17 Sep

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SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 17, 2011

Municipality executing development plan: Safar

No: 15212

SHAWWAL 19, 1432 AH

Anti-Saleh demonstrations in Sanaa

Europa: Spurs, Fulham and Stoke draw

150 Fils

2Youth rally 7 urges 48 reforms in Kuwait ‘Change political system, stamp out corruption’

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By Abdellatif Sharaa KUWAIT: Kuwait’s 16 September Youth Group held a rally yesterday evening in Safat Square, with citizens of all ages gathering to demand changes in Kuwait’s current political system.

Amongst the major demands of the mainly young protesters were changes to the country’s political infrastructure and the eradication of corruption.

In a speech delivered during the event, MP Mubarak AlWaalan said, “I came here to support the young people and I completely agree with their demands.” Al-Waalan said that the situation in Kuwait’s political arena has reached a point where both the cabinet and National Assembly (parliament) “should go, and new faces must take over.” The MP insisted that the current government is a failure and must read and understand the message sent by the protesters very well and stop manipulating the state’s institutions.

Asked about the protesters’ demand for an elected government, Al-Waalan said that such a step would require major constitutional changes, adding, “In the meantime there are many people who can serve as Prime Minister, either from the ruling family or the public.”

The MP asserted that the ongoing scandal over allegations of multimillion dinar bribes being deposited in some MPs’ bank accounts confirms the validity of the protesters’ demands. “There are some MPs who defend the government more than it does for itself,” he said, adding, “We are against the way the country is being ruled rather than against [His Highness the Prime Minister] Sheikh Nasser Al-Mohammed in person.”

One angry Kuwaiti protestor interviewed by a few foreign TV stations said that she was very upset at the deteriorating quality of services offered to the Kuwaiti public. She focused the brunt of her anger on health minister Dr Helal Al-Sayer, condemning practices such as receiving Iraqi patients from Baghdad and sending them overseas for further treatment without any problem whilst, she alleged, Kuwaitis must go through a lengthy procedure before receiving any overseas medical treatment. She addressed Dr. Al-Sayer directly in her speech, telling him, “I want you to be as good as you were in the ‘70s when I worked with you in surgery,” adding that she was tired of seeing Kuwaitis dying whilst being referred from one committee to another.

The woman also criticized the education ministry’s plans to use USBs and other high-tech devices in schools, insisting that education should be delivered by textbooks, which she stated keep students totally involved.

Most participants at the rally were angry about corruption, saying that the current government had proved consistently unsuccessful, despite the formation of seven cabinets in the course of its existence. They called for appointing the right official to the right position and not excluding anyone on the basis of sect, tribe or affiliation.

One young protester said, “We bear the majority of the blame for what is going on because we send bad and corrupt people to the National Assembly as has now been proven, and they stink very badly.”

Continued on Page 3

KUWAIT: An organizer of Kuwait’s 16 September Youth Group addresses a rally (inset) at Safat Square yesterday. —Photos by Yasser Al-Zayyat

France herds Muslim faithful off streets PARIS: A ban on praying in French streets came into effect yesterday, with thousands of the nation’s Muslim faithful being moved to temporary alternative spaces for their day of prayer.

From Paris to Marseille, Friday’s midday prayers will be led from disused barracks or other temporary buildings, after the question of Islam’s visibility became a political issue under right-wing President Nicolas Sarkozy. France, home to Europe’s largest Muslim population, this year banned the face-covering burqa and earlier this week Interior Minister Claude Gueant warned that “from September 16 there will be no more prayers in the street.”

“If anyone happens to be recalcitrant we will put an end to it,” Gueant said, sug-

gesting police could be brought in.

“Prayers in the street are unacceptable, a direct attack on the principle of secularism,” Gueant told AFP last month, citing the government’s defense of the repub-

PARIS: Integrists Muslims protest in front of an old barrack in Paris yesterday during Friday prayers. — AFP

lic’s secular values as reason for the new policies.

In Paris, a former barracks just north of the city limits has been designated the new prayer area for those living in the multi-ethnic Goutte d’Or neighborhood, around two kilometres (over a mile) away.

The praying faithful at the Goutte d’Or’s two mosques have overflowed into the streets since a nearby mosque where 4,000 people could pray closed years ago, sparking the ire of French right-wing and anti-immigration parties. The neighborhood’s mosques are to be closed for at least the coming three Fridays in order to encourage those wanting to pray to go to the renovated barracks, one of the mosques’ preachers, Sheikh Mohammed Hamza, told AFP.— AFP

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News

in brief

DRB moots increased private sector perks KUWAIT: A senior Development and Reform Bloc (DRB) official revealed on Thursday that the bloc is set to lobby for an increase of KD100 in the monthly allowance paid to every Kuwaiti private sector employee to top up their salary. DRB spokesman MP Dr. Faisal Al-Mislem told Al-Anbaa that after the government increased salaries across the board for Kuwaiti public sector workers, it had become essential for it to do the same for citizens working in the private sector in the interests of equality and social justice for all.

Bonuses for Kuwaiti teachers Bonuses paid to Kuwaiti teachers at local state schools will be deposited automatically in 34,000 of the teachers’ bank accounts, according to a senior Ministry of Education (MoE) official. Anisa Al-Wahhabi, the director of the MoE’s Finance Department, said that the ministry’s budget had been increased by KD 25 million to cover these bonuses and allowances, with the total cost of the wage, bonus and allowance increases introduced so far this year coming to KD45 million.

According to Al-Anbaa, Al-Wahhabi further explained that Kuwaiti and expatriate teachers’ salaries will not be deposited this month.

Bird flu comeback With strong indications that avian flu may be returning to Kuwait, the Public Authority for Agricultural Affairs and Fish Resources (PAAAFR) is apparently set to instruct Kuwait Municipality to shut down all live poultry retailers in the country permanently and replace them with large-scale poultry farms and slaughterhouses set at a distance from residential areas.

Speaking to local daily Al-Anbaa, a Ministry of Commerce and Industry (MCI) insider denied, however, that there was any link between a possible resurgence of bird flu and the PAAAFR’s decision to regulate poultry farming in the country, adding that the ministry had issued no directives on this subject.

New money-laundering allegations surface KUWAIT: Fresh allegations of money-laundering have surfaced in connection with the multimillion dinar bribe allegations made against as-yet unidentified MPs, with corruption accusations adding to the scandal.

Local banks have apparently referred a number of complaints to the Central Bank of Kuwait’s (CBK) investigation unit, which includes officials from various state bodies including the Customs Department and the ministries of commerce and the interior According to one insider who spoke to local daily AlWatan, the cases were referred in accordance with the anti-money laundering law.

Meanwhile, the Public Prosecution Service has asked officials to process all complaints received concerning the sensational allegations which have caused widespread disquiet. The Kuwait Banks Union announced that the CBK has asked local banks to implement the anti-money-laundering legislation, although the union has warned of shortcomings in the legislation in question, passed in 2002.

Hamad Al-Marzouq, the chairman of the banking union’s board, told Al-Qabas that the CBK is clear on the need to enforce all banking and financial regulations across this sector, adding that it should also take all the necessary legal steps to investigate irregularities and prosecute wrongdoers without any hesitation. AlMarzouq said that the CBK has always taken a balanced approach in dealing with these issues so as to implement the law without favoritism or special consideration.

Unions await cabinet decision on pay raise Strike preparations continue KUWAIT: Unions representing workers at several state bodies are keenly awaiting the Cabinet’s weekly meeting tomorrow (Sunday) which is expected to result in a number of decisions regarding requests for increases in pay and allowances, some of which were submitted years ago.

Speaking on condition of anonymity, one government insider said that several of the unions submitted requests in the last week to meet with the ministers responsible for their departments in order to lay out their demands and warn of strike action beginning this month if they are not met.

During tomorrow’s meeting, Sheikh Ahmad Al-Humoud Al-Sabah, the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior, is expected to provide the cabinet with a detailed report on all the union demands referred to the Civil Service Commission (CSC), which he also chairs, along with a number of recommendations to resolve the current heavy toll on the state budget taken by public sector payrolls.

Although the CSC approved a KD100 monthly pay increase for all public sector workers who had received no pay rise for some time several months ago, the accompanying reduction in allowances for these workers effectively negated this increase in most cases.

The recent surge in demands for increased salaries and other allowances can be attributed to the cabinet’s decision last week to approve wage rises for oil sector workers, which was preceded by a threat of strike action by the union representing staff at the Kuwait Petroleum Corporation (KPC) and its subsidiaries if their demands were not met. Meanwhile, a leading Kuwaiti trade unionist described the increasing pressure from the unions as “reflecting the mounting frustration at a long-suppressed crisis.”

Abdurrahman Al-Ghanim, the Secretary General of the Kuwait Trade Unions Federation (KTUF), urged the government to “cooperate with labor unions’ demands,” strongly condemning rumored threats of action against protesters, who he told local daily AlJarida “have every right to demonstrate and stage strikes to obtain their just demands.”

In related news, it’s been reported that the Ministry of Electricity and Water (MEW) has deposited the long-awaited overtime allowances totaling KD800 each in the accounts of those Kuwaiti ministry staff who worked extra hours during the summers of 2009 and 2010.

This came after dozens of MEW staff held a sit-in at the ministry headquarters last week to protest over the non-pay-

ment of the allowances. According to one MEW insider, the ministry also plans to pay allowances equal to one month’s salary to each of the employees who worked extra shifts last year.

Elsewhere, at the Ministry of Social Affairs and Labor (MSAL), staff are preparing to take strike action on October 5 in protest at the ministry’s decision to retain a number of staff who have served over 30 years in their positions there, who would normally face automatic retirement after this length of service. The staff staging the strike action believe that the decision to retain these long-serving personnel is thwarting the career advancement of more junior ministry employees. The industrial action is further complicated by plans by another group of MSAL staff who support the ministry’s decision to stage a counter-strike on the same day, with these strikers believing that the ministry is right to retain the long-serving staff members and to benefit from their experience.

Meanwhile, the head of the union representing Ministry of Justice (MoJ) personnel, Ahmad Al-Mutairi, has urged staff at the ministry’s legal department to remain committed to their planned strike action tomorrow (Sunday) in protest over unpaid allowances dating back to 2007. — Al-Jarida

Municipality executing development plan: Safar 400 projects await approvals: Subeih

KUWAIT: Minister of Public Works and Minister of State for Municipal Affairs Dr Fadhel Safar addresses the workshop. — Photos by Hanan Al-Saadoun KUWAIT: Kuwait Municipality is doing its utmost in collaboration with all stakeholders to implement the state development plan as scheduled and overcome all obstacles, Minister of Public Works and Minister of State for Municipal Affairs Dr Fadhel Safar said on Thursday.

“There is a need for sincerity and dedication for executing the development plan,” Safar said in a speech at a workshop sponsored by the Kuwait Municipality on development projects.

The workshop, themed Development Plan and Practical Experience, is meant to accelerate the pace of implementa-

KUWAIT: Director General of Kuwait Municipality Eng Ahmed Subeih addresses the workshop. tion of the development projects. “Many laws were modified and committees were formed but we failed to reduce the time spent on getting approvals for projects from relevant states bodies,” he added. Director General of Kuwait Municipality Eng Ahmed Subeih said there is a lack of experience in some

ministries. “There are 400 projects with allocated finances on budgets still pending approvals,” he said.

Assistant Director-General for development and information at Kuwait Municipality Ahmed Al-Manfouhi urged the need for finding quick solutions for these obstacles. —KUNA

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local SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 17, 2011

KUWAIT: Supporters of the 16 September Youth Group hold demonstrations at Safat Square yesterday to demand sweeping political reforms in the country.

Pictures show citizens of various ages participating in the rally. — Photos by Yasser Al-Zayyat

Youth rally calls for reforms in Kuwait Continued from Page 1 The demonstration went ahead despite the interior ministry placing barriers around the area of Safat Square on Wednesday night in a bid to prevent the demonstrators from holding the gathering.

On Thursday, Mohammed Al-Blehees, Secretary General of the youth movement Kafi

(Enough) told the Kuwait Times that the protest by the various youth groups aims to press for the introduction of a constitutional monarchy system in Kuwait, which he said would put an end to the pervasive corruption in the country.

Al-Blehees stressed that the country’s youth movements are not affiliated with any particular political ideology, adding that they simply want to reform Kuwait’s political system. He

demanded that the Kuwaiti people be given the power to lead their country and elect their own government, adding that Kafi’s members agree unanimously that an elected government is essential. “There are many wrong political decisions, and many things have to be changed,” he said, adding, “We will exert pressure on the authorities until they approve our demands.” The idea of pressing for a constitu-

tional monarchy reportedly first came about as a result of public disillusionment with the feuds that are rumored to take place between members of the royal family. The youth movements claim that the introduction of a constitutional monarchy system would mean that the ruling family would be able to preserve the immense popularity it enjoys and to actually improve Kuwait’s global standing.

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MPs secure majority vote on teachers’ allowance Minister urged to take preemptive action

Municipality Union honors workers

By Hanan Al-Saadoun KUWAIT: Farraj Abdallh Al-Arada, Chairman of Municipality Workers Union said that the union honored members of committees who participated in social activities organized by the (MWU). He said those members exerted tremendous efforts to ensure the success of the activity and received good reviews.

One dead, 10 hurt in road accidents

By Hanan Al Saadoun KUWAIT: A 64-year-old Kuwaiti man suffered a fatal head trauma and other injuries in a car crash near the Qurain market yesterday. Paramedics pronounced the man dead at the scene and his body was removed for autopsy.

In a separate incident, a critically injured 40-year-old Indian man was rushed to Farwaniya Hospital after suffering multiple injuries to his head and body in a crash on the Sabhan Road turnoff leading from King Faisal Street.

Meanwhile, two Kuwaiti men aged 21 and 25 sustained various injuries in a collision on the Fourth Ring Road. They were taken to Jahra Hospital, whilst a 29-year-old Kuwaiti woman who was also involved in the accident was treated at the scene by paramedics after complaining of dizziness.

In a fourth accident, two Kuwaiti youths aged 17 and 18 and an 18-year-old Saudi boy were taken to Jahra Hospital after sustaining various injuries in a crash on the Sixth Ring Road.

Finally, one 22-year-old Kuwaiti man suffered a broken right leg in a car crash near the Stables in Salmi, whilst a 30-year-old compatriot complained of pain in his shoulder and a 22-year-old Saudi man complained of dizziness following the accident. All were taken to Jahra Hospital.

Kitchen blaze A 27-year-old Filipino kitchen worker at a Shuwaikh restaurant suffered first degree burns to his left foot and right knee in a blaze that broke out after a pan of cooking oil caught fire. He was rushed to Sabah Hospital, while the fire was quickly extinguished.

KUWAIT: MP Musallam Al-Barrak has called on Education Minister Ahmad Al-Mulaifi to take “preemptive action” by announcing his support for a draft law supporting the introduction of non-performance-based allowances for Kuwaiti teachers at the country’s state schools, rather than the performance-based bonuses which the minister recently introduced.

Speaking at a press conference held on Thursday, Al-Barrak said that 33 MPs have so far signed the petition agreeing to vote in favor of a bill to pay general allowances in addition to salaries to all Kuwaiti teachers at state schools when the bill is presented in parliament once the National Assembly reopens next month. Thirtythree MPs are required to vote in favor of any bill before it can be debated or passed.

Al-Barrak revealed that the Popular Action Bloc (PAB), of which he is a member, will continue to ask more parliamentarians to sign the petition to ensure that the bill secures at least 40 votes “in case some MPs withdraw their support.”

The PAB has revived hopes of passing the bill after it was rejected by Cabinet previously after being passed by parliament during the last term, with the minimum 33 votes essential to ensure that it can receive a second reading.

Although the education minister is intent on retaining the recently-introduced performance-based bonus system for teachers, it has been strongly condemned by the Kuwait Teachers’ Society, which questioned the ability of the Ministry of Education (MoE) to introduce an objective and unbiased performance evaluation system.

During Thursday’s press confer-

ence, Al-Barrak urged Al-Mulaifi to “announce the death of the [performance-related] teachers’ bonus system and give your support [for the general allowances scheme], even if you have to adopt this stance by yourself.” News reports last week implied that the education minister has found himself in an awkward situation after the cabinet approved pay rises for the oil sector workers’ union, contradicting an earlier suggestion by Al-Mulaifi that the performance-related bonus system introduced at the education ministry was going to be rolled out across the public sector.

Some spectators have gone so far as to speculate that the minister might resign his position in protest at the government’s volte-face, but AlMulaifi refused to comment on the issue when it was raised by reporters during a tour of newly-reopened local elementary schools by him last week.

Meanwhile, one parliamentary insider suggested yesterday that, other than resigning, the only choice left open for Al-Mulaifi to “save face” would be to issue a directive before the beginning of the parliamentary term next month enforcing the general, non-performance-based allowances for teachers proposed by the PAB. Speaking on condition of anonymity, the parliamentary insider said that the introduction of the performancebased bonus system preferred by the minister, which the source referred to dismissively as “Al-Mulaifi’s bonus,” has no chance of lasting, with a strong probability that parliament will approve the PAB’s bill.

During his press conference on Thursday, Al-Barrak also tackled another controversial current issue, the allegations of multimillion dinar

deposits in some MPs’ banks, calling on a local bank which he refused to identify by name to either inform the authorities of suspicious deposits in any MPs’ accounts or release a statement verifying what information they have obtained on the subject.

Al-Barrak claimed that the bank in question was once saved from bankruptcy by a KD420 million bailout from the Central Bank of Kuwait, adding, “We say to the bank in question that the responsibility towards the constitution, towards the banking sector and towards the very public funds that saved you require that you inform the authorities of the suspicious deposits or deny the unconfirmed information in our hands.”

Meanwhile, Al-Shahed newspaper claimed yesterday that it had obtained information about senior employees at again-unnamed local banks deliberately ignoring suspicious deposits in the accounts of some MPs who the bank officials happen to be related to. The newspaper claimed that officials at some banks have even been subjected to verbal warnings by the owners of suspiciously inflated bank accounts, who threatened that they would take legal action against the banks in question if the banks referred them to the Public Prosecution Service over the sizeable and inexplicable deposits in their accounts, should they be found innocent. “This led to the management boards of some banks thinking twice before lodging complaints against bank accounts belonging to the relatives of some MPs because they don’t have concrete evidence that corruption has contributed to the greatly increased funds in the account,” said one insider. —Al-Jarida & Al-Shahed

Probe launched into child’s death Hunt on for Jahra child rapists KUWAIT: Police have launched an investigation into the tragic death of a five-yearold boy, whose father rushed him to hospital after the child collapsed unconscious at the family’s home in Al-Thahar. Despite the father’s quick action, however, medical staff at the hospital pronounced the child dead on arrival. The body was removed for autopsy to determine the cause of death.

Grim discovery An investigation is underway after the body of a 35-year-old Indian woman was found in the yard in front of a police station in Abu Hlaifa. Paramedics who rushed to the scene after a pedestrian reported seeing what he believed to be an unconscious woman there confirmed that the woman had died some time before their arrival. The body was removed for autopsy to determine the cause of death.

Hunt on for rapists Police are hunting for three thugs who kidnapped and raped a Syrian boy in Jahra. The teenage victim was abducted by the rapists in Salmiya who took him to a remote spot in Kabad where they raped him repeatedly before abandoning him there. The traumatized victim immediately returned to his family home, telling his father what had taken place. His father reported the attack at the local police station and a hunt is on for the three thugs, with the victim giving police the license plate number of their car.

Jleeb stabbing A 20-year-old man was rushed to hospital after sustaining stab wounds in a vicious brawl in Jleeb Al-Shuyoukh, with police hunting for the others involved in the fight. The victim’s father told police that his son had been stabbed in the shoulder during the fight.

Abuse victim snaps Police were able to talk a distraught Kuwaiti woman out of killing herself and her young children after she snapped following years of domestic abuse. Police rushed to the couple’s home in Rumaithiya after the husband called them to inform them that his wife was threatening to leap from the roof along with their children, where they found her screaming hysterically that her husband’s abuse had led her to feel that suicide was the only course open to her.

After 45 minutes of negotiation, the officers eventually managed to calm the woman down and coax her away from the roof, after which she was taken to the local police station. Police have said that they will take the woman’s troubled domestic situation and her delicate psychological state into account before pressing any charges.

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More strike threats by KSE staff and others KUWAIT: A number of staff at the Kuwait Stock Exchange (KSE) are collecting signatures from coworkers on a petition calling for strike action there over the stock exchange management’s failure to transfer supervisory authority for the KSE to the Capital Markets Authority (CMA). The KSE workers are demanding that the CMA replace the current stock exchange administration as the body responsible for overseeing work there. The employees are apparently planning to submit an official letter to the Minister of Commerce and Industry listing their demands and warning that if they are not met they will take industrial action.

In news of strike action elsewhere, a recent meeting between union officials representing staff working at the Fatwa and Legislation Department and Central Investigations Department resulted in an agreement on comprehensive industrial action by workers in both departments at a time to be decided shortly. The unions plan to strike over the cabinet’s alleged failure to implement a number of recent legislative decisions and court rulings.

Meanwhile, a senior official at the Ministry of Health’s (MoH) Medical Emergencies Division yesterday rejected reports that technical staff there are set to take strike action.

Speaking on condition of anonymity, the official said that although paramedics and other personnel are unhappy at their wages and conditions, most are keen to avoid strike action, with Kuwaiti and expatriate staff instead wearing badges bearing the message ‘Don’t we have rights?’ to protest against the current salaries and working conditions.

‘Back-to-school’ spree gets modern makeover

By Lisa Conrad KUWAIT: “My son had an iPad before I did,” says 26-year-old Kuwaiti mother, Lulwa. “He’s only 4. But my husband insisted that it would help with his learning and that being strong in IT skills would give him an edge later.” Lulwa’s husband may well have been right, as educational iPad apps targeted at youngsters are proving popular. Technology has become a part of our everyday lives and has contributed to fields across the board; from medicine, to science and even to beauty, you would be hard pressed to find something untouched by man’s never-ending pursuit of advancement. Once luxuries of the wealthy, new technologies are growing in accessibility and now, they’re making their way right into children’s backpacks.

First Words: Animals helps with sounding out and learning new words, with creators, Learning touch, exclaiming: “If your child is old enough to ask for your phone, they’re old enough for First Words Animals!” ‘Motion Math’ also makes learning fun for youngsters by setting mathematical lessons within a game format. And the result? “He’s ahead of his age already,” gushes Lulwa “the difference is really noticeable, he always wants to ‘play’ with his iPad but doesn’t realize he’s learning a lot too!”

These sought-after, creative methods of learning are being snapped up by parents wishing to entice their children into learning what seem like otherwise dull subjects. “My son plays on ‘Weird But True’ all the time and then goes around repeating the random facts that he learnt. The facts are incredibly random, so they entertain him and get him more interested in the different subjects,” said Mohammad, father of 13-year-old Bashar. However, the cost is not something Mohammad was as passionate about, “He has the iPad, a Blackberry, and a laptop. They’re technically just computers of different sizes, and a phone. It’s incredibly expensive to buy him this stuff, especially since my other son then asks for the same stuff.”

Lulwa, however, thinks that it’s more economical to invest in the technologies, “I want my son to learn as much as he’s willing to, and these games and applications extend his attention span by far. Without new technologies I’d have to buy him countless books and even then he wouldn’t learn half of what he has access to on his iPad or laptop.” But, is education the only reason parents are investing so much in the newest gadgets, “Well, his friends have the same stuff too. And they

play together, so of course I want him to have the same things that his friends do.”

But it’s not just the tots wrapped up in technology, Kuwaiti teen Abdulrahman Alzanki develops iPhone apps and one of

his games, Doodle Destroy, was a huge success internationally. Learning a skill many adults have no clue about is a pretty impressive feat, and may just be a sign that, when it comes to technology, it’s best to start young.

‘He’s ahead of his age already. The difference is really noticeable, he always wants to ‘play’ with his iPad but doesn’t realize he’s learning a lot too!’

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PM to attend UN assembly session Premier concludes visit to Switzerland GENEVA: HH the Prime Minister Sheikh Nasser Al-Mohammad Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah concluded yesterday his official visit to the Swiss Confederation, proceeding to New York to head the Kuwaiti delegation at the 66th session of the United Nations General Assembly.

HH the Prime Minister was seen off at Geneva International Airport by the Kuwaiti Ambassador to Switzerland Dr Suhail Khalil Shuhaiber, the Permanent Representative at the United Nations, Dherar Razouki, and members of the Kuwaiti diplomatic mission in Berne and Geneva. The Prime Minister had started his visit to the European nation with a meeting with the President of the Swiss Confederation and Foreign Minister, Micheline Calmy-Rey. The two sides discussed, during the meeting that also involved members of the official delegation accompanying His Highness, the distinctive ties between the two friendly countries in various sectors and means of boosting these relations. They also reviewed various

international issues of common concern, as well as the two countries’ stances toward these affairs.

Following these talks, Sheikh Nasser proceeded to the headquarters of the National Council, where he was warmly welcomed by the Parliament Speaker, Jean-Rene Germanier, council members and attended the council’s legislative session. His Highness conveyed greetings of the Speaker of the Kuwaiti National Assembly, Jassem Al-Kharafi, to the Swiss people and his wishes that they enjoy further progress and prosperity.

HH the Prime Minister also relayed AlKharafi’s invitation to his Swiss counterpart to visit Kuwait and get acquainted with its democratic experience. The two sides had also discussed the solid bilateral ties between the two countries.

HH the Prime Minister had been also received by the Mayor of Berne, Alxander Tchappat, who expressed great satisfaction for hosting the first Kuwaiti premier. Kuwait Ambassador to Switzerland Dr Suhail Khalil

Shuhaiber held a broad formal reception for the premier and the Kuwaiti officials, with attendance of Swiss officials, legislators and diplomats.

Sheikh Nasser’s accompanying delegation included Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Dr Mohammad Sabah Al-Salem Al-Sabah, Finance Minister Mustafa Jassim AlShimali, Minister of Health Dr Hilal Msaed AlSayer, Minister of Commerce and Industry Dr Amani Khalid Buresli, Minister of State for Planning and Development Affairs Abdulwahab Rashid Al-Haroun, the President First Deputy of Kuwait Chamber of Commerce and Industry Khalid Al-Saqer, Advisor of Amiri Diwan Mohammad Abul-Hasan, and Ahmadi Governor Sheikh Dr Ibrahim Duaij Al-Ibrahim Al-Sabah.

During the official mission, Al-Shimali, Dr AlSayer, Bouresli and Al-Haroun held talks with the chairman and members of the Swiss business confederation. The meeting was attended by members of the Kuwaiti Chamber of Industry and Commerce and representatives of the Kuwaiti private sector. — KUNA

Kuwait to study Swiss financial experience GENEVA: The visiting Kuwaiti Minister of Finance said yesterday the official visit he had paid to the Swiss Confederation, as part of a delegation that accompanied HH the Prime Minister, constituted an opportunity to get acquainted with potential of the Swiss economy.

Mustafa Al-Shamali, who took part in meetings that involved senior officials of the Arab-Swiss Chamber of Commerce

and Industry (CASCI), said his presence in the European nation, along with the other ranking Kuwaiti officials, enabled him to examine closely the local financial system and the technology employed in this vital sector. He also indicated that the Kuwaiti side would examine means of transferring such technology to Kuwait.

Considering the advanced Swiss financial and investment sectors, Kuwait

would ponder prospects of increasing the investments here, in cooperation with the local banks and corporates, Al-Shamali pointed out in the remarks to the Kuwaiti news agency. He hinted in particular at the Swiss policies of rationalizing expenditure and re-structuring the financial system, as well as the Swiss experience of coping with repercussions of the global financial crisis. — KUNA

Kuwaiti leadership greets Mexico on Independence Day MEXICO CITY: The Kuwaiti leadership congratulated yesterday Mexico on the 201st anniversary of its Independence Day. Kuwaiti ambassador to Mexico Samih Jowhar Hayat relayed the greetings of His Highness the Amir of Kuwait Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber AlSabah, His Highness the Crown Prince Sheikh Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber AlSabah and His Highness the Prime Minister Sheikh Nasser Al-Mohammad Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah to Mexico’s President Felipe Calderon and Mexico City’s Governor Marcelo Ebrard.

In a meeting with President Calderon at his office, Hayat lauded Mexicos’ patriotism which was displayed by the exceptional celebratory activities in the country.

President Calderon devoted this meeting with the Kuwaiti envoy because of an award given by the Mexican Senate to the latter as being the most active ambassador in the country. The Mexican President took Hayat on a tour around the palace and showed him celebration festivities that will be witnessed in the city, especially the customary Cry of Independence that will be heard by the President Felipe Calderon from the balcony of the Palace.

The Cry of Independence is repeated every year, at 11:00pm, in Mexico City from the balcony of the National Place in Mexico by the President of Mexico, and it is echoed by the governor of each state throughout the country. This tradition was set by the national hero Miguel Hidalgo who let out the first cry of Independence 201 years ago after a Mexican victory that ended the Spanish occupation of more than 300 years. It has been solemnly followed every year thereafter. — KUNA

Coast Guard and British Navy hold joint exercise

KUWAIT: The General Administration of Kuwait Coast Guard conducted a joint exercise yesterday with the British Navy, in which raid and inspection operations on boats and ships, marking the

occasion of British Navy’s visit to the country were held. The exercise was conducted amid an awareness campaign for the Coast Guards administration for 2011-12. The campaign also aims to

rehabilitate staff on field training for officers during alert security conditions. The British Navy is currently touring the region in the Arabian Gulf and conducting several kinds of training. — KUNA

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 17, 2011

Activists say Syrian soldiers kill 17 protesters

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Denmark’s ‘red bloc’ topples government

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Pakistan PM cancels US visit due to floods

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SANAA: Thousands of anti-regime protesters take to the streets in Sanaa yesterday to call for an end to President Ali Abdullah Saleh’s rule, protected by dissident army forces. —AFP

Anti-Saleh demonstrations in Sanaa Protesters protected by dissident troops SANAA: Protesters calling for an end to Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh’s regime gathered massively in the capital Sanaa yesterday, protected by dissident army forces, an AFP correspondent reported. “The Yemeni people have decided they will not stop until they are free,” chanted the protesters gathered in Sittin Road. “Free people go on with this revolt, it is for good.”

“We will not be broken. We die or win,” chanted the protesters who were protected by troops loyal to General Ali Mohsen al-Ahmar, who pledged support for the protesters in March. The soldiers paraded in Sittin Road before the weekly Muslim prayers began, declaring themselves as Yemen’s “victory brigades,” said

an AFP reporter.

Witnesses said similar protests took place further south in Ibb and Yemen’s second largest city Taez, where security forces opened fire on demonstrators Thursday killing one and wounding 13 others, according to medics. Thousands of protesters marched towards the security headquarters building in Taez yesterday before forces fired warning shots to disperse them, witnesses said.

In the city’s Al-Raheda district, forces loyal to Saleh opened fire on demonstrators wounding one, organisers told AFP. Meanwhile, witnesses said pro-Saleh demonstrators gathered in Sanaa’s Sabiine Square calling for the return of the veteran leader, recovering in Saudi

Arabia from bomb blast wounds suffered in a June attack on his palace. On Thursday, the deputy leader of the ruling General People’s Congress, Sultan alBarakani met with a gathering of proregime women demonstrators during which he called for dialogue with Yemen’s rebelling youth, at the forefront of anti-regime protests since January.

“I call on our young sons to come to us so we can begin dialogue with them and become partners with them in the country’s institutions,” said Barakani. “We don’t give them promises and then and break them like the opposition Common Forum (alliance), which is stealing their revolution by giving them only five percent (membership) of the illegitimate

National Council,” an umbrella of antiSaleh forces, said Barakani.

Around 800 representatives of diverse opposition groups elected the 143-member “National Council for the Forces of the Peaceful Revolution” on August 17.

The council groups the parliamentary parties of the Common Forum, which includes the influential Islamist party AlIslah (reform), with the young protesters.

The GPC has repeatedly accused the Common Forum parliamentary opposition bloc of plotting to “take power by force” by mobilising young protesters. It held the opposition “responsible for the consequences” of any violence and called for a “serious and responsible dialogue.”—AFP

INTERNATIONAL SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 17, 2011

Libya fighters blitz Gaddafi redoubts Sirte, Bani Walid SIRTE: Fighters loyal to Libya’s new leaders yesterday thrust deep into the city of Sirte and into desert oasis Bani Walid, two of fugitive Muammar Gaddafi’s few remaining bastions, AFP reporters said. On the political front, Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan was in Tripoli, boosting international support for the National Transitional Council (NTC) a day after Britain’s David Cameron and France’s Nicolas Sarkozy became the first foreign leaders to visit the new Libya.

Columns of NTC fighters backed by tanks launched the assault late morning on Sirte,

Kadhafi’s hometown 360 kilometres (225 miles) west of Tripoli, after a first attack on Thursday was repulsed by loyalists, who set up sniper nests on rooftops. An AFP reporter witnessed heavy fighting at the airport and two kilometres (about a mile) southeast of the city centre, with NTC forces firing anti-aircraft guns and heavy cannon within the city limits and Gaddafi forces responding with sniper fire and Grad rockets.

Senior military commander Salem Jear, also a member of Misrata Military Council, told AFP that NTC forces were nearing the centre of

Sirte. “We are advancing in from the west and the south towards the city centre,” he said by telephone. “Our forces retreated strategically during the night but are now speeding towards the centre and some have already entered.”

Field commander Hadi Saleq of the Karama (Generosity) Brigade, who has 160 men under his command and who himself has roots in Sirte, reported skirmishes on three fronts. “The fighting is concentrated on September 1 Street, residential zone 2 in the city centre and around the airport,” Saleq said. There was no immediate indication of casualties, but the NTC

said it had lost 11 fighters on Thursday, with 34 wounded. It added that 40 Gaddafi loyalists had been captured.

An NTC spokesman in Tripoli, meanwhile, said the new regime’s fighters had also entered the oasis town of Bani Walid southeast of Tripoli, where an AFP photographer witnessed fighting at the market. “Our revolutionaries have entered Bani Walid,” Mahmud Shammam said of the town 170 kilometres (105 miles) from the capital without elaborating, adding only that “the situation will be resolved this evening.”—AFP

Activists say Syrian soldiers kill 17 protesters Uprising in seventh month

BAGHDAD: Thousands of supporters of Iraq’s radical Shiite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr (portrait) rally in Baghdad’s Shiite stronghold of Sadr City yesterday against the US military presence in Iraq and decry graft and poor public services, holding up broken appliances to highlight their plight. Arabic writing on green banner reads : “No, no to America.. no, no to Israel”. —AFP

Shiite cleric’s followers protest shortages BAGHDAD: An anti-American cleric galvanized thousands of followers to rally yesterday for more jobs and government aid in demonstrations that showed his support among Shiites, who are vital supporters of Iraq’s political leaders. Caskets carried through the streets of Sadr City in northeast Baghdad symbolized Iraq’s electricity outages, slim food rations and unemployment.

Police estimated 25,000 protesters turned out in Sadr City, the political stronghold of cleric Muqtada al-Sadr.

Similar demonstrations took place in the southern cities of Basra and Najaf. “We want services, jobs and a portion of the oil revenue to be distributed to people. Immediately, immediately, immediately,” Sadrist official Ibrahim al-Jabiri told the Shiite crowds in Baghdad. Iraqi and Shiite religious flags were hoisted in the air, and protesters held up broken lamps, fans, air coolers, heaters and generators as a sign of their frustration over electricity outages that have plagued the country since the 2003 US -led invasion.

Al-Sadr is in Iran, where he has been studying at religious schools. He is the fiercest opponent of the US military presence in Iraq.

He has repeatedly demanded full withdrawal of US troops by the end of the year, as required under a 2008 security agreement between Baghdad and Washington.

Negotiations between the two countries are under way over the possibility that some US troops might remain after the deadline.

Though he has lived mostly in Iran for sev-

eral years, his influence has grown since last fall, when he publicly endorsed Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki to remain in power, even though the premier’s party fell short of winning national elections. Most of al-Sadr’s followers are among the poorest Iraqis, and he has often hammered the government to produce more aid for them.

At the Basra and Najaf rallies, hundreds of Sadrists also shouted anti-American slogans among their calls for better services. “The people want the occupiers to leave,” they shouted. “The people want to reform the regime.” Continued instability in Iraq’s government and security forces, combined with Iran’s growing influence in Baghdad, has led al-Maliki and President Barack Obama to weigh whether to keep between 3,000 and 10,000 US troops in Iraq beyond the Dec. 31 deadline. In a letter released early yesterday, 41 experts, former lawmakers and top officials in the administration of former President George W. Bush called on Obama to keep far more than 4,000 troops in Iraq - a figure the White House is reportedly considering. The letter released by the Foreign Policy Initiative, a conservative-leaning group in Washington, did not suggest how many troops would be adequate. Among the letter’s mostly Republican signers were L. Paul Bremer, who ran the US occupation of Iraq until June 2004 and then was involved in a long and destabilizing struggle to elect a government and write a constitution, and Bush political adviser Karl Rove.— AP

BEIRUT: Syrian troops killed at least 17 people yesterday in raids on anti-government protesters, activists said, but failed to stop thousands from pouring into streets nationwide and taking their uprising against President Bashar Assad’s autocratic rule into a seventh month.

The activists reported new demonstrations from the capital, Damascus, and its suburbs to the southern province of Daraa, where the protest movement was born in mid-March.

Crowds also gathered in the eastern province of Deir el-Zour as well as the province of Latakia on the Mediterranean coast and central regions. The protests - which have become a weekly ritual after the midday Muslim prayer services - were held under the banner “We will continue until we bring down the regime.”

Syria’s uprising, which is targeting one of the Middle East’s most repressive regimes, began amid a wave of anti-government protests in the Arab world that have already toppled autocrats in Tunisia, Egypt and Libya.

Assad has reacted with deadly force that the UN estimates has left some 2,600 people dead. The London-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said security forces shot dead 17 protesters. The greatest bloodshed was in the northwestern region of Jabal AlZawiya, where 10 people were killed in raids.

At least five people were killed in the central province of Hama and two in the central city of Homs. Syria-based rights activist Mustafa Osso said thousands also took to the streets of predominantly Kurdish northeastern towns. The Local Coordination Committees, an activist network, put yesterday’s death toll from protests and raids at 19.

State-run TV said a policeman was killed and four wounded yesterday when they came

under fire in the village of Busra Hariri in the southern province of Daraa.

Syria has disputed accounts of civilian deaths and says the regime is fighting terrorists and thugs - not true reform seekers. A senior Assad adviser, Buthaina Shaaban, said Monday that the toll since March was really 1,400 - evenly split between security forces and the opposition. Heavy restrictions on journalists have made it impossible to independently verify the accounts of either side.

Amateur video of the protests and the crackdown has made its way online, providing activists with one of their few outlets to the world. New video posted on an opposition page on social media showed dozens of people marching in a street in the Damascus neighborhood of Kfar Sousse while chanting, “The people want the president executed.”

They also shouted, “We don’t want Bashar.”

Despite Assad’s crackdown on the extraordinary revolt against his family’s 40-year dynasty, he has acknowledged the need for reform. He has lifted decades-old state of emergency laws and last month endorsed new laws that would allow the formation of political parties alongside his ruling Baath party and enable newly formed political parties to run for parliament and local councils.

The opposition has rejected the measures and is demanding an end to his rule. In neighboring Lebanon, the Lebanese army said in a statement that Syrian troops briefly crossed the border late Thursday and opened fire at people trying to flee their country. It added that when Lebanese troops reached the northern area, Syrian troops had left but they still opened fire from inside Syria, damaging a Lebanese army vehicle. More than 5,000 Syrians have fled to Lebanon since the crisis began.— AP

Israel calls in Egypt envoy, says peace deal vital JERUSALEM: Israel’s foreign ministry called in the Egyptian ambassador yesterday to stress the importance of the two countries’ historic peace accord, an Israeli official said, after Egypt’s prime minister said the treaty was not “sacred”. Egyptian Prime Minister Essam Sharaf told Turkish television on Thursday that the 1979 peace accord with Israel could be changed for the benefit of the region.

An Israeli official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said foreign ministry Director General Rafi Barak told Egyptian envoy Yasser Reda that treaties must be honored to the letter. An Israeli foreign ministry spokesman was not immediately available for comment. Israel

and Egypt fought four major wars in which tens of thousands lost their lives before they signed the 1979 treaty, ushering in more than three decades of relative calm.

Relations between Egypt and Israel, strained since the ousting of former president Hosni Mubarak in February, were plunged into crisis last Saturday when protesters in Cairo stormed the Jewish state’s embassy, forcing most of its diplomats to flee Egypt. A cross-border attack last month has also frayed ties between the two states, with Israeli forces killing five Egyptian security guards during gun battles with Palestinian militants, who had earlier ambushed and killed eight Israelis.—Reuters

international SATURDAY, SepTembeR 17, 2011

Court in Spain convicts Basque leader of terrorism MADRID: A Spanish court found a prominent Basque separatist guilty of terrorism yesterday and sentenced him to 10 years in prison for trying to resurrect the banned political wing of the militant group ETA. Arnaldo Otegi, former leader of the outlawed Batasuna party, can appeal the conviction handed down by the National Court. Four other suspects were also convicted, and three were acquitted.

Otegi served 15 months for an ETA-related offense and was freed in 2008, then re-arrested in 2009 over the current case and has been in prison since then awaiting trial. Batasuna was banned in 2003 on grounds it is part of ETA. ETA has killed 829 people since the late 1960s in a campaign of bombings and shootings aimed at achieving an independent Basque homeland, and is classified as a terrorist organization by Spain, the European Union and the United States.

Over the past decade Otegi has been perhaps the most high-profile pro-independence Basque nationalist among those who refused to condemn ETA. But recently he and many in his movement have publicly rejected violence although not ETA itself - as the way to achieve Basque independence, saying it must be done peacefully and democratically. In this court case Otegi was charged with trying to form an organization that would replace Batasuna. During the trial, which ended in July, he argued that it was this group which persuaded the pro-ETA Basque separatist community to reject violence. But the court ruled yesterday that Otegi was acting on orders from ETA to regroup pro-independence forces into a new political tool for ETA. ETA declared a ceasefire in September of last year and has not killed anyone in Spain in more than two years. The government says the group has been weakened by arrests and dwindling grassroots support, but rules out negotiations0 and insists ETA must simply surrender. That would bring an end to Europe’s last major armed militancy.—AP

UK coalition party seeks to rebuild credibility LONDON: Britain’s Liberal Democrats aim to use their impending party conference to rebuild voter support by standing up to their Conservative allies in government while taking care not to bring down the coalition. Since being savaged in local elections last May by voters who saw no difference between them and the dominant centre-right Conservatives, the Lib Dems have fought public battles for their own policies, and their ratings have at least stabilized.

The trick will be to keep on in that vein without undermining the idea of coalition government-an experiment for modern day politics in Britain, but the Lib Dems’ only realistic route to power. The small centre-left party, meeting in the central English city of Birmingham from this weekend, must in particular avoid damaging international confidence in the government’s ability to make spending cuts at a time of weak economic growth. “They need to be very careful that it doesn’t tip too far the other way where the coalition seems to be continually rowing, and then people think coalition government doesn’t work,” said Chris Nicholson, head of the CentreForum think-tank. In the latest row, Lib Dem politicians from leader Nick Clegg down declared their opposition to cutting Britain’s 50 percent top rate of income tax, a long-term Conservative ambition, until taxes were reduced for people on lower incomes. The new-found assertiveness over taxation, banking and health service reform provoked Conservative legislators this month to ask Prime Minister David Cameron publicly whether he or Clegg was running the country.

The accusation was music to the ears of Lib Dem activists and lawmakers frustrated by the earlier reluctance to trumpet the party’s achievements in government. “This nails the lie that the Lib Dems are patsies. We are having real influence,” said Norman Lamb, a Lib Dem lawmaker and senior aide to Clegg. A senior Lib Dem official said the “differentiation” strategy would continue but insisted it would not prejudice the party’s commitment to the coalition’s austerity measures to reduce a record budget deficit over four years.

“We’ll still have to differentiate ourselves going forward, and the thing for the party and the leadership is to decide what those issues are, because you don’t want to differentiate on everything,” the official said. Possible areas where the Lib Dems could become more distinctive include reviving an election promise to tax wealth by a levy on valuable houses, as well as demanding a more interventionist industrial policy to create jobs, CentreForum’s Nicholson said. —Reuters

Denmark’s ‘red bloc’ topples government Thorning-Schmidt to become 1st female head of govt COPENHAGEN: Denmark’s prime minister-designate started work yesterday on molding a united government from a scattered “red bloc” of ex-communists and pro-market liberals that ousted a right-wing coalition in a parliamentary election. Social Democratic leader Helle Thorning-Schmidt, 44, is set to become Denmark’s first female head of government after her alliance secured 92 seats and a narrow majority in the 179-seat Folketing.

The outcome of the ballot Thursday ended 10 years of center-right rule and cut the influence of the Danish People’s Party, a noisy anti-immigration group that had used its leverage in the legislature to clamp down on asylum-seekers, especially Muslims.

Thorning-Schmidt now faces the challenge of crafting a joint platform for her diverse coalition of former Marxists, environmentalists, Social Democrats and Social Liberals. The “red bloc” parties don’t agree on taxes and welfare cuts needed to shore up public finances amid Europe’s debt crisis.

“What we need to start doing is to get a grip on the economy. That is what we need a new government for,” ThorningSchmidt told Denmark’s TV2 yesterday morning. Social Liberal leader Margrethe Vestager - whose party straddles the middle of Danish politics - opposes Thorning-Schmidt’s plans for tax hikes for wealthy Danes. And unlike the leftwing parties, she approved the previous government’s plans to phase out a costly early retirement scheme.

Vestager said she won’t back away from that agreement. “We have made a deal which we believe is really good. It means that we will get more money in the chest and a sound economical starting point,” she said.

The outgoing government’s austerity measures also include gradually raising the retirement age by two years to 67 by 2020 and trimming benefit periods for the unemployed. It said the measures were needed to safeguard the welfare system while balancing the budget.

After years of surpluses, the government projects budget deficits of 3.8 percent of gross domestic product in 2011 and 4.6

COPENHAGEN: The leader of the Social Democrats, Helle ThorningSchmidt and husband Stephen Kinnock, son of former Chairman of the British Labour Party, Welshman Neil Kinnock, are cheered by partymembers, in Copenhagen, Denmark Thursday evening. —AP percent in 2012.

Outgoing Prime Minister Lars Loekke Rasmussen handed in his resignation yesterday to Queen Margrethe, Denmark’s figurehead monarch. His Liberals gained one seat and remain the biggest group in Parliament but lost power because their Conservative coalition partner dropped 10 seats while the Danish People’s Party - which backed them in Parliament - lost three. The power shift isn’t likely to yield major changes in consensus-oriented Denmark. The “red bloc” is likely to focus more on integrating immigrants already in the country, than opening up the borders to more.

There is also broad agreement on the need for a robust welfare system financed by high taxes, though parties differ on the depth of cuts needed to

keep public finances intact amid the uncertainty of the global economy.

Thorning-Schmidt’s biggest challenge is finding room in her Cabinet for both Vestager and Villy Soevndahl of the Socialist People’s Party, a working-class party that moved away from its Marxist roots following the collapse of the Iron Curtain two decades ago.

She’s not likely to offer any Cabinet seats to the Red-Green Alliance, a conglomerate of communists and environmentalists, but can count on its support in Parliament.

Meanwhile, Danish People’s Party leader Pia Kjaersgaard promised she wouldn’t fade into the shadows while in opposition. “Congratulations on the victory, you deserve that,” Kjaersgaard told Thorning-Schmidt. “But I think you have tough times ahead.” —AP

Toddler to be adopted after court rules parents too old ROME: A court in Italy has ruled that the parents of a toddler who are aged 70 and 57 are too old to raise her and have recommended she be put up for adoption, Italian media reported yesterday.

The 18-month old girl, known as Viola, was conceived with the help of artificial insemination after the couple’s repeated applications to adopt a child were turned down on the basis that they were too old.

Four judges in Turin in northern Italy ruled that “they (the parents) never thought about the fact that their daugh-

ter would be orphaned at a very young age, and before that would be forced to care for her elderly parents,” the report in La Repubblica newspaper said. The child is “the fruit of a distorted application of the enormous possibilities offered by genetic progress,” they added.

The court also heard that the couple had had problems taking care of the little girl, including a report that “she was kept in the nursery for five days because the mother didn’t feel up to having her in the room with her.” The couple were

reported to social services by neighbors after they left the infant alone in a car for a few minutes late one evening, and Viola was immediately taken into care.

The judges ruled that librarian Gabriella De Ambrosis, 57, and her retired husband Luigi, 70, were driven by “a narcissistic need to have a child” and showed “indifference with regard to the child’s perspective.” The couple, who married in 1990 when Gabrielle was 36 and spent years trying to conceive naturally, are planning to appeal the ruling, their lawyer said. —AFP

INTERNATIONAL SATURDAY, SepTembeR 17, 2011

Brussels wants say in any return of EU internal borders Nations refuse to hand Brussels such powers BRUSSELS: The European Commission launched a bid yesterday to oversee any return of border checks in Europe’s passport-free travel area, drawing the ire of nations refusing to hand Brussels such powers. Cherished by travellers who can enjoy unfettered across Europe, the 25nation Schengen zone faces an overhaul

EU home affairs commissioner Cecilia Malmstroem. “By reinforcing its European dimension we are protecting one of the most cherished achievements of the EU: the free movement of our citizens,” she said.

At the moment, governments are allowed to temporarily deploy border

BRUSSELS: EU Home Affairs commissioner Cecilia Malmstrom gives a joint press yesterday at the EU headquarters in Brussels. The European Commission launched a bid to oversee any return of border checks in Europe’s passport-free travel area, drawing the ire of nations refusing to hand Brussels such powers. —AFP after changes were demanded by several EU states worried about sudden waves of immigration.

The European Commission unveiled draft legislation that would give it a big say in decisions to deploy border guards, a proposal that has France, Germany and Spain have already rejected. “With these proposals we are safeguarding the future of Schengen,” said

guards during terror threats or major events such as football games or summits, but countries are seeking more leeway to restore controls. Under commission proposal, border controls could also be reintroduced to deal with unexpected migration flows or if a Schengen country fails to police its frontiers with non-EU nations. This clause carries the threat of temporarily excluding from

Two Irish police injured in Belfast bomb attack BELFAST: Two police officers were injured in a bomb attack on the outskirts of Belfast overnight, the latest of a series of attacks on law enforcement in Northern Ireland, police said yesterday. Police blamed Irish nationalist militants for bomb attacks on the homes of police officials on Wednesday near the city of Londonderry. They did not say who was to blame for yesterday’s attack.

The bomb was thrown at a police patrol as they responded to an alarm call at a toy store shortly after midnight. The officers’ injuries are not thought to be life-threatening. Two members of the store’s staff were treated for shock.

Officials have said that armed Irish nationalist militants opposed Britain’s presence in Northern Ireland are more active than at any time since a 1998 peace deal. But they lack the wider community support the Irish Republican Army had during three bloody decades known as “the troubles”. The 1998 agreement paved the way for a power-sharing government bringing together Protestant loyalists who wantNorthern Ireland to remain part of the United Kingdom, and Catholic Irish nationalists who want it to be part of a united Ireland. —Reuters

Schengen a nation unable to control its borders. While it does not name any country, Greece has been under fire over its porous border with Turkey.

The commission’s proposal would still allow governments to unilaterally reinstate patrols in urgent situations, but only for a five-day period. For longer periods, countries would need a green light from the EU’s executive arm, something some governments reject. “It’s unacceptable. An urgent situation, by definition, lasts more than five days,” said a European diplomat. French, German and Spanish interior ministers complained this week that the proposal goes too far, arguing that a decision to restore border controls is the remit of national governments.

In a joint statement, the three ministers said “we believe that respecting the core area of national sovereignty is very important to the member states”. “We therefore do not share the European Commission’s views on assuming responsibility for making decisions on operational measures in the security field,” they said. A cornerstone of European integration, the 25-nation Schengen area faced controversy during the Arab Spring when Europe’s Mediterranean nations voiced fears of seeing waves of illegal migrants on their shores.

France and Italy traded barbs when Rome handed out temporary papers to thousands of Tunisian migrants, enabling them to head for France. Paris in response sent border guards and stopped trains on the border with Italy.

Over the summer, Denmark faced criticism from Brussels when it unilaterally decided to deploy permanent customs controls at its German and Swedish borders. —AFP

Pro-Russia party poised to win Latvian election RIGA: A pro-Russia party could emerge one of the big winners in Latvia’s snap election today, a historic watershed in a small country firmly integrated with the West and where much of the population is still distrustful of Russia, which effectively ruled it during the Soviet and tsarist eras. Not once in the past 20 years since Latvia restored its independence has a party catering to ethnic Russians - who make up approximately one-third of the Baltic state’s 2.2 million people - had a role in national government.

But polls show that the leftist Harmony Center, which now controls 29 opposition seats in the 100-member Parliament, will likely gain at least that many, if not more, in the next legislature, improving its chances of taking part in a ruling coalition.

“Getting Harmony into government is extremely important,” said the party’s co-leader, Nils Usakovs, who wants to show that ethnic Russians

can be trusted to help run Latvia.

History lies at the heart of Harmony’s difficulties. Harmony Center politicians refuse to acknowledge that Latvia was occupied by the Soviet Union for a half-century after World War II. Usakovs has admitted that the Baltic states - Latvia, Estonia, and Lithuania - were “illegally incorporated,” which is a step short of occupation.

To circumvent the delicate subject, Usakovs has proposed a threeyear ban on discussing history - or until the next general election in 2014. Prime Minister Dombrovskis, however, has rejected the idea and insisted that Harmony recognize Latvia’s occupation before it can enter government. Usakovs, 34, is regarded a political trailblazer since two years ago he became the first ethnic Russian mayor of Riga, Latvia’s capital and largest city. Now he wants to take the municipal experience to the national level. —AP

THE HAGUE: Rwandan rebel leader Callixte Mbarushimana (C) looks on at the opening of the confirmation of charges hearing at the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague . —AFP

Rwandan man in court over murders, rapes in Congo THE HAGUE: A high-profile spokesman for Rwandan rebels made a “significant contribution” to leading a Hutu militia accused of murdering, raping and torturing Congolese villagers in 2009, a prosecutor told the International Criminal Court yesterday. Fatou Bensouda told judges at a key pretrial hearing that the man, Callixte Mbarushimana, was a senior member of the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda, which unleashed violence against civilians in the North and South Kivu provinces of Congo as a “bargaining tool” to win power.

Bensouda said Mbarushimana contributed to the campaign “by orchestrating an international campaign of propaganda and extortion” to force Rwanda to accept the return of the rebels who had fled the country after its 1994 genocide. She was speaking at a hearing to establish whether evidence against Mbarushimana is strong enough to merit sending him for trial.

Mbarushimana denies all 13 charges against him and has challenged the court’s jurisdiction and admissibility of evidence.

Wearing a suit and tie, he sat in court yesterday making notes as Bensouda outlined the allegations. Prosecutors allege that group, known by its French acronym FDLR, launched a terror campaign in the Kivus region after the Rwandan and Congolese agreed to join forces against them.

Knowing they could not win a conventional military campaign, the rebels retreated to the dense forests of eastern Congo and from there went on a yearlong killing spree that left hundreds dead and forced thousands from their homes. FDLR fighters, “killed, raped and tortured civilians in this region. They carried out pillaging and burned down entire villages,” Bensouda said. Women were raped, often repeatedly and by several attackers in turn, she said.

The FDLR was established by former guerrillas accused of genocide in Rwanda’s 1994 ethnic slaughter. After moving to Congo, the FDLR launched attacks on Rwanda aimed at ousting the government in Kigali. Mbarushimana’s case is unusual in that prosecutors do not allege he played any active role in the atrocities unleashed in the Kivus, but contributed to the campaign from an apartment in Paris, where he acted as FDLR spokesman until his arrest last year on an international warrant.

“He was the lynchpin - the man who could transform crimes committed in the Kivus into political leverage for the FDLR in Rwanda,” Bensouda said, calling him “the respectable public face” of the militia. After the Rwanda genocide, he went to work as a software programmer for the United Nations in Angola and then Kosovo. He was arrested in Kosovo at the request of Rwanda but released in 2001 because Rwanda failed to properly prepare his indictment. He was later indicted by the Rwanda war crimes tribunal, set up by the UN in Tanzania.

But his case was dropped.

Prosecutors and defense attorneys will next week present summaries of their evidence to judges who are expected to take weeks to decide whether to send Mbarushimana for trial.

Rights groups welcomed the case against Mbarushimana but also criticized the court for not giving enough victims a voice in the proceedings. Lawyers are representing 130 victims at the hearing. Hundreds more wanted to take part, but their applications were not processed in time by court officials.

“Now, victims are finally coming forward to engage with the court but the court is not ready or capable to deal with them,” said Carla Ferstman, director of the rights group REDRESS. “If this resource issue is not resolved, victim participation will become a meaningless paper promise.” —AP

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INTERNATIONAL SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 17, 2011

No remains found in missing mom search DELTA: A search in the Utah desert for a missing mother took a strange turn Thursday when the site that authorities said contained human remains turned up no body parts by the end of the day. Cadaver dogs discovered the location this week amid a renewed search for Susan Powell, and investigators declared that they had found human remains. But authorities later said that after digging into the site, they had found no remains. Police did not say why they earlier stated they had found human remains when they hadn’t seen any.

“Right now, we haven’t found anything except for these scents that these dogs are picking up,” said West Valley City Police Lt. Bill Merritt. “We have not come across bones.”

Because the site in a remote area of central Utah is on government land, a Bureau of Land Management anthropologist was brought in to determine if it was part of an ancient burial ground. The scientist later said it wasn’t, but instead showed signs of recent disturbance. Investigators then began sifting through what was described as a shallow grave. “We’re not looking at some ancient burial ground,” Merritt said. “This is not going to be some cowboy from the West.”

Merritt said later Thursday that authorities had only begun to dig into the dirt in the afternoon. By the end of the day, they had dug several feet down, but came across no remains.

“Shovel by shovel full,” Merritt said. “Every shovel full that comes out is being sifted through. It’s a painstaking process.

“We would love this to be a break,” he added. “We hope, to a certain extent, that it is not Susan because that would mean that she is maybe alive somewhere.” West Valley City Police Chief Thayne “Buzz” Nielsen said the area where the dogs indicated remains would be found was beneath what appeared to be a shallow grave covered with dirt. “They have found what looks like a grave where the dirt has been shoveled and moved around a little bit,” Nielsen said. Police have been searching since Monday in the area near Topaz Mountain in Juab County for any clues in the disappearance of Susan Powell. The site is about 135 miles southwest of the location where she was last seen at her home in West Valley City on Dec. 7, 2009. It is also just about 30 miles south of where Powell’s husband, Josh Powell, told police he took his two young children camping on the night his wife vanished.

He is the only person of interest in the case, but has never been arrested or charged. Merritt said the discovery “fits in with what we’ve been looking for.” Asked whether he was hopeful Susan Powell’s remains would be found there, Merritt called it “50-50 at this point.” Authorities planned to resume excavation of the site Friday morning, and Susan Powell’s

UTAH: Chief of Police of the West Valley City Thayle Buzz Nielson, left, talks with his officers at Topaz Mountain close to where they found human remains as they were looking for missing Utah mother Susan Powell, on Thursday 50 miles northwest of Delta, Utah. —AP

father, Chuck Cox, planned to be there.

Susan Powell was 28 when she was reported missing Dec. 7, 2009, after she failed to show up for her stockbroker job.

The case has cast a harsh spotlight on Powell’s husband, who hasn’t returned repeated calls from The Associated Press. In a string of national television interviews last month, however, he denied having anything to do with her disappearance. The area where authorities are now working is in a rugged remote section of Utah’s central high desert surrounded by grasses

and sagebrush and punctuated by jagged mountains rising from the flat landscape. At the time of year Susan Powell vanished, it would have been bitter cold, the ground frozen, possibly even snow-covered.

Josh Powell was driving a minivan that night. He has told police he left his wife at home about 12:30 a.m. on that Dec. 7 to go winter camping in freezing temperatures with their young sons - then 4 and 2 - just about 30 miles from where police are now searching. —AP

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INTERNATIONAL SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 17, 2011

Biden visiting Pennsylvania PENNSYLVANIA: Epic flooding that damaged or destroyed thousands of Pennsylvania homes and businesses last week has renewed old questions about the lack of flood protection for stricken communities along the Susquehanna River, one of the nation’s most flood-prone waterways. Congress’ failure to deliver on promised hazard-mitigation funding may wind up taking blame for some of the devastation in northeastern Pennsylvania, being visited yesterday by Vice President Joe Biden.

Experts say a massive levee system that shielded the city of Wilkes-Barre and its riverfront suburbs likely made things worse downstream and upstream, where record floodwaters swamped homes and businesses after heavy rainfall from remnants of Tropical Storm Lee. “I’m fearful that the levees that have been built are complicating things downstream,” said Helena Fisher, who lost nearly everything on the first floor of her home downstream in Bloomsburg, where the Susquehanna crested at an all-time high.

“All we’re doing is sending it on to the next community,” she said. Wilkes-Barre’s $175 million system of dikes and floodwalls, which was strengthened in response to the remnants of 1972’s Hurricane Agnes, prevented tens of millions of dollars in property damage from Lee. Yet, nearly a decade after construction on the levee system ended, Congress has yet to appropriate more than $15 million of the $23 million it had authorized years ago for property buyouts and flood mitigation projects - all of which were intended to reduce the levees’ impact on low-lying, unprotected municipalities.

“The program has stalled due to lack of funding by Congress,” said Jim Brozena, executive director of the Luzerne County Flood Protection Authority, which maintains the levee system and heads the mitigation plan.

Experts say levees can worsen flooding miles downstream by constricting the channel through which water flows, resulting in increased velocity and higher crests. Levees also pose a problem for upstream towns by acting as a choke point or valve, allowing the water to back up, said Rick Weisman, a professor of hydraulic engineering at Lehigh University in Bethlehem.

Engineers concluded years ago that Wilkes-Barre’s newly raised dikes, when paired with an Agnes-level flood, would send an additional foot of water into unprotected homes and businesses. The mitigation plan, which covers 53 communities in five counties, was supposed to offset the heightened risk, at least partly. But only $7 million has been appropriated and spent since 1996. And funding has all but dried up, a function of the recent ban on federal earmarks - those home-state projects that critics deride as wasteful - and the nation’s budget woes.

Noting the visit by Biden, who spent his boyhood in nearby Scranton, Brozena said he hopes the funding issue will be addressed. The mitigation program has paid for several improvements, including a flood-modeling program, flood-proofing of a sewage treatment plant, and a telephone warning system, as well as the acquisition and demolition of 20 to 25 properties. But more than 600 properties remain on a priority list. Even at full funding, the program would yield perhaps 100 to 150 additional acquisitions, not nearly enough to meet demand.

Some residents don’t want to be bought out - they want a floodwall. In hard-hit Plymouth Township, just downstream from the levee system, residents had begged to be protected by the dikes. But a cost-benefit analysis by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers excluded the township, and other nearby communities, from consideration; it would have cost more to extend flood protection to them than the properties were worth. Given last week’s deluge and serious floods in 2004, 2005 and 2006, Plymouth Township Supervisor Gale Conrad called for a fresh look at the economics.

“The levee is absolutely wonderful for those that are protected by it. For those who are not protected by it, it’s a whole different situation,” she said. “Instead of repetitive flood damage payouts to the tune of millions and millions, wouldn’t it make sense to just get everybody protected by the levee?” Conrad said constituents who have endured repeated floods, some of them while awaiting buyouts, are at the end of their rope. —AP

MEXICO CITY: Fireworks explode over the Zocalo plaza during Independence Day celebrations in the Zocalo in Mexico City on Thursday. Mexico celebrates the 201th anniversary of its 1810 independence uprising on Sept. 16, with the celebration beginning the evening of the 15th. —AP

Gunmen force Mexico mayor to cancel ‘El Grito’ Police beefed up security MORELIA: Authorities in a small town in western Mexico canceled Thursday night’s “El Grito” festivities ushering in Independence Day after 40 gunmen arrived at the main square threatening to attack civilians. Michoacan state police beefed up security in the town of Querendaro because of the threat, said the state police chief, Armando Soto la Marina.

Mayor Filiberto Romero suspended the traditional event in which he was to cry “Viva Mexico!” from the balcony of the town hall, drawing the same shout in unison from hundreds of people gath-

ered below. But men carrying rifles and grenades arrived and demanded they clear out or be attacked. People fled in panic. Some took refuge inside the government building waiting for the gunmen to leave. There were no reports of injuries. No information on who the gunmen were was available late Thursday, but the presence of high-caliber weapons indicated the incident might be drug cartel related.

A grenade attack on the same holiday in 2008 killed eight people and wounded dozens in the main square of the Michoacan state capital, Morelia. Most

Independence Day festivities have gone on as usual this year, but local authorities have canceled patriotic events in the past in worry about possible attacks by drug gangs. Last year, the mayor of the border city of Ciudad Juarez, considered the epicenter of Mexico’s drug war, canceled the traditional event.

More than 35,000 people have been killed since Mexican President Felipe Calderon launched an armed offensive against drug cartels in December 2006, according to an official tally. Other groups say the death toll is about 40,000. — AP

US Supreme Court halts Texas execution TEXAS: The US Supreme Court halted the execution of a black man convicted of a double murder in Texas 16 years ago after his lawyers contended his sentence was unfair because of a question asked about race during his trial.

Duane Buck’s attorneys appealed to the Supreme Court and Texas Gov Rick Perry to block the execution, saying a psychologist testified that black people were more likely to commit violence. Perry, a capital punishment supporter and frontrunner for the Republican presidential nomination, seemed unlikely to block the execution. During his 11 years in office, 235 convicted killers in Texas have been put to death. His office said he has chosen to halt just four executions, including one for a woman who later was executed.

But Buck, 48, was spared from lethal injection by the Supreme Court Thursday when the justices, without extensive comment, said they would review an appeal in his case.

Two appeals, both related to a psychologist’s testimony that black people were more likely to commit violence, were before the court. One was granted; the other was denied. Buck was sentenced to death for the fatal shootings of his ex-girlfriend and a man in her apartment in July 1995.

Buck’s guilt is not being questioned, but his lawyers say the jury was unfairly influenced and that he should receive a

new sentencing hearing.

Buck’s case is one of six convictions that then-Texas Attorney General John Cornyn - a political ally of Perry who is now a Republican US senator - reviewed in 2000 and said needed to be reopened because of the racial reference. In the other five cases, new punishment hearings were held and each convict again was sentenced to die. State attorneys contend Buck’s case was different from the others and that the racial reference was a small part of larger testimony about prison populations.

The reprieve from the nation’s highest court came nearly two hours into a six-hour window when Buck could have been taken to the death chamber. Texas officials, however, refused to move forward with the punishment while legal issues were pending. His lawyers called to tell Buck of the reprieve and the inmate was praying in his cell when Texas Department of Criminal Justice spokesman Jason Clark approached.

“Praise the Lord!” Buck told Clark. “God is worthy to be praised. God’s mercy triumphs over judgment. “I feel good.”

In its one-paragraph decision, the court said it stopped the punishment so it could further look at Buck’s request, known as a writ of certiori. —AP

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After militant siege, questions hang over Kabul security KABUL: Two days after a 20-hour siege in Afghanistan’s fortified capital, security appeared to have lapsed back to normal, with just three policemen guarding the building from where insurgents showered the city’s diplomatic enclave with rockets and gunfire. Corrugated iron sheeting surrounding the half-built multi-storey was unguarded yesterday, much the same as when militants launched their most complex, protracted and audacious attack on Kabul since the Taliban were toppled from power a decade ago.

One of three police officers at the site overlooking the US embassy and the headquarters of NATO-led forces in the city’s diplomatic heart said there were normally supposed to be 12 policemen on guard. But that had not been the case on Tuesday when seven insurgents wearing all-enveloping women’s burqas burst in driving a bomb-laden van, shooting dead two of three police guards before attacking prime targets from multiple floors.

“Some were out to lunch, others were at the police station.

The insurgents were heavily armed, we didn’t have enough ammunition to take them on,” said the police officer, who requested anonymity. NATO heaped praise on Afghan security forces for their handling of the siege, which went on through the night and ended on Wednesday morning when the last of the gunmen who had fended off Afghan and foreign troops and attack helicopters was finally killed.

Five police and 11 civilians, including children, were killed and 19 people wounded in the multi-pronged attacks, which included three suicide bombings-one prevented-at police compounds in western Kabul and close to the airport.

While accepting the assault was a serious incident, US and NATO officials appeared to play down the security breach and said militants had gained global attention, but no new ground.

US ambassador Ryan Crocker said the attacks, during which six or seven rocket-propelled grenades landed in his embassy’s perimeter, was “not a big deal” and were likely carried out by the Haqqani network, a Taliban-allied faction based on northwest Pakistan’s border with Afghanistan. NATO’s civilian representative, Simon Gass, described it as a “fleeting event”. Focus has since shifted to the debate over whether Afghanistan’s police and army can maintain security and hold off insurgents long after 2014, when the gradual withdrawal of foreign forces that began in July is due to end.

It has raised concern among residents that attacks on the capital may be part of a broader insurgent strategy following suicide bombings in June and August at the Intercontinental Hotel and the British Council that have questioned the commitment of security forces to protecting foreign premises. At another high-rise under construction, Qasr Quzi Plaza, about 600-800 metres away from NATO and US compounds, there was no security presence yesterday. Just how the insurgents cleared nearby checkpoints in broad daylight is still a mystery, as is how a large stash of ammunition and arms could have been carried or stored inside the partially constructed 12-floor building.

Despite the high profile incident, no one seems to know who owned the building, which guards said had been left idle for more than a year. Interior Ministry spokesman Sediq Sediqqi said security measures in the capital were sufficient and had proven effective in foiling attacks. “There is no need to have guards in front of every house and building, this is not usual,” he said.

“They are not able to attack any time they want. —Reuters

Pakistan PM cancels US visit due to floods Islamic charities step in to help ISLAMABAD: Pakistani Prime Minister Yusuf Raza Gilani has cancelled a visit to the United States to attend the UN General Assembly session to direct relief efforts as floods devastate southern Pakistan, his office said yesterday.

President Asif Ali Zardari was widely criticised for trips to Britain and France last year when Pakistan was battling floods that killed about 2,000 people and made 11 million homeless and the government again stands accused of moving too slowly.

“The prime minister has cancelled his visit because of the floods and now the foreign minister will represent Pakistan on the visit,” an official in Gilani’s office told Reuters. “The prime minister will visit flood-affected areas from tomorrow and supervise relief efforts.” The latest floods, triggered by monsoon rains, have killed more than 230 people, destroyed or damaged 1.2 million houses and flooded 4.5 million acres (1.8 million hectares) since late last month, officials and Western aid groups say.

More than 300,000 people have been moved to shelters. Some 800,000 families hit by last year’s floods are still homeless. Aid groups have warned of a growing risk of fatal diseases. Last year, the military took charge of rescue and relief efforts, along with aid groups. The army is active again in the latest disaster. But some Pakistanis are growing impatient with it as well. Juman and his extended family fled when water as high as 12 feet (3.6 metres) raged through their village. Home has been a thatched hut on a roadside for several weeks in another village called Mohammad Yusuf.

“We go to the army and we have been asking for food, but they beat us with sticks and told us to leave,” said Juman, who added he was turned away because the army camp was already overwhelmed. “They scared us away.”

The military, which has ruled Pakistan for more than half of its history, is seen as the only institution that can handle crises in the nuclear-armed South Asian nation. Pakistan’s cash-strapped government already faces many challenges, from growing frustration over power

JHUDO: A Pakistani flood effected woman makes bread for her family on the high ground of flooded area of Jhudo yesterday. Pakistan’s Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani cancelled a visit to the United States to address the UN General Assembly because of widespread new floods,. —AFP cuts to a stubborn Taliban insurgency.

Disillusionment with the state can drive young men to join militant groups waging a violent campaign to topple the US -backed government.

Some flood victims are turning to the Al Khidmat charity- which is linked to the most influential Islamist party in Pakistan, Jamaat-e-Islami (JI). JI is not believed to have ties with the Taliban or other banned groups. Nevertheless, its relief efforts in last year’s floods and other natural disasters helped discredit the government because of its relative efficiency.

At a camp consisting of rows of white tents, green and blue JI flags flutter.

Organisers wearing bright orange vests and badges organise flood victims.

People have to drink rain water and wash clothes in it but there is some relief. “When we arrived there wasn’t a camp here. They set the camp up and gave us the tents,” said Shabira, 35, holding her baby. “Now we are getting food every day.” Pakistani leaders are facing pressure on the diplomatic front as well. Islamabad’s ties with Washington have been heavily strained

since a unilateral US raid killed Osama bin Laden in a Pakistani garrison town in May. There were signs that ties were under repair when the allies recently spoke of counter-terrorism cooperation. But fresh tension has emerged. A US warning on militants based in Pakistan, blamed by Washington for this week’s attack on the US Embassy in Kabul, works against counter-terrorism cooperation between the two allies, the Pakistan Foreign Ministry said on Thursday.

It was referring to comments by US Defense Secretary Leon Panetta that Washington would do whatever it takes to defend American forces in Afghanistan from Pakistan-based militants. Gilani may have wanted to meet senior American officials on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly to try to patch up ties with Washington, the source of billions of dollars in aid.

Pakistani Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar is expected to meet US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in the United States on Sept. 18. She will be addressing the General Assembly in Gilani’s place. —Reuters

Hindu nationalist seeks redemption as India government flounders NEW DELHI: A decade after religious riots cast a pall over his career, India’s most popular and probusiness opposition leader has sprung back to the centre of the political stage. Suddenly the idea that Narendra Modi might become India’s next prime minister doesn’t seem so outlandish. On Monday, the Supreme Court demoted to a lower tribunal a case accusing Modi of complicity in riots that ripped through the west-coast state of Gujarat in 2002, killing at least a thousand people, mainly Muslims.

Seizing the moment, the astute 61-year-old has announced that he will be staging a three-day fast as a gesture of “harmony” with the Muslim community. “He is making an attempt for an image overhaul,” said Swapan Dasgupta, a conservative commentator and former editor of news weekly India Today. He said Modi was finally responding

to criticism he had shown no contrition for the 2002 riots. The nascent rehabilitation of Gujarat’s chief minister has electrified his Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), already on a roll as it capitalizes on long-running troubles of the centreleft government led by the Congress party.

Modi consistently appears in polls as India’s most popular state chief. An August survey by India Today showed him to be by far the top-rated opposition politician. The latest issue of India’s glitzy Society magazine ran a fawning interview with Modi entitled “From Merchant of Death to Sultan of Corporate Governance.” In a sign his rise is worrying the government, whose standing has plunged in opinion polls over rising prices and graft cases, two Congress party officials announced they would also stop eating to demand that Modi apologise for the riots.

A day after the court’s order, BJP chiefs leapt on a glowing report prepared for the US Congress which said that Modi’s war on red tape and corruption had made Gujarat a major driver of national growth - perhaps a sign of softening attitudes in Washington since he was denied a US travel visa in 2005 for religious intolerance. Popular for bringing jobs, electricity and better roads to the booming state, Modi is loved by business leaders.

Although long thought of as a contender to be prime minister if his party were to win 2014 elections, his association with Gujarat’s violence has held him back.

The court’s decision does not clear Modi’s name as the case will go back to a lower court in Gujarat. But it reduces pressure on him and adds to momentum building behind the BJP, which leapt ahead of the Congress party in two national opin-

ion polls published this month. India has a tradition of fasting for political ends. It was famously used by Gujarat’s most famous son, the Mahatma Gandhi, against British colonial rule. More recently, activist Anna Hazare, 74, galvanised middle class anger over graft under Prime Minister Manmohan Singh with a 13-day hunger strike.

Modi is a major figure in an ideology shared by the BJP that emphasizes a traditional Hindu nature of India. The party governed from 1998-2004 after rising to prominence with a nationwide movement centered on the destruction of a mosque built on the site of a Hindu temple. He also epitomises the more modern image now favoured by the party, with a focus on clean governance, security and economic management in one of the world’s fastest-growing major economies. The BJP is not itself free of graft, though. —Reuters

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Two Koreas to hold more nuclear talks Talks to be held in Beijing

BANGKOK: Activists wave flags and t-shirt to passers-by and motorists as they stage a rally opposing the attempt to seek pardon for ousted prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra at the victory monument in Bangkok, Thailand yesterday.—AP

Thailand should review political trials BANGKOK: Thailand should halt and review all trials connected to political conflict before and after a 2006 coup that opened deep divisions in the country, an independent commission recommended yesterday. The Truth for Reconciliation Commission of Thailand, which was set up by the last government in 2010 after the worst political violence in decades, urged the country to delay trials and temporarily release political defendants.

It also said the use of controversial legislation banning criticism of the monarchy has been “directly related to political conflict” since before the coup. In its first report to Thailand’s new leadership, which is allied to former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra, deposed by the army five years ago, the commission said the government should be “highly cautious” about causing further political splits.

It criticized the use of legislation, including an emergency decree imposed last year during clashes between the army and anti-government “Red Shirt” demonstrators-in which more than 90 people died. The commission accused “involved parties” of “violation of criminal law” and said using criminal prosecution to solve the country’s political problems “is not suitable”. It urged delays to political prosecutions by “not bringing the cases to court” and also said the government should temporarily release defendants while assessing whether accusations are “unduly harsh”.

Reparations to those affected by violent disorder in recent years, including the April and May 2010 rallies, were also recommended. Compensation should be distinct “because it represents the state responsibility for lacking adequate and effective mechanisms to take the political conflict under control”. The nine-member commission, led by respected legal academic and former attorney general Kanit Nanakorn, touched on the country’s extremely sensitive lese majeste laws, which govern discussion of the revered royal family.

Kanit’s appointment by the last government, which presided over the Red Shirt crackdown, was criticised as a potential “whitewash” by the Puea Thai Party that is now in power led by Thaksin’s sister Yingluck Shinawatra. But Thitinan Pongsudhirak, of Chulalongkorn University, said the new government would now struggle to implement all the recommendations. “They will not want to be seen as trying to subvert the monarchy,” he said.

Under Thai legislation, anybody convicted of insulting the king, queen, heir or regent faces up to 15 years in prison on each count.

Academics have noted a sharp increase of new royal insult cases in recent years and rights groups have expressed concern that the law was used to suppress freedom of expression under the last government, considered close to elites that backed the 2006 coup against Thaksin. Commissioners said they were concerned that an apparent increase in lese majeste prosecutions “could have political impact”. The report said the government should “consider reviewing” whether to prosecute cases which “expand” the interpretation of the law too broadly “such as the accusation and the propaganda on the conspiracy to ‘overthrow the monarchy’”.

Discussion of the royal family is a long-standing taboo in Thailand. King Bhumibol Adulyadej, 83, the world’s longest-reigning monarch, has been in hospital since September 2009. Arnon Nampa, a lawyer who works for Red Shirts accused with lese majeste, said the commission was “very brave” to tackle the issue.

“The government should act on this quickly. This is a chance for them to release people without being criticized for helping their supporters,” he said. — AFP

SEOUL: North and South Korean negotiators will meet next week for a second round of talks aimed at restarting stalled six-nation nuclear disarmament negotiations, Seoul’s foreign ministry said yesterday. The South’s chief nuclear negotiator Wi Sung-Lac and his counterpart Ri Yong-Ho of North Korea will hold talks in Beijing, the ministry said.”Both sides agreed to hold the second round of talks between chief nuclear negotiators from South and North Korea in Beijing in the middle of next week,” a Seoul diplomat told Yonhap news agency separately.

“We are arranging a specific date for the talks, possibly on Tuesday or Wednesday.” The two envoys held talks in July on the Indonesian island of Balithe first-ever North-South meeting on nuclear issues outside the six-party format. It was followed by a US-North Korean meeting in New York aimed at restarting the talks grouping China, Japan, the United States, the two Koreas and Russia.

Chinese foreign ministry spokeswoman Jiang Yu said that Ri would be in Beijing on Monday for an event to commemorate the anniversary of a joint statement signed by the six parties. She said the North’s envoy would also meet his Chinese counterpart Wu Dawei. “On the sixth anniversary of the joint statement, it is of great importance to review the spirit of the statement and explore how to push forward the six party talks,” she said.

The North abandoned the six-party talks in April 2009 and conducted its second nuclear test a month later. But diplomatic efforts to restart the dialogue have picked up this summer. North Korean leader Kim Jong-Il reportedly told President Dmitry Medvedev during a visit to Russia last month that Pyongyang was ready to resume the dialogue. Kim also expressed readiness to impose a moratorium without preconditions on nuclear enrichment work and testing once the forum restarted, accord-

ing to the Kremlin.

But both the United States and South Korea dismissed the proposal as nothing new, with Seoul calling for action before the discussions resume. In addition to its plutonium program, which is believed to have produced enough material for six to eight bombs, the North last November disclosed a uranium enrichment plant.

It says this is for peaceful energy use but experts say it could easily be reconfigured to make material for atomic weapons. South Korea, the United States and Japan agree the North must forgo the uranium enrichment programme (UEP) before the six-party talks resume, a senior Seoul government official told reporters this month. “Shutting down all illegal nuclear activities including the UEP and promising not to do what’s illegal in the future are the minimum requirements for opening the sixparty talks,” he said on condition of anonymity. —AFP

Sri Lanka urged not to give Philippines elephant COLOMBO: An international animal rights group yesterday urged Sri Lanka to halt its plan to donate a baby elephant to the Philippines, saying the zoo where it would live is decrepit and doesn’t have enough space for such animals. Officials at the Manila Zoo, where the elephant is being sent, rejected the criticism, saying the facility has taken good care of another elephant from Sri Lanka since 1980.

S ri Lanka said Thursday it is donating the animal from a government-run elephant orphanage to mark 50 years of diplomatic relations between the two countries. Manila-based People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals Asia sent a letter yesterday to Sri Lankan Prime Minister DM Jayaratne, saying that sending an elephant to the Manila Zoo would “surely reflect poorly on Sri Lanka.” “If you care about elephants, you would never send one to the Manila Zoo to suffer for the rest of their life,” the group wrote in the letter.

The group said the zoo’s barren cement enclosure for its current elephant, named Mali, is about 72 square yards (60 square meters) and

doesn’t allow her enough “stimulation, room to explore, and everything else that is natural and important to her.” Ironically, PETA Asia also said that Mali is “cruelly denied socialization” at the Manila Zoo, though the group nonetheless objects to sending another elephant to join her.

The new elephant would be temporarily kept in a separate enclosure before being introduced gradually to Mali, said Agerico Sebastian, assistant director of the zoological division of the Manila Zoo, who added that he had no confirmation yet of the elephant’s arrival .

Sebastian denied the group’s allegation that the zoo was decrepit and said the elephant’s enclosure was larger than PETA Asia’s estimate, though he did not give a figure.

“We have given it sufficient nutrition, compared to what it would have in the wild, in the forest,” he said. “It would not have lived this long if we did not take care of it.” Jayaratne’s office had no immediate comment about the letter.— AP

‘Sex strike’ for peace in Philippine village: UNHCR

TOKYO: People demonstrate outside the headquarters of cosmetic group Kao, one of the sponsors of Japanese broadcaster Fuji television network in Tokyo yesterday.

Hundreds of Japanese people protested yesterday in front of the headquarters of the cosmetic group Kao, which they accuse of spreading “foreign propaganda” by sponsoring south-korean TV series. —AFP

MANILA: Women in the southern Philippines brought peace to their strife-torn village by threatening to withhold sex if their men kept fighting, the UN refugee agency reported yesterday. The “sex strike” in rural Dado village on the often lawless southern island of Mindanao in July helped end tensions and bring some prosperity to the 102 families living there, said UNHCR national officer Rico Salcedo.

“The area is in a town which is subject to conflict, family feuds, land disputes. The idea came personally from the women,” Salcedo told AFP. The idea was conceived by a group of women who had set up a sewing business but found that they could not deliver their products because the village road was closed by the threat of violence, Salcedo said. Sporadic shooting incidents between men in the village had occurred especially near the road, the UNHCR said.

“There had been a string of clan conflicts. You would have a number of men who would go against another family. There were scattered incidents of shooting at each other,” said UNHCR staffer Tom Temprosa. The sewing group’s leader, Hasna Kandatu, said they warned their husbands they would be cut off from sex if they continued causing trouble. “If you go there (to fight), you won’t be able to come back. I won’t accept you,” Kandatu recalled telling her husband, in a video on the UNHCR website. —AFP

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Panasonic enters robots triathlon

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BEIJING: A worker shows a set of dragon-carved silver bars at a gold shop. China is the single largest consumer of almost all commodities according to Julian Zhu of Golman Sachs, including precious metals like gold and silver — a safe haven in times of economic uncertainty. — AFP

Growth plan could create 1.9m jobs: Obama WASHINGTON: US President Barack Obama said Thursday his jobs plan could boost growth by two percent and shave one percent off the unemployment rate, in his most specific push yet for the bill’s passage. The $447 billion dollar plan is crucial for Obama’s hopes of reviving his political fortunes and regaining the trust of US voters on the economy as he sets off on his 2012 reelection bid.

The White House been wary of making predictions for the American Jobs Act in the knowledge that its forecasts for Obama’s 2009 stimulus plan turned out to be too rosy, handing his foes a potent political weapon. But Obama gave more details at a Democratic Party fundraiser in Washington, as he steps up his campaign to force Congress to pass the bill, which is weighted towards payroll tax cuts.”It’s estimated that the American Jobs Act would add two percentage points to the GDP, and add as many as 1.9 million jobs, and bring the unemployment rate down by a full percentage point,” Obama said.

In less detailed language, the president argued the jobs bill could help the economy grow by up to two percent in an interview with NBC at the weekend, but Thursday’s comment was his first use of detailed estimates for the plan. Obama’s remarks matched the estimates for the plan produced by Mark Zandi, chief economist at Moody’s Analytics. Some other estimates by experts have suggested the bill will have a smaller impact.

Currently, an unemployment rate of 9.1 percent, growing fears of a new recession and a stagnant recovery are casting doubts over the president’s reelection hopes next year. The White House has been haunted for two years by predictions that Obama’s 800 billion dollar stimulus plan, passed soon after he came to office, would hold unemployment below eight percent.

Obama also stepped up his campaign against the unpopular Congress, especially Republicans who have already rejected the series of tax hikes on the wealthiest

Americans and corporations with which he wants to pay for his bill. “This Congress, they are accustomed to doing nothing, and they’re comfortable with doing nothing, and they keep on doing nothing.”But I will tell you, we intend to keep the pressure on,” Obama said, noting that he had traveled to swing states Ohio, North Carolina and Virginia in recent days on a hard sell for the jobs plan he unveiled last week. “We are going to run this like a campaign, in the sense that we’ve got to take it to the American people, and make the case as to why it is possible for Washington to make a difference right now.”

Next week, Obama will travel to Cincinnati to visit a bridge badly in need of repairs to highlight the infrastructure spending portion of his economic plan, designed to put construction workers back on the job.

The bridge spans the Ohio River between the state of Ohio, home to Republican House Speaker John Boehner and Kentucky, the state of the top Republican in the Senate

Mitch McConnell.Earlier, Boehner criticized Obama’s plan, saying its tax credits were not enough to create private sector employment.

“Let’s be honest with ourselves,” the Republican representative said in a speech at the Economic Club of Washington. “The president’s proposals are a poor substitute for the pro-growth policies that are needed to remove barriers to job creation in America... the policies that are needed to put America back to work. “If we want job growth, we need to recognize who really creates jobs in America. It’s the private-sector,” he added.

Boehner repeated an earlier concession that some of Obama’s ideas “offer opportunities for common ground” between Democrats and Republicans to revive the US economy as it struggles to recover from the global meltdown of 2008. But he echoed other leading Republicans who derided Obama’s proposals on Wednesday and was otherwise scathing of the jobs bill. — AFP

business SATURDAY, SepTembeR 17, 2011

S African bond prices ready for more gains Rand’s resilience could boost debt JOHANNESBURG: South African bond prices could rise further before the end of the year, especially if the rand continues well-supported, and this week’s rise in yields is seen as little more than a short-term correction. Ultra-loose monetary policy in developed nations in the past two years has flooded global markets with cash and investors have piled into emerging market bonds offering higher yields. Analysts say foreign buying of South Africa’s domestic debt looks set to reach and even 2010’s record high of 60 billion rand ($8.1 billion), given a poor growth outlook that will keep monetary policy accommodative and a rand that has, for the most part, been resilient.

Foreigners had bought 51.7 billion rand in domestic bonds by Sept. 9 this year, data shows. Reflecting this, the government bond yield curve has flattened by between 30 and 50 basis points across the curve in the past two months as the market has ruled out an interest rate increase. Instead, the growing consensus is for rates to stay at 30year lows, with even a small chance of another cut to support a weak economic recovery.

Growth slowed sharply to 1.3 percent in the second quarter, and Reserve Bank chief economist Monde Mnyande this week said the third quarter had not got off to a good start. “As long as growth numbers keep disappointing and the rand remains at current levels or strengthens then we could see further downside in yields,” said Kabelo

Rikhotso, portfolio manager at Investment Solutions.

After a slow start this year, foreign investors have stepped up bond purchases in the past three months, a phenomenon that Reserve Bank Deputy Governor Lesetja Kganyago said last week should continue. This week’s heightened worries about a Greek default and a 2.3 percent fall in the rand against the dollar led to a bond sell-off, but Di Luo, a fixed income strategist at HSBC in London said it could have been overdone and buying should resume once rand weakness ebbed. Indeed, buyers came back Thursday and Friday, in what could be an indication that appetite for local bonds is far from over even as the rand is still hovering near 2011 lows. At 7.97 percent, the yield on South Africa’s 10year bond has fallen by 67 basis in the past 18 months while a similar-dated Turkish issue bond has plunged by 93 basis points to 9.33 percent.

Expensive?

Emile Visser, senior portfolio manager at TriAlpha Investment Management in Cape Town said bonds had become expensive. “In the medium-term bonds still seem a bit expensive. The real repo rate is currently zero, and will be turning negative soon.” With annual inflation at 5.3 percent in July and the repo rate at 5.5 percent, real rates have narrowed and could turn negative as inflation is seen trending higher over the next few months whilst there is still a small chance of a rate cut.

But it’s not just local bonds that have become expensive.

“In the universe of fixed income globally we are not expensive, but fixed income globally as an asset class is probably expensive,” said Mamokete Lijane, fixed income analyst at Renaissance BJM. “If you look at where US Treasuries are and where we are trading, you can make the argument that we are not really expensive relative to US Treasuries,” she said.

Currency play If the rand maintains most of its gains of over 20 percent since the beginning of 2009, it takes out the risk of returns being eaten up by currency weakness. The rand has remained resilient for the most part of this year, with most analysts at the beginning of September seeing it largely steady in the short term. The chance of even more extraordinary monetary policy steps to boost growth in developed nations remains. Any such move would leave global markets awash with liquidity that has so far tended to opt for higher-risk emerging market assets.

“The rand could remain very well supported. It doesn’t even have to strengthen from this point. It just has to stay at current levels and could change the whole picture,” Lijane said. “It would take out the amplification in inflation and rates. Then instead of going between 9 and 7, yields are suddenly between 5 and 7.

So that could then change the whole picture.” —Reuters

Panasonic enters robots triathlon TOKYO: A trio of small Japanese robots will be working together in the Ironman triathlon race in Hawaii next month in a show of their inner strength-rechargeable batteries. Consumer electronics maker Panasonic will use one set of three rechargeable batteries for the whole 2.4-mile (3.8-kilometre) swim, 112-mile bike ride and 26.2mile run to power the humanoid “Evolta” robots made by creator Tomotaka Takahashi. Panasonic hopes to reach the finish line in one week, or 168 hours, by recharging the set of batteries shared by the three robots as many times as necessary during the race.

The Hawaii triathlon will be the latest in a series of similar endurance campaigns to show off the strength of the Evolta line of batteries. In the past, the company sent different Evolta robots to scale the Grand Canyon, to ride a tiny tricycle in the Le Mans 24 hour race, and to walk 500 kilometers from Tokyo to the ancient city of Kyoto in western Japan. The Ironman cycling and running robots are 23 and 25 centimeters (10 inches) high while the swimming one is 51 centimeters long. —AFP

JOHANNESBURG: South African President Jacob Zuma (left) and the president of the South African National Taxi Council (Santaco), Jabulani Mthembu, are pictured at the launch. —AFP

S African taxi industry launches budget airline JOHANNESBURG: South Africa’s mini-bus industry, known for violent turf wars, yesterday launched a budget airline targeting smaller cities in remote areas. “This airline would provide a unique travelling experience for our people, whom some of them have never been on an airplane,” said Jabulani Mthembu, president of the South African National Taxi Council (Santaco).Santaco represents the nation’s taxi operators, who collectively transport millions of South Africans every day in often battered 15-seat mini-buses that stop wherever they please.

Disputes over routes and fares frequently turn violent with clashes at the ranks, but the industry is trying to clean up its image and become a formal business. Taxi bosses have raised 100 million rands ($13.5 million) for the venture, mainly from Santaco’s membership.

Santaco Airline is part of that shift. The new carrier plans to fly from Lanseria Airport, north of Johannesburg to Bhisho, in the Eastern Cape. “This is our first route, we also plan to expand to other underserved routes like Mthatha, also in the Eastern Cape” said Mthembu.Santaco will partner with Star Cargo, a charter company already operating at Johannesburg’s main OR Tambo International Airport, which would provide aircrafts, crew and aviation licenses.

Mthembu acknowledged that aviation was a tough industry that required expertise and experience to survive. “That is why we have partnered with a company which has the required skills and expertise in this field. We are not in this alone,” said Mthembu, addressing concerns that the industry’s lack of expertise would make it a failure.

Mthembu said taxis would provide a shuttle service to the airports to ensure easy access.

“This airline is going to change the way people look at this mode of transport. For a long time flying has always been associated with the well-to-do,” President Jacob Zuma said at the event. “By launching this airline, the taxi industry has allowed itself to participate fully in the broader economy of this country,” said Zuma.South Africa currently has three budget airlines, kulula, Mango and 1time flying to all major airports around the country.

Transport Minister Sbu Ndebele said Santaco airline would help transform the image of the taxi industry and reduce travel time for people who rely on road transport. “It is therefore not a pipe dream that people from the Eastern Cape could board an aircraft in Johannesburg at an affordable price... and reach their destination without spending ten hours on the road each time they visit home,” said Ndebele. “Pessimistic observers predicted that the industry was so fragmented that it would never emerge from the hole in which it had dug itself,” he said. Santaco has not yet announced dates for its first flights. —AFP

Phone rivalry drives down RIM earnings

TOKYO: The Panasonic Evolta run robot created by Tomotaka Takahashi strides along during a press conference yesterday. —AFP

TORONTO: Shares of Research In Motion plummeted more than 18 percent after hours after the BlackBerry maker reported its net income and revenue declined sharply in its fiscal second quarter. The results show continued struggle to compete with the iPhone and smartphones running Google’s Android system and raise the pressure for the company’s long-promised new phone software to be a hit.

RIM said Thursday that its net income was 419 million, or 80 cents per share, in the three months ended Aug 27.

That’s down from $796.7 million, or $1.46 per share, a year ago. Analysts expected 90 cents per share, according to a survey by FactSet. —AP

BUSINESS SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 17, 2011

Kenya bond yields seen rising in Sept NAIROBI: Yields on Kenya’s two-year Treasury bond and a 12-year infrastructure bond are expected to climb in line with rising rates on short-term paper as investors demand greater returns in a high-inflation environment. Concerns over runaway inflation in eastAfrica’s biggest economy and its battered shilling have driven yields on the 91-day Treasury bill to 11.685 percent on Sept 15 from 10.281 percent a week earlier and 2.357 percent on Dec 31, 2010. Fixed income traders predicted high subscription levels for the two-year bond as rising inflation dampens appetite for longer dated bonds.

“The focus is on the short end because of inflation,” said Alexander Muiruri, fixed income analyst at African Alliance. The central bank aims to raise 10 billion shillings from a two-year bond in an auction on Sept 21 and up to 20 billion shillings ($211.08 million) from an infrastructure bond to be auctioned on Sept 28. The bank increased the volumes offered for 91-day and 182-day Treasury bills and this month offered an extra sale of the six-month paper. Next week’s two year bond sale was offered at unusually short notice.

After a string of poor bond auctions, fixed income traders said the treasury was increasingly desperate for cash, perhaps forcing its hand to accept the yields demanded by the market. “If I look at where the 91-day and 182-day have moved, I think we should expect the two-year, the 12-year infrastructure bond to move by that kind of level, 200 to 300 basis points,” said Ignatius Chicha, head of markets at Citibank.

“The question which will come out is will the government be willing to borrow at the rates at which the market will show?” The central bank this week raised its benchmark lending rate by a record 75 basis points to 7 percent to tame inflation, a move some traders said would see investors attaching an even greater inflation premium to yields. In the auctions, the two-year paper is seen attracting a heavier subscription, targeted by commercial banks, while institutional investors will eye the infrastructure bond.

“On the infrastructure bond fund managers and insurance companies would be very interested. To banks that coupon looks small. They would prefer going for the two-year,” said Sameer Lagadia, head of

trading at Diamond Trust Bank. The new 12-year bond has a 12.00 percent coupon. The central bank says the bond will have a tap sale on the bond, running until February 2012. The yield on the last 12-year infrastructure bond sold in December 2009 was 12.537 percent.

The yield on a two year bond stood at 12.684 percent at its last sale in July and is trading at around 12.67 percent. The 12-year bond is trading at around 13.55 percent. Traders forecast the weighted average yield on next week’s two-year bond would be between 12 and 15 percent, while the 12-year bond would be between 14 percent and 16 percent. Liquidity has improved after an acute squeeze, but traders said banks would not automatically use it to buy the bonds.

Borrowing from the central bank’s overnight window fell to 670 million shillings in the week to September 7, from 10.86 billion shillings a week earlier, after the bank revised rules on borrowing from the window. “I think now the market has learnt its lesson that you can’t fund yourself in the overnight or in the one-month market and go ahead and buy two-year paper,” Chicha said. — Reuters

Spain reintroduces wealth tax to battle debt deficit Govt says 160,000 people to be affected MADRID: Spain’s debt-laden Socialist government voted yesterday to reintroduce a wealth tax it had suspended just three years ago, arguing now that it is only fair for richer people to chip in more in times of crisis. The Cabinet approved the new tax in a decree and it will go to Parliament next week. The legislature dissolves later this month ahead of Nov. 20 general elections that will be dominated by an economy saddled with a 21 percent jobless rate, anemic growth after nearly two years of recession and debt woes which periodically prompt worries Spain might be the next euro zone country to need a bailout.

The new wealth tax - a levy on a person’s net worth - tweaks the old one so only the wealthiest Spaniards will pay. Critics insist however that Spain’s truly super-wealthy have their fortunes tucked away in special investment funds that are taxed rather gently. The new wealth tax will be in effect just for 2011 and 2012, and will only tax people’s net worth above 700,000 ($963,000).

That’s about seven times the earlier threshold.

The government says only about 160,000 people will be affected.

The average yearly salary in Spain is about 20,000 ($27,520). “There are millions of Spaniards who would be delighted to have to pay this tax,”

government spokesman Jose Blanco said after yesterday’s Cabinet meeting. “This is a decisive moment for many Spaniards. Lots of people are looking for work. Lots of families are struggling.”

He added: “It is only fair to spread the burden of the crisis.”

Opposition parties have criticized the idea of reinstating the tax, arguing among other things it is a desperate bid by the government to appease leftist voters angry over austerity measures such as cuts in civil servant salaries, an extension of the retirement age and businessfriendly labor market reforms. Soraya Saenz de Santamaria, spokeswoman for the opposition center-right Popular Party, which is heavily favored to win the election, said Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero and his party are engaging in “political improvisation to keep their people happy.”

Zapatero suspended the wealth tax in 2008 on grounds it hurt the middle-class disproportionately and in effect penalized people who saved their money, just as the global economic crisis was starting to bite deep in Spain. Now the argument is to spread the pain of the crisis to the wealthier classes and bring in an extra 1.1 billion a year in badly needed revenue. — AP

BEIJING: Visitors look at a model project of urban planning for a central business district in Beijing during a commercial fair yesterday. Soaring property prices are a major source of official and consumer concern in China, with apartment costs rising out of the reach of many people and threatening to spark social unrest in the country of more than 1.3 billion. — AFP

Air France-KLM splits order between Airbus and Boeing

This handout picture released by Boeing yesterday shows models of Air France Boeing 787-9 (up) and KLM Boeing 7879 (down). — AFP

PARIS: Air France-KLM said yesterday it had split a mega order for 50 long-haul carriers evenly between Europe’s Airbus and US rival Boeing, in a deal worth $11.3 billion (8.1 billion euros). The giant FrancoDutch airline is to order 25 Airbus A350900s and 25 Boeing 787-9 Dreamliners with options to buy another 60 planes to renew its fleet with more fuel-efficient, lightweight models. The order has attracted huge attention in France, where some politicians have put pressure on Air France-KLM to buy from Airbus-which has its major plant in Toulouse, in the south of the country-rather than from Boeing.

The planes will replace Air France’s A340 fleet and KLM’s stock of Boeing MD11s, although neither of the new models using lightweight composite components is yet operational. The deal, to be finalised by the end of the year, also includes

options to buy 60 more planes, 25 for Boeing, bringing the total number of potential sales to 110, in an order potentially worth $26.96 billion (19.5 billion euros). Last week the airline’s chief executive Pierre-Henri Gourgeon said the proposed deal was to replace planes that will reach the end of their service in 20182020.

Air France-KLM, which is 15.7-percent owned by the French state, has been under French political pressure to order from Airbus, including a petition signed by 180 MPs. President Nicolas Sarkozy in June wrote a letter to an MP from his UMP party saying he “was closely following the discussions between Airbus and Air FranceKLM on upgrading its long-haul fleet”.

Sarkozy wrote: “I am sure that Air FranceKLM will of its own accord recognize the qualities of the A350, a plane whose pro-

duction we have supported with loans.”

In a statement, the airline stressed that its decision was founded on the planes’ technical characteristics and performance “For its first joint order, Air France-KLM made its choice following a detailed evaluation that brought out all the advantages of each aircraft, notably their energy and environmental performances,” Gourgeon said. The first B787-9 will enter service with KLM in 2016 and the first A350-900 will enter services with Air France in 2018.

Airbus in July scored a victory against its US rival, when American Airlines announced a record order for 460 planes that included 260 Airbus aircraft, breaking Boeing’s monopoly of its fleet. That split order marked a major setback for Boeing, supplier of American’s entire 600-plus plane fleet, which had not included an Airbus plane since 2009. — AFP

BUSINESS SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 17, 2011

Ukraine leader to visit Moscow amidst gas issue Medvedev accuses Ukraine of ‘sponging’ off Russia

ZURICH: In this photo, Oswald Gruebel, CEO of Swiss Bank UBS, speaks during a press conference. —AP

UBS under pressure to explain $2B controversy GENEVA: UBS was under pressure yesterday to explain how its managers failed to catch a $2 billion loss due to rogue trading, with experts calling into question the Swiss bank’s ability to turn around its scandal-hit image. As police in London obtained a 12-hour extension to question the trader, 31-yearold trader Kweku Adoboli, the bank’s investors and the wider industry wondered about the fallout, both for UBS as a storied Swiss financial institution and for the banking sector.

Commentators and politicians called for senior managers at UBS to take responsibility for the loss, which the bank said could put its third-quarter results in the red. Ratings agency Moody’s put UBS’s credit grade on review for possible downgrade, citing worries over the future of its London-based investment unit.

UBS shares yesterday recovered a fraction of the losses they suffered the day before. Investors took the chance to buy UBS shares cheaply, sending their price up 2.5 percent to 10 Swiss francs ($11.45) on the Zurich exchange by noon.

Shares had slumped 10 percent the day before, after the bank said a lone employee had caused the massive loss with unauthorized trades. Swiss media questioned how one UBS trader could have managed to cause a $2 billion loss without others around him noticing sooner. Respected banking professor Hans Geiger told Swiss television station SF he doubted the lone trader account put forward by UBS. Police in London continued their interrogation of Adoboli.

Normally police cannot hold a suspect longer than 24 hours without pressing charges. But under British law, a police superintendent can extend the 24-hour detention period by up to 36 hours for serious crimes. After that, police would need to get a court order to continue questioning for up to 96 hours more. UBS spokesman Andreas Kern declined to comment on a report in Swiss newspaper Tages-Anzeiger yesterday, that the entire trading team in London where the alleged unauthorized deals took place had been suspended.

Kern said the paper’s report of fresh job cuts at the investment bank referred to a reduction of about 1,600 posts already announced last month as part of a plan to save some 2 billion francs over the next two years. —AP

YALTA: Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovich will visit Moscow later this month for talks with Russia’s Dmitry Medvedev on their gas dispute which has sparked sharp recriminations and driven ties between the former Soviet allies to a new low. The one-day visit, set for Sept 24, will be the first meeting between Yanukovich and the Kremlin leader since the two fell out over Ukraine’s calls for a better deal on the price of its huge Russian gas imports. Medvedev has publicly accused Ukraine of trying to “sponge” off Russia. Yanukovich, who adopted a more proRussian policy line when he came to power in February 2010, has accused the Kremlin of trying to humiliate him and belittle Ukraine as a sovereign state.

“There are a wide range of issues to be discussed that include those relating to gas and others,” Iryna Akimova, Yanukovich’s economic adviser, told Reuters on the sidelines of an international conference in the Crimean resort of Yalta. Ukraine wants Russia to agree to a review of a January 2009 gas deal which it says has saddled it with an exorbitant price for gas supplies and obliges it to import more than it requires.

It paid about $350 per 1,000 cubic meters of Russian gas for the third quarter this year and expects the price will jump to about $400 in the fourth quarter. The deal in question was signed between Ukraine’s oil and gas firm Naftogaz and Russian gas giant Gazprom before Yanukovich came to power. Former Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko is now on trial in Kiev, charged with an abuse of office linked to the deal. She is accused of railroading Naftogaz into signing it to the detriment of the national interest. She denies this. Russia has refused Kiev’s call for a revision of the agreement. It says a new deal can be worked out only if its former Soviet ally joins a joint customs union or lets Gazprom buy into its gas transport system.

Hopes wrecked The row has wrecked Yanukovich’s hopes of setting relations with Moscow on a firm track following years of chilliness between Kiev and Moscow under ex-President Viktor Yushchenko. As soon as he took power in February 2010, Yanukovich set improved relations with Moscow as a policy priority and later granted Russia a lease extension for its Black sea fleet in a Crimean port until 2042. Speaking at the Yalta European Strategy conference, Yanukovich expressed confidence problems with Moscow could be worked out. This was echoed by First Deputy Prime Minister Andriy Klyuev who said: “(We should) not drive our relations into a stalemate (over gas).

Pragmatism must be flexible.” But Yanukovich ruled out any major political concessions, specifically on joining the Russia-led customs union which would be incompatible with reaching an association agreement with the European Union. “The issue of Ukraine joining the (Russia-led) customs union is not on the agenda,” he told the conference. Yanukovich made clear Ukraine intended to stick with its strategy of cutting back Russian gas imports. “We have submitted an order to Gazprom for 27 billion

YALTA: Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovich speaks yesterday during 8th Yalta Annual Meeting, entitled “Ukraine and the World: Common Challenges, Common Future,” in the Crimean resort of Yalta. — AFP cubic meters for next year,” he said, adding Ukraine had a program aimed at “cutting gas consumption by 5 billion cubic meters a year”. The volume of gas which Ukraine intends to import is an important element in the dispute with Russia.

Gazprom says the 2009 deal, which Ukraine is now challenging, provides for annual gas imports by Kiev of 33 billion cubic meters. Gazprom has said Ukraine is obliged to pay for this quantity irrespective of whether it imports it or not. Yanukovich said talks were continuing with Russia on upgrading Ukraine’s gas pipelines. “We have been and will remain strategic partners with Russia. I am sure a solution will be found,” he said. — Reuters

Lawless waters, piracy spur LNG insurance rates LONDON: The cost of insuring liquefied natural gas (LNG) tankers has risen as naval containment of piracy fails and surging global demand spurs traffic through high-risk waterways, increasing the risk of hijack and armed attack. The annual pace of growth in insurance costs over the last decade was 7.5 percent, much more rapid than the 4.2 percent annual increase in LNG tanker operating costs, figures from shipping consultancy Drewry show.

Standard-sized vessels will fetch an estimated $1,572/day in insurance costs this year, according to senior Drewry LNG analyst Pranay Shukla, reflecting the heightened risk of hijack and pirate attack for the transit of the super-cooled gas. As a result, more shipowners have confirmed using private armed guards in the last year as they struggle to stem

costs and protect trade as piracy escalates, they told Reuters.

“The threat of piracy has fundamentally increased (for LNG carriers), particularly in the Gulf of Aden, where underwriters have sought to charge additional premiums due to the increased risk,” according to one insurer. Additional premiums on war risk policies have risen as LNG tanker traffic through the Gulf of Aden reached record levels last year, owing to more supply from Qatar and Yemen as trade with Europe and South America rises.

Over 885 LNG carriers sailed through the Suez Canal last year, up from 525 in 2009 and 429 in 2008, figures from the Suez Canal Authority show, while other tanker trade never fully recovered from the 2008/2009 slump, increasing the likelihood that LNG ships will start to

draw unwanted attention from pirates.

Owners are not only turning to private security companies to protect LNG carriers transiting Suez but also to cut insurance costs.

“With embarked security the insurance premiums are also reduced, mitigating costs even further,” said Dom Mee, president of Protection Vessels International, a provider of armed maritime security. The risk of a catastrophic fire or explosion from small arms fire or rocket propelled grenade (RPG) strikes could motivate ship masters to allow hijacks to take place, according to another maritime security expert.

Others say that LNG owners will meet ransom demands more readily to avoid seeing their LNG cargo degrade, which has a limited lifespan in its frozen state.

“It is possible that savvier pirate leaders

or negotiators might appreciate the perishability of an LNG cargo, and that pirates in general are likely to view such vessels as valuable,” reckons Jonathan Wood, energy security analyst at Control Risks.

A spot cargo at today’s price will fetch about $48 million, trade sources said. The rise of heavily armed gangs hustling shipowners for ransom has lifted insurance costs specific to war risks, including ransoms, hijack and armed attack. If the insurance costs are broadly categorized into hull and machinery (H&M) and P&I, then the share of P&I insurance in total insurance will make up a rising share of overall fees imposed by underwriters in the same period, up from 23 percent in 2007 to 35 percent this year, Drewry’s Shukla said. —Reuters

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BUSINESS SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 17, 2011

India central bank raises rates Central bank warns on continued high inflation

TIMIKA: Workers of mining giant Freeport-McMoran shout slogans during a strike yesterday. —AP

Indonesia strike slashes Freeport mine production TIMIKA: A strike at Freeport McMoRan’s huge gold and copper mine in eastern Indonesia has slashed production by 230,000 tons a day, the energy and minerals ministry said yesterday. The production cut at the mine in eastern Indonesia’s Papua province represents daily losses of $6.7 million in government revenue, energy and minerals minister Darwin Zahedy Saleh told Dow Jones.”The government will help facilitate the negotiations. I will visit West Papua,” Saleh said.

Freeport’s Grasberg mine sits on some of the world’s richest gold and copper reserves, and the company’s local unit is the largest single taxpayer to the Indonesian government, contributing billions of dollars a year to state coffers.

Around 9,000 Freeport workers began a month-long strike on Thursday in Timika town demanding better wages. The current lowest wage is $1.50 an hour, which workers want raised to $17, the labor union said. The workers want the maximum hourly rate of $3.50 to rise to $43. The union said the company had offered workers a wage increase of 11 percent.

Yesterday morning a thousand workers travelled from Timika to Kuala Kencana town 20 kilometers away, where Freeport has employee housing and offices. Union spokesman Juli Parorongan said that more striking workers would go to Kuala Kencana today.

“We expect 9,000 to 10,000 workers to gather there,” he said. Freeport was unable to confirm the slash in production.

“The company is still trying to assess the impact of the strike on production and shipment,” company spokesman Ramdani Sirait said.

Workers disrupted production in July when they went on a week-long strike demanding wage hikes. Papua, a resourcerich region on New Guinea island, has been the site of a lowlevel separatist insurgency since its incorporation into Indonesia in the 1960s. Many indigenous Papuans say they are being exploited and have sought help the international community, but their complaints go largely unheard. — AFP

MUMBAI: India raised interest rates for the 12th time in 18 months and surprised markets by sticking with its antiinflationary stance even as growth slows in Asia’s third-largest economy and policymakers elsewhere focus on reviving flagging demand. The Reserve Bank of India lifted its policy lending rate, the repo rate , by 25 basis points to 8.25 percent, in line with expectations, as it persisted in a fight to curb inflation that has thus far mostly proven futile. The central bank said it was too soon to ease back from its anti-inflationary bias, dampening expectations that the RBI was finished with its current tightening cycle.

“A premature change in the policy stance could harden inflationary expectations, thereby diluting the impact of past policy actions. It is, therefore, imperative to persist with the current anti-inflationary stance,” it said in a statement. The RBI’s hawkishness, which saw it raise rates by an unexpectedly steep 50 basis points in July, isolates it from other central banks that have turned dovish on the back of a festering global crisis.

This sets India apart as trouble looms in the west. The US Federal Reserve has pledged to keep interest rates near zero for two years, while emerging heavyweights Brazil and Indonesia have eased policy. India’s headline inflation for August rose to 9.78 percent, its highest in more than a year. Growth and demand, however, have cooled following the cumulative impact of earlier rate increases and rising prices. “The comments still sound predominantly hawkish as the RBI stressed that inflation was still above comfort and generalized, with the marked rupee depreciation also bearing adverse implications for inflation,” said Radhika rao, economist at Forecast Pte in Singapore.

“Bottom line is that the central bank still wants to keep the door open for further rate tightening,” she said. The benchmark 10-year bond yield rose 4 basis points after the central bank kept up its hawkish tone, while the one-year swap rate surged 11 basis points.

Shares too trimmed gains to rise about

HYDERABAD: Indian members from the opposition Bharatiya Janatha Party (BJP) burn an effigy of petroleum Minister Jayapal Reddy and a scooter during a protest against petrol price hikes yesterday. — AFP 0.4 percent from 1.4 percent before the announcement.

While inflation was initially driven by food and fuel, both largely beyond the scope of monetary policy, it has spread to the core non-food manufacturing sector and remains far above the central bank’s perceived comfort zone of 4 to 4.5 percent. Meanwhile, initiatives that would drive investment in agriculture and infrastructure and alleviate supply bottlenecks have been stalled as the government of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has been preoccupied with managing a spate of scandals. “We are using only one policy lever to control inflation, while inflation is multifaceted. We need supply side measures simultaneously for a sustained decline in inflation,” said Samiran Chakraborty, India research head at Standard Chartered.

Managing expectations While New Delhi leans towards a progrowth bias, it has become increasingly resigned to the trade-off of managing inflation, with a key economic advisor forecasting growth of 7.5-8 percent for the next few years, below earlier government talk of a return to double-digits. Corporate India, meanwhile, has

Hermes to expand Chinese brand SHANGHAI: Shang Xia, the brand Hermes launched a year ago in Shanghai, will open outlets in Paris and Beijing after sales beat expectations, the head of the French fashion label Patrick Thomas said. Industry experts are closely watching the new brand to see what lessons it can offer to other high-end foreign labels looking to tap into China, where a rising number of wealthy people are snapping up luxury goods. Thomas said that while the brandlaunched specifically for the Chinese market-had yet to make a profit, results were “largely above expectations,” but did not give any specific figures.

“A second shop and a third shop should open in Paris and Beijing, probably next September,” Thomas told reporters in Shanghai on Thursday. Shang Xia, or “Up Down” in Mandarin, offers jewelry, clothes, homeware and furniture, and is headed by creative director Jiang Qionger, a Shanghai-based designer who is also a minority shareholder in the new company. “The Chinese (luxury) market is evolving extremely rapidly and there is more and more demand for top quality,” said Thomas. “China is very open to new projects and to creativity, and for us that’s the most outstanding trend in this market.” The Asian nation has proved a huge boon for Hermes, which is expecting a 40 percent rise in revenue this year, according to Thomas. The brokerage firm CLSA Asia-Pacific Markets predicted in January that China would become the world’s largest luxury goods market by 2020, accounting for 44 percent of worldwide sales and bigger than the entire global market is now. This market “has huge potential for growth... which will stay above 25 percent in the coming years,” Thomas said. —AFP

PARIS: Picture shows luxury goods house Hermes headquarters, Rue du Faubourg SaintHonore. — AFP

become increasingly gloomy as rate increases continue and growth slows.

“There seems to be no other alternative for RBI ... but I think government has got to look at alternatives now,” said Sunil Sikka, president of Havells India , which makes electronic equipment.

“Increasing the repo every now and then is a demand dampener,” he said.

“The cost in any case is passed on to the consumer. I don’t know how it is going to help, so far it has not.” Most economists in a poll released on Monday expected the central bank to raise rates yesterday and then pause in a tightening cycle that has made RBI Gov. Duvvuri Subbarao one of the most aggressive central bankers anywhere over the past two years.

But yesterday’s tough talk means more rate hikes may be in the offing, starting with the central bank’s next review on Oct 25. Industrial output in July was the weakest in nearly two years, while India’s June-quarter economic growth of 7.7 percent was the slowest in six quarters. The rupee, which plunged to a near two-year low against the US dollar on Wednesday, may further weaken on the rate rise, hitting India’s import bill. — Reuters

Asian stocks rally on central bank offensive HONG KONG: Asia-Pacific stock markets extended a global rally yesterday after the world’s most powerful central banks offered to inject US dollars into lenders squeezed by the eurozone debt crisis. The European Central Bank and its US, Japanese, Swiss and British counterparts announced Thursday they would act in concert to lend dollars to banks facing a shortage of the American currency.

The move sent European stocks soaring and helped Wall Street stay in positive territory for the fourth day in a row, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average closing up 1.66 percent at 11,433.18. Asian shares followed the lead. Japan’s Nikkei jumped 2.25 percent, or 195.30 points, to close at 8,864.16.In Australia, the S&P/ASX 200 rallied 1.91 percent, or 77.7 points, to end at 4,149.4, while the broader All Ordinaries closed up 1.85 percent. South Korea’s benchmark KOSPI index soared 3.72 percent, or 66.02 points, to 1,840.10 and Hong Kong rose 1.80 percent in the afternoon. “What was good about the liquidity announcement is that the (European Central Bank) has got ahead of the game,” said CMC Markets chief market strategist Michael McCarthy.”By acting decisively, they have averted what could have been a US dollar funding crisis.” —AFP

Business SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 17, 2011

Inflation squeezing consumers WASHINGTON: Consumers are spending more to fill their tanks, feed their families and pay the rent. At the same time, the number of people applying for unemployment benefits has reached the highest level in three months. The latest government data show that inflationary pressures and a depressed job market are hurting an economy that barely grew in the first half of the year.

Higher prices could also keep the Federal Reserve from taking major steps to stimulate the growth next week when policymakers meet. When prices rise, consumers cut back on big purchases, such as appliances, furniture and vacations. Mixed reports on manufacturing Thursday and flat retail sales in August suggest that may already be happening.

A decline in demand forces businesses to put off hiring and even lay off workers. In August, the economy added zero net jobs. Unemployment benefit applications have increased in three of the past four weeks. “Unless spirits improve soon, businesses will ramp up layoffs,

consumers will pull back, and the economy will fall back into recession,” said Mark Zandi, chief economist at Moody’s Analytics. Consumer prices rose 0.4 percent in August, according to the Labor Department’s Consumer Price Index. Prices for food, energy, rent, and clothing all increased. Excluding volatile food and energy costs, core prices increased 0.2 percent.

Some inflation can be healthy for the economy because it encourages people to spend and invest rather than sitting on their cash. More spending drives corporate growth, which makes businesses more likely to hire people. For the 12 months that ended in August, core prices surged 2 percent. That’s the biggest year-over-year increase in nearly three years, and it’s at the high end of the Federal Reserve’s informal inflation target. Rising inflation is a key reason Macroeconomic Advisors lowered its growth estimate for the July-September quarter from 1.9 percent to 1.6 percent. The economic consulting firm said higher prices will reduce consumer spending.

Economists don’t expect prices to rise much further, mostly because employers aren’t hiring much or handing out big raises. Still, the spike in prices over the past year has cut into consumers’ pay and limited their purchasing power. “In an environment where you’re now looking at zero job growth, it will be difficult to have much success passing on any additional costs,” said Tom Porcelli, chief U.S. economist at RBC Capital Markets. Unemployment benefit applications rose to 428,000 last week, the Labor Department said in a separate report. And the four-week average, a less volatile measure, rose for the fourth straight week to 419,500, the highest level in eight weeks. Applications need to fall below 375,000 to indicate that hiring is increasing enough to lower the unemployment rate. They haven’t been that low since February. The unemployment rate stayed at 9.1 percent for the second straight month in August. It has been above 9 percent for all but two months since May 2009 one month before the recession officially ended.—AP

Geithner presses EU to leverage bailout fund Finland sees no deal on Greek bailout/collateral row WROCLAW: US Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner urged euro zone ministers to leverage their 440 billion euro bailout fund and free more resources to tackle the debt crisis during a meeting yesterday, a senior euro zone official said. Washington set up an emergency fund to support US lenders during the global credit crisis but the official told Reuters Geithner made no reference to the 2008 TALF programme, whi ch sources had said could be a model for the European Financial Stability Facility (EFSF).

Analysts say the EFSF, set up in May 2010 and so far used to bail out Portugal and Ireland, must be increased in size to build market confidence that the debt crisis can be contained. But Germany and others refuse to bolster the fund and euro zone national parliaments have yet to ratify new powers agreed for the fund two months ago that would allow it to make precautionary loans to countries under attack and buy sovereign bonds to prop up struggling states.

Market sentiment remained buoyed yesterday after getting a lift on Thursday when the European Central Bank joined forces with central banks in Britain, the United States, Japan and Switzerland to reintroduce three-month dollar liquidity operations in the fourth quarter. Currently dollars are leant on a week-long basis.

World shares rose half a percent to one-week highs while the euro clung to gains from the previous session on hopes that European policymakers would finally come up with a bold plan to combat the nearly twoyear-old crisis.

That leaves scope for disappointment, not least because the central bank action denotes real concern about interbank lending drying up. Geithner’s presence at the meeting in Wroclaw served to underscore the level of US concern. “It is difficult for the euro zone to come up with anything concrete at this stage but they need to keep up the momentum,” said Gavin Friend, market strategist at National Australia Bank.

“Geithner gets how important all of this is ... Markets understand it will all take time to work through but they want to hear that the discussions are making good progress, that the Europeans are receptive to what Geithner has to say.” Geithner gave no details of how leveraging the EFSF could be done, the euro zone official said, perhaps wary of European sensitivities about Washington being too prescriptive. “We can always discuss with our American colleagues. I’d like to hear how the United States will reduce its deficits and ... its debt,” said Belgian Finance Minister Didier Reynders.

Leveraging the EFSF would be a new approach and could skirt objections to increasing the size of the fund outright, but there are concerns about the extra liabilities the leverage could create, especially for countries

such as France. In an unusual move, the European Banking Federation in Brussels issued a statement ahead of the finance ministers’ meeting calling on the EU to make “clear commitments for stronger governance and budgetary discipline”. “Now is the time for clarity and decisive action,” it said, adding that banks had already taken steps of their own to reform and prepare to withstand future crises. “We need a clear and united signal from finance ministers, central bankers and the ECB so that markets can regain confidence.”

Collateral conundrum With most economists saying a Greek default is inevitable at some point and the much larger Italian economy not out of the firing line despite parliament’s approval of a new austerity package this week, the pressure is on to act. Europe and the United States face 10 years of pain if a global solution for the euro zone debt crisis is not found soon, said former British prime minister Gordon Brown, an architect of the response to the world financial crisis of 2007-2009.

“Unless there is global coordination ... I foresee 10 years of low growth in Europe and America, I foresee very high levels of unemployment and I foresee a failure of coordination that will lead in the end to greater protectionism,” Brown said at the World Economic Forum in Dalian. German Chancellor Angela Me rkel again expressed her adamant opposition to the issuance of common euro zone bonds, which Germany fears will raise its borrowing costs even if it helps reduce the costs for riskier states.

Among the issues finance ministers will have to try to resolve yesterday is a row over the terms of a second bailout for Greece, with countries such as Finland demanding collateral in return for new loans-a major obstacle to a deal. “I think we are going to negotiate about it (collateral) but unfortunately I don’t see that we can find a solution tonight,” Finnish finance Minister Jutta Urpilainen told reporters. “We continue to negotiate, I’m optimistic that we can find a solution that everybody can accept.”

Collateral is a must for Helsinki but officials say a solution is coming together whereby it is made so expensive to demand it that no country but Finland will take it.

Policymakers expect international lenders to be able to recommend by the end of the month releasing a vital next tranche of aid to Greece, warding off the threat of an imminent default. While that may keep Greece afloat until it gets a second bailout package from the euro zone, its finance minister said the country would remain mired in recession through 2012, the fourth year in a row, a contraction that is only likely to fuel popular outrage at the austerity drive. — Reuters

NEW YORK: A trader watches warily at the New York Stock Exchange. — AP

Stocks rally on support plan for European banks NEW YORK: A joint effort by five major central banks to support Europe’s financial system set off a rally in US stocks Thursday. Gold plunged and Treasury yields rose as traders sold the safest investments. Markets in Europe soared. The European Central Bank, the US Federal Reserve and three other central banks said Thursday they would provide European banks with unlimited dollar loans. The aim is to fend off worries that the banks could be weakened by their holdings of government bonds from Greece and other struggling European countries. “It’s a pretty powerful action,” said Brian Gendreau, senior investment strategist at Cetera Financial Group. “And it’s another piece of news that leads you to think the crisis in Europe could be on the road to resolution.”

The Dow Jones industrial average rose 186.45 points, or 1.7 percent, to close at 11,433.18. The Standard & Poor’s 500 index rose 20.43 points, 1.7 percent, to 1,209.11. The index has jumped 4.8 percent this week but is still 10 points short of where it started the month. Worries that European banks would have difficulty borrowing have hung over markets in recent weeks. It’s a key element in the European debt crisis, rooted in the fear that cash-strapped governments in Greece and Italy won’t pay back their debts. European banks hold large amounts of debt issued by Greece and Italy, which they use as col-

lateral to borrow dollars. The danger is that banks could lose their ability to raise money when other lenders won’t take the collateral. Europe’s main stock markets jumped on the news.

Germany’s DAX and France’s CAC-40 gained 3 percent. The euro rose against the dollar as confidence in Europe’s shared currency increased.

Gold plunged $45, or 2.5 percent, to settle at $1,781 an ounce. Treasury prices fell, pushing their yields up. The yield on the 10-year Treasury note, which is used to set interest rates on a wide variety of loans, rose to 2.08 percent. The Nasdaq rose 34.52 points, 1.3 percent, to 2,607.07. The index has jumped 5.6 percent so far this week and is up 1.1 percent in September. The Dow is down 1.6 percent this month, the S&P 0.8 percent.

Daniel Alpert, managing partner at Westwood Capital in New York, said the stock market has been overreacting to Europe’s debt crisis, swinging in response to each new development. “ Every time there’s news out of Europe that’s not bad, the market reacts positively, and that’s occurring on almost a nightly basis,” he said. “You’d think the US economy might be part of what the market trades on, but the fact of the matter is, today and recently, it’s all been about Europe.” A move by just the Fed or the European central bank alone wouldn’t have been nearly as effective in restoring confidence in European lenders. —AP

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Spain Fashion Week sizzles Page 27

Serb mother claims son and nephew are human magnets Page 28

Chris “The Dutchess” Walton shows off her record breaking fingernails in New York. The Dutchess holds the world record for the longest fingernails on a pair of female hands, according to the new Guiness World Records 2012 book. After 18 years of growing them, Walton’s nails measure 10-feet-2-inches on her left hand and 9-feet-7-inches on her right hand. —AP

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Paul McCartney

posts wedding banns in London F

Ryan Gosling reflects on past relationships

ormer Beatle Paul McCartney posted wedding banns this week at Westminster Register Office in Marylebone, central London, the same venue where he married his first wife Linda over 40 years ago. The banns allow McCartney to marry New York heiress Nancy Shevell any time 16 days after the Sept.

14 posting at the Register office. It will be McCartney’s third marriage. Shevell, 51, who is divorced, and McCartney, 69, are believed to have begun dating after the Fab Four singer’s bitter split with second wife, former model Heather Mills. The banns list the couple as James Paul McCartney and Nancy Shevell. He gives his profession as “business executive” and his multi-millionaire future wife is listed simply as an “executive.” Alison Cathcart, Westminster City Council’s registrar for almost 20 years who has married celebrities including Sylvester Stallone and Joan Collins, said: “I’m delighted that Paul and Nancy have chosen Marylebone Town Hall for their special day. “I am honored to be conducting the ceremony and will get to see the look of joy on both their faces when I declare them husband and wife. “Lots of couples get married here because of the venue’s reputation as a rock’n’roll place to tie the knot and this ceremony will certainly continue that legacy.”

Happy marriage, bitter divorce McCartney was happily married for 29 years to American photographer Linda Eastman until her death of breast cancer in 1998. He said at

the time that he and Linda had spent just 11 nights apart during their marriage. The couple tied the knot at the same register office on March 12, 1969, and were greeted by hundreds of fans who had waited outside to catch a glimpse of one of the most famous figures in pop. McCartney’s marriage to Mills was less happy. The couple wedded in 2002 in a lavish ceremony at Castle Leslie in Ireland estimated by celebrity magazines to have cost around $3.2 million. But four years later they confirmed they had separated, blaming media intrusion into their private lives, and in 2008 the couple divorced. A judge had to rule on the size of the divorce settlement after the couple failed to reach an agreement themselves. Mills was eventually awarded 24.3 million pounds, which at the time equated to $48.7 million, ending one of the most acrimonious breakups in showbusiness history. Mills had sought five times as much and said McCartney was worth 800 million pounds. The judge ruled his fortune at the time was half that amount. McCartney’s partnership with John Lennon in The Beatles in 1960s Britain produced some of the most famous and enduring pop songs of the past 50 years. The “Hey Jude” singer has five children.

He has a son, two daughters and a stepdaughter from his marriage to Linda and a daughter from his union with Mills. McCartney’s spokesman declined to comment on his wedding plans when asked this week about press rumours of an impending ceremony. — Reuters

Ashton Kutcher isn’t ‘replacing’ Charlie Sheen T

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he ‘Drive’ actor - who dated Sandra for a year until 2003 and saw his two-year romance with Rachel end in 2007 - is currently too focused on his career to date and says he hasn’t found anyone who could “top” the romance he had with his former flames. He said: “There’s interest but I’m in a committed relationship with film. I’m giving as much to it as a marriage. “I had two of the greatest girlfriends of all time. I haven’t met anybody who could top them.” Ryan believes both relationships ended because both he and his girlfriends work in Hollywood. He explained in an interview with The Times newspaper: “Showbusiness is the bad guy. When both people are in showbusiness it’s too much showbusiness. It takes all of the light, so nothing else can grow.” The 30-year-old star also admitted he would love to have children and will happily give up his movie career when the time comes to start a family. He said: “I’d like to be making babies but I’m not, so I’m making movies. When someone comes along I don’t think I’ll be able to do both and I’m fine with that. I’ll make movies until I make babies. I have no idea when the handover will happen.”

he ‘No Strings Attached’ star took over the leading role in the comedy series following Charlie’s public meltdown and spat with the show’s creator Chuck Lorre, and he admits he has been “lucky” to get the job and hopes he can do as “incredible” a job as the troubled actor. He said: “I feel like the luckiest guy in the world. It’s always sort of nice to jump on something that’s already moving and successful and people have an appetite for it. It just seemed like the best job in the world. “Here’s the thing. Charlie was incredible on that show and I can’t, there’s no way I’m going to replace Charlie Sheen. I’m not playing his character. But it’s the same people that have been making people laugh the last eight years are going to keep making people laugh.” However, the 33-year-old hunk - who is married to actress Demi Moore - admits he was nervous about taking on the role as it meant leaving his film career behind for some time. Speaking on CBS’ ‘The Early Show’, Ashton said: “I had apprehensions for several reasons. I have a relatively successful film career and I knew it would shut down that for a minute. “I had a little apprehension about that because, when you have a good thing going, you don’t want to put the pause button in it.”

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Brad Pitt ‘values’ his friendship with Aniston T

he ‘Fight Club’ actor - who was married to the former ‘Friends’ star from 2000 to 2005 - recently claimed in an interview he “pretended the marriage was something it wasn’t” but he insists his comments were taken out of context and only has happy memories of his time with Jennifer. Brad - who now raises six children with partner Angelina Jolie - said in a statement: “It grieves me that this was interpreted this way. Jen is an incredibly giving, loving, and hilarious woman who remains my friend. It is an important relationship I value greatly. The point I was trying to make is not that Jen was dull, but that I was becoming dull to myself - and that, I am responsible for.”

During the interview with Parade magazine, Brad - who started dating Angelina shortly after announcing his split form Jennifer - said his life was dull and he wasn’t happy. He said: “I spent the 90s trying to hide out, trying to duck the full celebrity cacophony. I started to get sick of myself sitting on a couch, holding a joint, hiding out. It started feeling pathetic. It became very clear to me that I was intent on trying to find a movie about an interesting life, but I wasn’t living an interesting life myself.”

Eva Longoria says divorce ‘agrees’ with her

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 17, 2011

Gerard Butler T practices yoga for weight loss

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he ‘Coriolanus’ star unveiled his dramatically slimmer physique in August and he admits he has been keeping trim thanks to a careful diet and exercise plan. He said: “I ate my last meal in October and I run about 40 miles day. I’m joking! It’s just doing a lot of cardio and extremely watching what I eat. I stopped lifting big weights and I’m doing yoga. “It’s not hard to stay in shape. It’s hard to be in really good shape!” The Scottish hunk believes he may have also lost weight because he is doing a surfing movie in the future and has been training in preparation.

He added to US Weekly: “If I wear a long shirt, everyone says, ‘Oh my, God! He lost so much weight!’

But this is just how I look. “I just used to be a lot bigger. But now I’m surfing. I’m doing a surf movie so I have to slim down. I don’t know, maybe I’m sick or something!” Gerard is not the only Hollywood star to credit musclestretching exercise as a way of staying fit - Jennifer Aniston is also a fan. She previously said: “I do yoga, yoga is very important. I love it. If I’m not doing it, then my spirit sort of goes. “I try to do some form of exercise, even if it’s just for 20 minute a day, so that I get my body sweating and blood pumping.”

he ‘Desperate Housewives’ actress - who split from basketball star Tony Parker in November 2010 after three years of marriage - is amazed by how many people have told her she looks younger and better than ever since her marriage ended. She said: “I’m going, ‘Wow!’ I think divorce agrees with me!”

The 36-year-old beauty also admitted she is no longer still speaking to her former spouse, who she had been dating for three years before they wed. Asked if she still speaks to Tony by US TV talk show host Ellen DeGeneres, Eva

said: “No.” Eva - who is now dating Eduardo Cruz - revealed her divorce has taught her that she doesn’t have to be “subservient” to a man and she is now proud to be her own person.

She said: “For me, being a woman, I realized you cannot identify yourself through a man or through your marriage ... or through a partner.

I think it’s our nature to be socially constructed that way. To just be inferior or subservient and you don’t have to be. You can be yourself and really hold your own by yourself no matter what partnership you’re in.”

David Beckham getting custom-built motorbike

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he soccer star is keen to get out on the open road on his new vehicle and posted a photo of the low rider bike on his Facebook wall. He wrote underneath the image: “Here’s the latest picture of the bike I’m getting built from scratch, looking pretty special...” The black bike has a low seat and short handlebars, with disc brakes and a huge mudguard over the rear wheel and a sizeable engine. The 36-year-old star has been seen cruising on the bike in recent days over to Malibu in California, wearing an all black outfit, before parking up the bike and hitting the beach. David’s passion for motorbikes is one he shares with actor and friend Tom Cruise, and they both own nearly-identical Desmosedici RR bikes, worth around $72,500 each. They are also both said to own special edition $90,000 F131 Hellcat Combat bikes and they are even said to have started their own gang, The Midnight Boys Bike Club, in the Hollywood Hills together. A source previously said: “The boys love to ride. They’re out as often as they can. At midnight they can get away with ¨cruising around in a group and seeing the sights of LA without a zillion paparazzi chasing them around.

“They’ve had so much fun. They are trying to get other Hollywood actors like Orlando Bloom and Brad Pitt to join the group. It’s a case of the more the merrier.” — BangShowbiz

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Marc Jacobs closes NY Fashion Week with dance hall M

arc Jacobs closed the curtain on New York Fashion Week with a dance hall theme that confirmed some trends for spring and created new ones with a mix of filmy, futuristic fringe, Western-style shapes and drop-waist dresses. With a line of models draped over chairs Thursday night, the industry darling tweaked silhouettes from several different eras to move along the look for next season. The 1920s, 1960s and what might pass for blase in Year 2050 were represented in shades of baby blue, grass green, wine red and luminescent white. Some models wore clear ankle boots and others walked in modernesque headscarves. “To end the week like this is how it should be.

It’s like he’s the director of this great production,” said Joe Zee, the creative director of Elle magazine. “I love that it’s not a literal interpretation of any one thing. It’s a potpourri that works.”

Jacobs, Ralph Lauren, Proenza Schouler and others among the most influential lines in the business wrapped up eight days of previews before the industry moves on to the runways of London, starting Friday, followed by Milan and Paris.

Lauren’s show always seems to come at the right time, when the exhausted crowd needs a breath of fresh elegance after eight days of non-stop fashion. They got it this time around with his loose “Great Gatsby” silhouettes and wide-legged suits, some paired with men’s ties that looked more Tom than Daisy. The pale palette shimmered in soft pinks, silvers, whites and greens. It was a distinct departure from the bursts of bright color and lessdainty florals that dominated eight days of shows for editors, stylists and retailers.

Feathers in boas were carried over to the neck and hemlines of flapper dresses in outfits complete with hats of the era.

Elegance came in delicate slip dresses from Francisco Costa’s vision of next spring for Klein, in the colors of blush, champagne and black.

Another classic American brand, Bill Blass, preserved the past and forged a future in the hands of Jeffrey Monteiro. He was chosen almost two years ago to revive the line after years of tough going for the company. He showed familiar, impeccably tailored navy coats and blazers, but underneath a navy twill peacoat was a bandeau top. A white halter jumpsuit had no back at all.

Ralph lauren The intersection of sportswear and elegance happens on the Lauren runway. It gives him a place on the American fashion scene like no one else. There was a feminine hint of ruffle in a floral print, optic white menswear suits, luxe liquidlike fabrics and Deco beading were all part of Lauren’s reimagining of ‘20s style. Lauren showed great skill in balancing simple shapes the hardest thing to do well - with glamorous details: an ostrich feather scarf here or beaded bag there. The ivory skirt suit with a hammered-satin tank top, accessorized with an embroidered linen

The Marc Jacobs Spring 2012 collection is modeled Thursday, September 15, 2011 during Fashion Week in New York. — AP Photos clutch bag and ivory sandal is a lot harder to pull off than something dripping with decoration. “He’s so renowned for desirable, memorable and modern clothes,” said Glenda Bailey, editor in chief of Harper’s Bazaar. Virginia Smith, fashion market director at Vogue, added: “It’s sort of Ralph Lauren’s world and we’re living in it.” She especially liked the gowns - the knockout floral lame and the off-theshoulder goddess style - among them.

“They were a tour de force.”

Olivia Wilde seemed to show particular interest in the robin’s egg-blue georgette dress with beading on one hip. How fast can the Lauren team get that gown on the plane for tomorrow’s Emmy Awards?

Proenza schouler Considered one of the most influential collections on the runways here, duo Lazaro Hernandez and Jack McCollough seemed one step ahead with more trim, tailored shapes.But they also confirmed emerging trends with optimistic flashes of yellow and aqua, clean shapes and a lot of prints. The first model wore a buttoned-up jacket and tasteful, though super-short, shorts in dark brown with a tiger print.

From there, the designers moved down the spectrum from crocheted raffia, with a slight sheen and geometric details that oozed crafty chic, to very modern techcrepe fabrics that hug the body. Both showed that Hernandez and McCollough continue to experiment with texture as much as silhouette.

Naeem khan Khan could have outfitted an entire slate of Oscar nominees with his runway offerings. It was a glamorous array of sequined, beaded and ruffled gowns with a stylistic focus on Spain. Khan got a standing ovation after closing with one of his grander creations, a ballgown in silver

with a fringed bodice and an extravagantly full skirt. The Indian-born Khan has famously designed gowns for Michelle Obama at not one but two state dinners.

“It was stunning,” actress Mischa Barton told him after the show. Colors were not confined to any particular scheme; there were bright oranges and yellows, reds and blues, roses and mauves, grays and burgundies, blacks and whites. (And, of course, gold and silver.)

color, Monteiro included not only bright red - a signature color of Blass, who left the company in 1999 and died in 2002 but also a bold yellow. A sequined gown of that color was a surprising, almost jarring burst of brightness. In a backstage interview, Monteiro made it clear he was honoring the past. “We have the archive, and that’s always the inspiration,” he said.

“Classic American sportswear.

Sophisticated and easy.”

Calvin klein It was an unusually feminine display for Costa. Dresses had sheer trim on the bustline, or in some cases a sheer top.

Hemlines were just a touch asymmetrical.

In a switch from other designer collections previewed over eight days, these were longer in the front and shorter in the back. Fluted and pleated skirts evoked a ‘40s feel, and some of the long silk and jacquard coats were worn like robes, adding to the lingerie look. Imagine the muse of a wartime spy, dashing out in the dark. “It’s a very exciting season because, you know, I think what I wanted to convey with the collection it was really feminine clothes that was very relevant for today ... no tricks just really quality in the making and interesting cuts,” said Costa backstage. The collection also included wideleg pants, worn with a shawl-collared vest, and culottes that showed off spiked stiletto heels.

Elie tahari What do ancient Egypt and the hourglass silhouettes of the early 20th century have in common? Nothing, except that they both inspired Tahari’s glammed-up version of his famous daytime wear that made use of longer lengths, lots of gold think Cleopatra - and sexier accents like harem pants, transparent tops and feathered vests. Tahari’s show started with an appealing pantsuit, the jacket coming down to the knees and creating a slender, flattering silhouette. Soon the more glamorous elements appeared: Fluttering, transparent blouses, a bright gold metallic skirt, a fur vest. A long vest-jacket topped a crinkled chiffon skirt, a more whimsical approach to Tahari’s muchadmired daywear. For night, a gold metal tank dress seemed to hit the spot for many of Tahari’s fans.

Bill blass Other interesting accents? A shirt tail hem on a black racerback tank, trailing gracefully behind the wearer, and a black organza top with an accordion pleat back.

And while a red long-sleeved gown with an accordion pleat skirt seemed a little stodgy, the navy-and-white satin halter gown with a dot georgette skirt looked fresh and chic. Nodding to the trend of big

Ralph rucci To build on artful, architectural and expensive wardrobes, Rucci offered several modern looks with sheer plastic panels.

Sometimes it was an inset around the bodice, sometimes more subtle on the cuff of a jacket or hem of a skirt. And there was a white neoprene coat, paired with a faille straight skirt, like you’ve never seen neoprene before. He used silver python for a banded skirt that was worn with a sheer chiffon button-front blouse. —AP

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Models present outfits by Caroline Charles at London Fashion Week in London, yesterday. — AP photos

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Fashion Week

Spain

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Models display Spring/Summer designs by Andres Sarda during the Pasarela Cibeles fashion show, in Madrid, yesterday. — AP

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Models display Spring/Summer designs by Roberto Verino during the Pasarela Cibeles fashion show in Madrid, yesterday. — AP photos

A model displays a Spring/Summer design by Jesus Del Pozo during the Pasarela Cibeles fashion show, in Madrid yesterday.

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 17, 2011

Serb mother claims son and nephew are human magnets

Valeria Martynyuk of the Mariinsky Ballet from St Petersburg performs during a rehearsal of Don Quixote at the Esplanade, or Singapore’s Theatres on the Bay, in Singapore yesterday. — AP

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wo small boys from a central Serbian town are able to attract metal objects, acting much like human magnets, says the mother of one of them.

Sanja Petrovic, the mother of 4-year-old David, said it first came to her attention “about a month ago.” “I asked him to fetch me a spoon so I cold feed his little brother, and he yelled back: ‘Mom, it sticks!’” Petrovic recalled. “I found him with several spoons and forks hanging from his body.” Terrified, the 26-year-old woman - who lives in the town of Gornji Milanovac - phoned her sister, who discovered that her son, Luka, 6, has the same attraction. “Other kids in the family can’t do this, just the two of them,” Petrovic said. The phenomenon is rare and so far medically unexplained. Several similar cases, however, have recently been reported in Serbia, and also in Croatia and Bosnia. “As far as I know, there is no medical or scientific explanation,” said radiologist Mihajlo Dodic, who runs a practice in the Serbian capital, Belgrade. He said the cousins’ magnetism borders on the “paranormal.”

Luka’s father, Slavisa Lukic, said doctors have examined the boys, and announced them to be perfectly healthy, adding that they should be monitored as they grow up. “Nobody can tell us why this is happening,” he said. David’s mother said her son loses his magnetic powers when he is asleep, but regains them when he wakes up and starts moving. When he plays with his friends “anything will stick to him,” she said. Afterward he will feel a little chilly and tired, she said. Both David and Luka are happy to put on a show for to visitors. On cue, the boys proudly smile and raise their hands in the air to show that cutlery and plates stick to their bodies without assistance. The rest of the family also seem to have grown accustomed to the peculiarity and the attention. “It was in shock at first, but now we just try to keep the knives away from them,” Petrovic says. — AP

David Petrovic, 4, stands in his garden as silverware sticks on his chest in Gornji Milanovac. — AP

5 Gus Van Sant films

Best

Luka Lukic, 6, center, stands in his garden while a metal plate and silverware sticks on his chest. — AP

G

us Van Sant has made an eclectic array of films over the past quartercentury, but throughout that time he’s repeatedly explored the restlessness of youth. This week, the director is out with his latest - which happens to be titled “Restless” - about a couple of teenagers (Henry Hopper and Mia Wasikowska) who are fascinated with death. It’s not a career highlight for him - it’s too twee and never achieves the emotional resonance it seeks - but it provides us with a good opportunity to pick five of his best films. A quick note: I would have loved to have found room for “Paranoid Park,” but I only get to pick five. That’s why the game is fun:

• “Good Will Hunting” (1997): Van Sant sometimes makes small, quiet films that challenge your attention span, and I admire him for such daring. But one of his most mainstream movies also happens to be one of his best. Nominated for nine Oscars (including best picture), it won two: for supportingactor Robin Williams and for the original screenplay from co-stars Matt Damon and Ben Affleck. Its uplifting story arc may be formulaic but the strength and honesty of the performances give it surprising emotional heft - especially from Damon as a troubled math genius in the role that marked his arrival as a major, serious actor. And the sense of place Van Sant evokes of workingclass Boston is inescapable.

• “Milk” (2008): On its surface, this could have been shamelessly mawkish. Instead, Van Sant presents the last eight years in the life of Harvey Milk, the slain San Francisco politician and gay rights activist, with a mix of vivid details and nuanced heart. He’s also drawn from Sean Penn one of the most glorious performances ever in the actor’s long and varied career, one that duly earned Penn his second best-actor Oscar. “Milk” also won an Academy Award for Dustin Lance Black’s original screenplay. It hits all the important

In this image released by Focus Features, Sean Penn portrays gay rights activist Harvey Milk in a scene from “Milk,” directed by Gus Van Sant. —AP marks but never feels like a typical biopic, a superficial, greatest-hits collection. Jumping back and forth in time, “Milk” flows easily and comfortably; it makes us feel like we’re witnessing the natural, propulsive drive of a life that mattered.

• “Drugstore Cowboy” (1989): An alltime classic drug movie, it realistically depicts the desperation that takes hold when you’re hooked. It’s also a great movie about criminals on the run, and how they create their own little universe while trying to avoid the real world. Matt Dillon alternates between cool charisma and manic superstition as the leader of a group of junkies (Kelly Lynch, James Le Gros, Heather Graham) who rob pharmacies to feed their habit in 1971 Portland. In their own screwed-up way, they’re formed a community, and they look out for each other. Their lives are cheaply thrilling and deeply sad.

• “To Die For” (1995): A pitch-black, razor-sharp satire about the desire for fame and the lengths to which people will go to acquire it. Nicole Kidman is both hilarious and frightening as a perky but driven smalltown wife with dreams of becoming a big-

name television personality. In an array of candy-colored get-ups and a perfect coif, she’s a Barbie doll with ice water in her veins.

But her dark side reveals itself as she plots to kill her husband (Dillon, again) with the help of some misfit teenagers (including Joaquin Phoenix and Casey Affleck). Working from a script from Buck Henry, himself a TV veteran, Van Sant never lets up on her, or on the characters who might have seemed innocent at the film’s start.

• “My Own Private Idaho” (1991): It’s impossible to look back on one of River Phoenix’s films without feeling great sadness and wondering what might have been. Here, he plays a scruffy, narcoleptic hustler named Mike who’s woefully adrift and in need of some human tenderness. It’s a delicate performance in a dangerous world and watching it, you long to see him protected sand safe. His only real friend is Scott, played with cool confidence by Keanu Reeves. He hustles not because he needs to - the son of Portland’s mayor, he has a large inheritance coming his way but because it’s rebellious. Together they navigate a landscape that’s both absurd and dreamlike. — AP

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 17, 2011

Stars come out for

‘Abduction’ premiere

Justin Bieber

Sigourney Weaver

Charlie Sheen says he’s not angry at ‘Men’ anymore

C

harlie Sheen seems to have buried the hatchet. Appearing on Thursday’s “Tonight Show,” the former star of “Two and a Half Men” radiated a forgiving mood toward his old workplace.

Asked by host Jay Leno if he’s still angry at the sitcom’s producers and network, he said no: He would have fired himself had he been in their shoes. Then he added with a laugh, “Well, maybe not like they did.”

Sheen was dumped last March after the actor railed against his bosses, and they blasted him for his unpredictable behavior as a drug-abusCharlie Sheen, who ing, reckless playboy. “It was bad,” Sheen said, summing up the clash, appeared in Thursday’s “and I own my part in that, and I just episode of the “Tonight want to make everything right.”

Show,” is shown. — AP Asked why he thought he should have been fired, Sheen explained, “I should have been a little more responsible about the condition I was showing up in.” He told Leno he has not had any contact with his former castmates, but said he felt no animosity toward them. His formerly strained relationship with his father, actor Martin Sheen, is “totally repaired,” he said.

“We’re buddies again.” On Monday, the hit CBS comedy returns for a new season with Ashton Kutcher as Sheen’s replacement. He praised Kutcher as being “accomplished,” and when asked if he had any advice for his successor, he said he’d like to give him a hug and tell him, “Make me proud, dude.” Sheen is also being interviewed on today’s edition of “Today.” These appearances plug a Comedy Central roast of him airing on Monday. — AP

John Singleton

Lily Collins Taylor Lautner

TECHNOLOGY SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 17, 2011

Grandparents with webcam become new online stars Video swiftly reaches 3 million hits

SAN JOSE: This frame grab provided by eBay Inc., shows a still frame from a commercial that will be part of the new Ad campaign. — AP

eBay targets mobile users in attempt to seem hip SAN JOSE: eBay’s name is synonymous with auctions, but that’s created an image problem for the online marketplace. These days, most of the things people purchase on the site aren’t sold through auctions; they have fixed prices. And, the majority of items for sale are new -not musty antiques or old collectibles. Richelle Parham, eBay Inc.’s chief marketing officer, says plenty of people see eBay as an auction-focused marketplace, despite the reality. “We need to change that perception,” she says. The company wants to be seen as an e-commerce innovator, rather than a staid auction site.

To promote that image, eBay is embarking on a major ad campaign aimed at consumers who shop on smartphones. At the same time, eBay hopes it will change consumers’ misperceptions about the company.

The campaign, eBay’s first big marketing effort in several years, comes in the midst of a multi-year effort to improve the buying and selling experience on eBay.com. It’s the 16-year- old company’s first campaign to focus on mobile shopping - a still-small, but rapidly growing revenue source. The company was one of the first to offer an iPhone app through Apple Inc.’s App Store when it opened in mid-2008, and in the last three years, eBay’s various smartphone and tablet apps have been downloaded more than 50 million times. People aren’t just using the apps to browse.

They’re buying. In 2010, the value of goods purchased from the site using mobile devices totaled $2 billion. This year, eBay predicted that figure would double, and mobile vice president Steve Yankovich says the company will unquestionably top its $4 billion goal. Mobile apps are bringing in new users, too. Between January and July, nearly 500,000 new eBay shoppers joined up and made their first purchase via mobile. “We’re seeing more people on their mobile devices,” says Parham. —AP

McMINNVILLE: It slowly began to dawn on Esther and Bruce Huffman that perhaps they were being filmed.

“Warning,” the gray-haired, bespeckled grandmother reads off the screen. “You must stop recording before trying to close cyber link.” Pause. “Maybe this recorded us,” says the neatly coiffed, rosy-cheeked man next to her. “Aw, gee,” Esther replies. The realization came toward the end of a nearly threeminute video that has launched the retired Oregon couple to YouTube stardom. They had unwittingly captured their first attempt at learning how to work the webcam on a new laptop. The Huffmans met a couple of years after Bruce’s first wife died, at the retirement complex in which they both lived. She liked his vivacity; he thought she would be a sturdy rudder to his boundless energy.

In the video, she plays the straight man as she tries to make a serious attempt at the request of their children and grandchildren. He’s bouncing in his seat next to her, making monkey faces.

Esther had bought a laptop late this summer. Already a Facebook user, she was asked by her family to try recording videos for the amusement of the grandchildren. In mid-August, the couple sat in front of their laptop, fiddling with the controls of a video recording program.

Somehow, they got the program running. Somehow, they pressed “record.”

It was filming as Bruce jokingly fretted about his appearance. “I’m so sad, Esther, I’m so sad,” Bruce says with a sad-clown expression. “Look at all the wrinkles up there and the cracks in my head.” There is singing.

“Hello my darling, hello my baby, hello my ga-doh-go,” Bruce intones,

MCMINNVILLE: Bruce Huffman makes a monkey face on Thursday as his wife Esther laughs. — AP sliding from Looney Tunes into gibberish. “Lala-te-ki-ka.” Bruce makes faces, leaning close to the laptop screen and blowing out his cheeks: “Now look at the monkey. That’s a pretty good monkey!” When the couple realizes the webcam might have been recording their antics, they stiffen. But their 21-yearold granddaughter, Mindy, saw the video’s potential. With their permission, she uploaded the file, dubbing it “Webcam 101 for Seniors.” By Thursday, it was nearing 3 million views on YouTube. In the crush of media that has descended on them, the Huffmans struggle to explain what made the video so compelling. After all, it was just a couple minutes of two Oregonians in a retirement community doing ... well, not much. Perhaps, Esther said, people

were attracted to its joy. We’re under such a negative news barrage daily, she said. War, crime, natural disasters wouldn’t people rather watch an 86year-old man singing Looney Tunes?

Lynette Paulson, Esther’s daughter, ventured that the unmitigated happiness in video resonates with viewers. “They want to see that joy,” Paulson said. “It just brings you up.” Or maybe, said 27year-old grandson Luke Erickson, it shows the possibility that age doesn’t mean infirmness or discontent, but that two spectacularly unself-conscious people eight decades on are capable of happiness and supporting and loving each other. “I don’t know how to do this,” Esther complains in the video.

Bruce leans in to her. “Whatever you do,” he says, “you do fine.”— AP

Review

Livescribe smartpen iPad’s exact opposite NEW YORK: Here’s a consumer electronics riddle: What’s the opposite of the iPad?Answer: the Livescribe Echo “smartpen.” It’s as if Livescribe and Apple both looked at the old pen-and-pad combination, but completely disagreed on how to take it into the digital age. Apple put all the smarts into the pad. Livescribe put all the smarts in the pen. I don’t have to tell you which is the better idea - iPad sales have helped make Apple Inc. the most valuable company in the world.

Livescribe is tiny.But the Echo is interesting enough to be worth a look, particularly with some recent software updates. It starts at $100, making it more affordable than the iPad, and it could be a good tool for a student. The Echo is a fat, cigar-like pen with a small screen near the top. It works as a regular ball-point pen, leaving ink marks on paper. But its reason for being is that it records what you write, and its microphone records what you’re hearing at the same time.

It matches up the audio recording with the recorded writing, so that if you tap the pen on something you’ve already

written, it will play back the audio recording, either through its built-in speaker or through headphones. This is useful in almost any situation where you want to record something for future reference, be it a lecture or an interview. Certainly, you can do the same thing on the iPad, with apps that match up audio and writing.

But writing on the iPad isn’t easy. Styluses are awkward, and typing on the screen is not much better. You can use a PC instead - Microsoft’s excellent OneNote application records audio and typing but you need to sit down to use a PC, and their microphones can be iffy. So, the Echo is still the best tool for note-taking,

particularly when you’re standing or when hammering away at a PC would seem rude, like in a meeting. I used Livescribe’s earlier model, the Pulse, quite a bit in my reporting job, and found the ability to tap back into a conversation to get a verbatim quote useful on several occasions. (In the old days, reporters used to learn shorthand. Today, we scribble furiously.)

The Echo improves on the Pulse by replacing proprietary audio and data ports with a standard headphone and microUSB port. The USB port also charges the pen. On the software side, the pen now “talks” better to other programs. For instance, you can mark pages and have them sent in an email as soon as you connect your pen to your computer. You can also send them to Google Docs, for sharing, or to OneNote, to keep your notes tidy. You can also post them on Facebook, perhaps for sharing lecture notes with friends. The writing looks good on screen - much better than it would look if you simply wrote on a pad, then scanned or photographed it. —AP

Technology SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 17, 2011

China seeks to tether the microblog tiger Chinese government looking to tighten controls BEIJING: Mao Zedong famously said a single spark could start a revolutionary prairie fire. That fear is now driving his Communist Party successors to grapple with how to tame China’s expanding legions of microbloggers. A stream of warnings in state media has exposed how nervous Beijing is about the booming microblogs and their potential to tear at the seams of party censorship and controls. Chinese microblogs, especially Sina Corp’s dominant service, carry plenty of celebrity gossip and harmless fare. But they also offer raucous forums for lambasting officials and reporting unrest or official abuses. It is their potential to stoke popular discontent, even protest, that worries Beijing. “The government feels it’s on the back foot about this,” said Li Yonggang, a professor at Nanjing University who studies Internet policy, adding researchers and think-tanks had been mobilised to study how to strengthen microblog management.

“There’s a feeling that additional regulation, formal or informal, is on the way.” The number of Chinese users registered on domestic microblog sites reached 195 million by the end of June, an increase of 209 percent on the number at the end of 2010, according to the China Internet Network Information Center. Most use Sina’s “Weibo” service, launched in August 2009, or rival Tencent Holding’s “QQ” service.

Officials, however, have not been singing the same tune about how far the government should go to rein in microblogs. Dozens of rival agencies claim a stake in regulating China’s Internet and “there are certainly different stances,” said Li. Some officials have decried “Weibo” (pronounced “way-baw”) as a tool for reckless rumours and subversion; others have defended it as a challenging, but much-needed, window into the public soul.

Despite the jitters, Beijing is extremely unlikely to close microblogs, a step that experts said could unleash its own prairie fire of public anger and distrust that would give even China’s thickskinned leaders pause. “There’s this Chinese proverb, ‘qi hu, nan xia’ (once riding a tiger, it’s hard to dismount), and that’s the problem the government has-that it got onto this thing, allowed it to start, and now to shut it down, that would be a nuclear option,” said Bill Bishop, a Beijing-based investor and adviser on China’s Internet sector who runs the DigiCha.com blog. “It would be surprising if they kill it or completely neuter it, but I think a likely outcome is a set of incremental tweaks and controls,” Bishop said of Beijing’s approach. “You’ve got to remember that this is basically a real-time stream of what Chinese

people are thinking, and that’s not just incredibly valuable to people who care about public opinion, but also for those monitoring security problems,” he said.

Stricter controls could include time delays so comments are more finely filtered before spreading online, and demanding at least some classes of users register with their real names, which many do not do now, said several industry analysts. Beijing also could impose new license conditions on microblog operators, slimming down the number of players to a more manageable and compliant number, some analysts also said. “Microblog regulation will be a game of cat and mouse,” said Wang Junxiu, a Beijing-based Internet investor and commentator who follows debates on China’s microblogs. “There’s clearly a trend towards stricter controls, but the costs of outright shutting them down would be too high.”

A megaphone for every citizen Ever since the Internet arrived in China, the Communist Party has been figuring out ways to monitor and restrict online information and images, and its controls are among the most sophisticated and pervasive in the world. China also blocks popular foreign sites such as Facebook, YouTube and Twitter. But the explosion of microblog use has pushed China’s contest over information into unfamiliar terrain, where censors have lagged like potbellied and puffing hunters left flatfooted behind hordes of fleeing rabbits. Microblogs allow users to issue bursts of opinion-a maximum of 140 Chinese characters-that can cascade through chains of followers who instantly receive those messages, challenging censors who have a hard time monitoring the tens of millions of messages sent every day. Inventive users adopt alternative words to get around censorship filters.

“We have no other venue for speaking out, because the public’s voice can’t appear on television or news or newspapers, and so microblogs have become the most effective way for instantly expressing the heartfelt feelings of the public,” said Liu Zicheng, a 20-year-old student trawling through his microblog on a web-connected cell phone in a Beijing cafe. “If my microblog was shut down, it would be like I’d lost a habitual part of life, like putting on socks every day before you step out the door,” said Liu. Beijing’s worries go beyond the embarrassing exposes of officials’ misdeeds and mistresses now common on microblogs. It worries that the torrents of messages could overwhelm censorship and trigger unrest-a fear reinforced by the role

of social media in Arab anti-government uprisings and riots in London.

“Weibo can be like a megaphone in the hands of every user,” said Li, the Nanjing University professor. “If you shout fast enough and loud enough you can attract widespread attention and there can be a snowball effect so everyone joins in and feels bolder about speaking out.”

China felt that force in July when microblogs became a forum for lashing the government over a deadly high-speed rail crash.

Images of a peaceful protest against a north China chemical plant in August also spread on microblogs.

Earlier this year, searches and message forwarding on Sina’s “Weibo” site were briefly suspended during government alarm over online calls for protests inspired by the Arab uprisings. “At present, microblogging is still tolerable to the government, but there is a fear of a potential crisis such as the London riots,” said Wang Wen, a newspaper commentator in Beijing who has advocated tighter management of microblogs. “If there’s a collective incident related to microblogs, the government will step up management of it.”

NO SHUT DOWN But China’s leaders would consider shutting microblogs only in extreme circumstances, such as nationwide protests or panic, said Yu Guoming, a professor of journalism at Renmin University in Beijing and co-author of a recent study of microblogging. Instead, Beijing is exploring ways to tame the microblog so it remains a useful forum for monitoring opinion, but stays within the ultimate grip of authorities. The government is “still at the stage of collecting ideas” about how to better manage microblogs, said Yu. Ways of putting microblogs on a tighter leash that have been floated include a time-delay so operators can monitor messages more thoroughly before they go out, and demanding that users who forward messages use their real names, which could deter many of them from challenging censorship. Even relatively limited steps could draw an outcry from microblog users, said Mark Natkin, managing director of Marbridge Consulting, a Beijing-based company that advises investors about China’s Internet and telecommunications sectors. Tighter controls could also come tied to new license demands, which could be used to reduce the number of Chinese microblog operators and keep only those seen as reliable enforcers of government demands.

For now, Chinese microblog sites are formally operating on a “trial” basis. — Reuters

PALO ALTO: In this May 10, 2011 file photo, the exterior view of Skype offices in Palo Alto, Calif., are shown. Internet phone service Skype said yesterday, a “small percentage” of its users have been unable to sign in to its service but it is taking steps to resolve the problem. — AP

Nintendo 3DS has extra controller-button device TOKYO: Nintendo’s add-on button device for its 3DS video game machine is facing criticism as a possible design flaw and a detraction for the already struggling portable.

Some critics say Nintendo Co. is embarrassed about the 1,500 yen ($20) “slide pad,” noting President Satoru Iwata didn’t mention a word about the gadget at his presentation earlier this week. The device, which goes on sale in Japan on Dec. 10, works as another controller. It’s handy to have for more complex games from outside software makers like the “Monster Hunter” series from Capcom Co., set to go on sale in Japan on the same day. Five other games, including “Metal Gear Solid Snake Eater 3D” from Konami Corp., also can use the extra device. More games may be added to the list.

Nintendo, the Japanese manufacturer of the Wii home console and Super Mario and Pokemon games, says the peripheral part isn’t necessary, just a matter of preference.

Adding it helps deliver a gaming experience more similar to a home console in remote-controlling.

Hiroshi Kamide, analyst at JPMorgan Securities Japan Co., believes Nintendo is displaying a surprising lack of confidence. “It’s a bit of a shame. Only six months after releasing a new platform they’re having to come out with an attachment to make it more attractive for some people,” he said.

Game fans were disappointed. The part, although not massive, makes 3DS bulky and harder to carry around in your pocket, important for a portable. No wonder the device was quietly introduced on the company website this week.

Iwata said nothing about the device during his presentation, although he delivered praise about the upcoming “Monster Hunter” and other games to a packed

crowd at a Tokyo event. The device has also been witnessed, but not displayed prominently, at the Capcom booth at the Tokyo Game Show exhibition, which previewed to media Thursday and opens to the public this weekend.

“I think it feels like too little too late, and it also confuses consumers,” Jean Snow, a gaming expert, who writes about Japanese pop culture. “I do believe it was a design flaw not to include it.” Snow said having the additional controller makes a big difference in shooting games, and he expects the feature to be later included in a 3DS upgrade. Competition in portable gaming is heating up with the arrival of Japanese rival Sony Corp.’s latest portable offering, PlayStation Vita, which already comes with buttons that work in a similar way as the 3DS new device.

PlayStation Vita goes on sale in Japan on Dec. 17, and early next year in the US and Europe. Both 3DS and PlayStation Vita face a threat from smartphones and tablet devices that also offer onthe-go games and other entertainment.

Nintendo has already slashed the price of the 3DS in a move analysts say is a sure sign it’s worried about wooing consumers. Kamide says Nintendo is likely to fall short of its sales target of 16 million 3DS by the end of the fiscal year through March 2012. So far, Nintendo has sold just 4.32 million 3DS machines around the world.

Nintendo has ruled in portable gaming for years. It sold nearly 150 million DS machines since they went on sale in 2004, outpacing the Sony PlayStation Portable, whose cumulative global sales total 71 million. But the gaming industry may be rapidly changing.

“It’s a bit of a hard sell,” Kamide said of the 3DS attachment. — AP

TV listings

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 17, 2011

00:45 Untamed & Uncut 01:40 Jaws Comes Home: Return Of The...

02:35 Whale Wars 03:30 Monster Bug Wars 04:25 Dogs 101 05:20 Animal Cops Houston 06:10 Must Love Cats 07:00 Meerkat Manor 07:25 Crocodile Hunter 08:15 The Really Wild Show 08:40 Animal Crackers 09:10 New Breed Vets With Steve Irwin 10:05 Dogs 101 11:55 Crocodile Hunter 12:50 Animal Cops Houston 13:45 Monster Bug Wars 14:40 Chris Humfrey’s Wildlife 15:05 Chris Humfrey’s Wildlife 15:35 Venom Hunter With Donald Schultz 16:30 New Breed Vets With Steve Irwin 17:25 Cheetah Kingdom 17:50 Cheetah Kingdom 18:20 Big Five Challenge 19:15 Bad Dog 20:10 Dogs 101 21:05 Sharkman 22:00 Sharkman 22:55 Monster Bug Wars 23:50 Max’s Big Tracks

00:00 2 Pints Of Lager And A Packet Of Crisps 00:30 The Weakest Link 01:20 True Dare Kiss 02:10 Robin Hood 03:00 Gavin & Stacey 03:30 Doctors 04:00 Last Of The Summer Wine 04:30 Balamory 04:50 The Roly Mo Show 05:05 Me Too 05:25 Jackanory Junior 05:40 Poetry Pie 05:45 Poetry Pie 05:50 Balamory 06:10 The Roly Mo Show 06:25 Me Too 06:45 Jackanory Junior 07:00 Balamory 07:20 The Roly Mo Show 07:35 Me Too 07:55 Jackanory Junior 08:10 Poetry Pie 08:20 Balamory 08:40 The Roly Mo Show 08:55 Me Too 09:15 Jackanory Junior 09:30 Poetry Pie 09:45 Last Of The Summer Wine 10:45 Ray Mears’ Northern Wilderness 11:35 Robin Hood 12:20 Eastenders 14:20 After You’ve Gone 14:55 The Weakest Link 15:40 Ray Mears’ Northern Wilderness 16:30 Robin Hood 17:15 The Weakest Link 18:00 After You’ve Gone 18:30 Holby City 19:20 Holby City 20:10 Robin Hood 20:55 As Time Goes By 21:25 Allo Allo 22:00 The Royle Family 22:30 Blackadder 23:00 Blackadder 23:35 Little Britainv

00:15 01:10 02:05 03:00 03:55 04:20 05:15 05:40 06:05 07:00 07:50 08:15 08:45 Junior 09:40 10:30

Gold Rush: Alaska River Monsters Dirty Jobs Ultimate Survival Wheeler Dealers Mythbusters How Do They Do It? How Stuff’s Made Dirty Jobs Wheeler Dealers Wheeler Dealers Fifth Gear American Chopper: Senior vs Nextworld Weird Or What?

00:40 X Games Heroes 01:30 World Combat League 02:20 Eddie Jordan’s Bad Boy Racers 03:10 M1 Selection 2010 04:00 Summer Dew Tour 2010 05:40 World Combat League 06:30 Ride Guide Snow 2009 08:00 FIM World Motocross MX3 Championships...

09:40 Tread BMX 11:20 Lucas Oil Ama Motocross Championships...

12:10 Lucas Oil Ama Motocross Championships...

13:00 Eddie Jordan’s Bad Boy Racers 13:50 Mantracker 14:40 Untracked 16:20 Lucas Oil Ama Motocross Championships...

17:10 Born To Run 18:00 Mantracker 18:50 Lucas Oil Ama Motocross Championships...

20:30 Eddie Jordan’s Bad Boy Racers 21:20 Born To Run 22:10 Mantracker 23:00 FIM World Motocross MX3 2011 23:50 Aiya TV

THE INVENTION OF LYING ON OSN MOVIES HD 11:25 12:20 12:45 15:05 17:20 18:15 19:10 20:05 21:00 21:55 22:50 23:45

Mythbusters How Do They Do It? Auction Kings Border Security Mythbusters River Monsters Alone In The Wild Ultimate Survival Dual Survival Deadliest Catch River Monsters Deadly Waters

00:55 01:45 02:35 03:25 04:15 04:45 05:40 06:10 07:00 07:55 07:58 08:25 08:55 09:45 10:35 13:05 13:55 14:45 14:48 15:15 15:45 16:10 17:00 17:50 18:40 19:30 20:20 20:45

Superships The Tech Show The Gadget Show Thunder Races How Does That Work?

Superships One Step Beyond The Future of...

NASA’s Greatest Missions Head Rush Sci-Fi Science Weird Connections Brainiac Prototype This NYC: Inside Out Under New York Mega Builders Head Rush Sci-Fi Science Weird Connections Bang Goes the Theory The Gadget Show Prototype This Brainiac Smash Lab Da Vinci’s Machines The Gadget Show The Gadget Show

21:10 21:35 22:00 22:50 23:40

Sci-Fi Science The Tech Show Smash Lab Catch It Keep It Bang Goes the Theory

00:00 00:25 01:15 02:00 02:50 03:35 04:25 05:15 06:00 06:25 06:45 07:10 07:30 08:00 08:25 08:50 09:15 09:40 10:05 10:30 12:00 12:25 12:50 13:15 13:40 14:00 14:25 14:50 15:15 15:35 15:55 16:20 16:45 17:30

Kim Possible Fairly Odd Parents Stitch Replacements Emperor’s New School Stitch Replacements Fairly Odd Parents Jungle Junction Handy Manny Mickey Mouse Clubhouse Jake & The Neverland Pirates Fish Hooks Suite Life On Deck Phineas And Ferb Good Luck Charlie Shake It Up Fish Hooks Wizards Of Waverly Place Cheetah Girls Suite Life On Deck Shake It Up A Kind Of Magic Good Luck Charlie Fish Hooks Wizards Of Waverly Place Stitch Shake It Up Fish Hooks Good Luck Charlie Hannah Montana Shake It Up Wizards Of Waverly Place Good Luck Charlie

18:00 18:20 18:45 19:10 20:55 21:25 21:50 22:15 22:40 23:05 23:30 23:55

Fish Hooks Suite Life On Deck Shake It Up Camp Rock Wizards Of Waverly Place Fish Hooks Phineas And Ferb Suite Life On Deck Sonny With A Chance Suite Life On Deck Hannah Montana Kim Possible

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

Kendra Behind The Scenes E!es E!es 25 Most Stylish Sexiest Extreme Hollywood THS Behind The Scenes E! News Kourtney & Kim Take New York THS E!es THS THS 50 Super Epic TV Moments Fashion Police E! News E!es E!es The Soup The Dance Scene The Dance Scene E! News Chelsea Lately The Soup

00:05 Luke Nguyen’s Vietnam 00:30 Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives 00:55 Unwrapped 01:45 Paula’s Party 02:35 Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives 03:25 Ultimate Recipe Showdown 04:15 Good Eats - Special 04:40 Unwrapped 05:05 Ten Dollar Dinners 05:30 Paula’s Best Dishes 05:50 Paula’s Party 06:35 Barefoot Contessa - Back To Basics 07:00 Chopped 07:50 Guy’s Big Bite 08:15 Everyday Italian 08:40 Good Deal With Dave Lieberman 09:05 Ten Dollar Dinners 09:30 Paula’s Best Dishes 09:55 Barefoot Contessa - Back To Basics 10:20 Aarti Party 10:45 Lidia’s Italy 11:10 Unwrapped 11:35 Paula’s Party 12:25 Everyday Italian 12:50 Paula’s Best Dishes 13:15 Good Deal With Dave Lieberman 13:40 World Cafe Asia 14:05 Luke Nguyen’s Vietnam 14:30 Lidia’s Italy 14:55 Unwrapped 15:20 Boy Meets Grill 15:45 Chopped 16:35 Guy’s Big Bite 17:00 Barefoot Contessa - Back To Basics 17:25 Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives 17:50 Aarti Party 18:15 World Cafe Asia 18:40 Luke Nguyen’s Vietnam 19:05 Good Eats - Special 19:30 Food Network Challenge 20:20 Bobby Chinn Cooks Asia 21:10 Food Network Challenge 22:00 Chopped 22:50 Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives

NAT GEO ADVENTURE 00:00 Departures 01:00 Earth Tripping 02:00 Treks In A Wild World 02:30 Amazing Adventures of A Nobody UK 03:00 Amazing Adventures of A Nobody USA 03:30 Amazing Adventures Of A Nobody: Europe 04:00 Extreme Tourist Afghanistan 05:00 Meet The Amish 06:00 Departures 07:00 Earth Tripping 08:00 Treks In A Wild World 08:30 Amazing Adventures of A Nobody UK 09:00 Amazing Adventures of A Nobody USA

09:30 Amazing Adventures Of A Nobody: Europe 10:00 Extreme Tourist Afghanistan 11:00 Meet The Amish 12:00 Departures 13:00 Food Lover’s Guide To The Planet 13:30 Pressure Cook 14:00 A World Apart 15:00 Ultimate Traveller 16:00 Don’t Tell My Mother 17:00 Long Way Down 18:00 Racing To America 19:00 Food Lover’s Guide To The Planet 19:30 Pressure Cook 20:00 A World Apart 21:00 Ultimate Traveller

00:00 Shark Men 01:00 The Last Lioness 01:55 Dangerous Encounters With Brady Barr 02:50 Python Hunters 03:45 Predator CSI 04:40 World’s Weirdest 05:35 Cameramen Who Dare 06:30 Monster Fish 07:25 Monster Fish 08:20 Dangerous Encounters With Brady Barr 09:15 Wild Amazon 10:10 Secrets Of The Mediterranean 11:05 World’s Deadliest Animals 12:00 Monster Fish 13:00 Monster Fish 14:00 Dangerous Encounters With Brady Barr 15:00 Jean Michel Cousteau’s Ocean Adventure 16:00 Dangerous Encounters With Brady Barr 17:00 Python Hunters 18:00 Predator CSI 19:00 Dangerous Encounters With Brady Barr 20:00 Jean Michel Cousteau’s Ocean Adventure 21:00 Dangerous Encounters With Brady Barr

00:17 01:00 01:30 02:00 02:45 11:00 13:00 13:17 13:45 15:00 15:17 16:00 16:45 17:17 18:00 18:45 20:00 20:45 22:00 23:00 23:40

Playlist New Playlist Urban Hit Playlist Urban Hit 30 Playlist Playlist Focus Guest Star - Estelle Playlist French Hit 10 Playlist Playlist Urban Hit Playlist Africa 10 Playlist Trace Video Mix Club 10 Playlist

00:30 02:45 04:30 06:30 08:15 10:15 12:00 14:15 16:15 18:00 20:15 22:00

Bram Stoker’s Dracula-18 The Next Karate Kid-PG Timeline-PG15 Heaven’s Fall-PG15 Panic Room-PG15 The Next Karate Kid-PG Coach Carter-PG15 Panic Room-PG15 Bangkok Adrenaline-PG15 Coach Carter-PG15 Deadly Impact-18 Spiderman 2-PG15

01:00 03:00 05:00 07:00 09:00 11:00 13:15 14:30 16:15

Order Of Chaos-R The Front-PG15 Skellig-PG15 Hachiko: A Dog’s Story-PG15 The Front-PG15 The Last Airbender-PG15 MacHEADS-PG15 Don’t Fade Away-PG15 My Name Is Khan-PG15

TV listings SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 17, 2011 19:00 Eat Pray Love-PG15 21:30 Saw VI-R 23:15 Motherhood-PG15

00:30 The Daily Show With Jon Stewart 01:00 The Colbert Report 01:30 Sarah Silverman Program 02:00 Family Guy 02:30 The Big C 03:00 Mad Love 03:30 The Office 04:00 Dharma And Greg 04:30The Tonight Show With Jay Leno 05:30 Will And Grace 06:00 Coach 06:30 The Drew Carey Show 07:00 Late Night With Jimmy Fallon 08:00 Dharma And Greg 08:30 Mad Love 09:00 Will And Grace 09:30 Modern Family 10:00 Outsourced 10:30 Coach 11:00 The Drew Carey Show 11:30 The Tonight Show With Jay Leno 12:30 Dharma And Greg 13:00 The Office 13:30 Will And Grace 14:00 Coach 14:30 Modern Family 15:00 Outsourced 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 Melissa And Joey 18:30 Mr. Sunshine 19:00 Outsourced 19:30 How I Met Your Mother 20:00 The Tonight Show With Jay Leno

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

Glee Survivor: South Pacific Friday Night Lights Glee Boston Public Good Morning America Lie To Me Tower Prep The Ellen DeGeneres Show Kojak The View Glee Kojak Live Good Morning America Boston Public The Ellen DeGeneres Show Emmerdale Coronation Street C.S.I. C.S.I. New York Justified Drop Dead Diva

00:00 01:00 02:00 03:00 04:00 05:00 06:00 07:00 08:00 09:00 10:00 11:00 12:00 13:00 14:00 15:00 16:00 16:30 17:00 18:00 19:00 20:00 21:00

The Event Friday Night Lights No Ordinary Family Glee Glee Survivor: South Pacific The Event Two And A Half Men Hawthorne Friday Night Lights Glee Glee Two And A Half Men The Ellen DeGeneres Show Hawthorne The Event Two And A Half Men Coronation Street The Ellen DeGeneres Show Hawthorne C.S.I. C.S.I. New York Justified

01:45 The Next Karate Kid-PG 04:00 The Karate Kid-PG 06:30 Bram Stoker’s Dracula-18 09:00 Transformers: Revenge Of The Fallen-PG15 11:30 The Karate Kid III-PG 13:30 Batman: Under The Red Hood 15:00 Transformers: Revenge Of The

Fallen-PG15 17:30 Collateral-PG15 19:30 Menace II Society-18 21:15 Spiderman 2-PG15 23:30 Fear Island-PG15

00:00 PG15 02:00 04:00 06:00 08:00 10:00 12:00 14:00 16:00 PG15 18:00 20:00 22:00

The Fighting Temptations-

01:00 03:00 05:00 07:00 09:00 11:00 PG15 13:00 15:00 17:00 19:00 21:00 23:00

Jack Goes Boating-PG15 Preacher’s Kid-PG 500 Days Of Summer-PG15 Toy Story 3-FAM The Invention Of Lying-PG15 Elle: A Modern Cinderella Tale-

01:45 04:00 06:00 08:00

Cats & Dogs-PG Monsters vs. Aliens-PG Like Mike-PG When In Rome-PG15 17 Again-PG15 Stuart Little 2-FAM My Sassy Girl-PG15 The Fighting TemptationsI Love You Beth Cooper-PG15 Alfie-18 Le Donk & Scor-zay-zee-PG15

My Sister’s Keeper-PG15 12 Men Of Christmas-PG15 The Invention Of Lying-PG15 Cop Out-PG15 Please Give-18 The Girl In The Park-PG15v

Nativity!-PG Planet 51-PG Fly Me To The Moon-PG The Prince Of Dinosaurs-PG

10:00 The Nutty Professor-FAM 12:00 Nativity!-PG 14:00 Winx: Secret Of The Lost Kingdom-PG 16:00 The Country Bears-PG 18:00 The Nutty Professor-FAM 20:00 Queen Of The Swallows-FAM 22:00 Winx: Secret Of The Lost Kingdom-PG

00:00 00:15 02:15 03:00 05:00 05:30 06:00 06:30 08:00 09:00 10:30 11:30 13:00 13:30 14:30 15:00 15:30 17:00 18:00 19:30 20:30 22:00 22:30

RWC Highlights NRL Premiership RWC Highlights Rugby Union Currie Cup Total Rugby Trans World Sports Live RWC Matchday Live Rugby World Cup Live RWC Matchday Live Rugby World Cup Live RWC Matchday Live Rugby World Cup Live RWC Matchday Trans World Sport Total Rugby RWC Matchday Rugby World Cup RWC Matchday Rugby World Cup RWC Matchday Rugby World Cup RWC Matchday AFL Premiership

02:45 03:00 05:00 07:00 09:30 10:30 12:45

RWC Highlights Super League NRL Premiership Aussie Rules Trans World Sport NRL Premiership Live NRL Premiership

15:00 19:00 19:15 21:15 23:45

Live PGA European Tour RWC Highlights NRL Premiership Live Super League RWC Highlights

02:00 03:00 05:00 06:00 07:00 09:00 10:00 11:00 12:00 12:30 15:30 16:00 18:00 20:00 23:00

WWE Tough Enough WWE SmackDown UFC Unleashed UFC Unleashed WWE SmackDown WWE Tough Enough WWE Bottom Line WWE Vintage Collection Mobil 1 The Grid Live AFL Premiership Total Rugby Live Currie Cup Live Currie Cup Prizefighter WWE Tough Enough

00:00 01:00 01:30 01:55 02:25 03:20 04:15 05:10 05:35 06:05 07:00 08:00 09:00 12:50 13:45 14:15 14:45

Jerseylicious Videofashion News Videofashion News Big Boutique How Do I Look?

Whose Wedding Is It Anyway?

Whose Wedding Is It Anyway?

Homes With Style Area Clean House Big Boutique Clean House Ruby Clean House Videofashion News Videofashion News Big Rich Texas

THE NEXT KARATE KID ON OSN ACTION HD

15:40 16:35 17:30 19:25 20:20 21:15 21:40 22:10 23:05

Big Rich Texas Jerseylicious How Do I Look?

Clean House Open House Fashion Police Clean House Comes Clean Jerseylicious Top 10

00:00 Conspiracy?

01:00 Ice Road Truckers 02:00 Rome’s Lost Legion 03:00 Ancient Discoveries 04:00 Engineering An Empire 05:00 How The Earth Was Made 06:00 Conspiracy?

07:00 Ice Road Truckers 08:00 Rome’s Lost Legion 09:00 Ancient Discoveries 10:00 Engineering An Empire 11:00 How The Earth Was Made 12:00 Conspiracy?

13:00 Ice Road Truckers 14:00 Rome’s Lost Legion 15:00 Ancient Discoveries 16:00 Engineering An Empire 17:00 How The Earth Was Made 18:00 Conspiracy?

19:00 Cutty Sark: Out Of The Ashes 20:00 Lost Worlds 21:00 Engineering An Empire 22:00 Inside The World Of Henry VIII 23:00The Search For Sherlock Holmes

00:00 00:30 00:40 01:00 01:30 02:00 02:30 03:00 03:10 03:30 05:10 06:00 06:30 07:00 08:30 09:00 09:30 10:00 10:10 10:30 11:10 11:30 12:10 13:00 13:10 13:30 14:00 14:30 15:00 15:10 15:30 16:00 16:15 16:30 17:00 17:30 18:00 18:10 19:00 19:30 20:00

BBC World News Sport Today Weekend World BBC World News America Our World BBC World News Peschardt’s Business People BBC World News Weekend World BBC World News The Secret War On Terror BBC World News Fast Track BBC World News Middle East Business Report BBC World News Click BBC World News Weekend World BBC World News World Features BBC World News The World Debate BBC World News The Health Show Newsnight BBC World News Our World BBC World News Weekend World Equestrian World BBC World News Sport Today Fast Track BBC World News Dateline London BBC World News The Secret War On Terror BBC World News Final Score BBC World News

01:20 Blackboard Jungle-PG 03:00 Green Fire-FAM 04:45 TCM Presents Under The Influence-U 05:35 Edge Of The City-PG 07:00 The Glass Bottom Boat-FAM 08:50 TCM Presents Under The Influence-PG 09:20 The Hill-PG 11:25 TCM Presents Under The Influence-U 11:55 Catlow-PG 13:35 Black Legion-PG 15:00 Wonderful World Of The Brothers Grimm-FAM 17:05 They Died With Their Boots On-FAM 19:20 Bad Day At Black Rock-PG 20:40 Pick A Star-FAM 22:00 Poltergeist 23:55 Wild Rovers

00:05 Robotboy - Elements 00:30 Squirrel Boy 00:55 George Of The Jungle 01:20 Cramp Twins 01:45 Chop Socky Chooks 02:10 Best Ed 02:35 My Gym Partner’s A Monkey 03:00 Ben 10: Ultimate Alien 03:25 Generator Rex 03:50 Adventure Time 04:15 Flapjack 04:40 Chowder 05:05 The Powerpuff Girls 05:30 Ed, Edd n Eddy 05:55 Cow & Chicken 06:20 Squirrel Boy 06:45 I Am Weasel 07:00 The Life & Times Of Juniper Lee 07:25 The Powerpuff Girls 07:50 Cartoon Network Dance Club 08:05 Angelo Rules 08:30 Chowder 08:55 Grim Adventures Of Billy & Mandy 09:20 Adventure Time 09:21 Grim Adventures Of Billy & Mandy 09:30 Adventure Time 09:45 Courage The Cowardly Dog 10:05 Scooby-Doo! Mystery Incorporated 10:27 Scooby-Doo! Mystery Incorporated 10:55 Ben 10: Ultimate Alien 11:20 Generator Rex 11:45 Batman: The Brave And The Bold 12:10 Bakugan: Gundalian Invaders 12:35 Hero 108 13:00 Best Ed 13:58 Foster’s Home For Imaginary Friends 14:20 Foster’s Home For Imaginary Friends 14:40 My Gym Partner’s A Monkey 15:30 Ed, Edd n Eddy 16:20 Camp Lazlo 17:10 Robotboy - Elements 18:00 Ben 10: Ultimate Alien 18:25 Flapjack 18:50 My Gym Partner’s A Monkey 19:15 Adventure Time 19:40 Grim Adventures Of Billy & Mandy 20:05 Chowder 20:06 Grim Adventures Of Billy & Mandy 20:15 Chowder 20:30 Courage The Cowardly Dog 20:55 Cow & Chicken 21:20 Best Ed 21:45 I Am Weasel 22:00 Ben 10 22:25 Bakugan Battle Brawlers 22:50 The Secret Saturdays 23:15 Samurai Jack 23:40 Megas Xlr

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 Jones 12:50 13:40 14:30 14:55 15:20 16:10 17:00 17:50 18:40 19:30 19:55 20:20 Jones 21:10 22:00 22:50 23:40

The Haunted A Haunting Nightmare Next Door Disappeared Dr G: Medical Examiner Amsterdam Vice The Haunted Mystery Diagnosis Forensic Detectives Murder Shift Mystery Diagnosis Real Emergency Calls Street Patrol Disappeared FBI Files True Crime With Aphrodite CSU Mystery Diagnosis Real Emergency Calls Street Patrol Disappeared Forensic Detectives Murder Shift FBI Files Mystery Diagnosis Street Patrol Real Emergency Calls True Crime With Aphrodite CSU Ghost Lab The Haunted A Haunting

what’s on SATURDAY, SepTembeR 17, 2011

Konkani drama

Photography exhibition

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uwait Goan Association (KGA) after presenting popular Konkani tiatrs ‘Ghor Bandlem ghorabo Modlo’ and ‘Tujea Moga Passot’, now all set to present Tragedy King Mario Menezes most popular Konkani drama “Hatachim Panch Bottam” in Kuwait on Friday, 18th November 2011 with full troupe. Await for more details or email: kgakuwait@gmail.com

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mmar Al-Fouzan dives deep to retrieve images from a silent yet vibrant world full of colors and creatures. The opening reception is on September 25, 2001, at 7 pm and the exhibition hours from Sept 26 - 29, are from 10:00 am to 2:00 pm, and from 5:30 pm to 9:30 pm.

Study in Canada expo

Italian Circus in Kuwait

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rganized by the Embassy of Canada, the sixth annual Middle East Education Initiative (MEEI) will be visiting Kuwait on October 1- 4.

Representatives of 20 leading Canadian universities and colleges will be available to meet students, parents, teachers and guidance counselors to present the advantages of studying in Canada. On Sunday, October 2, a “Study in Canada” exhibition will be held at the Marina Hotel, Salmiya from 6 pm - 9pm for potential students and their parents to attend.

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he Italian Circus is in town, and it seems like great fun for the whole family! Our friends at the blog paid a visit, and they have an amazing post full of photos for your viewing pleasure at Salmiya, Qatar Street, behind Gulf Mart, across from Marina Mall. Call for more info: 9991-4607 or 9991-4807.

The timings for the first show are from 6 pm to 8 pm and for the second show, it’s from 9 pm to 11 pm.

Is an MBA from Wharton right for you?

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ind out at the Wharton Business School’s admissions reception on Tuesday, September 20th in Kuwait. Admissions Director Ankur Kumar will be delivering a presentation at 7 pm. To register for the event in Kuwait visit: http://www.wharton.upenn.edu/mba/admissions/admis sion-events.cfm (Registrations close September 19)

Free Arabic courses provided by IPC

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ake your opportunity to learn and improve your Arabic skills. The women section of Islam Presentation Committee will be conducting FREE Arabic Language Course in Basic & Advance Level for non-Arab LADIES commencing on September 30, 2011. Islamic subjects and Quran classes are also offered in different languages.

Classes are offered only once a week. Register now! For more information: Rawdah-22512257-97290278; Salmiya25733263-97533263; Khaitan-24730137-99285459; Mangaf-23723002; Jahra-24558830-67720696.

Announcements DYINA seeks new members The new association, DREAMS OF YOUTH INDIAN NATIONAL ASSOCIATION has been formed for the general welfare of the “DYINA” members who we wish are in Kuwait, India and elsewhere in the world. On this occasion DYINA welcomes all Malayalees in Kuwait, especially whoever staying in company camp / hostels (ladies conveners available for the convenient for the ladies) . For more information contact.

Poulose Thekkedeth -66790870; Paul Joseph- 97200915; Babu Thomas 99240368; Shaji - 55042540; Jose Payappilly - 99809603; Reason 97286904 Indian music album wants talents A Malayalam musical album that has song writers from Jnanpith award winner ONV to the popular Rafeeq Ahmad and singers from Hariharan to Sreya Ghoshal, produced by Ragasuthra Music Company and orchestrated by Viswajith plans its launch soon. The 8 songs in the album use lots of Indian languages in part and the music also is pan Indian. As part of the launch the songs are being visualized. A few songs will be shot in Kuwait since the songs represent the life

of Indian expats in Kuwait. Ragasuthra is looking for real talents for their gulf based production of music videos. Talents/Actors: M/F - Age: 14 - 26; Family combination: M/F - Age: 28 - 45; Supporting character: M/F - Age 10 - 60; -Assistant Director: M/F; -Associate Director: M/F; -Assistants: M/F; Training will be given for selected candidates.

Serious applicants may send their bio data with recent photographs to ragasuthra@gmail.com 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 con-

tact our area coordinators mentioned below. Mangaf, Fahaheel, Abuhalifa : Ronald Dsouza- 60035824, Shalini Alva23726164, Suma Bhatt- 97834578 Salmiya & Hawally: Swarna Shetty99006934, Kripa Gatty- 66044194 Kuwait City, Jahra, Sharq : Rekha Sachu65044521,97862115 Farwaniya, Abbassiya, Shuwaikh & Khaitan: Sathyanarayana- 66585077 Sanath Shetty- 67712409.

Pathanamthitta Onam 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.

Arpan Onam on Sept 23 Arpan Kuwait will celebrate Onam, Kerala’s harvest festival, on September 23 at the Indian Community School,

Salmiya (Senior Girls) from 10 am onwards. Various cultural programs have been scheduled to make the celebration a success. Traditional attractions like athappookkalam, mohiniyattom, kaikottikali, folk songs, dance and songs and skits will be presented by Arpan members.

A program committee headed by K Mahadevan is overseeing the preparations.

The celebration will come to an end with a sumptuous ‘Onasadya.’

NAFO Onam celebration NAFO Kuwait to celebrate Onam on September 30, 2011 at the Indian Community School (Senior for Girls) auditorium Salmiya. Cultural activities such as dance,skit, nadan pattukal, vallapattukal etc will be held which will be followed by the traditional onasadhya.

All NAFO members are requested to make this program a grand success by participating in various activities. Please register your name at Contacts@nafoglobal.com.said the convener of the program Rajasekaran Nair.

For details please contact Nandakumar 99559416, Udayakumar 66464577 or Rajasekharan Nair 97824780.

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what’s on SATURDAY, SepTembeR 17, 2011

FOCC chess tournament

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riends of CRY Club (FOCC), Kuwait announces the date of the hugely popular Chess Tournament for children. It doesn’t matter if you are an amateur or a professional, come play with other enthusiasts and support a good cause.

“CRYchess 2011” will be held on Friday, 18th November 2011 at the Indian English Academy School (IEAS) - Don Bosco, Salmiya.

The players will be divided into age based groups to play in the Swiss pairing format and the lucky winners will walk away with the Trophies and all participants will receive certificates and medals from Child Rights & You (CRY). The much awaited annual CHESS tournament will commence at 1:00 pm sharp. Players are to report at the venue by 12 noon for the tournament briefing and inaugural presentation.

Parents, accompanying the children, will also be kept informed of the CRY activities and FOCC’s involvement and are required to be present at the Quadrangle to view the presentation

The last date for receiving the registration form is 10th November, 2011.

Child Rights and You (CRY) is an Indian NGO that catalyses change in the lives of underprivileged children in India by

throughout the afternoon. For more details, registration forms, Rules of CRYChess 2011 and participation fees, please visit www.focckwt.org or contact FOCC members via email: focckwt@yahoo.com Sponsors are also welcome to encourage the participating Young Chess Players.

restoring their rights. FOCC in its thirteen year of presence appreciate the cooperation and support extended to carry on the activities for the cherished ideals of nourishing the talents of the children, predominantly among the Indian expatriate community and schools.

AWARE orientation for newcomers

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hese orientations are free of charge and provide an opportunity for newly arriving Western guests to learn more about the programs on offer at AWARE. Our staff will be available to answer further questions related to life in Kuwait. If you are new to Kuwait or new to AWARE, we welcome your participation in one of the following presentations: Monday, 26 September 2011 Thursday, 29 September 2011 Monday, 03 October 2011 Thursday, 06 October 2011 Time: 7:00pm-9:00pm Venue: AWARE Center Dinner Buffet is included RSVP to info@aware.com.kw For a free ‘Orientation to Kuwait’ packet, or to ask a question, send an email to info@aware.com.kw

Weekly diwaniyas The AWARE Center hosts a weekly diwaniya every Tuesday during which different topics are discussed. “We discuss topics ranging from culture, legal tips, health, current affairs, religion and issues concerning development in the region”, says Hassan, AWARE Educational Dept. Manager. Hassan further states, “The aim of the diwaniya is to help Westerners and other expatriates in receiving firsthand information about Kuwait while providing an opportunity to interact with locals. It is through these diwaniyas that we have been able to clear misconceptions ab out Islam, Muslims and Arabs.” AWARE Diwaniyas are held weekly on Tuesday evenings at 7 pm. Here are what our guests are saying: “The diwaniya presentations at the AWARE Center are attended by people

from all over the world and are a pleasant venue where locals and expats can meet and exchange ideas. Because of the casual, friendly atmosphere, participating in the discussion is not at all intimida ting! The diwaniyas cover a very wide range of subjects and I have really enjoyed them, both as a guest and as a presenter.” Claudia Farkas Al Rashoud “In our experience, the weekly AWARE Diwaniya can almost be guaranteed to provide a stimulating and entertaining evening. However, it is the people, coming as they do from most corners of the globe, who really make these events as fascinating as they are.

Newcomers are always welcomed.

Contrary opinions and different viewpoints are shared with mutual respect and dignity. We consider ourselves very fortunate to have become involved in these events.”

K’S PATH WEEKLY ADOPTION

Eddie the DSH

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ddie is a friendly, playful and observant two-year-old Domestic Short Haired (DSH) male. Eddie loves to take a nap on laps and play with suspended toys. He likes attention and will greet you with a welcoming purr.

Eddie will go well in a family with children aged over 8. To adopt Eddie, contact K’S PATH at (+965) 6700 1622 or visit the website www.kspath.org

Embassy Information EMBASSY OF ARGENTINA In order to inform that 23rd of October 2011, will be Argentine national election where all Argentinean citizen residents permanently in Kuwait can vote only if they are registered at the Electoral Register of the Argentine Embassy. The procedure of inscription ended on 25 of April 2011. To register it is necessary that Argentinean citizens should come personally at the Argentinean Embassy (Block 6, street 42, villa 57, Mishref) and present the DNI and four personal photos (size 4x4, face should be front on white background). For further information, contact us on 25379211.

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EMBASSY OF 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, AlMutawakel St., Block 4 in Da’aiyah. Please visit our website at www.Kuwait.gc.ca.

Canada offers a registration service for all Canadians travelling or living abroad. This service is provided so that Consular Officials can contact and assist Canadians in an emergency in a foreign country, such as a natural disaster or civil unrest, or inform Canadians of a family emergency at home. The Embassy of Canada encourages all Canadian Citizens to register online through the Government of Canada Travel Website at www.voyage.gc.ca. The Canadian Embassy in Abu Dhabi provides visa and immigration services to residents of Kuwait. Individuals who are interested in visiting, working or immigrating to Canada are invited to visit the website of the Canadian Embassy to the UAE at www.UAE.gc.ca.

Effective January 15, 2011, the only Temporary Resident Visa (TRV) application form that will be accepted by CIC is the Application for Temporary Resident Visa Made Outside of Canada [IMM 5257] form.

All previous Temporary Resident Visa application forms will no longer be accepted by CIC and instead will be returned to applicants. Should old applications be submitted prior to January 15, 2011 they will continue to be processed.

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Elsa the Desert mix

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lsa is a gentle and affectionate nine-month-old Desert mix female. Elsa is shy and takes her time to get to know you before jumping around you to play. This pretty girl loves to roll for a belly rub. Elsa will fit in great in a family with children aged 8 and above. To adopt Elsa, contact K’S PATH at (+965) 6700 1622 or visit the website www.kspath.org

EMBASSY OF UNITED STATES The Embassy of the United States of America will be closed from Tuesday, August 30, 2011 to Sunday September 4, 2011, in observance of Eid Al-Fitr Holiday in Kuwait and Labor Day in the US. The Embassy will reopen for normal business on Monday, September 5, 2011. regular working hours are 8:00 am - 4:30 pm, Sunday to Thursday. The embassy’s telephone number is 2259-1001; fax number is 2538-0282.

HEALTH SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 17, 2011

Scientists discover the ‘missing link’ LONDON: UK Scientists have discovered a “missing link” which helps them understand how human cells decode genes important for cell growth and multiplication, it was revealed yesterday. The University of Dundee researchers in Scotland are studying the process of transcription, in which cells copy the DNA of genes into RNA, ultimately leading to the manufacture of proteins, they said. Transcription must be tightly controlled because otherwise the cells can die or grow and multiply without restraint, as seen in certain human diseases including cancer.

Dr Joost Zomerdijk and his team have discovered a previously hidden link within the components of the transcription machinery. In a statement, he said: “My lab and I are extremely excited to have discovered this important missing link.

“Furthermore, this research, funded primarily by the Wellcome Trust, advances our understanding of how normal transcription is maintained and controlled in human cells, which will help us to work out how transcription becomes deregulated in certain diseased cells and, potentially, how we can reverse such deregulation.”

Human cells contain three separate transcription machineries, each of which is important for transcription of a subset of genes within the cells. Each of the three is made up of one specific RNA polymerase enzyme and several other groups of proteins that direct and control transcription activity. While TFIIB proteins, or similar proteins, were found in the transcription machineries containing RNA polymerases II and III, a similar protein had not been identified as a component of the RNA polymerase I transcription machinery.

However the scientists have now discovered that the protein TAF1B, one of a group of proteins that directs the RNA polymerase I enzyme, is similar to TFIIB in structure and function. Dr Zomerdijk said: “This discovery indicates that the three transcription machineries of human cells, which are likely to have evolved from a common ancestor, are even more similar than previously realized.” He and his colleagues work at the Wellcome Trust Centre for Gene Regulation and Expression in the College of Life Sciences at Dundee University. Details of their findings are published in a research paper in the journal Science.— KUNA

Crew safely returns to Earth after crash MOSCOW: Three spacemen made a safe delayed return from the International Space Station yesterday as Russia again pushed back the launch of their replacement crew because of a recent rocket crash. Space officials said the Soyuz capsule landed on its side in the wind-swept steppes of the ex-Soviet republic of Kazakhstan at 0400 GMT. “A bull’s-eye landing for the Soyuz TMA-21,” a NASA commentator said in a live video feed while Russian mission control flashed a message on its screen reading: “Landing confirmed!”

A smiling but weary commander Alexander Samokutyayev was extracted from the Soviet-designed capsule first and carried to a seat in the arms of Kazakh rescue workers under a dazzling blue sky. He was later joined by his Russian and US team partners in making satellite telephone calls home and taking swigs from water bottles as Russian and NASA medical personnel scurried about checking their temperatures and heart rates.

The landing was aired live on NASA television and there was a brief period of alarm when the radio feed suddenly went dead a few moments before touchdown. But mission control outside Moscow said communications between the crew and Russian commanders functioned as well as could be expected under the conditions. “Knock on wood, but this time, everything went pretty well,” a Russian mission control spokesman said by telephone.

The trio had earlier said heartfelt goodbyes to their three colleagues on board the station following an eventful mission that at one stage saw them mulling the possibility of a forced evacuation. The Soviet-era vessel left behind a skeleton crew of three-NASA’s Michael Fossum and Russia’s Sergei Volkov along with Japanese flight engineer Satoshi Furukawa-on board the orbiter at one of the tensest times in its storied history.

Russia kicked off the $100 billion international project’s construction in 1998 in the midst of a heated race with the United States for space supremacy in the early post-Soviet era. But the program has recently suffered an embarrassing series of setbacks that saw sensitive satellites fail to reach orbit and-in the most dramatic accident last month-an ISS cargo craft crash back to Earth. — AFP

BEIJING: A man (upper left) uses his mobile phone while resting on a bench with others under the shade of trees after lunch time at a garden in Beijing, China. — AP

China’s unhealthy habits drive chronic diseases up Heart disease, cancer on the rise BEIJING: During a recent weekday lunch, middle-aged Wu Zhixin had a plate of shredded noodles glistening with oil and washed it down with a paper cup of vodkalike alcohol. Then she lit a cigarette. “No smoking,” a waitress called out. Wu nodded, but finished her Double Happiness brand cigarette before stubbing it out on the tiled floor. Scenes like this are typical and illustrate the challenges China faces in tackling the explosion of chronic diseases such as heart disease and cancer, two top killers here.

“I smoke because I work in sales and it helps me cope with the stress of meeting targets,” said Wu, a slightly overweight woman who smiles warmly but has stained teeth. “I know it is bad for me and I’m trying to quit, but I’m still very healthy now, and I’m optimistic about my future.” Newly prosperous, China is facing a very changed health picture from a generation ago when it was still largely poor and agrarian - and the diseases plaguing Chinese have changed too. Heart disease, cancer, and respiratory disease have replaced hepatitis, diarrhea and malaria as desk work replaces farming, cars replace bicycles, and smoking remains stubbornly popular. Chronic diseases account for more than 80 percent of deaths, in China, or nearly 8 million in 2008, according to the World Health Organization. The epidemic comes as the United Nations’ General Assembly holds a high-level meeting on non-communicable diseases in New York next week. Compared to the United States, China has three times the death rate from respiratory diseases like emphysema. By another measure, Chinese are healthier, with only a quarter of the population overweight, compared to two-thirds of Americans.

Chronic diseases are costly. The World Bank estimated in a July report that reduc-

ing the death rate of cardiovascular disease - conditions that cause heart attacks and strokes - by just 1 percent a year over three decades could generate an economic value equivalent to 68 percent of China’s GDP last year, or about $10.7 trillion. China’s breakneck economic development over the past 30 years has pulled hundreds of millions out of poverty and moved many people into cities. But a broken health care system and inadequate state insurance mean getting treated for serious diseases can impoverish many families. Unhealthy diets and sedentary lifestyles have helped accelerate an explosion in chronic diseases.

Lu Nanxu, 28, a programmer at an IT services company in Beijing, knows he needs to exercise and eat less to shed some of the 215 pounds on his 1.7-metertall frame that categorizes him as obese, but he doesn’t. “I have plenty of time to exercise, but I’m too lazy,” he said with a sheepish grin at a Japanese fast food joint.

“When I finish work, I prefer to go home and surf the Internet or watch movies on my computer.” Lu said he used to be a competitive ice-skater when he was growing up in Harbin, a city in frigid northeastern China, but as an adult, he stopped exercising. “It’s not only exercise, but I would have to control my eating and that can be very difficult,” he said as he polished off a dinner of braised thinly sliced, fatty beef and fried chicken with rice and steamed vegetables, a side of mashed potatoes, and a soft drink. A high-salt diet is also a major problem in China. Experts believe high blood pressure is the leading preventable risk factor tied to stroke and heart attack. On average, the Chinese consume twice as much salt as the recommended maximum set by the WHO, according to the organization’s food safety expert in Geneva, Dr. Peter Ben Embarek.

Unlike in the U.S., where salt is usually consumed through processed foods like bacon, cheese and fast food, the high sodium intake in China comes from the liberal use of soy and oyster sauces and the flavor-enhancer MSG, which is added to soups, stews, instant noodles and other foods. The popularity of pickled mustard greens, cabbage, radish and other vegetables also contributes.

The average Chinese person consumes 11 grams of salt a day, compared to Americans, who eat 8.5 grams, Embarek said. “We believe that it’s one of the places where if you can reduce it just a little bit, not even down to the maximum recommended level, but just a little bit, you will swiftly see a positive impact in public health.” Another big killer is smoking, which is linked to 1 million deaths in China every year. More than a quarter of adults in China smoke, roughly 350 million people a number about equal to the entire US population.

In May, China tried to ban smoking in indoor public places. But in a country where half of all male doctors smoke and cigarettes are commonly presented as gifts, such restrictions are usually ignored.

Restaurants in Beijing are reluctant to turn away customers who light up. The Beijing Capital International Airport became the first in China to go smoke-free this spring, three years after all public venues were supposed to for the Olympics. At China’s top cancer hospital, the Cancer Institute and Hospital of the Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences in southeastern Beijing, large no-smoking signs are prominently displayed on every floor and the rule appears to be strictly observed. That’s unusual. In many county hospitals people light up in waiting rooms and along corridors outside wards. —AP

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LayOut 2.indd 2

9/15/11 3:45 PM

CLASSIFIEDS SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 17, 2011

“Astronomy compels the soul to look upwards and leads us from this world to another.”

G The lithosphere, the rocky crust of the Earth, extends for about 60 miles.

G Mercury has the longest “day” of any planet — equivalent to 175.94 days on Earth.

G Saturn’s biggest moon, Titan, is larger than the planet Mercury.

— Plato (427 BC - 347 BC), Greek author, philosopher and mathematician, from Plato’s best-known work “The Republic.”

— World Almanac for Kids

Another Earth?

Scientists discovered earthlike planet Since the start of the modern planet-hunting era more than 15 years ago, scientists have said their search wasn’t about astronomy; it was about biology. These planet hunters are looking for earthlike life on distant worlds. That means the planets would have to be like ours too. They’d have to be about the same size. They’d have to have the same rocky core. They’d also have to orbit their parent stars at just the right distance to have liquid water, the main ingredient for life. Scientists call this the habitable zone.

But while the big discovery hasn’t been made yet, researchers might be getting close. A recent conference in Jackson Hole, Wyo., a team of European scientists revealed the discovery of at least 50 new worlds. One of them, known as HD 85512 b, circles a star about 36 light-years away in the constellation Vela. The planet sits just inside its sun’s habitable zone, though it is four times closer to its star than Earth is to the sun.

“It’s a beautiful detection,” says Geoff Marcy, who leads a different team of planet hunters at the University of California, Berkeley. “And it’s (possible) that it could be habitable.”

DA N C OY R O / S A N TA C RU Z S E N T I N E L / M C T

Large photos installed on the walls of the market, Live Oak Super, in Live Oak, Calif., are part of a temporary photo project by students.

t the 17th Avenue Studios, in Live Oak, Calif., children shared large-scale, blackand-white prints of community members’ portraits taken as part of an international photography experiment called Inside Out Project.

The brainchild of the onename French artist JR, winner of a $100,000 prize from the prominent nonprofit TED, the project calls on people around the world to snap black-andwhite portraits to discover and share something about where they live. The images can be digitally uploaded to JR’s website, and he makes large prints and sends them back to photographers to exhibit in their communities.

At the event, the posters were set up outside the studios, where about 50 people enjoyed snacks and pointed out faces they recognized.

One photo of an elderly Latino man, taken by Nicholas Gonzalez, 13, was printed out to be about 12 by 8 feet and covered the majority of one wall.

“We call him ‘The Superman,’” said 13-year-old Casey Sustaitapaz. “Nicholas took that picture right outside the supermarket down the street called, ‘Super.’”

Some of the other photos can be seen on the walls of the market, Live Oak Super.

Mariah Roberts, a volunteer at the Community Bridges Live Oak Family Resource Center, contacted

A

BY JO EL HE R S C H

S

/

“The Superman,” photo taken

by Nicholas Gonzalez, 13.

EYES TO THE SKIES

A

N

T

A JR on CR UZ of shots his site and SENTI NEL they should signed up to have aim for and prothe kids she works with vided some photo examples. be a part of the project, she said.

“It’s been really great,” said Sus- The theme for their project was defining community identity and taitapaz, one of 11 kids involved. poking fun at stereotypes.

“We’ve gotten to learn a lot about “The kids really lit up doing our urban community. It’s pretty this,” Roberts said. “It’s really run-down, and this is a cool way to given them a lot of enthusiasm for make it a little bit nicer.” their community, and they’ve been Sustaitapaz said the project has meeting people who they never gotten him interested in doing more would have met otherwise.” artwork related to urban community.

Dyana Aquilera, 13, a student at “Unfortunately,” he said, “the Mission Hill Middle School, learned photos aren’t permanent.” about the project through her mom The poster material JR uses for and wanted to be involved. printing are made from biodegrad“I really like being a part of able materials, so they dissolve in something so big,” she said. the rain, Roberts said.

Greg Stein, principal of ShoreJR also instructs participants on line Middle School, also attended how to make their own paste to the event and said he was interstick the posters up on walls using a mixture of flour, sugar and water, ested in setting up a similar program at his school. she said.

“The bottom line is Live Oak “Those ingredients are much more accessible for people all over needs some beautification,” Stein said, “and this is something that the world and a lot cheaper than would really bring a lot of flavor glue,” Roberts explained. and life to the neighborhood.”

Before the kids started shooting To apply for the Inside Out Projphotos, photographer Joop Rubens ect, visit www.insideoutproject.net. gave them a tutorial on what kinds

Possible is the best anyone can say for now. A clearer answer will have to wait for more powerful telescopes to be built. If the answer turns out to be yes, the question of whether 85512 b actually is home to life will depend on many factors.

Does 85512 b have any water to start with? Does it have a solid, rocky surface on which life can live? Does it have a cooling cloud layer to avoid overheating from its sun?

Nobody knows. It would be an unlikely bit of luck if the newly discovered world did have all the right stuff for life. After all, so many conditions must fall in line. The new world is still a big deal, though. It proves that astronomers now have the technology to find these kinds of planets.

Most of the big planet announcements over the past two years have come from the Kepler space mission. The high-powered, orbiting telescope is searching a section of the Milky Way galaxy for earthlike planets by studying regular dips in the brightness of stars. These tiny dips in brightness are created by planets passing in front of their stars as they orbit.

The 50 new planets announced in Wyoming were discovered from the ground with a device called the High Accuracy Radial velocity Planet Searcher, or HARPS. HARPS uses a telescope at the European Southern Observatory in Chile to look for a star’s slight wobble. The wobbles occur when the gravity of an orbiting planet tugs the star one way, then the other. — Michael D. Lemonick © 2011 Time Inc. All Rights Reserved.

TIME FOR KIDS and Timeforkids.com are registered trademarks of Time Inc.

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C O U R T E S Y O F M . KO R N M E S S E R / E U R O P E A N S O U T H E R N O B S E RVATO RY

Defer to friend’s feelings over phone

Keep ’em separated

DEAR AMERICAN GIRL: Whenever I try to get off the phone with my friend to do something, like watch TV, she gets mad that I’d rather watch TV than talk to her.

What can I say to get off the phone without starting a fight?

— Phone Frenzy I Try to see this from your friend’s point of view. Anyone would feel bad to hear, “Well, my show is on, so I’ll talk to you later.” Next time, don’t go into a lot of detail about why you want to get off the phone.

Say, “It’s been great talking to you! I’ve got to go, but let’s get together soon.” If you end on a positive note, your friend won’t end up mad.

The Obol is made for those folks who are picky about their food touching, or who don’t like their cereal to get mushy. The bowl has two sections — put your Froot Loops in one side and your milk in the other, or your veggie soup in one side and your Goldfish in the other. You also can use it for a serving bowl — chips on one side and dip on the other.

The Obol is a bit pricey at $19.99, but if you save money by not wasting any more Cheerios, that’s money in your pocket. See more at http://obol.co/.

Visit “Fun for Girls” at americangirlmagazine.com to get or give advice. © 2011 American Girl, LLC. All rights reserved.

MCT KidNews 09/22

MATRIMONIAL Christian Orthodox Kerala girl 33 yrs B.Sc Nurse working in MOH, Kuwait, divorced no liabilities inviting proposals from professionally qualified God fearing Malayalee boys, send photos and details to rosym55@yahoo.com or mathewt72@yahoo.com (C 3610) Proposals invited for Pentecostal Keralite Girl, 24, B.Tech, MBA, financially sound, from parents of professionally qualified Keralite boys. Please contact: beracah77@gmail.com (C 3611) 10-9-2011

SITUATION WANTED

This illustration shows the newly discovered planet HD 85512 b orbiting its sun.

FOR SALE

DEAR AMERICAN GIRL: I have this friend, and when she’s at my house she is super nice and funny.

But the next day, she is really mean to me at school. I try to be nice, but she is still mean!

— Good friend or bad?

I You already know the truth — a good friend doesn’t turn her friendship on and off like a light switch. Tell this girl that you don’t like how she’s treating you.

Give her a chance to apologize. But if she doesn’t change, it may be time to see her less and look for friends who are always glad to see you.

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CHANGE OF NAME Shirly Bino Raj D/o Punnakkal Chacko John, Punnakkal house, Kochuzhathil Vennikulam (P.O.) Kerala, holder of Indian Passport No: A-9867270, issued at Port-Blair Andmamans) hereby change my name to Shirly Punnakkal John. (C 3628) ١٧-٩-٢٠١١

information SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 17, 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 PIA THY ETH PIA UAE DHX ETD MSR FDB GFA QTR JZR THY JZR JZR KAC BAW KAC FCX JZR KAC KAC KAC FDB KAC KAC KAC KAC UAE QTR ABY ETD GFA ABD IRA QTR MHK JZR IRC MSR JZR IRM KAC MSR KNE UAL RJA MSR FDB KAC JZR SWT QTR KAC SVA KAC KNE JZR CLX QTR JZR IRC SVA AFR KAC ETD UAE SYR KAC GFA KAC SVA JZR JZR

Arrival Flights on Saturday 17/9/2011 Flt Route 642 AMMAN 215 KARACHI 772 ISTANBUL 620 ADDIS ABABA 239 SIALKOT 853 DUBAI 370 BAHRAIN 305 ABU DHABI 614 CAIRO 67 DUBAI 211 BAHRAIN 138 DOHA 529 ASSIUT 770 ISTANBUL 503 LUXOR 555 ALEXANDRIA 412 MANILA/BANGKOK 157 LONDON 416 JAKARTA/KUALA LUMPUR 201 BAHRAIN 1541 CAIRO 206 ISLAMABAD 382 DELHI 302 MUMBAI 53 DUBAI 352 COCHIN 284 DHAKA 362 COLOMBO 344 CHENNAI 855 DUBAI 132 DOHA 125 SHARJAH 301 ABU DHABI 213 BAHRAIN 500 FRANKFURT 3407 MASHAD 6130 DOHA 711 BAGHDAD/NAJAF 165 DUBAI 6807 SHIRAZ 623 SOHAG 201 DAMASCUS 5066 MASHAD 672 DUBAI 610 CAIRO 703 MEDINAH 982 WASHINGTON DC DULLES 640 AMMAN 621 ASSIUT 57 DUBAI 786 JEDDAH 357 MASHAD 93 DUBAI/KANDAHAR 140 DOHA 562 AMMAN 500 JEDDAH 552 DAMASCUS 745 JEDDAH 257 BEIRUT 792 LUXEMBOURG 134 DOHA 535 CAIRO 6791 MASHAD 2632 JEDDAH 6706 PARIS 118 NEW YORK 303 ABU DHABI 857 DUBAI 341 DAMASCUS 154 ISTANBUL 215 BAHRAIN 178 GENEVA/FRANKFURT 510 RIYADH 777 JEDDAH 239 AMMAN

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

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

127 3553 550 63 227 177 104 502 542 618 607 674 774 458 572 975 790 61 647 179 402 789 788 618 372 445 859 217 136 981 614 135 606 513 185 636 393 612 539

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

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

Departure Flights on Saturday 17/9/2011 Flt Route 1613 CAIRO 1540 CAIRO 637 FRANKFURT 976 GOA/CHENNAI 447 AMSTERDAM 216 KARACHI 773 ISTANBUL 620 BAHRAIN/ADDIS ABABA 240 SIALKOT/ISLAMABAD 854 DUBAI 68 DUBAI 371 BAHRAIN 306 ABU DHABI 615 CAIRO 139 DOHA 771 ISTANBUL 164 DUBAI 643 AMMAN 212 BAHRAIN 200 DAMASCUS 785 JEDDAH 356 MASHAD 156 LONDON 54 DUBAI 534 CAIRO 153 ISTANBUL 671 DUBAI 256 BEIRUT 551 DAMASCUS 561 AMMAN 856 DUBAI 126 SHARJAH 101 LONDON/NEW YORK 549 SOHAG/SHARM EL SHEIKH 133 DOHA

17:40 17:50 17:50 17:55 18:00 18:00 18:35 18:45 18:50 18:55 19:05 19:25 19:25 19:35 19:35 19:55 19:55 20:00 20:10 20:10 20:15 20:25 20:25 20:55 21:00 21:05 21:15 21:25 21:35 22:00 22:00 22:10 22:15 22:20 22:35 23:00 23:15 23:20 23:30

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

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

302 214 3406 165 6131 541 776 238 711 6808 501 624 176 500 702 5065 611 641 58 622 982 673 787 789 746 617 505 178 773 512 141 538 792 6792 82 9532 304 135 6706 342 858 216 128 184 3554 266 511 64 613 134 228 283 604 571 62 268 331 351 648 790 403 457 619 543 373 445 860 218 102 381 137 301 205 188 554 607 502 411 981

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

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

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

C R O S S W O R D

4 4 1

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 17, 2011

Word Sleuth Solution

Yesterday’s Solution

ACROSS 1. Rate of revolution of a motor.

4. 100 likuta equal 1 zaire.

10. A nuclear reactor that uses water as a coolant and moderator.

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

14. Evergreen Indian shrub with vivid yellow flowers whose bark is used in tanning.

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

16. Someone who works (or provides workers) during a strike.

18. (Old Testament) In Judeo-Christian mythology.

20. A unit of weight for precious stones = 200 mg.

22. A silvery ductile metallic element found primarily in bauxite.

24. The branch of computer science that deal with writing computer programs that can solve problems creatively.

25. (Old Testament) The second patriarch.

27. A set of data arranged in rows and columns.

30. A hemoprotein composed of globin and heme that gives red blood cells their characteristic color.

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

35. Small European freshwater fish with a slender bluish-green body.

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

41. God of wealth and love.

43. The branch of engineering science that studies the uses of electricity and the equipment for power generation and distribution and the control of machines and communication.

44. (Babylonian) God of storms and wind.

45. The capital and chief port of Qatar.

48. Resinlike substance secreted by certain lac insects.

50. Capital and largest city of Iraq.

57. Title for a civil or military leader (especially in Turkey).

58. Relating to the deepest parts of the ocean (below 6000 meters).

61. God of love and erotic desire.

62. The 22nd letter of the Greek alphabet.

63. Inability to urinate.

65. Extremely pleasing.

66. Imperial dynasty that ruled China (most of the time) from 206 BC to 221 and expanded its boundaries and developed its bureaucracy.

67. African tree having an exceedingly thick trunk and fruit that resembles a gourd and has an edible pulp called monkey bread.

68. The federal agency that insures residential mortgages.

69. A soft white precious univalent metallic element having the highest electrical and thermal conductivity of any metal.

DOWN 1. (computer science) A kind of computer architecture that has a relatively small set of computer instructions that it can perform.

2. Large burrowing rodent of South and Central America.

3. A flat-bottomed volcanic crater that was formed by an explosion.

4. A white soft metallic element that tarnishes readily.

5. Any of various coarse shrubby plants of the genus Iva with small greenish flowers.

6. A family of Sino-Tibetan languages spoken in southeastern Asia.

7. A mountain range in western Russia extending from the arctic to the Caspian Sea. 8. A woolen cap of Scottish origin.

9. Before noon.

10. Divulge information or secrets.

11. French philosopher (1909-1943).

12. A journey in a vehicle driven by someone else.

17. Any of numerous local fertility and nature deities worshipped by ancient Semitic peoples.

19. (British) A waterproof raincoat made of rubberized fabric.

21. Neckwear consisting of a long narrow piece of material worn (mostly by

men) under a collar and tied in knot at the front.

23. A compartment in front of a motor vehicle where driver sits.

26. Having the leading position or higher score in a contest.

28. In bed.

29. A small cake leavened with yeast.

31. A ductile gray metallic element of the lanthanide series.

32. The United Nations agency concerned with atomic energy.

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

36. A French abbot.

37. Elegant and stylish.

38. (astronomy) The angular distance of a celestial point measured westward along the celestial equator from the zenith crossing.

40. A condition (mostly in boys) characterized by behavioral and learning disorders.

42. Offering fun and gaiety.

46. Strike with a flat object.

47. A city in southern Turkey on the Seyhan River.

49. (Judaism) Sacred chest where the ancient Hebrews kept the two tablets containing the Ten Commandments.

51. Title for a civil or military leader (especially in Turkey).

52. A quantity that is added.

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

54. English essayist (1775-1834).

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

56. A metabolic acid found in yeast and liver cells.

59. Two items of the same kind.

60. Someone who engages in arbitrage (who purchases securities in one market for immediate resale in another in the hope of profiting from the price differential).

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

Yesterday’s Solution

SPORTS SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 17, 2011

Phillies take double-header over Marlins PHILADELPHIA: The Philadelphia Phillies closed within touching distance of a fifth straight National League East title by winning both games in a double-header against the Florida Marlins on Thursday. The Phillies won the opening game 3-1, with starter Kyle Kendrick (8-6) not allowing a hit until the fifth inning. He gave up just one while striking out six over five innings. Marlins starter Anibal Sanchez (8-8) threw six strong innings but was an unlucky loser, giving up two runs.

Philadelphia backed that up with a 2-1 win in the night game, with Ryan Howard hitting the winning RBI double in the 10th inning. Michael Martinez walked to lead off the 10th against Burke Badenhop (2-2). Howard then lined a pitch deep to left-center and Martinez scored easily. Florida had tied the game 1-1 with two outs and two strikes in the ninth, when Jose Lopez hit a homer off Cliff Lee, who fell one pitch short of a shutout. John Mayberry Jr had given the hosts a 1-0 lead with a homer in the sixth inning. Michael Schwimer (1-0) tossed a scoreless 10th for his first career win, as the Phillies notched their 97th win of the season; within five victories of a season franchise record.

Giants 8, Rockies 5 In Denver, Pablo Sandoval hit for the cycle for the first time in

MLB results/standings

his career as San Francisco beat Colorado and kept its slim postseason hopes alive. Sandoval homered in the first, doubled in the second and singled in the fifth. In the sixth he hit a fly ball to the base of the wall in right-center field and beat the throw to third for the triple. The four hits all came against Rockies starter Jhoulys Chacin (11-12). Sandoval is the 25th Giant to hit for the cycle and the first since 2007. It is the 10th cycle recorded at Coors Field.

San Francisco starter Ryan Vogelsong (11-7) pitched effectively into the sixth inning and had two hits. Brandon Belt homered for the Giants, who have won five straight and trail Arizona by seven games with 12 to play.

Nationals 10, Mets 1 In New York, Ian Desmond had a career-high five hits, leading Washington to a win over New York that completed a four-game road sweep. Desmond drove in three runs and Ryan Zimmerman had two RBIs for the Nationals, who won their fifth straight overall and moved past the Mets into third place in the NL East. The franchise has not finished third or higher since 2002, when it played in Montreal. Wilson Ramos added three hits for the visitors.

Washington’s Tommy Milone (1-0) notched his first win in his third major league start, allowing one run in 5 2-3 innings. New

York has lost six straight, one shy of its longest slump this season.

Chris Schwinden (0-2) tossed five solid innings in his second big league start.

Pirates 6, Dodgers 2 In Los Angeles, Ross Ohlendorf belatedly got his first win of the season and also hit a three-run homer to star in Pittsburgh’s win over Los Angeles, officially eliminating the bankrupt ballclub from the NL West race. Making his seventh start of the seaosn, Ohlendorf (1-2) allowed four hits in seven innings, striking out six and walking none. It was his first road win since 2009. Dodgers starter Dana Eveland (2-1) gave up four runs in five innings.

Reds 8, Cubs 6, 11 innings In Cincinnati, Jay Bruce hit a two-run homer in the 11th inning to give Cincinnati victory over Chicago. Joey Votto led off the 11th against James Russell (1-6) with a double. Bruce connected on the next pitch, giving the Reds their third straight win over Chicago after losing the opener of the four-game series. Reds reliever Nick Masset (3-5) pitched the 11th for the win. The Cubs had secore twice in the ninth inning to make it 6-6 and force extra innings.— AP

Rays win, cutting the Red Sox lead

Results and standings from the MLB games on Thursday: Washington 10, NY Mets 1; Philadelphia 3, Florida 1; Tampa Bay 9, Boston 2; Cincinnati 8, Chicago Cubs 6 (11 innings); Philadelphia 2, Florida 1 (10 innings); Texas 7, Cleveland 4; Kansas City 7, Chicago White Sox 2; San Francisco 8, Colorado 5; Oakland 6, Detroit 1; Pittsburgh 6, LA Dodgers 2.

NY Yankees Boston Tampa Bay Toronto Baltimore Detroit Chicago WS Cleveland Kansas City Minnesota Texas LA Angels Oakland Seattle

American League Eastern Division W L 90 58 86 63 83 66 75 74 60 88 Central Division 87 63 73 76 72 75 65 86 59 89 Western Division 86 64 82 67 68 82 62 87

National League Eastern Division Philadelphia 97 51 Atlanta 86 64 Washington 71 77 NY Mets 71 79 Florida 67 83 Central Division Milwaukee 87 63 St. Louis 81 68 Cincinnati 74 76 Pittsburgh 68 82 Chicago Cubs 65 85 Houston 51 98 Western Division Arizona 87 63 San Francisco 80 70 LA Dodgers 73 76 Colorado 70 79 San Diego 63 87

PCT .608 .577 .557 .503 .405

BOSTON: The Tampa Bay Rays beat Boston 9-2 in Thursday’s opening game of a vital series between the American League divisional rivals, cutting the Red Sox lead in the wild-card race to a precarious three games.

Boston has won only three games in September, and seen its seemingly guaranteed playoff berth put in jeopardy. The Red Sox trail the AL East-leading New York Yankees by 4-1/2 games and instead are looking over their shoulders at the fast-finishing Rays. The two teams play three more games at Fenway Park this weekend in a series that will likely decide who takes the wild card.

Tampa Bay’s BJ Upton broke a scoreless tie in the third inning when his broken bat sailed toward Boston shortstop Marco Scutaro, who had to dodge it and let the single through his legs. Evan Longoria followed with a three-run homer. Casey Kotchman added a two-run shot in the sixth to make it 6-1, and in the seventh Upton hit a two-run homer and Kotchman added an RBI single. Rays starter Jeremy Hellickson (13-10) allowed one run in 5 2-3 innings. Boston’s Kyle Weiland (0-2) pitched three-plus innings, giving up four runs.

GB 4.5 7.5 15.5 30

.580 .490 13.5 .490 13.5 .430 22.5 .399 27

Rangers 7, Indians 4 In Arlington, Texas, Michael Young hit a three-run double to pass 100 RBIs in a season for the second time, and AL West-leading Texas completed a threegame series sweep of Cleveland. Josh Hamilton homered for the third straight game and Adrian Beltre also homered in extending his career-best hitting streak to 19 games. Texas stretched its division lead over the idle Los Angeles Angels to 31/2 games.

.573 .550 3.5 .453 18 .416 23.5

.655 .573 .480 .473 .447

Athletics 6, Tigers 1 In Oakland, Detroit missed its first chance to seal the AL Central Division title, losing to Oakland. The Tigers’ 12-game winning streak came to an end, as David DeJesus hit a three-run homer in the first inning to lay the foundation for a comfortable A’s victory.

Detroit needs only one win or a single Cleveland loss over the remaining 12 games of the season to take the division crown. Oakland starter Brandon McCarthy (98) went seven innings, allowing only one run and striking out eight to improve to a 2.15 ERA over his past five starts. Tigers starter Max Scherzer (14-9) lasted five innings, giving up five runs.

12 26 27 31

.580 .544 5.5 .493 13 .453 19 .433 22 .342 35.5 .580 .533 7 .490 13.5 .470 16.5 .420 24

OAKLAND: Coco Crisp #4 of the Oakland Athletics steals second base, beating the tag from Jhonny Peralta #27 of the Detroit Tigers during an MLB baseball game in Oakland, California. — AFP

Royals 7, White Sox 2 In Kansas City, Melky Cabrera had four hits, including a home run, to power Kansas City over Chicago, officially eliminating the White Sox from playoff contention. Cabrera’s four-hit game matched a career high and his double in the sixth was his 40th as an outfielder - he has one as a DH. The Royals are the first team in major league history to have three outfielders with 40 or more doubles. Alex Gordon and Jeff Francoeur both have 45.Billy Butler hit a three-run homer off Mark Buehrle (11-9) in the sixth for the Royals, whose five game winning streak is their longest since 2009. — AP

sports SATURDAY, SepTembeR 17, 2011

Spanish clubs split over TV rights MADRID: A split has opened up in the ranks of rebel Spanish football clubs complaining that giants Real Madrid and Barcelona get an unfair share of cash from lucrative television rights. Sevilla president Jose Maria del Nido had invited a dozen clubs to a meeting September 8 to seek a new distribution of the TV money that would sharply reduce Barca and Real’s share. Neither Real Madrid nor Barcelona were invited.

So things were a bit tense when all the clubs got together Thursday for a meeting of the Professional Football League (LFP). “The posture they took was all against Sevilla,” said a statement by Sevilla vice president Jose Maria Cruz published on the club’s website after the meeting. Only Espagnol and Betis came to Sevilla’s aid at the LFP meeting with a “praiseworthy” defense of their position while others mostly

stayed out of the discussion, Cruz said. “Real Madrid had a strong reaction against Sevilla’s position, a sign that they feel threatened and other clubs even apologized for having gone to the Sevilla meeting,” Cruz said.

At last week’s meeting the 12 clubs called for the TV rights sales to be centralized under the LFP. Real Madrid and Barcelona receive about 140 million euros ($197m) a year each from television rights, while small clubs such as Levante, Malaga or Real Sociedad get just 12 million euros. Cruz said he was “indignant and disappointed,” by the reaction of some other clubs at the latest LFP gathering. “It shows, once again, that consensus is only possible when we all defer to what is proposed by Real Madrid and Barcelona, otherwise consensus is unfeasible,” he complained. “We are going to stick to

our line because we believe we have right on our side,” Cruz said.

But it was impossible to reach a deal through negotiations at the LFP, he said. “Any consensus is condemned to failure because you cannot fix things speaking to people who do not want to hear or speak about a balanced distribution,” Cruz said. “But we are not giving up and we won’t cease in our determination or swallow it however much they attack us.” The outspoken Del Nido blasted the existing Spanish league as “the biggest rubbish not only in Europe but in the world,” in an August 29 interview with state radio RNE. “It is a Third World league in which two clubs subtract the television money from the rest of us who are competing,” he said. “We are running down the Spanish league.”—AFP

Italian League Preview

Scottish Premier League Preview

Inter, Roma face off in clash of the crisis clubs

Rangers, Celtic brace for Old Firm opener

ROME: Inter Milan and Roma will aim to put mediocre starts to the season behind them when they meet today at the San Siro, when defeat for either club could set alarm bells ringing. Inter have played two and lost two so far this season, including a humiliating home loss to rank outsiders Trabzonspor in the Champions Legaue on Wednesday.

Roma have two defeats and a draw from their three games and have already been eliminated from the Europa League.

Gian Piero Gasperini and Luis Enrique are both desperate for a victory to set them back on the right path, or else the already significant pressure building on each coach will only intensify. Inter boss Gasperini has not only had to deal with two defeats but also sharp criticism of his tactics having chosen to play three at the back in their 4-3 defeat at Palermo last Sunday.

He changed to a back four against Trabzonspor but to no avail as Inter, the European champions in 2010, succumbed to a 1-0 defeat to the Turks. Inter president Massimo Moratti denied his coach’s position was under threat, but he got rid of Rafael Benitez last season despite the Spaniard having just led Inter to victory in the Club World Cup. Gasperini admitted time is of the essence: “I’m well aware the club’s confidence is not unlimited, we have to get results quickly because if we don’t our problems will grow. “I need to find the key to getting results right now but after an unlucky match like the one (against Trabzonspor) it becomes even more difficult to understand how to win points.”

Roma’s new American owners have publicly backed Enrique but the overly demanding Roman press, and also the club’s fans, have already been on his back. As if getting knocked out of Europe by Slovakian minnows Slovan Bratislava wasn’t enough, losing at home to a Cagliari side expected to struggle this season shows the task facing the Spaniard. Enrique has also had to deal with the gripes of captain Francesco Totti, who made no secret of his displeasure against Bratislava when he was a substitute in one game and replaced in the other. Roma icon Totti, however, has openly attempted to quash rumors of a rift with Enrique by urging supporters to get behind team and coach.

Elsewhere Napoli face an early test of their title credentials as they host champions AC Milan tomorrow night. Both sides earned impressive away draws in the Champions League in midweek, Milan securing a 2-2 draw in Barcelona and Napoli also claiming a point in a 1-1 draw at Manchester City. Napoli started the league season rather better than Milan, who drew 2-2 at home to Lazio, as they won 3-1 at Cesena. Last season Napoli’s form against their title rivals was what ultimately cost them, picking up just one point from their four matches against the two Milan giants.

Taking away the direct clashes between the top three, Napoli garnered more points than both their rivals. After their midweek result they should be looking to pose a threat when up against the best of domestic opposition this season. —AFP

GLASGOW: Ally McCoist will take charge of Rangers in an Old Firm derby for the first time when Celtic visit Ibrox tomorrow as both sides look to take an early advantage in the race for the Scottish Premier League title. Despite being a veteran of countless encounters with the Parkhead club as a Rangers player and as assistant manager this will be his first taste of the fixture as the man in charge at Ibrox. The match will bring McCoist head to head with counterpart Neil Lennon again following their controversial clash at the end of a Scottish Cup game at Parkhead last season. It will be the first time in five months the sides have played after meeting seven times last season and after some heated exchanges on and off the pitch both managers will be hoping the focus is solely on the football. Many players could make their Old Firm derby debuts in the match including Australian international Matt McKay. And the Rangers midfielder is relishing the prospect of facing Celtic, which he says will be the biggest game of his career so far. “I know it’s going to be hectic and there will be tackles flying in. The atmosphere will be incredible as well so I’m looking forward to it. If I’m needed, I’ll be ready to play,” said McKay, who arrived from Brisbane Roar last week. “I’ve watched the derby before back in Australia and there have obviously been a fair few Aussies taking part in it over the last few years. With the passion and the big crowd, it’s something I’m desperate to be part of. “Long before I had a chance to come to Rangers, the Old Firm game was one I’d have loved to play in.” Despite an extensive injury list, the Ibrox side are unbeaten this season and haven’t conceded in five matches to leave them sitting a point clear of Celtic at the top of the table. And manager McCoist said he hoped to have a selection headache for the crucial match against their Glasgow rivals after revealing striker Nikica Jelavic, American midfielder Alejandro Bedoya and defenders Sasa Papac and Lee Wallace could return from injury.

“We could have some choices to make tomorrow and that’s what we are hoping for,” the Rangers manager said. “I am very hopeful that Nikica’s injury will clear up in time for tomorrow. It wasn’t anything major that kept him out at Dundee United, it was a slight niggle in his knee. “We hope he can rejoin training and if so that will be encouraging for us. Lee Wallace is improving but we are not sure if he will be ready for tomorrow. “There has been an improvement with Davie Weir and also Jamie Ness. And we are hopeful that Sasa Papac will be with us for the weekend. Alejandro Bedoya had a calf strain last week and that’s what kept him out of Tannadice but he is better this week and hopefully he will come into contention at the weekend. “So the treatment room has been busy but we hope it is quietening down now.” Celtic too have their injury worries with captain Scott Brown and striker Anthony Stokes both missing out on Thursday’s Europa League clash with Atletico Madrid. But assistant manager Johan Mjallby revealed he was hopeful both would be available for Ibrox. “I think it is too early to say but they still have a chance for tomorrow,” the assistant manager said. —AFP

ABU DHABI: Argentine football legend Diego Maradona and coach of UAE’s Al-Wasl club attends his team’s Emirates Cup football match against Al-Jazira club in Abu Dhabi on September 15, 2011. —AFP

Maradona’s first match ends in disappointment ABU DHABI: Argentine legend Diego Maradona’s first match in charge of Al Wasl in the United Arab Emirates ended in disappointment when they lost 4-3 to an injury time strike to Al Jazira on Thursday. Al Wasl had battled back from 3-1 down at half-time on a hot and humid night in Abu Dhabi to pull level at one stage with all of their three goals coming from Argentine import Mariano Donda.

But it was another South American, Brazilian striker Jeder Volnei, known as Bare, who plundered the late winner for Al Jazira who have dominated most matches with Al Wasl in recent times. “My players fought well and I am very happy with them,” said Maradona. “The second half, my team was the only one on the pitch. The players did their best and the result should have been 3-3.” Ibrahim Diaky, with a penalty, Matias Delgado and Ricardo Oliveira also scored for Al Jazira.

Oliveira’s goal was set up by Australian defender Lucas Neill in the 35th minute. In the other two matches played Thursday, Al Shabab defeated Bani Yas 4-1 and Ajman beat Al Ahli 3-1. —AFP

Match-fixers can be beaten: FIFA ZURICH: Soccer match-fixers can be beaten and the recent spate of cases is a sign of success in the battle rather than failure, FIFA’s head of security Chris Eaton said yesterday. “I joined (the police) as a very young person in Australia, I have worked on international investigations on organized crime particularly for the last 20 years, and I think this is eminently defeatable,” Eaton said. “I believe that by good due diligence, good regulation and good oversight, we will eradicate opportunities for criminality to take over this sport,” added Eaton, who worked for Interpol for more than a decade before joining FIFA. “We can defeat it, this is not an impossible situation at all.” —Reuters

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sports SATURDAY, SepTembeR 17, 2011

Federer levels Davis Cup tie SYDNEY: Swiss maestro Roger Federer came back from losing the first set to see off an inspired Lleyton Hewitt and level the Davis Cup World Group playoff tie against Australia yesterday. Playing on grass at the Royal Sydney Golf Club, 18year-old Bernard Tomic gave the home side an early lead when he beat Stanislas Wawrinka 4-6, 6-4, 63, 6-3.

Federer then found himself under enormous pressure after losing the first set to a typically dogged Hewitt and going down a break early in the second. But the world number three dug deep to break back and win the set on a tiebreak before pulling away to win 5-7, 7-6 (7/5), 6-2, 6-3. Hewitt struggled to hold serve throughout the opener and never looked like breaking Federer until he seized his chance at 5-5, pouncing on loose play from the Swiss legend to take the advantage. The Australian held his nerve as he served for the first set, taking the lead with two blistering cross-court forehands, then breaking Federer at the start of the second.

But at 3-1 down in the second set Federer finally found his range and gradually took control, taking the set in a tiebreak and then securing dual breaks in the third and fourth.

Federer, who only arrived in Sydney on Wednesday after his US Open semi-final defeat to Novak Djokovic, admitted being tired and off his game on what he described as an “old school” grass court. “I all of a sudden realized this was much more difficult than I expected,” he said. “I thought it was going to be tough but once on court I was a bit afraid of hitting my shots because of all the bad bounces out on this grass court and I was just very happy to see that I got so much better as the match went on.”

Hewitt, who has slipped to 199 in the world after a series of injuries, will be slight favorite against Wawrinka in the reverse pairings after a disappointing display from the Swiss number two. Wawrinka started well against Tomic, but the young Australian relaxed after the first set, playing the kind of grass court tennis that took him to the Wimbledon quarter-finals this year.

His mix of touch, flat shots and moments of pure power nullified anything the Swiss tried. Today’s doubles will see Hewitt and Chris Guccione taking on Federer and Wawrinka. The winner of the tie progresses to the World Group in 2012 while the loser will play zonal qualifiers in a bid to get back to the top tier competition in 2013. —AFP

Kuwaiti shooters grab gold, silver

Duaij Al-Otaibi and Abdullah Al-Rashidi

KUWAIT: Kuwait’s shooters who participated in the world Clay Shooting Championships held in Belgrade, Serbia returned with one gold and two bronze medals. The championship which lasted from Sept 3-14, saw Kuwait’s skeet shooter Abdullah Al-Rashidi grab the bronze medal after attaining a sensational 149 out of 150 and having to go into a shoot-off round with his Spanish and Norwegian rivals. Kuwait’s junior trap shooter was able to win the gold medal, followed by the Double trap team of Fuhaid Al-Daihani, Mishfi Al-Mutairi and Hamad Al-Afasi, who won the bronze medal in the championship.

The head of the Kuwaiti delegation at the event, Duaij Khalaf Al-Otaibi, lauded the competitive spirit of the shooters, who were participating alongside 780 rival shooters from 77 countries. Al-Otaibi, who is President of the Arab Shooting Federation, Deputy Chairman of the Board of the Kuwait Shooting Federation and a member of the ISSF Administrative Council, said this championship proved beyond any shadow of a doubt that Kuwait has champions which it can rely on in the near future, adding that a large team also represented Kuwait in the juniors section of the champi-

onship, their first overseas competition, achieving tremendous results.

Al-Otaibi dedicated the win to His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah and HH the Crown Prince Sheikh Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah for their continued support for Kuwaiti competitive shooting and urged young Kuwaitis to always represent their country well in order to ensure that its reputation remains excellent and prominent internationally. He also congratulated the Kuwaiti people on the win, as well as voicing hope that the country’s sports leaders would approve the club’s plan to ensure top places for Kuwaiti marksmen during the Fourth Asian Championship, which is scheduled to take place in Kuwait next month.

Al-Otaibi thanked the chairman of the Kuwait Shooting Federation’s board, Sheikh Salman Sabah Al-Sabah, as well as the board members and the technical team for their tremendous efforts and great support, which he said resulted in enhancing the marksmen’s techniques. Al-Otaibi concluded his statement by extending further thanks to the officials at the Public Authority For Youth and Sports and the Ministry of Social Affairs and Labor for their support.

Nadal thrashes Gasquet CORDOBA: Rafael Nadal cast off fatigue and his US Open final loss to Novak Djokovic to thrash Richard Gasquet in yesterday’s opening rubber of the Davis Cup semi-final to hand the hosts and four-times champions a 1-0 lead. World number two Nadal blitzed Gasquet 6-3, 6-0, 6-1 to underline the Spaniards’ status of favourites on home clay as they look to advance to a final against either defending champions Serbia or Argentina, who were facing off in Belgrade.

Nadal had admitted to tiredness after his US Open final defeat but said that “if I come, it is above all to defend my country.” But he gave Gasquet no chance in 30 degrees Celsius heat, breaking the Frenchman at the first time of asking and never giving his rival the hint of a chance before an enthusiastic 10,000 crowd.

“Even tired Nadal remains an exceptional player,” said Gasquet. “I couldn’t find a way past him. It’s a defeat that hurts,” added the French player after his tenth loss in as many meetings with the Spaniard. “That worked out well, I managed to play with a cool head and do what I had to do throughout without losing concentration for a minute,” said Nadal after his ruthless exhibition.

“Luckily everything worked out fine and we are 1-0 ahead, which is important,” added the Mallorcan. Nadal admitted that physically he had begun feeling he was close to his limits - but he said that Gasquet had not helped his own cause. “There were moments where he helped me in making mistakes, not forcing me to play long points,” Nadal explained. “My service was working well and that made me feel much more comfortable,” he added.

With two top five ranked players in Nadal and David Ferrer, Spain are bidding to reach the final for the third time in four years in Cordoba’s bullring.France, runners-up last year, were hoping to follow on from their 5-0 whitewash over their hosts in last year’s World Group quarter-finals but now have a tough challenge ahead after their poor start which saw Nadal take his career series with 15th-ranked Gasquet to 10-0.

Fifth-ranked Ferrer took on Gilles Simon, ranked 11, in yesterday’s second rubber.

CORDOBA: Spain’s Rafael Nadal returns the ball to France’s Richard Gasquet during their Davis Cup semi-final match Spain-France at the Los Califas bullring in Cordoba, southern Spain. —AFP Having dropped serve to give Nadal the opening set on the two-time champion’s third set point, Gasquet managed thereafter to win just one more game as the Spaniard tore past him in 2hr 06min, helped by a 100 percent return on first serve points won in the second set while he was equally domi-

nant in the third set. Spanish doubles specialists Feliciano Lopez and Fernando Verdasco are scheduled to face Michael Llodra and JoWilfried Tsonga in today’s doubles rubber before Nadal meets Simon and Ferrer goers up against Gasquet in tomorrow’s reverse singles. —AFP

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SPORTS SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 17, 2011

To beard, or not to beard? Kleeberger has the answers AUCKLAND: Adam Kleeberger has evolved from average-looking flanker to bearded backrow star at the Rugby World Cup in the space of seven months.

Looking like a lumberjack with an ax to grind, Kleeberger lit up social media sites after inspiring Canada’s opening win over Tonga, one of three men in the starting team with the so-called “beardos.” If he can reproduce his man-of-the-match performance tomorrow against France, which left bearded colossus Sebastien Chabal out of its squad this time, Kleeberger will surely only increase his chances of winning a professional contract somewhere.

“If it does then that’s great,” the 27year-old BC Bears backrower said. “I didn’t really have a reason for growing the beard when I started and it’s now got more attention than I ever thought possible.” But if he does get that contract, he quickly adds, “hopefully it’s based on the way I’m playing as well.” Kleeberger has been something of a rugby journeyman, with playing stints in tough leagues in England, Australia and New Zealand before winding up in Canada, where

there’s no professional league. That doesn’t detract from his credentials.

Canada coach Kieran Crowley won a World Cup as part of the New Zealand All Blacks squad at the inaugural tournament in 1987. He has been driving a more professional approach since taking over in Canada in 2008 and has developed something of a stock phrase when talking about the development of the national team, saying it contains “some of the best professionals I’ve ever seen, only they don’t get paid for it.” Crowley is encouraging his leading players to get experience with big clubs in Britain, France and Australasia, saying its a crucial move to bridge the gap between the so-called tier one and tier two nations. Kleeberger is among those good enough to be earning a good living from the game.

So if the likes of Kleeberger have to grow a big, bushy beard to get noticed on the world stage, so be it, Crowley says.

“They’re pretty awesome bushes,” the clean-cut Crowley told The Canadian Press before the tournament. “Once we start seeing people in the stands with beards on, that’ll be the telling point

England want focus back on rugby against Georgia DUNEDIN: England will hope attention is back on their rugby when they face Georgia in their World Cup clash at the Otago Stadium tomorrow. Martin Johnson’s men recorded a grueling, come-from-behind, 13-9 victory over Argentina in their Pool B opener in Dunedin last Saturday and face another physical encounter against a Georgia side renowned for their forward strength. But England’s build-up to the match was overshadowed by the fall-out from their night out in a bar last Sunday where veteran centre Mike Tindall, who recently married Zara Phillips, the granddaughter of Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II, was seen flirting with an unidentified blonde.

Tindall, a member of the 2003 World Cup-winning side captained by Johnson, found himself making unwanted headlines on both sides of the equator, and the whole incident was given a fresh twist Friday when a video purporting to show the midfielder in the bar was posted on the YouTube website. The Gloucester midfielder, England’s captain last week, was left out of the side in one of nine changes made to the team that beat Argentina although Johnson stressed Tindall’s omission had nothing to do with the night out.

England captain Lewis Moody, who missed the Argentina match with knee ligament damage, returned to the back-row that will feature World Cup debutant Tom Wood. “It’s good to have Lewis back,” Johnson said. “It’s a chance for a lot of guys to come and play.” Johnson, himself a former lock, selected a new second row combination of Simon Shaw and Tom Palmer, the pair replacing Courtney Lawes, suspended for two matches for kneeing Argentina’s Mario Ledesma, and Louis Deacon.

“Courtney is out for a couple of weeks, but we’d have played the other two locks anyway,” explained Johnson.

Meanwhile in the front row, Matt Stevens, a replacement against Argentina for Andrew Sheridan, whose World Cup has since been ended by a shoulder injury, started at loosehead prop with Dylan Hartley replacing 2003 World Cup-winner Steve Thompson at hooker. In the backs, former New Zealand rugby league international Shontayne Hape came in for Tindall, England’s captain against Argentina. Toby Flood replaced Jonny Wilkinson, who missed five of his eight goalkicks last week at fly-half. Flood’s Leicester team-mate Ben Youngs, who came off the bench to score the only try of the Pumas match, was alongside him at scrum-half.

Georgia made just two changes to the side that lost 15-6 to coach Richie Dixon’s native Scotland on Wednesday. Ilia Zedginidze replaced lock Levan Datunashvili and David Kubriashvili went from the bench to tighthead prop in place of David Zirakashvili. Four of Georgia’s starters played in their only previous match against England, an 84-6 thrashing at the 2003 World Cup in Perth. —AFP

when it’s become a bit of a folk thing.”

The “beardo” look is already popular among fans in New Zealand, and not just the traveling Canadians.

Bearded lock Jebb Sinclair barged over a try against Tonga on Wednesday, while Hubert Buydens played an important role by holding back the big, powerful Tongan scrum and Kleeberger was all over the Pacific islanders at the breakdowns. “We had the attitude that they’re not going to push us around - we’re going to push them,” Kleeberger told The Associated Press. “We’ve had belief in the team that we can take on any side. When we came home at the end there, I think we proved that to ourselves.” Crowley retained the same starting lineup which scored two late tries to win by a whisker over Tonga to play again tomorrow against France.

Kleeberger is starting to attract plenty of attention from English and Frenchspeaking media. He replies to all the match-related questions with the rigor of a PR-trained pro athlete. Get to the beard, though, and it draws a smile. And, for a growing legion of fans who’re interested, he’s some answers to questions posed by

the AP: Do rivals try to yank it? “It happens every now and then, but at the end of the day we know only girls pull hair, right?” Are you three a walking advertisement for Canadian mountain men? “We all started independently, didn’t know what each other were doing until recently. It’s just something that happened.”

Is there a competition to see who can get the longest, bushiest beard? “No, no competition (laughing). Hubert has been growing one for ... I don’t know, I’ve never seen him without one. Jebb started growing a beard when he was in Wales, playing over there, so it just sort of happened.

I don’t have a reason for growing mine either.” Kleeberger started growing his hair and beard seven months ago when he was recovering from an injury, and it’s now easily down to his chest. After all the attention it has earned him, it’s hard to believe he’d consider losing the flowing locks on his head and face. “It would be pretty hard for me not to shave it off,” he said. “I kind of miss having my face. “But right now I’m just focusing on this Rugby World Cup and I’ll think about that afterwards.”—AP

All Blacks cut Japan to shreds in WCup Brave Blossoms run ragged HAMILTON: Winger Richard Kahui and Sonny Bill Williams scored two tries each as an All Blacks side with a patch-work look about it ran in 13 tries in total to crush Japan 83-7 in their rugby World Cup Pool A match at Waikato Stadium yesterday. The All Blacks had five players unavailable for the match due to injury and several played out of their normal position but they were simply too clinical for the Pacific Nations Cup champions, becoming the first side in the 2011 World Cup to rack up more than 50 points in a match. “I think the big thing for us was wanting to improve,” said New Zealand captain Keven Mealamu.

“We wanted to put out a good performance for them and I’m pretty pleased with it. “We have been trying to work on ...getting the structures of our game down pat. We have improved on that but we still have got a few things that we can keep working away at.” Japan wing Hirotoki Onozawa grabbed a consolation try when he intercepted a loose pass by Slade to race 30 meters to score and receive the biggest cheer of the game. Murray Williams added the conversion. The crowd at Waikato Stadium observed a period of silence before kickoff to remember the victims of the Feb. 22 earthquake that struck Christchurch and the March 11 earthquake and tsunami that devastated north-eastern Japan.

“It was our honor to play the All Blacks,” said Japan captain Takashi Kikutani. “It was a hard game for us, but the boys are sore. The All Blacks are a great team. “Both countries suffered from big earthquakes. This game meant a lot for us, I hope we can (come) together as one.” Backing up from his man of the match performance against Tonga a week ago, where he scored two

HAMILTON: New Zealand All Blacks Sam Whitelock leaps to take a lineout ball during their Rugby World Cup Pool A match against Japan at Waikato Stadium in Hamilton, New Zealand yesterday. — AP tries, Kahui was again in the thick of the action against an overwhelmed Japan side. It was a dominant performance from the All Blacks against the “Brave Blossoms” desperate to erase memories of a record 145-17 defeat by the All Blacks in the 1995 World Cup. Japan coach John Kirwan made 10 changes to he he team to face New Zealand and perhaps a lack of cohesion contributed to their flatness as the All Blacks racked up a four-try bonus point inside 29 minutes. Outside centre Conrad Smith opened the scoring in the second minute of the game, setting the stage for the point-a-minute half. Wing Richard Kahui scored the first of his two

tries in the 15th minute. Kaino crashed over from a metre out for the All Blacks third try and a try from stand-in captain Keven Mealamu ensured New Zealand had the bonus point inside half an hour.

Two further tries in the space of two minutes to scrumhalf Andy Ellis and flyhalf Colin Slade ensured the All Blacks had a 38-0 halftim lead.

Kahui had his second try in the 43rd minute and Sonny Bill Williams, who had come onto the wing for Cory Jane early in the second half, got the crowd cheering when he crossed in the 50th minute for his first try in the black jersey, bringing up 50 points for the All Blacks in the process. — Reuters

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SPORTS SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 17, 2011

NFL Preview

Vick returns with Eagles to the old Falcons home NEW YORK: Michael Vick thrilled Atlanta Falcons fans in the Georgia Dome for six NFL seasons. Many of them felt betrayed by subsequent events that led to Vick doing jail time for his role in a dogfighting ring. He returns as a starter to the dome tomorrow with the Philadelphia Eagles, and the reception might not echo that recent history. Vick, you see, remains immensely popular in Atlanta, despite what happened. The cheers outweighed the boos two years ago when he was a third-string quarterback for Philly, but still threw for one touchdown and ran for another in a 34-7 victory.

He’s anything but a third-stringer now. “That’s something I haven’t thought about or really don’t want to get into,” said Vick, the NFL’s Comeback Player of the Year in 2010. “I still have a lot of love for the fans down there, but keep in mind I am with the opposition now. I don’t expect it to be in my favor due to the fact that I’m out there fulltime, but we’ll see. That’s the fun part of the game and we’re just going to enjoy the day.”

Enjoying another day in Atlanta - or anywhere seemed a long shot for Vick after being exiled from the Falcons, and then from the NFL. Now, he is a key performer on a team that went wild in free agency, made a huge trade that sent his backup and erstwhile competitor for the quarterbacking spot, Kevin Kolb, to Arizona, and is the owner of a $100 million contract. “Going back as a starter is different than it was in 2009 when I spot-played a little bit and just had an opportunity to go out there and make a couple of plays,” he said. “The emotional aspect of it I’m over, but it’ll be great to go back to the dome, play against a former team, have an opportunity to play against some guys that I played with.”

It’s also a huge game between two of the favorites in the NFC, particularly after the Falcons were beaten handily in Chicago last week. Philly won at St Louis. The Pittsburgh Steelers were keen to forget their stunning 357 drubbing from the Baltimore Ravens rather than panic.

“It’s like (defensive coordinator Dick) LeBeau said, we used our mulligan on the first hole and we’ve got 17 more holes to birdie,” said quarterback Ben Roethlisberger.

But what was distressing to Steelers fans was knowing that when the offense doesn’t show up once in a while, they could usually rely on the defense to come to the rescue. But not only did the offense commit seven turnovers, looking like amateurs and losing right tackle Willie Colon (torn right triceps) for the season, but the defense was run over.

The Steelers welcome the chance to get back on track against the visiting Seattle Seahawks, who were given a dose of reality in a loss to San Francisco last weekend. The defending NFC West champions had hoped to solve their quarterback issues by bringing in Tarvaris Jackson. Instead, Jackson spent most of the first game trying to stay upright behind a shaky offensive line that allowed him to get sacked five times and harassed countless others.

The San Diego Chargers visit to New England always presents a fun matchup between two of the NFL’s most exciting and prolific offenses, especially in September when weather isn’t usually a factor. Patriots star Tom Brady probably won’t throw for 517 yards again, as he did against Miami on Monday. Or maybe he will, considering the tear he’s been on. Going back to last season, when he was the unanimous league MVP, Brady has led New England to nine straight regular-season victories, the longest string in the league.

“When you have a quarterback who plays at the level that Tom Brady is, (if) you can’t pressure him and disrupt him a little bit, you’re going to be in for a long day,” Chargers coach Norv Turner said. Turner has his own strong offense led by Philip Rivers, who threw for a piddling (compared to Brady) 335 yards in a comeback win over Minnesota. Elsewhere tomorrow, it’s Green Bay at Carolina, Chicago at New Orleans, Baltimore at Tennessee, Kansas City at Detroit, Jacksonville at the New York Jets, Oakland at Buffalo, Tampa Bay at Minnesota, Cleveland at Indianapolis, Dallas at San Francisco, Arizona at Washington, Houston at Miami, and Cincinnati at Denver.

On Monday, St Louis is at the New York Giants. — AP

Granberg equals record Chan leads Macau Open MACAU: Finland’s Joonas Granberg equaled the course record with 62 to lie a shot off the lead after the second round of the Macau Open yesterday, with Taiwan’s Chan Yih-shin heading the field. Chan, joint overnight leader at the Macau Golf and Country Club, recovered from an early bogey and saved a vital par with a 20-foot putt on the 15th on his way to a round of 67, to go nine under par for the tournament.

Asian Tour rookie Granberg recovered from his opening round 72 with pinpoint iron play, missing only one green and sinking an eagle at the 18th, and stands a good chance of adding to his win at the Selangor Masters in Malaysia in July. “It was a solid round. I made many putts and missed only one green. My confidence is much higher now after I won in Malaysia but it is going to be a tough two days,” said the 24-year-old.

Rikard Karlberg of Sweden, a two-time winner on the Asian

Tour who had a share of the first round lead, also made eagle on the last hole for a 69 to sit in third place in the $750,000 event.

Starting on the back nine, Chan fired a superb eagle three on the second hole when his seven iron approach from 198 yards landed just nine feet from the pin, before adding two more birdies. “It has been a long time since I last had such good scores. I’m happy to have a chance to be in the leading group. I like the pressure and I’m eager to play in the next two days,” Chan said. Jeev Milkha Singh of India, playing in his first Macau Open since 1999, got round in 68 to share fourth place with highly rated Thanyakon Khrongpha of Thailand and Australian Adam Groom, who carded 66 and 69 respectively. The cut was set at one-over-par 143, with Anthony Kang of the United States and Englishman Nick Redfernwho shared the first round lead with Chan and Karlberg-missing the weekend rounds as they shot matching 78s. — AFP

Johnson seizes LPGA lead

PRATTVILLE: Jennifer Johnson plays a tee shot during the second round of the Navistar LPGA Classic at the Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail’s Senator Course at Capitol Hill in Prattville, Alabama. — AFP

PRATTVILLE: Jennifer Johnson fired a career-best seven-under par 65 on Thursday to take a one-shot first-round lead over teenager Lexi Thompson at the Navistar LPGA Classic. Johnson, who has earned a modest $84,809 in her two-plus seasons as a professional, pledged to donate half of her winnings this week to the Wounded Warrior Project, which provides services to injured military veterans. “That’s some extra motivation,” Johnson said. “Hopefully, I can keep it up and give a bunch of money to those guys.” Johnson’s round was highlighted by an eagle on the par-four 389-yard 15th hole, where she holed out with a six-iron from about 150 yards. “I was trying to land it on the front and I thought it wasn’t going to be enough,” Johnson said. “I was yelling at it to get up, and then it just kind of curved right in the hole, and then I was happy.”

Thompson, 16, hit all 18 greens in regulation. Her 66 included seven birdies, four of them in a five-hole span from the 15th.Becky Morgan of Wales and and Alison Walshe were tied for third on 67 A group of seven players, led by world number one Yani Tseng of Taiwan and including Norwegian star Suzann Pettersen, were tied on 68. Thompson first played this event as a 14-year-old amateur in 2009, when she was tied for the lead after two rounds before finishing 27th.

Last year, after she had turned professional, she tied for 16th.

“I just love coming to this tournament,” Thompson said. “It’s one I look forward to every year.” “I just focused on one shot and thought about tempo,” Thompson said. “If I just do that for the next three days, hopefully it will all go well.” Morgan was twoover through five holes but bounced back from the slow start to reach five-under, level with Walshe who notched her best round of the year. Morgan birdied four of the final five holes, including the last three. “I gave myself a good talking to and turned things around,” Morgan said. “There were a few choice words in there.

Sometimes, I need to give myself a good kick in the bum to turn things around.” — AFP

Rose chases $10 million jackpot LEMONT: With a $10 million pot on the table, Justin Rose went all in on Thursday, flashing a hot hand with an eight-underpar 63 to grab the first round lead at the BMW Championship. The Briton, however, will need to have more up his sleeve if he hopes to break into the top 30 in the FedExCup standings and book his place at the season-ending finale next week in Atlanta where a $10 million bonus will go to the points leader. Entering the third of the PGA Tour’s four lucrative playoff events this week, Rose was just outside the top 30 and, with nothing to lose, he brought an all-or-nothing approach to Cog Hill Golf and Country Club.

“I’ve got the mindset I’ve got nothing to lose this week,” Rose, who lies 34th in the standings, told reporters. “That’s my strategy, that’s my attitude because right now I’m not going to Atlanta. “I’ve got everything to gain this week. That’s really the way I’m seeing it. “Guys who are 26, 27, 28, 29th-who have played well all year-

they might be pretty tense this week because they feel they deserve to be in Atlanta. For me, I still feel like I can make it a great year.” After making his long awaited PGA Tour breakthrough last season by recording two victories on the US circuit, Rose has been unable to build on that success in 2011.

WILDLY INCONSISTENT He has had four top-10s this year, highlighted by a third place finish at the Arnold Palmer Invitational, but his performances have been wildly inconsistent, particularly towards the end of the season. After missing the cut at the PGA Championship, Rose rebounded with a solid sixth at the first FedExCup playoff event, The Barclays, but then finished in a disappointing tie for 68th at the Deutsche Bank Championship two weeks ago. “At the beginning of the season, I was playing really, really nice golf and through the Florida Swing and into the Masters I played some of the best golf

I’ve ever played,” said Rose. “I really felt that with a decent putter I would have won a couple of those tournaments. “I didn’t play quite as well through the summer but I feel like I’m sort of feeling good about things once again.”

Earlier this week, Rose had a session with swing coach Sean Foley, who is also overseeing the latest swing overhaul by Tiger Woods, and the tweaks produced immediate results as Rose described Thursday’s round as one of the best of his career. “I had a little tune-up with Sean Foley on Tuesday, really cleaned up a couple things in my golf swing, and it was really nice to see the results straightaway,” said Rose. “Basically the line of the club at the top of the backswing, I just got a little bit more on line instead of a little bit laid off. “I’m sort of managing to do it with a nice, simple thought, and I think that’s the key-if you can take simple thoughts from the range, that’s how you’re going to take them to the golf course.”— Reuters

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sports SATURDAY, SepTembeR 17, 2011

PSG eye Beckham LONDON: French club Paris Saint-Germain are interested in bringing former England captain David Beckham to the Ligue 1 side, sporting director Leonardo revealed yesterday. Beckham, 36, made a surprise switch to LA Galaxy in Major League Soccer in 2007. But the former Manchester United and Real Madrid star was unable to trigger the hoped-for explosion of interest in football in the United States and quickly became a bit-part player with England as well.

Leonardo said however he had been impressed by the midfielder when he was loaned to AC Milan by LA Galaxy. “I coached him at AC Milan and we created a good relationship,” the former Brazil international told BBC Sport.

“He is more than a football player, but when you see him every day he trains and plays like a kid.

“He is someone that I really appreciate and admire so much - his values and everything he has done in football.” Asked whether the Qatariowned club would consider signing Beckham, Leonardo said: “The door is open. He is more than a football player - he’s a brand, a pop star. I would always consider him.

“He respects the rules, listens to you and wants the best for the team. That’s why for me he is a big example. I worked with him and that’s why I talk about his name.” PSG went on a recruitment drive after their takeover by Qatar Sports Investments (QSI) during the summer, spending a French record 80 million euros on players including Argentine star Javier Pastore. The Paris-based

Spanish League Preview

Puyol hits back at Barcelona critics

David Beckham club last won the French league title in 1994, finishing fourth last season. The are currently fourth in Ligue 1, two points behind leaders Montpellier.

Beckham’s LA Galaxy contract expires at the end of the Major League Soccer season. —AFP

French League Preview

BARCELONA: Barcelona captain Carles Puyol has hit back at critics who insist that the European and Spanish champions are struggling to maintain their high standards of last season. The Catalan giants face Osasuna today after drawing 2-2 against Real Sociedad, despite having gone two goals up, before they squandered a 2-1 lead over AC Milan in the Champions League by conceding a goal during injury time despite dominating the match.

Having won three straight Spanish leagues, as well as two Champions Leagues in three years, the spotlight has been on whether Barca can retain the same ambition but Puyol is angry they are being judged so quickly. “We are fine and we are not listening to what people are saying from outside the club. The team was frustrated and it left a bad taste in the mouth (after the Milan game) but we have already turned the page. Before we were not the best and now we are not the worst,” said Puyol.

“We want to win as much as ever but it is true that we need to be concentrated especially at set-plays. We need to ensure that the opposition don’t get the ball and they don’t score.” Part of the problem has been a makeshift defence with Gerard Pique injured and Puyol himself only fit for a substitute’s role against Milan following a long spell on the sidelines. Coach Pep Guardiola has also been hit with injuries to Andres Iniesta and Alexis Sanchez.

PSG challenge gathering pace as Marseille stutter PARIS: Seven titles on the roll for Lyon then last season’s triumph by Lille may have briefly shaken the old order of French football, but Paris Saint Germain believe glory days are soon to return to the capital. Flush with Qatari cash, PSG head to modest Evian tomorrowseeking a win which could see them bag top spot if other results go their way. The Parisians have spent precious little time in the title race since their last crown in 1994 in the halcyon days of David Ginola and George Weah - but last week’s success over Brest was the first time in two years the club had recorded three straight wins in the league.

Coach Antoine Kombouare brought in nine players over the summer and his jigsaw is clearly taking shape, with Javier Pastore and Jeremy Menez, new arrivals from Serie A, taking many of the plaudits. “It’s true we are not there just yet - but we are winning matches,” said defender Zoumana Camara. Argentine Pastore, a scorer against Brest, has settled well since his big money summer move from Palermo bankrolled by the Qatar Investment Authority, who bought a controlling stake in PSG earlier this year.

Kombouare says that going forward his side look a class apart - “but we must ensure we balance things out in terms of defensive duties.”

Camara added: “We’re great in terms of individuals but we still lack cohesion as a team.

When we have that, the individuals will be able better to express themselves.” While PSG reestablish themselves in the league’s top echelons Lyon and Lille are still right up there, tucked in neatly behind leaders Montpellier.

Lille, who threw away two points and a twogoal lead in their midweek Champions League draw with CSKA Moscow, will expect to bounce

back Saturday on home turf against Sochaux while Lyon, who began their European adventures with a draw at Ajax, host Marseille tomorrow.

In a normal season, that fixture would be a crunch meeting of two sides with firm designs on the title. If that is certainly true of a Lyon side currently second and the only side yet to taste defeat in the league, Marseille’s ambitions are currently more modest. After a disastrous, winless start the first priority of the only French side to lift the European Cup is to exit the drop zone.

Alarm bells were ringing loudly in the ears of coach Didier Deschamps after last weekend’s home reverse to Rennes, but the feeling of impending crisis receded slightly after Marseille’s answer to Pastore - his compatriot Lucho Gonzalez - scored the only goal in Tuesday’s morale-boosting Champions League win at Olympiakos.

Deschamps, who led OM to the 2010 title, said that one win would not necessarily blow the clouds away. “But it will give us more confidence as a group. Tomorrow, it’s back to the league, (but) it’s good to return home with a win.” Lyon edged last season’s meeting 3-2 while the season before ended in a tumultuous 5-5 draw as Marseille went on to lift the title.

Marseille hope to have midfielder Andre Ayew back after a groin injury suffered in Ghana’s recent friendly loss to Brazil. Lille must not only rise above their Champions League disappointment, but the news that France striker Dimitri Payet requires knee surgery and will be out for a month. Montpellier meanwhile travel to struggling Brest while Toulouse and Rennes, level on points with PSG, host Bordeaux and Nancy respectively. —AFP

In contrast, there is a mood of optimism in the Real Madrid camp. “We want to compete for all the competitions and I don’t want to pick between the league and the Champions League over which would be more important,” said Xabi Alonso, as his team prepare to face Levante. “We were not at our best in the last league match against Getafe as we lacked control over the game but it is good to be able to make corrections while still having won.” Along with Real Madrid, Valencia and Real Betis have also taken maximum points from their first two games. The form of Roberto Soldado, who has scored four of their five goals, has been crucial for Valencia. They now play pointless Sporting Gijon while Betis are away to Athletic Bilbao who are still finding their feet under new coach Marcelo Bielsa.

Granada are the other side which are yet to pick up a point so far and they will be hoping that Villarreal arrive tired after their exertions in the Champions League where they lost to Bayern Munich. Malaga’s expensively-assembled team clicked into gear with a 4-0 troun cing of Granada in their last match and now travel to Mallorca. Real Sociedad will be on a high against Sevilla after their comeback against Barca but in contrast Atletico Madrid take on Racing Santander still looking to score their first goal in the league. Zaragoza and Getafe have also made slow starts with just one point so far and they face Espanyol and Rayo Vallecano respectively. —AFP

German League Preview

Bremen hunting points, not Bayern, says Allofs BERLIN: Werder Bremen boss Klaus Allofs insists his side are hunting points rather than German league leaders Bayern Munich as they prepare to take on Nuremberg today. Bremen are second in the Bundesliga behind Bayern as both sides have won four of their first five games this season, but Bayern already have a massive goal difference of 15 after last Saturday’s 7-0 hammering of Freiburg. Werder flirted with relegation at the end of last season and managing director Allofs said the club is more interested in getting back into the Champions League for next year, rather than chasing Bayern.

“We have always said we aren’t Bayern hunters, we are points hunters,” said Allofs. “In the medium term, it is our goal to get back into international competition.” Bremen have injury concerns in midfielders Tim Borowski and Marko Marin who are both carrying leg injuries and Bremen’s ex-Nuremberg midfielder Mehmet Ekici is expected to come into the starting line-up. With leaders Bayern at Schalke tomorrow, victory would send Bremen top for at least 24 hours.

Bayern are waiting on the fitness of striker Mario Gomez, who has scored seven goals in his last two league games, and defender Daniel van Buyten. Gomez, who scored four goals aga inst Freiburg after also netting a hat-trick at Kaiserslautern, has complained of a sore groin, while van Buyten has pain in his Achilles ten-

don. “We hope they can both train today,” said Bayern coach Jupp Heynckes. “Of course, there are question marks over both of them.” Thirdplace Moenchengladbach can also go top of the table this weekend if other results go their way and they manage to beat bottom side Hamburg, who have yet to claim a win this season after four defeats and a draw.

“We absolutely must keep the opposition down to zero,” said Hamburg coach Michael Oenning. Striker Paolo Guerrero will miss the ‘Gladbach game with a knee injury, while South Korean teenager Heung-Min Son is back in the squad and the 19-year-old striker may start. ‘Gladbach are waiting on goalkeeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen, who broke two teeth in training on Thursday. “It was a tough collison, such things can happen in football, but I am optimistic that Marc-Andre can still play on Saturday,” said Borussia coach Lucien Favre.

League leaders Dortmund are at Hanover tomorrow and will again be without suspended midfielder Mario Goetze. Dortmund will have to do without defensive midfield international Sven Bender after he picked up a hip injury against Arsenal in the Champions League draw on Tuesday. The club doctor said it was hoped Bender would be back for the following week’s match against Mainz. Defending champions Dortmund are only in midtable after last weekend’s shock 2-1 defeat at home to Hertha Berlin. —AFP

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SPORTS SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 17, 2011

We can’t afford another slip-up, warns Wenger LONDON: Arsene Wenger admits Arsenal’s dismal start to the season means his side have no margin for error when they face Blackburn at Ewood Park today.

Wenger’s side recovered from the 8-2 mauling they received at the hands of Manchester United by claiming their first league win of the season against Swansea.

That narrow 1-0 victory result prompted relief and was followed by a 1-1 draw at Borussia Dortmund, ensuring Arsenal’s Champions League campaign got off on a positive note. But a solitary win in four league games is hardly the mark of a side with title ambitions and Wenger admits it will take a more consistent run of results to change the growing view that Arsenal are losing ground on the two Manchester clubs, United and City, and Chelsea.

“We feel we have turned the corner, but we will be judged by the consistency of our results,” he said. “Inside the club, we feel we are on the right track, the spirit in the team is good, strong and together.

“We want to change the skepticism around us, but that will only be if we are consistent with our results. “Let’s get result after result, stick together and not talk too much. “We must win. We live in an environment that questions us when we don’t win. We do not criticize that and have to live with that. We have to show performances, consistency and attitude quality.” Midfielder Aaron Ramsey is doubtful while Thomas Vermaelen, Jack Wilshere and Abou Diaby are still several weeks away from a return.

Steve Kean, meanwhile, insists he is not feeling the pressure amid calls from supporters to remove him from his manager’s post at Blackburn. Rovers are stranded bottom of the Premier League with just one point from four games, prompting moves by some fans to oust him. They have launched an on-line petition and 1,000 supporters plan to march to Ewood Park as they demand that Indian-based owners Venky’s act. Venky’s chiefs, who will be at Ewood Park today, have since come out and urged the disgruntled faithful to give their backing to the Lancashire club. And Kean says everyone should be united, and said: “I understand their frus-

Arsenal’s French manager Arsene Wenger tration as I’ve been frustrated myself and the players too. “We feel that we have played well enough to have more points so we all share that frustration. “What we need is for everyone to stick with us and give us their backing. There have been a couple of frustrating results, although the performances have been good in parts and we’ve just got to put it together for 90 minutes. “The owners are frustrated as well. We are all anxious and anticipating the points to go with our performances.

“It’s good that the owners have come out and backed the club and asked the fans to support the team.” Blackburn got off the mark for the campaign, after three straight league defeats, with a 1-1 draw with Fulham last time out.

And defender Chris Samba believes Blackburn can use that result as a springboard to secure their first league win of the season against Arsenal. “I think it was a good point at Fulham and that was very important,” said Samba. “It can be a turning point. Arsenal is a good game, but if we work hard I think we can win the game.” “We have many good players and a good team so think we can win. I think the team can get confidence from the Fulham game and kick on from this.” Kean will be without Ryan Nelsen while David Dunn and Morten Gamst Pedersen face late fitness tests. Junior Hoilett, who received a sickening bang to the head in a collision with Mark Schwarzer at Craven Cottage, has recovered from concussion.— AFP

Utd $1 billion IPO approved SINGAPORE: English football giants Manchester United have been given approval by the Singapore stock exchange to list their shares in the city, a source familiar with the deal said yesterday. A public listing in Singapore, which reports have said could raise $1 billion, will bring the reigning league champions closer to fans in Southeast Asia, a football-crazy region of more than half a billion people.

But the club will gauge market sentiment before launching the initial public offering (IPO) because of uncertainty sparked by the eurozone debt crisis, said the source, who asked not to be named.

“They have received approval but the timetable is not fixed,” the source said.

“The company is not in need of funds so they are not in a hurry to list. Basically, they are keeping a watching brief on market conditions.” Media reports have said United could raise $1 billion from an IPO of 30 percent of its shares, which would value the company at more than $3 bil-

lion. United were ranked by business magazine Forbes earlier this year as the world’s most valuable sports club, worth $1.86 billion. Although United are servicing a huge debt related to their acquisition by the USbased Glazer family in 2005, they are not loss-making. United posted record operating profits of £110.9 million ($174.8 million) for the past financial year ended June 30 on record revenue of £334.1 million.

They also reported a commercial turnover of £103.4 million-which does not include a new £10 million a year sponsorship deal with global delivery company DHL. United said their net debt now stands at £308.3 million-down from £376.9 million. For now, the target is for a listing at the Singapore Exchange (SGX) later this year but the source described it as a “moving target”. Fears of contagion over the eurozone debt crisis and the US economy sinking into another recession have soured investor sentiment and could affect pricing for any company planning to list at this

time, analysts say. “Volatile markets and weakening sentiment would be a major drawback for anyone who wants to list,” said Vishnu Varathan, a Singapore-based economist with Capital Economics consultancy. “It’s not the most ideal time to list, it’s not a bull market,” he said. “There’s trepidation and fear that more funds will be withdrawing from the market. Tapping new sources of funds could be a challenge and pricing could come under pressure.”

However, the source said the club’s American owners would likely opt for a two-tier share structure-of voting shares and non-voting preference shares that would allow them to effectively retain control. The Straits Times newspaper said that while preference shares have no voting rights, they can be sold at double the value of ordinary stocks. Moreover, holders of these shares would be paid first before shareholders holding ordinary stocks in the event of an insolvency, the newspaper said. — AFP

Chelsea aim to derail Man United express LONDON: Chelsea are determined to bring Manchester United’s electrifying start to the season to a juddering halt tomorrow as the Premier League rivals collide in a heavyweight clash at Old Trafford. The Londoners travel to Manchester as underdogs having already suffered three crucial defeats against Sir Alex Ferguson’s men this year, losing in both the league and Champions League at the tail-end of last season. As if their poor recent record wasn’t daunting enough, Chelsea are also facing a United side who have started the season in dazzling form, racking up four consecutive wins and notching an unprecedented 18 goals.

Chelsea know only too well however that early season appearances can be misleading, pointing to the club’s blistering start last year, when they notched 17 goals in four wins before enduring a slump which scuppered their challenge.

“United started very well this season but, if you remember, we started last season the same,” Chelsea defender Branislav Ivanovic said. “They’ve improved as a group but we have our aim, we have our idea and we try to use this on the pitch. “It’s going to be the hardest game for us until now and we have to show more than 100% of our power.”

Ivanovic played in all three of the defeats suffered by Chelsea against United last season, which included two comprehensive losses in Manchester. However the Serbian centrehalf insists Chelsea, who can go top if they win tomorrow, will not take any psychological scars to Old Trafford. “Last season was a different situation because we had to win there, and when you play a big game away and you have to win, psychologically, it’s completely different,” he said. “It’s the first big, big test for our team, how we’ve improved, and we’re going there trying to show our best football and to take a good result.”

Ivanovic and the Chelsea back four’s biggest challenge will be finding a way to shackle Wayne Rooney, the marauding England striker who heads into the game on the back of consecutive hat-tricks. “He scored a lot of goals and we’ll try to stop him,” Ivanovic said. Ferguson meanwhile plans to recall goalkeeper David de Gea and Ashley Young for the clash after resting both in the 1-1 draw at Benfica on Wednesday. “David De Gea will play tomorrow. That was the understanding we had before the Benfica game and it doesn’t change,” Ferguson said.

Elsewhere this weekend, Manchester City will aim to keep pace with United at the top of the table as they travel to Craven Cottage to face a Fulham side still looking for their first win of the season. Liverpool meanwhile head to White Hart Lane to face Tottenham, expected to be one of the Merseysiders main rivals for a top four spot this season. Reds boss Kenny Dalglish was left seething after last weekend’s defeat at Stoke, claiming the club were being unduly penalized by match officials. However Dalglish’s mood has softened after a meeting with referees’ chief Mike Riley at the club’s Melwood training ground this week. — AFP

Matches on TV (Local Timings)

English Premier League Blackburn v Arsenal Abu Dhabi Sports HD 3 Abu Dhabi Sports HD 5 Wolves v QPR Abu Dhabi Sports HD 5 Swansea v West Brom Abu Dhabi Sports HD 7 Everton v Wigan Abu Dhabi Sports HD 4 Bolton v Norwich City Abu Dhabi Sports HD 6 Aston Villa v Newcastle Abu Dhabi Sports HD 3

14:45

17:00 17:00 17:00 17:00 17:00

Spanish League Sporting Gijon v Valencia Aljazeera Sport +2 Barcelona v Osasuna Aljazeera Sport +2 Sevilla v Real Sociedad Aljazeera Sport +2

19:00 21:00 23:00

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SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 17, 2011

Sports e niv rsar n

Years

All Blacks cut Japan to shreds in WCup

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THESSALONIKI: PAOK’s goalkeeper Dario Kresic (right) challenges for the ball with Tottenham’s Roman Pavlyuchenko during their Europa League soccer game in Thessaloniki, Greece on Thursday. — AP

Celtic outclassed by Atletico Madrid Europa: Spurs, Fulham, Stoke draw PARIS: A young Tottenham side held PAOK Salonika to a scoreless draw Thursday as fellow British sides struggled to make a significant impact on the first night of Europa League group action. While Fulham drew 1-1 with Dutch side FC Twente and Stoke came seconds away from pulling off the shock of the night in a 1-1 draw away to Dynamo Kiev, Scottish side Celtic fell to a 2-0 defeat at Atletico Madrid.

Spurs, who play Liverpool tomorrow in the Premier League, made 10 changes to their side and that decision looked questionable as the Greeks piled on the pressure in a lively second half. PAOK could have gone 1-0 up just after the half hour mark after Carlo Cudicini tripped Stefanos Athanasiadis inside the Spurs box.

But after Lino converted the spot-kick, the Brazilian defender was forced to retake the spot-kick. Luckily for Spurs, Lino dragged his

second attempt wide. Roman Pavlyuchenko’s fierce drive, which brushed the top netting of Dario Kresic’s goal, was Spurs’ best chance of the half. Athanasiadis then failed to convert a superb chance after slipping past Sebastien Bassong and Vedran Corluka on 67 minutes.

Spurs escaped 10 minutes later when Cudicini had to scramble across goal to tip Pablo Garcia’s low drive wide.

In a tense finish Athanasiadis saw his shot parried by Cudicini, and the Italian did brilliantly to block down low to deny the forward a winner thanks to an acrobatic volley.

Fulham have been unbeaten in 20 European home games, stretching back to their European debut-a 0-0 UEFA Intertoto Cup draw against FC Haka in 2002. They took a 19th minute lead at Craven Cottage thanks to Andrew Johnson, however in a lively encounter the Premier League side were pegged back by a 41st-minute equalizer

courtesy of striker Luuk De Jong.

“In the first half we should have been two or three up. Of course they’re a good team but when you put them under that sort of pressure you should be winning,” said Fulham manager Martin Jol. “We still wanted to play with four forward players but if you don’t put the goals away you get frustrated and put pressure on yourself. The only thing now is that we have to put the chances away.” Celtic’s entry to this year’s competition, only confirmed on Wednesday when Swiss club FC Sion’s UEFA ban for using ineligible players was confirmed, started disastrously.

In the second minute Diego’s cross was met by Colombian striker Radamel Falcao and he bulleted his header from 10 yards past Hoops goalkeeper Fraser Forster. After spending much of the first period in their own half, Celtic made attempts to take the

game to the Spaniards after the interval.

Charlie Mulgrew’s free kick from 20 yards out on 66 minutes was the closest they got to a goal. Two minutes later, Celtic were punished for slack marking in the area when Diego coolly first-timed a cut-back from the byeline to beat Forster with ease.

Stoke manager Tony Pulis sent out a defense-minded 5-3-2 formation in a bid to catch Dynamo on the counter-attack, and those tactics paid off when Cameron Jerome, on his debut, scored against the run of play in the 55th minute. Stoke defended well throughout the second half and looked to be heading for a shock win, however their hearts were broken when Ognjen Vukojevic tapped home in stoppage time. Birmingham went down 3-1 at home to last season’s runners-up Braga while little Irish side Shamrock Rovers slumped 3-0 at the hands of Russia’s Rubin Kazan. — AFP