fight the disease.

“Agencies which used to support us don’t think it’s important anymore. It’s a huge problem. We don’t turn away patients but we are forced to

delay treatment because of funding constraints,” he said. Pai said that leprosy’s most common victims come from a low socio-economic background and fear that they will be stigmatised by their community if news of their illness becomes public.

“Many people who come to us with new infections live in congested localities like Dharavi, a huge slum in Mumbai. Sanitation, overcrowding, poverty, all contribute to the environment that allows leprosy to flourish,” he said.

“Then there’s the stigma surrounding the disease, which is

one of the reasons people hesitate to come forward and report if they have symptoms.”

Yohei Sasakawa, the WHO goodwill ambassador for leprosy elimination since 2001, said India needed to do more to address the discrimination suffered by leprosy patients.

“What we must do now is raise awareness that it is a medical and a social challenge.

There are many invisible customs we must fight against,” he told AFP. “The numerical target achieved in 2005 was a great success for India, but it is just a mid-term goal. We have not won the battle yet,” he said.—AFP

Turkey recall raises US food safety questions 36m lbs of ground turkey recalled on Salmonella risk

VASYLIVKA: Alexander Pylyshenko rests together with African lioness Katya in his private Zoo in his yard in small Ukrainian city of Vasylivka, some 500 km from the capital of Kiev, on Thursday. A Ukrainian zookeeper decided to share an open-air cage of 36 square metres with lioness Katya and lion Samson for 35 days in order to draw attention to the maintenance of animals in private zoos and to raise money for a new aviary in his own private facility. —AFP

NASA’s Juno probe sets sail for Jupiter FLORIDA: An unmanned rocket blasted off from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station on Friday, sending a robotic scout on its way to Jupiter to gather details about how the solar system formed. The Atlas 5 rocket carrying NASA’s Juno spacecraft lifted off at 12:25 pm, the first step in a five-year, 445-million mile (716-million km) odyssey to the largest planet in the solar system. Launch was delayed almost an hour while United Launch Alliance fixed a technical problem with ground support equipment. The BoeingLockheed Martin joint venture builds and flies Atlas and Delta rockets for NASA, as well as the military and commercial customers.

“Next stop is Jupiter,” an elated Scott Bolton, head of the Juno science team, told reporters after launch. “I couldn’t be happier. This is sort of like a dream come true.” Upon arrival in July 2016, Juno is to spend a year in an unprecedented polar orbit around the giant planet, measuring its water content, mapping its magnetic fields and searching for signs of a solid core. With more than twice the mass than all its sibling planets combined, Jupiter is believed to hold a key piece to the puzzle of how the planets formed some 4.65 billion years ago from the gas and dust left over after the birth of the sun.

“We’re really looking for the recipe for planet formation,” said Bolton, who is with the Southwest Research Institute in San Antonio, Texas. “We’re going after the ingredients of Jupiter by getting the water abundance as well as very precise measurements of the gravity field that will help us understand whether there’s a core of heavy elements or a core of rocks in the middle of Jupiter.”

The measurements will help scientists sort through theories about what the early solar system looked like and how Jupiter, believed to be the first planet to

form, was created. To make its observations, Juno will soar as close as 3,100 miles (5,000 km) above Jupiter’s cloud tops, the first spacecraft to fly inside the planet’s radiation belts. With its sensitive electronics housed in a vault of titanium, Juno should last through 33 orbits around Jupiter, which is about a year on Earth. Its last maneuver will be a plunge into the planet’s thick atmosphere, which will incinerate the probe to avoid possible contamination of Jupiter’s waterbearing moons. Now that NASA has retired its shuttle fleet, the US space spotlight is shifting toward the robotic probes and observatories that have brought the biggest leaps in understanding the cosmos.

More than 10,000 people flocked to the Cape Canaveral area to watch the Atlas launch, the first rocket to fly from Florida since the shuttle’s retirement last month. That was part of an outreach effort by NASA, which typically invites around 300 guests for an unmanned rocket launch. “We’re extremely excited about coupling the energy that the nation has for human spaceflight into understanding what we’re doing in science because right now science is really the positive face of this agency,” said Jim Adams, NASA’s deputy director for planetary science.

The Juno mission is the second in NASA’s lower-cost, scientist-led New Frontiers program, and it was accomplished on schedule and within its $1.1 billion budget. The spacecraft was built

by Lockheed Martin Astronautics of Denver, Colorado. In addition to launching science probes and other satellites, United Launch Alliance is in the process of certifying its Atlas 5 rockets to fly astronauts to the International Space Station, one of several possible commercial rockets contending to replace NASA’s space shuttle fleet.— Reuters

MALAGA: A flamingo chick runs on the Fuente de Piedra lake, 70 kms from Malaga yesterday during a tagging and control operation of flamingo chicks to monitor the evolution of the species. The lake, which is the most important breeding ground for flamingos in the Iberian Peninsula, is also a nature reserve and a haven for birds with over 170 different species recorded. —AFP

LOS ANGELES: US food safety advocates are calling for changes to meat recall rules after regulators took months to warn the public about a Salmonella outbreak that has sickened nearly 80 people and caused one death.

Cargill Inc, one of the largest US meat producers, on Wednesday recalled roughly 36 million pounds of fresh and frozen ground turkey produced at its plant in Springdale, Arkansas, after investigators linked the meat to a person who became ill with antibiotic-resistant Salmonella Heidelberg.

A government agency that tracks antibiotic-resistant pathogens found evidence of the contamination in Cargill ground turkey in early March, and the five -month lapse of time between that discovery and the recall has sparked a renewed debate about how the United States protects the public from tainted meat. And the company said on Friday that Salmonella Heidelberg was detected at the Springdale plant even earlier than that March discovery.

Routine regulatory testing at the plant in June and July of last year found Salmonella Heidelberg on the sur face of turkeybefore it was ground, Cargill spokesman Mike Martin said, but “no corrective action was required because of the low level found.” Martin added that Salmonella Heidelberg is one of the most common of the 2,400plus strains of Salmonella Cargill’s turkey recall was the third-largest meat recall in US history. More

importantly, it is the biggest-ever Class I recall-which the government defines as “a health hazard situation in which there is a reasonable probability that eating the food will cause health problems or death.”

“While determining the food source can be very challenging in an outbreak like this, I think the government unduly delayed in getting both information to the company and in issuing a public warning and recall,” said Caroline Smith DeWaal, food safety director at the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI), a consumer group.

Routine sampling by the National Antimicrobial Resistance Monitoring System (NARMS) turned up the outbreak strain in four ground turkey samples purchased from four retail stores between March 7 and June 27.

That information made its way to regulators, but it took several months for investigators to definitively link the contaminated meat to reports of human illness, which also began surfacing in March.

Poultry and many other meats are regulated by the USDepartment of Agriculture, which cannot move to recall a tainted product until a link to illness has been made. One of the few exceptions to that is the finding of the particularly lethal bug E. coli O157 in meat, which starts the recall process. Food safety attorney Bill Marler told Reuters that a “more logical approach” would be for USDA to adopt recall procedures like those used

at the US Food and Drug Administration. FDA regulates about 80 percent of the US food supply, including lettuce and other produce. It can push companies to recall a food that tests positive for a disease-causing pathogen, even if no illness has been reported.

Roughly 10 to 15 percent of ground turkey in the United States is contaminated with Salmonella, which has proved one of the toughest pathogens to contain in the country’s food supply, experts said. DeWaal, of CSPI, has petitioned USDA to add Salmonella Heidelberg and three other antibiotic-resistant strains linked to prior outbreaks to its list of “adulterants,” joining the deadly E. coli O157. That step would make selling food products that contain those pathogens illegal under federal law.

Attorney Marler also has urged USDA to extend adulterant status to all Shiga toxin-producing E. coli strains other than 0157. Such a strain was implicated in two deadly outbreaks that killed more than 50 people and sickened more than 4,400 others in Europe and North America. “USDA should take action before people get sick, and require controls and testing for these pathogens before they reach consumers,” DeWaal said. While there were suggestions of a link between ground turkey and Salmonella Heidelberg illness as early as May, investigators didn’t catch a break until July, when they found an opened package of the meat in the home of a patient.

Test results on July 29 confirmed the connection. USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service issued a public alert and contacted Cargill.

The July 29 public notice, which warned of “an association” between eating ground turkey products and Salmonella Heidelberg infection, did not name the meat producer. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention also did not reveal the producer in its public announcement about the outbreak on Aug. 1 — even though preliminary information suggested that three of the four tainted samples found

by NARMS came from the same production facility.

“Clearly the government needs to decide on an approach for using information from NARMS when there is a clear public health benefit from doing it,” DeWaal said. The Salmonella Heidelberg outbreak also has renewed calls for curbing the practice of feeding healthy animals low doses of antibiotics to speed growth. Salmonella Heidelberg cannot be treated with some common antibiotics, including ampicillin, tetracycline and streptomycin, which CDC said may explain higher hospitalization rates than what are seen in other Salmonella outbreaks. “ This outbreak offers stark casualties from our collective failure to keep antibiotics out of animal feed,” said Steven Roach, Public Health Program Director at Food Animal Concerns Trust and a member of the group Keep Antibiotics Working. — Reuters

Guatemala mother searched five years for adopted girl GUATEMALA CITY: Loyda Rodriguez Morales felt someone tug at her daughter as she tried to enter her simple home with three young children in tow. She turned to see a woman whisk the 2-yearold away in a waiting taxi. After nearly five years of searching, posting fliers, being turned away at orphanages and even staging a hunger strike, Rodriguez now holds what’s believed to be an unprecedented Guatemalan court order declaring the child stolen and ordering the US couple who eventually adopted her to give her back.

If US authorities intervene to return the child, now 6, as the Guatemalan court has asked, it would be a first for any international adoption case, experts say. A construction-paper sign taped Friday to the door of the girl’s US address, a two-stor y suburban Kansas City home, read: “Please respect our families (sic) privacy during this difficult and confusing time. We ask that you not trespass on our property for the sake of our children. Thank you.”

The US State Department referred all questions about the court ruling to the Justice Department, which would not comment on the case. Rodriguez, 26, cried when she saw the July 29 court order made public this past week. She’s already planning how to fix up her daughter’s bedroom. “I want it with a lot of decorations. I’m going to buy dolls and clothes so she’s not lacking anything,” she told The Associated Press. “If she wants to sleep alone, she’ll have her room.

If not, she can be with her brothers.”

US officials might simply try to ignore the order, said David Smolin, a law professor at the Cumberland School of Law in Birmingham, Alabama, and an expert in international adoption. Chuck Johnson,

president and CEO of the Virginiabased National Council For Adoption, said he has never heard of the US carrying out a foreign court order to return adopted children to their home country. But the leading advocate in the Guatemala case said the US government is obligated under international treaties to return victims of human

child trafficking ring and put up for adoption with a new name. The couple was identified in the court ruling as Timothy James Monahan and Jennifer Lyn Vanhorn Monahan of Liberty, Missouri.

Guatemala’s quick adoptions once made this Central American nation of 13 million people a top source of children for the US , lead-

GUATEMALA CITY: In this picture taken Tuesday, Dec 8, 2009, Loyda Rodriguez Morales, left, takes part in a protest in Guatemala City. After years of posting fliers, being turned away at orphanages and even staging a hunger strike in a search for her missing daughter.—AP trafficking or irregular adoptions that have occurred within five years.

The girl left the country on Dec 9, 2008, according to court records.

“We’re within the margin of time,” said Norma Cruz, director of the Survivors Foundation, a human rights group that filed the court case for Rodriguez. “We don’t have to contact the (adoption) family.

The judge’s order says authorities have to find the child, wherever she is.” The foundation doesn’t allege the US couple knew the girl they adopted had been kidnapped, only that the girl was snatched by a

ing or ranking second only to China with about 4,000 adoptions a year.

But the Guatemalan government suspended adoptions in late 2007 after widespread cases of fraud, including falsified paperwork, fake birth certificates and charges of baby theft - though they still allowed many already in process.

The International Commission Against Impunity in Guatemala, a UN -created agency prosecuting organized crime cases in Guatemala, has reviewed more than 3,000 adoptions completed or in process and found nearly 100 grave irregularities.

The US still does not allow adoptions from Guatemala, though the State Department is currently assisting with 397 children whose adoptions were in process at the time of the ban. The court ruling signed by Judge Angelica Noemi Tellez Hernandez canceled the girl’s passport and ordered her returned in two months, asking the US Embassy in Guatemala for help in locating the child. The court says it will file an order with the international police agency, Interpol, if she is not returned.

Smolin said this is the first case he knows of a foreign judge ordering an American family to return an adopted child to her native country. He adopted two children from India who he later discovered were stolen, a situation he resolved by allowing the birth parents regular visits. “This is the scenario that has made everybody afraid for years, the knock on the door from the reporter or whoever,” Smolin said.

Anyeli Liseth Hernandez Rodriguez was born Oct 1, 2004, the second child of Rodriguez, a housewife, and her bricklayer husband, Dayner Orlando Hernandez, who came as teenagers to Guatemala City looking for work.

The girl disappeared Nov 3, 2006, as Rodriguez was distracted while opening the door to their house in a working class suburb, San Miguel Petapa. They reported their daughter missing to various local and federal law enforcement, including authorities in charge of human rights violations and missing children, according to documents of the UN -backed corruption commission. Rodriguez said she searched for more than a year on her own and was repeatedly refused court permission to search foster homes where kids awaited adoption. —AP

A

y

e niv rsar n

SUNDAY, AUGUST 7, 2011

Years

he a lt h & s c ie n c e

Orange goo baffles remote Alaska village ALASKA: Leona Baldwin’s husband saw it first, and she got on the marine radio to alert others in the remote Alaska village of Kivalina that a strange orange goo was sitting on top of the town’s harbor. The news attracted all the townspeople, anxious to get a gander of the phenomenon that covered much of the harbor and then began washing ashore Wednesday.

The next day it rained, and residents found the orange matter floating on top of the rain buckets they use to collect drinking water. It was also found on one roof, leading them to believe whatever it was, it was airborne, too. By Friday, the orange substance in the lagoon had dissipated or washed out to sea, and what was left on ground had dried to a powdery substance. Samples of the orange matter were collected in canning jars and sent to a lab in Anchorage for analysis.

Until results are known, Kivalina’s 374 residents will likely continue to wonder just what exactly happened in their village. “Certainly at this point it’s a mystery,” said Emanuel Hignutt, a chemist with the state Department of Environmental Conservation lab in Anchorage. Kivalina, an Inupiat Eskimo village, is located at the tip of an 8-mile barrier reef on Alaska’s northwest coast, and is located between the Chukchi Sea and Kivalina River to the north and the Wulik River to the south.

Villagers have never seen anything like this before, and elders have never heard any stories passed down from earlier generations about an orange-colored substance coming into town. “This is the first for Kivalina, as far as I

know,” said 63-year-old Austin Swan, a city council member. Portions of the samples will also be sent to the University of Alaska Fairbanks and to a National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration lab in South Carolina for testing. “There’s a number of experts in the areas who can identify if it’s an organic material, for example, and what species this is, or perhaps it’s not an organic material, and we’re going to determine that, as well,” Hignutt said.

The Coast Guard already has ruled out that the orange material, which some people described as having a semisolid feel to it, was man-made or a petroleum product.

That leaves algae as the best guess, said village administrator Janet Mitchell. The concern is if it’s somehow harmful. What will it do to fish, which villagers will soon start catching to stock up for winter, or the caribou currently being hunted, or the berries? “We rely 100 percent on subsistence,” she said.

Swan helped collect some samples for testing, and waded out into the lagoon. He grabbed some of the substance in his gloved hand. “It was really light, a powdery look to it, and it was just floating on there, all bunched up together,” he said. “It looked like it could blow away very easily.” He said some of the material had a sheen to it, like it was oil.

“But I couldn’t feel the oil at all, any texture at all.” When the material bunched up in the lagoon, it created 10 footby-100 foot swaths of glimmering orange. “When the wind came in, it narrowed them to a few feet wide. The color was a bright neon orange,” said Frances Douglas, a

member of the city council. “It pretty much covered the south end of the lagoon in streaks,” she said of the attraction, which drew many residents.

“Pretty much, everybody was baffled,” she said. City personnel went to a pump house two miles away on the Wulik River, and found the material there, too. The village is also about 40 miles from the Red Dog zinc mine, but officials there assured the village the substance didn’t come from them. Since the substance was unknown, city officials cautioned residents to keep children away from the orange goo and for residents to boil their water before drinking it.

But Mitchell said water is another concern since they don’t have much reserve in the city’s two water tanks. The tanks need to be filled this summer from the Wulik River to make it through the winter, but the city had to stop pumping last month before the goo showed up because of rain disturbances. And they may not be able to resume pumping until they find out what the substance is.

“Right now, we’re going to have to go on water conservation, use it for consumption and try not to use it for washing,” she said. “That’s going to be difficult.” Kivalina wasn’t alone in reporting the strange orange substance last Wednesday. Shannon Melton said she was boating on the Buckland River about 150 miles southeast of Kivalina, and the river was not its normal color. “It was orange looking,” she said. She took the boat out again on Thursday to go berry picking, and said the river had returned to its normal color, but some of the creeks off the river still had the orange tinge to them. — AP

ALASKA: In this photo, Emmanuel Hignutt with the Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation health lab shows samples of orange goo in Anchorage, Alaska. The samples were collected in Kivalina, Alaska, after the mysterious goo came in from the Wulik River into the village’s harbor. —AP

Al-Seef Hospital A Hospi p tal Don’t you like carrots Go to Al Seef & Strengthen your eye sight

Ophthalmology Op phthalmology Dep Department artment At Al Seef Hospital, the Ophthalmology Ophthalmology Department provides a wide w range of diagnosis, treatments treatm ments & follow diseases serve Diabetic up services services related to eye disease es with a fully dedicated team team too ser ve all ages, including Diab betic Patients.

Reserve Re eser your next appointment now to ensure the health of your eyes.

For Reser Reservation vation and Further F inquires:

25764225 - 25 25764224 5764224

To advertise a on tthis page l t t us: please contact

Dermatology tology & CCosmetology osmetology t Derma t General Medicine t Int Internal ernal Medicine t Ent tO Ophthalmology phthalmology t PPeadiatric eadiatric t Ob & G Gynecology ynecology

tO Orthopedic rthopedic t XX-ray -ray & Ultrasonograph Ultrasonography g y t General Ph Physician ysician t Dental t LLaboratory aboratory t Pharmac Pharmacyy

Cosmetology C osmetology C Clinic. linic.

248 33 199 ads@kuwaittimes.net

Non N on SSurgical urggical FFacelift, acelifft, Antii AAgeing ggeingg W Wrinkle rinkle Frown Li / Pigmenta Pigmentation D b Chin Frown Lines g tion Double Chin Correction Botox Correction i Sk SSkin kiin RRejuvenation ejuv ox / FFillers illers j enation Bot Painless Laser Laser Hair emoval Dermar ollerr, Painless Removal Dermaroller, H i R Skin Brighting Skin Whitening Whitening & Brightin ng VVail aail TTreatment reatment

Wee A W Accept ccept All All Major Ma ajjor IInsuramce nsuramce C Cards ards FARWANIYA FA ARWANIYYA - OPP. OPP P. POLICE POL LICE STATION ST TATION T Behind B ehind Magadheer Magadheer Commercial Comm mercial Complex Complex

s - 65561619 TEL: 24734000 6

shifakuwait@gmail.com shifak uwait@g gmail.com www.shifakuwait.com www.shifakuwait.com Working m to to 12:00am Working i Hours: 8.00 am

y

A

30

e niv rsar n

Years

W H AT ’ S O N

SUNDAY, AUGUST 7, 2011

Birthday Greetings

KFH awards employees

T

he Kuwait Finance House awarded a group of employees for their quality efforts in customer service during the second quarter of the current year. The event took place as part of a ceremony held specifically for this occasion, and organized by the KFH’s service quality department. The ceremony was attended by assistant director for the commercial department Ahmad Al-Khalid, and direct sales department manager Nedhal Al-Ameen.

Friends and relatives of Dickson and Fiju celebrated their daughter, one year-old Serah’s birthday, this past weekend at their Rumethiya apartment.

KKMA opens 8th kidney dialysis center in India

K

uwait Kerala Muslim Association (KKMA) the leading social and charity organization has opened its eighth charitable Kidney Dialysis center at Modern Medicare and Diabetic Hospital at Cherpulassery in Palakkad District in Kerala.

In presence of many dignitaries from difference walk of life, K.S. Saleekha, Member of Legislative Assembly of Shornoor inaugurated the Center.

Saleekha applauded KKMA’s tremendous contribution to the society, particularly their decision to establish charitable kidney dialysis centers in each district of Kerala. “The social change projects of KKMA such as kidney centers, educational support program and family benefits schemes are great services to human kind”, she added.

Delivering the presidential address during the occasion KKMA Chairman Sageer Trikarpur depicted KKMA Charity activities, particularly Kidney Dialysis Projects which effectuated to reduce the cost of Kidney Dialysis all over state of

Kerala. He extended sincere appreciation to association’s 10,000 plus members and well wishers for making a dream come true. KKMA is currently operating seven such Dialysis Centers in Kasargod, Kannur, Kozhikode, Thrissur, Malappuram, Thiruvananthapuram in state of Kerala and one at Mangalore in Karnakata State. The ninth center will be opened in Kottayam by October 2011.

Dr. Anwar Hussain, Managing Director of Modern Medicare Hospital presented details of the Center. Representing various organizations, Cherpulassery Grama Panchayath President K. Suresh, Nellaya Grama Panchayath President K.P. Vasantha, KKMA Vice President Hamza Mustafa Payyanoor, Secretary Razak Melady, U.A. Backer, K.K.A Azeez, O.K. Saidalavi, P.V. Hamsa Sahib, T. Gopan , Bavu Kodumunda, Dr. Saleem Cherpulassery, P. Madhusudhanan, K.A. Hameed, S.R. Sukumarn, C.M. Kutty, Mahamood KFH, Mahamood M.C., Kalathil Majeel, M.P. Muhammed Ali, felicitated the occasion.

KKMCC bids farewell to Sanjiv Aggarwal

K

uwait Kerala Muslim Cultural Centre (KKMCC) has organized a farewell function in honor of Sanjiv Aggarwal who is leaving Kuwait for good after his outstanding tenure at the Indian Embassy as Second Secretary. Kuwait KMCC and others have experienced the professionalism and dedication of Mr. Sanjiv while serving the community through his various positions at the Embassy. Speakers lauded the exemplary service he provided to the community especially at the time of Amnesty periods. A memento was presented to him as a token of appreciation from KKMCC.

Acting president Abdul Raheem presided over the function. FIMA president Siddeeque Valiyakath made a felicitation speech. Sanjiv Aggarwal in his reply speech commented that he is overwhelmed and humbled by the gesture of KKMCC. He said that he was only carrying out his duty which was bestowed up on him with support of his colleagues, and he expressed gratitude for the support extended to the embassy activities.

General Secretary Basheer Batha rendered welcome speech and Treasurer Nazeer Khan expressed vote of thanks.

P.K. Haidarali recited Holy Quran.

“T

he AWARE Management is glad to announce that Ramadan Arabic language courses will begin on August 7th till September 15th, 2011. AWARE Arabic language courses are designed with the expat in mind. The environment is relaxed & courses are designed for those wanting to learn Arabic for travel, cultural understanding, and conducting business or simply to become more involved in the community. We cater to teachers, travelers & those working in the private business sector.

AWARE Arabic courses highlight ● Introductory to Level 4 Arabic language basics ● Better prepare you for speaking, reading and writing Arabic ● Combine language learning with cultural insights ● Taught in multi-nationality group settings ● Provide opportunities to interact with Western expatriates and native Kuwaitis/Arabs. For more information, call 25335260 or log onto: www.aware.com.kw

Don Bosco Oratory announces cricket tournament

D

on Bosco Oratory is pleased to announce its Major 7-aside ‘Box Cricket Tournament’ in Kuwait. This event is for the cricket lovers in Kuwait and will be played on a League cum Knock out basis at the IEAS Indoor grounds at Salmiya. The last date for entries for participation is August 9th. Entries are accepted on a first come first serve basis. Draws will be

announced on 10th August. We wish all teams the very best and request to help us in succeeding to organize this major event.

When: The tournament begins on August 13.

We request all interested teams to contact the organizer at the school grounds between 7-8 pm Mon - Thurs or: Philip: 6604-7730, Alex: 6606-9282, Liston: 9984-9649

O

nce again this year, the stage is set for the third annual ‘Ramadan Stars Squash Tournament’ to be held from 15th August to 22nd August at the Kazma Sporting Club, Adailiya. Abdulrahim Al Awadi, the Chairman of the Higher Organizing Committee has announced that doors are now open for registration to all those who are interested in participating, stating that the deadline for registration will be 13th of August.

The participation in this tournament is open to all and will fall under three categories this year. The first category is for amateurs from ages 17 and above, second category is for professional players from ages 20 and above and the third category is for ladies 17 and above.

Following its last two years of grand success, the 3rd annual Ramadan Stars Squash Tournament is being organized during Ramadan for squash lovers who will have an opportunity to practice the sport while being encouraged to develop their skills in a healthy and competitive environment.

Al Awadi, the Chairman of the Higher Organizing Committee, commented, “In our last two tournaments, we have received very positive feedback and have witnessed a huge num-

LeNotre for Ramadan

L

eNotre, much celebrated for innovation and extravagant hospitality, is prepared to cater lavish Ramadan buffets and superb assortment of platters for Ramadan in a warm and inviting Ramadan ambiance that will indulge the whole family. Our world-class chefs at LenÙtre have completed their final touches on our unique R amadan menus in addition to the savory catering menus guaranteed to meet your every wish.

LeNotre Gulf Road During the holy month of Ramadan, LenNotre Gulf road greets

Announcements Ernakulam iftar Kuwait Ernakulam Residents’ Association (KERA) iftar on August 13, at Rhythm auditorium, Abbassiya, from 5.30 pm onwards.

Attention kids!

CEF VBS 11 starting from August 22. Six exciting days of singing, games & bible stories for children of all ages. Hurry !!!. Limited Seats.

Register Online: www.cefkuwait.org Tulukoota talent hunt Tulukoota Kuwait will hold a “Talent Hunt 2011” a chance to prove an inborn trait in you that confirms your individuality, uniqueness.

So step forward to grab this opportunity to show your caliber and entertain. Dance, music, art or any special talent- now is your chance to showcase it - and be part of this year’s Talent Hunt & Tulu Parba. Talent Hunt event is open to all Tuluvas. For more information and registration form kindly log on to our Website: www.tulukootakuwait.org or visit our facebook page - Tulukoota Kuwait Talent Hunt 2011. You could also email your form request to: secretary@tulukootakuwait.org or contact our area coordinators mentioned below.

Mangaf, Fahaheel, Abuhalifa : Ronald Dsouza60035824, Shalini Alva- 23726164, Suma Bhatt- 97834578 Salmiya & Hawally: Swarna Shetty- 99006934, Kripa Gatty- 66044194 Kuwait City, Jahra, Sharq : Rekha Sachu- 65044521,97862115 Farwaniya, Abbassiya, Shuwaikh & Khaitan: Sathyanarayana- 66585077 Sanath Shetty67712409.

Pathanamthitta Onam

Squash tournament

Aware Arabic courses

Liva Maria turns 4 today. We are happy her smile brightens our day and night. We love you Liva! Happy birthday greetings from brother Cherish and sister Alma.

guests with a unique Ramadan ambiance and hospitality, where guests can enjoy an exquisite Iftar menu, and an extravagant selection of sumptuous platters for Ghabqha and Sohour while enjoying the majestic view of the Gulf. Indulge in our breakfasting moment, as LeNotre Gulf road has prepared for you a superb assortment of platters, desserts, traditional sweets and drinks will extend the joy of the holy days of the month. During holy month of Ramadan, LeNotre is sponsoring beit Abdullah on which 10 % of LenNotre proceeds will be donated.

ber of interested participants thus giving us immense encouragement to hold an exciting tournament this year.

The 2011 squash tournament offers a great opportunity to all squash players to accept another challenge and build on their sports skills in midst of a friendly atmosphere. I highly encourage all interested players to maintain their level of activity during Ramadan while balancing fitness and fasting and to register before the deadline ends”.

All details pertaining to the tournament and means to participate can be found on the tournaments facebook page under ‘Ramadan Stars Squash Tourney’. The registration is taking place at GO SPORTS located at The Avenues Mall.

Alawadi also pointed out the great interest the ‘Ramadan Stars Squash tournament’ received from the private sector, where companies took the initiative in sponsoring the tournament.

Alawadi expressed his gratitude and thanks to Go Sports, Comtel, Right Guard, TRACCS Public Relations, and Unite Colors, guaranteeing unique prizes for all winners.

For details contact Sarah Saeed TRACCS Tel: 22916093/ 66491539 Fax: 22916095. E-mail: sarah.saeed@traccs.net

The executive committee of Pathanamthitta District Association has decided to hold 2011 Onam Festival celebrations on Friday October 28, 2011 with a grand public function attended by Member of Parliament from Pathanamthitta Loksabha Constituency, Anto Antony and other prominent dignitaries from Kerala and Kuwait. All residents of Pathanamthitta District and persons of Pathanamthitta District origin are hereby invited to attend this function and friends and families.

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.

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.

Rink soccer Don Bosco Oratory is pleased to announce its Major 4-A-Side “Rink Soccer Fiesta” in Kuwait!

This event is for the soccer lovers in Kuwait and will be played on a League (round robin) cum knock out basis from August 2nd at the IEAS Quadrangle in Salmiya. For details contact Chris: 6651-9627, Alex: 66069282 from 69pm.

Konkani musical show Comedian Philip, the 1st NRI Goan comedian, is all set to entertain you with a Konkani music show titled “Ani, Anik Zaiem?” to be presented by the United Friends Club on September 9 at 4pm at the AIS (American International School) Auditorium, Maidan-Hawalli. This is Kuwait-based comedian Philip’s third musical show after the overwhelming success of staging “Tum Vhoir Aum Sokol” and “Hem Kazar Koslem” in Kuwait and overseas.

y

A

31

e niv rsar n

Years

SUNDAY, AUGUST 7, 2011

W H AT ’ S O N

Embassy Information EMBASSY OF ARGENTINA In order to inform that 23rd of October 2011, will be Argentine national election where all Argentinean citizen residents permanently in Kuwait can vote only if they are registered at the Electoral Register of the Argentine Embassy. The procedure of inscription ended on 25 of April 2011. To register it is necessary that Argentinean citizens should come personally at the Argentinean Embassy (Block 6, street 42, villa 57, Mishref ) and present the DNI and four personal photos (size 4x4, face should be front on white background). For further information, contact us on 25379211.

■■■■■■■

EMBASSY OF BANGLADESH The Embassy of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh in Kuwait will follow office hours during the holy month of Ramadan. Sunday to Thursday : 09:00 A.M 3:00 PM. Friday and Saturday : Weekly Holidays.

This is for information of all concerned. ● The Embassy of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh in Kuwait will remain closed on Monday, 15 August 2011 on the occasion of the National Mourning Day, the 36th Death Anniversary of the Father of Nation - Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. The Embassy will arrange the following programmes to observe the National Mourning Day, the 36th Death Anniversary of the Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman on Monday, 15 August 2011 at the Chancery. The programme on this occasion will be as follows: 0830 hrs Roof top Hoisting of the National Flag at half-mast 1630 hrs First Floor Recitation from the Holy Quran one-minute silence in honour of the martyrs.

Faculty of Law Female graduates of the Kuwait University’s Faculty of Law celebrated their graduation in an event held at the Essa Al-Yousifi hall, which saw attendance of family members and other guests. —Photos by Fouad Al-Shaikh

■■■■■■■

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 ■■■■■■■

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.

■■■■■■■

Kala, Kuwait-Abbasiya Malayalam class teachers meet

A

s part of the free Malayalam Education Program conducted by Kala Kuwait, all teachers that are taking classes in the Abbasiya region held a teachers meet at Kala Centre , Abbasiya and shared their experiences in their

classes. Bhashasamithi Patron Reghunathan Nair presided the meeting in which Kala ex-Secretary J Saji inaugurated the meeting. General Convenor P K Janardhanan replied to the queries put forth by the teachers.

The teachers of the various classes: Annamma Mathew , Balagopal, Prasanna Ramabhadran, Anju Arun, Sunny Saijesh, Sajeev M George, N R Rejeesh delivered felicitations. Bhashasamithi Joint Convenor Rajan C Kulakkada , Samithi

member Joy Mundacat and Kala-Kuwait acting Secretary Saji Thomas Mathew also spoke on the occasion. Bhasha Samithi regional convenor Sasidharan welcomed all whereas Arts wing secretary T M Sudheer rendered the vote of thanks.

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 The Embassy of India will remain closed on the following dates on August 15, 2011 (Monday) - ‘Independence Day’ and August 22, (Monday) - ‘Janamashtami’.

■■■■■■■

EMBASSY OF IRAN The embassy of the Islamic Republic of Iran in Kuwait announced their official working hours during the holy month of Ramadan, which will go between 9:00 am and 2:00 pm on weekdays. The Iranian embassy extends will wishes to His Highness the Amir, the government as well as the people of Kuwait on this occasion.

■■■■■■■

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 ■■■■■■■

EMBASSY OF SLOVAK REPUBLIC The Embassy of the Slovak Republic to the State of Kuwait would like to inform the public that from 8th August 2011, the working hours of the Consular Section will be on Monday and Wednesday from 10:00 till 13:00 hrs.

A

y

e niv rsar n

Years

00:45 Dogs/Cats/Pets 101 01:40 Untamed And Uncut 02:35 Crocodile Feeding Frenzy 03:30 Killer Crocs Of Costa Rica 04:25 I’m Alive 05:20 Animal Cops Miami 06:10 Dogs/Cats/Pets 101 07:00 Lemur Street 07:25 Michaela’s Animal Road Trip 08:15 The Really Wild Show 08:40 Natural Born Hunters 09:10 Chris Humfrey’s Wildlife 09:35 Chris Humfrey’s Wildlife 10:05 My Cat From Hell 11:00 Dogs/Cats/Pets 101 11:55 Crocodile Hunter 12:50 Great Ocean Adventures 13:45 Great Ocean Adventures 14:40 Cats 101 15:35 Austin Stevens Adventures 16:30 Chris Humfrey’s Wildlife 16:55 Chris Humfrey’s Wildlife 17:25 Escape To Chimp Eden 17:50 Escape To Chimp Eden 18:20 Dogs/Cats/Pets 101 19:15 Venom Hunter With Donald Schultz 20:10 Dogs/Cats/Pets 101 21:05 World Wild Vet 22:00 Planet Earth 22:55 Whale Wars 23:50 Mutant Planet

00:40 The Jonathan Ross Show 01:30 Gavin & Stacey 02:00 Rob Brydon’s Annually Retentive 02:30 Mutual Friends 03:25 As Time Goes By 03:55 Allo Allo 04:30 Tweenies 04:50 Balamory 05:10 Tikkabilla 05:40 Charlie And Lola 05:50 Tweenies 06:10 Balamory 06:30 Tikkabilla 07:00 Tweenies 07:20 Balamory 07:40 Tikkabilla 08:10 Charlie And Lola 08:20 Tweenies 08:40 Balamory 09:00 Tikkabilla 09:30 Charlie And Lola 09:45 As Time Goes By 10:15 Allo Allo 10:50 Robin Hood 11:35 The Weakest Link 12:20 Casualty 13:10 Casualty 14:05 The Weakest Link 14:50 The Weakest Link 15:40 Doctors 16:10 Doctors 16:40 Doctors 17:10 Doctors 17:40 Doctors 18:10 Robin Hood 18:50 As Time Goes By 19:20 Allo Allo 20:00 Ray Mears’ Wild Foods 20:50 Sunshine 21:50 The Fixer 22:35 Spooks 23:25 Bleak House 23:55 Bleak House

00:00 Britain’s Dream Homes 06:20 Britain’s Dream Homes 07:20 Come Dine With Me 08:10 Come Dine With Me 09:00 Come Dine With Me 09:50 Come Dine With Me 10:35 Come Dine With Me 11:25 New Scandinavian Cooking With Andreas Viestad 20:45 New Scandinavian Cooking With Andreas Viestad 21:10 Britain’s Dream Homes 22:10 Britain’s Dream Homes 23:00 Britain’s Dream Homes

00:00 BBC World News 00:10 World Features 00:30 The Worst Journey In The World 01:00 BBC World News 01:30 Middle East Business Report 02:00 BBC World News 02:10 World Features 02:30 Newsnight 03:00 BBC World News 03:10 World Features 03:30 BBC World News 04:00 BBC World News 04:30 Dateline London 05:00 BBC World News 05:10 World Features 05:30 The Worst Journey In The World 06:00 BBC World News 06:30 Click 07:00 BBC World News 07:30 Newsnight 08:00 BBC World News 08:30 India Business Report 09:00 BBC World News 09:30 Fast Track 10:00 BBC World News 10:10 The Health Show 10:30 BBC World News 11:00 BBC World News 11:10 World Features 11:30 Dateline London 12:00 BBC World News 12:10 Feasts 13:00 BBC World News 13:10 World Features 13:30 Third Eye 14:00 BBC World News 14:30 Newsnight 15:00 BBC World News 15:10 World Features 15:30 Life On The Edge 16:00 BBC World News 16:15 Sport Today 16:30 Click 17:00 BBC World News 17:30 BBC World News 18:00 BBC World News 18:10 World Features 18:30 The Worst Journey In The World 19:00 BBC World News 19:30 India Business Report 20:00 BBC World News 20:30 Third Eye 21:00 BBC World News 21:15 Sport Today 21:30 Click 22:00 BBC World News 22:30 BBC World News 23:00 BBC World News 23:10 World Features 23:30 BBC World News

00:40 Your Worst Animal Nightmares 01:35 I Escaped Death 02:30 How Do They Do It? 06:05 How Do They Do It? 06:30 How Does It Work?

07:00 American Chopper: Senior vs Junior 07:50 Powering The Future 08:45 Wheeler Dealers 09:40 River Monsters 10:30 River Monsters 11:25 Flying Wild Alaska 12:20 Pit Bulls And Parolees 13:15 LA Ink 14:10 Taking On Tyson 15:05 Cake Boss 15:30 Cake Boss 16:00 Cake Boss 16:25 Cake Boss 16:55 Cake Boss 17:20 Mythbusters 18:15 Flying Wild Alaska 19:10 Swamp Brothers 19:40 True Heroes 20:05 Last Flight Of The Shuttle Mission 21:00 Mythbusters 21:55 Gold Rush: Alaska 22:50 Gold Rush: Alaska 23:45 Gold Rush: Alaska

SUNDAY, AUGUST 7, 2011

TV PROGRAMS 00:05 The Gadget Show 00:30 Things That Move 00:55 Things That Move 01:20 Colony 02:10 Powering The Future 03:00 Engineered 03:50 Punkin Chunkin 2010 04:45 Catch It Keep It 05:40 How Stuff’s Made 06:10 Superships 07:00 Race To Mars 07:55 Head Rush 07:58 Sci-Fi Science 08:25 Weird Connections 08:55 Brainiac 09:45 Prototype This 10:35 Mean Green Machines 14:20 Mean Green Machines 14:45 Head Rush 14:48 Sci-Fi Science 15:15 Weird Connections 15:45 Bang Goes The Theory 16:10 The Gadget Show 16:35 The Gadget Show 17:00 Smash Lab 17:50 Science Of The Movies 18:40 Through The Wormhole With Morgan Freeman 19:30 Things That Move 19:55 Things That Move 20:20 The Gadget Show 20:45 The Gadget Show 21:10 Sci-Fi Science 21:35 The Tech Show 22:00 Powering The Future 22:50 Things That Move 23:15 Things That Move 23:40 Bang Goes The Theory

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

THE LOSERS ON OSN CINEMA

Fish Hooks Phineas And Ferb Suite Life On Deck Sonny With A Chance The Suite Life Of Zack And Hannah Montana Forever Kim Possible Replacements Replacements Fairly Odd Parents Fairly Odd Parents A Kind Of Magic A Kind Of Magic Stitch Stitch Kim Possible Kim Possible Emperor’s New School Emperor’s New School Stitch Stitch Jungle Junction Handy Manny Mickey Mouse Clubhouse Jake & The Neverland Pirates Fish Hooks Shake It Up Phineas And Ferb Good Luck Charlie Fish Hooks Fish Hooks Fish Hooks Hatching Pete Shake It Up Good Luck Charlie Good Luck Charlie Wizards Of Waverly Place Wizards Of Waverly Place Wizards Of Waverly Place Phineas And Ferb Shake It Up Fish Hooks Good Luck Charlie Good Luck Charlie Shake It Up Phineas And Ferb Wizards Of Waverly Place Hannah Montana Forever Fish Hooks Good Luck Charlie Shake It Up Johnny Tsunami Wizards Of Waverly Place

06:00 Kid Vs Kat 06:20 Kick Buttowski 06:45 Pokemon Dp: Sinnoh League Victors 07:10 Iron Man: Armoured Adventures 07:35 Phineas & Ferb 08:00 Phineas & Ferb 08:25 Suite Life On Deck S3 08:50 Pair Of Kings 09:15 Kick Buttowski 09:40 Rekkit Rabbit 10:05 Zeke & Luther 10:30 Zeke & Luther 10:55 I’m In The Band 11:20 The Super Hero Squad Show 11:45 The Suite Life Of Zack & Cody 12:10 Kid Vs Kat 12:35 American Dragon 13:00 Wendy Wu 14:35 Kick Buttowski 15:00 Pair Of Kings 15:25 Phineas & Ferb 15:50 I’m In The Band 16:15 Rekkit Rabbit 16:40 Zeke & Luther 17:05 The Suite Life Of Zack & Cody 17:30 Pokemon Dp: Sinnoh League Victors 17:55 Suite Life On Deck S3 18:20 Suite Life On Deck S3 18:45 Phineas & Ferb 19:10 The Avengers: Earths Mightiest Heroes 19:35 The Avengers: Earths Mightiest Heroes 20:00 New Spiderman 20:25 Zeke & Luther 20:50 I’m In The Band 21:15 Aaron Stone 21:40 American Dragon 22:00 Kick Buttowski 22:20 I’m In The Band

00:05 Jungle Junction 00:15 Little Einsteins 00:40 Higglytown Heroes 00:55 Higglytown Heroes 01:10 Jo Jo’s Circus 01:30 Special Agent Oso 01:45 Special Agent Oso 02:00 Jungle Junction 02:15 Jungle Junction 02:25 Little Einsteins 02:50 Higglytown Heroes 03:05 Higglytown Heroes 03:20 Jo Jo’s Circus 03:40 Special Agent Oso 03:55 Special Agent Oso 04:10 Jungle Junction 04:25 Jungle Junction 04:35 Little Einsteins 05:00 Higglytown Heroes 05:15 Higglytown Heroes 05:30 Jo Jo’s Circus 05:50 Jungle Junction 06:00 Jungle Junction 06:15 Higglytown Heroes 06:30 Higglytown Heroes 06:45 Handy Manny 07:00 Special Agent Oso 07:15 Mickey Mouse Clubhouse 07:40 Timmy Time 07:55 Little Einsteins 08:18 Special Agent Oso 08:20 The Hive 08:30 Jake And The Neverland Pirates 08:45 Jake And The Neverland Pirates 08:55 Special Agent Oso 09:47 Special Agent Oso 09:50 Mickey Mouse Clubhouse 10:15 The Little Mermaid 10:35 Handy Manny 10:50 Timmy Time 11:00 The Hive 11:10 Jungle Junction 11:25 Jake And The Neverland Pirates 11:40 Imagination Movers 12:02 Special Agent Oso 12:05 Lazytown 12:30 Handy Manny 12:45 Jake And The Neverland Pirates 13:00 Jungle Junction 13:15 The Hive 13:25 Timmy Time 13:35 Special Agent Oso 13:47 Special Agent Oso 13:50 The Little Mermaid 14:15 Mickey Mouse Clubhouse 14:40 Mickey Mouse Clubhouse 15:03 Special Agent Oso 15:05 Handy Manny 15:20 Jake And The Neverland Pirates 15:35 Jake And The Neverland Pirates 15:50 Jungle Junction 16:05 Lazytown 16:30 Imagination Movers 16:55 Mickey Mouse Clubhouse 17:20 Handy Manny 17:32 Special Agent Oso 17:35 Jungle Junction 17:50 The Hive 18:00 The Hive 18:08 Special Agent Oso 19:02 Special Agent Oso 19:03 Animated Stories 19:05 Mickey Mouse Clubhouse 19:25 Mickey Mouse Clubhouse 19:47 Special Agent Oso 19:50 Jake And The Neverland Pirates 20:00 Jake And The Neverland Pirates 20:08 A Poem Is...

20:10 The Little Mermaid 20:35 Special Agent Oso 20:50 The Hive 21:00 Jungle Junction 21:13 Special Agent Oso 21:15 Jungle Junction 21:30 Mickey Mouse Clubhouse 21:55 Handy Manny 22:10 The Little Mermaid 22:35 Jo Jo’s Circus 22:55 Mickey Mouse Clubhouse 23:20 Special Agent Oso 23:35 Special Agent Oso 23:50 Jungle Junction

00:15 00:40 01:05 01:30 02:20 02:45 03:10

Wrestling With Reality Wrestling With Reality Wrestling With Reality M1 Selection 2010 Gumball 3000: 2008 Gumball 3000: 2008 Gumball 3000: 2008

03:35 Gumball 3000: 2008 04:00 Carpocalypse 04:50 Lucas Oil Motocross Championships 2009 06:30 Ride Guide Mountainbike 2007 08:00 Ticket To Ride 2009/2010 09:15 Ticket To Ride 2009/2010 09:40 Summer Dew Tour 2010 10:30 Summer Dew Tour 2010 11:20 Lucas Oil Motocross Championships 2009 12:10 Lucas Oil Motocross Championships 2009 13:00 Fight Girls 13:50 Mantracker 14:40 Untracked 16:45 Untracked 17:10 I’ll Do Anything 18:00 Mantracker 18:50 Lucas Oil Motocross Championships 2009 19:40 Lucas Oil Motocross Championships 2009 20:30 Fight Girls 21:20 Eds Up 21:45 Eds Up 22:10 Mantracker 23:00 I’ll Do Anything 23:50 Kick Ass Miracles

00:25 Fashion Police 00:55 Chelsea Lately 01:25 Cheating Death 03:15 E! Investigates 04:10 Sexiest 05:05 Reality Hell 05:30 Wildest TV Show Moments 06:00 THS 07:50 Behind The Scenes 08:20 E! News 09:15 Kendra 09:45 Kendra 10:15 Married To Rock 11:10 Kimora: Life In The Fab Lane 12:05 E! News 13:05 Fashion Police 13:35 Keeping Up With The Kardashians 14:05 E!es 15:00 Khloe And Lamar 15:30 Khloe And Lamar 15:55 The Dance Scene 16:25 The Dance Scene 16:55 Behind The Scenes 17:25 Behind The Scenes 17:55 E! News 18:55 Holly’s World 19:25 Holly’s World 19:55 Kimora: Life In The Fab Lane 20:55 Kourtney And Kim Take New York 21:25 Khloe And Lamar 21:55 Khloe And Lamar

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

A Haunting Ghost Lab The Haunted A Haunting A Haunting Ghosthunters Murder Shift Mystery ER Forensic Detectives Murder Shift Mystery ER Real Emergency Calls Street Patrol Fugitive Strike Force FBI Files On The Case With Paula Zahn Royal Inquest Mystery ER Real Emergency Calls Street Patrol Fugitive Strike Force Forensic Detectives Murder Shift FBI Files Mystery ER Street Patrol Real Emergency Calls On The Case With Paula Zahn Disappeared Stalked: Someone’s Watching Who On Earth Did I Marry?

I Almost Got Away With It True Crime With Aphrodite

00:00 By Any Means 01:00 Food Lover’s Guide to The Planet 01:30 Pressure Cook 02:00 A World Apart 03:00 Ultimate Traveller 04:00 Don’t Tell My Mother 05:00 Endurance Traveller 06:00 By Any Means 07:00 Food Lover’s Guide to The Planet 07:30 Pressure Cook 08:00 A World Apart 09:00 Ultimate Traveller 10:00 Don’t Tell My Mother 11:00 Endurance Traveller 12:00 By Any Means 13:00 Cruise Ship Diaries 14:00 Exploring The Vine 14:30 Exploring The Vine 15:00 Food School 15:30 Banged Up Abroad 16:30 Banged Up Abroad 17:30 Finding Genghis 18:00 Travel Madness 18:30 Travel Madness 19:00 Cruise Ship Diaries 20:00 Exploring The Vine 20:30 Exploring The Vine 21:00 Food School 21:30 Banged Up Abroad 22:30 Banged Up Abroad 23:30 Finding Genghis

00:00 Battlestar Galactica: The Plan18 02:00 Universal Soldier: Regeneration-PG15 04:00 The Lost Future-PG15 06:00 The Damned United-PG15 07:45 Transformers: Revenge Of The Fallen-PG15 10:15 Annihilation Earth-PG15 12:00 King Arthur-PG15 14:15 Transformers: Revenge Of The Fallen-PG15 16:45 Phone Booth-PG15 18:15 King Arthur-PG15 20:30 Bad Boys II-PG15 23:00 Sleep Dealer-PG15

SLEEP DEALER ON OSN MOVIES ACTION

01:15 The Gray Man-PG15 03:00 Good Hair-PG15 05:00 My Son, My Son, What Have You Done?-PG15 07:00 Bustin’ Down The Door-PG15 09:00 The Eclipse-PG15 11:00 The Great Debaters-PG15 13:15 Skellig-PG15 15:00 Home Run-PG15 17:00 Flying By-PG15 19:00 Secretariat-PG15 21:15 The Losers-PG15 23:00 The Tempest-PG15

00:30 The Daily Show With Jon Stewart 01:00 The Colbert Report 01:30 The New Adventures Of Old Christine 02:00 Saturday Night Live 03:00 Melissa And Joey 03:30 How I Met Your Mother 04:00 Two And A Half Men 04:30 The Tonight Show With Jay Leno 05:30 Tyler Perry’s House Of Payne 06:00 Seinfeld 06:30 The Drew Carey Show 07:00 Late Night With Jimmy Fallon 08:00 Two And A Half Men 08:30 Melissa And Joey 09:00 Tyler Perry’s House Of Payne 09:30 Hot In Cleveland 10:00 Hot In Cleveland 10:30 Seinfeld 11:00 The Drew Carey Show 11:30 The Tonight Show With Jay Leno 12:30 Two And A Half Men 13:00 How I Met Your Mother 13:30 Tyler Perry’s House Of Payne 14:00 Seinfeld 14:30 Hot In Cleveland 15:00 Hot In Cleveland 15:30 The Daily Show With Jon Stewart 16:00 The Colbert Report 16:30 The Drew Carey Show 17:00 Late Night With Jimmy Fallon 18:00 Just Shoot Me 18:30 Just Shoot Me 19:00 30 Rock 19:30 30 Rock 20:00 My Boys 20:30 Curb Your Enthusiasm 21:00 The Daily Show With Jon Stewart 21:30 The Colbert Report 22:00 Neighbors From Hell 22:30 Bored To Death 23:00 The New Adventures Of Old Christine 23:30 My Boys

00:00 C.S.I. New York 01:00 Justified 02:00 Private Practice 03:00 C.S.I. 04:00 Strong Medicine 05:00 My Generation 06:00 Good Morning America 07:00 Psych 08:00 Emmerdale 08:30 Coronation Street 09:00 Never Trust A Skinny Cook 09:30 Huey’s Cooking Adventure 10:00 My Generation 11:00 The View 12:00 C.S.I. New York 13:00 C.S.I. 14:00 My Generation 15:00 Live Good Morning America 16:00 Strong Medicine 17:00 The Ellen DeGeneres Show 18:00 Emmerdale 18:30 Coronation Street 19:00 Law & Order: Los Angeles 20:00 Law & Order 21:00 Criminal Minds: Suspect Behavior 22:00 Private Practice 23:00 The Event

00:00 01:00 02:00 03:00 04:00 05:00 06:00

Smallville Lie To Me Justified C.S.I. New York C.S.I. Detroit 1-8-7 Smallville

07:00 8 Simple Rules ...

07:30 Coronation Street 08:00 Persons Unknown 09:00 Detroit 1-8-7 10:00 C.S.I. New York 11:00 C.S.I. 12:00 8 Simple Rules ...

12:30 Coronation Street 13:00 The Ellen DeGeneres Show 14:00 Persons Unknown 15:00 Smallville 16:00 8 Simple Rules ...

16:30 Coronation Street 17:00 The Ellen DeGeneres Show 18:00 No Ordinary Family 19:00 Law & Order: Los Angeles 20:00 Law & Order 21:00 Criminal Minds: Suspect Behavior 22:00 Lie To Me 23:00 Detroit 1-8-7

01:00 03:00 05:00 07:00 PG15 09:00 11:00 13:00 15:00 17:00 19:00 21:00 23:00

Goal III-18 The Lost Future-PG15 Bad Guys-18 A Lonely Place For DyingThe Three Musketeers-PG15 Staten Island-PG15 Kiss The Girls-18 The Three Musketeers-PG15 The Truth About Charlie-PG15 Ballistica-PG15 Sleep Dealer-PG15 Penny Dreadful-18

00:00 Bandslam-PG15 02:00 Dickie Roberts: Former Child Star-PG15 04:00 A Pyromaniac’s Love StoryPG15 06:00 Hey Hey Its Esther Blueburger-PG15 08:00 All’s Faire In Love-PG 10:00 It’s A Wonderful AfterlifePG15 12:00 Under The Tuscan Sun-PG15 14:00 All About Steve-PG15 16:00 Bandslam-PG15 18:00 Heart And Souls-PG 20:00 Four Last Songs-PG15 22:00 Serial Mom-18

01:00 03:15 05:45 09:00 11:00 13:00 15:00 17:00 19:00 21:00 22:45

The Medicine Show-18 The Soloist-PG15 Spartacus-PG15 Not One Less-PG The Dust Factory-PG15 Primo-PG15 Fantastic Mr. Fox-FAM Adam-PG15 Up In The Air-PG15 Return To Rajapur-PG15 Quills-18

01:00 Blues Brothers 2000-PG15 03:00 Percy Jackson And The Lightning Thief-PG15 05:00 102 Dalmatians-PG 07:00 Nanny Mcphee And The Big Bang-PG 09:00 The Brothers Bloom-PG15 11:00 Dr. Dolittle-PG 13:00 Dr. Dolittle 2-PG 15:00 Celine: Through The Eyes Of The World-PG15 17:00 The Brothers Bloom-PG15 19:00 You Again-PG15 21:00 An Education-PG15 23:00 Greenberg-18

01:00 Pocahontas & The Spider Woman-PG 03:00 Tom Tom & Nana-FAM 05:00 Leave It To Beaver-PG 07:00 Scooby-Doo And The Loch Ness Monster-FAM 09:00 Cats & Dogs-PG 11:00 Arthur And The Revenge Of Maltazard-PG 13:00 Columbus III: The New WorldPG 15:00 The Big Green-PG 17:00 Arthur And The Revenge Of Maltazard-PG 19:00 Delgo-FAM 21:00 Columbus III: The New WorldPG 23:00 The Big Green-PG

01:00 03:00 04:00 07:00 07:30 09:30 10:00 12:00 14:00 16:00 17:00 19:00 20:00 23:00

WWE SmackDown!

UFC 133 Countdown Live UFC 133 Aquabikes Live ITM Cup Rugby Union Total Rugby Tri Nations Currie Cup Rugby Union ITM Cup Rugby Union Intercontinental Le Mans Cup Tri Nations Speedway UFC 133 WWE SmackDown!

01:00 Trans World Sport 02:00 Currie Cup Rugby Union 04:00 Rugby League Challenge Cup 06:00 ICC Cricket World 06:30 NRL Full Time 07:00 Live NRL Premiership 09:00 Trans World Sport 10:00 Tri Nations 12:00 Scottish Premier League Highlights 12:30 Scottish Premier League 14:15 Live Scottish Premier League 16:15 Futbol Mundial 16:45 ITM Cup Rugby Union 18:30 ICC Cricket World 19:00 Trans World Sport 20:00 Mobil 1 The Grid 20:30 Futbol Mundial 21:00 Tri Nations 23:00 ITM Cup Rugby Union

00:00 02:00 04:00 06:00 07:00 07:30 08:00 10:00 12:00 12:30 13:00 13:30 15:30 17:30 18:00 Cup 20:00 20:30 21:00 21:30 22:00

NRL Premiership NRL Premiership Scottish Premier League Trans World Sports Rugby World Cup Classics NRL Full Time Live NRL Premiership NRL Premiership ICC Cricket World Rugby World Cup Classics Total Rugby International Rugby Union Tri Nations Mobil 1 The Grid Live Rugby League Challenge

00:00 01:00 02:00 03:00 04:00 07:00 07:35 09:30 10:00 12:00 13:00 14:00 15:00 16:00 18:00 19:00 20:00 23:00

WWE Bottomline UFC The Ultimate Fighter UFC 133 Countdown Live UFC 133 Prelims Live UFC 133 V8 Supercars Extra Live ITM Cup Rugby Union Powerboats F1 WWE SmackDown!

WWE Bottomline WWE Vintage Collection Powerboats F1 Powerboats F1 WWE SmackDown!

UFC 133 Countdown UFC 133 Prelims UFC 133 UFC The Ultimate Fighter

Asian Tour Golf ICC Cricket World Rugby World Cup Classics Futbol Mundial Scottish Premier League

00:10 The Last Run 01:45 The Dirty Dozen 04:10 They Died With Their Boots On-FAM 06:30 TCM Presents Under The Influence-U 07:00 Manpower-PG 08:40 Singin’ In The Rain-FAM 10:20 Beau Brummell-PG 12:10 Gun Glory-FAM 13:40 The Oklahoma Kid-FAM 15:00 Bhowani Junction-PG 16:50 The Harvey Girls-FAM 18:30 The Honeymoon MachineFAM 19:55 The Hill-PG 22:00 Kelly’s Heroes-PG

Classifieds SUNDAY, AUGUST 7, 2011

FOR SALE 2006 Pajero white V6 full option without sunroof cruise control, 6CD changer, wood decoration, folding mirror, fog light alloy wheels, running 126000 km, price KD 3750 (negotiable) for urgent sale leaving Kuwait. Contact: 66219290. (C 3552) 6-8-2011 DRG/ Bed room sets on sale, going cheap with other house hold items.

Contact: 99592461.

(C 3551) 1-8-2011

MATRIMONIAL Kuwait Orthodox parents invite proposals for their son 29/172cm, M.Com PGDBA born & brought up in Kuwait and employed in MNC Kuwait since 2008 from parents of Orthodox / Jacobite / Marthoma girls B.Tech/MCA/MBA/M.Com employed in Kuwait.

Contact email: thekalloors@gmail.com (C 3555) 7-8-2011

No: 15173

ACCOMMODATION Furnished sharing accommodation in a 2 bedroom apart, for an executive bachelor or couple in Farwaniya, for RC Goan or Mangalorean with Mangalorean bachelor behind Crowne Plaza.

Contact: 97521167, 24762183. (C 2554) 7-8-2011 One room fully furnished in 3 bedroom C-A/C flat is available for rent. Muslim bachelor/ Pakistani is preferred. Contact 99714430.

(C 3553) 6-8-2011

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 MLR JZR THY ETH UAE DHX ETD MSR GFA QTR KAC FCX KAC BAW JZR KAC KAC JZR IRA KAC KAC FDB KAC KAC KAC UAE QTR ABY IRA ETD GFA IRC FCX MEA RBG MSR UAL RJA KAC FDB KAC SVA KAC

Flt 642 1405 276 772 620 853 370 305 614 211 138 544 201 412 157 557 206 382 533 615 284 302 53 332 678 352 855 132 125 603 301 213 6801 203 404 3553 610 982 640 774 57 562 500 788

Arrival Flights on Sunday 7/8/2011 Route AMMAN COLOMBO / DUBAI BEIRUT ISTANBUL ADDIS ABABA DUBAI BAHRAIN ABU DHABI CAIRO BAHRAIN DOHA CAIRO DUBAI MANILA / BANGKOK LONDON ALEXANDRIA ISLAMABAD DELHI ASSIUT SHAHRE KORD DHAKA MUMBAI DUBAI TRIVANDRUM MUSCAT / DUBAI COCHIN DUBAI DOHA SHARJAH SHIRAZ ABU DHABI BAHRAIN AHWAZ DUBAI BEIRUT ALEXANDRIA / SOHAG CAIRO WASHINGTON DC DULLES AMMAN RIYADH DUBAI AMMAN JEDDAH JEDDAH

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

KAC JZR QTR ETD UAE GFA SVA JZR JZR ABY JZR FDB ALK KAC KAC KAC KAC KAC JZR KAC KAC JAI SYR FDB KNE OMA VOS MEA KAC DHX KAC UAE KAC GFA QTR AFG UAL AIC JZR MSR JZR DLH JZR AXB KLM PIA

746 257 134 303 857 215 510 561 201 127 239 63 227 1722 166 542 618 786 1775 102 674 572 341 61 745 647 81 402 552 372 512 859 172 217 136 405 981 981 787 612 185 636 135 389 447 205

ABU DHABI / DAMMAM BEIRUT DOHA ABU DHABI DUBAI BAHRAIN RIYADH SOHAG DAMASCUS SHARJAH AMMAN DUBAI COLOMBO / DUBAI JEDDAH PARIS / ROME CAIRO DOHA JEDDAH JEDDAH NEW YORK / LONDON DUBAI MUMBAI DAMASCUS / ALEPPO DUBAI JEDDAH MUSCAT BAGHDAD BEIRUT DAMASCUS BAHRAIN TEHRAN DUBAI FRANKFURT BAHRAIN DOHA KABUL / DUBAI BAHRAIN CHENNAI / AHMEDABAD RIYADH CAIRO DUBAI FRANKFURT BAHRAIN KOZHIKODE / MANGALORE AMSTERDAM / BAHRAIN LAHORE

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

Airlines KAC AXB DLH JZR AIC MLR THY ETH UAE DHX ETD MSR QTR RJA GFA VOS BAW IRA FDB KAC KAC KAC JZR KAC KAC UAE ABY QTR ETD GFA KAC IRA JZR IRC FCX MEA KAC JZR JZR KAC KAC KAC RBG

Flt 677 394 637 532 976 1405 773 620 854 371 306 615 139 643 212 94 156 614 54 171 117 745 256 561 787 856 126 133 302 214 773 602 560 6802 204 405 541 200 238 103 1721 785 3554

Departure Flights on Sunday 7/8/2011 Route DUBAI / MUSCAT COCHIN / KOZHIKODE FRANKFURT ASSIUT GOA / CHENNAI COLOMBO ISTANBUL BAHRAIN / ADDIS ABABA DUBAI BAHRAIN ABU DHABI CAIRO DOHA AMMAN BAHRAIN DUBAI / KANDAHAR LONDON SHAHRE KORD DUBAI FRANKFURT NEW YORK DAMMAM / ABU DHABI BEIRUT AMMAN JEDDAH DUBAI SHARJAH DOHA ABU DHABI BAHRAIN RIYADH SHIRAZ SOHAG AHWAZ DUBAI BEIRUT CAIRO DAMASCUS AMMAN LONDON JEDDAH JEDDAH ALEXANDRIA

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

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

JZR MSR RJA FDB UAL KAC KAC KAC SVA KAC ETD QTR UAE GFA ABY SVA FDB JZR JZR ALK KAC JZR KAC JAI FDB KNE SYR KAC JZR KAC OMA MEA KAC DHX UAE GFA FCX QTR KAC KAC KAC UAL MSR KAC JZR

1774 611 641 58 982 551 673 617 503 511 304 135 858 216 128 511 64 786 184 228 283 134 361 571 62 746 342 343 538 351 648 403 543 373 860 218 102 137 301 205 411 981 613 415 556

JEDDAH CAIRO AMMAN DUBAI BAHRAIN DAMASCUS DUBAI DOHA MEDINAH / JEDDAH TEHRAN ABU DHABI DOHA DUBAI BAHRAIN SHARJAH RIYADH DUBAI RIYADH DUBAI DUBAI / COLOMBO DHAKA BAHRAIN COLOMBO MUMBAI DUBAI JEDDAH ALEPPO / DAMASCUS CHENNAI CAIRO COCHIN MUSCAT BEIRUT CAIRO BAHRAIN DUBAI BAHRAIN BAHRAIN DOHA MUMBAI ISLAMABAD BANGKOK / MANILA WASHINGTON DC DULLES CAIRO KUALA LUMPUR / JAKARTA ALEXANDRIA

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

34

SUNDAY, AUGUST 7, 2011

stars CROSSWORD 402

STAR TRACK

CALVIN & HOBBES

Aries (March 21-April 19) Some sort of temporary obstacle may appear today but if you can look beyond the glitch, you will get through the problem quickly. You will find the afternoon full of opportunities to be creative. You may look for new ways to express yourself—adding your name to an invention, project or productive idea is quite a mark of accomplishment just now. A get-together with friends can prove rewarding this evening. You work with real imagination and understanding in areas of the mind that are the most personal or private—depth psychology. You are like a midwife of the spirit, assisting at the birth of each individual going through a spiritual or re-birth process. You accept the natural process of spiritual growth and you seem dedicated to helping it along.

Taurus (April 20-May 20) It’s a sleep late, catch up on a few chores and a goof-off sort of day. Someone may need your help today, but unless they really ask for it, you may find yourself motivated in other directions. It is important to take time to refurbish your energies. Perhaps placing a time limit on some of the less important chores will help you finish up a little earlier today. There will be time to make a little tea and share with a friend or two. You have new insight into home, possessions and the whole domestic scene. Finding financial independence and novel ways to earn money and make a living have your attention. There is an opportunity to have a special time with someone you love this evening. There is harmony—very down-to-earth— nurturing and protective to all.

POOCH CAFE ACROSS 1. The smallest multiple that is exactly divisible by every member of a set of numbers.

4. The Uralic language spoken by the Yeniseian people.

9. Having nine hinged bands of bony plates.

13. A period marked by distinctive character or reckoned from a fixed point or event.

14. The function or position properly or customarily occupied or served by another.

15. A city in northwestern Syria.

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

17. 100 thebe equal 1 pula.

18. A software system that facilitates the creation and maintenance and use of an electronic database.

19. Widely distributed low-growing Eurasian herb having narrow leaves and inconspicuous green flowers.

21. An undergarment worn by women to support their breasts.

23. An anti-TNF compound (trade name Arava) that is given orally.

26. (Akkadian) God of wisdom.

27. A pilgrimage to Mecca.

30. Any of various long-tailed rodents similar to but larger than a mouse.

34. Toward the mouth or oral region.

35. Being one hundred more than three hundred.

36. Avoiding waste.

38. A small cake leavened with yeast.

39. The month following July and preceding September.

40. Occurring or encountered or experienced or observed frequently or in accordance with regular practice or procedure.

41. A Turkish unit of weight equal to about 2.75 pounds.

43. An island in Indonesia east of Java.

45. A fatal disease of cattle that affects the central nervous system.

47. Stem of the rattan palm used for making canes and umbrella handles.

51. Jordan's port.

55. American Revolutionary patriot.

56. The act of scanning.

59. The act of slowing down or falling behind.

60. Pathetically lacking in force or effectiveness.

62. 4-wheeled motor vehicle.

63. (British) Traditional jazz as revived in the 1950s.

64. A communist nation that covers a vast territory in eastern Asia.

65. A flat wing-shaped process or winglike part of an organism.

DOWN 1. An accidental hole that allows something (fluid or light etc.) to enter or escape.

2. A capacity unit used for measuring fresh herring.

3. God of death.

4. Formed by reaction between an acid and an alcohol with elimination of water.

5. Last or greatest in an indefinitely large series.

6. The starting place for each hole on a golf course.

7. A midnight meeting of witches to practice witchcraft and sorcery.

8. The content of cognition.

9. A genus of Ploceidae.

10. A river in central Europe that arises in northwestern Czechoslovakia and flows northward through Germany to empty into the North Sea. 11. Area around the altar of a church for the clergy and choir.

12. (Akkadian) Father of the gods and consort of Tiamat.

20. Polish filmmaker (born in 1929).

22. Indian statesman and leader with Gandhi in the struggle for home rule.

24. The dialect of Ancient Greek spoken by Arcadians.

25. The capital and largest city of Liechtenstein.

28. Any of various strong liquors distilled from the fermented sap of toddy palms or from fermented molasses.

29. A Chadic language spoken south of Lake Chad.

31. Largest known toad species.

32. An official language of the Republic of South Africa.

33. (Norse mythology) Goddess of old age who defeated Thor in a wrestling match.

37. A member of a Turkic people of Uzbekistan and neighboring areas.

42. The elementary stages of any subject (usually plural).

44. Widely known and esteemed.

46. The capital and largest city of Yemen.

48. The sixth month of the civil year.

49. A Tibetan or Mongolian priest of Lamaism.

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

51. Nocturnal mouselike mammal with forelimbs modified to form membranous wings and anatomical adaptations for echolocation by which they navigate.

52. Type genus of the Alcidae comprising solely the razorbill.

53. Any of numerous local fertility and nature deities worshipped by ancient Semitic peoples.

54. A city in northern India.

57. The 22nd letter of the Greek alphabet.

58. Slender bristlelike appendage found on the bracts of grasses.

61. A white trivalent metallic element.

Yesterday’s Solution

Gemini (May 21-June 20) Questions of freedom and independence are absolutely essential to your lifestyle; you are quick to rebel if anything cramps these subjects. Activities with young people, neighbors or friends add to those feelings of well-being today. Getting to better know a distant cousin or half-sister or even a brother may bring a great deal of joy your way now. This is a great time to be with others in an atmosphere of work or play. You love attention and somehow manage to gravitate to the center of almost any happening. Others accept you—they sense you are a leader and admire your almost regal manner. All parts of your life are touched by your sense of originality and spontaneity. Everything hangs on the innovative and original approach to things and people.

Cancer (June 21-July 22)

NON SEQUITUR

You enjoy being with friends and acquaintances in all sorts of scenarios. Working with others, especially on community or humanitarian efforts, is perfect for you. This is what you may find yourself involved with today. You may be organizing and entertaining as well. You have a special affinity for older people and for children—plus an innate love of animals, the helpless and the underdog. An inner vision coupled with the ability to see the big picture often finds you working as a go-between with others. Marriage and other close relationships give rise to great expectations now. It is time to enjoy and appreciate your ties to others through positive interactions that promote harmony. Enjoy a swim in the old swimming hole.

Leo (July 23-August 22) Learning, knowing a little about a lot of things, staying in touch and on top of the latest developments: these things satisfy a need for mental stimulation. Catching up on your reading and enjoying the neighbors and perhaps your relatives may play a role in this—young people figure more prominently in your life today. This is a time to take risks and dare to be a little unconventional. You will prosper through new insights, inventions and an independent point of view. This is a good time to take in a good movie. Your creative mind will began a new journey and have greater form. That creative project you have been working on will get a big boost. Sharpening your artistic skills may also help you to develop your psychic insights.

ZITS

Virgo (August 23-September 22) Writing, music and cooking can be part of what you do that pulls in some monetary rewards—or a great sense of satisfaction today—a little part-time work. You have a real security drive and a need to care and protect others—the mother hen. You love family, children and animals and you will have the opportunity to be involved with their care. Everything points to your taking the initiative when it comes to some hot issue today; you will find a great deal of support for your ideas or decisions. Many people value you for your ability to make practical decisions concerning group or family issues. You have a natural sense of what people want versus their needs.

Entertainment this evening can be your choice, if you wish.

Libra (September 23-October 22)

MOTHER GOOSE AND GRIMM

This is a good day to solve problems and make important decisions. You will find a way around almost any obstacle and are in control and able to guide yourself with ease. Your sense of inner direction is good and should lead to opportunities. New ways to organize and discipline yourself are a possibility at this time. Here you have an opportunity to gain some insight into ways that can improve your problem-solving techniques. The easy way that you take care of your responsibilities will prove beneficial in the years to come. Break up old habits— get out of ruts, etc. You do not have to leave home to escape from the old routine.

Family, home and security seem just about ideal to you. A musical, play or some other form of entertainment would be fun!

Scorpio (October 23-November 21) Your imagination and fancied ideals may mislead you to the point of motivating you in a wrong direction. Your real feelings could be obscured by some supposed spiritual or humanitarian ideal. Later you may feel you did the wrong thing. There could be some hard feelings from young people today; especially if you become too aggressive. You may find that someone close to you understands and is supportive. You have a lot of energy for improving your surroundings or life situations. The sun is shining in all directions of your life—you can see clearly. You are very motivated to improve your way of living. You are a sensitive person who can depend on feelings and intuition to help you make good decisions. You possess good common sense.

Sagittarius (November 22-December 21) You have a knack for always finding assistance in whatever career moves you decide to make. In fact, your ability to rally support makes a public career of one kind or another quite probable. Success is indicated in education, politics or law. You know how to attack and solve problems. You may find yourself in a volunteer service or teaching others through some community classes. Perhaps you would be interested in reading for the blind. At home, you are interested in building permanent relationships or providing a home for a family. This involves your time and talents with the ones you love as well as your professional abilities. You have a high probability of success—building a firm foundation. Focus and balance is the key for today.

Capricorn (December 22-January 19)

To

Your community spirit may come into play today. There is a drive to work with others on projects that concern humanitarian interest.

There is an urge to make your dreams for that perfect community a reality—this keeps you moving in the right direction. There is a feeling of being a part of the bigger picture which encourages you to move forward with political issues. You are very communicative, not just a little curious—conversations come easily. Study, research and investigations of all kinds may come into play today as you are always searching out some answer or another. Family is important to you and you may find yourself planning a get-together for the evening or setting time aside for being with the family in a group get-together soon.

Yesterday’s Solution Yester

Aquarius (January 20- February 18) This is a good time for clear deliberation and problem solving. You are in a serious frame of mind and may find yourself dealing with matters of much concern and responsibility. This may not be a pressure on you as much as it is a desire from within to become better organized and to know your goals. You may be given an opportunity to have your say today. Do not be afraid to allocate the overflow to others; of course the old saying that honey catches more flies than vinegar may be taken to heart here.

Saying and writing things with style counts for a lot now and this tends to bring out the social butterfly in all of us. This evening, neighbors or brothers and sisters will likely bring all kinds of good experiences your way.

Pisces (February 19-March 20)

Word Sleuth Solution

Thank goodness for a day off—emotions seem to be clear and in balance. Your home environment, friends and surroundings are accented today and receive attention. Perhaps it is rest that your body has needed lately—whatever the case, your communication skills are good and visiting with others makes for a satisfying day. You gain from young people today; just being with all that youthful energy is electrifying. Guiding, advising and just having a plain old good time is in order now. Perhaps a team sport is in the making—whatever the case, there is a feeling of being needed and being a part of the lives of others. Love, ideals and a strong sense of your own worth are vital to your well-being and ability to function. Music is tricky this evening.

A

y

e niv rsar n

Years

SUNDAY, AUGUST 7, 2011

i n f o r m at i o n

FIRE BRIGADE

112

Al-Madena

22418714

Al-Shohada’a

22545171

Al-Shuwaikh

24810598

Al-Nuzha

22545171

Sabhan

24742838

Al-Helaly

22434853

Al-Fayhaa

22545051

Al-Farwaniya

24711433

Al-Sulaibikhat

24316983

Al-Fahaheel

23927002

Jleeb Al-Shuyoukh

24316983

Ahmadi

23980088

Al-Mangaf

23711183

Al-Shuaiba

23262845

24812000

Al-Jahra

25610011

Amiri Hospital

22450005

Al-Salmiya

25616368

Maternity Hospital

24843100

Mubarak Al-Kabir Hospital

25312700

Chest Hospital

24849400

Farwaniya Hospital

24892010

Adan Hospital

23940620

Ibn Sina Hospital

24840300

Al-Razi Hospital

24846000

Physiotherapy Hospital

24874330/9

Ministry of Interior website: www.moi.gov.kw For labor-related inquiries and complaints: Call MSAL hotline 128

Hospitals Sabah Hospital

POLICE STATION Al-Madena Police Station Al-Murqab Police Station Al-Daiya Police Station Al-Fayha’a Police Station Al-Qadissiya Police Station Al-Nugra Police Station Al-Salmiya Police Station Al-Dasma Police Station

Clinics Rabiya

4732263

Roudha

22517733

Adhaliya

22517144

Khaldiya

24848075

Keifan

24849807

Shamiya

24848913

Shuwaikh

24814507

Abdullah Salim

22549134

Al-Nuzha

22526804

Industrial Shuwaikh

24814764

Al-Khadissiya

22515088

Dasmah

22532265

Bneid Al-Ghar

22531908

Al-Shaab

22518752

Al-Kibla

22459381

Ayoun Al-Kibla

22451082

Al-Mirqab

22456536

Sharq

22465401

Salmiya

25746401

Jabriya

25316254

Maidan Hawally

25623444

Bayan

25388462

Mishref

25381200

W.Hawally

22630786

Sabah

24810221

Jahra

24770319

New Jahra

24575755

West Jahra

24772608

South Jahra

24775066

North Jahra

24775992

North Jleeb

24311795

Al-Ardhiya

24884079

Firdous

24892674

Al-Omariya

24719048

N.Kheitan

24710044

Fintas

3900322

22434064 22435865 22544200 22547133 22515277 22616662 25714406 22530801

THE PUBLIC AUTHORITY FOR CIVIL INFORMATION Automated enquiry about the Civil ID card is 1889988

PHARMACIES

AIRLINES

ON 24 HRS DUTY GOVERNORATE

PHARMACY

ADDRESS

PHONE

Ahmadi

Sama Safwan Abu Halaifa Danat Al-Sultan

Fahaeel Makka St Abu Halaifa-Coastal Rd Mahboula Block 1, Coastal Rd

23915883 23715414 23726558

Jahra

Modern Jahra Madina Munawara

Jahra-Block 3 Lot 1 Jahra-Block 92

24575518 24566622

Capital

Ahlam Khaldiya Coop

Fahad Al-Salem St Khaldiya Coop

22436184 24833967

Farwaniya

New Shifa Ferdous Coop Modern Safwan

Farwaniya Block 40 Ferdous Coop Old Kheitan Block 11

24734000 24881201 24726638

Hawally

Tariq Hana Ikhlas Hawally & Rawdha Ghadeer Kindy Ibn Al-Nafis Mishrif Coop Salwa Coop

Salmiya-Hamad Mubarak St Salmiya-Amman St Hawally-Beirut St Hawally & Rawdha Coop Jabriya-Block 1A Jabriya-Block 3B Salmiya-Hamad Mubarak St Mishrif Coop Salwa Coop

25726265 25647075 22625999 22564549 25340559 25326554 25721264 25380581 25628241

Kuwait Airways Jazeera Airways Jet Airways FlyDubai Qatar Airways KLM Air Slovakia Olympic Airways Royal Jordanian Reservation British Airways Air France Emirates Air India Sri Lanka Airlines Egypt Air Swiss Air Saudia Middle East Airlines Lufthansa PIA Alitalia Balkan Airlines Bangladesh Airlines Czech Airlines Indian Airlines Oman Air Turkish Airlines Aeroflot

22433377 177 22924455 22414400 22423888 22425747 22434940 22420002/9 22418064/5/6 22433388 22425635 22430224 22425566 22438184 22424444 22421578 22421516 22426306 22423073 22422493 22421044 22414427 22416474 22452977/8 22417901/ 2433141 22456700 22958787 22453820/1 22404838/9

PRIVATE CLINICS Ophthalmologists Dr. Abidallah Al-Mansoor 25622444 Dr. Samy Al-Rabeea 25752222 Dr. Masoma Habeeb 25321171 Dr. Mubarak Al-Ajmy 25739999 Dr. Mohsen Abel 25757700 Dr Adnan Hasan Alwayl 25732223 Dr. Abdallah Al-Baghly 25732223 Ear, Nose & Throat (ENT) Dr. Ahmed Fouad Mouner 24555050 Ext 510 Dr. Abdallah Al-Ali 25644660 Dr. Abd Al-Hameed Al-Taweel 25646478 Dr. Sanad Al-Fathalah 25311996 Dr. Mohammad Al-Daaory 25731988 Dr. Ismail Al-Fodary 22620166 Dr. Mahmoud Al-Booz 25651426 General Practitioners Dr. Mohamme Y Majidi 24555050 Ext 123 Dr. Yousef Al-Omar 24719312 Dr. Tarek Al-Mikhazeem 23926920 Dr. Kathem Maarafi 25730465 Dr. Abdallah Ahmad Eyadah 25655528 Dr. Nabeel Al-Ayoobi 24577781 Dr. Dina Abidallah Al-Refae 25333501 Urologists Dr. Ali Naser Al-Serfy 22641534 Dr. Fawzi Taher Abul 22639955 Dr. Khaleel Abidallah Al-Awadi 22616660 Dr. Adel Al-Hunayan FRCS (C) 25313120 Dr. Leons Joseph 66703427 Psychologists /Psychotherapists

Paediatricians

Plastic Surgeons Dr. Mohammad Al-Khalaf

22547272

Dr. Abd Al-Aziz Al-Rashed

Dr. Abdal-Redha Lari

22617700

Dr. Zahra Qabazard

Dr. Abdel Quttainah

25625030/60

Family Doctor Dr Divya Damodar

23729596/23729581

Psychiatrists Dr. Esam Al-Ansari

22635047

Dr Eisa M. Al-Balhan

INTERNATIONAL CALLS

22613623/0

Gynaecologists & Obstetricians DrAdrian arbe

23729596/23729581

Dr. Verginia s.Marin

2572-6666 ext 8321

Endocrinologist 25340300

25710444

Dr. Sohail Qamar

22621099

Dr. Snaa Maaroof

25713514

Dr. Pradip Gujare

23713100

Dr. Zacharias Mathew

24334282

(1) Ear, Nose and Throat (2) Plastic Surgeon Dr. Abdul Mohsin Jafar, FRCS (Canada)

Dr Anil Thomas

3729596/3729581 22641071/2

22655539

Dr. Majeda Khalefa Aliytami

25343406

Dr. Anesah Al-Rasheed

22562226

Dr. Ahmad Al-Khooly

25739272

Dr. Abidallah Al-Amer

22561444

Dr. Salem soso

22618787

Dr. Faysal Al-Fozan

22619557

Dr. Abdallateef Al-Katrash

22525888

Dr. Amer Zawaz Al-Amer

22610044

Dr. Abidallah Al-Duweisan

25653755

Dr. Mohammad Yousef Basher

25327148

Dr. Bader Al-Ansari

25620111

Neurologists

Dr. Adnan Ebil

22639939

Dr. Sohal Najem Al-Shemeri

25633324

Dr. Mousa Khadada

22666300

Dr. Jasem Mola Hassan

25345875

Gastrologists

25728004

Dr. Nadem Al-Ghabra

25355515

Dr. Sami Aman

22636464

Dr. Mobarak Aldoub

24726446

Dr. Mohammad Al-Shamaly

25322030

Dr Nasser Behbehani

25654300/3

Dr. Foad Abidallah Al-Ali

22633135

Soor Center Tel: 2290-1677 Fax: 2290 1688

info@soorcenter.com www.soorcenter.com

Dr. Kamal Al-Shomr 25329924 Physiotherapists & VD Dr. Deyaa Shehab

25722291 22666288

Rheumatologists:

Dr. Fozeya Ali Al-Qatan

Dr. Latefa Al-Duweisan

Dr. Ahmad Al-Ansari 25658888

Dr. Musaed Faraj Khamees

Dentists

Internists, Chest & Heart

25339330

25655535

Dr. Shamah Al-Matar

General Surgeons

Dr. Abd Al-Naser Al-Othman

Dr. Naif Al-Mutawa, Ph.D. 2290-1677 Susannah-Joy Schuilenberg, M.A. 2290-1677

Dr. Adel Al-Awadi

25330060

Dr. Khaled Al-Jarallah

25722290

Internist, Chest & Heart DR.Mohammes Akkad

24555050 Ext 210

Dr. Mohammad Zubaid MB, ChB, FRCPC, PACC Assistant Professor Of Medicine Head, Division of Cardiology Mubarak Al-Kabeer Hospital Consultant Cardiologist Dr. Farida Al-Habib MD, PH.D, FACC Inaya German Medical Center Te: 2575077 Fax: 25723123

2611555-2622555

William Schuilenberg, RPC 2290-1677 Zaina Al Zabin, M.Sc. 2290-1677

Afghanistan Albania Algeria Andorra Angola Anguilla Antiga Argentina Armenia Australia Austria Bahamas Bahrain Bangladesh Barbados Belarus Belgium Belize Benin Bermuda Bhutan Bolivia Bosnia Botswana Brazil Brunei Bulgaria Burkina Burundi Cambodia Cameroon Canada Cape Verde Cayman Islands

0093 00355 00213 00376 00244 001264 001268 0054 00374 0061 0043 001242 00973 00880 001246 00375 0032 00501 00229 001441 00975 00591 00387 00267 0055 00673 00359 00226 00257 00855 00237 001 00238 001345

Central African Chad Chile China Colombia Comoros Congo Cook Islands Costa Rica Croatia Cuba Cyprus Cyprus (Northern) Czech Republic Denmark Diego Garcia Djibouti Dominica Dominican Republic Ecuador Egypt El Salvador England (UK) Equatorial Guinea Eritrea Estonia Ethiopia Falkland Islands Faroe Islands Fiji Finland France French Guiana French Polynesia

00236 00235 0056 0086 0057 00269 00242 00682 00506 00385 0053 00357 0090392 00420 0045 00246 00253 001767 001809 00593 0020 00503 0044 00240 00291 00372 00251 00500 00298 00679 00358 0033 00594 00689

y

A

36

e niv rsar n

Years

SUNDAY, AUGUST 7, 2011

lifestyle G O S S I P

Bieber and Gomez

Split?

ustin Bieber and Selena Gomez have reportedly called time on their relationship. The Disney actress - who has been dating the ‘Baby’ hitmaker since early this year - is said to have split from the 17-yearold singing sensation over concerns about his new-found bad boy pals. In recent weeks, Justin has been hanging around with former child burglar turned rapper Sean Kingston, ex-convict Lil Wayne, and has collaborated on a new track with Chris Brown, who put his ex-girlfriend Rihanna in hospital after attacking her in 2009. However, the final

J

mma Watson was spotted looking “very loved up” with her ‘The Perks of Being a Wallflower’ co-star Johnny Simmon in Los Angeles . The 21-year-old actress - who shot to fame playing Hermione Granger in the ‘Harry Potter’ films - reportedly fell for the 24-year-old actor on the set of the drama movie, which was shot in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and they are still close after filming ended. A source who spotted Johnny dropping Emma off at a restaurant where she was meeting friends - told US Weekly the pair “looked very loved up.

Holding and hugging each other for a while and playfully kissing.

[They] seemed very open and not trying to hide their affection.”

Although the relationship is relatively new, the pair are said to have become virtually inseparable A source said: “Emma and Johnny met shooting ‘The Perks of Being a Wallflower’ and have gotten serious fast.

She loves how down to earth and normal he is and thinks he’s the nicest guy. He feels the same way about her. She doesn’t act like she’s one of the biggest stars in the world.” A second source added: “They have really fallen for one another and both aren’t dating anyone else.

She once said she’d never move to LA, but I think she’s reconsidering, especially because Johnny lives in Los Angeles.” Emma previously dated financier Jay Barrymore but their two-year relationship ended in March 2010 after two years.

Holmes gets Suri inspiration

E

Theron ‘bummed out’ after split

McCready sues ‘Enquirer’ over drug-use claims

harlize Theron is repor tedly “bummed out” after Ryan Reynolds ended their relationship. The 36-yearold actress had been dating the 34-yearold actor - whose divorce from Scarlett Johansson was finalized in June - for two months but he has called time on their romance because he didn’t want any serious involvement. A source said: “He only wanted something casual, but she’s in a rush to settle down, have kids and start a family since she’s getting older. “Charlize didn’t take it very well when he broke it off.

She knows deep down that it wouldn’t have worked, but she is pretty bummed

C

out about it all.” A friend of Charlize - who ended her nine -year relationship with Stuart Townsend last year - blamed their conflicting schedules for her split from Ryan. The insider told Us Weekly magazine: “ They’re both too busy. And they were hardly ever together anyway.” Ryan recently admitted he is still not over the ending of his marriage to Scarlett, who he split from last December. The ‘Green Lantern’ star said: “At the moment I’m just giving myself time to put everything that has happened behind me and I’m tak ing things as they come. But I’m going to be ready for a relationship again soon.”

Binoche’s acting layers uliette Binoche thinks acting is like “peeling an onion”. The 47-year-old French actress believes her performances have got better as she has gotten older because her portrayals have grown in their accuracies of true life. She said: “The more you act, the more you live, your perception of life becomes more and more accurate.

“It’s like peeling onions, you know? You’re peeling and peeling until you try to arrive at a sort of transparency.” The ‘Chocolat’ star also spoke of her belief that women are naturally very creative, particularly as they get older. She added: “Women are so creative. They’re born creative, not only because they have babies, but because there’s a blossoming to find inside us. Especially around 40 years old.”

Juliette insists she is not a feminist as she thinks considering things in terms of gender makes people stereotype even more.She said: “Do I consider myself a feminist? No. Aware of my feminine and masculine parts, sure. But that term just puts people in a stereotyped way of thinking. “I think creation and doing, being active, is more important than talking about it.”

J

atie Holmes takes fashion inspiration from her five-yearold daughter. The 32-year-old actress and husband Tom Cruise’s offspring Suri is known for her luxury wardrobe and Katie is astonished at the youngster’s keen eye for style already. She said: “My daughter has been choosing her own outfits since she was two. We go to fabric stores and sew together. “Sometimes I take inspiration from Suri’s fashion choices.” The ‘Kennedys’ star admits she only truly knows she has made a good fashion choice if her outfit is given the seal of approval by her daughter. She added to Britain’s Marie Claire magazine: “Suri is my style critic. I know I look good when Suri asks if she can have my outfit when she’s older. “Suri is magical when it comes to clothes - she’s quite an artist.” As well as looking to Suri for help, Katie enjoys taking inspiration from old fashioned Hollywood glamour for her red carpet wear. She said: “When it’s my own film premiere, I like the old Hollywood feel, it’s glamorous and you can’t go wrong. “I like to keep my silhouette slim and elongated.”

K

Big Sean accused of sex abuse Detroit rapper known as “Big Sean” was charged with sexual abuse after a woman complained she was mistreated at a concert in upstate New York, state Parks Police said Friday. The rapper, whose real name is Sean Anderson, was charged with forcible touching, second-degree unlawful imprisonment and third-degree sex abuse, a police statement said.

Police would not detail what was alleged to have happened at Artpark State Park in Lewiston, New York, during a concert Thursday night featuring Anderson along with Wiz Khalifa.

A second man, Willie Hansbro, also of Detroit, was arrested and faces the same charges. Both men were arraigned and released on $500 bail.

A

Hathaway’s ‘arrogant’ youth nne Hathaway admits she was “young and arrogant” in her early film career.

The ‘One Day’ actress insists she was always “professional” on set but didn’t always take the advice she was given by directors. She said: “I think I used to be a lot better at speaking than listening and missed a lot of wisdom that was coming my way as a result. “I was so afraid that if I didn’t say things loud, they wouldn’t get heard at all. “I wasn’t a nightmare - I was always professional - but I think, maybe I was a little

A

young and arrogant.” The ‘Love and Other Drugs’ star also admitted she is bemused as to why people associate her name with romantic comedies as she has “never ” starred in one and just looks for “honest” movie choices. She told Britain’s Marie Claire magazine: “It’s funny because I recently found out I’m mainly known for romantic comedies, but I’ve never actually made one.”I’ve just been very honest about the films I want to do. That’s as much of a strategy as I have.”

T

o paraphrase a Mindy McCready song, a girl’s gotta sue when a girl’s gotta sue. The troubled country singer filed a lawsuit against the National Enquirer on Friday, claiming that the tabloid made numerous false statements about her drug use and custody fight for her five-year-old son Zander. In the suit, McCready (born Malinda Gayle McCready) cites a June 2011 article published first on the Enquirer’s website and then in the print edition, which claimed, among other things, that McCready had failed eight court-ordered drug tests, had failed to show up at a custody hearing for Zander and is under the influence of drugs and alcohol. Not only are those claims false, the suit asserts, but the magazine’s source for its claims was McCready’s mother, Gayle Inge, who was at the time engaged in a bitter custody battle with the singer over Zander. The Enquirer knew that, the suit asserts, and thus should have known that Inge is “a non-credible source for truthful and unbiased information.” The suit also takes issue with the Enquirer’s “use of purposely misleading typeset.

McCready’s suit doesn’t list specific damages, but it does claim that the Enquirer’s coverage has cost her “in excess of $50,000,000 by way of lost opportunities.” McCready’s struggles with substance abuse are well documented, most prominently through a stint on the reality series “Celebrity Rehab With Dr Drew.” The Enquirer’s parent company, American Media Inc - which is also named in the suit-did not immediately respond to The Wrap’s request for comment. Pamela Chelin contributed to this report.

‘Mr Bean’ released

Watson ‘loved up’ with co-star

straw allegedly came when Justin brought Sean to one of the19-year-old singer’s concerts in Florida last week. A friend of Selena said: “Selena told him to stop hanging with these bad people. She didn’t want him to crash her gig. “They had a huge row and said it was good they were having time apart while she was on tour.” However, Justin is said to have taken the split badly, and was spotted in tears after one of their arguments.

The pal added to The Sun newspaper: “It’s hard seeing a little 17-year-old crying and saying he loves her.”

Bean” star Rowan Atkinson left a UK hospital on Friday after a spectacular crash in his McLaren F1 supercar, according to media reports. Atkinson left the Peterborough City Hospital north of London in a wheelchair, said UK broadcaster Sky News. The 56 year-old British actor suffered a shoulder injury when his car hit a tree and a lamp post in a crash on Thursday near the town of Haddon, according to media reports. Atkinson is best known for playing the inept but good-hearted Mr Bean in the 1990s British TV comedy series named after the character, who rarely speaks. He also made Mr Bean films. Atkinson also starred in the 1980s BBC historical sitcom “The Black Adder,” and a number of similarly titled series in the same decade. He has won a pair of British Academy of Film and Television Arts awards. — Bang Showbiz

“Mr

A

y

e niv rsar n

SUNDAY, AUGUST 7, 2011

Years

lifestyle M U S I C

&

M O V I E S

Lady Gaga accused of copying ‘Judas’

Hong Kong movie star Jackie Chan poses with students during an event hosted by International Student Cultural Exchange (ISCE) in Beijing, China, yesterday. Chan is here to promote “Operation Smile,” a nonprofit organization that helps children with cleft lips and palates and other facial deformities across the world. — AP

Fox tries to play down furor over ‘Glee’ graduates F

the wind. We haven’t said we are not doing it,” Reilly told TV journalists, saying the idea would be revisited later this year. Reilly said the upcoming third season, starting on Sept 20, would be a “back to basics year” for the show. “There are no big guest star-driven shows, no big tribute numbers. We are focusing on our core characters and relationships.

There will will be a graduation at the end, we know the characters who will be graduating.

How that is going to play out, I am not going to say. There’s going to be surprises,” he said.

Reilly blamed Murphy’s “creativity” for the confusion over how the characters will leave the show and a possible spinoff. Murphy’s interview with The Hollywood Reporter took place at the end of a successful live summer tour by “Glee” cast members as preparations were being made for the new season.

“I think in the middle of Ryan’s creativity, this got out and we were a little surprised at how it took on a life of its own,” Reilly said.

“Ryan did talk to all the actors about it...Ryan has said he probably regrets talking about it at that point because in the interim we had decided to focus on this year.”—Reuters

ox television on Friday confirmed that three lead characters of its high school musical comedy “Glee” would be “graduating” at the end of the upcoming season, but tried to play down a fan furor over their exit.

Fox entertainment president Kevin Reilly said the show’s Emmy Award-winning creator Ryan Murphy “probably regrets” going public with the news, and the subsequent confusion over a possible spin-off show for some of the departing “Glee” stars.

Murphy told the Hollywood Reporter in July that actors Lea Michele (Rachel), Cory Monteith (Finn) and Chris Colfer (Kurt) would not be back for a fourth season in a bid to keep the show about a struggling high school choir more credible. The news stunned fans and some of the actors said they learned of their fate on Twitter. “Glee” producers then said that plans were underway for the three to appear in a spin-off show, which had later been canceled.

Reilly said on Friday that the “public nature of it did take everybody by surprise” and had “taken on more heated momentum than it in fact is”. “A spinoff was in the wind. It is still in

‘Jersey Shore’ cast:

4th season most dramatic yet

The cast members of MTV’s “Jersey Shore” pose at their television home in Seaside Heights, NJ. — AP t was a mix of chaos and cross-talk, ments of his childhood when Italians lipstick and hairspray Thursday as the brought out course after course of food cast of MT V’s “Jersey Shore” con- at even the most casual of meals.

“It really was something else for me verged on the Seaside Heights house that has become synonymous with to see that, and relate it back to my famibeachside debauchery. “ Wow, the ly,” he said. “Just as the way the Italians counter’s actually clean.” “What are we spoke. They speak with their hands, as I doing?” “I don’t know, nobody told us.” do.” MTV goes to great lengths to keep “We have warm Diet Pepsi? Fine.” The the details of the show secret until they eight hard-partying personalities recent- hit the airwaves, but one cast member ly returned from Florence, Italy, filming still managed to make major internathe fourth season of their wildly popular tional headlines while in Florence. Nicole reality television show, which was “Snooki” Polizzi had her driver’s license revoked in June after a fender-bender scheduled to premiere Thursday night.

And spending six weeks in each oth- with a police car that left two officers er’s presence in a foreign country led to slightly injured. “ Actually, it was kind of funny because all-out brawls and the most dramatic season yet, cast members said in inter- it wasn’t like anything serious,” Polizzi views with The Associated Press. “Drama, said, curled up on the couch next to hookups, breakups, makeups,” said Ortiz-Magro in the house where they finRonnie Ortiz-Magro. A preview of the ished shooting season five on Tuesday. fourth season released by MTV shows The cast returned from Italy at the end Ortiz-Magro and Mike “The Situation” of June and immediately starting filming Sorrentino in a major confrontation, the fifth season in Seaside Heights.

That season will air later in the year. turning over furniture and screaming before paramedics carry someone out The four boys and four girls seemed at on a stretcher. Cast member Vinny home as they sprawled out on couches.

Guadagnino said that was the first time Across the street, dozens of fans congretwo housemates had fought with each gated, anxiously hoping to catch a glimpse of the beer-loving, loud-talking other.

“We’re stuck in the house together, youngsters.

The luxurious seaside home features and all we had was each other in Italy, so the beef is bound to come out,” a private elevated deck with a Jacuzzi Guadagnino said. And for the Italian- that has been the scene of many on-air American themed show that has made hookups. Inside, massive red beanbag “guido” and “guidette” household words, chairs sit underneath ocean-themed the Italy season was a chance for some artwork and a poster from the movie to reconnect with their heritage. “Scarface.” At the entrance of the home Sorrentino said his ancestry is 100 per- is the duck-shaped telephone recogcent Italian - half from Sicily and half nizable instantly to the show’s millions from Naples - and he recognized ele- of fans. —AP

I

Bruce Lee’s coat fetches $77,000 at HK auction A

coat worn by Bruce Lee for his last film “Game of Death” sold for $77,000 at a rare auction of the late kung fu icon’s items in Hong Kong yesterday, far above pre-sale estimates. Thirteen items went under the hammer at the sale, believed to be the largest-scale auction of Lee memorabilia in the southern Chinese city, where the martial arts star was raised before moving to the United States in his late teens.

They smashed pre-sale estimates and raised a total of HK$1.78 million ($227,000), including the dark-blue fur-lined coat which was made around 1973 for the film “Game of Death,” which was released after Lee’s death. The coat-the priciest item in the sale-was originally expected to fetch about HK$70,000 but was sold to a US collector for HK$600,000, almost nine times initial estimates. Lee wore the coat to a photo session to test the costume during a pre-production shoot prior to his untimely death in 1973 at the age of 32. The film was released posthumously in 1978.

A letter which Lee wrote 45 years ago to a friend in which the martial arts legend talked about the television series “The Green Hornet,” in which he played Kato-the kung fu-kicking valet of the masked crime fighter-was sold for HK$400,000 to a Spanish collector. Other items that were sold including a membership card for his kung fu institute, a name card of Lee and an envelope addressed by Lee to a friend. “I am very happy,” said a jovial Albert Wong, deputy chairman of real estate firm Midland Holdings who spent HK$265,000

A man reads a catalogue showing a furlined coat worn by late kung fu legend Bruce Lee during an auction in Hong Kong yesterday. —AFP to buy four items at the auction, including the membership card which was sold for HK$200,000.

“I would like people to remember there was a very important person in search for excellence throughout his life,” Wong said in reference to the kung fu hero, adding that his favorite Lee movie is “Game of Death.”The sale was jointly organized USbased Kelleher Auctions and Hong Kong’s Phila China. The Hong Kong government said in June that it has shelved a plan to turn Lee’s old home in the city-which later became a rundown love hotel-into a museum, citing differences with the property owner. His widow, now living in the US, had provided a rough copy of the home’s original layout to help restoration efforts and his daughter Shannon has previously said the museum would be “great for my father and his legacy”. —AFP

A man reads a copy of a letter, written 45 years ago by Bruce Lee to a friend in which he talks about the television series “The Green Hornet”.

L

ady Gaga on Friday was slapped with a lawsuit claiming her hit song “Judas” on the new album “Born This Way” was copied from a similar tune by a Chicago-based singer and songwriter. Rebecca Francescatti, who filed the suit in US District Court in Illinois on Wednesday, alleges “Judas” infringes upon the copyright of her song “Juda,” which she recorded in 1999.

The Chicago musician claims that “substantial original portions” of “Judas” were lifted from the song that she re-recorded in 2005 for her album, “It’s All About You.” Francescatti’s “Juda” was engineered by Brian Joseph Gaynor, a member of DJ White Shadow, which worked with Lady Gaga on her new album “Born This Way.” DJ White Shadow claims to have written 17 of 20 songs on “Born This Way,” the suit says. The suit seeks profits from the sale of the record or damages of an unspecified amount. Gaynor, DJ White Shadow, Interscope Records and its parent company Universal Music Group are also named in the suit. A spokeswoman for Lady Gaga was not immediately available for comment, and a spokesman for Interscope declined to comment. —Reuters

Simon Cowell predicts ‘X Factor’ will thrash rivals B

ig, brash and confident as ever, Simon Cowell said on Friday that his upcoming “ The X Factor” would thrash the competition on US television and topple “American Idol” as the nation’s most-watched show. Cowell, both executive producer and acid-tongued judge on the US version of “The X Factor” called the singing contest a “game changer” and said it was “completely different” in style and content from his old vehicle “American Idol”.

Asked whether he thought “X Factor”, with its unprecedented $5 million cash prize for the winner, would beat “Idol” in the TV ratings when it debuts on Fox in September, Cowell told television journalists.

“If I didn’t think we could-and its not just ‘Idol’, it’s any show-we don’t enter something for the silver medal. You do it because you want to be number one, and for the next few months we are going to throw everything at this to try and make it the best show on TV,” the British producer said.

“I wouldn’t have made the show unless I thought it would be different...we see this as a game changer,” he added. Fox, which broadcasts both talent shows, said it believed “X Factor ” would reverse the network’s historically “patchy ” ratings in the fall T V season. “If ‘X Factor’ can do half of what we hope it will do in the fall, Fox is going to be really difficult for the Simon Cowell other guys to reckon with,” Fox entertainment president Kevin Reilly said. “X Factor” marks the return of the abrasive but popular Cowell to US television after quitting “American Idol” in 2010 following 10 years in the judges’ seat, and reunites him with his old “Idol” sparring partner Paula Abdul. The new show debuts in a now-crowded market for TV talent contests that includes the surprise success of NBC newcomer “The Voice” earlier this year, and established favorites like “America’s Got Talent” and a capella contest “The Sing-Off”, as well as a revamped and resurgent “Idol” which airs from January-May. “X Factor” welcomes contestants 13 years-old and up, as well as singing groups. It turns the judges into competing mentors and has contestants auditioning before vast stadium audiences.

“We will show the good bits, the bad bits, the ugly bits-and there are a lot of ugly bits,” Cowell said, saying there was room for more than two or three hit TV singing shows, While the revamped “American Idol”, with new judges Jennifer Lopez and Steven Tyler, increased audiences last season with a softer and kinder attitude towards its aspiring young stars, Cowell has clearly abandoned none of the sarcasm and biting wit that helped make him a star on US TV. Asked how it felt to be working again with Cowell, Abdul told reporters, “It’s nice to be back in a demented relationship. It’s like home.”

“I think it’s more like ‘The Exorcist 2’,” retorted Cowell. But he confessed that he had met his match in some of the younger contestants auditioning for a spot on the show. “We have had to say to some of the 14-year-olds ‘please be kind to me’...I was quite traumatized after some of the auditions.” Cowell said that one young rapper had “absolutely chewed me apart. But I quite like that.” —Reuters

SUNDAY, AUGUST 7, 2011

lifestyle T R A V E L

Swollen rivers, but great fly fishing in

File photo shows a view of sage brush in the BeaverheadDeerlodge National Forest.

By Desmond Butler

A

head of my fishing trip to Montana in early last month, my old fly-casting instructor gave me some troubling advice.”Cancel your trip,” said Dusty Wissmath, who guides in the region. “Rebook for September, it’s going to be epic.”It was the end of June and the fabled rivers of Southwest Montana - the Big Hole, the Madison, the Gallatin - were swollen and impenetrably brown from the runoff of huge snowfall that had left them nearly unfishable.

I winced, but I knew better than to listen. Except for the coldest winter months, there is no bad time for fishing where I was headed. I was lucky enough to be going fishing during the warmest month of the year in a place so

My plan was to land in Bozeman, drive to our family place near Twin Bridges, fish six days with pauses to sleep and eat, then come back replenished.

Dusty was right that the big snows had limited where I could fish. I would have loved to hunt fat brown trout on the Madison near Ennis, for instance, but in fly fishing parlance, that part of the river was blown out. All the churning water makes it hard for the fish to see a fly and dangerous to navigate the river. In late June, a man apparently drowned when his raft flipped while fishing the swollen Big Hole. His body was found two weeks later.

Luckily, Twin Bridges has many options for fishing locations. It sits at the confluence of some of the greatest trout water on ear th. In town, the Beaverhead, Big Hole and Ruby rivers

Associated Press writer Desmond Butler in front of a rental cabin at the Parade Rest Ranch.

Evan Butler fishing the South Fork of the Madison River. full of beautiful water and big trout that I daydreamed about it for weeks.

Floods, storms, grizzly bears and even a warning from a mentor were not going to get in the way. For some of us, fly fishing is an obsessive sport that drives the afflicted to bouts of monomania. A psychologist I know, who likes to fish, compares it with gambling.

My wife has come to accept my hobby so long as I only indulge in it at times when she won’t be outnumbered by our two children. She kindly let me go to Montana with my mother and nephew while her mother was in town.

join to form the Jefferson, which flows about 80 miles before meeting the Madison and the Gallatin to become the Missouri. Aside from these renowned rivers, there are smaller spring-fed creeks, mountain streams, lakes and reservoirs. Plus Yellowstone Park’s lifetime of fishing is only two hours away.

In my week, I fished five big rivers, three creeks and a mountain lake, all stretches I had never seen before. Even with all the unsettled waters, my choices seemed unlimited.

By the time I arrived, a beautiful

thing had happened: the Big Hole had dropped and cleared. It was not just fishable but fantastic. I was a happy man because the river has the greatest combination beauty and bounty of any I have ever fished. A lot of big rivers take weeks to clear after mountain snows begin to melt. But I learned that the Big Hole heals quickly and fishes most days.

One day, I fished with Greg Smith, the owner of the Four Rivers fly shop in Twin Bridges. We picked a section lined with red rock canyons, cottonwood groves and ranches that were lush and green from all the water. Greg, who has fished the Big Hole since the late ‘80s, says its landscape and waters are more diverse than any he knows. “Canyons and meandering meadows, flats, riffles, buckets, pools, drops, fast water, slow water: it’s all here,” he reflected.

Happily, we saw an abundance of the kinds of bugs that trout (and fly fisherman) like. Two kinds of stoneflies were hatching from the river’s depths along with caddis flies and a large mayfly called the brown drake. Fly fisherman watch the bugs that are hatching, because trout will often key in one kind of offering at a time. If you can figure out what that is and match it with an artificial fly, you might catch a lot of trout. Many trout fisherman prefer to imitate airborne insects that land on the water. The bigger the insect, the better, because it is fun to track a large fly and to watch a big trout smash through the surface and take it back down.

That day, despite all the flying bugs, the fish seemed more interested in what fishermen call nymphs: immature caddis and mayflies yet to emerge from the river. We drifted them under a bobber that dipped at the pull of a fish. Once my fly seemed to hook on the immovable bottom. Then it moved hard downstream and bent my rod.

“There is something heavy on there,” I told Greg. But then there wasn’t.

Whatever it was (a giant brown, I suspect) had bent my hook and got away.

Those are the ones you remember, more than the other brown and rainbow and mountain whitefish we brought to net.

Alas, we didn’t see any of the last remaining native arctic grayling in the lower 48 that swim the Big Hole.

That day was enough to make a great trip, but I had plenty more adventure. Another day was spent on a creek called the Bloody Dick. Its lazy current wound through an open meadow that was a perfect spot for my nephew to practice his cast. It also gave up three dozen brook trout.

We also spent time wading the Beaverhead and hunting wary trout on a tributary called Poindexter Slough.

And since we could, we slipped down to Yellowstone, where the abundant snow offered an unexpected gift: the Firehole River, with its incomparable geysers and steaming banks, was still fishing.

Normally, thermal springs make it too warm for trout by July.

In over my waist on the upper Madison one afternoon, I wondered whether I would have to risk deeper, faster water if a bear wandered down the bank. A few days earlier a mother grizzly had killed a man in the park. Luck gave me a beautiful rainbow trout and no bears, but when we drove past the same section later, two grizzlies bumbled along the opposite bank.

The next day, my mother dropped me off for four hours of fishing on the Gibbon. A half-hour later, a storm came in and I took shelter under a skimpy tree as the temperature dropped thirty

Associated Press writer Desmond Butler fishing the upper Madison River in Yellowstone National Park, Mont. — AP photos degrees, rain and hail pelted down and lightning struck nearby. A kind family that had driven from Maine gave me a ride out of the storm.

While in the area, we stayed stayed 10 miles outside the touristy bustle of West Yellowstone at the Parade Rest Ranch, nestled in a stunning spot in the foothills of the Gallatin Mountains. We fished a little creek steps from our comfy cabin and rode horses through meadows of wildflowers.

On my last fishing day, I headed back to the Big Hole. I floated in drift boat with a group of friends until the day’s last light. This time, we caught fish on dry flies while the air was thick with caddis and the big drakes.

It was a fair day for bounty. For beauty it was close to perfection. The huge snow pack that had menaced my trip left the looming Pioneer mountains capped white over the aspen trees that flickered in the breeze. Hawks and bald eagles flew overhead. Kingfishers strafed the water stealing bugs from the trout.

As we cast to rising rainbows, I asked my friend Will Casella whether he knew a prettier trout river. Though he has guided and fished around the world from Russia, to Mongolia to New Zealand, he was stumped. My old teacher Dusty, it turned out, was halfwrong. But all the extra water draining down from the mountains will also make him half-right: The rivers will fish well this year long into the autumn.

September will certainly be epic.

If You Go...

Montana fly fishing: Season runs through early November. The Stonefly Inn in Twin Bridges offers fly fishing information for the area on its website, http://bit.ly/n0DYLA. State tourism information at http://goldwest.visitmt.com.

Most popular spots include Twin Bridges, Dillon and Ennis, with access to the Big Hole, Beaverhead, Ruby, Jefferson and Madison rivers.

Getting there: Nearest airport is Bozeman. Cheaper flights may be available to Denver, about 500 miles or a day’s drive away. Yellowstone National Park is about two hours by car from Twin Bridges.

Accommodations: Stonefly Inn in Twin Bridges, http://www.thestoneflyinn.com/.

Healing Waters Lodge, http://www.hwlodge.com/. Alder, Upper Canyon Ranch, http://www.ucomontana.com/. Ennis, Rainbow Valley, http://www.rainbowvalley.com/. West Yellowstone, Parade Rest Ranch, http://www.paraderestranch.com/. Rates vary depending on type of accommodation, dates and whether meals, fishing and other activities are included, with online offers ranging from $88 a night at Rainbow Valley, to $186 per person, per night at Parade Rest Ranch for minimum three-night stay including three meals, fly fishing and horseback riding, to $1,675 per person for three nights, double occupancy at Healing Waters, including guided fishing. —AP

File photo shows geothermal pools near the Firehole River.

SUNDAY, AUGUST 7, 2011

lifestyle T R A V E L

Photo shows tour participants stand in the rotunda area of Mammoth Cave in Mammoth Cave National Park, Ky. —AP photos

Visitors arrive at the visitor center in Mammoth Cave National Park.

tours reveal subterranean wonders If You Go...

B

lasts of cool air offered a welcome reprieve from the scorching summer as a tour group descended into the depths of the world’s longest-known cave. Some visitors donned light jackets for the long hike past panoramic scenes of subterranean wonders.

Heading underground at Mammoth Cave National Park is a sure way to escape the dog days of August. The celebrated cave that has lured the curious for thousands of years remains a temperate 54 degrees year-round.

“It’s the first time I’ve been cool in I don’t know how long,” said Sarah Hyatt, who traveled from Maryland to marvel at the massive limestone formations with her parents and her 8year-old daughter. Each year, about 700,000 people take the short trip off Interstate 65 to visit Mammoth Cave, with the peak time coming in summer. In winter, the cave’s temperate climate gives it a balmy feel, said park spokeswoman Vickie Carson. Tours cater to a range of visitors, from hardy adventurers to those looking for less-strenuous outings.

One tour suited for small children, the elderly and others who can’t walk long distances covers a quarter-mile and includes just a dozen stairs. Other tours cover four to five miles and put participants through vigorous workouts.

On the popular “Historic Tour,” visitors take a winding two-mile hike that leads them some 310 feet below the surface.

It’s not a stroll in the park. Participants have to chug up and down 440 stairs. Wide walkways leading into expansive “rooms” give way to belly-scraping paths that take a serpentine route through the rock. For adults, there’s stooping to maneuver past low rock ceilings and sideway

squeezing to slip through a narrow passage in a part of the cave known as “Fat Man’s Misery.”

There’s a steep climb up a stairway at a majestic part of the cave known as Mammoth Dome.

“How are those hour-long aerobic workouts working for you now,” Hyatt asked her mother as visitors huffed their way upward. Dim lighting woven along points in the cave revealed a fascinating look at the tapestry of rock formations during the two-hour excursion.

At one point, tour guide Nick Asher let visitors experience the cave in its purest form. He told them that on the count of three, they would be enveloped in darkness. On count one, they should close their eyes, he coached them.

On count two, he would cut off his lantern. On count three, they should open their eyes. “And if you’re afraid of the dark, just skip count three,” Asher advised. When the group opened their eyes, the only audible responses were “wow.”

“This is total and complete darkness we’re feeling down here,” Asher said as visitors soaked in the feeling of being completely cut off from the world above. “And the cave is one of the only places on earth where you can experience total silence.”

After a few moments, he flicked a small lighter that illuminated the walls and ceiling.

Asher said that faint light was enough to get them back to the surface. “Now when I say we, I mean Ranger Joe and I,” he joked, referring to his sidekick, longtime tour guide Joe Duvall.

“But we would surely send someone back to get you all later.”The experience was a highlight for Cameron Moreland, who fulfilled his boyhood dream with his visit to Mammoth Cave.

“That’s exactly the kind of experience we want-

Tour participants enter Mammoth Cave.

Mammoth cave national park: 1 Mammoth Cave Parkway, Mammoth Cave, Ky; http://www.nps.gov/maca/index.htm or 270-758-2180.

Tour prices: Adults start at $4; ages 612 start at $2.50; under 6, free. Open year-round except for Christmas Day. Late-summer visitor center hours, Aug 8-Sept 5, 8 am -6:15 pm Central time.

Visitors listen to ranger Nick Asher explain what they are about to experience prior to a tour of Mammoth Cave. ed to get out of it,” said Moreland, who took the tour with his wife and their three children from Green Bay, Wis. The excursion was a big hit with his children - including the youngest, 6-year-old Cole. “It was like a little boy’s dream come true,” the boy’s father said of the adventure. While the underground tours are the main attraction, there’s plenty to do on the surface as well. The park also offers boating, fishing, horseback riding, camping and walking trails amid the scenic rolling hills of south-central Kentucky.

The park is situation about 90 miles from

both Louisville, Ky, and Nashville, Tenn. There are some 400 caves underneath the park, but Mammoth Cave is by far the best known and longest - some 392 miles of passageways have been mapped and surveyed. Besides the underground sights, the visit reveals a fascinating look at the layers of human history in a place that Asher calls a “time capsule,” thanks to the temperate conditions that help keep things preserved. “All the artifacts we’re seeing are the originals,” he said. “There are no reproductions down here.” Evidence indicates that the area’s

Park ranger Vickie Carson takes a photo of the Moreland family.

indigenous peoples ventured into the cave as far back as 2,000 to 4,000 years ago, apparently to scrape gypsum and other minerals off walls, said Carson, the park spokeswoman. It wasn’t until the 1790s that Mammoth Cave was found by white settlers. As the story goes, she said, a hunter shot at a bear that lumbered into the cave, with the man in hot pursuit. For a time, the cave served as a valuable source of saltpeter, an ingredient for gunpowder. Mammoth Cave played a key role in supplying saltpeter for the young nation’s military during the War of 1812. The remnants of saltpeter mining are still on display in the cave. The first tours started in 1816, as the cave attracted wealthy visitors from the Eastern US and Europe. Nearly two centuries later, the cave still fascinates throngs of sightseers making the trek to Kentucky. “This is my idea of a vacation,” Hyatt said as her tour group left the cave’s natural air conditioning for the steamy temperatures on the surface. “It’s something out of the ordinary. I went ... underground and got to see stuff that’s been there for thousands of years.” —AP

Stone formations are seen in the Mammoth Dome area.

Volunteering in Haiti:

Good intentions not enough

By Christina Rexrode

I

went to Haiti last year after the earthquake, driven by an excited but vague notion of doing some good in a hurting country. I went again this year with my eyes open a little wider, not jaded exactly but aware of why some people view these volunteer trips with justified skepticism. Haiti is the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere, a place where sewage runs down the streets of the capital and children die because they don’t have clean water. It is in desperate need of helpers. Still, I sometimes roll my eyes when Americans visit for a week and come home declaring that their lives have been changed, as if they were not going to happily resettle into their comfy routines.

My editor asked me if these trips are just a way for rich people to lessen their collective guilt, and I think that sometimes they are. But I was impressed by the group that I traveled with, a small nonprofit called Farsight Christian Mission. Levern Halstead, who runs Farsight from his home outside Chattanooga, Tenn., says again and again that his trips must have an objectively measurable result - a new building, a new bridge, a new well.

He grows frustrated by volunteer groups that come with good intentions but no plan. It’s a sentiment echoed by others I talk to in Haiti, both Haitian community leaders and long-term aid workers from the US. They don’t want to dis-

courage people from helping. But they’re dismayed by the aid groups that bring what they think Haiti needs instead of asking what’s needed, which is how bags of donated high heels end up in villages where people trek through forests. Or the groups that want to play games with children but won’t haul around plywood, as if they could be better teachers than someone who actually speaks Creole. Or the volunteers who won’t bother to learn and respect the local culture.

“Some groups, you can tell, they just want to make their Facebook page really nice,” says Nego Pierre Louis, a 24-year-old Haitian who founded a community service group called the Bezalel Movement. He saw a flood of donated medical supplies come to one aid group in Jacmel, the coastal town where he lives, after the January 2010 earthquake. And, he says, he saw much of it get thrown away because it expired while the group hoarded it, not sharing with other relief organizations.

Still, there are good things to be done in Haiti. I was with Halstead last fall when he spoke to villagers from Seguin, in the mountains, about an idea where he’d buy 30 sheep for 30 families.

The program would be self-sustaining, with families giving back every other lamb until everyone had a few animals. The villagers told him they’d prefer that 15 families get two sheep each, because sheep get mopey when they’re

alone. Halstead changed his plans immediately.

After the earthquake, he raised money for Pierre Louis to buy vegetable seeds to take to another mountain village, Maplat, where people were starving as food donations got gridlocked in Port-au-Prince. The villagers in Maplat doubled their food supply. “And it’s not rice and beans with an American flag on the side,” adds

Halstead, 59. He’s been coming to Haiti for more than 14 years, ever since he walked away from a career in computer programming.

My team spends the week in that same village, Maplat, which is really just a handful of buildings on the side of a treacherous dirt road.

We help the villagers build a couple of oneroom wooden houses with tin roofs - nothing

fancy, but they’ll be useful for visiting doctors and other aid workers.

I have no particular skills in construction or any vocation that would be especially useful to Haiti, like medicine or agriculture. But I can hammer a nail and lug around lumber, and that’s good enough when you’ve got a leader who knows how to plug cogs like me into a machine.

If You Go...

Farsight christian mission inc: This registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit supports the work of the Bezalel Movement community service group in Jacmel, Haiti, and the Ecole Chretienne Emmanuel primary school in Seguin, Haiti, http://www.fcminc.org Cloud forest medical clinic: This clinic in Seguin, Haiti, is supported by the registered 501(c)(3) nonprofits Where the Stars Still Shine Inc. and Humanity First USA Inc.; http://www.wherethestarsstillshine.org and http://usa.humanityfirst.org

Photo shows Anna Ferris, 23, of Buchanan, Mich., as she hauls lumber for wooden houses.

Lady Gaga accused of copying ‘Judas’

SUNDAY, AUGUST 7, 2011

37 Vivian Vance, and Lucille Bal are shown in a scene from the comedy series, “I Love Lucy.”

— AP photos

W

e loved Lucy and we still do. On the 100th anniversary of her birth yesterday and 60 years since “I Love Lucy” first aired, Lucille Ball’s legacy remains remarkable - and her talent remarkably fresh and watchable.

Consider other popular sitcoms that aired alongside Ball and Desi Arnaz’s show during its 1951-to-1957 life span on CBS. “The Adventures of Ozzie & Harriet” and “Father Knows Best,” among others, are period Americana that evoke sweet nostalgia far more than laughs.

But “I Love Lucy,” in all its black-andwhite glory, remains a draw worldwide for viewers who certainly weren’t around for its debut. Over the past five decades the sitcom has won new audiences - and introduced Lucy to younger generations - over and over through TV syndication

and video sales. Lucie Arnaz, Ball’s daughter, was asked by a Chinese interviewer to explain why her mother and the show are so popular in China. It’s a “phenomenon,” Arnaz offers.

“I think of her as mom most of the time. Then I switch ... and try to see her as the rest of the world does. It’s almost too big,” Arnaz said Friday. Who could have predicted that the most timeless and international of all TV talents would be a forty something woman who, taking the structured role of a homemaker in midcentury New York City, stretched into it the stuff of classic comedy? Picture this: Lucy swigging down awful Vitameatavegamine, with a grimace and a wannabe- pitchman’s smile fighting for custody of her face before the boozy patent medicine begins to take control of her. Can you recall the scene, let alone watch it, and not get at least a small jolt of pleasure, even if it’s the umpteenth time?

Or consider Lucy vs. the industrial revolution, as a conveyer belt outpaces her candy- processing skills and desperation and poor judgment join ranks. “All right, girls, now this is your last chance. If one piece of candy gets past you and into the packing room unwrapped, you’re fired,” the plant supervisor barks at Lucy and partner-in-crime Ethel Mertz (Vivian Vance). That’s the setup. The delivery, in the most rewarding Ball fashion, is mostly wordless. As the belt speeds up and chocolates slip by en masse, Lucy and Ethel try stuffing the evidence in

of good films (“Stage Door”) and bigger roles in many more forgettable ones (“Dance, Girl, Dance”).

Then came television, which made Lucille Ball. In return, she and Arnaz, her husband, partner and co-star, made TV comedy what it is to this day. First, they pushed the narrow-minded TV industry beyond its comfort zone, proving that audiences would accept a blue-eyed redhead married to a Cuban-born band leader with a heavy accent. (“Lucy, you got some ‘splainin’ to do!”) Ball and Arnaz pioneered the three-camera sitcom with “I Love Lucy,” which was filmed like a stage play. Using multiple cameras eliminated the need to interrupt scenes to shoot from different angles and allowed actors to play to a studio audience.

Although “The Office,” “30 Rock” and other comedies have popularized the single-camera format, multiple-camera

a ruptured abdominal artery after heart surgery. Arnaz is gone, and so are Vance, Frawley, Gordon and screenwriter Carroll.

In April, fellow head writer Madelyn Pugh Davis died at age 90. But their creation, with Ball at its center, is eternally vital

and joyful. George Burns called it when she died, and his tribute remains true. “I and 100 million others will miss her,” Burns said. “But we haven’t lost Lucille Ball because she’s still with us on television and we can see her on and on.” —AP

In this March 7, 1955 file photo, comedian George Gobel, right, gets chucked under the chin

by Lucille Ball as her husband Desi Arnaz looks on at the Television Academy’s seventh annual awards dinner at the Moulin Rouge in Los Angeles.

In this Oct 14, 1979 file photo, actress Lucille Ball is shown in Los Angeles.

Comedian-actress Lucille Ball and her husband, musician-actor Desi Arnaz from the comedy series, “I Love Lucy,” .

In this March 3, 1987 photo, entertainers Lucille Ball and Milton Berle are shown at a party inaugurating the fourth annual Television Festival of the Museum of Broadcasting, in Los Angeles.

Lucille Ball is shown in a scene from her comedy series, “I Love Lucy.”

their mouths. Down their dresses. In their handbags. Lucy, eyes wide and lips puckered, looks as guilty as a kid cheating bigtime in class.

Another winner: the Italian grapestomping scene, which turns an oversized barrel of fruit into an arena with Lucy the poseur versus a diligent worker.

Lucy turns their task into a pas de deux that goes from a square dance to a grape-flinging battle. Dialogue? Forget about it. No need, given Lucy’s adroit physicality and gleeful mugging, all dignity and beauty be damned. (She credited masterful Buster Keaton for teaching her timing and how to move, and fall.)

Her big-eyed, full-lipped look didn’t start as comic fodder. She was a model, a movie starlet in the early 1930s and then an actress with minor roles in a handful

“Two and a Half Men” has reigned as the top-rated sitcom in recent years and more new comedies are embracing the convention. Creating a quality film record of the episodes - at a time most shows aired live and unpreserved - paid a huge dividend, making “I Love Lucy” episodes resalable as reruns and their production house, Desilu, the first studio to profit from program syndication. Desilu became a powerful force in early television. Besides “I Love Lucy,” it turned out some of the top comedy shows of the 1950s and 1960s, including “December Bride,” “Our Miss Brooks” and “Make Room for Daddy.” After Ball and Arnaz divorced in 1960, he sold her his share in the company for $3 million. With a shrewd business sense, she built it into a major TV production company and in 1967 sold it to Gulf & Western Industries Inc. for $17 million.

Fanboys and girls, note: At Ball’s insistence, the studio produced the original “Star Trek” series and landed it on NBC. Ball was known as a modest luminary, invariably sharing credit and especially when “I Love Lucy” drew praise.

“Well, all of the credit should go to (writers) Madelyn Pugh and Bob Carroll Jr” Or, “Desi was a genius: He was responsible for the show’s success.” Or she cited costars Arnaz, Vance and Bill Frawley. But people knew better. Gale Gordon, who played her sidekick from radio through three of her TV shows (“The Lucy Show” from 1962-68, “Here’s Lucy,” 1968-74, and short-lived “Life With Lucy,” 1986) called her a bit of a genius - “the only one I’ve ever really known.”

Ball was 77 when she died in 1989 of

A general view of atmosphere is seen at the “Lucille Ball At 100 & ‘I Love Lucy’ At 60” opening gala at The Hollywood Museum in Los Angeles.

Lucie Arnaz is seen at the “Lucille Ball At 100 & ‘I Love Lucy’ At 60” opening gala, in the room where Lucille Ball first dyed her hair red.