19 Sep

ON IP TI SC R SU B

MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 19, 2011

Lawyers, firefighters stage sit-ins, protest strikes

Desperate US consumers turn to ‘extreme couponing’

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150 FILS

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www.kuwaittimes.net

SHAWWAL 21, 1432 AH

Bollywood to make first zombie comedies

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United crush Chelsea, City held at Fulham, Liverpool routed

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Ruling family to meet as graft scandal rages Oppn launches weeklong anti-corruption campaign

Max 43º Min 26º Low Tide 09:44 & 21:50 High Tide 02:38 & 16:44

By B Izzak and A Saleh

Kuwait posts 35% of income in 2 months KUWAIT: OPEC member Kuwait posted 35 percent of budget revenue estimates in the first two months of the fiscal year on the back of higher oil prices and output, according to official figures released yesterday.

The National Bank of Kuwait (NBK), the largest lender in the state, meanwhile, sharply raised its forecasts for revenues and budget surplus in the 2011/2012 fiscal year which began on April 1. Actual income in April and May hit $17.3 billion or 35.4 percent of the $48.9 billion projected in the budget for the whole year, according to figures posted on the ministry of finance website.

Oil income in the two months came at $16.2 billion, or 93 percent of total revenue and 36 percent of projected oil revenue for the year at $44.7 billion, the figures showed. Kuwait has calculated oil revenue in the budget at a conservative price of $60 a barrel and production of 2.2 million barrels per day while actual price has been around $110 dollars and output at around 2.8 million bpd. NBK forecast yesterday that Kuwait would post record revenues of up to $113 billion and a budget surplus of around $50 billion due to sharp rises in oil prices and production, while the budget projects a deficit of $22 billion. A month ago, NBK forecast a surplus of $41 billion.

The state posted a record income of $79 billion in the 2010/2011 fiscal year and a budget surplus of $19.5 billion. Kuwait has been pumping way above its OPEC quota of 2.2 million bpd for the past several months. Last week, Oil Minister Mohammad Al-Busairi said Kuwait raised its output to 2.9 million bpd and was headed to 3 million bpd, making it the thirdlargest OPEC producer behind Saudi Arabia and Iran.

The oil-rich state ended the past 12 fiscal years in the black, amassing budget surpluses of more than $200 billion. Kuwait, which says it sits on 10 percent of proven global crude reserves, has also amassed assets of more than $300 billion run by the Kuwait Investment Authority, the state’s sovereign wealth fund. — AFP

NEW YORK: UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon (right) meets Kuwaiti Prime Minister HH Sheikh Nasser AlMohammad Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah yesterday at the United Nations headquarters. — AP

Syrians vow protests until regime ousted DAMASCUS: Opponents of President Bashar Al-Assad vowed yesterday to continue protests until his “tyrannical” regime is overthrown, as the embattled leader praised Moscow’s “balanced” position on the unrest in a meeting with Russian lawmakers. “We need to end the tyrannical security regime. We must overthrow the tyranny and the security (agents). We welcome all those who have no blood on their hands,” said Hassan Abdel Azim, a member of the opposition National Coordinating Committee for Democratic Change.

The group, which includes opposition parties of various ideologies, including Arab and Kurdish nationalists, Marxists and independent figures such as writer Michel Kilo and economist Aref Dalila, met near the capital on Saturday to discuss how to end the crisis. Syria has been rocked by protests against Assad that began on March 15 and triggered a brutal crackdown in which the United Nations says 2,600 people have been killed.

Assad yesterday praised Moscow’s “balanced” position Continued on Page 13

KUWAIT: Al-Aan electronic magazine reported yesterday that a high-level meeting will be held soon by senior members of the Al-Sabah ruling family to discuss a corruption scandal involving several MPs and possibly former ministers and its implications on political life.

The magazine said that the meeting is likely to take place in New York. HH the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah, Prime Minister Sheikh Nasser Al-Mohammad Al-Sabah and deputy chairman of the national guard Sheikh Mishaal Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah are currently there.

It said the meeting will also discuss demands by youth activists at last Friday’s rally to set up a constitutional monarchy and appoint a premier from outside the ruling family.

Meanwhile, State Minister for Cabinet Affairs Ali AlRashed underwent a catheterization procedure yesterday. Rashed was admitted to hospital on Saturday evening after feeling chest pains. HH the Crown Prince Sheikh Nawaf Al-Sabah paid a visit to Rashed along with a number of ministers and officials.

Separately, opposition political groups yesterday announced a weeklong program of protests and gatherings to press the government over the corruption scandal. Almost all opposition political groups have announced they will join the protests which will begin today and culminate on Wednesday with a big rally opposite the National Assembly building.

The three liberal groups - the National Democratic Alliance, the Democratic Forum and the Progressive Movement - said in a joint statement yesterday that they will kick off the campaign with a gathering today.

The three groups also appealed to their members and supporters to take part in the massive rally on Wednesday in which a large number of MPs are expected to take part, including veteran MP Ahmad AlSaadoun. The Islamic Constitutional Movement and the Islamist Salafi Movement have both urged their members to attend as the Popular Action Bloc announced its four MPs will attend the rally.

MP Naji Al-Abdulhadi meanwhile called on all banks to expose all accounts that are suspected of having received huge illegal cash transfers and deposits in what is believed to be politically-motivated corruption.

Continued on Page 13

Libya delays cabinet as battles rage

SANAA: An anti-government protester holds out his blood-stained hands after clashes with security forces yesterday. — AP

Yemeni forces open fire on protesters, 22 killed SANAA: Yemeni security forces opened fire on anti-regime demonstrators in Sanaa yesterday, killing at least 22 and wounding hundreds more after firing mortar rounds near the home of a powerful dissident tribal chief. Medics in the capital reported 22 dead and 500 others wounded by live rounds, batons or suffering from breathing difficulties after

inhaling tear gas. “Twenty-two people have been killed - five of them (were declared dead) at the Sciences and Technology hospital and the remaining 16 at a field hospital,” a medic said.

Witnesses said security forces and armed civilians opened fire on tens of thousands of protesters who left Change Continued on Page 13

BENGHAZI, Libya: The birth of a new government in Libya, due yesterday, was put off indefinitely amid disputes over portfolios and as Muammar Gaddafi diehards put up stiff resistance in their remaining strongholds. National Transitional Council (NTC) number two Mahmud Jibril said last-minute haggling delayed the announcement of the new cabinet line-up before reluctantly announcing to the media that the unveiling would be postponed indefinitely.

Progress by NTC fighters hoping to crush the last pockets of resistance in Gaddafi bastions also appeared stalemated, as the fugitive’s loyalists in his hometown of Sirte and the oasis of Bani Walid refused to yield. “The announcement of a new transitional government has been postponed indefinitely in order to finalise consultations,” Jibril told reporters in Benghazi. But in an apparent effort to put on a brave face, Jibril said much has been achieved to mete out several portfolios, adding that he expected consultations on the rest to be “over quickly”. “But I believe that an essential part of these consultations was completed today.”

The administration will also look into getting women and young people to play a major role in a new government as deputy ministers and directors general of ministries, he added. Jibril, a former Gaddafi regime official, has stood accused by some colleagues of failing to Continued on Page 13

Strong quake rocks northeast India GUWAHATI, India: A strong 6.9-magnitude earthquake hit northeast India yesterday, killing at least 16 people, including three caught in a wall collapse at the British Embassy in neighbouring Nepal. The US Geological Survey said the quake struck the small, landlocked Himalayan state of Sikkim - which borders Nepal, Bhutan and Tibet - at around 6:10 pm (1240 GMT). The epicentre was just over 60 km northwest of the Sikkim state capital Gangtok, which was plunged into darkness by a power cut after the quake.

“There is no electricity. Everybody is out on the road,” Gangtok resident C K Dahal told the CNN-IBN television news channel. “We all ran out our houses, some even jumped out of their windows. You can see some buildings that have developed cracks,” Dahal

added. Powerful tremors were felt across a wide region, including Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh and the Indian cities of Guwahati and Kolkata, and even as far away as the Indian capital New Delhi.

In Nepal, police said three people were killed, including a motorcyclist and his eight-year-old daughter, when a wall collapsed at the British Embassy compound in the capital Kathmandu, 270 kilometres west of the epicentre. “Another two died in a separate incident in eastern Nepal,” national police spokesman Binod Singh told AFP. A budget debate in Nepal’s parliament was stalled for 15 minutes while lawmakers leapt to their feet and fled the chamber as the entire building shook.

Continued on Page 13

JERUSALEM: A Palestinian man walks past the Dome of the Rock Mosque in the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound yesterday. — AP

Frantic moves to avoid Palestinian showdown Bibi: UN bid doomed to fail UNITED NATIONS: The United States and European powers stepped up a diplomatic scramble yesterday to avoid a UN showdown on the Palestinian plan to seek full UN membership, which the US administration has vowed to veto. US, European Union, Russian and United Nations officials were all involved in the bid to seek a face-saving way out of the looming confrontation at this week’s UN General Assembly in New York. US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton was to meet EU foreign affairs representative Catherine Ashton in New York, where the Middle East diplomatic Quartet’s envoy, Tony Blair, was to meet UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon.

Blair expressed confidence that a deal could be reached. “I think there is a way of avoiding a confrontation,” the former British prime minister told US broadcaster ABC. Diplomats said that with so few details available of the demand to be made by Palestinian president Mahmoud

Abbas on Friday, frantic talks were likely to continue right up to the last minute.

Frustrated by the lack of progress with Israel and infuriated by its plans for new settlements in the occupied territories, Abbas has said he will ask the UN Security Council to approve full UN membership for a Palestinian state.

Israel strongly opposes the move and the United States, a permanent member of the Security Council, has said it will veto any request to the 15 nation body.

The United States insists that only direct talks can set up an accord to create a Palestinian state. If a veto is wielded, the Palestinians could then go straight to the UN General Assembly to seek an elevated observer status. It is likely to get a majority of the 193 members and no veto is possible. The United States is trying to convince other members of the Security Council to vote against or abstain in any Palestinian resolution.

Continued on Page 13

MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 19, 2011

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KUWAIT: Firefighters staging a protest outside the Kuwait Fire Services Directorate building. — Photos by Yasser Al-Zayyat

More labor strikes in the offing KUWAIT: Strikes staged by firefighters and legal personnel at the Ministry of Justice yesterday (Sunday) are expected to be followed by a series of similar actions in various state departments this week, including one as early as Wednesday.

The labor union representing Kuwaiti workers in the private oil sector plan to stage a sit-in on Wednesday, in protest after the Cabinet agreed to increase the salary of their peers at public oil firms. In a statement recently made available to the press the union announced: “We demand equal pay to all Kuwaitis in the oil sector.” It also made assurances that MPs will be present at the strike, which is scheduled to start at 10am.

In the meantime, MOJ undersecretary, Abdul Aziz Al-Majid, insisted that the ministry is willing to consider the protesting staff members’ demands and also mentioned that he never received a request to negotiate before yesterday’s strike. In his statement on Saturday, Al-Majid further denied any ministry shortcomings with regards to the financial privileges that the protestors are demanding.

Also on Saturday, the head of the labor union at the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Ajmi AlMutalaqem, announced plans to hold a mass labor strike at a later date, should the government keep ignoring demands for allowances that they previously conceded. Al-Mutalaqem, who also happens to be the deputy chairman of the National Union of Kuwaiti Workers and Employees (NUKWE), accused the government’s measures of enforcing allowances to be affected by

favoritism - reported Al-Rai. Meanwhile, official spokesman of the Cabinet, Ali Al-Rashid, urged labor unions to avoid strikes “because the majority of demands are expected to be met during the next Civil Service Council meeting”. Al-Rashid, who is also the Minister of Cabinet Affairs, said in exclusive statements to Al-Anba daily that the only thing holding back the enforcement of financial demands is: “Extensive studies that can insure all employees receive their full rights”.

The minister also announced that allowances for Fatwa and Legislation Department employees as well as the Ministry of Interior detectives are expected to be enforced on Wednesday, but warned when asked about the protest that was carried out by the MOJ staff yesterday that labor strikes could hinder employees’ chances to receive such allowances reported Al-Anba.

In related news, Minister of Finance, Mustafa Al-Shamali, warned of the negative effects that enforcing allowances can leave on the state’s budget, indicating that this policy is responsible for the increase in structural flaws in the budget during the past decade.

Moreover, the minister indicated that Kuwaiti job seekers will become less interested in joining the private sector when they see the financial increases that are being granted to their peers in public firms.

Al-Shamali made those statements during a recent interview with AlQabas, in which he also announced that a taxation draft law is expected to be summoned to the parliament in 2013 reported Al-Qabas.

KUWAIT: ‘Lawyers Without Rights’ campaign in progress.

Lawyers, firefighters stage sit-ins, protest strikes Fighting for equal rights KUWAIT: The general coordinator of the ‘Lawyers Without Rights’ campaign, Mohammed Al-Furaiqah commended the cooperation and commitment displayed by lawyers at various ministries and government establishments yesterday. He added that lawyers insist on demanding their rights without creating chaos, “Thousands of lawyers staged a strike, reflecting the injustice and inequality they were treated to at various governmental establishments.

Lawyers who possess the same qualifications are treated differ-

ently,” he underscored, pointing out that citizens have the right to stage sit-ins and strikes.

Al-Furaiqah underscored that lawyers would continue to demonstrate until their demands are met, especially since they had tried all other possible means of resolution unsuccessfully.

Similarly, firefighters currently staging a protest outside the Kuwait Fire Services Directorate (KFSD) building have refused to disperse unless they meet Maj Gen Jassim Al-Mansouri, the KFSD director. Their demands include separating KFSD from the

Visa-to-work-permit system to be reintroduced

Omar Ibrahim Al-Gareer

New academic year starts KUWAIT: The Kuwait Private Schools Owners Union (KPSOU) yesterday issued a statement in which it congratulated the teaching and administrative staff at all foreign and Arab private schools for commencing the new academic year. The statement noted that approximately 214,000 pupils, including over 56,000 Kuwaitis, and 13,088 teachers would start today in 145 different private schools.

KPSOU’s chairman, Omar Ibrahim AlGareer, said that private school owners had exerted great efforts in order to prepare their schools for the new academic year and to provide the best learning atmosphere for their pupils.

He added that the growth in the number of private school pupils, namely amongst Kuwaitis, indicates the trust that they place in such schools.

He also remarked that, for many years, a high percentage of private school pupils have been amongst the top scorers in the final school leaving certificate results.

KUWAIT: Kuwait will once again allow expatriates to obtain a work permit through transferring their commercial visa by the beginning of next year, after the current system was suspended at the start of this month in order to introduce amendments to impose stricter immigration criteria.

“Work is currently underway to introduce new controls and conditions for obtaining commercial visas which can prevent violations in the process of turning visas into work permits, before the procedure is allowed again by

January 1, 2012”, said a senior Ministry of Social Affairs and Labor (MSAL) offiical.

Although one of the conditions for obtaining commercial visas is that all applicants must have a university degree, the insider believes that this is inadequate without any verifiable proof of this qualification.

Speaking on condition of anonymity, the MSAL official said, “A lot of cases were discovered of people without any academic qualifications being able to obtain commercial visas and then turn them

Cabinet holds weekly session KUWAIT: The Kuwaiti Cabinet held its weekly session at Sief Palace yesterday, headed by Acting Prime Minister and Defense Minister Sheikh Jaber Mubarak Al-Hamad Al-Sabah.

Following the session, Cabinet Secretary General Abdullatif Al-Roudhan said that the ministers discussed a letter from the President of Congo, Joseph Kabila addressed to His Highness the Amir.

The letter discussed bilateral relations and means to enhance them in all fields, he added.

The Cabinet also discussed UN Secretary General Ban ki-Moon’s letter addressed to HH the Amir, which included an invitation to attend a high-level meeting on the effects of desertification and drought on sustainable development, due to be hosted by the General Assembly in New York on Sept 20.

The Cabinet wished good health and a quick recovery for the State Minister for Cabinet Affairs, Ali Al-Rashid, who is currently affected

MoC leaking long distance revenue KUWAIT: The Ministry of Communication is allowing three local telecommunication companies to rent and use international capacities via land and marine exits that have so far been limited to the major Internet Service Providers (ISPs), according to well-informed sources at MOC’s financial department.

The sources also expressed fears that such a tendency might increase the ministry’s losses considering that the MOC

into work permits,” he claimed.

The MSAL based its decision to change the old system followed concerns that the continued immigration of unskilled expatriate workers could negatively affec t Kuwait’s demographic composition. The move was taken as part of the ministry’s efforts to reduce the number of unskilled expatriate workers in order to restructure the Gulf state’s population figures, with this group currently forming an overall majority of the population. — Al-Jarida

used to make KD 60-90 million annually in long-distance calls, a rate which has now decreased by 90% thanks to the increased usage of mobile phones. Only 10% are now estimated to be using landlines to make such calls. The sources estimated this year’s expected loss to mount to KD 10 million as the telecom companies continue to use the extra capacities. They also noted that a study in this field would be signed within a few weeks reported Al-Jarida.

with a health condition.

Marking the new school semester, Minister of Education and Minister of Higher Education, Ahmad Al-Melaifi briefed the attendance on preparations made for all grades across the country.

Al-Melaifi also briefed the Cabinet on procedures taken by the committees tasked with the maintenance of schools.

The Cabinet also adopted legal draft proposals to amend a law on working in the private sector, on the formation of the Public Authority for Manpower and another for Kuwait’s membership to an international convention on the Suppression of the Financing of Terrorism.

On the international level, the Cabinet adopted and raised to HH the Amir a draft decree for an agreement to launch a joint cooperation committee between Kuwait and Albania.

The Cabinet then discussed current affairs on the regional and international stages. — KUNA

journalistic award begins KUWAIT: Contenders for the annual Sheikh Mubarak AlHamad Al-Sabah Award for Journalistic Excellence can apply as of today, announced the higher committee of the award yesterday.

The award Secretary General, Ayman Al-Ali, said at a news conference, held at the headquarters of Kuwait News Agency, that this prize has been devoted for supporting distinguished journalistic works in Kuwait.

Upcoming contest is expected to be a heated one, considering the substantial support given by the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defense, Sheikh Jaber Al-Mubarak Al-Hamad Al-Sabah, Al-Ali said. —KUNA

Cabinet’s quadripartite committee, ensure that all KFSD’s equipment and machiner y, paying KFSD engineers, promoting warrant officers who have degrees, cancelling all unjust decisions, reducing promotion tenure from 15 to ten years, paying various allowances during vacations, cancelling the fingerprint attendance system, “Firefighters place their lives at stake to save others.

They deserve to be heard by the government and their demands met,” said MP Shuaib AlMuwaizri.

Meanwhile, Jahra Municipality

employees staged a strike refusing to receive any transaction unless their demands for a special cadre and increments were met. Ajmi Al-Mutalqam Vice Chairman of the National Union of Kuwait laborers and employees and Head of the Ministry of Commerce and Industr y ’s employees syndicate said that they can stage a strike unless the CSC approves their increments, “We have warned the government against ignoring our demands and believe that the rights ought to be taken rather than given!” he stressed.

Metal Recycling Company spearheads recycling project

By Nawara Fattahova KUWAIT: Some corporate organizations have taken the initiative to protect the environment by recycling materials that can be used again. One such pioneer is the Metal Recycling Company (MRC) that organizes a voluntary campaign to collect paper, plastic, and metal for recycling purposes.

Bassam Al-Anezi, Team Leader of MRC has invited people to participate in this campaign. “People can simply place paper, plastic, and metal separately in three carton boxes that will be delivered.

Once a week, we collect these boxes. It’s simple for people and we do this for free, as part of the company’s social responsibility and to preserve the environment,” he told the Kuwait Times.

They collect metal and plastic that the company uses. “We work in the field of metal and plastic production. MRC is active while scrapping items, waste recycling, machinery and waste sorting,

shredding, dismantling, repairing and reselling. The collected scrap and plastic materials are used by our company. The quantity obtained is small and not exported,” Al-Anezi explained.

The paper collected in this manner is handed over to a company that works in the field, “We collect paper waste and sell it to a recycling company for KD 40 to 45 per ton. It equals 1,000 kilograms. It is very hard to collect this from homes and schools. It takes a long time to fill one truck. This payment is not inclusive of the cost of trucks and manpower used. It is a service we provide to the society and the environment,” he noted.

Many people are aware of the benefits and importance of recycling in protecting the environment. “This recycling project began last year, and since then, the company has already been cooperating with about 700 households, approximately 50 schools, the university, some institutes, and companies from different areas,” concluded Al-Anezi.

Saudi Arabia to host 14,000 Kuwaiti pilgrims JEDDAH: The Saudi Government has approved hosting 14,000 Kuwaiti pilgrims for the pilgrimage season this year, a Kuwaiti official declared yesterday.

Up to 1,250 of the illegal residents in Kuwait were allowed to perform pilgrimage this year, which is the same number of 2011, said the assistant undersecretary of the Ministry of Awqaf and Islamic Affairs for external relations and pilgrimage affairs, Dr Mutlaq Al-Garrawi.

Al-Garrawi thanked the Saudi government for this early approval that offers enough time for the Kuwaiti pilgrimage campaigns to arrange and prepare for this holy trip according to the number of the pilgrims, allowed to perform the annual religious services.

The committee of inspecting the living conditions of the Kuwaiti pilgrims in Saudi, headed by Al-Qarrawi, has paid visits, since yesterday, to 120 buildings and 50 hotels, examining readiness of services and facilities for the pilgrims during their stay at the holy places. The

Kuwaiti team will continue this preparatory mission till Saturday.

Inspection of the accommodation facilities for the pilgrims usually takes place during ‘Shawal’ every year, to avoid any negative comments from the housing conditions inspection committee.

Some of the basic required conditions are separating the living place into a section for men and another for women, preparing equipped medical clinics and kitchens that conform to health regulations and requirements of civil defense, he said.

He praised the keenness of the Kuwaiti Pilgrimage campaigns on abiding by these conditions, besides their continuous improvement of services.

Al-Garrawi said that he will meet, during his visit to Saudi Arabia, officials of the ministry of pilgrimage, and Tawaf institutions to discuss means of cooperation. He was received at the airport by Third Secretary at Kuwait’s Consulate in Jeddah, Abdullah Abu Shaiba. — KUNA

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MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 19, 2011

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‘No plans to link Umm Al-Namel island with mainland’

By Nawara Fattahova KUWAIT: In a press conference held yesterday at the Environment Public Authority (EPA) premises, Capt Ali Haidar, Deputy Director of (EPA) denied newspaper reports that Umm Al- Namel island will be linked to the mainland at Asherij.

“The EPA has not planned any such move. It is a marine habitat, preserved and protected by EPA. Also, we will not agree on halting a water passage. In general, the EPA preserves the sea environment because it is an important part of Kuwait’s landmark,” explained Ali Haidar.

According to Haidar, all reports about Umm Al-Namel are rumors, “The pile sand that was found in Asherij, was mistakenly assumed it be used as a material to begin a project. In fact, these were remnants of the area’s work. The demolishing teams remove different illegal structures, and this pile of sand was kept to be reused in the future to rehabilitate the Kuwait Bay. EPA will change this to a conservation project,” he added.

The illegal structures constructed in Asherij (Industrial Doha) area began about five years ago. “It started with small wooden rooms, which then developed to workshops and then facto-

ries. This caused great environmental damages.

The illegal structures span an area of 9,460 square meters, illegally used buildings lay across 5,400 square meters. It has taken us 224 days.

We started on October 1, 2009 until November

KUWAIT: Haidar Al-Shamali and Capt Ali Haidar during the conference yesterday.— Photo by Yasser Al-Zayyat

Domestic workers’ fees to rise KUWAIT: Fees levied to recruit housemaids in Kuwait will be hiked again owing to restrictions placed by recruitment agencies that send domestic workers, in addition to government-imposed regulations.

Also, some countries have placed a ban on sending their nationals to wo r k a s d o m e s t i c wo r k e r s i n Kuwait.

Fadhel Ashkenani Chairman of t h e Ku w a i t U n i o n o f D o m e s t i c L a b o r O f f i ce s fo c u s e d o n t h i s aspect during a press conference held Saturday morning. He said that the rising cost is developing into a serious problem in a country w h e re c i t i ze n s a n d re s i d e n t s depend heavily on domestic workers. “ There are recruitment agenc i e s i n co u n t r i e s t h a t e x p o r t domestic labor forces which negot i a te w i t h a g e n c i e s i n t h e G u l f Co o p e r a t i o n Co u n c i l co u n t r i e s.

7, 2010. There were additional demolishing works conducted in the second phase in October 2010 to remove 14,300 square meters of violations,” said Haidar Al-Shamali, Head of the demolishing team in Asherij.

This is in order to deal with those that are willing to pay higher fees,” Ashkenani said.

He explained how competition between GCC states is affecting the fee structure. He also noted that the increase in demand as a result of a shortage in supply has significantly contributed to the hike in fees, explaining that Indonesian domestic workers, who have been banned from working in Kuwait, co m p r i s e n e a r l y 3 5 p e rce n t o f domestic workers in Kuwait, reported Al-Qabas. Ashkenani gave an e x a m p l e o f h ow g ove r n m e n t a l decisions can contribute to increasi n g fe e s to re c r u i t h o u s e m a i d s.

Agencies in Kuwait charge families at least KD 25 after the Ministry of Interior issued a decision according to which a domestic worker must produce a clean criminal record before applying for a visa.

EPA is currently working toward checking the factories in Shuwaikh, “This checking is being conducted to specify the effect, damage, and pollution caused by these factories that flow to Al-Ghazali sewage. Strict measures should be taken. In more industrial areas, the EPA will also check and inspect while enforcing the law,” noted Haidar.

The water desalination station in Doha area has been negatively impacted, “After removing violations, we finally saw the water flow. We also see families come to this area to enjoy picnics.

The news about Umm Al-Namel is part of a campaign against EPA to damage its reputation.

We will continue to enforce the law,” concluded Haidar. Mohammed Al-Anezi, Director of the Industrial Environment at EPA stressed that a problem exists while dealing and discussing with environmental issues.

“People or media should verify information instead of depending on assumptions. EPA works for the good of Kuwait, and no industrial activities will be held on the Island. Umm AlNamel will be changed to a conserved area.

Also, the owners of violating factories in Asherij will compensate the damage caused to the marine environment,” he added.

Employees welcome changes, sponsors remain skeptical Implementation of visa transfer law questioned

By Ben Garcia KUWAIT: The conditions applied for the transfer of iqama (visa) from one sponsor to another without the former’s consent has drawn mixed reactions from employers, workers and recruitment agencies. While workers welcomed the implementation of the newly-revised law, company owners expressed their fear that this could create a more dangerous work environment. Yesterday, the Ministry of Social Affairs and Labor(MSAL) began implementing its decision on amending Article 15 of the decision pertinent to the private sector that allows transfer of residence work permits, without obtaining references from previous sponsors.

A company owner who spoke on condition of anonymity warned against this move. “Bypassing the company will create more problems,” a concerned

company owner said. He feels that if the ministry begins implementing such regulations, it needs to ensure that a worker has no financial obligations, “Will the ministry pay in the event he/she (worker) faces financial obligations,” he asked. He reiterated that the new regulation would harm than prove beneficial to workers, “Since pre-conditions exist for the transfer to be made, the abusive sponsor could do many things to hurt or harm its workers,” he said. “I think it is still up to the sponsor.”

Workers willing to switch between sponsors should mandatorily serve a three-month notice, “This period can be used against workers to commit more abuse,” he said, elaborating that a worker can transfer his or her visa easily provided no reported ‘absences’ are present. “What if, during the notice period, the sponsor asks the employee to stop working? They can even report him as being an absentee. This will hurt work-

ers,” he explained.

But according to an employee working at a recruitment agency in Hawally, the government regulations are beneficial, “As per our contract with employers, we only assume responsibility for three to six months during the probationary period; more than this is not under our control. So, there will be more job recruitment applications,” said the Filipina owner of a recruitment agency. She further agreed that three consecutive years of continuous work with one sponsor is enough. Workers should be able to transfer to a new sponsor, provided they are given consent.

A company worker who spoke with the Kuwait Times expressed confusion on the amended regulation, “The previous law (which was implemented in 2010) stipulates that if you are graduate or a degree holder, you can transfer visa after completing a year. I don’t know

whether the same law is applicable now. It appears as if there are changes because they’ll be allowed to transfer only after a three-year contract period,” he observed.

Another comment from an Arab expat noted, “I think the law was amended to compel employers to implement the law. We knew about it (the law) a long time ago. There are abusive sponsors and this new amended version is necessary, to implement it fully,” he added. “It’s good for us. Let us see how they are going to implement it.

This is because I don’t trust the system here. They will say something today.

In practice, they do otherwise,” he said. An Indian expat commented, “I don’t think it will work that way, the sponsors/employers here are very powerful. If they are unwilling to sponsor, they’ll do anything to hold you back,” he said, adding, “But I hope it will be implemented for the good of workers.”

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MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 19, 2011

LOCAL

Local Spotlight

Satire Wire

What if they are right?

Kuwaitis are responsible

By Sawsan Kazak

By Muna Al-Fuzai

sawsank@kuwaittimes.net muna@kuwaittimes.net

F

or years now, environmentalists like Al Gore, have been trying to convince us of the havoc global warming has been wreaking on our planet. Scientists have been warning us of the danger that could occur if we ignore the global warming phenomenon.

It has been claimed that our carelessness for the environment is causing enough pollution in the ozone layer and here on earth to quickly destroy this planet. Pollution is the main cause of global warming which is thought to be causing the Arctic glaciers to melt at alarming rates. This, being a bad thing, because the more the ice melts, the hotter the planet gets.

These theories have been seriously contested by politicians and businessmen and the ‘need for more proof and research’ is the excuse used every time to get out of taking the problem seriously.

Recently, it was recorded that summer ice covering the Arctic melted to the second lowest level in over 50 years. Some experts have even predicted that the Arctic will be free of summer ice by mid-century; some believe it could be as close as 2015.

These numbers and figures mean nothing to us here as they are abstract and a million miles away.

Why should we care about what levels the arctic ice is melting at? Why should we care if the Arctic has summer ice or not?

Well the simple answer would be that the world is one complete entity. It’s like a big loaf of bread, if one part of the bread goes bad and develops fungus, then the whole loaf needs to be thrown out. If one part of our planet is destroyed, this will inevitably cause problems to the rest of it.

So we all know that ice is important for the local wildlife such as bears and walruses, but ice also reflects the heat from the sun which keeps the temperature at a tolerable level.

Is this one of the situations where we turn around and say ‘Oops, I guess you were right Mr Gore?’ But by then it would probably be too late. The ex-vice president of the United States might finally be vindicated but that does nothing for the survival of mankind. Maybe we should lend a little more credence to the threats and warnings that scientists warn us about.

kuwait digest

I don’t care who pays, who receives!

By Khaled Sayer Al-Otaibi

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orruption has recently taken more potent forms and has permeated into various governmental establishments. It has turned into a merciless monster. Unfortunately, the government is partially responsible for this, although I believe it’s not too late to fight corruption that has not yet reached its zenith.

Honestly, the problem is in the government itself. It should be blamed for many forms of corruption in a way that makes us wish it sobered up as soon as possible. This is because the longer a problem remains unsolved, the more corruption is created such as the case with ineffective committees that soon decay causing more corruption.

Some people might refuse such a supposition, demanding proofs for the government’s responsibility for corruption. On a personal level, I don’t care who pays or who receives. What matters to me is that the society is getting preoccupied with talks about millions where both legislatives and executives are accused. Banks are taking measures, lawyers are discussing laws, the government is silent, the parliament is taken by surprise and the public opinion is restless. How come, then, some people claim there is no spilt milk!

It’s unfair that the government questions people’s integrity without responding. The government should either deny such accusations and admit that some officials were actually involved.

The tainted should be referred to higher authorities after revealing the full truth or immediately start taking legal actions against those spreading rumors.

Those are the normal ways of handling things, instead of leaving very critical national issues open for discussion and speculations. It is a tragedy.

On the other hand, one cannot keep silent about dishonest or inaccurate news reporting which can cost the country dearly.

Therefore, I urge those who like reporting and exchanging news for the mere sake of exposing others, please verify any story before spreading or publishing them. It’s a pity how we spread rumors without even verifying them; an ideal way of spreading corruption and making the corrupt even more notorious.

Yes, we have to wage a war against corruption, and at the same time, reveal all statistics and information about it without mentioning certain names of the people involved. All judgments should be passed by the judiciary. Corruption should no longer be made a topic of every day conversation. — Al-Watan

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kuwait digest

In my VIEW

Freedom for Arab thought

The wealth disclosure law

By Ibrahim Al-Awadhi

By Fouad Al-Obaid

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he new parliamentary term is set to start in a few weeks, loaded with many issues that need to be addressed and resolved so that the focus of attention can return to the state’s development process. Among these issues is the suspicious inflation in some MPs’ bank accounts, which has dominated the political scene ever since the sensational allegations emerged a couple of weeks ago. The parliament finds itself today standing at a crossroad: it must either coordinate to pass the wealth disclosure law, or leave corruption to continue spreading through the legislative authority.

Many people are wondering about what’s happening with Kuwait’s experience of democracy which has been affected by non-stop crises, as if these problems were part of a plan aiming to maintain political, social and economic instability in the country and then blame the parliament for it, with the purpose of hurting the reputation of the legislative authority which has always worked to protect the country’s wealth.

Amidst this situation, many people are wondering about what’s happening with Kuwait’s experience of democracy which has been affected by non-stop crises, as if these problems were part of a plan aiming to maintain political, social and economic instability in the country and then blame the parliament for it, with the purpose of hurting the reputation of the legislative authority which has always worked to protect the country’s wealth. Every parliamentary term, lawmakers renew demands to enforce the wealth disclosure law, only to see these demands buried by other MPs so blinded by the love of money as to become dishonest and incapable of committing themselves to their duties. Even after news emerged of the KD25 million allegedly suspiciously deposited in two MPs’ accounts, the Cabinet still insists that there is no solid basis to enforce the wealth disclosure law - as if saying that they don’t wish to see Kuwait turned into a state of law, integrity and social justice.

Enforcing the wealth disclosure law during the next parliamentary term would be very beneficial to strengthening democracy, and would be a major step for political reform, while contributing significantly in applying transparency and anticorruption measures in the parliament. Of course, this law might not be able to eliminate all forms of political corruption, because corruption isn’t limited to accepting financial bribes, but can take different shapes such as profiteering and unlawful deals. However, it would serve as a stern warning to corrupt politicians and pave the way to start combating the spread of corruption through state bodies, which is a fact supported by State Audit Bureau reports.

The government, on the other hand, remains silent about the multimillion dinar bribes scandal. Despite denying any involvement in the events, the government has formed no special committees to probe the issue, let alone taken any other measures to deal with this situation, ignoring the fact that this is a matter of national integrity more than being simply a political problem. With that situation, I don’t blame citizens who staged demonstrations last Friday, after they lost trust in both authorities and continue to witness their country’s wealth being squandered. The rally is a way for citizens to send messages to decision-makers, including the fact that enforcing the wealth disclosure law has become a public demand.

It’s sad that corruption seems to be the only thing that is well-organized in Kuwait. — Al-Rai

fouad@kuwaittimes.net

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n our world, there are two types of people: those who love to speak endlessly, and those who in silence endeavor to develop, create, and innovate.

We in the Arab World, for a long time, have created a mind-frame of meaningless talk, and baseless rhetoric.

We Arabs pride ourselves on fictitious knowledge that we readily believe with no tangible proof or research.

For instance, you will be able to find millions who will talk profusely on how religion can heal each and every societal ill!

What is truly surprising is that people in this region are able, and in most cases, will go to great lengths to preach that our religion is the only solution. It leads one to question what purpose such belief is in terms of the realities on the ground that attest otherwise? The deliberately vague slogans every man, woman, and child in the Arab-Islamic world confidently preach is pure nonsense. Yet, such nonsense seems to fit in our region’s narrative in our world’s view. Our failure to understand the way things are, as opposed to how we ‘believe’ them to be is rather bemusing. The fact that we are unable to see that we are not at the center of the world, and that we do not commend commensurable might is true, despite what many would want us to believe!

We have millions in our region who think that this earth is nothing but an illusion, a waiting room. The religious elites would love to dupe us into believing that our misery is divine and that we are, in such a state because it is meant to be! Furthermore, millions of believers are insulted by arrogant preachers who call on the destruction of such and so, insisting that the reason for our misfortune lays in the congregation that strays to the righteous path!

What is clear is that today we are at a conjuncture.

The Arab Spring has brought around a renewed sense of hope for the Arab World. I would love to see the translation of this vigor to a renewed zeal for change, especially concerning the status quo. The transition from tyrannical dictatorship to liberty will bring about a new year filled with freshness and yet, I hope that the short-lived era freedom will not be stolen away by a new form of religious zealot tyranny. Our region is in great need for reform; at its core is a need for a religious reformation. It is amusing to see scores of citizens unable to differentiate reality from fantasy, and package everything together to create personal distorted realities.

Change is not a word, and reform is not a singular action. We are in great need of greater openness and to purge illogical radicalism that has people believing in fantasies. In order to change, we need to recognize that the Arab World is ill, and that the illness is not new. Like any good doctor, we need to understand the nature of our illness before being able to prescribe a course for treatment.

I firmly believe, based on my extensive interaction with friends from well over 100 countries, that the nations that are able to forge citizens are both able and willing to think, reflect, conceptualize, understand. This is before reacting to other nations that are able to advance and develop. Freedom of thought is primordial to any nation that is willing to excel in a globalized world. We should not fear as the late president Franklin Roosevelt said, “(the) only thing we have to fear is fear itself” and I would add, fear is a paralyzing state. Let us fear not, especially if we are convinced in our strife.

We owe it to ourselves to examine, analyze and reflect before believing in anything. We need to create an environment where ideas are able to compete freely with no restrictions placed on thought. If we are to develop, we need to create an environment that is suitable for a meaningful exchange between members of society, and between cultures from across the globe.

We are not alone; we are all living on this planet. Just as we would expect people to respect us, we ought to respect our selves.

We should respect others before demanding respect. As long as we are not willing, as Arabs, to see things the way they are as opposed to what we would love them to be, we will not be able to develop. We will not be able to command any respect.

completely agree with the recent article that appeared in the local media on the spread of corruption. Kuwaiti businessman Jassem Qabazrad wrote an eye opening commentary on the country’s dire straits.

His call was directed at all Kuwaitis and his mighty pen accuses us of being party to administrative corruption! I believe he is right and I also think his call is probably one of the most honorable because it is sensible. Everyone is either calling for raising salaries or forming a new puppet government that can be made to dance to their tunes.

When a small country like Kuwait is allowed to be controlled by political or religious groups, they try to restructure the nation, its future, and politics.

They will exploit its resources as much as its freedom of speech and misinterpretation. Only Allah knows what is in store for us next. When they model themselves on demigods that are above the law, they begin to falsely believe that they have the right to decide on people’s loyalties.

So, Jassem Qabazrad ‘s views are sincere. We need more Kuwaitis in key positions to admit that the spread of corruption is deeply entrenched in our social fabric. They can take the initiative to come clean and be a role model to other Kuwaitis.

In his article, it was mentioned that many have endeavored to give life to free Kuwait, even expatriates. It was defended during the invasion in 1990. Instead of blaming expatriates for flouting the law, we should blame ourselves for breaking the law.

The corruption has permeated into every aspect of our lives even running governance affairs. This is the sad state of affairs that all Kuwaitis are responsible for.

kuwait digest

The solution is in our hands

By Mohammad Al-Hajri

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rticle Six of the Kuwaiti Constitution states that the system of government in Kuwait shall be democratic, with sovereignty residing in the people, the source of all powers.

However, are Kuwait’s people really in charge today through their elected representatives?

While that could arguably be said to be true on paper, it’s clear today that the people aren’t in charge as much as they were during the beginning of democratic life in Kuwait when they were of a more advanced level of awareness, which we sadly lack today. The principles based on which MPs were elected back then are different from those which determine who enters the parliament nowadays. The new principles are based on social categories and a candidate’s ability to help voters obtain as many services as possible regardless of the manner by which these services are obtained. This situation has led to the parliament’s performance deteriorating to a level at which lawmakers have become incapable of committing to the performance of their legislative duties and their responsibilities towards the nation as effectively as they should.

MPs today no longer represent the entire nation and safeguard the public interest, as suggested by Ar ticle 108 of the constitution.

Unfortunately, personal interests such as those of voters and sectarian groups are put ahead of the state’s general interest on numerous occasions in parliament, paving the way for many politically immature individuals to become MPs. Many of today’s MPs are regularly to be seen in ministry buildings and courts, in violation of Article 50 of the constitution which asserts THE separation between and constitutionality of authorities, as well as Article 115, which prevents lawmakers from interfering with the work of the judicial or executive authorities. This same article also allows the parliament to establish a special committee to handle petitions and complaints submitted to the National Assembly - an action that organizes the relationship between people and the executive authority.

The worst aspect of MPs’ negative practices is that it is disruptive of constitutional legislation, casting doubt on their use of the monitoring tools made available to them to carry out their duties and harming the fundamental constituents of Kuwaiti society, which the constitution firmly protects through its second par t that includes Articles 7 to 26.

The flaw does not lie in the constitution, which has not been given a chance of proper implementation, but instead in the manner which leads to incompetent candidates being elected as representatives of the people. Therefore, achieving reform lies wholly and solely in the people’s hands. — Al-Qabas

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Main usage of internet in Kuwait for social purposes KUWAIT: A survey to investigate internet usage in the Middle East by Bayt.com and YouGov, the Middle East’s number one job site and a research and consulting organization respectively, has revealed that the predominant reason for going online is to participate in social activities. The survey’s results showed that 67% of Kuwaiti respondents spend three or more hours online every day.

According to the survey’s results, 36% of Kuwaiti respondents claim to connect with friends via email and 31% connect with

KUWAIT: Kuwaiti respondents claim to connect with friends via email and 31% connect with friends through social networking sites every day. friends through social networking sites every day. Watching video clips and listening to music are also popular daily online activities while a very significant proportion of daily usage comes from online job hunting, with 36% of Kuwaiti respondents using the internet to seek employment.

The least popular daily online activities, in terms of the percentage of Kuwaiti survey respondents who have never accessed the facility, are: downloading podcasts (47%), participating in online courses (42%), playing online games (40%), uploading video clips to video sharing websites (37%), and uploading photos to a photo sharing website (32%). Well over 100% in total?!

Amer Zureikat, VP of Sales at Bayt.com, commented: “there is a definite trend across the surveyed region that leans towards using the internet for social purposes as well as for job hunting and careerrelated purposes. This is very encouraging data and our proprietary People platform, which allows the region’s professionals to build an attractive public profile based on their completed CV that can be supplemented with badges and referrals, further bolsters Bayt.com’s foray into the careercentric social arena.”

Results asking survey-takers to state all social networks to which they belong proved that Facebook is the site of choice and only 14% of the 236 Kuwaiti respondents claimed to not have a Facebook profile. The second most popular choice of social networking site was listed only as

Bayt.com, YouGov survey ‘other’ (31%), which was followed closely

by Twitter (30%) with only a small minority claiming to have no social networking profile at all (10%). Facebook usage is especially high, with 67% logging onto the site on a daily basis, whereas only 36% visit Twitter every day - incidentally making Kuwait the most Twitter-active country in the survey.

The majority of Kuwaiti users (53%) will spend between thirty minutes and three hours on Facebook each day, with a further 20% claiming to be signed into their account for most of the day. On the other hand, 40% of Twitter users log in for less than thirty minutes each day and 24% log in for between thirty minutes and one hour only. In Kuwait, 43% of survey-takers claim to use social networking websites at their place of work and the main reason for not accessing such sites while in the office are due to the employee not having time (63%), rather than sites being blocked (16%). For online shopping, the results demonstrate that the only types of purchases that are likely to be made over the internet are airline tickets. Only 31% of survey respondents have never purchased a ticket online while 23% buy a ticket every 4-6 months and 27% make purchases less frequently.

The trend across the region is for people to access political news online as opposed to business or lifestyle/leisure news. In Kuwait, 61% access political news (the highest percentage in the region), 45% access business news and 47% access lifestyle/leisure news online.

In terms of the total amount of time spent online every day, 34% of Kuwaiti respondents are online for less than two hours a day, 38% use the internet for between 3-4 hours daily and 18% claim to be surfing the web for more than six hours every day.

When it comes to online access, Google Chrome is the Kuwait’s browser of choice, opted for by 41% of respondents. Similarly, Google reigns as the search engine of choice, with 98% preferring to use it over its peers. However Gmail (53%) is surpassed by both Yahoo! (71%) and Hotmail (59%) in terms of email usage.

As far as chat programs are concerned, Yahoo! Messenger is the most popular platform in Kuwait, which 61% of respondents claim to use. Skype was voted second with 51%, followed by Google Talk! and Windows LIVE at 32% each.

In general, across all surveyed regions, the first choice of connecting to the internet is via a personal computer (desktop, laptop or netbook), supported by a majority of 96%. Personal computer ownership in

AOU sets registration timing for students KUWAIT: The Arab Open University(AOU) students who have scored less than two grade points average have been asked to meet with advisers today. They should register their names ahead of the new semester’s beginning.

The announcement was made by Prof Muna Al-Lughani, Admission and Registration Official.

English language students have been asked to meet with their academic advisors at the cafeteria hall today (from 9 am to 12 pm for female students, and from 1 pm to 3 pm for male students).

Meanwhile, students who have enrolled into Business Management courses should meet with academic advisors on Tuesday from 9 am to 12 pm (female students) and from 1 pm to 3pm

Muna Al-Lughani (male students). Students from the Computer Science department have been scheduled to meet advisors from 9 am to 12 pm (female students) and from 1pm to 3pm for male students.

Al-Lughani has also alerted students on the deadline to pay fees which falls on Thursday.

Kuwait is 64%, with 54% of respondents having fixed line broadband at home and 59% claiming to have Wi-Fi access.

Only 24% of the region’s respondents use a mobile phone or smartphone to access web content and 5% opt to browse on their tablet computer. The most common place of access is at home (86%), followed by the work place

(46%), leaving access via mobiles and internet cafes in third place, with 21% and 17% respectively. The largest concern relating to internet usage highlighted throughout the region is inappropriate content being easily accessible to children and youths. In Kuwait, this is followed by, in descending order of importance: the internet keeping people away from an active

lifestyle, internet addiction, limiting offline social interaction, spam and the lack of privacy.

Data for the Bayt.com Internet Usage in the Middle East survey was collected online between August 1st and 24th 2011 from 8,981 participants. The respondents were predominantly male (82% compared with 18% female), aged 18+ and represented Algeria, Bahrain, Egypt, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Morocco, Oman, Pakistan, Qatar, KSA, Syria, Tunisia and the UAE.

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Bloggers take the initiative KUWAIT: A number of bloggers on the internet have issued a press release published on Twitter and other social media sites which stated: “We, the youths of this nation, are committed to our duties in national work, as we believe in the future of this state, starting with the current circumstances of our nation where honesty has been lost, where services have declined, where corruption has prevailed and where national unity has been hurt. We are proposing new initiatives and visions that coincide with the general calls for the state to change for the better.

“We have agreed to call all groups that are demanding reforms to the dialogue table. It is only a lack of unity and the persistence of differences among those calling for reform that are killing hopes for change. We, your brothers, the bloggers, urge you to put an end to our differences and agree on the main objective, through which our nation

will flourish. As a neutral party ourselves we are calling for dialogue to unify our lines and concentrate on achieving success.

“Differences and messing around will lead us nowhere. Instead we shall move in vicious circles. Important issues will die and every party will leave with what they already have. Corruption will prevail, and reformers will scatter. Working for a better future is in the mind of every citizen living on this soil but it will not be bright unless we establish some founding pillars.

“Dialogue and agreement vis-a-vis our demands will bridge our different points of view. Everyone needs change but change will not come without the unity of all and history proves that. Our hands are extended to all without exception so take the initiative, drop your differences and let us unify in the face of corruption and the corruptors. We await your responses at mobadara2011@gmail.com” - reported Al-Anbaa.

‘New teachers have not arrived’ KUWAIT: Despite the new academic year’s commencement, the Ministry of Education faces a dearth in teaching staff. This is because newly hired teachers have not yet arrived, especially from Egypt and Tunisia.

Only 121 out of 306 teachers have arrived from Egypt. Several teachers from Jordan, Syria and Egypt have apologized, creating concern amongst Ministry of Education officials. Only 546 newly recruited teachers that arrived from four Arab countries (Egypt, Syria, Tunisia and Jordan) have passed interviews.

Fahad Al-Ghaiss Ministry Of Education’s Assistant Undersecretary for private education, told reporters that the total number of Kuwaiti students enrolled in private schools is 8,5167.

He added that the total number of Kuwaiti students enrolled into Arabic private schools was 17,527 while 14,698 were enrolled into bilingual schools. At least 8,104 were enrolled into American schools, 446 in Indian schools, 6,039 in Pakistani schools and 2,044 in special needs schools.

In other news, a report has been recently submitted, recommending the establishment of two faculties in Khairan and Sulaibiya, reported Aljarida.

Accordingly, a report issued by Ministry of Education’s Planning Sector has stressed that one of the school’s buildings in Khairan was new and does not need any maintenance operations while the other situated in Sulaibiya was built in 1980.

88 residents in police custody for illegal stay Mines defused near Abdaly Checkpoint KUWAIT: Eighty eight residents were arrested in different parts of Kuwait on Saturday. Police apprehended 62 Asian laborers in Khaitan and Farwaniya in connection with violating residence permits. At least 26 were apprehended in Saad Al-Abdullah for driving in an erratic manner. The detainees were referred to higher authorities, reported Al-Qabas.

Unfaithful friend Hawally police arrested a woman who used her friend’s personal pictures without permission to forge relationships with strangers. A case was filed after a female citizen, who reported discovering the identity theft. When asked if any of her friends could have access to personal photographs, the woman answered that her best friend did. Police carried out investigations and issued a warrant to arrest the best friend after finding concrete evidence that she is responsible for spreading her friend’s pictures online which were taken from a mobile phone camera. She admitted to sending her friend’s photograph to multiple boyfriends in Kuwait and other Gulf Cooperation Council

countries, adding that she suffered from a low self-esteem. She has duped many people with whom she has had over-the phone relationships, with many sending cash gifts, reported AlRai. Police have found 94 photographs of the victim. The suspect has been referred to higher authorities.

Phone threats Police are on the lookout for a suspect who has been accused of making threatening calls to a citizen. The Taima police station stated that the citizen reportedly received several phone calls from a caller that threatened to inflict physical harm as well as kidnap family members. He added that the caller never disclosed his real intentions, reported Al-Rai. Police are trying to identify the abusive caller by tracing his mobile phone number.

Prostitution Three Asian women were arrested in Hawally in connection with practicing prostitution at a massage center. Police sent an undercover agent to an apartment where a massage parlor was run. It was tipped off on the

activities. The agent informed the security personnel that was waiting outside to raid the apartment, reported Al-Rai. The suspects were referred to the higher authorities.

Man drowns An Asian engineer died at Jahra Hospital shortly after being admitted in a critical condition.

He had nearly drowned while swimming off shore Boubyan Island. The 30-year-old victim was rushed to the hospital by rescue workers who had helped him, reported Al-Anba. The victim was pronounced dead at the medical facility after CPR failed to resuscitate him. A case was filed.

Teenager stabbed A teenager is battling for his life at the Jahra Hospital after being repeatedly stabbed during a fight that took place in Saad AlAbdullah. Police and paramedical staff reached the location and admitted him to the medical facility. It was revealed that the victim, a 19-year-old bedoon (stateless) resident had an altercation with a friend. His friend’s brother soon joined in the conversation and stabbed him six times, reported

Al-Anba. A search has been launched to nab the perpetrators.

Mines defused Bomb squads have defused four landmines that were found at an open space located a kilometer away from the Abdaly Checkpoint. The same location was also the scene of a similar incident that was reported last week.

Three mines were defused, repor ted Al-Anba.

Investigations revealed that the explosives were planted at the location by Iraqi forces during the Gulf War that took place twenty years ago.

Attempted poisoning A domestic worker was arrested after surveillance cameras caught her adding pesticide to the food she prepared for her employers. The Asian woman’s Kuwaiti employer had installed closed circuit cameras at his Adan house, after suspecting her of committing theft. He immediately filed a complaint with police after watching the video footage of her act. The police issued an immediate deportation issue against the suspect, reported Al-Watan.

Stage set for Arab housing ministers meeting CAIRO: The Executive Office of the Council of Ministers of Housing and Reconstruction convene its 75th session on Sept 21 and 22 at the headquarters of the League of Arab States.

Assistant Secretary-General for Economic Affairs Mohammad Bin Ibrahim Al-Tuwaijri said yesterday that the Arab countries participating in the meeting of the Executive Office are Bahrain, Syria, Algeria, Djibouti, Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Qatar and Libya as well as the Technical Secretariat of the Council of Ministers of Housing and Reconstruction.

Al-Tuwaijri said the meeting would discuss the latest developments of the committee tasked with reviewing the

unified Arab codes for buildings, adding that the recommendations of the committee on the modification of Arab code for loads will be endorsed.

He said that proceedings on the eighth stage and the transitional phase to implement the unified Arab codes for buildings will also be approved.

He explained that the Technical Secretariat was tasked to spread recommendations of the seminar on housing land’s adaptability for building and its impact on the provision of adequate housing. He added that the meeting will also discuss the dissemination of a brochure on maintenance of buildings and maintaining the mortgage balance and archaeological sites. — KUNA

Algeria to host ‘Kuwaiti Cultural Days’ KUWAIT: National Council for Culture, Arts and Letters (NCCAL) announced yesterday Kuwait’s participation in events to celebrate the city of Tlemcen, Algeria, as the capital of Islamic culture for the year 2011 through holding Kuwaiti cultural days there.

Coordinator of the celebration Munir Al-Otaibi said that the festivity will take place from Sept 22 to 25.

He added that the delegation participating in the activities comprises of 45

General Secretariat, which will be then submitted to the Ministerial Council for approval. Participants will also review means of coordinating between the GCC governmental human rights agencies in regional and international forums and various exchange programs and visits in the field.—KUNA

Kuwait Army carries out blood donation campaign KUWAIT: General Staff of the Kuwaiti Army held yesterday a blood donation campaign in cooperation with the Central Blood Bank of the Ministry of Health and by a humanitarian initiative of the Acting Prime Minister and Defense Minister Sheikh Jaber Mubarak AlHamad Al-Sabah.

The donation center in the General Staff of the army received yesterday army recruits for medical tests necessary prior

Illegal liquor cartel busted

By Hanan Al-Saadoun KUWAIT: Drug fighting forces arrested a fiveman gang of smugglers having discovered them with 354 cartons of liquor intended for trading. The liquor had been smuggled in diesel tanks through one of the GCC states.

They were followed until the cartons were dropped in one of the barns at Kabd area.

As drugs unit forces raided the barn, two of the smugglers were caught whereupon they gave confessions implicating a further two men, who were apprehended at a pre arranged destination where the alcohol was

to be delivered.

In turn, these criminals gave confessions about a fifth suspect who helps them to store alcohol in Mina Abdullah. This man was duly arrested at Kuwait airport before attempting to depart the country. The gang comprised both Arabs and Asians.

Car accidents In a car accident that took place along Khaitan, Abu Dhabi street a 28-year- old Egyptian expat sustained a broken arm. He was admitted to Farwaniya Hospital. In another case, a car accident took place along Al-

Ghazali bridge towards Shuwaikh. An 18-yearold Saudi national and a 23-year- old bedoon sustained severe injuries. Both were admitted to Al-Sabah Hospital. Also, an accident took place in Shuwaikh between Telecom Company and City Center. A 37-year-old Bangladeshi expat died instantly. His corpse was removed for an autopsy.

Hit and run case A 40-year-old Indian who attempted to cross the street was run over by a speeding vehicle in Rumaithiya. He was admitted to Mubarak Hospital.

people, headed by Assistant Secretary General of the NCCAL. He pointed out that the program, prepared by the Council, includes an Islamic calligraphy gallery and Kuwait’s book exhibition that provides a set of the Council’s publications.

Al-Otaibi said the cultural days will also showcase a gallery of books and manuscripts of Arabic heritage, which emphasizes the importance of manuscripts in enriching the culture. —KUNA

Heads of GCC govt human rights agencies meet RIYADH: The Heads of Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) governmental human rights agencies held their second meeting here yesterday.

The GCC General Secretariat said in a press release that this meeting tackles a draft on the work mechanism of the GCC Office for human rights as part of the

KUWAIT: The liquor smugglers pictured after their arrest.

to the donation.

A large turnout of donors was recorded in reply to the initiative of Sheikh Jaber Al-Mubarak.

This campaign reflects belief of the Ministry of Defense of the importance of blood donation and stems from the spirit of cooperation between the Ministry and civil society organizations, as the donation is part of national and humanitarian duties in any society. — KUNA

Preparatory meetings of Arab Parliaments kick off in Cairo CAIRO: Preparatory meetings of the second regular session of the Arab Parliament (AP) for the year 2011 kicked off here yesterday to discuss the latest developments on the Arab arena.

AP’s Chairman Ali al-Deqbasi stressed the impor tance of this session, which “comes in light of the grave circumstances experienced by the Arab region”.

He added that the latest developments in both Syria and Yemen have cast a shadow on the preparator y meetings and topped the agenda in addition to many other topics to be discussed by the Arab Parliament.

In response to a question about what can be made by the Arab Parliament in regard to the Syrian position following the recent decision adopted by the Arab Ministerial Council, al-Deqbasi said “Let’s wait and see as the Arab Parliament’s posi-

tion would be at the level of the aspirations of Arab peoples.”

He stressed at the same time that establishing principles of human rights is one of the first tasks of the Arab Parliament, especially as these rights are witnessing a significant deterioration in several Arab countries, which requires taking a firm stand.

He emphasized that “It is shameful that European and international Parliaments adopt stiffer positions to safeguard the human rights in Arab countries.”

Al-Deqbasi pointed out that his priority as head of the AP is to maintain the dignity and rights of the Arabs and their rights in the political participation.

He described what is happening in Syria as a “genocide”. He hoped that the AP would be at the level of events and responsive to the aspirations of the peoples because “the institutions of joint Arab

action of others, par ticularly the Arab League, were “disappointing and frustrating”. He also expressed hope the new session of Arab Parliament would be at the level of responsibility, calling on all institutions of joint Arab action to be “committed to the minimum level of defending human rights in deeds rather than words.”

On the preparatory meetings, al-Deqbasi said meetings today and tomorrow were allocated for the Standing Committees and Committees on Foreign Affairs, politics, national security, Economic Affairs, Finance, Legislative, legal affairs, human rights, social affairs, culture, women and youth.

He said that the O ffice of the Arab Parliament will hold its seventh meeting immediately after the committees finalize their preparation of reports to be forwarded to the new session of parliament on Tuesday. — KUNA

MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 19, 2011

Miniskirted Jakarta women slam rapists

Merkel party faces new election loss in Berlin Page 9

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Berlusconi makes racy boast Oppn demands premier quit over new scandal

ROME: Italian Premier Silvio Berlusconi arrives at a People of Freedom party meeting in this file photo. — AP

ROME: Opposition leaders have demanded an inquiry to determine if Italian government aircraft flew a bevy of young escor ts to Premier Silvio Berlusconi’s private parties.

Concern was also growing in Italy over whether the billionaire media mogul premier who allegedly boasted in an intercepted phone conversation that he “did only eight” women in one night can concentrate on rescuing Italy from its severe economic woes.

Italian newspapers were filled with transcripts of intercepted phone conversations of a jailed southern businessman, Gianpaolo Tarantini, who is being investigated for allegedly arranging and paying for women to prostitute themselves with the premier at parties at Berlusconi’s private residences in Rome, the Sardinia seacoast, and near Milan.

Intercepted conversations that are part of investigations may be published once they are officially deposited in the court - in this case, in Bari, southeast Italy. Berlusconi, who turns 75 later this month, has denied ever paying for sex. But he has boasted of his weakness for young, beautiful women, an inclination cited by his second wife, who is divorcing him. Prostitution is not a crime in Italy, but exploiting prostitutes - as Tarantini is alleged to have done to try to curry favors with Berlusconi to win state contracts - is. In a separate probe, Tarantini is jailed for allegedly extorting hundreds of thousands of dollars from Berlusconi. The premier says he gave Tarantini and Tarantini’s wife, who was also arrested, money because he is a generous man who was trying to help a “family in need.”

However, paying for sex with an underage person is a crime in Italy. In a separate case, Berlusconi is on trial in Milan for allegedly paying for sex with a Moroccan teenager.

Berlusconi denies the accusation, and contends that that trial, as well as several corruption cases that were brought against him over dealings in his business empire, is part of a plot by prosecutors he says sympathize with the left and want to topple him from power.

The Milan daily Corriere della Sera quoted the premier as telling Tarantini in one telephone call that he had to go that evening to Milan because the plane at his disposition

was only available then. Tarantini then purportedly asks Berlusconi if he and some of the women could go with him from Rome to Milan, and the premier replies “you can.”

Leoluca Orlandi of the opposition centrist Italy of Values party insisted that Berlusconi say if government planes “paid with taxpayer money ” flew paid escor ts to his private soirees. Orlandi added in a statement Saturday that his party has asked the premier’s office to conduct an urgent inquiry.

The speaker of the Chamber of Deputies, meanwhile, suggested it was time for Berlusconi to step down.

“No one understands why the premier is dedicating a good deal of his time to questions not related to fighting the economic crisis and relaunching the economy,” Gianfranco Fini, a former Berlusconi ally, told reporters at a rally near Milan.

In one of the conversations, Berlusconi purportedly tells a frequent female guest at his parties, “I am premier in my spare time.”

The Corriere della Sera cautioned its readers that in running four full pages of transcripts, it left out “the heavier or more vulgar passages, as well as detailed sexual descriptions” that were picked up in the phone calls intercepted by Italy’s financial police. The Rome daily La Repubblica quoted Berlusconi telling Tarantini in one call in early 2009 that one night 11 women were lined outside his room.

The premier then confided that “I only did eight of them because I couldn’t do it anymore.” He adding that, while “you can’t do all of them,” the next morning he felt “well, satisfied with my ability to resist the siege of a lifetime.” Reflected in many of the conversations Tarantini had with women he allegedly was recruiting for paid sex with Berlusconi is an entrenched national culture where sexy women become symbols and instruments of power, especially in the world of politics and TV entertainment. In a conversation, the media mogul brags that at one of the parties male guests include an executive in his entertainment empire and another from state TV in charge of the made-for-TV fiction division.

“So, this way the girls will get the idea that they are in front of men who can decide their destiny,” Berlusconi is quoted as saying. He refers to the two “as little old men who, how-

ever, have much power.” As for female guests, Berlusconi purportedly tells Tarantini that he “has two little girls,” including one who is a journalist for state TV and another one, a “very nice, very sweet Neapolitan” woman working at his Mediaset private network. One showgirl, according to what Tarantini says in a phone conversation with a female friend, was purportedly promised she would be chosen to host Italy’s annual San Remo song festival, which runs on state TV. Being the host is a highly paid and prestigious job. According to La Repubblica, the showgirl reportedly spurned the prospect and didn’t come to a dinner at Berlusconi’s Rome residence.

Meanwhile, Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi yesterday faced growing pressure to resign after embarrassing new revelations of parties and young women prompted questions about his ability to govern a country rocked by financial crisis. Italian newspapers in recent day have replaced front page headlines on soaring bond yields and sliding shares with wiretapped chats between Berlusconi and Giampaolo Tarantini, a businessman suspected of providing prostitutes for the premier. In one excerpt published by the Corriere della Sera daily, Berlusconi boasts of champagne-filled partying with women till 6:30 am at a Milan nightclub and pocketing eight phone numbers of women.

“If you have a girl-two girls, three girls-to bring,” Berlusconi is quoted as asking the southern businessman ahead of their next encounter. “Please don’t get tall ones ... because we are not tall.” Opposition parties stepped up calls for Berlusconi to resign after the latest disclosures, saying a country struggling to overcome a debt crisis that threatens the euro zone could not afford a premier who “governs in his spare time”. “Is there a single reason comprehensible to the world on why Berlusconi should not resign?,” Pier Luigi Bersani, leader of the centre-left Democratic Party said. “We have very serious problems.”

Berlusconi’s old ally-turned-enemy Gianfranco Fini also called for a new government, while the Italy of Values party run by centrist Antonio Di Pietro said it was time for elections. Berlusconi loyalists rallied to defend the premier and said he had no plans to resign. — Agencies

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Egypt groups try to block Mubarak loyalists from poll Political groups fear Mubarak loyalists may re-emerge

MARTINSBURG: A single engine T-28 from the six-plane Trojan Horsemen Demonstration Flight Team crashes and explodes during a performance at the Thunder Over the Blue Ridge Open House and Air Show.— AP

2nd deadly air show crash in 24 hours MARTINSBURG: The second deadly air show crash in 24 hours has left one pilot dead in West Virginia and prompted the National Transportation Safety Board to dispatch an investigator to the site where an aerobatic demonstration plane plunged into a runway and exploded as spectators looked on. Thousands of people were watching from a distance but no one was injured when a T-28 fixedwing plane in a civilian aerobatics group wobbled and crashed Saturday, authorities said. Many in the crowd hugged each other and cried after seeing the aircraft appear to disintegrate in a fireball.

The ill-fated aircraft was part of a T-28 acrobatic team that tours the nation performing in air shows such as the Thunder Over the Blue Ridge airshow organized over the weekend at an airport near Martinsburg, according to Gen. James Hoyer, West Virginia Air National Guard adjutant. The rest of the air show, including yesterday’s planned performances, were canceled.

Hoyer declined to immediately identify the pilot, saying next-of-kin were being notified. Meanwhile, air show officials posted a notice on their website encouraging those who witnessed the crash to seek support if they felt viewing it had been traumatic. The crash occurred a day after a stunt pilot crashed at a Nevada air race Friday, killing at least nine and injuring dozens more. “We were fortunate that the safety measures put in place by the Federal Aviation Administration ensured the safety of those on the ground,” Hoyer said in a statement. “Right now our thoughts and prayers are with the family

members of the deceased.” The fixedwing, single-engine T-28 plane is registered to John Mangan of Concord, NC, and was built in 1958, according to an FAA registry. Calls to an FAA office for West Virginia by The Associated Press were not immediately returned yesterday.

The Journal of Martinsburg (http://bit.ly/nJ268P ) reports the aircraft lost control during a six-plane stunt formation and then crashed on a runway near hangers at the airfield, causing thousands at the show to cry, hug and pray afterward. The paper said the NTSB investigator was expected to arrive later in the day yesterday as part of the investigation and a news conference was expected later yesterday afternoon. The plane was part of the T-28 Warbird Aerobatic Formation Demonstration Team, and was performing as part of a show put on by the 167th Airlift Wing of the West Virginia Air National Guard. The T-28 aerobatic team is known as the Trojan Horsemen and its website says Jack “Flash” Mangan is part of the alternate wing. His biography on the site says he is a former Air Force fighter pilot who won three Meritorious Service Medals and Tactical Air Command’s Instructor Pilot of the Year. A message left at Mangan’s North Carolina home was not immediately returned Saturday. According to The Boeing Co’s website, the North American T-28 Trojan was a basic trainer that was used by the US Navy, including for carrier operation. Its first flight was in 1949 and it was designed to transition pilots to jet aircraft.— AP

IRAN: In this file photo, US hikers Shane Bauer (left) and Josh Fattal, attend their trial in Iran. — AP

US hikers’ release in Iran delayed by judge’s absence TEHRAN: The lawyer of two American hikers convicted of spying in Iran told AFP yesterday their release on bail has been delayed since a judge whose signature is needed is on leave. “I went to the court asking them what is the latest and they told me that the second judge is on leave until tomorrow. So I am going there tomorrow,” Masoud Shafii said. “I am always an optimist and inshallah (God willing) it will be over since the case is going through its natural and legal course,” he responded when asked if he is expecting the case to be over soon. Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said in interviews tomorrow that Josh Fattal and Shane Bauer, who have been held in Iran after being arrested near the mountainous Iraq-Iran border in July 31, 2009, would be released imminently.

But the judiciary, dominated by ultraconservatives, said a day later that no decision had yet been taken and that it was studying a request by the lawyer to post bail. “Many heads of state mediated for their release and we have forwarded their mes-

sages to the relevant bodies and we hope that the judiciary will treat them with Islamic compassion,” Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi was quoted as saying by the Iranian media yesterday. On Friday Iraq’s Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari told AFP in Baghdad that his nation’s leaders, including the president and prime minister, have repeatedly called on Iran to release free the hikers.

Iranian media reported yesterday that top members of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), in addition to two Christian pastors, are in Tehran pleading the hikers’ release in meetings with Ahmadinejad. In addition, Mohammad Javad Larijani the head of Iran’s High Council for Human Rights was quoted on the Fars news agency as saying that, “Currently there are two American pastors in Tehran for consultations for their release... in this regard the interest of the regime will be taken into consideration within the framework of the law.” He did not elaborate. Salehi on Saturday asked the US government to “show goodwill” by releasing “Iranians detained in the US.” — AFP

CAIRO: Islamists and other political groups sought changes to election rules at a meeting yesterday with the ruling military to ensure those linked to Hosni Mubarak’s now defunct party are blocked from Egypt’s first free parliamentary vote in decades. The head of the election committee, Abdelmuezz Ibrahim, said the poll for the lower house would start on Nov. 21 and the vote for the upper house would begin on Jan 22, with each vote being held in three stages, state newspapers reported yesterday.

An army source told Reuters the final date for voting would be announced on Sept 26 when full details of the election procedures would also be declared. Election committee officials could not be reached to confirm the dates. Most parties have welcomed the army’s call for elections to start in November, although a few mainly liberal groups have said they want more time. Some liberals fear well-organised Islamists are in the best position now to dominate the vote.

But groups across the spectrum worry existing rules may allow loyalists of Mubarak’s now disbanded National Democratic Party (NDP) to re-emerge by letting them run under a system that splits voting between party lists and individuals. Some also say the broad constituencies outlined under the new rules may favour those with cash. Many wealthy business executives in Egypt backed the NDP. “We reject the suggested election law (as we want) to block the remnants of the NDP and prevent the use of money or tribalism,” said Mohamed Saad el-Katatni, secretary-general of the Muslim Brotherhood’s Freedom and Justice party.

Favoring diversity “We will demand that all parliament seats shall be elected through closed proportional lists,” he said, referring to a system where parties or alliances draw up a list and voters choose between the different lists rather than individuals. Supporters of this system say it encourages voters to focus on the political programs on offer. The Brotherhood is part of an alliance of 34 groups, including the liberal

Wafd, a decades-old nationalist party.

Wafd secretary-general Fouad Badrawy said his party had presented a paper to the military council showing the changes they and others in their alliance wanted to the law, including their proposal for lists, were constitutional. Some analysts say the ruling Supreme Council for the Armed Forces may favour a diverse parliament where no single party or alliance dominates, allowing the army to continue to wield influence and protect its broad business and other interests.

“The Supreme Council believes that the current system will produce a majority that they are comfortable with and will support them,” political analyst Ammar Aly Hassan said. The leftist Tagammu party was among those seeking more time to prepare for the vote and pick its candidates. “We want an adequate period of time from the date the (election) law is issued till the date of the elections,” said Hussein Abdel Razeq, member of Tagammu’s ruling body.

Youssri Hamad, spokesperson for al-Nour, a party that follows the strict Salafist school of Islam, said his group was concerned large constituencies would mean only those with the deepest pockets could campaign effectively. But he also dismissed liberal calls for delaying the vote. “Liberals and leftists have done nothing to prepare for the elections except insulting Islamic and Salafist streams instead of campaigning and fielding candidates,” he said.

Egypt will start parliamentary elections on Nov 21, Al-Arabiya Television and the AlAhram newspaper reported on Saturday, the country’s first vote since a popular uprising toppled President Hosni Mubarak in February after 30 years of autocratic rule. Al-Ahram quoted Egypt’s election commission head, Abdel Moez Ibrahim, as saying voting for the lower house, the People’s Assembly, will be held in three stages starting on Nov 21 and ending on January 3. Voting for the upper house, the Shura Council, will begin on Jan. 22, 2012 and finish on March 4. Election commission officials were not immediately available to comment on the reports and an army

source said the date would be announced in the coming days.

The country’s ruling military council has been under popular pressure to fix a date for the election it promised when it took over after Mubarak was forced to step down. No date has been fixed for the presidential poll, which the military council has said was to follow the parliamentary vote. Many Egyptians had grown worried the military council was dragging its feet in starting preparations for a transition to democracy. Some feared the military council was hesitant about handing power to civilians.

The Muslim Brotherhood, which was once seen as the least critical of the military council, had joined calls for an election timetable. The Brotherhood ranks as the country’s best organised political force after the dissolution of Mubarak’s National Democratic Party (NDP).

Monitoring Sami Enan, chief of staff of Egypt’s armed forces and the second-highest member of the ruling military council, was due to meet political party heads in Cairo on Sunday to discuss preparations for the elections. Said Eissa, head of political news at Al-Ahram, said the military council was expected to issue a decree in the last week of September inviting people to participate in the election. Unofficial campaigning has already begun, with an array of secular and left-wing groups vying with resurgent Islamists for the political terrain opened up by the dissolution of the NDP. The military council has said the judiciary will oversee the vote to ensure a free and fair poll. A member of the ruling council said in July the election will be held in three stages to make it easier for monitors to oversee voting. Officials have said the vote would be split between a proportional system of party lists and geographical seats, with half of the 504 seats in the lower house assigned to each. Voters will cast ballots for both the lower and upper houses at the same time and the elections will be held in 120 voting districts. A period of 15 days will separate one stage from the next, during which any re-run will be held. — Agencies

Lions, tigers and bombs in Baghdad?

BAGHDAD: The sword swallower had arrived, the snake charmer was ready. All that was missing when the circus got town were the lions and tigers - which, unfortunately, were delayed by customs inspectors leery of letting the exotic cats into Iraq. Alawan Ghazi, who brought his three children to see the lighthearted show after surviving years of war, couldn’t help but laugh at the irony. “Car bombs and weapons find their way easily to Iraq,” Ghazi said. “But bringing circus animals is a more difficult task here.”

The cats were expected to arrive in Baghdad within weeks as the circus revs up a six-month stay in the Iraqi capital - the first since the 2003 fall US-led invasion that unleashed widespread violence that has slowly ebbed over the last few years. Now, circus manager Ghassan Mohammed is banking on the bombs to stay away and let the show go on. After a tryout in the southern Iraqi port city of Basra - and with much success Mohammed said he was ready to bring the circus to Baghdad. The capital has had more than its fair share of bleakness over the years, he said, and it’s time to bring a little cheer to Baghdad’s families - not to mention a little jingle to his own pocket.

“We felt that it is time to come to the capital now after security has improved here,” Mohammed said as he checked power generators, touched base with his performers and juggled calls on his cell phone on the circus grounds in the mixed Sunni-Shiite neighborhood of Jadriyah in southeast Baghdad. He added: “Baghdad is a big city with fair business opportunities.” Violence is on the downswing in the capital, although deadly bombings and shootings still happen nearly every day. And the glitter of the circus still wasn’t enough to convince many of the performers to take a chance on Baghdad: only 27 of the 200 whom Mohammed tried to hire agreed to come. All the per formers are foreigners

BAGHDAD: In this photo, a member of the Umbrella Circus performs in Iraq. — AP except one Iraqi who performs magic tricks.

Acrobat Eyvak Sopatayiv, 22, from Kazakhstan, said he worried about taking the leap. “I used to hear a lot of news about security problems in Iraq, and I was afraid,” Sopatayiv said. “But the reality is different, and it’s not what I expected.” The Egyptian swordswallower, Mohammed Atiyah, said he wants the circus to help Iraqis forget - even if for just a night - the grim past. “Hopefully, the circus will help Iraqis forget about wars and bombings and give them new glimpse of hope and happiness,” said Atiyah, 24.

Without the lions and tigers, the circus showboated acrobats on high-swinging trapezes, magic tricks and fire displays, a belly

dancer with a thick snake and a tiny dog in a tutu walking on its hind legs. “It is a very joyful experience,” said Ali Hatam, 22, his face shining with excitement. “Why should other countries have a circus come to them while we cannot?” With his three children from Baghdad’s mostly Sunni neighborhood of Mansour, Ammar Fadhil agreed that the circus was well worth the security risk. Still, it wounded him in his wallet. Ticket prices cost about $12 for adults, half price for teenagers and free for children - a pricey night out in a country with 15 percent unemployment and where the average worker brings home only a few hundred dollars each month. “But it paid off,” Fadhil said with a wan smile. “Everybody was happy.” — AP

Foreign Arabs involved in pilgrim attack: Iraq BAGHDAD: Iraq said yesterday that foreign Arabs took part in the killing of 22 mainly Shi’ite pilgrims in the Sunni Anbar province and accused other countries of trying to fuel sectarian tension in the war-damaged country. Gunmen on Monday attacked two buses carrying Shi’ite pilgrims headed to Syria from the holy Shi’ite city of Kerbala, k illing the 22 men while sparing 15 women, 12 children and two elderly men.

Four of the victims were Sunni policemen who had hitched a lift with the Shi’ite pilgrims. The execution-style killings, followed by an angry reaction to the arrest of eight suspects in Anbar by Shi’ite authorities from Kerbala, threatened to rekindle sectarian hostilities. Anbar is a Sunni heart-

land that saw some of the worst fighting in Iraq’s war.General Farouk al-Araji, Prime Minister Nuri Al-Maliki’s military chief of staff, said Arab foreigners were among those who carried out the killings. “It was a well-prepared operation. Many outside parties took part in it,” Araji said in a news conference. “Some of those who did the operation were of Arab nationalities. Arab countries took part in this event through a large amount of dollars,” he said. Araji declined to name any country but said the suspects had confessed that other countries were involved. Iraq’s government on Saturday tried to defuse sectarian tensions over the killings by meeting tribal leaders and releasing four of the men suspected of

carrying out the attack. The other four are still under investigation. “They are hired criminals ... They want to ignite discord and conflict among Iraqis,” Araji said. “But I would like to tell the Iraqi people that Iraq will not be divided as long as we are alive.

This is a promise.” Sectarian tensions still simmer in Iraq more than eight years after the US-led invasion that toppled Sunni dictator Saddam Hussein and pushed the country to the brink of civil war. Thousands of people were killed at the height of sectarian fighting in 2006-2007. Iraqi officials have often accused neighboring countries of meddling in their affairs and sometimes funding and arming insurgents and militia members. — Reuters

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Hearing for S Africa’s Malema postponed JOHANNESBURG: A disciplinary hearing that could decide the political fate of South African firebrand Julius Malema has been postponed until next month, the ruling African National Congress (ANC) said. Malema, leader of the ANC’s youth wing and named this week by Forbes magazine as one of the most powerful men in Africa, faces suspension or expulsion from the ruling party if found guilty on charges which include bringing the ANC into disrepute. In a brief state-

ment issued late on Saturday night, the ANC said proceedings had been put off until Oct. 6 “due to the unavailability of the parties”.

It did not elaborate or say which parties were unavailable but said Malema would call more witnesses at that time and that final arguments would be made on Oct 8. Malema has rattled investors with his calls to nationalize mines and his declaration of “economic war” on the white minority that still controls much of Africa’s

largest economy.

The postponement is not a big surprise as the proceedings have been dragging on and members of the panel, such as chairman Derek Hanekom who is the deputy minister of science and technology, have other commitments. But the delay may also give Malema valuable time to marshal more support both on the stand and behind the scenes.

The Sunday World newspaper reported that Malema had managed to

get ANC veteran Winnie MadikizelaMandela, former wife of party icon Nelson Mandela, to be one of his witnesses. A divisive figure within the party, she still commands a strong following among the ANC’s base of poor blacks.

The ANC disciplinary committee hearing is a high stakes gamble for Malema, who could see his political career derailed, as well as for President Jacob Zuma, who could face trouble if his adversary and party power-broker

Malema is exonerated.

Malema, whose populist policies resonate with the poor black majority, once said he would “kill” for Zuma. But he now seems intent on ousting him in favour of ANC stalwarts who will support his drastic economic vision for South Africa that includes seizing white-owned farmland. Malema is facing a separate police investigation into his finances including a suspected slush fund used to pay for a lavish lifestyle. — Reuters

Turkey to freeze EU ties if Cyprus gets EU presidency Turkey strongly opposed to Cyprus gas exploration plans

LIGATNE: A Latvian woman casts her ballot paper at a polling station. — AP

Centre-right seeks to block pro-Russian party in Latvia RIGA: A pro-Russian party gained the most votes in an election in Latvia for the first time since the Baltic country won independence from the Soviet Union in 1991, but the two runner ups moved yesterday to block it from entering government.

Harmony Centre, supported mostly by Latvia’s large Russian minority, hoped to exploit anger over the ruling centre-right’s public sector wage cuts and fear over its pursuit of euro membership when Europe is struggling with a debt crisis. But if Harmony realises its goal to be in a coalition, it could help Russia increase its influence in the NATO member and EU state, which has not had a party catering to its Russian minority in government since independence.

“I am convinced that Latvian politicians ... will be able to form a coalition where the interests of all voters are represented,” Harmony Centre leader Nils Usakov, 35, said on LNT television on Saturday.

Harmony will begin talks with parties on Monday. Though it came first in the election, Harmony’s number of votes rose only slightly since the last ballot in October 2010. A lower turnout helped raise its share of the votes. Usakov, whose party has ties to Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin’s United Russia, had campaigned for a delay in entering the euro and for the terms of the 7.5 billion euro ($10 billion) bailout taken in 2008 to be re-negotiated.

He seemed to soften his stance on the portrayal of Russian involvement in Latvia, saying he was not allergic to the word occupation-which is how most Latvians view the 50 years of Soviet rule. However, he said Russian-speakers who arrived during Soviet times should not be labelled as “occupiers”. About a third of the 2.2 million population are Russian speakers and just over half of them have the right to vote.

According to initial results, Harmony won 28.5 percent of the vote, with 1,023 of 1,027 districts counted.

The two centre-right parties, which came second and third, said they would start talks on a coalition yesterday after Saturday’s election, called to break the power of oligarch businessmen less than a year after the last poll. Former president

Valdis Zatlers’ new party won 20.8 percent of the vote and with 18.8 percent for thirdplaced Unity party of current Prime Minister Valdis Dombrovskis, they hope to form the core of a new coalition to pursue earlier policies of fiscal austerity and euro zone adoption in 2014.

Turn to nationalists?

A spokeswoman for Zatlers’ party said talks with Unity would take place yesterday afternoon and then later with a nationalist bloc. Analysts say the All for Latvia-For Fatherland and Freedom-LNNK could form a majority after initial results showed it would almost double its vote to about 13 percent. President Andris Berzinsh is responsible for nominating the prime minister. He has said he will only do that after Sept. 28, when he returns from a trip to the United Nations in New York, giving parties time to agree on a coalition.

In a statement, he said the new government had to be able to work for the full three years of its term, successfully complete reforms which went with the country’s 2008 bailout, and strengthen state finances and budget discipline. Such words would seem to favour Dombrovskis and Zatlers. Dombrovskis, 40, led Latvia through a package of public sector pay cuts, which saw some salaries reduced by 50 percent, and higher taxes after the 2008 crisis. He says his policies restored international confidence in Latvia and brought about a recovery from an 18 percent drop in economic output in 2009.

Zatlers forced the election by ordering the dissolution of parliament after lawmakers refused permission for prosecutors to search a flat owned by a businessman, who is also a member of parliament and one of three men labeled as an oligarch.

Opponents say the lawmaker and two others have used their wealth to influence politics and favor their business interests. The men have denied any wrongdoing. Two of the three “oligarchs” are set to lose their places in parliament, the vote showed, while a farmers’ party spearheaded by the third would have its representation cut to about 13 seats from 22, according to the LNT estimate. — Reuters

Strauss-Kahn in primetime bid to escape trial shame PARIS: Four months after he was paraded hand-cuffed by New York police, former IMF chief Dominique Strauss-Kahn was yesterday to try to put two attempted rape accusations behind him in a television interview. Since returning home, the former presidential frontrunner has been under pressure to explain himself, and chose to do so on France’s main yesterday’s news show, where he will be interviewed by a friend of his loyal wife. Feminists plan to protest outside the TF1 network when the 62-year-old Socialist arrives for what is expected to be a gentle and carefully prepared run-through the events surrounding of the collapse of his political career. “I’m expecting him to address all the questions without slipping into inappropriate voyeurism,” said lawmaker and Strauss-Kahn ally Jean-Marie Le Guen.

“The French want an explanation, not some great revelations.” Four months ago StraussKahn was expected to win the Socialist nomination for next year’s French presidential election, and polls made him favorite to go on to sweep centre-right incumbent Nicolas Sarkozy from office. But that was before he committed what he now says was an “error” during a seven-minute sexual encounter with a New York hotel chambermaid, who promptly accused him of subjecting her to a degrading sexual assault. Strauss-Kahn was arrested, handcuffed and briefly jailed, but the criminal trial collapsed when the New York prosecutor said the Guinean maid Nafissatou Diallo’s past history of deceit made her an unreliable witness.

Strauss-Kahn has firmly denied that his brief encounter with Diallo was forced-and his mul-

ti-millionaire heiress wife Anne Sinclair has stood by him but he still faces at least two more legal battles.

Diallo is pressing forward with a civil case for damages despite the end of criminal charges, and another woman, 32-year-old French writer Tristane Banon, has accused Strauss-Kahn of attempting to rape her in 2003. Police interviewed Strauss-Kahn about this charge this week, and a source close to the inquiry told AFP he had admitted “making an advance” on Banon-the daughter of a friend and a woman 30 years his junior. Again, he angrily insists no force was used. As yet, Paris prosecutors have not decided whether or not to charge Strauss-Kahn in the Banon case, but legal observers here feel it would be a hard case to prove eight years on. In an IFOP poll published by the Journal du Dimanche, slightly more than half the respondents said they wanted DSK-as he is known in France-to announce his retirement from public life. Only one in five of the voters surveyed said he should still run in the presidential race-a prospect that most pollsters and political observers now say is extremely remote, not to say unthinkable. The Socialist party primary camapign has now got underway without DSK, and none of the other candidates would welcome their former comrade’s interference in the already tight race while the scandal still hangs over him. One, anti-globalist outsider Arnaud de Montebourg, urged Strauss-Kahn to apologise for embarrassing the left, and party leader Martine Aubry distanced herself, saying she thinks “what most women think” about her former ally. — AFP

ANKARA: EU-candidate Turkey will freeze relations with the European Union if Cyprus is given the EU presidency in 2012, Deputy Prime Minister Besir Atalay was quoted as saying by the state-run news agency Anatolian late on Saturday. The comments could signal a new low point in ties between the European Union and Turkey which began accession talks to the bloc in 2005. They also come at a time of heightened tension in the eastern Mediterranean where Turkey is locked in a row with Cyprus over potential offshore gas deposits and Turkey’s relations with one-time ally Israel are frayed.

“If the peace negotiations there (Cyprus) are not conclusive, and the EU gives its rotating presidency to southern Cyprus, the real crisis will be between Turkey and the EU,” Anatolian quoted Atalay as telling Turkish Cypriot Bayrak Radio and TV at the end of a trip to northern Cyprus.

“Because we will then freeze our relations with the EU. We have made this announcement, as a government we have made this decision. Our relations with the EU will come to a sudden halt.”

An official at the European Commission declined to comment on Saturday’s statement.

The internationally-recognized Greek Cypriot government is due to take on the six-month rotating EU presidency in July 2012. Cyprus has been divided since a Turkish invasion in 1974 triggered by a brief Greek-inspired coup. UNsponsored peace talks between Turkish Cypriots and Greek Cypriots have stumbled since they

were relaunched in 2008. The United Nations has set an October deadline for a peace settlement but it is unlikely an agreement will be reached by then.

While Muslim Turkey started EU accession talks in 2005, progress has been slow, largely because of the conflict with Cyprus. The EU says Ankara must meet a pledge to open up traffic from the Greek Cypriot part of the island under a deal known as the Ankara protocol. Turkey says the EU should end its blockade of the Turkish Cypriot enclave.

“Provocation” Adding to tensions is an escalating row between Turkey and Cyprus over Greek Cypriot plans to launch gas explorations around the island. Turkey has voiced strong opposition to the plans and on Saturday Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said Cyprus’ plans amounted to “provocation” and it would consider carrying out its own offshore surveys with northern Cyprus if drilling went ahead. The Greek Cypriot government has said it would block Turkey’s EU-entry talks if Ankara continued to oppose the plans. The United Nations has appealed for a peaceful resolution to the dispute, saying both sides of the island should benefit from any energy reserves. The European Union, this month, told Turkey not to issue threats against Cyprus. Greek Cypriots represent Cyprus internationally and in the European

Union, while Turkey is the only country to recognise the Turkish Cypriot state.

“Committed to EU accession” While Cyprus remains a stumbling block to Turkey’s entry into the EU, some EU members have voiced opposition to its accession over several other factors ranging from Turkey’s cultural differences to fears of an influx into the EU of Turkish migrant workers. Turkey has introduced many significant reforms over the past decade and has witnessed booming growth rates but the country is still one of Europe’s poorest in terms of per capita income. Yesterday, Turkey’s Finance Minister Mehmet Simsek said Turkey was still committed to entering the EU but that this was not solely based on economic gains the country would make.

“There are people, there are certain circles who are beginning to question the EU accession story,” Simsek said in an interview with Britain’s Sky News. “But my government is committed to EU accession not because of economic benefits that it might offer in the future it’s more about Turkey’s political, economic transformation.” The rotating presidency has lost some influence since the EU Lisbon treaty, but a determined country can still shape the agenda. Of the 35 “chapters”-policy areas of EU law-Turkey has completed one, and 18 have been frozen because of opposition by EU member states including Cyprus and France. —Reuters

Merkel party faces new election loss in Berlin BERLIN: Chancellor Angela Merkel’s conservatives face a heavy defeat in a regional election yesterday that would extend their losing streak to six states this year and weaken her hand before a crucial euro zone vote in parliament.

Opinion polls show Merkel’s Christian Democrats (CDU) will win about 22 percent of the vote in the city-state of Berlin yesterday and come a distant second to the centre-left Social Democrats (SPD), who are forecast to win about 31 percent and stay in power with either the Greens or the Left party.

The polls in Berlin opened at 8 am (0600 GMT) and the first exit polls will be announced immediately after polls close at 6 pm (1400 GMT ). It was raining heavily in Berlin yesterday morning and weather forecasts called for more showers.

There could be more bad news for Merkel’s centre-right coalition in Berlin if her junior coalition partners, the Free Democrats (FDP), fail to win at least five percent of the vote and are ejected from the state assembly. It would be the fifth time in seven elections this year that the FDP had failed to win five percent and could increase pressure on the party, which won a record 14.6 percent in the 2009 federal election, to remove Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle. Polls show the FDP at about 2 percent.

Another surprise yesterday could be the performance of the Pirate Party, a German branch of a party that emerged in Sweden five years ago to campaign for reform of copyright and better privacy in the Internet age. Polls show the party winning 9 percent. Merkel, under fire for her hesitant leadership in the euro zone crisis, is halfway through a four-year term. But election setbacks for her CDU have hurt her standing before the vote on euro zone measures in parliament

BERLIN: Berlin Mayor Klaus Wowereit casts his ballot for the state elections yesterday. —AP at the end of September.

SPD builds momentum The SPD, in opposition at the national level since 2009, wants likely re-election in Berlin on yesterday to build up momentum to oust Merkel in the next federal election in 2013. The SPD has ousted or helped defeat the CDU in Hamburg and Baden-Wuerttemberg this year and remained in power elsewhere.

The CDU has lost five of six regional votes. A bad result in Berlin, Germany’s largest city with 3.4 million, would add to Merkel’s woes before the vote in the Bundestag on Sept. 29 to give the European Financial Stability Fund (EFSF) more powers.

The euro crisis has crept into the campaign in Berlin, with Merkel using a local radio interview ostensibly on city issues to quash talk of

an imminent Greek default . Klaus Wowereit of the SPD, Berlin’s mayor, should be re-elected for a third term after finishing strongly in what appeared to be a tight battle against the environmentalist Greens party. Victory could bolster Wowereit’s credentials as the darling of the SPD’s left and make him a candidate to run against Merkel in 2013. So far former finance minister Peer Steinbrueck, on the SPD’s right, has seemed to be the front runner. The CDU candidate against Wowereit attracted little enthusiasm and the party will be fortunate to do better than in the last election in 2006 — 21.3 percent. The Greens are projected to win 18 percent while the Left-Wowereit’s current partners in city governmentare expected to win 11 percent. A spate of apparently random nighttime arson attacks on cars in Berlin,

with more than 530 set alight, gave the CDU a chance to attack Wowereit’s record on crime-fighting. But the mayor’s distinctive Berlin accent, charismatic smile and popular touch have lifted his party in opinion polls. One of his campaign posters shows a toddler with an impish smile trying to bite off Wowereit’s nose with her glove puppet. Wowereit has ruled in alliance with the Left for 10 years but could switch allegiance to the Greens. The Greens, whose popularity soared earlier this year after Japan’s nuclear disaster, had hoped to win in Berlin after taking the prosperous Baden-Wuerttemberg state from the CDU. With former cabinet minister Renate Kuenast as the party’s mayoral candidate, it was ahead in some polls in late 2010 and early 2011, until Wowereit managed to rally. — Reuters

‘Forget reform if Putin stays’ MOSCOW: If Vladimir Putin remains Russia’s paramount leader, hopes for reform will be extinguished and Russia’s brightest people will emigrate in droves, former tycoon Mikhail Khodorkovsky told Reuters from jail.

Khodorkovsky, once Russia’s richest man, was arrested in 2003 after falling foul of the Kremlin under then-President Putin and his YUKOS oil company was crippled with massive back-tax claims and then sold off by the state. “The hopes for internal reform of the current system of power would disappear,” Khodorkovsky, 48, said in a written reply to a question asking what would happen if Putin returned to the Kremlin or remained paramount leader.

Putin, who now serves as prime minister, steered Dmitry Medvedev into the Kremlin in 2008 because the constitution barred him from running for a third consecutive term. He is widely expected to run in a March 2012 presidential election. “Emigration of socially active and intellectual Russians would accelerate,” Khodorkovsky said from prison colony No. 7 in the town of Segezha, near the Finnish border about 900 km (550 miles) north of Moscow. Reuters submitted dozens of questions to Khodorkovsky through associates and he returned written answers this week. He said no one had influenced his answers, though he did express concern that his answers could provoke reprisals. “I am not scared for my life but I

do not exclude that there are grounds for such fears,” said Khodorkovsky, once one of the most powerful oil barons in the world’s top energy producer. A chemical engineer who served in the Communist Youth League, Russia’s most famous prisoner started to trade goods as the Soviet Union crumbled but soon began buying up state assets, gaining control of some of Russia’s best oil fields. Some answers were poignant: he said he had only seen his loved ones “through the glass” of visiting rooms and expressed regret for the pain caused to his family and colleagues. But he expressed no regrets about his fate, a 13-year sentence in one of the world’s toughest prison systems. — Reuters

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Clinton’s philanthropic summit to push for jobs NEW YORK: Former US President Bill Clinton will push corporations and non-profit groups at his philanthropic summit this week to create jobs as the US unemployment hovers at 9.1 percent and poor nations worry that the economic crisis will stall their labor growth. More than 1,200 people, including more than 50 heads of state such as US President Barack Obama, business leaders, humanitarians and celebrities are due to attend the seventh annual Clinton Global Initiative, which starts a three-day run tomorrow. This year the meeting will focus on three areas-creating jobs, sustainable consumption and programs for women and girls.

To attend Clinton’s summit in New York City, commitments must be made to tackle the focus issues and if a company or individual does not keep their pledge, they cannot return. Clinton, president from 1993

to 2001, told Reuters in an interview there needed to be a global focus on creating jobs as there were several wealthy countries suffering like the United States with high unemployment.

“And there are a lot of developing countries that are afraid the global economic crisis is going to stop them from creating sufficient employment to continue to grow,” Clinton said.

“Everyone understands that we don’t have any control over what the EU decides to do about Greece or whether America decides to clean up its housing debt more quickly or all those sorts of things but that there are lots of things that can be done everywhere to create more employment,” he said.

Road to recovery The United States is on the brink of another recession while the

European Union is battling a sovereign debt crisis that includes Greece struggling to stave off default. In an effort to jump-start the stalled US economy and cut unemployment, Obama introduced a plan to create jobs earlier this month. It is crucial to Obama’s re-election for 2012, which are largely tied to the state of the economy.

Clinton expects Obama to speak about his $447 billion jobs plan when he addresses the summit on Wednesday. He believes the proposal “will create a couple of million jobs now and could set us on the road to recovery.” “It’s going to be very difficult for us to return to full employment and dramatically robust growth until we find a way to unlock the capital reserves in the $2 trillion in corporate money ... that is not being invested now and the more than $2 trillion that banks have in cash

reserves,” Clinton said. Clinton said creating jobs would be the key theme throughout this year’s summit.

Other highlights include a conversation with Nobel laureate and democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi, who will be appearing via video link from Myanmar. Suu Kyi was freed by the Myanmar government last year after 15 years of house arrest. Her appearance, Clinton said, would “remind us that a certain amount of political liberty and personal mobility is necessary to give girls and women equal chances in the world ... and that is a precondition of broad-based economic growth in a lot of these developing countries.”

300 million helped Clinton said his wife, US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, and their daughter, Chelsea, also may speak about US initiatives to help women

and girls around the world. Clinton’s summit was borne out of his frustration while president at attending conferences that were more talk than action. When the initiative began, corporations tended to show up and write checks to fund humanitarian programs. Now many see philanthropy in terms of investment opportunities. “What I really am trying to do is to develop models of doing business in a way that makes CGI (Clinton Global Initiative) less necessary but we’re not there yet,” Clinton said, adding that he wants it to be standard practice for public, private and non-profit sectors to work together to tackle social and economic challenges. Since the initiative started, more than 2,000 pledges have been made valued at more than $63 billion and they have improved the lives of more than 300 million people in 180 countries. — Reuters

Reno crash kills 9; probe focuses on wayward part Crash scene shows violence of impact

HOUSTON: In this file photo Texas Gov George W Bush (left) answers a question as Lt Gov-elect Rick Perry (right) listens during a news conference. — AP

Bush, Perry rift roots in nixed in-law appointment AUSTIN: Here’s the still-beating heart of the rift between Texas Gov Rick Perry and his predecessor, George W. Bush: When Bush was governor he refused to appoint Perry ’s brother-in-law to the Texas appeals court bench. With Perry now running for president, the spotlight is shining on the tense relationship between the two Texans and their allied camps. In public, both Perry and Bush shrug off any friction. “Between the Bushes and Rick Perry there is absolutely no rift at all,” Perry recently told conservative radio show host Sean Hannity. When Bush was asked in a separate interview about it, he mentioned Karl Rove, one of his most trusted advisers, and said: “Maybe with Karl. Not with my brother, with my dad, not with me at all. I admire him.” Despite all the niceties, Perry didn’t hold back when asked during a recent Republican debate about Rove’s comments that Perry’s 2010 book “Fed Up!” contained such explosive language that it could be “toxic” in the general presidential election.

“Karl has been over the top for a long time in some of his remarks,” Perry said.

Bush’s vice president, Dick Cheney, also has chastised Perry for branding Social Security “a Ponzi scheme.” Perry responded to that by saying, “If Vice President Cheney or anyone else says that the program that we have in place today, and young people who are paying into that expect that program to be sound and for them to receive benefits when they reach retirement age, that is just a lie.”

These were just the latest tiffs in a spat that goes back to 1995. Perry was the state’s agricultural commissioner and Bush was the newly sworn-in governor.

Perry lobbied for the appointment of his wife’s brother, Joseph E. Thigpen, to a vacancy on the 11th Court of Appeals in Eastland. Bush turned him down.

Bill Ratliff, who was Perry’s first lieutenant governor, said Perry blames Rove for denying the request. “It created some friction between the two and Karl got blamed.” Bill Miller, a veteran Austin political consultant, confirms Ratliff’s recollection. “The staff always takes the blame,” Miller said. “Karl absolutely was the surrogate.” In a letter on commission stationary and dated Dec. 17, 1994, Perry wrote a recommendation to Clay Johnson, Govelect Bush’s director of appointments.

“Let me, for the sake of ‘truth in advertising,’ share that Joseph is my brother-inlaw,” Perry said. “He is an outstanding talent who has the ability to be a distinguished jurist.” The appointment would last only the two years remaining on the vacant seat’s term, then the judge would face an election. “I obviously will campaign vigorously for him in 1996,” Perry said of Thigpen.

Bush spokesman Freddy Ford did not return messages seeking comment on the matter. Mark Miner, Perry’s campaign spokesman, said the request “has no bearing on the good relationship

between President Bush and Governor Perry.” “This happened years ago,” Miner said, “and people have moved on.”

Thigpen, who like Perry grew up in West Texas, served as district attorney from 1977 until 1984 of a rural district that stretched north of Abilene. He also filled in as needed as a neighboring county’s attorney from 1989 to 1993, when he was fired because the county commissioners claimed he wasn’t often available when they sought his counsel.

That mark on his record made Bush look for another candidate, and Jim R. Wright was appointed to the Appeals Court in April 1995. Thigpen, now 65, said he didn’t want to discuss being passed over. “I’m an old man,” he said, “and I prefer to be left that way.” Since the appointment flap, the Perry and Bush camps have drifted farther apart. This year, the establishment embodied by former President George H.W. Bush, father of George W. Bush, is pitted against the enraged tea partyers Perry wants to help him win the nomination. Many who know both former governors say it’s little wonder they never saw eye to eye.

The Bush family was patrician. The Perrys were tenant cotton farmers.

George W. Bush went to Yale and Harvard, famously quit drinking and rarely curses. Perry graduated from Texas A&M, enjoys fine wine and frequently peppers his speeches with “damns” and “hells.” The two men share the experience of being college cheerleaders. It’s unclear whether bad blood between the two could make it harder for Perry to attract large donors in Texas and around the country who previously backed Bush.

Contacted by phone, several people who raised more than $200,000 for Bush campaigns indicated that the Perry-Bush relationship wouldn’t likely sway which candidate they ultimately support.Rove and Perry reconciled briefly in 1998, when Perry was in a dead-heat race for lieutenant governor. Rove believed an attack ad Perry was running was too negative, so he asked Perry to ditch it. In return Rove delivered the all-important endorsement of George H.W. Bush, which helped propel Perry to victory.

George W Bush was already in full national campaign mode while also keeping close tabs on Texas government to ensure it didn’t derail his plans to run for the White House. When Bush took Rove and the rest of his inner circle to Washington, Perry built his own Texas campaign team that twice helped him win the governor’s post.

The feud further escalated when Rove and many other top Bush advisers went to work for US Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison in her fierce battle against Perry for the 2010 gubernatorial nomination. Bush’s father even endorsed her. Despite the political firepower behind Hutchison, Perry trounced her and cruised to his second re-election. — AP

RENO: The scene of a Reno air race crash that killed nine people reveals the violence of the plane’s missile-like impact - a crater in the tarmac roughly 3 feet deep and 8 feet across with debris spread out over more than an acre.

From a tour of the site Saturday evening, it appeared that the 1940s-model plane went straight down in the first few rows of VIP box seats, based on the crater’s location. The plane hit about 65 feet in front of the leading edge of the grandstand where thousands were watching Friday as the planes sped by just a few hundred feet above the ground. Some members of the crowd have reported noticing a strange gurgling engine noise from above before the P-51 Mustang, dubbed The Galloping Ghost, pitched violently upward, twirled and took an immediate nosedive into the crowd.

The plane, flown by a 74-year-old veteran racer and Hollywood stunt pilot, disintegrated in a ball of dust, debris and bodies as screams of “Oh my God!” spread through the crowd. “I saw the spinner, the wings, the canopy just coming right at us. It hit directly in front of us, probably 50 to 75 feet,” said Ryan Harris, of Round Mountain, Nev. “The next thing I saw was a wall of debris going up in the air. That’s what I got splashed with. In the wall of debris I noticed there were pieces of flesh.”

The death toll rose to nine Saturday as investigators determined that several onlookers were killed on impact as the plane appeared to lose a piece of its tail before slamming like a missile into the crowded tarmac.

The crash killed the pilot, Jimmy Leeward, and eight spectators. So far, two have been identified. Michael Wogan, 22, of Scottsdale, Ariz., had muscular dystrophy and was in a wheelchair the VIP section when the plane crashed, the family said Saturday. The Washoe County, Nev., medical examiner identified the other victim as Greg Morcom of Washington state, a first-time spectator at the show, according to the Seattle Post-Intelligencer.

Officials said 69 people were treated at hospitals, including 36 who have been released and 31 who remain there. Nine were in critical condition late Saturday. Doctors who treated the injured said it was among the most severe situations they had ever seen because of the large number of people wounded, including at least two children younger than 18 who are not among those in critical condition. Injuries included major head wounds, facial trauma and limb injuries, including amputations, doc-

tors said.

“I’ve seen more patients, but never this many patients with this number of severe injuries,” said Dr. Michael Morkin, chief of Renown’s emergency department, who trained at Cook County General Hospital In Chicago. “It was traumatic,” he said. National Transportation

out a bigger engine. In a podcast uploaded to YouTube in June, Leeward said major changes were made to the plane before this year’s race.

He said his crew cut five feet off each wing and shortened the ailerons - the back edge of the main wings used to control balance - to 32 inches, down from about 60 inches.

RENO: Debris is shown at the Reno Air Races in Reno, Nevada, Saturday, Sept 17, 2011 where pilot Jimmy Leeward crashed his plane. — AP Safety Board officials were on the scene Saturday to determine what caused Leeward to lose control of the plane, and they were looking at amateur video clips that appeared to show a small piece of the aircraft falling to the ground before the crash. Witnesses who looked at photos of the part said it appeared to be an “elevator trim tab,” which helps pilots keep control of the aircraft. Reno police also provided a GPS mapping system to help investigators recreate the crash scene.

“Pictures and video appear to show a piece of the plane was coming off,” NTSB spokesman Mark Rosekind said at a news conference. “A component has been recovered. We have not identified the component or if it even came from the airplane ... We are going to focus on that.” Investigators said they also recovered part of the tail section, where the tab is located.

Questions were raised, too, about modifications to the plane made to make the plane more aerodynamic so it would go faster with-

Hail to heads of state as UN meeting starts NEW YORK: As world leaders descend on Manhattan for the UN General Assembly’s annual ministerial meeting, the city will be transformed. While the assembly is at UN headquarters on the east side of Manhattan, its effects are felt around New York City, from hotels handling high-profile guests to restaurants hosting dinners, and other organizations taking advantage of the gathering of world leaders to host a slew of conferences and events. And of course, the traffic. Streets around the UN are blocked off and security is everywhere, making getting through the area a headache for drivers and an exercise in patience for residents. “Usually about two days before it starts, the big concrete slabs are brought in” to be used as security barricades, said Domenic Alfonzetti, chief concierge at the InterContinental New York Barclay hotel, where a number of delegations stay.

“During the course of the year, we get our VIPs,” he said. “During the U.N. General Assembly, you get a plethora of them.” That means handling problems like last year’s missing tuxedo, he said, or making dinner reservations with enough room for the security entourages, or bringing in the personal shoppers for that busy world leader who doesn’t have time to browse. “It’s exciting. I have fun with it,” he said. For New Yorkers, the arrival of the world’s leaders means it’s time to change their routines. “It’s avoiding certain streets, not shopping or eating out in a certain neighborhood, realizing the taxi cab is going to take a different route,” said Mark Thompson, chairman of Community Board 6, which serves the area around the United Nations.

But even with the traffic hassles, it’s exciting to see the who’s who of the planet’s governments in the area, he said. — AP

“I know the speed. I know it’ll do the speed.

The systems aren’t proven yet. We think they’re going to be OK,” Leeward said. The Mustang that disintegrated into the crowd had minor crashes almost exactly 40 years ago after its engine failed. According to two websites that track P-51s that are still flying, it made a belly landing away from the Reno airport. The NTSB report on the Sept. 18, 1970, incident says the engine failed during an air race and it crash landed short of the runway. P-51 historian Dick Phillips of Burnsville, Minn., said Saturday the plane had had several new engines since then as well as a new canopy and other modifications. Some credit the pilot with preventing the crash from being far more deadly by avoiding the grandstand section with a last-minute climb, although it’s impossible at this point to know his thinking as he was confronted with the disaster and had just seconds to respond.

Investigators also said they’ll be looking at the health of Leeward. — AP

Kara Kennedy dies at 51 WASHINGTON: Kara Kennedy accepted the Presidential Medal of Freedom with tears welling in her eyes on behalf of her ailing father at a 2009 White House ceremony but also managed a smile as Sen. Ted Kennedy’s life was honored. After the Democratic senator died two weeks later following a battle with brain cancer, his only daughter read a psalm at his funeral Mass in Boston, moving many.

The eldest of the senator’s three children, Kara Kennedy died Friday at age 51,

WASHINGTON: In this file photo, Kara Kennedy wipes a tear as President Barack Obama reads about her father, Senator Edward Kennedy, D-Mass., as Obama awards him the 2009 Presidential Medal of Freedom during ceremonies in the East Room of the White House. — AP

collapsing after her daily workout at a Washington health club. The cause of death wasn’t immediately released.

Though she had never sought elected office like many in her famously political family, she helped with her father’s presidential and Senate campaigns and heeded his call to give back through public service. She worked as a filmmaker and in television and was active in an array of causes from the arts to battling fetal alcohol syndrome.

She herself had been diagnosed with lung cancer in 2002, but underwent surgery the following year that doctors had said was successful. But her brother, Patrick Kennedy, said her cancer treatment - surgery and grueling chemotherapy and radiation - left her physically weakened. “Her heart gave out,” said Patrick Kennedy, a former Democratic congressman from Rhode Island. “She’s with dad.” In a telephone interview from her Boston home Saturday, Joan Bennett Kennedy said she and her daughter were “best friends” who liked to take long swims together and enjoyed walks on the beach. She said her daughter had fully recovered from cancer and didn’t have any lingering health issues.

“She was very healthy. That’s why this is such a shock,” Joan Kennedy said. Kara Kennedy was a member of the Sport & Health fitness center, though spokeswoman Nancy Terry declined to release further details about the death, citing member privacy. A spokeswoman for the District of Columbia medical examiner said in an email that the cause of death was pending. — AP

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Kabul siege shows media savvy rebels KABUL: By holding Kabul’s diplomatic zone under siege for 19 hours last week, insurgents backed up by a slick media operation again showed their skill at grabbing headlines and drawing out news coverage. Taleban spokesmen fed the Western press with regular text messages during an attack which-while claiming 15 lives, a moderate toll for Afghanistan-was the longest of its kind yet, dominating international news for two days. Afterwards, its slick “Voice of Jihad” website-with press releases in languages including English and a logo of crossed swords surrounding a copy of the Koran-carried a detailed, though exaggerated, summary of events.

The attack, which targeted the US embassy and was linked to the Talebanallied Haqqani network, was the latest in the Afghan capital to show insurgents’ grasp of the Western media. Scott Stewart of intelligence analysts Stratfor said that the assault’s planners would have known the type of weapons used-assault rifles and rocket-propelled grenades-would not seriously damage the US embassy. “Because of that, we believe that this attack was intended really to send a message, to be more symbolic in nature,” he said.

Many news outlets carried live, minuteby-minute accounts during the event, combining Taleban statements with Twitter updates from witnesses at the scene and breaking news from official sources. Militants also have a presence on micro-blogging website Twitter, while supporters on Facebook post propaganda videos, often of attacks on foreign troops.

“When they were ruling Afghanistan (before being ousted by a US-led invasion in 2001), the Taleban almost banned all media-the only media we had at the time was sharia radio,” said Professor Mohammad Isaqzadeh of the political science department at the American University of Afghanistan.

“Now they use the media to promote their messages and their interests. I think they are trying to target both locals and foreigners.” The Taleban, who speak under the names of two main media spokesmen, Zabihullah Mujahid and Qari Yousuf Ahmadi, release information to the press quickly but often exaggerate death tolls and the number of attackers. In the Kabul attacks, its final toll claimed that “69 enemy soldiers and personnel were killed” and that 15 suicide bombers had been involved.

Official figures said 14 people were killed, including 11 Afghan civilians of whom three were children, by a team of

nine attackers. The Afghan government seeks to counter the propaganda through its own spokespeople, some of whom now also use Twitter, but is bound by the need to verify details of attacks before releasing them. “As the government, we have to check and coordinate information and make sure we give accurate information to the public-that is why we are slower than them,” said interior ministry spokesman Siddiq Siddiqui.

“The Taleban are fast but inaccurate.

Through this tactic, they can achieve shortterm propaganda successes but in the long term, we are the winners because we give the accurate information.”

A Twitter spat between the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) and a Taleban supporter during the Kabul attack also highlighted the foreign military’s efforts to counter Taleban propaganda using social media. The row started when ISAF demanded of the Taleban: “How much longer will terrorist(s) put civilians in harm’s way?” Using the abbreviations common on the micro-blogging service, Twitter user @abalkhi responded: “i dnt knw. u hve bn pttng thm n ‘harm’s way’ fr da pst 10 yrs.Razd whole vllgs n mrkts.n stil hv da nrve to tlk bout ‘harm’s way.’”

“Really, @abalkhi?” responded ISAF, citing United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) figures saying that 80 percent of civilian casualties in the first half of this year were caused by insurgents.

“UNAMA is an entity of whom? mine or yours?” Balkhi replied. ISAF’s combative tone continued Wednesday when it tweeted: “Biz as usual in #Kabul. Saw a young girl on her walk to school today. Take that, Taleban!” ISAF spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Jimmie Cummings said it welcomed the chance Twitter offered to “debate the issues with all, and that includes the enemy”.

The international force says that insurgents’ recent high-profile attacks in Kabulalso including last month’s suicide bombing at the British Council cultural body and the storming of the Intercontinental Hotel in June-prove they are losing ground on the front lines. “To compensate, the insurgents seek to frighten the Afghan people into submission through spectacular or high-profile attacks,” said General John Allen, US commander of foreign troops.

But retired Afghan army general Atiqullah Amarkhail argued that insurgents were simply waging “guerrilla warfare” in which “all Afghanistan is a frontline for them and propaganda is the main element”. —AFP

Pakistan flood victims sell possessions, beg UN launches appeal to raise funds PANGRIO: The family of 12 were relieved when a Pakistani army boat rescued them from flood waters a week ago. But the hardships have only piled up at a makeshift camp. The few family possessions saved from the roaring waters have been sold to buy food. The children have picked up potentially fatal diseases but can’t afford to rest. And Pakistan’s government is nowhere to be found.

“The children have been begging in the market to get food, and from the passing cars,” said Ahmed Junejo, one of almost 2 million people displaced by floods which have ravaged Sindh province in the south.

Like many flood victims, the Junejo family are resigned to the fact they will have to fend for themselves. “I just need two things-food and a tent to protect my children from the sun and the rain. That’s what we need here,” said Ahmed, 50. “Nobody has come to even look at us so we don’t know where the relief camps are, and nobody had told us about any aid being delivered anywhere. We are still waiting for someone to come”. It could be a while. Pakistan’s cash-strapped government has been slow to respond to the floods, which have killed over 300 people and damaged or destroyed about 1.2 million houses since monsoon rains triggered the crisis in late August.

It’s a repeat performance of last year, when authorities failed to ease the suffering of millions hit by epic floods in July and August, prompting the military to take charge. Some 800,000 families hit by that calamity remain homeless. The army is active again, traveling across kilometers of flooded farmland in boats to rescue people who have just the clothes on their backs. But that hasn’t eased the anxiety of families like the Junejos, who are stuck on barren land beside a petrol station. They lost about 20 goats, which were used for milk

Nigerian ‘bomber’ videos emerge LAGOS: Videos have emerged purporting to show members of a Nigerian Islamist sect preparing for suicide attacks, including a young man said to be responsible for last month’s bombing of UN headquarters. The two videos obtained by AFP are said to be from the sect known as Boko Haram and come as concern intensifies over whether it has formed links with outside groups such as AlQaeda’s north African branch. The possibility of such links has led to deep concern among Western nations and mounting pressure on the government in Nigeria, Africa’s most populous country and its largest oil producer.

General Carter Ham, the head of the US military’s Africa Command, said Wednesday that Al-Qaeda’s north

African branch, Shebab militants in Somalia and Boko Haram have expressed a will to “more closely collaborate and synchronize their efforts”.

Boko Haram’s attacks have grown increasingly sophisticated, and it had not been known to target international institutions before the United Nations bombing in Abuja. A man who identified himself as a spokesman for Boko Haram claimed responsibility for the bombing on the day of the August 26 attack. The two videos said to be from the group include speeches totaling some 25 minutes from the alleged UN bomber.

It was not possible to verify the authenticity of the videos, but they seem to offer a window into a form of Islamist extremism in Nigeria that authorities have so far shown little

NEW DELHI: An Indian street performer balances herself on a rope during a street show in the old section of New Delhi yesterday.

Travelling Indian performers, who earn a meager income from putting on shows on the streets, often scout areas to gather a large street audience who then give money on a collection plate at the end of the show. —AFP

capability of addressing.

They bear hallmarks of past Boko Haram clips and feature speeches by a man identified as Abubakar Shekau, its suspected leader who went into hiding following a 2009 uprising by the group put down by a military assault. While the sect was long considered a domestic group targeting symbols of Nigerian authority, the videos also show an international emphasis. They are mostly in the Hausa language widely spoken in the country’s mainly Muslim north, but also partly in Arabic.

The voice said to be Shekau’s calls the UN headquarters a “forum of all the global evil,” while also offering praise for Osama bin Laden. The video focusing on the UN bombing, which killed at least 23 people and was among the deadliest targeting the world body, is more than an hour and 15 minutes long. A soft-spoken, 27-year-old smiling man said to be the UN bomber pleads with his family to understand his actions, and a vague warning is sent out to “Obama and other infidels.”

During much of his time on the video, he holds an AK-47 while two others lean against the wall. Two gas cannisters are on the floor at his feet.

He is rail-thin and wears a striped, polo-style shirt, a turban and what looks to be a suicide vest. In a phone inter view with AFP, a man who claimed to be a spokesman for the sect identified the alleged bomber as Mohammed Abul Barra, a married auto repair worker with a son from the northeastern city of Maiduguri, where the group has carried out most of its attacks.

His name was picked in a draw because a number of others also wanted to carr y out the mission, according to the spokesman, who identified himself as Abu Qaqa. Boko Haram’s supposed foreign links as well as the origin of its backing is controversial in Nigeria-as is whether it was truly behind the UN attack. Kyari Mohammed, a Nigerian professor who has been closely studying the sect, said some members may have received training from other extremist groups, but he doubted more substantial cooperation had occurred. “I personally don’t believe there is any serious link,” he said. Nigeria’s secret police claimed in the days after the UN attack that an Al-Qaeda-linked suspect who recently returned from Somalia named Mamman Nur masterminded the blast. He was declared wanted. —AFP

or food and were their only assets.

Prime Minister appeals for help The father had to sell his mobile phone for the equivalent of $3. That merely bought some flour and biscuits which may only last a few days. Like many flood victims, Ahmed believes help can only come with connections to

made 11 million homeless.

Prime Minister Yusuf Raza Gilani, who has been visiting flood victims, said the government could not ease the latest crisis on its own. “The floods from the rains are beyond anyone’s expectations. People’s livelihoods, their livestock, crops, and businesses are destroyed,” he told Reuters in the town of

risk, according to the UN Children’s Fund. “This catastrophe, at the moment, considering the already poor health and nutrition status, is really extremely seriously for the people. I want to emphasize urgency of getting assistance to them,” Timo Pakkala, United Nations Resident Humanitarian Coordinator, told a news conference in Islamabad.

SINDH: A girl displaced by floods sits beside her mother who is suffering from diarrhea at their shanty in Mirpur Khas district yesterday. —AP the political elite in Pakistan, where the poor have few rights. “I want to look after my family and feed them but I cannot. I feel sick from watching my kids like this.

Nothing can be done about it. We don’t know anyone high up so we just have to wait,” he said.

President Asif Ali Zardari was widely criticized for trips to Britain and France last year when Pakistan was battling floods that killed about 2,000 people and

Nawabshah after touring floodhit areas yesterday. “I appeal to all people, chambers of commerce, the business community and the international community to come forward.”

Sindh, Pakistan’s second biggest province, was already suffering long before the floods of 2010 or this year hit. It had levels of malnutrition almost as critical as Chad and Niger, with hundreds of thousands of children at

He launched an appeal for $356 million for a rapid response plan for three months. Aid groups have warned of a growing risk of fatal diseases. Ahmed’s youngest child, two-year-old Mansoor Ali, has had diarrhoea and fever for over a week.

Medicine from a nearby state hospital didn’t help. The private clinic was too expensive. “We don’t have anything else to sell,” said Ahmed. —Reuters

MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 19, 2011

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

SF Chinatown fears new subway may be scrapped SAN FRANCISCO: It’s tough to get a seat on Stockton 30, the bus that runs through the heart of Chinatown. It’s so gritty the bus has been dubbed the “Dirty 30,” so packed its riders often have to elbow their way on. The old women with striped jute sacks carrying dried fish and Chinese trinkets, and the young students trying to get to and from schools across the city cheered when they learned a subway line would finally reach their community.

The proposed 1.7-mile (2.7-kilometer) light rail would run from Chinatown to the main train station in the downtown South of Market neighborhood, where the San Francisco Giants play baseball. Initial federal funding of $41 million was awarded and construction has started for the stop at the Union Square shopping district.

But the Central Subway is mired in political debate over its $1.6 billion price tag, perceived poor connections and the shortness of the proposed line some have dubbed the “Subway to Nowhere.”

Though the project bubbled under the surface for many years, it’s become a key issue in the upcoming mayoral campaign. While President Barack Obama is calling on Congress to approve $50 billion for longdelayed transportation projects, several mayoral candidates want San Franciscans to suspend the next leg of the first new subway line in 30 years.

City Attorney Dennis Herrera, Public Defender

Jeff Adachi and former City Supervisor Tony Hall - all of whom hope to be elected mayor in November say the cost overruns are not worth the burden on an already financially strained subway system.

Herrera, a top mayoral contender who initially voted in favor of the subway, noted that the estimated cost for the five-stop line has ballooned from $647 million in 2003 to more than double that.

Herrera raised the specter of Boston’s “Big Dig,” a network of highway tunnels ridiculed for costing billions more than anticipated and troubled by multiple water leaks and a fatal ceiling collapse.

“Fiascos aren’t born that way. They typically grow from the seeds of worthy ideas,” Herrera said in a 10page policy brief, calling on the city to abort the project and noting the $315,660 cost per new rider would be the highest in the nation.

After a seven-month investigation, the San Francisco civil grand jury in July recommended the project be scrapped. The court-appointed panel concluded the project would add to the Municipal Transportation Agency’s operating deficit and could affect the maintenance of other lines. Proponents insist the Central Subway is key to the future of Chinatown, where residents and businesses rely heavily on public transportation. The $233.5 million contract for the tunneling portion of the project was awarded and the notice to proceed was issued

this week, said John Funghi, program manager for the subway.

“It will be the most heavily used line in our system, a true workhorse,” said Funghi. “I think candidates are using the project as a means to differentiate themselves and get some media time. They have twisted the facts and have published these documents that are just flat wrong.” Mayor Ed Lee says similar concerns were once raised about the city’s beloved Golden Gate Bridge. “There are people who say not now, not yet; but now is the time to seize this opportunity for our city,” Lee said recently on the steps of City Hall, flanked by dozens of union workers and elderly Chinatown residents.

The economy of the oldest and largest Chinatown in the US has stagnated since the city demolished the Embarcadero Freeway after the 1989 earthquake, eliminating the main off-ramp into the shopping and tourism district. With AsianAmericans comprising about 20 percent of the city’s electorate, it’s risky to alienate voters in Chinatown.

“I don’t see how you get to winning without some slice of that vote,” said Corey Cook, an associate professor of politics at the University of San Francisco. “This is such diverse city, it’s not as if you would look at that and say, ‘That’s OK, I’ll just compete for the other 80 percent.’ There is no other 80 percent.” There are more than a dozen candidates

running for mayor of the City by the Bay and, for the most part, they get along and have the same politics. “This is getting caught up in mayoral politics,” Cook said. “This is really the first issue where you start to see mayoral candidates trying to differentiate themselves.”

Nearly 70 percent of the residents who live along the proposed subway don’t own cars; many are lowincome, elderly residents. Only two public bus lines run through Chinatown and most residents can’t afford the $6 fare to take the iconic cable cars that clang along the city’s undulating hills. Lee is the first Chinese-American mayor of a city where nearly one-third of its 815,000 population is Asian. He insists the Central Subway would provide some 33,000 jobs and bristles at the sobriquet, “Subway to Nowhere.”

“I don’t think Chinatown is nowhere,” Lee sniffed.

“All of a sudden it’s under politically motivated attacks in Washington, DC and here at home. We have to turn back the Tea Party attack on San Francisco.” The Tea Party is a grassroots conservative movement that advocates spending cuts and lower taxes. The subway flap comes as the Republicancontrolled House Appropriations subcommittee on transportation considers a bill that would block federal dollars for transit projects that require more than 50 percent in federal funding. —AFP

Singapore pressured to abolish security law Critics slam ‘instrument to stifle dissent’

JAKARTA: Indonesian women stage a protest wearing miniskirts at Jakarta’s central roundabout yesterday to denounce remarks made by Jakarta city Governor Fauzi Bowo who blamed a recent gang rape on the victim’s choice of clothing. — AFP

Miniskirted Jakarta women take on rapists JAKARTA: Scores of women and children wearing colorful miniskirts and tight leggings gathered in central Jakarta yesterday, outraged by a public official’s comments that provocatively dressed women are to blame for sexual assaults. The protest was in response to remarks by the Indonesian capital city’s governor Fauzi Bowo, who said on Friday that women must not wear revealing clothes to avoid being raped or victimized. He quickly apologized, but his comments were publicized widely via local media and Twitter.

The rally called on police and the Indonesian government to do more to protect women and help the victims of sexual assault. Women carried placards saying “Don’t tell us how to dress, tell them not to rape”, and “My body is not porn, instead it’s your dirty mind”. “Public officials should remain silent rather than making discrimi-

natory statements against women. They are supposed to be sensitive and it is their job to find real solution to violence against women,” said Tunggal Prawestu, a spokeswoman for the event organizers.

Earlier this month a woman was gangraped in a minivan, a widely used type of public transport, late at night. According to data from Indonesia’s National Commission for Women’s Affairs, there have been more than 100,000 cases of violence against women so far this year, of which almost 4 percent were rape cases. This year, cities around the world have seen ‘SlutWalk’ rallies, mainlyfemale protests against sexual violence. While most Indonesians practice a moderate form of Islam, fundamentalists have been pushing hard to impose stricter Islamic laws. In 2008, an anti-pornography law was passed to ban public displays of nudity and “behavior that could incite lust”. — Reuters

SINGAPORE: Singapore is coming under mounting pressure to ease political restrictions after neighboring Malaysia unveiled steps to abolish tough security laws and ease media and protest regulations. Human rights and opposition groups say Singapore needs to keep up with the times and abolish the Internal Security Act (ISA), which allows for detention without trial and is seen by critics as an instrument to stifle dissent. In a surprise move, Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak said last week his government would scrap the ISA and ease other laws perceived as curbs on civil liberties, including protest rules and annual newspaper licensing.

But Singapore insists the ISA, which was used against leftists in the past and suspected Islamic extremists in recent years, remains relevant and maintains that media regulations are needed to preser ve social cohesion. The city-state’s longest-held ISA detainee was Chia Thye Poh, a former Socialist Party MP who was held for 23 years from 1966 to 1989, followed by nine more years of effective house arrest.

Even now all protests outside a designated free-speech zone-where speakers must register with authorities in advance-still require a police permit in Singapore.

The ISA was originally designed to fight communist insurgents in the 1960s in British-ruled Malaya, which included modern-day Malaysia and Singapore. Singapore became independent in 1965 after being ejected from the Malaysian federation, but both countries retained the ISA. Najib said that after repealing the ISA, Malaysia will introduce new legislation retaining some preventive detention powers but for shorter periods and subject to more court oversight.

“In a way Najib is taking the cue from civil society groups in his country,” said Sinapan Samydorai, director for Southeast Asian affairs at Think Centre, a Singapore-based political and civil rights campaign group. “If Malaysia is opening up, then I think they are moving ahead.

It’s also time for Singapore to move ahead,” he told AFP. Singapore defends the ISA. Last week, authorities disclosed three suspected Islamist militants were being held under it after they were repatriated to the city-state.

Two belonged to the Southeast Asia-based Jemaah Islamiyah (JI) terror network and the third is a member of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), an armed group waging an insurgency in the southern Philippines. In a statement on Friday, Singapore’s Ministry of Home Affairs said the ISA had been used “sparingly” and was aimed at fighting “threats of subversion, racial and religious extremism... espionage and terrorism,” not political dissent. “No person

SINGAPORE: In this file photo, three members of the Singapore Democratic Party (SDP) stand outside the Supreme Court wearing T-shirts depicting a judge with a kangaroo head and a badge reading “Abolish ISA”. — AFP has ever been detained only for their political beliefs,” the ministry said, referring to criticism that the ISA was used in the past to detain government opponents and intimidate the population. Samydorai said the results of parliamentary elections in May and the presidential poll in August, when the ruling People’s Action Party (PAP) recorded its worst-ever showings, showed that Singaporeans, especially the young, want greater political freedom.

“Governments in Asia are realizing that young people cannot tolerate non-democratic practices anymore,” he said.In May, the PAP lost an unprecedented six seats in the 87-member parliament and its share of the popular vote fell to 60 percent, its lowest in 52 years in power.

Three months later, the party’s de-facto candidate in the four-man contest for the presidencythe head of state-won by a razor-thin margin after garnering just 35.2 percent of votes cast.

Government critics have been emboldened by the poll results and independent political websites are starting to buzz with calls for the ISA’s abolition.

“Singapore will be making a quantum leap towards improving its human rights record if (the government) decides to imitate Malaysia in

abolishing the ISA,” wrote Ann Xavier in The Online Citizen. “A first world countr y like Singapore should not be keeping third world laws to repress its political opponents.”

According to critics, the ISA is not Singapore’s only repressive legislation. The mainstream media is tightly controlled, and opposition figures have on occasion been bankrupted in libel actions brought by senior government officialswhich bars them from being MPs or parliamentary candidates. Chee Soon Juan, who is secretar y general of the opposition Singapore Democratic Party and has been made insolvent for exactly that reason, said “times demand” that the ISA be abolished.

“Repressive laws that instill fear and stifle independent thinking have no place in the modern world,” he told AFP. Reform Party chief Kenneth Jeyaretnam-whose father and predecessor JB Jeyaretnam was also bankrupted in a defamation suit-said the ISA should be replaced with laws to fight terrorism while safeguarding basic human rights. Abolishing the ISA and related legislation was “long overdue”, he said, calling for “the restoration of our fundamental constitutional rights to freedom of association and expression”. — AFP

Aung Suu Kyi sees ‘positive’ developments in Myanmar BANGKOK: Supporters of the United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship (UDD), also known as Red Shirts, cheer to a speech during a rally marking 5th anniversary of the coup that ousted former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra at the Democracy Monument yesterday. — AP

China quells solar pollution protests HAINING: Residents of a village in east China accused riot police of heavy-handed tactics after a three-day protest against a solar panel factory accused of dumping toxic waste was brought to an end yesterday. “We are being silenced,” said a protester who would only give his surname as Cao, at an industrial park on the outskirts of Haining in Zhejiang province as police in riot gear sealed off the site.

“Some people were beat up during the protests. Why can we just tell the truth about this pollution. Now people talking to reporters are also being detained: what justice is there?”

The protests began on Thursday, when as many as 500 people stormed a compound owned by the New York-listed Jinko Solar Holding Co, official news agency Xinhua reported yesterday.

Protesters overturned vehicles before being dispersed, but they continued to camp outside the factory until the riot

police with helmets, vests, batons and shields arrived late yesterday.

Toxic waste from the factory, which manufactures photovoltaic panels, cells and wafers, killed large numbers of fish in a nearby river, and authorities had already ordered the company to suspend operations, the news agency said.

Protesters put up banners with the slogan “Return our lives to us, stay away from Jinko”, according to photographs published on the website of the National Business Daily newspaper (www.nbd.com.cn) yesterday An elderly woman who did not want to give her name complained bitterly about the local government’s tactics. “The factory has been polluting us all this while and now that we make some noise, the government shuts us up. They are all in this together, now we just have to die here silently. You can see all these riot police here, we are just helpless villagers.” —AFP

YANGON: After decades of military rule, democracy champion Aung San Suu Kyi says there are finally signs of political change in Myanmar, but its long-suffering people are still far from real freedom. In an exclusive interview, the Nobel Peace Prize winner told AFP that the new government appears genuine in its desire for democratic reform, and said an Arab-style uprising is not the answer to the country’s problems.

“There have been changes, but I don’t think we’re all free or completely free yet. There’s still quite a way to go, but I think there have been positive developments,” the opposition leader said at her party offices in Yangon.

“I’ve always said I’m a cautious optimist and I remain a cautious optimist. I do believe that the president would like to bring about positive changes but how far he’ll be able to achieve what he wants to achieve is a question that we still need to examine.” After almost half a century of iron-fisted military rule, the junta in March handed power to a new government led by President Thein Sein, one of a clutch of former generals who shed their uniforms to contest last year’s election.

The November vote, won by the military’s political proxies, was marred by widespread complaints of cheating and the exclusion of Suu Kyi, who was released from seven straight years of house arrest shortly afterwards. In recent weeks, however, the new administration has shown signs

of reaching out to critics including Suu Kyi and her National League for Democracy (NLD) party, which won a 1990 election but was never allowed to take office. In a scene few could have imagined until recently, Suu Kyi last month met Thein Sein at his official residence in the capital Naypyidaw, posing for photos under a picture of her late father, the independence hero Aung San. Although details of the discussion were not revealed, Suu Kyi said the pair managed to find areas of agreement, adding: “We do have many, many things in common in regards to what we would like to see for the country.”

The dissident-who has won international acclaim for her peaceful resistance in the face of oppression, and has been compared to India’s independence hero Mahatma Gandhi for her adherence to non-violencesaid she did not want a popular revolt in Myanmar of the kind seen in Libya. “What has to be done is a revolution of the spirit.

Until attitudes change, until their (the authorities’) perceptions of the problems which they have to handle change, there will not be real change,” she said.

“Everybody knows that Libya’s troubles are going to drag on for a long time. Even if they manage to clear out everybody from the old regime and establish a new government there are going to be so many problems-the bitterness that will remain, the wounds that will remain unhealed for so long,” she said. —AFP

YANGON: This picture shows Myanmar democracy icon Aung San Suu Kyi speaking to AFP during an interview at her National League for Democracy (NLD) headquarters. — AFP

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MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 19, 2011

NEWS

Strong quake rocks...

Continued from Page 1

SOFIA: Edis Elinov (left) Meriyem Ahmedova (center) and Nurten Hasan ponder during the fifth national competition in basic knowledge of Islam yesterday. Muslims make up about 10 percent of the Balkan country’s 7.3 million people. Bulgaria is the only European Union member country where Muslims are not recent immigrants. — AP

Libya delays cabinet as battles rage Continued from Page 1 consult enough with long-standing grassroots opposition groups such as the Muslim Brotherhood. Jibril himself was expected to retain his post as interim premier, while Ali Tarhuni was touted to be named vice president in charge of economic affairs. The defence portfolio was expected to go to Osama Al-Juwili and oil to Abdel Rahman bin Yezza.

On the battlefront, Gaddafi diehards in his hometown Sirte and in Bani Walid stood their ground as NTC combatants tried to break their morale by preparing for a new multi-pronged advance. NTC military spokesman Ahmed Omar Bani said he expected Gaddafi forces in Sirte and Bani Walid to be defeated in a “matter of days,” and military commanders said they had gained some ground. “We are now 38 kilometres from Sirte,” Mustafa bin Dardaf, a commander with the Zintan Brigade, told AFP on the eastern front. “Since the morning we have taken 20-25 kilometres. Our fighters at this moment have entered the town of Sultana and are searching for Gaddafi forces.”

Earlier in the day, an AFP correspondent reported that new regime forces advancing from the east had come under steady rocket and machine-gun fire from Gaddafi loyalists. He reported at least 12 tanks loaded with fighters massing east of Sirte, along with dozens of pick-ups filled with with anti-aircraft guns and hundreds of combatants. On either side of the road to Sirte, crouching fighters advanced slowly through the desert scrub. With doctors at a field hospital reporting at least

10 killed and 40 wounded in the fighting, front line fighters and commanders gave contrasting reports of progress in Sirte.

Men on the ground acknowledged tough opposition while those in charge downplayed the resistance. “We don’t even have five percent of Sirte because we just go in and out,” said one fighter, Abdul Rauf Al-Mansuri. But Bani predicted that “in a few days the situation will completely change in Sirte and Bani Walid which will be under our control.” Speaking at a news conference in Tripoli, Bani said the “geographical nature and the strong presence of snipers” in Bani Walid prevented a quick victory in the oasis, 180 km southeast of Tripoli.

“We managed to enter the town on the north side that we control. We have advanced towards the centre but we were attacked by snipers and mercenaries who have launched rockets from the mountains,” he said. Gaddafi loyalists were also putting up stiff resistance in Bani Walid, an AFP correspondent said. The new leadership’s forces are trying to take new ground there, with some pushing further into the town as others gathered some six kilometers from its centre. A commander of the NTC fighters told AFP the battle for Bani Walid resumed at midday after unrelenting clashes from midday on Saturday until early dawn. Correspondents heard loud explosions and intermittent gunfire from inside the town, and rockets exploded near NTC positions on the outskirts. “There is an unconfirmed number of wounded from today’s fighting,” Dr Mabruk Kornfan said. Some fighters left the town with loyalist prisoners, as residents of Bani Walid fled. —AFP

Syrians vow protests until regime ousted Continued from Page 1 on Syria, in talks with a Russian delegation on a mission to help end the government crackdown on protesters.

Assad welcomed the “balanced and constructive Russian position toward the security and stability of Syria,” the state-run SANA news agency reported. It said Assad denounced “attempts to destabilise Syria through armed terrorist operations, both civilian and military,” and warned against “any foreign intervention that threatens to divide states in the region.” Assad’s government has blamed the protests on “armed terrorist gangs”. Russia has continued to support Assad despite the crackdown on protests that the United Nations estimates to have killed around 2,600 people, and has been a bulwark against any Security Council resolution condemning the regime.

Ilyas Umakhanov, deputy head of Russia’s upper house of parliament, the Federation Council, held discussions with Assad that were “open, trust-based and substantial”, Russia’s Interfax news agency said. “It confirmed that the country’s leadership understands that one can only overcome a political crisis by uniting all the country’s healthy political forces.

We once again saw for ourselves that the country’s leadership intends to firmly move along the path of political reforms, create all the necessary conditions to consolidate society and all the patriotic forces of the country,” the Russian senator was quoted as saying.

The Russian delegation also plans to visit the flashpoint town of Daraa and opposition cities of Homs and Hama, according to Interfax.

Also yesterday, dozens of students demonstrated in the Damascus suburb of Kisweh on the first day of the school year in Syria. At one high

DAMASCUS: Syrian opposition members of the National Coordinating Committee for Democratic Change (left to right), Abdul Aziz Al-Khair, Rajaa Nasser, Hussein Awdat, Hassan Abdul Azim, Saleh Mohammed and Samir Aita, hold a press conference yesterday. —AFP school, security forces fired into the air to disperse student protesters, according to an activist network called The Local Coordination Committees. No casualties were reported.

There were also protests at an elementary school in the area, where students shouted, “There will be no classes until the president is brought down,” the activists said. The Londonbased Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said a boy succumbed to his wounds in the southern village of Sanamein two days after being shot be security forces.

The opposition, meanwhile, is trying to unite against the regime.

Opponents plan to announce the formation of a coalition that includes the Coordinating Committee, liberal parties of the opposition “Damascus Declaration”, the Muslim Brotherhood and independent Islamists. Several coalitions or councils have also been set up abroad, under the leadership of exiled opposition figures. “For the overthrow of the tyrannical and corrupt security regime and for democratic change, the peaceful revolution of the Syrian people must continue,”

said a statement read yesterday by Abdel Aziz Khayer of the Coordinating Committee.

To find a way out of the crisis, “we must end the military solution, allow peaceful protests, withdraw the army to the barracks, try those responsible for the massacre of protesters, release all political prisoners and begin reconciliation between the army and the people,” the statement added.

Another committee member, Rajaa Nasser, said that “all movements of the Syrian opposition agree on the need for change. The majority reject any military intervention” in Syria, he added.

Samir Aita, editor of Le Monde Diplomatique in Arabic and European representative of the Coordinating Committee, announced a Sept 23 meeting in the German capital Berlin.

“It is necessary to unify (opposition) efforts for the change to happen,” he said, adding that it was important that the various opposition currents should “unite around common goals.” The meeting on Saturday elected an 80member central council, with young members representing more than a quarter of the board. — Agencies

Telephone landlines to Sikkim, India’s least populous state, were knocked out and mobile networks were swamped, making communication with the affected area difficult. The quake was followed by two strong aftershocks, one with a magnitude of 6.1. Sikkim Chief Secretary Karma Gyatso told AFP that five people had been killed and 60 injured in and around Gangtok as the result of mudslides, building collapses and falling debris. “We have reports of dozens of collapsed houses, and roads to many towns have ben blocked by landslides,” Gyatso said.

Another person was reported killed in a stampede by panicked residents in a town in the eastern state of Bihar. Power lines snapped in the West Bengal cities of Darjeeling and Kalimpong, which “are now in total darkness,” state Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said, according to Press Trust of India. Manish Sharma, a doctor attending a conference in Gangtok, told the NDTV news channel that guests in his hotel had all run for the doors as soon as the first tremors were felt. “I am standing in front of the legislative assembly and I can see one of the outer buildings... the upper side is in two parts,” Sharma said. “I can see light coming out of that particular portion. It has not collapsed but it is in two parts. One part has moved aside,” he said.

“The police are trying to calm people down.”

In New Delhi, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh called an emergency meeting of the National Disaster Management Authority, and Cabinet Secretary Ajit Seth said that air force planes carrying rescue teams and relief supplies had been despatched to Sikkim. Strong tremors were felt in Guwahati, the main city in Assam state, some 600 km away, sending panicked residents running into the streets. “Our apartment block was literally swaying,” said housewife Anamika Das. In Kathmandu, traffic came to a standstill as hotels and bars were evacuated. Hundreds of anxious tourists and residents waited for news in car parks and on the streets as the seasonal monsoon rain lashed down. In Bhutan, buildings in the capital Thimphu were also rocked. “Our wooden house is safe. Jars fell in kitchen, books fell from shelf,” Thimphu resident Aby Tharakan, a media consultant, said in a message posted on the microblogging website Twitter.

The quake was felt all the way to Bangladesh, shaking buildings in the capital and neighbouring areas. At least 10 people were injured and some buildings suffered minor damages. Thousands of panic-stricken families in Dhaka ran out of high-rise buildings on to the streets as the ground under their feet shook. “I never experiences such a dreadful moment in my life. Suddenly lights went off and there were people running and crying around,” said Shamsul Islam, a 70-year-old man in Chittagong port city in Bangladesh.

India’s seven northeastern states, joined to the rest of the country by a narrow sliver of land, are located in an area of frequent seismic activity. —Agencies

Frantic moves to avoid Palestinian...

Continued from Page 1 If it does not secure nine votes, any resolution would fail and the US veto would not be necessary, reducing any US embarrassment. Twelve months ago, US President Barack Obama said he wanted to see a Palestinian state at the UN within a year. Council members Britain, France and Germany will have decisive votes. All of their UN envoys say that no decision on how to vote has been taken because they have not seen a Palestinian resolution.

All say that the Palestinians’ willingness to return to direct talks will play a central role in their decision.

Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said yestereday, ahead of his trip to the UN General Assembly, that any Palestinian bid through the Security Council will fail. “In the end, after the smoke clears and after everything that happens at the UN, the Palestinians will come to their senses, I hope, drop these moves to bypass negotiations and return to the table in order to bring peace to us and our neighbors.” Direct Israeli-Palestinian talks were frozen one year ago after Israel refused to renew a moratorium on Jewish settlements in the West Bank.

Netanyahu said that any General Assembly resolution would be less important. “They could decide that the sun rises in the west and sinks in the east but it doesn’t have

the same weight and the same importance as the Security Council.”

General Assembly recognition of a Palestinian state would allow increased international rights, however.

Some officials say the Palestinians could become signatories to the International Criminal Court and launch a complaint against Israeli military action. Blair, the envoy for the Quartet - the United States, Russia, European Union and United Nations - is seeking a formula that would allow for greater recognition of a Palestinian state while paving the way for direct talks which could satisfy the United States.

“What we will be looking for over the next few days is a way of putting together something that allows their claims and legitimate aspirations for statehood to be recognized whilst actually renewing the only thing that’s going to produce a state which is a negotiation directly between the two sides,” Blair told ABC. He added that a Quartet statement he is trying to produce this week could set out a “timeframe” for negotiations. “I think it is possible to bridge the gaps and produce such a document,” so that “whatever happens with the United Nations happens in a less confrontational atmosphere and could even happen in a way that helps the process of negotiations and statehood.” — AFP

Yemeni forces open fire on protesters...

Continued from Page 1 Square, where they have camped since February demanding regime change, and marched towards the city centre. They also used water cannons and fired tear gas, they added. A medical official said that the injuries of 25 of those wounded by live rounds and shrapnel were critical. Among those, he said, were members of Yemen’s national council, an umbrella of opposition groups. He named them as Mohammed Al-Dhaheri, a professor of political science at Sanaa University, and Ahmed Al-Qumairi of the Islamist Al-Islah (Reform) opposition group. Injured protesters were rushed into a field hospital in the square on stretchers. “This is the worst day I’ve seen in three months. We’re expecting more dead to come in,” said doctor Jamal Al-Hamdani, who was treating patients. “The pain and the bullet won’t be a problem,” said one protester with a heavily bandaged foot. “What we need is to get rid of this regime ... I could go on until they kill us all,” Radwan Qasem, 37, told Reuters.

The interior ministry accused protesters of wounding four members of the security forces, throwing petrol bombs at electricity generators, and burning one police car and one firefighting vehicle, in statements on state television. It also accused the Common Forum, an alliance of parliamentary opposition, of “pushing protesters towards staging armed rallies aimed at attacking public and private installations in an attempt to foil the dialogue”.

Last week embattled President Ali Abdullah Saleh, who has been absent from Yemen for more than three months, authorised Vice President Abdrabuh Mansur Hadi to negotiate a power transfer with the opposition.

But the opposition has dismissed calls for dialogue before Saleh, in power since 1978, signs a Gulf-brokered

deal that would see him hand power over to his deputy in return for amnesty from prosecution for himself and his family.

As clashes raged in the capital, massive demonstrations erupted in several cities south of Sanaa - Taez, Yemen’s second-largest city, Ibb, and Dhammar - and in Saada in the north, to denounce the violence. Earlier in Sanaa, heavy shelling targeted the area around the home of Sheikh Sadiq Al-Ahmar, as his office and authorities exchanged blame over violence in the country. Troops loyal to Saleh “opened fire using machine guns and are firing mortar rounds on the area surrounding Sheikh Sadiq Al-Ahmar’s home” in Al-Hasaba district, a source from the tribal chief’s home had said.

The shelling, which lasted two hours, also targeted Al-Mazda road in the district’s centre, prompting people there to flee, witnesses said. “The shelling is targeting us from several directions but we have not responded as Sheikh Sadiq has given us orders not to respond,” the source, who spoke from Ahmar’s home, told AFP. But Interior Minister Motahar Rashad Al-Masri said that “Ahmar’s gunmen, deployed on rooftops, opened fire on the ministry of interior and policemen who were having their lunch”. The troops “responded only to silence the source of fire,” he added. “We are committed to self-restraint based on the orders of vice president” Hadi. No casualties were reported.

Fierce clashes between Ahmar’s tribesmen and loyal troops in Al-Hasaba in May killed more than 140 people before the two sides agreed a truce. The sheikh heads the powerful Hashid tribe which ended its support for Saleh - also a Hashid member - in March and joined the protests demanding his ouster. Tribes wield much influence in impoverished Yemen, where the Hashid is a heavily armed tribal confederation capable of rallying and financing thousands of fighters. — Agencies

Ruling family to meet as graft...

Continued from Page 1 MP Mubarak Al-Waalan said in a statement that he plans to send a series of questions to the prime minister over the deposits’ scandal, warning that if the questions were not properly answered, he plans to file a request to grill the prime minister.

MP Dhaifallah Buramia revealed that opposition MPs plan to press to launch an investigation into the alleged violations the banks have committed in the multimillion-dinar deposits scandal. The lawmaker stressed that all sides involved in the scandal must be punished based on their role in the issue, adding that the MPs involved in the case must be referred to the court on charges of bribes and not money laundering. Buramia said that all the people know the funds have been paid

to buy political positions from MPs, and demanded that the funds be returned to public coffers. The lawmaker said that all sides should be punished including the banks which facilitated the deposits besides those who paid the funds and those who received it.

MP Hussein Al-Huraiti, a former justice minister, yesterday reiterated that he is not involved in the corruption scandal, saying his name has been wrongly mentioned among the MPs who allegedly benefited from the deposits. In another development, MP Khaled AlTahous accused the government of being responsible for the series of strikes by employees of various ministries demanding a pay raise. Tahous said the main cause for the strikes is the absence of justice among employees, as he appealed to the Amir to intervene to solve the problem.

14

MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 19, 2011

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Issues

Bachmann may be Romney’s top asset in race

By Patricia Zengerle and Kim Dixon residential candidate Michele Bachmann’s scathing attacks on Rick Perry may be hurting the front-runner for the 2012 Republican nomination, and raising questions about her own judgment, but they are also helping another of her rivals - Mitt Romney. Once among the leaders, the Minnesota congresswoman lately has been stumbling badly in the race for her party’s presidential nomination to run against Democratic President Barack Obama in 2012.

Top advisers have resigned, her poll numbers have been dropping and Bachmann has not attracted the big donors she would need to mount a credible 2012 campaign against Democratic President Barack Obama, whom some say will amass a $1 billion campaign warchest. But she has no immediate plans to drop out, making her campaign an asset for former Massachusetts governor Romney, who has slipped from front-runner to second place since Perry launched his presidential bid last month.

“The net result of everything she is doing is making it more likely that Romney will be the nominee,” Matt Mackowiak, a Republican strategist who worked on George W Bush’s 2004 campaign and who has donated to Perry. Bachmann scored points against Perry - boosting Romney - in a debate on Monday night by questioning the Texas governor’s conservative credentials over his order requiring that adolescent girls be vaccinated for viruses that cause cancer, with a vaccine sold by Merck & Co, a Perry donor. She also blasted Perry for allowing illegal immigrants to pay in-state tuition rates at state colleges.

Republican strategist Ford O’Connell said Bachmann had “peeled off” some support for Perry on the sensitive vaccine and immigration issues, and that he expected those attacks would continue. “I think that she is grasping at straws right now and I do think that if she grabs the right one and hangs on, she could be around for a while,” O’Connell said. The focus quickly shifted to Bachmann’s own penchant for verbal gaffes after the debate, when she linked the vaccine to “mental retardation,” a claim scientists called irresponsible and baseless, fueling talk that she may be flaming out.

Bachmann was hit by a firestorm of criticism after her remarks. The influential conservative radio talk show host Rush Limbaugh said she may have “jumped the shark” slang for nearing the end of an effort - with the vaccinations comment. “Her really only path to the nomination now is to take out Rick Perry,” O’Connell said. Perry is well ahead, supported by an average of 31 percent in the Republican nomination race, to 20 percent for Romney and just 7 percent for Bachmann, according to polls compiled by RealClearPolitics.com.

But while Bachmann is in the race, she is keeping supporters who likely would otherwise support Perry, not the relatively moderate Romney. “The biggest threat that she poses to Rick Perry is not because she necessarily displaces him in any way, but because he is going to have two people fighting against him,” said Jennifer Lawless, director of the Women in Politics Institute at American University in Washington.

Bachmann in particular still has pockets of strong support, as in Iowa, where social conservatives play a big role in Republican politics and where she won the closely watched Ames straw poll in August. “I think the fact that Michele was willing to go on stage at the debate and go on the attack is a good thing,” said Ryan Rhodes, a leader with the Iowa Tea Party, who said he was unhappy about Perry’s position on immigration.

Bachmann was in California, home to many wealthy political donors, on Friday, but her campaign said she would be focusing primarily on Iowa, whose caucuses in February are the first binding votes of the nomination season. Strategists said focusing on the small but important state made sense for the Bachmann team, which is burning through money quickly because her campaign favors highly orchestrated and expensive events. Although known as a prolific fundraiser in Congress - she topped all House lawmakers in 2010 - Bachmann has never attracted big-dollar donors. More than two-thirds of her donations in the second quarter came in increments of $200 or less.

The third quarter is expected to be challenging for Bachmann. Stan Hubbard, a Bachmann supporter who owns KSTP-TV in St Paul, Minnesota, said he had raised money for her in the past, but had not been called recently. “They haven’t called and it is going to be tough to raise money,” Hubbard said. — Reuters

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West fears possible Iran-N Korea nuke links

By Fredrik Dahl t is one of the West’s biggest nuclear proliferation nightmares - that increasingly isolated Iran and North Korea might covertly trade knowhow, material or technology that could be put to developing atomic bombs. “Such a relationship would be logical and beneficial to both North Korea and Iran,” said Mark Hibbs, an expert of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. Last year, a UN report suggested that impoverished, reclusive North Korea might have supplied Iran as well as Syria and Myanmar with banned atomic technology.

In what could be a sign of this, a German newspaper last month reported that North Korea had provided Iran with a computer program as part of intensified cooperation that could help the Islamic state build nuclear weapons. “There are reports and rumours, which governments and the IAEA (the UN International Atomic Energy Agency) have not denied, indicating that there may be a track record of bilateral nuclear cooperation between North Korea and Iran,” Hibbs said.

But while this could make sense for two states facing tightening sanctions - and potentially earn Pyongyang some badly needed funds - the extent and nature of any such dealings, if they take place at all, remain shrouded in mystery. “It seems to be very difficult to sort out what the relationship in the nuclear world between

I

DPRK (North Korea) and Iran is. We just simply do not know,” prominent US nuclear scientist Siegfried Hecker said. This was in contrast to missile cooperation between the two countries, where North Korea has helped Iran both with the weapons and in building related factories, he said. Hecker, who has often visited the east Asian state, said possible Tehran-Pyongyang atomic technology transfers would be a major concern for everyone dedicated to preventing the proliferation of nuclear weapons.

Iran’s nuclear program is based on uranium enrichment, activity which can have both civilian and military purposes. North Korea has twice tested plutonium-based nuclear devices, drawing international condemnation, although it last year revealed the existence also of a uranium enrichment site, potentially giving it a second pathway to bombs. “They complement each other so well (in terms of their expertise). There is just a lot of synergy in how they would be able to exchange capabilities,” Hecker said at a seminar for diplomats in Vienna, the IAEA’s headquarters, this month.

Citing Western intelligence sources, the Munich newspaper Sueddeutsche Zeitung said in August that North Korea had this year delivered software, originally developed in the United States, that could simulate neutron flows. Such calculations, which can help scientists identify self-sustaining chain reactions, are vital in the construction of reactors and also in the development of nuclear explosives. With the help of the

program, Iran could gain important knowledge of how to assemble nuclear weapons, the paper said.

There has been no public confirmation or denial of the report in the West. But Hecker did not rule it out, saying Pyongyang had demonstrated experience in this field. He said North Korea must have some “nuclear code capabilities” which they would have been able to assess in comparison with the result of an atomic test. “So to some extent they have had an opportunity to verify or check their codes,” Hecker said.

“Iran has not had a chance to do that. So exchanging that type of information ... you could see as being very useful.”

North Korea tested nuclear devices in 2006 and 2009, but still has not shown it has a working nuclear bomb. Proliferation experts have said the country has enough fissile material for up to 10 nuclear weapons. But they don’t believe Pyongyang is yet capable of miniaturising the material to fit into the cone of a missile.

While North Korea has made no secret of its nuclear weapons ambitions, Iran denies Western allegations that it is covertly seeking to develop an atomic arms capability.

The Islamic Republic says its nuclear program is for purposes of electricity generation, but its refusal to halt uranium enrichment and its stonewalling of a UN nuclear watchdog probe have stoked suspicions abroad. The Vienna-based UN nuclear watchdog said this month in a report that it was “increasingly concerned”

about possible work in Iran to develop a nuclear missile. For several years, the IAEA has been investigating Western intelligence reports indicating Iran has coordinated efforts to process uranium, test high explosives and revamp a ballistic missile cone to accommodate a nuclear warhead. Iran says the allegations are baseless and forged.

In a separate report on North Korea, from which its inspectors were expelled in 2009, the IAEA suggested past nuclearrelated ties with Syria and Libya, but it made no mention of Iran. Proliferation expert Mark Fitzpatrick said it would not be hard for Tehran and Pyongyang to put “well-practised trade deals and transfer routes” from their ballistic missile cooperation to use also in the nuclear field. Still, there were few signs of any nuclear cooperation between the two countries.

“It is not for lack of looking. Western intelligence agencies are intensively targeting nuclear acquisition efforts by Iran and North Korea,” Fitzpatrick, a former senior U.S. State Department official, said. “Yet finding nuclear weapons-related trade is akin to the proverbial needle in a haystack.

In the vastness of ocean and sky routes, most forms of nuclear-related cargo are so minute as to be almost undetectable.”

Hibbs said any nuclear dealings with North Korea would pose risks for Iran: “Were this traffic to be confirmed, that would deepen the suspicion that Iran is involved in nuclear activities which are clandestine and military in nature.” — Reuters

Opponents of Assad struggle for unity

By Khaled Yacoub Oweis resident Bashar Al-Assad’s opponents have taken a step toward unity by forming a national council to represent Syria’s uprising but have a long way to go until they create a broad-based alternative to his rule. Six months after protests demanding political freedoms broke out, opposition figures meeting in Istanbul named members of a Syrian National Council on Thursday to steer a transition in case Assad falls and to liaise with international powers that have condemned the crackdown.

France welcomed the council’s creation, but in a sign of obstacles and internal rivalries which the opposition must overcome, not all names were finalised and some figures appointed to the group said Islamists won too much influence. Aside from the goal of Assad’s downfall and a transitional period to democracy that preserves state institutions, the council has yet to produce a credible leader who can command wide respect on the street. Other groups may still try to set up alternative leaderships both inside and outside Syria.

“They have not brought together everyone, and there are varying objections on the members, but the fact is that they finally formed a council after months of bickering over the names, while the regime has been killing 20 Syrians a day,” prominent Syrian writer Hakam al-Baba told Reuters. “A main objective now is to address the international community, and I think the council can do that. They have also left the door open for the rest of the opposition to join,” said Baba, a dissident who lives in the Gulf.

The opposition is also still far from forming a front similar to one set up in the past by Iraqi opposition groups which campaigned for Saddam Hussein’s removal and was well connected in the West, especially Washington. One opposition figure not in the council said Islamists were over-represented on the newly announced body.”The National Council has taken an Islamist flavour at the time we need to assure all minorities and the ethnicities more of their future in a post-Assad Syria,” said Thamer Al-Jahmani, a prominent lawyer from Deraa who took refugee in Jordan last month after the assassination of a fellow activist.

Among 70 of the announced names for the 140-member council were Sheikh Anas Airout, a

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cleric who has played a key role in protests in the coastal city of Banias, and Sheikh Muti AlButain and Bashar Al-Heraki from the city of Deraa, members of a “neo-Islamist” current opposed to rigid interpretations of Islam and in favour of a civic form of government. “I have been counted as an Islamist just because I pray and have a light beard,” Heraki said. “Even using this way of counting, Islamists end up repre-

vention similar to the NATO bombing that helped remove Libya’s Muammar Gaddafi. The council said a power vacuum must be avoided during any transition to democracy. Minority rights must be safeguarded, along with “the non-violent character of the Syrian revolution”.

Secular figures such as veteran leftist Khaled Al-Haj Saleh and politics professors Najib Ghadbian and Wael Mirza, and rights campaign-

A Syrian man smokes as he passes a portrait of Syrian President Bashar Assad with Arabic words reading: ‘Maker of surprises and victor against crisis’ in Damascus yesterday. — AP senting a little over a quarter of the council as it stands.”

A declaration issued by the council said its goal was in line with calls for the “downfall of the regime”, chanted by thousands of protesters every week since the outbreak of unrest in March. The United Nations says 2,600 people have been killed in Assad’s crackdown on the protests. A spokeswoman for the council said that while members opposed foreign military intervention they supported international protection for civilians. Western nations, which have been increasing sanctions on Assad and his inner circle, have called on the opposition to unite, but they show no appetite for an inter-

er Ammar Al-Qurabi are members, as well as 50 unannounced names from grassroots activists inside Syria. Hozan Ibrahim, a spokesman of the Local Coordination Committees, one of the more secular groups, said the council was not national because “not everyone is there”.

Diplomats following the Istanbul gathering said talks were taking place to win endorsement of the Damascus Declaration, signed by a group of veteran opposition leaders such as widely respected dissident Riad Al-Turk, who spent 25 years as a political prisoner, and former parliamentarian Riad Seif.

The Damascus Declaration is seen as having moral authority over protesters though its sig-

natories have played little role in demonstrations, which started when a group of younger activists, mainly women, rallied in Marjeh Square in Damascus in March demanding the release of political prisoners. Another figure the National Council wants to bring on board is Burhan Ghalioun, a French-based professor who met the Istanbul group in Qatar this month but chose not to join it, diplomats said.

“The opposition is in a steep learning curve and they have to prove as a council that they matter. We must not forget that after six months they have not yet agreed on a set of principles of what to do, not even one unified statement,” one diplomat said. “I think the Istanbul people felt the street pressure and said we have to do something and form a body even if not everyone else agreed,” the diplomat said. Previous efforts by Haitham Al-Maleh, a former judge who spent almost a decade in jail, to form a shadow government failed after security forces killed 15 protesters near the Syrian venue where his conference was due to take place and authorities arrested two leading opposition figures. Other opposition groups, including one led by charismatic Kurdish leader Mishaal Tammo and a centrist bloc led by Hassan Abdel Azim, are also seeking to form a “National Assembly”. Activists have separately formed a Revolution Leadership Council, whose membership is mostly secret. “If the figures on the inside manage to form a national assembly, the outside conference should join it,” Jahmani said.

Secular opposition figure Louay Hussein said that any grouping needs to win support from a “silent majority” he said yearns for democracy but fears possible chaos if Assad falls. Hussein last week launched an initiative that proposes withdrawing the army and proAssad militiamen from the streets, release of political prisoners and scrapping of repressive laws and legal impunity for the security apparatus in return for the opposition entering into talks with the authorities for specific measures for a transition to democracy. “The authorities are not ready to listen to anyone. They have closed their ears and are pursuing a security solution,” Hussein said. “But we still need to reach a consensus on how to move from the current totalitarian system to a democratic state.” — Reuters

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e niv rsar n

MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 19, 2011

Years

sp orts

Armstrong replaced on US worlds team BOISE: Olympic gold medalist Kristin Armstrong was bumped from the US time trial team at the world championships after USA Cycling reviewed Amber Neben’s protest. Armstrong told The Associated Press in an email on Friday that Neben challenged USA Cycling’s decision earlier this month to enter Armstrong as one of two American riders in the time trial at worlds in Copenhagen, Denmark.

USA Cycling issued a statement Friday confirming its switch to Neben more than six hours after Armstrong disclosed the decision. It declined to give a reason for the change. “USA Cycling does not publicize the details of any specific selection process or individual protests,” the organization said.

“Following consideration of the protest USA Cycling’s Selection Committee reconvened and, after further review, named Amber Neben as the discretionary nominee.” — AP

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

GB 4.5 7.5 15.5 29 12.5 14.5 21.5 28 4.5 18 23.5

12 27 27 30 6.5 15 21 22 37.5 5 11.5 16.5 22

ROTTERDAM: Ajax Amsterdam came from behind twice to salvage a 2-2 draw at PSV Eindhoven and slip to third in the Dutch league yesterday. Slovenian striker Tim Matavz put PSV ahead after 90 seconds, while Ajax left back Nicolai Boilesen was carried off on a stretcher after 18 minutes with a hamstring injury.

PSV goalkeeper Przemyslaw Tyton also left the pitch on a stretcher with concussion after a collision with team mate Timothy Derijck after 30 minutes.

Kolbeinn Sigthorsson equalised for Ajax four minutes into first-half injury time and the visitors came close to taking the lead when Derk Boerrigter hit the side netting seconds later. PSV restored the lead 10 minutes into

Top awards for Lynx

the second half when Georginio Wijnaldum converted a penalty but with 11 minutes remaining Dmitri Bulykin salvaged a point from close range after sloppy defensive work from Erik Pieters.

Twente Enschede cruised to a 5-2 home win over ADO Den Haag to move top with 15 points after six matches, ahead on goal difference of AZ Alkmaar, 2-1 winners at RKC Waalwijk, with Rasmus Elm and Charlison Benschop on target.

Ajax are third with 14 points, ahead on goals scored of Feyenoord, who beat Graafschap Doetinchem 4-0 on Saturday. PSV remain fifth with 11. Ajax host Twente next Saturday, while Feyenoord travel to Alkmaar a day later. —Reuters

MINNEAPOLIS: The Minnesota Lynx piled up the victories during the regular season. Now the awards are starting to come in bunches as well. Forward Maya Moore was chosen the rookie of the year and coach Cheryl Reeve earned coach of the year honors in voting by a national media panel, the WNBA announced on Friday. “We’ll share this moment and then we move on,” Reeve said before the Lynx opened the Western Conference semifinals against San Antonio. “The only thing we all care about is winning.”

Moore was the No. 1 overall pick out of Connecticut and one of the most decorated female athletes in NCAA history. She didn’t disappoint in her first season as a professional, averaging 13.2 points, 4.6 rebounds and 2.6 assists. Buoyed by the addition of Moore and the healthy return of Seimone Augustus and Candice Wiggins, Reeve helped turn the Lynx around in her second season on the job.

After going just 13-21 and missing the playoffs last year, the Lynx went 27-7, the best record in franchise history. — AP

Phillies clinch NL East crown

MLB results/standings

American League Eastern Division W L PCT NY Yankees 91 59 .607 Boston 87 64 .576 Tampa Bay 84 67 .556 Toronto 76 75 .503 Baltimore 62 88 .413 Central Division Detroit 88 64 .579 Cleveland 74 75 .497 Chicago White Sox73 78 .483 Kansas City 67 86 .438 Minnesota 59 91 .393 Western Division Texas 87 65 .572 LA Angels 82 69 .543 Oakland 69 83 .454 Seattle 63 88 .417 National League Eastern Division Philadelphia 98 52 .653 Atlanta 87 65 .572 NY Mets 72 80 .474 Washington 71 79 .473 Florida 69 83 .454 Central Division Milwaukee 89 63 .586 St Louis 82 69 .543 Cincinnati 74 78 .487 Pittsburgh 68 84 .447 Chicago Cubs 67 85 .441 Houston 51 100 .338 Western Division Arizona 87 65 .572 San Francisco 82 70 .539 LA Dodgers 75 76 .497 Colorado 70 81 .464 San Diego 65 87 .428

Ajax held by PSV

PHILADELPHIA: The Philadelphia Phillies clinched their fifth straight National League East division title by beating the St. Louis Cardinals 9-2 on Saturday.

In a season where nothing less than a World Series championship would be considered a success, there wasn’t much of a party on the field. The Phillies had a been-there, done-that attitude toward winning the division.

Players ran onto the diamond a bit faster than usual, but they simply exchanged handshakes, hugs and highfives as if this was an ordinary game. They did at least put on shirts and caps proclaiming themselves division champs.

Once they reached the clubhouse, however, the Phillies popped open the bubbly and celebrated their achievement. With the Four Aces pitching rotation leading the way, the Phillies are seeking their third NL pennant in four years and second World Series title.

Starting pitcher Roy Oswalt (8-9) allowed no runs in seven innings, striking out seven, while Raul Ibanez hit a grand slam homer to contribute four of the nine runs.

St. Louis fell 4 1/2 games behind Atlanta in the wildcard race. They had won eight of nine to narrow the gap. Cardinals starter Jake Westbrook (12-9) allowed five hits in 3 1-3 innings.

Brewers 10, Reds 1 In Cincinnati, Yovani Gallardo struck out a careerhigh 13 as Milwaukee inched closer to the NL Central crown with a romp over Cincinnati.

Gallardo (17-10) had previously struck out 12 batters four times, including last Sunday. He threw 117 pitches, 75 of them strikes, in his six innings, giving up just one run. Ryan Braun hit his third home run in two nights and Yuniesky Betancourt also homered as the Brewers lowered their magic number - a combination of their wins and losses by their closest rivals - needed to clinch the division to five.

Reds starter Edinson Volquez (5-6) has allowed at least one first inning run in half of his 18 starts.

Braves 1, Mets 0 In Atlanta, Tim Hudson struck out 10 batters to guide Atlanta over New York, shoring up the Braves’ lead in the wild-card race.

Hudson (15-10) held the Mets scoreless over his eight innings. Closer Craig Kimbrel struck out all three batters in the ninth to notch his 45th save of the season.

Chipper Jones’ RBI single in the eighth inning was enough for the Braves, who increased their wild-card lead to 4-1/2 games . RA Dickey (8-13) walked a seasonworst six batters in 7-2/3 innings for the Mets, who have lost seven of eight.

Giants 6, Rockies 5 In Denver, San Francisco extended its winning streak to seven games by edging Colorado. Carlos Beltran had an RBI double in a four-run eighth inning for the Giants,

who moved five games behind the Arizona Diamondbacks in the National League West with 10 games to play.

The Giants are also five games behind the Atlanta Braves in the wild-card race. San Francisco’s Waldis

striking out seven. The two-time All-Star, winding up his first full season with the Dodgers, joined C.C. Sabathia and Mark Buehrle as the only left-handers to reach double digits in wins during each of the past nine seasons.

PHILADELPHIA: Phillies’ Roy Oswalt pitches during the second inning of a baseball game against the St. Louis Cardinals. —AP Joaquin (1-0) retired the two batters he faced in the eighth to earn the victory. Colorado’s Huston Street (1-4) took the loss.

Padres 3, D’backs 1 In San Diego, last-placed San Diego surprised NL Westleading Arizona for the second straight night. Wade LeBlanc and three relievers combined on a five-hitter and Orlando Hudson and Jeremy Hermida hit solo homers.

Arizona lost its third straight game, its longest losing streak in a month.

Dodgers 6, Pirates 1 In Los Angeles, James Loney hit his second three-run homer in two nights as Los Angeles beat Pittsburgh.

Juan Rivera added a two-run shot which scored Matt Kemp for his 100th run of the season. Kemp also stole his 40th base to beome the first ever Dodgers player to reach those two marks, plus 100 RBIs and 30 homers in the same year. Los Angeles starter Ted Lilly (10-14) pitched seven sharp innings, allowing one run while

Marlins 4, Nationals 1 In Washington, Donnie Murphy’s two-run homer in the 13th lifted Florida over Washington. Murphy entered the game at shortstop in the 10th. John Buck led off the 13th with a single and Murphy homered off Colin Balester (1-4).

Florida’s Clay Hensley (5-6) struck out the side in the 12th and Leo Nunez pitched the 13th for the save.

Cubs 2, Astros 1 In Chicago, Houston lost 100 games in a season for the first time in team history, squandering a bases-loaded chance in the ninth inning against Chicago.

The Astros, who began play in 1962, dropped to 51100. The Cubs, meanwhile, won for the 4,000th time since moving into Wrigley Field in 1915. Only the Yankees at the original Yankee Stadium and Red Sox at Fenway Park have won more games in one ballpark than the Cubs.

Chicago starter Rodrigo Lopez (6-6) didn’t allow an earned run in six innings while striking out seven. Sean Marshall held on in the ninth for the save. Henry Sosa (25) took the loss for Houston. —AP

Rays close gap on Red Sox BOSTON: Tampa Bay’s Ben Zobrist hit a tworun homer to lead the Rays to a 4-3 win over Boston on Saturday, trimming the Red Sox lead in the American League wild-card race to three games.

Jeff Niemann (11-7) pitched five solid innings for Tampa Bay, which has won seven of its past eight against Boston. The Red Sox had led the wild-card race by nine games just two weeks ago.

Rays closer Joel Peralta pitched the ninth for the save. Boston starter Jon Lester (15-8) went just four innings against Tampa Bay last Sunday. He did better this time, allowing four runs in seven innings.

including a homer, and drove in three runs to help Texas outslug Seattle, extending its AL West division lead to 4 1/2 games over Los Angeles. The Rangers offense hit three solo homers off struggling Mariners starter Anthony Vasquez (1-4).

Elvis Andrus homered to left field, Hamilton hit a line drive just over the wall down the right field line and Adrian Beltre

Yankees 7, Blue Jays 6 In Toronto, Mariano Rivera tied the major league saves record, earning the 601st of his career by preserving New York’s win over Toronto. The 41-year-old Rivera was perfect in pitching the ninth inning for his 42nd save of the season, getting a strikeout, ground out and fly out to match Trevor Hoffmann’s mark.

Curtis Granderson hit his 40th homer, a goahead shot in the seventh to cap a 12-pitch at-bat. He fouled off seven straight pitches before homering.

Alex Rodriguez also homered for the Yankees, who had trailed 6-1 in the sixth.

Aaron Laffey (3-2) got the win. Carlos Villanueva (6-4) took the loss.

Athletics 5, Tigers 3 In Oakland, the hosts turned three double plays in the first five innings to set up a win over Detroit. Gio Gonzalez (14-12) pitched seven innings to get his first career win against the Tigers, at the fifth attempt. Detroit starter Rick Porcello (14-9) allowed three runs over seven innings.

Rangers 7, Mariners 6 In Seattle, Josh Hamilton had four hits,

crushed a first pitch from Vasquez off the upper deck in left field to knot the game at 44. Colby Lewis (13-10) took the win for Texas.

Orioles 6, Angels 2 In Baltimore, Los Angeles’ shaky playoff hopes took another blow with a loss to Baltimore. Ervin Santana yielded five firstinning runs in a loss to the Baltimore Orioles.

Desperately needing a win to stay within striking distance of first-place Texas in the AL West and Boston in the wild-card chase, Los Angeles fell flat for the second night in a row against the last-placed Orioles.

As well as falling further behind Texas in the division race, the Angels trail Boston by five games for the wild card with only 11 games left.

Orioles rookie Zach Britton (10-10) allowed one run in seven innings with a career-high seven strikeouts. Los Angeles’ Erwin Santana (11-12) settled down after the first inning, but the damage was done.

Royals 10, White Sox 3 In Kansas City, the hosts beat Chicago to notch their seventh straight win; their longest streak since 2008. Mike Moustakas hit his third home run in four games and had three hits, while Jeff Francoeur hit a three-run homer and Alcides Escobar drove in two runs with a fourth-inning triple. The White Sox have lost seven in a row, matching their longest losing streak of the year.

BOLTON: Tampa Bay Rays’ Casey Kotchman (right) trips over first base after grounding into a double play, as Boston Red Sox starting pitcher Jon Lester covers the bag during the fourth inning. —AP

Indians 10, Twins 4 In Minneapolis, Carlos Santana hit a homer as Cleveland sent Minnesota to its seventh straight loss. Indians starter Jeanmar Gomez (4-2) pitched effectively into the seventh and won his fourth straight start since being recalled from the minors. Minnesota’s Anthony Swarzak (3-7) took the loss. —AP

Wataniya Telecom honors Kuwaiti Champion Al-Azmi 19th Asian Athletics Championships KUWAIT: As part of its corporate social responsibility which aims to continuously support Kuwaiti athletic youth to take a step forward, and also as a sponsor of the Kuwait Athlete’s Federation (KAF), Wataniya Telecom is proud to honor the Kuwaiti athlete Mohamed Al-Azmi, for achieving two Gold medals in the 19th Asian Athletics Championships for the 800 and 1500 meter race.

The championship took place in Kobe, Japan where Al-Azmi proudly succeeded to place Kuwait in the Hall of Fame by breaking world records.

Abdolaziz Al Balool Public Relations Director at Wataniya Telecom congratulated Mohamed Al-Azmi on his achievement and commented: “We continuously strive to promote the youth, sports and citizens who represent Kuwait in order to build promising generations in the future. Al-Azmi proved a huge victory not only in Kuwait, but worldwide. Hence, we are much honored to praise such a promising athlete and will always look forward to future achievements and further accomplishments that make us proud.”

Al Balool adds that it’s not every day where we get somebody that makes Kuwait proud for his/ her achievement, so these brilliant athletes should be given all the necessary tools that would allow them to continue their path to success.

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Foster bags win for Britain and Ireland

LEMONT: Justin Rose, of England, waves to the crowd after making a par on the 18th hole during the third round at the BMW Championship golf tournament. —AP

Rose leads at BMW LEMONT: Britain’s Justin Rose carded a twounder-par 69 to open up a commanding four stroke lead after the third round of the BMW Championship on Saturday and give himself a shot at the season-ending $10 million jackpot.

With only the top 30 in the FedExCup standings after yesterday’s final round qualifying for next week’s Tour Championship in Atlanta, Rose arrived at the Cog Hill Golf and Country club sitting in 34th place and needing a good result to secure an invitation. “I’m aware that if I win I go to third,” Rose told reporters. “We’ve heard about being in the all important top five going into Atlanta, so it would certainly be a huge win at the right time.”

Adopting a gambler’s all-or-nothing approach, Rose surged clear of the field with a red-hot putter and some daring shot-making to finish the round at 13-under 200.

Australian John Senden was outright second at nine-under after recovering from a horrendous start to his third round. He bogeyed three of his first five holes but rallied on the back nine picking up four shots for a 70. “Disappointing start to the day,” admitted Senden. “I knew even if I dropped a couple shots, as I did, I didn’t really lose that much ground.

“I just knew that if I handled myself out there, I could fight back to whatever the score was and I was able to go out there and do that.”

Lurking a further shot back is another Australian, Geoff Ogilvy, who needed a birdie on his final hole at the Deutsche Bank two weeks

ago just to earn a spot in the 70-man field for the BMW. The former US Open champion made the most of his opportunity by returning a 68 to join American Bill Haas (69) five shots off the pace. Rose started the round tied for the lead with American Mark Wilson but after back-toback birdies at the fourth and fifth, he had the lead to himself for the rest of the day.

The Englishman displayed his willingness to roll the dice on the par four seventh when his tee shot cut left, bounced off the cart path and rolled to a stop deep in the woods.

Instead of safely punching out, Rose gambled and went for the green landing just on the fringe to save par. Rose’s only miscue on a brilliant late Summer’s day was a bogey at the 12th but he hit back with a birdie at 13 then held steady while his challengers crumbled.

Wilson’s day unraveled with back-to-back bogeys at 12 and 13 followed by a doublebogey at 16. He finished with a 77 to be tied for seventh with world number one Luke Donald, Sergio Garcia, Jim Furyk and Brandt Jobe.

“I ruined that opening round, obviously if I had shot something just halfway decent I’d be right in the mix,” said Donald, looking back at his opening 75. “Obviously Justin is playing very well and it’s kind of in his hands.” The top 30 in the FedExCup standings after yesterday’s final round will qualify for next week’s season-ending Tour Championship in Atlanta, where a $10 million bonus will go to the overall points champion.—Reuters

VERSAILLES: Britain and Ireland survived a gritty fight back by Continental Europe yesterday to clinch golf’s Seve Trophy by three points. Englishman Mark Foster finally ended a season of disappointments by making the decisive point in the penultimate match in the closing day’s singles.

His point gave the visiting side their sixth successive win, by 151/2 to 12-1/2.

“Brilliant in my first team event,” said Foster. “I so wanted to win it for the boys.” Paul McGinley’s away team had threatened a runaway victory when they led by five points overnight, needing three more to prevail.

McGinley, though, had warned his team that the hosts - superior to Britain and Ireland in terms of world ranking positions - would not lie down.

Jean Van de Velde’s Europeans, whose only win came in the inaugural 2000 version, refused to go quietly, winning the first five singles before the visitors stemmed the tide.

The continentals’ top man, Thomas Bjorn, with recent backto-back tour wins to his name and the leader on Europe’s Ryder Cup table, led the hosts’ revival by disposing of world number two Lee Westwood 2 & 1.

Dane Bjorn was behind until the 11th but nosed in front on the 14th and won by dint of a bogey by Westwood on the long 17th.

Italy’s 2010 Ryder Cup player Francesco Molinari then comfortably had the better of the previously unbeaten Jamie Donaldson, coasting home 4 & 3 against the Welshman.

The next to fall for the visitors

was another previously unbeaten player, England’s Simon Dyson.

Last week’s Dutch Open winner never got on terms with double European PGA champion Anders

Hansen and when the Dane matched Dyson’s desperate closing birdie he shaved the match by one hole.

A 4 & 3 victory by Swede Alex

FRANCE: Captain of Britain & Ireland, Paul McGinley holds the trophy after winning the Vivendi Seve Trophy against Continental Europe team at Saint Nom La Breteche. —AP

Noren, winner of the early June Wales Open over the Celtic Manor 2010 Ryder Cup course, over Englishman Robert Rock, brought Europe to within a point of their visitors.

When Miguel-Angel Jimenez defeated British Open champion Darren Clarke 4 & 2, Britain and Ireland’s chances looked to be in trouble. Clarke’s ball found a watery grave on 16 and Europe were on level terms for the first time in the week.

A half by debutants Nicolas Colsaerts of Belgium and England’s David Horsey pre served the status quo before Scotland’s Scott Jamieson, a tour rookie, held off Spaniard Pablo Larrazabal, four down after 10, by one hole to nose his side in front.

The 2010 WGC Matchplay champion Ian Poulter birdied on the last to seal a one-hole success against 18-year-old Matteo Manassero, leaving Britain and Ireland needing only half a point.

Foster, who has allowed three strokeplay victory chances to slip through his fingers this season, applied the coup-de-grace by overcoming Frenchman Raphael Jacquelin by a hole.

England’s 2009 World Matchplay champion Ross Fisher and Swede Peter Hanson then shook hands on a half, giving Europe the consolation of a 6-4 singles win.

“I knew it wasn’t all over and I can’t say enough about my team’s never-say-die spirit,” said McGinley. “What a fightback it was by Jean’s team after being so far behind.” Van de Velde said: “I’m very, very proud of my team for fighting back. My hat is off to them.”—Reuters

Sri Lanka take charge of Test

HARARE: Pakistan players celebrate their victory during the Twenty20 match against Zimbabwe. —AP

Pakistan sweep Zimbabwe HARARE: Pakistan completed a clean sweep of Zimbabwe by winning the second and final Twenty20 international by five runs at the Harare Sports Club yesterday.

Pakistan made 141 from their 20 overs with man of the match Mohammed Hafeez top-scoring with 51 before Zimbabwe were held to 136 for seven as the tourists gave coach Waqar Younis a winning send-off.

“We really thank Waqar. The way he worked with everybody. He did a wonderful job, the way he came in at a difficult time. He had good inputs. A lot of youngsters came in.

I’m going to miss him,” said skipper Misbah Ul Haq. “I’m really satisfied with the way the team played. All the players got a fair chance and everybody performed.

“It’s been a good tour for us. The Sri Lanka series (in the UAE in October) means a lot for us, we’re going to prepare well and play well against them.”

Hafeez added: “It was a great tour for me.

Thanks to the team, they supported me, our coach Waqar Younis. I’ll miss him.” The home side went down fighting, with Tatenda Taibu at the centre of the action in a dramatic last-

over finish.

With 20 runs required off the final six balls, Taibu smacked the first for a six over long-on and took a couple off each of the next four deliveries to leave six required off the last ball.

But Sohail Khan coolly bowled a full toss, wide outside off stump which Taibu was unable to get his bat on. Zimbabwe openers Vusi Sibanda and Chamu Chibhabha had struggled to keep ahead of the run-rate and the brakes were slammed on by slow bowler Saeed Ajmal, who dismissed Chibhabha.

Hafeez then caught Sibanda before getting rid of Cephas Zhuwao, Hamilton Maskadza and Zimbabwe skipper Brendan Taylor.

Elton Chigumbura (24) and Taibu (37 not out) provided late fireworks, but the home side fell short. Pakistan had been 34 for three at one stage before Hafeez, who scored 71 and took four wickets in Friday’s 85-run win, took charge.

He hit 51 off 38 balls before eventually falling to off-spinner Ray Price. Pakistan’s runrate was slowed and they scored just 36 runs in the last five overs, but it eventually proved just enough.—AFP

SCOREBOARD HARARE: Scoreboard in the Zimbabwe v Pakistan second and final Twenty20 international at the Harare Sports Club yesterday: Pakistan innings Mohd Hafeez c Chigumbura b Price 51 Asad Shafiq c Chigumbura b Chibhabha 9 Rameez Raja c Price b Jarvis 1 Shoaib Malik c Taibu b Chigumbura 11 Umar Akmal run out (Taibu/Chigumbura) 28 Misbah-ul-Haq c Taibu b Jarvis 15 Sohail Tanvir b Jarvis 7 Yasir Shah not out 11 Saeed Ajmal not out 1 Extras (w7) 7 Total (7 wickets) 141 Did not bat: Sohail Khan, Junaid Khan Fall of wickets: 1-19 (Asad Shafiq, 2.5 ov), 2-20 (Rameez Raja, 3.1 ov), 3-34 (Shoaib Malik, 5.5 ov), 4-93 (Mohammad Hafeez, 14.2 ov), 5-109 (Umar Akmal, 16.2 ov), 6-118 (Sohail Tanvir, 17.3 ov), 7136 (Misbah-ul-Haq, 19.2 ov) Bowling: Utseya 4-0-33-0, Jarvis 4-0-15-3, Chibhabha 4-0-38-1 (1w), Price 4-0-27-1, Chigumbura 4-0-28-1 (2w).

Zimbabwe innings V. Sibanda c Mohd Hafeez b Junaid Khan 15 C. Chibhabha c Yasir Shah b Saeed Ajmal 10 C. Zhuwao b Mohd Hafeez 12 B. Taylor c Misbah-ul-Haq b Mohd Hafeez 10 H. Masakadza c & b Mohd Hafeez 3 T. Taibu not out 37 C. Coventry b Junaid Khan 9 E. Chigumbura c Asad Shafiq b Tanvir 24 P. Utseya not out 2 Extras (lb6, w8) 14 Total (7 wickets) 136 Did not bat: K Jarvis, R Price Fall of wickets: 1-28 (Chibhabha), 2-37 (Sibanda), 3-42 (Zhuwao), 4-52 (Masakadza), 5-61 (Taylor), 6-71 (Coventry), 7-109 (Chigumbura) Bowling: Sohail Tanvir 4-0-36-1 (1w), Sohail Khan 4-0-31-0 (1w), Saeed Ajmal 4-1-21-1 (2w), Junaid Khan 4-0-23-2, Mohammad Hafeez 3-0-11-3, Yasir Shah 1-0-8-0.

Result: Pakistan won by five runs Series: Pakistan won the two-match series 2-0

COLOMBO: Skipper Tillakaratne Dilshan inspired Sri Lanka’s tenacious batting display as the hosts took charge of the third cricket Test against Australia in Colombo yesterday.

Sri Lanka, seeking a series-levelling win, closed the third day’s play at the Sinhalese Sports Club on 428-6 in their first innings, a lead of 112 runs over Australia’s 316 with four wickets in hand.

Dilshan struck a rousing 83, Kumar Sangakkara made 79 in his 100th Test appearance, Mahela Jayawardene hit 51 and Angelo Mathews returned unbeaten on 85 as Sri Lanka led Australia for the first time in the series.

Prasanna Jayawardene chipped in with 47, sharing a sixth-wicket stand of 81 with Mathews that increased Australia’s frustration in the field on a hot, humid day.

Dilshan, who had contributed just 56 runs in the previous four innings of the series, hammered 14 boundaries before he was caught behind off Trent Copeland just before tea.

Dilshan put on a valuable 121 for the fifth wicket with Mathews on either side of lunch after Australia had threatened to take charge in the morning session.

Australian fast bowler Peter Siddle, who battled bravely in trying conditions to finish the day with 2-76 from 27 overs, said his team faced a tough task over the next two days.

“It was a long hard day and hard work for the boys in hot weather,” said Siddle. “But the boys stuck at it well, kept it nice and tight and restricted them a little bit throughout the day.

“It will be interesting in the morning. It’s going to be really tough for us to win from here. The best we can do is to come out and quickly tie up the innings.

“Then go back and bat as best as we can for the next couple of days.” The tourists grabbed the crucial wickets of Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardene in the space of 12 runs after Sri Lanka resumed at the overnight score of 166-2.

The pair, who compiled Test cricket’s highest partnership of 624 at the same venue in 2006 against South Africa, put on 101 for the third wicket.

The two former Sri Lankan captains appeared to have settled in for the long haul when Australia earned a lucky break.

Jayawardene batted aggressively in the morning session to hit four boundaries but chased a wide ball from Shane Watson and edged a catch to wicket-keeper Brad Haddin. Jayawardene, who has hit 10 Test hundreds at the SSC, managed only a half-century this time.

Australia claimed the second new ball after 81 overs and met with immediate success when Siddle dismissed a well-set Sangakkara with the fourth delivery.

Sangakkara smashed the first ball to the cover fence, but edged a rising ball later in the same over to Haddin.

Dilshan, an opening batsman who demoted himself to number five for this match, had a harrowing start to his innings.

He left the first delivery from Watson, which dipped in dangerously close to the off-stump and had yet to get off the mark when a miscued shot off Watson fell just short of a diving Shaun Marsh at mid-on.

Dilshan opened his account with a flick off Mitchell Johnson for a boundary, which also brought up Sri Lanka’s 200 and then joined hands with Mathews to flay the Australian attack on a good wicket.

Mathews reached his third half-century in the series with two boundaries in one Siddle over after resumption. Australia are ahead 1-0 in the series, having won the first Test in Galle by 125 runs.—AFP

COLOMBO: Sri Lankan captain Tillakaratne Dilshan (right) plays a shot as Australia’s wicketkeeper Brad Haddin watches during the third day’s play of the third Test cricket match. —AP

SCOREBOARD COLOMBO: Scoreboard at the close on the third day of the third and final test between Sri Lanka and Australia yesterday: Australia first innings 316 (M Hussey 118) Sri Lanka first innings (overnight 166-2) T Paranavitana c Ponting b Johnson 46 L Thirimanne b Siddle 28 K Sangakkara c Haddin b Siddle 79 M Jayawardene c Haddin b Watson 51 T Dilshan c Haddin b Copeland 83 A Mathews not out 85 P Jayawardene c Clarke b Copeland 47 S Eranga not out 5

Extras: (b-1, lb-2, nb-1) 4 Total: (six wickets, 155 overs) 428 Fall of wickets: 1-56, 2-97, 3-198, 4-210. 5331, 6-412.

To bat: R Herath, C Welegedara, S Lakmal.

Bowling: Copeland 33-10-70-2, Siddle 277-76-2 (nb-1), Johnson 33-6-116-1, Watson 24-7-53-1, Lyon 34-5-91-0, Hussey 2-1-5-0, Ponting 2-0-14-0.

Australia lead the three-match series 1-0.

China stamp domination CHANGZHOU: Chinese shuttlers stamped their domination in world badminton once again when they won all but the men’s doubles title in the China Masters super series in Changzhou yesterday.

The Chinese team, which swept last month’s world championships for the second year running, won four titles after securing one-two finishes in three out of the five events.

Chen Long won the men’s singles title, defeating compatriot Chen Jin 21-16 22-20, while Jiang Yanjiao retired after injuring her knee to give team mate Wang Shixian the women’s singles crown. Women’s doubles world champions Yu Yang and Wang Xiaoli also retired, with the

title going to their teenage team mates Huan Xia and Tang Jinhua. “It is a pity that we couldn’t finish the final.

We were eager to defend our title but both of us aren’t in the good condition,” Yu said. “I had a stomach problem after arriving in Changzhou, and my partner sprained her ankle in yesterday’s match.”

South Korean pair Jung Jae-Sung and Lee Yong-Dae denied China the clean sweep by defeating world champion duo Cai Yun and Fu Haifeng 21-17 21-10 in the men’s doubles final.

In mixed doubles, China’s Xu Chen and Ma Jin defeated South Koreans Yoo Yeon-Seong and Jang Ye-Na 2113 21-16.—Reuters

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Mayweather stops Ortiz

HAMILTON: Samoa’s Maurie Faasavalu (right) is tackled by Walesí Andy Powell during their Rugby World Cup match at Waikato Stadium. —AP

Welsh defence defiant as English stutter to victory AUCKLAND: A huge defensive effort helped Wales overcome a bruising Samoan side to edge towards a rugby World Cup quarter-final berth on Sunday, while England struggled to an unconvincing win over Georgia that left coach Martin Johnson fuming.

In Napier, a much-changed France side were forced to deal with wet and windy weather before overcoming Canada 46-19, making it two wins from two in Pool A ahead of their mouthwatering clash with New Zealand on Saturday.

Conditions were much more favourable in Hamilton as Wales produced some entertaining rugby and fierce defence under sunny skies to claim a precious 17-10 victory over Samoa.

Winger Shane Williams scored the decisive try late in the second half with fullback James Hook and flyhalf Rhys Priestland kicking six points each to secure a victory that is likely to see them claim second place in Pool D behind South Africa.

Samoa prop Anthony Perenise crossed for a try late in the first half but they were unable to add to their tally in the second period as their burly backs were shut down by the Welsh, who made 142 tackles in the match.

“I thought we showed some great character,” Wales coach Warren Gatland said of his team, who were unfortunate to lose 17-16 to the Springboks in their opening match. “A few years ago, or 12 months earlier, we might not have won that game.”

While Wales took the plaudits in victory, Six Nations champions England faced criticism after their win in Dunedin as their old problems with discipline were evident again.

Late tries added gloss to the 41-10 victory over a tiring Georgian side, who had little rest time following their loss to Scotland on Wednesday.

England, the 2003 champions, struggled to gain territory and possession against their second tier opponents leaving manager Martin Johnson frustrated.

“It wasn’t good enough and if we are happy with those standards we’ll go home early,” Johnson warned his side, who gave away 14 penalties.

Some woeful kicking by Georgian flyhalf Merab Kvirikashvili and six tries by England, however, made sure there was no repeat of the upset suffered by TriNations champions Australia at the hands of Ireland on Saturday.

The Wallabies left Auckland on Sunday still stunned after their surprise defeat at Eden Park, with Ireland’s assistant coach Alan Gaffney suggesting Australia were perhaps guilty of over confidence.

“I possibly think, and this is not disrespectful, but I don’t know if they did quite show us enough respect,” Gaffney said from the team’s base in Taupo.

Gaffney and the Irish coaching staff also spent Sunday keen to convince record points scorer Ronan O’Gara to play on after the flyhalf revealed plans to retire after the tournament.

“He certainly hasn’t formally talked to us about it,” manager Paul McNaughton said. “He’s got a lot more to offer than the next few weeks.”

Australia’s loss to Ireland means they face a probable quarter-final against South Africa and, if they survive, a last four encounter with the All Blacks, who spent Sunday visiting earthquake damage in Christchurch on the second day of their stay in the city.

The All Blacks return to Auckland on Wednesday ahead of their clash with France, who for the second match in a row rallied late to overcome spirited opposition.

Winger Vincent Clerc completed a hattrick of tries with the final play of the game to secure a bonus point for the French, with scrumhalf Morgan Parra adding 23 points with the boot.

“Difficult first game last week but I’m very proud of the French team, it’s never easy to win against Canada with the rain,” France captain Aurelien Rougerie said.

There are no games today and there may be no more in the tournament for Dominiko Waqaniburotu after the Fijian flanker was cited for a dangerous tackle during his country’s 49-3 World Cup loss to defending champions South Africa on Saturday. Japan and Tonga are scheduled to announce their teams for their Pool A clash in Whangarei on Thursday.—Reuters

Stewart Lockie to Run in Chicago Marathon After his participation in the NYC Marathon in 2010, Stewart Lockie, GM, Retail Banking at Al Ahli Bank of Kuwait will be participating this year in the Chicago Marathon, which is scheduled to take place on October 9th in Chicago, Illinois. A veteran of 7 previous marathons, Lockie will be sponsored by ABK when he takes on this tough and challenging event.

Stewart is running to raise money for LIVESTRONG, the Global Cancer foundation, to raise awareness and support for all types of cancer related illnesses. To achieve this task he will have to complete 42 kilometres in distance within a set time. About his participation, Lockie said, “my pain and suffering for 42 kilometres is nothing compared to the battle people face every day with this dreaded illness”. He will join up to 40,000 other participants to run this distance through the streets of Chicago. ABK is delighted that in their midst they have such a determined individual who has taken this

LAS VEGAS: Floyd Mayweather hits Victor Ortiz during their WBC Welterweight bout. —AP tory, conceded the head-butt had been unfortunate but was eager to get a re-match with Mayweather.

“I apologised to him,” the 24year-old southpaw said after slipping to 29-3-2 with 22 knockouts. “I am not a dirty fighter. I am sorry for that. But I was doing just fine until that slip-up so I would love this rematch.”

Ortiz, who had said during the fight’s build-up that he had never been especially impressed by Mayweather’s fighting credentials, gave his own version of how the bout had ended.

“I was called to break by the referee (after the head-butt) and I obeyed exactly as I was told,” he said. “And then, boom, he blindsided me. It happens.

“As far as I was concerned, I came here to entertain the fans and I think they were entertained. There was a miscommunication with the referee but nobody is perfect and this was a learning experience.”

Watched by a crowd of around 15,000 that included former heavyweight champion Mike Tyson, American pop singer Christina Aguilera and basketball great Magic Johnson, Mayweather made a confident start.

He landed several body shots early in the opening round and dictated the tempo with a series of accurate right jabs. Though Ortiz forced Mayweather to back-peddle for much of round two and twice pinned him against the ropes, his opponent responded with a couple

of crunching rights to retain control. Mayweather continued to dominate, maintaining the initiative with accurate punching in round three and then upped the pace in the fourth before getting the knockout he had predicted earlier in the week.

He dominated the official ringside statistics, connecting with 73 of 208 punches thrown to 26 of 148 for Ortiz. Mayweather also landed 61 power punches compared to Ortiz’s 26.

Earlier on Saturday, Mexican boxing great Erik Morales, at the age of 35, stopped compatriot Pablo Cesar Cano after 10 of 12 scheduled rounds to claim the vacant WBC super lightweight world title.—Reuters

Stoner homes in on title with Aragon win ALCANIZ: Australian Casey Stoner moved a step closer to the MotoGP world title when he streaked away to win the Aragon Grand Prix yesterday.

The 2007 champion had started on pole, having set a lap record in qualifying, and after briefly slipping down to third, he hit the front on the second lap and left the rest of the field trailing.

Spaniard Dani Pedrosa, Stoner ’s Repsol Honda team mate, claimed his third consecutive runner-up spot while defending champion Jorge Lorenzo was third on a Yamaha.

With four races left, championship leader Stoner extended his lead over second-placed Lorenzo to 44 points, climbing to 284.

“We had a difficult race in San Marino (when Stoner came third two weeks ago) but we knew the problem, that I was tired and that the bike was good enough,” Stoner told Spanish television. “But this weekend the bike’s been good, I’ve been good and everything has been perfect.” Stoner went on to say riders’ worries about the fallout from the Fukushima nuclear disaster in March had been overcome ahead of the Sept.

30 Japanese Grand Prix.

“It looks like everything’s going ahead for Japan,” he said. “We found out as much information as we could and really there is no reason for us not to go there now. Three months ago it was a bit different, but I think everybody will be there.”

Under cloudy skies, with a gusting wind, Stoner and Pedrosa almost came together before the first bend at the MotorLand circuit and Ben Spies took advantage to nip into first place, but he did not hold on to it for long.

Stoner stormed back to take the lead and finished more than eight seconds ahead of Pedrosa, and 14 in front of Lorenzo.

SPAIN: MotoGP Honda rider Casey Stoner of Australia, on his way to win the MotoGP Aragon Motorcycle Grand Prix. —AP “We passed from glory in the last race to being a long way off Stoner and Pedrosa today,” Lorenzo said. “In the end this was the best result we were capable of.”

Earlier in the season, the Spaniard had also questioned the wisdom of going ahead with the Japan race but seemed to have changed his mind. “In the end we are going,” he said. “Let’s hope the race doesn’t go as badly as it did here.”

Italian Marco Simoncelli was fourth ahead of American Spies and Spaniard Alvaro Bautista.

Former champion Valentino Rossi came in

tenth after being forced to start from the pit lane with a 10-second penalty for opting to use a seventh engine in the race. Riders are allowed only six per campaign.

Spaniard Marc Marquez won the Moto 2 race ahead of Italians Andrea Iannone and Simone Corsi with championship leader Stefan Bradl of Germany finishing eighth.

Another Spaniard, championship leader Nico Terol, won the 125cc race ahead of Frenchman Johann Zarco and Spaniard Maverick Vinales.—Reuters

Dixon wins Indy Japan

Stewart Lockie, GM, Retail Banking at Al Ahli Bank of Kuwait challenge in support of others and wishes him good luck.

Surfing team prepares for Asian championship KUWAIT: Kuwait’s wakeboard surfing team continue preparations for the Asian championship which takes place in Malaysia next month. The team consists of Kuwait Sea Sports Club members Badr Al-Juhaim and Jenny Al-Failakawi who recently won gold at the world’s championship, in addition to Mai Al-Failakawi and Khalid Al-Shurai’an who participates in the continental event for the first time.

“We realizes that there are high expecta-

LAS VEGAS: Floyd Mayweather Jr took the WBC welterweight title from Victor Ortiz with a controversial fourth-round knockout on Saturday that prompted an angry response from the crowd and raised questions about his conduct in the ring.

Aggressive puncher Ortiz had knocked down 12 of his previous 13 opponents and he pinned fellow American Mayweather against the ropes before being penalised by referee Joe Cortez for a head-butt.

After a brief time-out, Ortiz apologised to his opponent in the centre of the ring by touching gloves before Mayweather suddenly responded with a left hook and crunching right that dropped Ortiz to the canvas at 2:59.

Boos rang out from the crowd in the MGM Grand Garden Arena but Mayweather, who improved his professional career record to a perfect 42-0 with 26 knockouts, was unrepentant.

“I got hit with a dirty shot, I was protecting myself at all times,” the 34-year-old said ringside. “I hit him with a left and then a right hand, and that ended the bout.”

Asked to describe what happened as a replay of the final moments was shown on a giant television screen, Mayweather replied: “We touched gloves and we were back to fighting, then I threw the left and right hand and that’s all she wrote.

“In the ring, you just have to protect yourself at all times. I was victorious. If he wants a re-match, he can get a re-match.”

Mayweather, widely regarded as the best defensive fighter of his generation, then showered his interviewer with abuse and said he had never been given “a fair shake”.

Ortiz, who took the WBC welterweight title from Andre Berto in April with a unanimous points vic-

tions that the team needs to meet following the great performance shown during the world championship”, said international competitor Al-Juhaim, referring to the tournament in Italy last August in which Kuwait finished in third place following a fierce competition featuring 260 competitors from 20 countries around the world.

The Asian championship is the last overseas tournament that Kuwait participates in this season, Al-Juhaim added.

MOTEGI: Pole-sitter Scott Dixon of New Zealand won the Indy Japan yesterday to stay in contention for the IndyCar series championship with two races to go.

The Target Chip Ganassi driver held off Will Power — who moved into the championship lead — to capture his second IndyCar win of the season.

“I’ve got to give a lot of credit to Team Target,” said Dixon, who won the Honda Indy 200 last month. “They gave me a great car with great pit stops and great fuel strategy.”

Team Penske’s Power moved into first place in the standings with 542 points, 11 ahead of Dario Franchitti, who finished in eighth place after being penalized for hitting Ryan Briscoe’s car on the 26th lap.

“I t was a good day for us points-wise in the championship, but I’m really not worried about points right now,” said Power. “I just need to keep finishing in front of (Franchitti) the rest of the way and we’ll be fine. We’ll keep chipping away

like we have been.”

Dixon, who finished 3.4375 seconds ahead of Power, is 59 points out of first place with two races to go. The final two races

Ring, so yesterday’s 63-lap race was held instead on the recently repaved 14-turn,2.9-mile road course.

Franchitti’s chances to hold

JAPAN: IndyCar driver Scott Dixon (center) of New Zealand, is flanked by second placed Will Power of Australia (left) and third placed Marco Andretti of the US, on the podium at the Indy Japan auto race. —AP

of the season in Kentucky and Las Vegas are on ovals.

The deadly March 11 earthquake damaged the oval at Twin

onto his lead in the standings were damaged when he made contact with the right-rear of Ryan Briscoe’s Team Penske car

entering Turn 1 on the 26th lap.

“It was a stupid move on my part,” said Franchitti, who started ninth. “I did a lot hard work to get from ninth to fifth, and I’d been saving fuel the whole first stint. I thought there was a gap and Ryan was going wide on the entry and that was that.”

Race officials levied an avoidable contac t penalty on the reigning series champion, which sent him to the rear of the field.

He advanced 17 spots to finish eighth.

Dixon has the distinction of winning on both the oval and now the road course at Motegi, having taken out the 2009 race.

Danica Patrick, who started 23rd on the grid, moved up to finish in 11th place. Defending I ndy Japan champion Helio Castroneves finished 22nd.

Yesterday’s race was the last IndyCar series event in Japan.

Mobilityland Corp., a wholly owned unit of Honda Motor Co., announced in February that due to the global economic downturn the 2011 race will be the last.—AP

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Iowa lawyers pore over a sex assault victim’s life DAVENPORT: Attorneys defending the University of Northern Iowa are heavily scrutinizing the life of a former student who was sexually assaulted by two football players in 2004 and is now accusing the school in a civil lawsuit of mistreating her and mismanaging its athletics department, court records show.

The Iowa Attorney General’s Office has been seeking details of the woman’s history on social media sites like Facebook since 2003, years of her cell phone records and personal photos and records detailing her mental health treatment before and after the assault, records show.

In addition, the office has repeatedly asked for records about her employment as a dancer at a strip club, a copy of her personal journal, and documentation related to her father’s mysterious death when she was a young child.

The woman was an 18-year-old freshman in November 2004 when she reported that UNI player Baylen

Laury had sex with her against her wishes in a dorm room and then arranged for teammate Joseph R. Thomas III to do the same. Thomas pleaded guilty to third-degree sexual abuse and testified against Laury, who claimed the sex was consensual but later pleaded guilty to misdemeanor assault with intent to inflict serious injury after three trials resulted in hung juries. Both men, freshmen recruits from Texas, served prison sentences.

The woman filed a civil lawsuit in 2007 alleging that most university administrators treated her with “great animosity ” after the assault. She claimed they failed to make academic accommodations she requested, declined to let her move to another dormitory and did nothing when she reported receiving harassing calls from players. After she quit school weeks later, the university sent her tuition bill to a collection agency and the dean of students told her she was disappointed “she didn’t tough it out,”

according to the lawsuit.

The Associated Press is withholding the name of the 25-year-old Davenport woman under its policy of not identifying sexual assault victims.

The lawsuit seeks damages for the loss of her access to education at UNI, pain and suffering and an order requiring the school to reform policies on assault and harassment to rein in what her attorneys call a culture where football recruits are more likely to show violence toward women. UNI has broadly denied her allegations in court documents.

A judge last week granted a joint request to delay the November trial.

No trial date has been set and attorneys reported they were in settlement talks, although no deal appears imminent. UNI spokesman Jim O’Connor referred questions about the case to the Attorney General’s Office, which defends state agencies accused of wrongdoing.

Spokesman Geoff Greenwood defended the attempt to pore

through the woman’s personal life, saying plaintiffs must substantiate their claims for monetary damages.

He said the information requested “is pretty standard” in such cases and noted that a judge ordered her in July to provide most of the records sought, including her Facebook history.

“We’re not defending the people who did this. We’re defending UNI and ultimately the state,” Greenwood said.

“We’re not blaming the plaintiff. We’re gathering information about her claims against UNI and her claims for damages.”

Greenwood said the woman has turned over partial information about her medical, employment, educational and social history but missed an Aug. 1 deadline set by the judge to provide additional records.

The woman’s attorneys say they have turned over all relevant material and many of the additional records sought either do not exist or are not in her possession. They claim some requests are harassing, irrelevant and

overly burdensome.

Her lead attorney, Pressley Henningsen, said he could not comment on the specifics of each evidentiary dispute and acknowledged filing a lawsuit can be an invasive undertaking. But Henningsen said he’s been surprised by the state’s aggressive stance given that no one disputes she was assaulted and the college should have a strong incentive to fix problems related to campus safety and athletics.

“It just furthers the hostile environment towards my client,” he said. “It appears as though they are taking a tactic that has been shunned by pretty much every person on the topic for decades-attack the victim-and I don’t understand why.”

“My client is resolute that what happened to her shouldn’t happen again. Given the fact the university is taking the approach they did nothing wrong, it’s clear they have a lesson to learn. We’re going to proceed forward.” —AP

Shaky Auburn beaten as Alabama pound N Texas

LOS ANGELES: Southern California tight end Rhett Ellison dives in for a touchdown as quarterback Matt Barkley (7) celebrates and Syracuse linebacker Marquis Spruill and linebacker Lewellyn Coker (11) look on during the first half of their NCAA college football game. —AP

Spain face Argentina in Davis Cup final clash LONDON: Novak Djokovic’s ailing back didn’t hold up yesterday, meaning Rafael Nadal won’t have to face his main nemesis in this year’s Davis Cup final.

Djokovic tried to help Serbia stage a comeback in their semifinal against Argentina despite a lingering back problem, but had to retire when trailing 7-6 (5), 3-0 against Juan Martin del Potro.

That sent Argentina into the final against Spain, which advanced after Nadal routed Jo-Wilfried Tsonga 6-0, 6-2, 6-4 on clay in Cordoba.

“I feel disappointed to end this tie this way,” Djokovic said. “My condition was 60 percent of what I had expected.”

Argentina ended up winning 3-2 after Serbia’s Janko Tipsarevic took the final meaningless match when Juan Monaco retired after losing the first set 6-2. Spain completed a 4-1 win after Fernando Verdasco beat Richard Gasquet in the final match.

Djokovic didn’t play at all on Friday, pulling out of the opening singles because his back had not recovered sufficiently from the injury he sustained during last week’s US Open final victory over Nadal.

But with Serbia trailing 2-1 going into the final day, the top-ranked Serb decided to give it a try. It didn’t work out, however, as he fell to the floor with back pains while trying to return a forehand during the final point of the third game in the second set, and couldn’t continue after that.

“I’m sad for him and wish him fast recovery,” Del Potro said. “He has everything to keep the No. 1 position.” It seems injuries are about the only thing that can stop Djokovic this year. He entered the weekend with a 64-2 record this year,

having won three majors. One of those two losses came when he had to retire with a sore shoulder against Andy Murray in the Cincinnati final last month.

The only player to beat Djokovic when fit this year is Roger Federer, in the French Open semifinals. Nadal certainly hasn’t been able to, losing all six of his matches against the Serb in 2011 - all of them in finals. The Spaniard was unusually blunt when he said this week he’d rather face Argentina than Serbia in the final.

Nadal also complained of fatigue after the grueling US Open final, but unlike Djokovic he showed no symptoms of it this weekend.

After a similarly impressive victory against Richard Gasquet on Friday, Nadal dominated the 10th-ranked Tsonga at Cordoba’s bullring to give the hosts a chance at a third title in four years.

Playing in temperatures hovering above 30 degrees Celsius (86ºF) all weekend, Nadal dropped just 10 games in two matches.

“Simply put, Rafa was just too good this weekend,” Tsonga said. “He’s the best player ever on clay court, I think, he’s practically unbeatable on this surface and today we didn’t create the exception.”

Nadal is now 14-0 on clay in Davis Cup and and 18-1 overall, his only loss coming on his debut. Nadal has already won three Davis Cup titles and will lead Spain into its sixth final since 2000 and eighth overall.

“You might think it gets easier to win but it doesn’t,” Nadal said. “Thanks to the excellent relations inside the team, the Spanish players have stayed united over the years to keep winning.” —AP

BELGRADE: Juan Martin Del Potro of Argentina reacts after winning the first set during his World Group Davis Cup semifinals tennis match against Novak Djokovic of Serbia. —AP

CLEMSON: Auburn’s porous defense finally caught up with college football’s defending champion, beaten 38-24 by Clemson on Saturday, ending a long winning streak.

Led by quarterback Tajh Boyd’s 386 passing yards and four touchdowns, Clemson didn’t allow Auburn to play one of those close games it has become so good at winning.

Auburn took a 14-0 lead in the first quarter before Boyd began hitting his targets over the final three periods. Clemson converted 10 straight third-down attempts as it improved to 3-0 for the first time since 2007.

touchdowns, including a 90yarder, as the Ducks cruised.

James’ 90-yard dash was Oregon’s longest since 1938. He also had a 1-yard TD in the first quarter and a 50-yarder in the third.

Virginia Tech 26, Arkansas State 7 In Blacksburg, Virginia, Logan Thomas threw for 292 yards and two touchdowns for the Hokies, who are 3-0 for the first time since 2006.

Thomas hit D.J. Coles with a short pass that Coles took 49 yards

late interception for the Fighting Irish.

The Spartans, who stunned Notre Dame in overtime a year ago with a game-winning TD pass off a fake field goal, tried to surprise the Irish with another fake late in the first half but it failed.

Florida 33, Tennessee 23 In Gainesville, Chris Rainey had 233 total yards, including an 83yard touchdown catch, and the Gators extended their dominance of the Volunteers.

Rainey finished with 108 yards rushing, 104 yards receiving and

Alabama 41, North Texas 0 In Tuscaloosa, Alabama, Trent Richardson and Eddie Lacy had two long touchdown runs and career rushing highs each as the Crimson Tide’s defense smothered the Mean Green. Richardson scored three times - including a 58-yarder and a career-long 71yarder.

Alabama recorded its first shutout since 2009, thanks to a blocked field goal by Robert Lester and a goal line stand in the final minutes.

Wisconsin 49, Northern Illinois 7 In Chicago, Russell Wilson threw for 347 yards and three scores, Montee Ball rushed for another two TDs and the Badgers piled up more than 600 yards in the game at Soldier Field.

Ball finished with 91 yards on 18 carries, James White added 100 yards and another score, and Nick Toon had two TD catches for the Badgers, who have won 31 straight against non-conference opponents in the regular season.

Wisconsin also improved to 12-1 against the Huskies.

LYNCHBURG: Liberty’s Mike Brown (10) dives over several James Madison players to score a touchdown during an NCAA college football game. —AP

South Carolina 24, Navy 21 In Columbia, South Carolina, Marcus Lattimore ran for a careerhigh 246 yards and three touchdowns to help the Gamecocks hang on to defeat Navy. South Carolina ran 37 plays in the second half, and Lattimore touched the ball on 26 of them.

Oregon 56, Missouri State 7 In Eugene, Oregon, LaMichael James ran for 204 yards and three

West Virginia 37, Maryland 31 In College Park, Maryland, Geno Smith threw for a careerhigh 388 yards, and the Mountaineers withstood a furious comeback.

After WVU let a 24-point lead dwindle to 34-31 with 10:29 remaining, Smith directed a 14play, 65-yard drive that produced a field goal with 4:42 left.

The Terrapins then moved to the West Virginia 35 before Eain Smith intercepted a Danny O’Brien pass with 1:13 remaining to seal it.

Baylor 48, Stephen F. Austin 0 In Waco, Texas, the Bears celebrated their highest ranking since 1991 by routing Stephen F. Austin in a game that ended in the third quarter because of lightning.

With Baylor already up 31-0, the schools agreed to skip halftime and to trim the final two quarters by 3 minutes each. The game was halted for a second time with 2:58 left in the third quarter and the coaches decided to let the clock run out.

Texas A&M 37, Idaho 7 In College Station, Texas, Cyrus Gray had three touchdowns and 101 yards rushing, and Ryan Tannehill threw for 337 yards and two scores as the Aggies shook off a sloppy start.

Gray notched his ninth straight 100-yard game dating to last season. Idaho had to punt 10 times, converted just two of 14 third downs and gave away nine penalties.

Nebraska 51, Washington 38 In Lincoln, Nebraska, Taylor Martinez threw for two touchdowns and ran for a third to lead the Cornhuskers.

Nebraska won the third meeting of the teams in a year.

Nebraska won in Seattle last September but lost in a rematch at the Holiday Bowl. The Huskies had their six-game winning streak ended.

Ohio State quarterbacks completed only 4 of 17 passes, and the Buckeyes are in danger of falling out of the AP Top 25 for the first time in nearly seven years.

LEXINGTON: Louisville’s Jeremy Wright is tackled by Kentucky’s Mister Cobble during the first half of their NCAA college football game. —AP for a touchdown, and also found Danny Coale from 4 yards out.

Thomas was 21 for 33 and also threw two interceptions.

Notre Dame 31, Michigan State 13 In South Bend, Indiana, Cierre Wood ran for two touchdowns, freshman George Atkinson III returned a kickoff 89 yards for a score and Robert Blanton had a

blocked a punt that led to a field goal. His touchdown sealed it, allowing the Gators to push their winning streak in the series to seven games.

Miami 24, No. 17 Ohio State 6 In Miami, Lamar Miller ran for 188 yards and Jacory Harris threw two first-quarter touchdown passes to Allen Hurns as Miami topped Ohio State.

South Florida 70, Florida A&M 17 In Tampa, Florida, B.J. Daniels threw for a career-high 382 yards and four touchdowns as the Bulls destroyed Florida A&M. Daniels led South Florida to touchdowns on eight of 10 drives before leaving the game for good in the third quarter. Darrell Scott had a big night, too, rushing for a career-best 146 yards and scoring two TDs on the ground.

Illinois 17, Arizona State 14 In Champaign, Illionois, Nathan Scheelhaase threw a 16-yard touchdown pass to A.J. Jenkins with less than 10 minutes left to seal Illinois’ win over Arizona State.

With Illinois trailing 14-10, defensive end Whitney Mercilus hit Sun Devils quarterback Brock Osweiler in the back and knocked the ball loose to linebacker Ian Thomas. Four plays later, Scheelhaase found Jenkins for the winning score.

Texas 49, UCLA 20 In Pasadena, California, Case McCoy passed for 168 yards and two touchdowns, D.J. Grant made his first three career TD catches, and the Longhorns avenged last season’s stunning home loss to the Bruins.

Malcolm Brown rushed for 110 yards and a score, and Fozzy Whittaker ran for two more touchdowns for the Longhorns, who got solid production from young quarterbacks McCoy and David Ash. Texas Christian 38, Louisiana-Monroe 17 In Fort Worth, Greg McCoy returned the second-half kickoff 94 yards for a touchdown for the Horned Frogs.

TCU matched a Mountain West Conference record with its 21st consecutive home win. The win gave Gary Patterson his 100th victory as the Horned Frogs’ coach.—AP

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Real slump at Levante

GERMANY: Schalke’s players jump for the ball during the German First Division Bundesliga soccer match between Schalke 04 and Bayern Munich. —AP

Bayern reclaim top, Dortmund shocked BERLIN: Bayern Munich’s 2-0 win at Schalke fired the Bavarian giants back to the top of the German league yesterday, while champions Borussia Dortmund suffered a second straight defeat as they lost 2-1 at Hanover.

Bayern are two points clear at the top of the table after six games and have now gone eight games without conceding a goal, thanks mainly to ex-Schalke goalkeeper Manuel Neuer who remains unbeaten for 748 minutes.

With Germany striker Mario Gomez out with a groin injury, new Bayern signing Nils Petersen took his chance and put his side ahead on 21 minutes after some good work from France wing Franck Ribery.

Bayern made sure of the win when Germany midfielder Thomas Mueller took advantage of some sloppy Schalke defending to score the second on 75 minutes.

“That was another strong performance from my team,” said Bayern coach Jupp Heynckes. “The second-half was our best 45 minutes of this season.” As expected, exSchalke captain Neuer had a hostile reception on his first return to Gelsenkirchen with Munich since leaving the Royal Blues.

As well as constant whistles, Schalke fans chanted “Judas” and one banner read: “We mourn M. Neuer - who died between 2005-

2011 - Resurrected as spineless puppet”.

“That was tasteless,” said Heynckes.

“Manuel doesn’t deserve treatment like that.”

Neuer said he was not surprised by the response. “I knew what to expect, these are emotional fans,” he said. “I had expected I might get something like this and had prepared myself for it.”

Dortmund’s poor start to the season continues as they were floored by two late goals in two minutes with Ivory Coast striker Didier Ya Konan netting the winner to seal Hanover’s victory.

Having been beaten at home by Hertha Berlin last Saturday, this was Dortmund’s third loss against two wins in six games this season, leaving Jurgen Klopp’s young team in 11th place.

Japan winger Shinji Kagawa put Dortmund 1-0 up on 63 minutes, before Hanover captain Karim Haggui crashed home his header on 87 minutes to level.

With the Dortmund defence reeling, Ya Konan fired home to give Hanover their third win of the season on 89 minutes.

In a frantic finish, Hanover’s Poland striker Artur Sobiech was shown a straight red card for tackling Dortmund’s Brazilian midfielder Antonio da Silva from behind just before the final whistle. —AFP

German League results/standings German League results and standings yesterday: Hanover 2 (Haggui 87, Ya Konan 89) Borussia Dortmund 1 (Kagawa 63); Schalke 04 0, Bayern Munich 2 (Petersen 21, Mueller 75).

Played Saturday: Bayer Leverkusen 1 (Rolfes 70) Cologne 4 (Novakovic 44, Podolski 47, 54, Jajalo 90); Hamburg 0 Borussia M’gladbach 1 (de Camargo 66); Nuremberg 1 (Wollscheid 62) Werder Bremen 1 (Ekici 24); Hertha Berlin 2 (Lell 46, Torun 57) Augsburg 2 (Hosogai 20, Callsen-Bracker 64); Hoffenheim 3 (Babel 20, Roberto Firmino 23, 85) VfL Wolfsburg 1 (Dejagah 67) Kaiserslautern 3 (Sukuta-Pasu 24, Shechter 54, Tiffert 73) Mainz 05 1 (Choupo-Moting 15).

Played Friday: Freiburg 1 (P. Cisse 84) VfB Stuttgart 2 (Harnik 32, 73) German League table after the weekend’s matches (played, won, drawn, lost, goals for, goals against, points): Bayern Werder Borussia Hoffenheim Hanover 96 Stuttgart Leverkusen Nuremberg Schalke 04

6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6

5 4 4 4 3 3 3 3 3

0 1 1 0 2 1 1 1 0

1 1 1 2 1 2 2 2 3

18 12 8 12 8 9 7 6 11

1 6 3 5 8 4 7 6 10

15 13 13 12 11 10 10 10 9

Hertha Dortmund Cologne Mainz 05 Wolfsburg K’slautern Freiburg Augsburg Hamburg

6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6

2 2 2 2 2 1 1 0 0

3 1 1 1 0 2 1 3 1

1 3 3 3 4 3 4 3 5

8 7 11 8 7 5 10 6 6

7 6 15 13 12 9 18 12 17

9 7 7 7 6 5 4 3 1

Juve win, Conte enjoys happy return to Siena ROME: Juventus maintained their perfect start to the season with a 1-0 win at Siena yesterday in a match that saw the Turin club’s new coach Antonio Conte get one over on the team he left in the summer.

Conte cut his teeth as an assistant coach at the modest Tuscan club and returned last year to lead them to promotion back into the top-flight.

However, his new-look Juve teamfresh from thumping Parma last weekspoiled Siena’s first home game of the campaign by running out 1-0 winners at the Artemio Franchi stadium, Alessandro Matri getting the game’s only goal nine minutes into the second-half after Mirko Vucinic had done the spadework.

After two disappointing seasons in which Italian football’s most successful club have finished in a lowly seventh place, excited supporters are now hoping to see their team end the Milan clubs’ domination of the Scudetto, but Conte was eager to play down such talk afterwards.

“The title? It’s far too early for such talk,” he told Sky Italia. “This is a difficult place to come. Many teams will suffer here, and I especially hope the big teams struggle to get points at this ground, but I was very pleased with the Juve performance today.

“There are other teams who are stronger than us at the moment. As well as Milan, there is Napoli and Lazio too.

But we still have plenty of room for improvement.”

Elsewhere, Udinese made it two wins

from two as they got the better of Fiorentina at the Stadio Friuli. Antonio Di Natale got the breakthrough for the hosts from the penalty spot eight minutes in before Mauricio Isla doubled the lead prior to the half-hour mark.

A disappointing result was compounded by what looked like a potentially serious knee injury to striker Alberto Gilardino. The 29-year-old will undergo tests today to determine the full extent of the problem.

Lazio have high hopes for this season, and after drawing at champions Milan in their opening game they were looking for a first win when they hosted Genoa in Rome. Giuseppe Sculli gave Lazio the lead against the club he left back in January but Genoa fought back in the second-half to seal a 2-1 victory courtesy of goals from Rodrigo Palacio and Juraj Kucka. Sebastian Giovinco scored a brace, including a winner in injury-time, as Parma beat Chievo, while a Maxi Lopez penalty proved enough for Catania to beat Cesena in Sicily and Lecce ran out 20 winners at Bologna.

In yesterday’s early game, Palermo conquerors of Inter last weekend - went down 1-0 at Atalanta in a match played in farcical conditions in Bergamo.

The match was delayed for 40 minutes in the second-half to give ground staff a chance to drain a pitch that had become waterlogged in torrential rain, but when the players returned, Palermo were unable to find a reply to German Denis’ first-half counter for the hosts. —AFP

MADRID: Ten-man Real Madrid crashed to a 1-0 defeat at modest Levante yesterday, a morale-sapping setback coming just 24 hours after bitter rivals Barcelona had staged an eight-goal masterclass against Osasuna.

Real rested Cristiano Ronaldo and Mesut Ozil as they looked to maintain their 100 percent record and keep pace with leaders Valencia who beat Sporting Gijon 1-0 to keep up their own perfect start.

But the defeat left Jose Mourinho’s side in fourth spot, three points behind Valencia and one back from Barcelona. Real had plenty of possession but Levante defended resolutely.

Kaka missed an early chance and Karim Benzema was a danger but Real’s task became a lot harder following the dismissal of Sami Khedira for a second yellow card.

Ronaldo was brought on after the break but Real still were unable to create clear-cut chances and instead they were caught on the break through Arouna Kone who grabbed the only goal in the 68th minute.

On Saturday, Lionel Messi grabbed a hat-trick as Barcelona responded emphatically to questions over their motivation by demolishing Osasuna.

David Villa (2), Cesc Fabregas and Xavi were also on target, while the unfortunate Roversio scored an own-goal, as the Spanish and European champions rebounded from two successive draws.

Barca coach Pep Guardiola denied there was ever a problem inside the dressing room and insisted he was never worried by criticism that his side had become complacent with success.

“I wasn’t angry, people said I was angry but it wasn’t the case. Obviously there is a part of the media which wants Barcelona to do badly and likewise there is a section which wants Real Madrid to do so,” he said after the game.

“I am not angry because my players haven’t given me a reason to be so. I defend my players and my job is to convince them that they can win every game. If one day I think my players haven’t worked hard enough I will say it.”

A poacher’s goal from in-form Roberto Soldado gave Valencia victory over Sporting Gijon while Radamel Falcao fired a hat-trick as he led Atletico Madrid to a 4-0 victory over Racing Santander.

New signings Falcao and Diego were combining well, and the Colombian started the rout slotting home clinically after 23 minutes. He then sent the keeper the wrong way with a penalty before half-time and completed his hat-trick ten minutes into the second half. Substitute Adrian Lopez scored 12 minutes from the end for a resounding win. Luis Garcia hit both goals, including a last-minute winner, as he helped Zaragoza to a 2-1 victory over his former club Espanyol.

The visitors’ Javi Lopez equalised Garcia’s

VALENCIA: Levanteís Arouna Kone from Ivory Coast (center) reacts after scoring against Real Madrid with fellow team members Javi Venta (right) and Sergio Ballesteros (left) during their La Liga soccer match. — AP

Spanish League results/standings Spanish League results and standings yesterday: Getafe 0, Rayo Vallecano 1 (Michu 4); Zaragoza 2 (Luis Garcia 29, 90+1) Espanyol 1 (Javi Lopez 71); Atletico Madrid 4 (Falcao 23, 36-pen, 55, Adrian 78) Racing Santander 0; Levante 1 (Kone 68) Real Madrid 0.

Played Saturday Sporting Gijon 0, Valencia 1 (Soldado 29); Granada 1 (Uche 55) Villarreal 0; Mallorca 0, Malaga 1 (Caceres og-39); Barcelona 8, (Messi 4, 40, 78, Fabregas 13, Villa 33, 76, Roversio 39-og, Xavi 57) Osasuna 0; Sevilla 1 (Kanoute 53) Real Sociedad 0.

Spanish League table after Real Madrid defeat at Levante yesterday (played, won, drawn, lost, goals for, goals against, points): Valencia 3 3 0 0 6 3 9 Barcelona 3 2 1 0 15 2 7 Sevilla 3 2 1 0 5 3 7 Real Madrid 3 2 0 1 10 3 6

opener and the match appeared to be heading for a draw until Zaragoza won a penalty three minutes from time.

Garcia saw his spot-kicked blocked by ‘keeper Cristian Alvarez but there was still time for him to make amends and score the winner in injury time.

Malaga Real Betis Levante Rayo Atletico Sociedad Zaragoza Osasuna Espanyol Real Mallorca Grenade Bilbao Getafe Racing Villarreal Sporting

3 2 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 2 3 3 3 3

2 2 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 0 0 0 0 0

0 0 2 2 1 1 1 1 0 0 0 1 1 1 1 0

1 0 0 0 1 1 1 1 2 2 2 1 2 2 2 3

6 2 2 2 4 4 2 2 3 1 1 2 3 3 2 2

2 0 1 1 1 4 7 9 4 2 5 3 6 8 8 5

6 6 5 5 4 4 4 4 3 3 3 1 1 1 1 0

An early Michu header gave Rayo Vallecano a 1-0 Madrid derby victory at Getafe in yesterday’s early game. It was the first time that the two lesser lights of the Spanish capital had met in the top flight and Rayo, carrying a greater threat in front of goal, came out on top.—AFP

Sunderland crush Stoke Sunderland 4

Stoke 0

LONDON: Sunderland finally secured their first Premier League win of the season with an impressive 4-0 demolition of Stoke City at the Stadium of Light yesterday.

Steve Bruce’s side had scored only twice in their previous five matches but they surged into a three-goal lead inside half an hour thanks to Titus Bramble’s first goal for the club, a Jonathan Woodgate own goal and Craig Gardner’s deflected strike.

Sebastian Larsson’s second-half free-kick sealed the win as Stoke were beaten for the first time in 10 games in all competitions.

Sunderland’s rampant display was enough to lift Bruce’s team out of the relegation zone after two draws and two defeats in their first four matches.

They took the lead in the fifth minute. Rory Delap could not cut out Larsson’s corner at the near post and when the ball fell to Bramble, his low shot squirmed away from keeper Asmir Begovic and trickled over the line.

Things got even better within six minutes when Woodgate, in his desperation to beat Nicklas Bendtner to David Vaughan’s curling cross, could only head the ball over the stranded Begovic and into his own net.

A Stoke side featuring eight changes to the one that drew 1-1 at Dynamo Kiev in the Europa League in mid-week looked strangely toothless, although Simon Mignolet had to pull off a fine one-handed save to claw Marc Wilson’s 16th-minute free-kick away from his top corner.

But their hopes of launching a comeback were dealt a further blow with 28 minutes gone when Gardner collected Bendtner’s pass and saw his shot loop up off Ryan Shawcross and sail over the stranded Begovic into the top corner.

Stoke striker Peter Crouch, who was jeered throughout by the home fans after rejecting Sunderland’s advances for the second time last month, headed straight at Mignolet three minutes before the break.

And the game was effectively over in the 58th minute as Larsson beat Begovic with a superb free-kick. Crouch was guilty of a glaring miss at the other end four minutes later when he could not get a touch with the goal at his mercy, much to the amusement of the home fans. —AFP

LONDON: Sunderland’s Ji Dong-Won (left) vies for the ball with Stoke City’s captain Ryan Shawcross (right) during their English Premier League soccer match.— AP

EPL results/standings English Premier League results and standings yesterday: Fulham 2 (Zamora 55, Murphy 75) Man City 2 (Aguero 18, 46); Man Utd 3 (Smalling 8, Nani 37, Rooney 45) Chelsea 1 (Torres 46); Sunderland 4 (Bramble 5, Woodgate 11-og, Gardner 28, Larsson 58) Stoke 0; Tottenham 4 (Modric 7, Defoe 66, Adebayor 68, 90) Liverpool 0.

Played Saturday Aston Villa 1 (Agbonlahor 13) Newcastle 1 (Best 57); Blackburn 4 (Yakubu 25, 59, Song 50-og, Koscielny 69-og) Arsenal 3; (Gervinho 10, Arteta 34, Chamakh 85); Bolton 1 (Petrov 64-pen) Norwich 2 (Pilkington 37, Johnson 42); Everton 3 (Jagielka 33, Vellios 84, Drenthe 90) Wigan 1 (Di Santo 31); Swansea 3 (Sinclair 14-pen, Lita 24, Dyer 49) West Brom 0; Wolves 0, QPR 3 (Barton 8, Faurlin 10, Campbell 87).

English Premier League table after yesterday’s matches (played, won, drawn, lost, goals for, goals against, points): Man Utd Man City Chelsea Newcastle Stoke Aston Villa Everton Liverpool QPR Wolves

5 5 5 5 5 5 4 5 5 5

5 4 3 2 2 1 2 2 2 2

0 1 1 3 2 4 1 1 1 1

0 0 1 0 1 0 1 2 2 2

21 17 8 4 3 6 6 6 4 4

4 5 6 2 5 4 4 7 6 6

15 13 10 9 8 7 7 7 7 7

Tottenham Sunderland Norwich Swansea Wigan Blackburn Arsenal Fulham Bolton West Brom

4 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5

2 1 1 1 1 1 1 0 1 1

0 2 2 2 2 1 1 3 0 0

2 2 2 2 2 3 3 2 4 4

7 6 5 3 4 7 6 4 8 3

8 4 7 5 7 10 14 7 13 8

6 5 5 5 5 4 4 3 3 3

Real slump at Levante

Mayweather stops Ortiz

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Spain face Argentina in Davis Cup final clash Page 18

LONDON: Manchester United’s Nani (second right) is tackled by Chelsea’s John Terry (left) during their English Premier League soccer match at Old Trafford. —AP

United put Chelsea to the sword Man United 3

Chelsea 1

MANCHESTER: Manchester United displayed their killer instinct as the champions moved two points clear at the top of the Premier League with a 3-1 win over title rivals Chelsea at Old Trafford yesterday.

Sir Alex Ferguson’s side scored three times before half-time through Chris Smalling, Nani and Wayne Rooney, while

Chelsea squandered a host of chances as the visitors crashed to their first defeat under new boss Andre Villas-Boas.

Fernando Torres pulled one back for the visitors in the second half, with Rooney also missing from the penalty spot, but United’s fifth win in five matches ensured they took advantage of second placed Manchester City’s 2-2 draw at Fulham.

Smalling opened the scoring with his first Premier League goal in the eighth minute before Nani doubled the lead from long range.

Rooney added a third just before half time, his ninth in five Premier League outings this season. Torres reduced the deficit with his second goal in 19 Premier League

appearances, but the Spaniard also produced an early candidate for miss of the season-stabbing wide of an open goal in the closing stages.

United equalled a club record of 18 straight home league wins, while former Porto coach Villas-Boas lost a league match for the first time since April 2010.

Chelsea had enjoyed the better start, with David de Gea forced into a save from a Ramires volley after just two minutes.

Daniel Sturridge also shot wide from just outside the area as the visitors continued to threaten but United took the lead with their first real attack.

Ashley Young sent over a free kick from the left and, with Chelsea appealing for offside, Smalling got in behind the

defence to head past Petr Cech.

Torres was quickly given the chance to equalise for Chelsea after latching on to a slack Anderson pass, but the Spaniard’s low effort missed the target.

Frank Lampard had an effort deflected past the post by Jonny Evans and from the Juan Mata corner that followed, Branislav Ivanovic headed straight at De Gea. Chelsea should have pulled level when Mata played Torres through and the Spaniard squared for Ramires, who shot weakly at De Gea from less than 10 yards out. The visitors continued to dominate possession and chances and from a Torres flick from Ashley Cole’s cross, Sturridge was once again denied by De Gea. But eight minutes before half time

Spurs rout Liverpool

United doubled their lead with a fine effort from Nani. Evans picked out the Portuguese on the right with a long crossfield ball and the winger cut inside Mata before finding the top corner with a powerful shot from long-range.

And United made the game safe just before half time thanks to Phil Jones’ long run from half way. The former Blackburn defender broke into the area and passed for Nani before Terry’s attempted clearance hit Nani and fell for Rooney, who touched in at the far post.

Torres ended his goal drought just 30 seconds after the restart to give Chelsea some hope. The Spaniard raced through on to a pass from half-time substitute Nicolas Anelka to score with a chipped fin-

Fulham fightback frustrates City

Tottenham 4 Fulham 2 Liverpool 0 Man City 2 LONDON: Tottenham swept to their biggest win over Liverpool for 48 years as Luka Modric inspired a 4-0 victory over the nine-man visitors at White Hart Lane yesterday. Modric opened the scoring with a stunning strike early in the first half and the Croatian midfielder pulled the strings for the rest of the game as shambolic Liverpool imploded in spectacular fashion.

Charlie Adam and Martin Skrtel were sent off for second bookings either side of half-time and Spurs took full advantage as Jermain Defoe increased their lead before Togo striker Emmanuel Adebayor netted twice on his home debut.

Liverpool boss Kenny Dalglish, who has been upset with refereeing decisions this season and met referees’ chief Mike Riley last week, was furious with Mike Jones as the pair walked down the tunnel at the interval, but his complaints can’t hide a dismal display that condemned his team to their second successive defeat. Spurs were looking for their fifth straight home win over Liverpool and dominated from kickoff. They had already created a clear-cut opening before Modric broke the deadlock. Brad Friedel’s long clearance was flicked on Lucas Leiva and it allowed Niko Kranjcar to play the ball through for Adebayor.

Adebayor had plenty of time to compose himself but rushed his finish and volleyed wide of the post.

But Spurs were not made to wait long for their goal. A long passing move resulted in Gareth Bale crossing

LONDON: Tottenham Hotspur’s Brad Friedel (left) is beaten as Liverpool’s Luis Suarez (right) finds the net during their English Premier League soccer match. The goal was ruled offside and not given. —AP for Defoe and the striker getting tackled on the edge of the area by Jose Enrique.

The ball fell to Modric 25 yards from goal and he did not break stride as he powered his finish into the top corner, with his effort still rising as it hit the roof of the net. Modric celebrated in front of Spurs fans for his first goal since his attempt to force a move to Chelsea ended in failure. Spurs could have added to their goal before the half-time interval, with Modric forcing Pepe Reina into a save with a placed shot from the edge of the area. It got worse for Liverpool when Adam received two bookings in the space of 16 minutes. The first was for hauling down Modric, then the

second arguably warranted a straight dismissal for a studs-up challenge on Scott Parker on the edge of the penalty area. Dalglish’s mood did not get better when Luis Suarez was played through by Andy Carroll but ruled offside as he put the ball in the net.

The Liverpool manager vented his fury at the fourth official but replays showed it to be a correct decision. Skrtel and Sebastian Coates were booked for halting swift Spurs attacks, while Suarez received a yellow card for sarcastically clapping an offside decision. It was enough for Dalglish to wait by the edge of the pitch for Jones at half-time, with the argument carrying on down tunnel. —AFP

ish. But 10 minutes later Nani drove a shot on to the bar and collected the rebound before he was pulled down by Jose Bosingwa in the area, with referee Phil Dowd awarding a penalty. However, Rooney slipped as he ran up to take the penalty and shot well wide of Cech’s goal.

Chelsea continued to press forward, with substitute Romelu Lukaku having an effort deflected wide from close range before Torres was denied by De Gea. Rooney was also denied by the post after stabbing Patrice Evra’s cross towards the corner. With seven minutes remaining, Ramires played Torres through but the striker went around De Gea and shot embarrassingly wide of an open goal from close range.—AFP

LONDON: Manchester City dropped their first Premier League points of the campaign after squandering a two-goal lead in a 2-2 draw at Fulham yesterday.

Roberto Mancini’s side appeared on course for victory when Sergio Aguero struck twice inside 46 minutes to take his personal tally to eight goals in his first five Premier league appearances. But Fulham staged a stirring fightback to recover through goals from Bobby Zamora and Danny Murphy.

The draw meant City missed the chance to exert maximum pressure on neighbours Manchester United who started the day level on points with Mancini’s side at the head of the table. Fulham, meanwhile, claimed their third point of the season thanks to a performance that gave hope to new manager Martin Jol after a difficult start. The Cottagers were spurred by the added incentive of attempting to haul themselves off the foot of the Premier League table following the previous day’s results.

But after a positive start, Jol’s side quickly found themselves pushed back as City shook off the disappointment of their midweek draw

against Napoli in the Champions League and took control of the game.

Mancini’s team has carried a familiar look during the opening weeks of the season and the manager once again left Carlo Tevez on the bench and placed his faith in the attacking quartet of Aguero, Samir Nasri, Edin Dzeko and David Silva. And once the City forwards clicked into gear, Fulham’s defenders found themselves continually stretched to near breaking point. They were ahead after 18 minutes when Silva turned provider and Aguero provided the first example of the finishing that has already established him as one of the league’s outstanding strikers. Gareth Barry played the ball into Silva’s feet and the former Valencia man picked out Aguero who had moved into space just inside the Fulham area.

The home side claimed the Argentine was in an offside position when he received the ball, and television replays suggested they had a case, but Aguero finished easily past Mark Schwarzer to put City in control. From that point Fulham struggled vainly to gain a foothold in the first half.

Yet for all City’s dominance, Mancini’s side created little in the way of clear opportunities and when they did, found Schwarzer to be in impressive form. He produced an outstanding reaction save to tip Dzeko’s first time shot over the bar after Silva had set up his team-mate with a well weighted pull back.

Having restricted City to just one goal, Fulham had every right to believe they could force their way back into the game despite having been out-played. —AFP

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Greek default becoming a reality, EU in focus Page 23

MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 19, 2011

Fed’s dilemma: Twist or shout

KSE stocks lose track Page 24

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FRANKFURT: The first motor car built in 1886 by Carl Benz drives along the new Mercedes-Benz F 125 concept car at the Frankfurt Auto Show IAA in Frankfurt on the first public weekend, yesterday. Organizers expect more than 800,000 visitors to the Auto Show that ends Sept 25. —AP

UBS head not quitting, loss mounts to $2.3bn Beleaguered bank seeks to reassure investors GENEVA: Oswald Gruebel, the chief executive of UBS, has dismissed calls for his resignation as politically motivated, even as the Swiss banking giant raised its estimated loss by a rogue trader to $2.3 billion.

UBS AG had previously put the loss at $2 billion when news of the scandal first broke on Thursday. In a bid to reassure investors, the Zurich-based bank said yesterday it has “now covered the risk resulting from the unauthorized trading” and its equities business “is again operating normally within its previously defined risk limits.” UBS also confirmed for the first time that the trader, 31-year-old Kweku Adoboli, was already under investigation by the bank when he revealed his actions to authorities on Wednesday.

“The loss resulted from unauthorized speculative trading in various S&P 500, DAX, and EuroStoxx index futures over the last three months,” UBS said, adding that the magnitude of the bank’s risk exposure was hidden by fake

trades. Adoboli remains in custody in London, charged Friday with acts of fraud and false accounting dating back to 2008. His next court appearance is Thursday.

The fact that the fraud took place over three years raises serious questions about the bank’s ability to manage its risk. UBS said it has set up a special committee chaired by David Sidwell, the bank’s senior independent director, to investigate the incident.

But speaking for the first time since UBS revealed the loss Thursday, Gruebel told the Swiss weekly Der Sonntag that the loss couldn’t have been prevented. “If someone acts with criminal energy, then you can’t do anything.

That will always be the case in our business,” he said in the interview published yesterday.

But some Swiss politicians and commentators have called for Gruebel’s head to roll over the loss, which is likely to put UBS’s third-quarter results deep in the red. Such a move would signal defeat for the gravel-voiced German,

who was brought in more than two years ago to revive the bank’s fortunes after a series of missteps that included vast losses in the US subprime mortgage market and an embarrassing US tax evasion case.

Gruebel told Der Sonntag that he has no intentions of resigning. “I’m responsible for everything that happens at the bank,” Gruebel told the paper. “But if you ask me whether I feel guilty, then I would say no.” Gruebel pledged to stamp out risky business practices at UBS when he came out of retirement in early 2009 to take the helm of Switzerland’s biggest bank. UBS had just suffered its biggest losses ever due to mistakes by the very investment unit that is now making headlines again, and had to take a $60 billion bailout from the Swiss government to stay afloat.

Swiss media yesterday cited unnamed UBS board members saying the 67-year-old Gruebel retains the confidence of major shareholders, including the Government of Singapore

Investment Corp. The sovereign wealth fund holds more than 6.4 percent of UBS’s stock, whose value dropped almost 10 percent following the announcement about the fraud.

Gruebel is expected to survive until at least Nov 17, when he is presents investors with an update on the bank ’s activities. Bank ing experts in Switzerland have suggested the investors day may be used to announce a downsizing or even a spin-off of the investment unit. In a previous case of rogue trading causing massive losses, the chairman of French bank Societe Generale, Daniel Bouton, stepped down more than a year after the bank revealed that a single trader lost €4.9 billion ($6.7 billion). Bouton said that repeated attacks on him were becoming a threat to the bank’s health.

So far, it is unclear who could even replace Gruebel. The only name that has been mentioned is that of Sergio P. Ermotti, chief executive of the bank’s Europe, Middle East and Africa business. —AP

Off the Record

Obama to offer his own debt reduction package ‘Buffett Tax’ on millionaires seen WASHINGTON: Even as President Barack Obama prepares his opening bid on long-term debt reduction, the White House wants to keep the focus on jobs and is determined to avoid getting sucked into another budget fight with lawmakers.

Administration officials see the task of attending to deficits as necessary but not necessarily urgent, compared with the need to revive the economy and increase employment.

The White House also sees this as the time to draw sharp contrasts with congressional Republicans, whose public approval ratings are lower than Obama’s.

As a result, when Obama announces at least $2 trillion in deficit reduction measures Monday, he is not expected to offer all the compromises he reached with House Speaker John Boehner, in July before those talks broke off.

The White House signaled its approach Saturday by highlighting a proposal in the president’s plan that would set a minimum tax rate for taxpayers earning more than $1 million. The measure - Obama is

going to call it the “Buffett Rule” for billionaire investor Warren Buffett is designed to prevent millionaires from using tax-avoidance schemes to pay lower rates than middleincome taxpayers. Buffett has complained that he and other wealthy people have been “coddled long enough” and shouldn’t be paying a smaller share of their income in federal taxes than middle-class taxpayers.

“I would view this as the president’s vision for how we achieve deficit reduction, which makes it inherently different than the sorts of legislative negotiations we were undertaking with the speaker over the summer,” said the White House communications director, Dan Pfeiffer.

The plan represents an economic bookend to the $447 billion in tax cuts and new public works spending that Obama has proposed as a short-term measure to stimulate the economy and create jobs. He’s submitting it to a special joint committee of Congress given the task of recommending how to reduce deficits by $1.2 trillion to $1.5 trillion over 10 years.

However, the proposal is certain to be rejected by Republicans, who have pledged to oppose any increase in taxes.

“It adds further instability to our system, more uncertainty and it punishes job creation and those people who create jobs,” said Republican Rep. Paul Ryan of Wisconsin, the House Budget Committee chairman.

“Class warfare may make for really good politics but it makes for rotten economics,” he told “Fox News Sunday.”

Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell, noting that a similar effort to raise taxes on the wealthy failed a few years ago, continued to push for revising the tax code and looking to increasing revenue through economic activity rather than taxes. He was dismissive of Obama’s so-called Buffett Rule.

“With regard to his tax rate, if he’s feeling guilty about it, I think he should send in a check,” McConnell said of Buffett while appearing on “Meet the Press” on NBC TV. “But we don’t want to stagnate this economy by raising taxes.”—AP

Global seeks new debt deal from creditors DUBAI: Kuwait’s Global Investment House asked creditors to delay principal repayments on debt due in December, it said, as part of a move to renegotiate a $1.7 billion restructuring agreement. The investment firm also asked to defer an increase in the rate of interest, starting in December, and waive or defer certain covenants applicable to Global under its debt arrangements, according to a statement from the firm.

Evercore Partners has been appointed by Global to advise it in the restructuring process, a source with knowledge of the move said on condition of anonymity.

A creditor committee which will liaise with the Kuwaiti firm on behalf of the bank group was also set up at a meeting, which took place in Dubai yesterday between Global and its banks.

Global has so far repaid around $200 million under the existing debt plan, which was signed in 2009, the source added. However, with $1.5 billion still to be repaid and volatile market conditions making it difficult for banks to make money, Global has taken the step to complete “a more comprehensive restructuring of Global’s debt obligations”.— Reuters

Oswald Gruebel, CEO of Swiss Bank UBS.—AP

The pot calling the kettle black

By Sajeev K Peter

T

he other day, US Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner gave EU policymakers some pieces of advice. He advised them about the importance of leveraging their bailout fund to better tackle the debt crisis.

Geithner even went to the extent of warning them of ‘catastrophic risks’ to financial markets if the euro-zone failed to act quickly. He wanted Europe to boost the size of its 440-billion-euro ($607 billion) EFSF for troubled member states and take more action to shore up the financial and banking sector. Interestingly, the US call came at a time when America is carrying the world’s heaviest debt burden. According to US national debt clock, the Outstanding Public Debt as of September 17, 2011 stood at $14,925,162,461,570 (above $14.9 trillion). It is despite a new plan to chop at least $1.2 trillion over 10 years off the runaway total logged on Times Square debt clock in New York City.

When we look at the US debt clock, one would wonder whether the Americans really take pride in their massive debt. And it is updated every second! It even shows how much each American family owes to the world.

Quite a good example to emulate!

Sadly enough, the European policymakers didn’t take Geithner’s lecture in its ‘right spirit.’ ECB chief Jean-Claude Trichet did not ask Geithner, ‘Then, why don’t you fix your economy first?’ Instead, he told him quite politely and diplomatically that the prospects of the euro-zone is ‘quite encouraging if you compare with other major advanced economies.’ He offered the treasury secretary some economic data just in case he couldn’t get time to update himself.

When euro-zone expects to post an annual deficit of 4.5 percent of GDP this year, the US expects its public deficit to reach 8.8 percent in 2011. He also reminded Geithner gently that it was only last month, Standard & Poor’s downgraded the US long-term credit rating. However, German Finance Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble and euro-zone chief Jean-Claude Juncker were not as courteous as Trichet. They put it bluntly that they were not discussing expansion of EFSF with a non-member of the euro area. And as we read about the Geithner’s call, one may wonder whether it is a classical case of ‘the pot calling the kettle black.’

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ABK opens branch in Sulaibiya KUWAIT: Al Ahli Bank of Kuwait opened a branch in Sulaibiya, in the fruit and vegetable market area yesterday. Sulaibiya, in the Jahra governorate was hitherto an untapped area by ABK, and the opening of this branch brings the ABK branch total to 28.

At the occasion Abdulla M. Al Sumait, Deputy Chief General Manager commented “Sulaibiya is an area we wanted to be in a long time, in order to serve our valued customers better.

“It is a happy occasion for us, ABK’s branch network is growing at a rapid pace and we intend to keep up this momentum in order to keep our commitment to our clients. Each of our ABK branches in a unique location is fully equipped to provide excellent customer care.”

Visit our new Sulaibiya Al Forda branch, open to customers 8:30 am to 3

Mazaya Qatar CEO speaks at Cityscape Connect Business Breakfast

Abdulla M. Al Sumait, Deputy Chief General Manager pm from Sundays to Thursdays, to know more about our competitive offers and benefits of various accounts, or alternately chat live through www.eahli.com or call Ahlan Ahli at 1 899 899.

BEC grand raffle draw KUWAIT: The prize distribution of the 2nd draw of BEC’s grand 2011 raffle was held on September 12, 2011 at the BEC head office in Mirqab. Richard Meredith, Senior Regional Director - Middle East Moneygram gave away the prizes in the

presence of E D Titus, Director and General Manager of BEC. A high-level team from both companies, including Mahar, Farbes from Moneygram and Jose Thomas and Paul Lewis from BEC also attended the function.

Bank of Ireland in talks over UK loans DUBLIN: Bank of Ireland is in exclusive talks with one of its new investors, US real estate firm Kennedy Wilson, to sell around 1.5 billion pounds ($2.3 billion) of British loan assets, a source familiar with the process said yesterday.

Under the terms of Ireland’s EU/IMF bailout, the country’s banks must get rid of some 73 billion euros of assets by 2013 and Bank of Ireland’s deleveraging target accounts for almost half of that.

The bank has agreed to sell a 1.4 billion euro US commercial real estate loan book to Wells Fargo & Co, a source close to the deal told Reuters last month.

A spokeswoman for Bank of Ireland said

MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 19, 2011

business

the lender would not comment on the British loan book talks but that it was making good progress on loan books that were up for sale and would update the market when it had something to say. The discussions with California-based Kennedy Wilson do not include any assets in Northern Ireland, the source told Reuters yesterday.

Together with Canadian investment company Fairfax Financial Holdings, New York buyout firm WL Ross & Co and rival investment firms Fidelity Investments and The Capital Group, Kennedy Wilson bought a 34.9 percent stake in the bank for 1.1 billion euros in July. — Reuters

DOHA: Seraj Al Baker, Chief Executive Officer of Mazaya Qatar Real Estate Development Company (QSC), participated in a panel discussion entitled ‘What is next for real estate in Qatar?’ at the Cityscape Connect Business Breakfast, which took place at the Ritz-Carlton in Doha on 14th September 2011.

The panel, which was moderated by Edd Brookes, Director and Head of Valuation at DTZ Middle East, also included John Rose, Development Director of Msheireb Properties; Craig Cowie, Head of Real Estate and Advisory at QInvest; and Salman Mahmood, Partner at Sultan Al-Abdulla & Partners.

The discussion primarily focussed on topics such as how to maximize tourism and hospitality market potential ahead of Qatar’s hosting of the 2022 World Cup; identifying new opportunities throughout the Middle East and North Africa in the aftermath of the Arab Spring; identifying under-served asset classes for development and investment opportunities; and market sustainability after the 2022 World Cup boom.

The panel conferred on the necessity of creating a meeting point between the government legislators, development companies and investors in order to set a strategic plan based on defined rules that would govern the real estate and urban planning projects for the near and far future. The growing progress in the areas of Wakra [near Doha] and Al Khor [near a major industrial zone] which are witnessing huge urban and constructional development was also a part of the discussion.

Speaking about the importance of the event, Al Baker said, “Qatar is a really exciting place to be living and working in right now.

The Arab Spring really shook up the MENA real estate industry and altered market dynamics, while at the same time providing a wealth of new opportunities for real estate investors.

Qatar’s winning bid for the 2022 World Cup has also had a significant impact on the country’s real estate sector, as there is much that needs

to be accomplished over the next decade, which opens up many opportunities for investors and developers. However, it is vital that the focus not be too much on getting to 2022 and not enough on what happens afterwards. We need to make sure that development is sustainable, and that we are truly build-

Al Baker also stressed on the strategic importance of Qatar at the present time, and the multitude of investment opportunities in various sectors within the Qatari markets, stating that investors need to enter the Qatari market soon if they hope to benefit from these opportunities.

DOHA: Seraj Al Baker, Chief Executive Officer of Mazaya Qatar Real Estate Development Company (QSC), participates in a panel discussion. ing for the future, and not just for a single event.”

He further added, “Many developers are already focusing on market sustainability after 2022, and the purpose of this Cityscape Connect Business Breakfastin Doha is to explore new opportunities, and to analyse Qatar’s current market, assessing new opportunities after the Arab Spring, the World Cup, and sustainability after 2022. Those attending will also have the opportunity to gain valuable insights from industry leaders while networking with professionals from all areas of the real estate industry, and examining what’s next for real estate in Qatar” he added.

Mazaya Qatar has a portfolio of important architectural and professional civil engineering projects and mega-projects in Qatar, and is committed to making a difference in real estate development - taking it beyond mere development into a quality business that will help enhance the company’s position on the GCC and regional levels.2011 has seen the company start to carry out its expansion plans while also completing its existing projects. Mazaya Qatar’s impressive track record, strong financial position and signing of strategic long-term income guaranteed projects will help push the real estate sector towards recovery and create a brighter and more mature future.

Agility gets good distribution practice certification for pharmaceuticals BASEL: Agility, a leading global logistics provider, has obtained the Good Distribution Practice (GDP) certification for its Pharmaceutical Competence Center (PCC) in Switzerland. The certification verifies that the processes and procedures implemented by Agility’s PCC adhere to the best practices in handling pharmaceuticals. These are temperature and time sensitive by nature and fall under strict regulations from the World Health Organization (WHO).

The successful certification aligns with Switzerland and France’s accreditation as Qualified Envirotainer Provider (QEP), and is further recognition of Agility’s focus on delivering unparalleled logistics services specifically geared towards customer requirements of the pharmaceuticals and biotech industries.

“Customers in healthcare and life science

sectors demand logistics services of the very highest level,” says Niklaus Wasem, Managing Director a.i. Area West at Agility. “The distribution of pharmaceutical products forms an important segment of integrated supply chain management in these industries and is usually very complex. Various people and different organizations are involved and responsible for the handling, storage and distribution of these products. The GDP certification confirms Agility’s commitment to quality and excellence within the pharmaceutical area of logistics expertise.”

The certificate is valid for the PCC in Basel, Switzerland for air and road transportation modes in addition to all logistics activities. It was issued by the Swiss Association for Quality and Management Systems (SQS), a worldwide organization providing assessment and certifi-

cation service. From its roots in emerging markets, Agility brings efficiency to supply chains in some of the globe’s most challenging environments, offering unmatched personal service, a global footprint and customized capabilities in developed countries and emerging economies alike. A publicly traded company, Agility is one of the world’s leading providers of integrated logistics with close to $6 billion in annual revenue and more than 22,000 employees in 550 offices across 100 countries.

Agility’s commercial business, Global Integrated Logistics (GIL), is headquartered in Switzerland. Agility GIL provides supply chain solutions to meet complex and traditional customer needs. GIL offers air, sea and road freight forwarding, warehousing, distribution and specialized services in project logistics, fairs and events, fuels and chemicals.

EXCHANGE RATES Commercial Bank of Kuwait US Dollar/KD GB Pound/KD Euro Swiss francs Canadian Dollar Australian DLR Indian rupees Sri Lanka Rupee UAE dirhams Bahraini dinars Jordanian dinar Saudi riyals Omani riyals Philippine peso Egyptian pounds

.2720000 .4300000 .3760000 .3110000 .2780000 .2820000 .0040000 .0020000 .0744290 .7251360 .3810000 .0700000 .7108640 .0040000 .0430000

CUSTOMER TRANSFER RATES US Dollar/KD .2741500 GB Pound/KD .4328420 Euro .3783540 Swiss francs .3130640 Canadian dollars .2803600 Danish Kroner .0507750 Swedish Kroner .0415490 Australian dlr .2840880 Hong Kong dlr .0351850 Singapore dlr .2209280 Japanese yen .0035700 Indian Rs/KD .0000000 Sri Lanka rupee .0000000 Pakistan rupee .0000000 Bangladesh taka .0000000 UAE dirhams .0746700 Bahraini dinars .7274780 Jordanian dinar .0000000 Saudi Riyal/KD .0731260 Omani riyals .7123550 Philippine Peso .0000000

Al-Muzaini Exchange Co. ASIAN COUNTRIES

Japanese Yen Indian Rupees Pakistani Rupees Srilankan Rupees Nepali Rupees Singapore Dollar Hongkong Dollar Bangladesh Taka Philippine Peso Thai Baht Irani Riyal - Transfer Irani Riyal - Cash

3.628 5.815 3.138 2.500 3.642 222.420 35.407 3.693 6.367 9.089 0.271 0.273 GCC COUNTRIES

.2785000 .4410000 .3850000 .3230000 .2870000 .2910000 .0072500 .0035000 .0751770 .7324240 .4010000 .0760000 .7180080 .0072000 .0530000 .2762500 .4361570 .3812530 .3154620 .2825080 .0511640 .0418670 .2862640 .0354540 .2226210 .0035970 .0058780 .0025210 .0031610 .0037030 .0752420 .7330500 .3907360 .0736860 .7178120 .0064240

Saudi Riyal Qatari Riyal Omani Riyal Bahraini Dinar UAE Dirham

73.576 75.811 716.640 732.830 75.129

Pakistani rupees Philippine peso Qatari riyal Saudi riyal Singapore dollar South Africa Sri Lankan rupees Sterling pound Swedish krona Swiss franc Syrian pound Thai bhat Tunisian dollar UAE dirham U.S. dollars Yemeni Riyal

ARAB COUNTRIES Egyptian Pound - Cash 47.750 Egyptian Pound - Transfer 46.286 Yemen Riyal/for 1000 1.262 Tunisian Dinar 196.300 Jordanian Dinar 389.630 Lebanese Lira/for 1000 1.851 Syrian Lier 5.956 Morocco Dirham 34.475 EUROPEAN & AMERICAN COUNTRIES US Dollar Transfer 275.800 Euro 385.150 Sterling Pound 439.630 Canadian dollar 285.800 Turkish lire 154.860 Swiss Franc 317.740 Australian dollar 284.900 US Dollar Buying 276.000 GOLD 333.000 168.000 87.500

20 Gram 10 Gram 5 Gram

COUNTRY

SELL CASH

Australian dollar Bahraini dinar Bangladeshi taka Canadian dollar Cyprus pound Czek koruna Danish krone Deutsche Mark Egyptian pound Euro Cash Hongkong dollar Indian rupees Indonesia Iranian tuman Iraqi dinar Japanese yen Jordanian dinar Lebanese pound Malaysian ringgit Morocco dirham Nepalese Rupees New Zealand dollar Nigeria Norwegian krone Omani Riyal

289.100 732.450 3.860 284.800 541.400 36.600 54.100 167.800 47.200 384.000 36.000 6.170 0.034 0.241 0.240 3.690 390.730 0.186 95.490 47.600 4.240 232.200 1.867 52.500 715.350

SELL DRAFT

287.600 732.450 3.698 283.800

223.200 46.272 382.500 35.850 5.825 0.033

715.170

317.600 5.600 9.290 74.990 275.400

TRAVELLER’S CHEQUE 437.000 275.400

Sterling Pound US Dollar

Dollarco Exchange Co. Ltd Selling Rate

US Dollar Canadian Dollar Sterling Pound Euro Swiss Frank Bahrain Dinar UAE Dirhams Qatari Riyals Saudi Riyals Jordanian Dinar Egyptian Pound Sri Lankan Rupees Indian Rupees Pakistani Rupees Bangladesh Taka Philippines Pesso Cyprus pound Japanese Yen Thai Bhat Syrian Pound Nepalese Rupees Malaysian Ringgit

389.260 0.185 95.490 3.650 230.700

3.150 6.370 75.760 73.530 223.150 39.490 2.499 437.000

GOLD 1,869.180

10 Tola

Rate for Transfer

Bahrain Exchange Company

3.240 6.630 76.190 73.530 223.150 39.490 2.602 439.000 43.600 319.100 5.600 9.490 198.263 75.090 275.800 1.220

275.300 282.625 435.410 382.225 314.520 729.915 74.930 75.565 73.375 387.515 46.322 2.497 5.831 3.143 3.694 6.362 675.285 3.680 9.155 5.795 3.755 91.445

UAE Exchange Center WLL Currency

Australian Dollar Canadian Dollar Swiss Franc Euro

Transfer Rate (Per 1000)

289.05 283.89 319.36 382.14

Sterling Pound Japanese Yen Bangladesh Taka Indian Rupee Sri Lankan Rupee Nepali Rupee Pakistani Rupee UAE Dirhams Bahraini Dinar Egyptian Pound Jordanian Dinar Omani Riyal Qatari Riyal Saudi Riyal

437.57 3.64 3.696 5.814 2.500 3.650 3.175 74.95 732.42 46.27 391.74 715.61 75.93 73.52

Kuwait Bahrain Intl Exchange Co. Currency

Rate per 1000 (Tran)

US Dollar Pak Rupees Indian Rupees Sri Lankan Rupees Bangladesh Taka Philippines Peso UAE Dirhams Saudi Riyals Bahraini Dinars Egyptian Pounds Pound Sterling Indonesian Rupiah Yemeni Riyal Jordanian Dinars Syrian Pounds Euro Canadian Dollars Nepali rupee

275.300 3.160 5.835 2.520 3.700 6.400 75.055 73.765 731.900 46.245 440.100 3.190 1.550 391.100 5.750 385.500 287.300 3.690

Al Mulla Exchange Currency

US Dollar Euro Pound Sterling Canadian Dollar Japanese Yen Indian Rupee Egyptian Pound Sri Lankan Rupee Bangladesh Taka Philippines Peso Pakistan Rupee Bahraini Dinar UAE Dirham Saudi Riyal *Rates are subject to change

Transfer Rate (Per 1000)

274.950 382.300 436.800 283.100 3.620 5.812 46.275 2.499 3.675 6.370 3.143 732.400 74.900 73.475

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Greek default becoming a reality, EU in focus NBK WEEKLY MONEY MARKETS REPORT KUWAIT: Markets worldwide are still focused on the debt crisis in peripheral Europe, and the potential implications on the region’s banks and governments.

French banks were mostly in the spotlight last week, with two major institutions being downgraded by Moody’s for their exposure to Greek debt and the high probability of a default by the Greek government. The US dollar erased some of its earlier gains against the majors, mainly the euro and the Japanese yen. The euro started the week at 1.3650, and was able to reach a high of 1.3940 on Thursday after the ECB announced plans to provide US dollar funding to the region’s banks. The euro weakened afterwards and closed the week at 1.3800. In the absence of major economic news, the Sterling pound had a relatively quiet week. After opening at 1.5885, the Pound range-traded between a low of 1.5705 and a high of 1.5905, and closed sessions at 1.5795. The Japanese yen managed to gain further strength against the greenback last week. The yen touched a high of 76.55, and ended the week at 76.80. The Swiss Franc followed suit with the euro last week given the Franc’s unofficial peg to the single currency. The Swiss Franc started the week at 0.8840, managed to reach a high of 0.8650 on Thursday, and finished on Friday at 0.8755. In the commodities complex, gold weakened against the greenback to a onemonth low of $1,762, and closed at $1,810.

Crude oil on the other hand touched a high of $90.50 and ended the week at $88.00.

Inflation The cost of living in the US climbed more than forecast in August, battering the confidence of a population squeezed by stagnant wages and higher prices of food, housing and energy. Over the last twelve months, the Consumer Price Index (CPI) edged up to 3.8% after holding at 3.6% for three months, while the Core CPI rose from 1.9% to 2.0%. The year-on-year inflation figure is the highest since September 2008, just before inflation pressures eased as the

IKEA catalogue now on iPhone, Android apps

economy crumbled. Policymakers will meet this week and many are betting that the Fed will commit to a new plan of buying longer-term Treasury bonds to pull long-term rates lower, but more stimulus could further stoke inflation fears.

Retail Sales Retail Sales in the United States unexpectedly stagnated last month, as a lack of employment and a limited income growth restrained demand, highlighting the risk that the economy will stall. Sales were unchanged last month, and followed a 0.3% gain for July that was smaller than

to the highest level in three months. It’s a sign that the job market remains depressed. The Labor Department said that weekly applications rose by 11,000 to a seasonally adjusted 428,000, more than the expected 411,000. Applications appear to be trending up, and this number needs to fall below 375,000 to indicate that hiring is increasing enough to lower the unemployment rate.

French banks downgraded Moody’s Investors Service cut the longterm credit ratings of Credit Agricole and Societe Generale, France’s second and

noted that worries that the debt crisis could spread to larger European economies have prompted US money market funds to pull back from lending to the French banks.

ECB offering Major central banks around the world will cooperate to offer three-month US dollar loans to commercial banks, in order to prevent money markets from freezing up in the wake of Europe’s sovereign debt crisis. The European Central Bank (ECB) has decided last week, in coordination with the Federal Reserve, the Bank of England, the

been arrested in London on suspicion of fraud after a $2 billion trading loss, and investigations are trying to find the underlying cause of the issue. Following the news, Moody’s and S&P announced that they have put the Swiss Bank on review for a possible downgrade.

Steady inflation Inflation in the euro-zone held steady last month as a faltering recovery and retreating energy costs eased price pressures across the 17-nation region. The Consumer Price Index (CPI) held at 2.5%, the same rate as in July, and in line with economists’ expectations. Similarly, the Core CPI is still at 1.2%, the same level as the previous month. This price stability raises speculation that the ECB will keep interest rates at their current level for the moment.

Inflation rising UK Inflation accelerated in August, as the end of seasonal discounts boosted prices for items such as clothes and furniture. The CPI rose from 4.4% to 4.5% last month, as shown by official figures.

Excluding volatile items, the Core CPI rose from a yearly rate of 3.0% to 3.1%.

previously estimated. Retailers are saying that the struggling job market and the battered consumer confidence are hurting sales the most. The dim outlook for household spending, which accounts for about 70% of the economy, will make it harder for the two-year recovery to gain speed.

Prices paid by producers were also unchanged in August, while so-called core costs that exclude food and fuel rose less than forecast. The Producer Price Index (PPI) was unchanged after a 0.2% increase in July, and the Core PPI rose by a lowerthan-expected 0.1%.

Higher Unemployment Claims The number of people applying for unemployment benefits jumped last week

third-largest banks, and put BNP Paribas on review for a possible downgrade, highlighting how the continuing European sovereign debt crisis is denting their key source of funding. Moody’s said the banks were able to cope with the short-term impact of the contraction in Dollar funding and that Euro funding remains plentiful, but that persistent sovereign debt worries threaten to make wholesale money markets fragile for some time. The downgrade happened amid a tumultuous period for the French banks that have seen their shares hammered by fears about their exposure to Greece and weaker euro-zone countries. Moody’s said French banks were mainly strong enough to absorb losses from their government bond holdings, but

Bank of Japan, and the Swiss National Bank, to conduct three US dollar liquidityproviding operations on 12 October, November 9 and December 7. This joint action happens as the region’s debt crisis limits market access to the US dollar, and will ensure that banks have enough of the currency through the end of the year.

Coming on top of mounting hopes that Greece will not be defaulting on its debts anytime soon, the news has helped ease concerns over the impact of Europe’s debt crisis on banking stocks. $2 billion loss at UBS UBS is the most recent bank to suffer huge losses due to a rogue trading scandal.

A 31-year-old trader, Kweku Adoboli, has

Steady unemployment UK public sector employment fell by a record in the second quarter, offsetting a gain in hiring by companies, as the government cuts spending to reduce the budget deficit. On the year, the unemployment rate in the May-to-July period was 7.9%, unchanged from the previous figure.

Employment in the private sector may come under pressure, as financial services firm shed staff. In fact, the biggest global banks are cutting jobs at the fastest pace since 2008 as a slowing world economy squeezes revenue, regulators push firms to hold more capital, and the euro-zone debt crisis shows no sign of ending.

Kuwait Dinar at 0.27470 The USDKWD opened at 0.27470 yesterday morning.

CBK governor off to US for WB, IMF meetings Kuwait delegation to attend key sessions

KUWAIT: IKEA Kuwait announced yesterday that its 2012 catalogue is now available on iPhone as well as Android applications. Customers using iPhones or Android phones can now easily download the IKEA Catalogue 2012 application, save it on their smartphones and enjoy IKEA services onthe-go.

The IKEA catalogue application includes a detailed description of the products on offer, showing 4,000 images and 2,000 products out of 10,000 products in the total IKEA range, flip pages back and forth using ‘swipe’ gestures, easy first, previous, next and last navigation toolbar, the ability to zoom in and out of any page, handy thumbnail navigation for even quicker page flipping, a table of contents of the main sections, a search tab which includes a database of the entire catalogue, bookmarks, the ability to share pages as well as products on social media sites.

To download the IKEA 2012 Catalogue application, customers are urged to visit the IKEA Kuwait website on www.ikea.com.kw, and download the application on their iPhones or Androids. The IKEA 2012 Catalogue application is available in many languages and editions for extra convenience and functionality. With smartphones becoming increasingly popular, IKEA is keen on using this technology to benefit customers and shoppers to ensure added convenience and handiness. The feature on the iPhone and Android phone will give ease of access to customers who wish to access the IKEA Catalogue on their smartphones for simple navigation across a range sections and categories with absolute mobility.

KUWAIT: The Governor of the Central Bank of Kuwait (CBK) Sheikh Salem Abdelaziz Al-Sabah left for Washington yesterday heading an official delegation is to attend and take part in the discussions of the annual meetings of the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) September 2125. A CBK statement said the delegation is to attend meetings of related and subsidiary bodies including the International Monetary and Financial Committee of th e IM F Board of G over n o r s, the D e ve l op m e n t Committee, the Group of Ten, and the Intergovernmental Group of TwentyFour on International Monetary Affairs and Development.

The bank reported there would be sideline activities aimed at bolstering dialogue an d commun ication an d exchange of opinions among the private sector representatives, government delegations, and IMF and World Bank officials.

Th e 2 4 th meetin g of th e International Monetary and Financial

Committee (IMFC), set for Saturday, is a main event, the CBK statement said.

The discussions are to touch on devel-

opments of global economic performance, as well as measures the international community must take to pre-

CBK Governor Sheikh Salem Abdelaziz Al-Sabah

Al Tijari announces winners of daily draw with Najma Account KUWAIT: Commercial Bank of Kuwait held the AlNajma Account draw on September 18, 2011. The draw was held under the supervision of the Ministry of Commerce & Industr y represented by Abdulaziz Ashkanani.

The winners of the Al Najma Daily draw are:1. Samhah Abdullah Hamdan Manea —KD 7000, 2. Mohammed Hassan Mohiy —KD 7000, 3. Sulaiman Mahmoud Fandi— KD 7000, 4. Abbas Jassim Behbehani Asal— KD 7000, 5. Abdulnaweed Bajwa Fayez Ahmad Bajwa —KD 7000.

The Commercial Bank of Kuwait announces the biggest daily draw in Kuwait with the launch of the new Najma account. Customers of the bank can now

enjoy a KD 7,000 daily prize which is the highest in the country and another 4 mega prizes during the year worth KD 100,000 each on different occasions: The National Day, Eid Al-Fitr, Eid Al-Adha and on the 19th of June which is the date of the bank’s establishment.

With a minimum balance of KD 500, customers will be eligible for the daily draw provided that the money is in the account one week prior to the daily draw or 2 months prior to the mega draw. In addition, for each KD 25 a customer can get one chance for winning instead of KD 50.

Commercial Bank of Kuwait takes this opportunity to congratulate all lucky winners and also extends appreciation to the Ministry of Commerce and Industry for their effective supervision of the draws which were conducted in an orderly and organized manner.

Oil revival lifts Abu Dhabi 2010 GDP 16% DUBAI: Abu Dhabi’s nominal economic output rose 15.9 percent in 2010, after shrinking nearly a quarter in the previous year, helped by recovery in its key hydrocarbon sector, the Gulf Arab emirate’s preliminary data showed yesterday.

The United Arab Emirates member, which sits on 10 percent of global oil reserves and accounts for 90 percent of UAE oil output, felt the pinch of the global financial crisis in 2009 after crude prices tumbled from 2008 record highs. With oil price recovery in 2010, the crudereliant Abu Dhabi economy picked up speed again to see its nominal gross domestic product rise to 620.3 billion UAE dirhams ($169 billion), Abu Dhabi Statistics Centre’s (SCAD) yearbook showed. However, Abu Dhabi’s GDP, which

makes up 57 percent of the UAE economy, is still below the 705.2 billion dirhams seen in the oil and property-boom year of 2008. The statistics office did not release real GDP data for Abu Dhabi, whose performance had suffered from last year’s debt troubles in neighboring trade and business hub Dubai.

The UAE, the second-largest Arab economy and the world’s No. 4 oil exporter, booked real GDP growth of 1.4 percent in 2010 after a 1.6 percent contraction in the previous year.

Analysts polled by Reuters in June expected the UAE economic output to expand by 3.7 percent in 2011 with sluggish bank lending and weak property sector seen as the main drags. In Abu Dhabi, the hydrocarbon sector output grew by

28.9 percent at current prices in 2010, contributing to nearly half of the emirate’s GDP, after a 42.1 percent slump in 2009. Per-capita income in Abu Dhabi, home to nearly 2 million people, rose to 315,300 dirhams ($85,800) in 2010, one of the highest in the world, from 293,100 in the previous year. Exports of crude, gas and oil products surged 41.4 percent to 278.1 billion dirhams last year. They account for more than 92 percent of total exports and 45 percent of Abu Dhabi’s GDP, Abu Dhabi’s non-oil exports and reexports jumped by 22.2 percent and 26.4 percent, respectively, while imports dropped 7.8 percent, the data also showed. The UAE, along with some other OPEC members such as Saudi Arabia, increased its oil output this year to com-

pensate for a production drop in strife-torn Libya. Abu Dhabi, which plans to trim its dependence on oil by investing billions of dollars in industry, tourism and infrastructure, produced an average 2.255 million barrels of oil per day last year, up from 2.189 million in 2009.

The number of new businesses registered in the low-tax desert emirate fell to 9,979 in 2010 compared with 12,725 in the previous year, with the total rising to 96,381.

Aircraft passenger numbers grew 14 percent to 11.1 million in 2010. Some 1.8 million hotel guests stayed in the emirate, which is trying to draw more tourists to attractions such as the world’s first Ferrari theme park, up 17.7 percent from 2009. — Reuters

vent future financial crises. This would be via discussion of effective crisis management systems and means to restore market confidence.

The annual meetings aim to discuss all issues at play and affecting the global economy through close review of the World Economic Outlook (WEO) a nd t he G l ob a l Fi na nc i a l S t a b i l i t y (GFSR) reports, drawn by the IMF. The statement said the discussions would touch on IMF proposed and initiated adjustments of regulatory and supervisory mechanisms and related issues.

Th e B o a rd o f G ove r n o r s o f t h e International Monetary Fund and the Boards of Governors of the World Bank Group normally meet once a year to discuss the work of their respective institutions.

The Annual Meetings, which generally take place in September-October, have c us tom a r i l y b e e n he l d i n Washington for two consecutive years and in another member country in the third year. —KUNA

15%, discount for AUB cardholders at Altissimo restaurant KUWAIT: Ahli United Bank (AUB) in cooperation with Altissimo restaurant announced an innovative promotion exclusively designed for AUB’s credit card holders.

As part of AUB’s strive to provide its credit card holders with a world of benefits that compliment their financial needs, Altissimo restaurant offering them a discount of 10% on any service.

The participation of Altissimo restaurant in AUB’s Instant Pearls Program is an added value to the program in terms of variety of the services provided to AUB credit card holders. AUB continues to enhance its strategic alliances with successful retailers such as Altissimo restaurant which reinforces AUB commitment to constantly deliver added value services & privileges to its customers.

Altissimo is the five star Italian restaurant on the high 32 floor, views great on the sea on one side and the city from the other side, and the atmosphere with brilliant quit offers all the Italian food, and unique to hold all the training courses, meetings and buffets of foreign affairs and all occasions with outstanding service and service parking for free.

AUB additionally extends its cardholders the “Pearl Rewards” Program which offers 3 pearl points for every KD 1 spent with AUB credit cards anywhere in the world.

These Points can be converted to equivalent air miles and redeemed at any of the three leading airline Partners; Kuwait Airways, Qatar Airways & Gulf for free flights, upgrades, hotel accommodation....etc.

So the more you use your credit card, the more air miles you earn to enjoy free flights, upgrades, hotel accommodation and lots more additional benefits offered by each Airline’s Membership Program”.

AUB credit holders also get free worldwide travel and emergency medical insurance family coverage when tickets are purchased using AUB credit cards.

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KSE stocks lose track GLOBAL DAILY MARKET REPORT

Dinar stable against dollar KUWAIT: The exchange rate of Kuwaiti dinar was stable against the US dollar at KD 0.274 per dollar yesterday, yet went down against the euro at KD 0.379 compared to Thursday prices.

The KD rate was 0.433 against sterling pound, and remained unchanged against the Japanese yen at 0.003 and raised against the Swiss franc to reach 0.313, according to the daily bulleting of the Central Bank of Kuwait (CBK).

The ministers of finance in the euro-zone discussed in their meeting held in Poland last Friday the developments of the European financial crisis and the economic situation in the region.

They talked over means of cooperation to solve this crisis, causing the price of the crude barrel to fluctuate. The sovereign debt crisis of Europe spread fears of the future demand on oil, yet the comments of the Europe leaders eased the situation.

Europe Central Bank (ECB) decided in cooperation with the Federal Reserve, Bank of England, Central Bank of Japan, and Swiss National Bank to present three separate lending processes, and the maturity of the loan is three months, to ensure enough supplies of USD in the banks of euro-zone, until the end of 2011.

The step of the ECB is considered as an attempt to guarantee liquidity in financial markets, so as not to cause economic stagnation. —KUNA

KUWAIT: Kuwait Stock Exchange (KSE) closed lower yesterday backed by profit taking on some stocks that popped up last week.

Most of GCC stock markets tracked the international markets which closed higher during the weekend but could not give any strength to the local bourse during the session. Banking sector was the only sector that closed higher after National Bank of Kuwait (NBK) and Kuwait Finance House (KFH) denied the news published in a local paper. The banks said that they do not deal in financial derivatives and has no exposure to them.

Global General Index (GGI) ended the day down by 0.50 percent, at 185.40 point. Market capitalization was also down for the day, reaching KD30.34bn. On the other hand, KSE Price Index closed at 6,003.3 point, shedding 23.80 points (0.39 percent) to its previous close.

Market breadth During the session, 110 companies were traded. Market breadth was skewed towards decliners as 52 equities declined versus 25 that advanced.

Trading activity was up during the session. Total volume traded was up by 10.32 percent with 266.16mn shares changing hands at a total value of KD24.61mn, 4.35 percent higher compared to Thursday’s session). Real Estate sector was the volume leader, accounting for 32.14 percent of total shares exchanges. Abyaar Real Estate Development Company was the session’s most traded stock with 35.60mn shares exchanged. The services sector was the value leader, having 28.41 percent of total traded value. Zain Company was the most active in terms of value traded, with KD2.96mn worth of shares traded.

MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 19, 2011

Top global banks cut MENA research roles In terms of top gainers, Al Dar National Real Estate Company was the top gainer for the day, adding 14.29 percent to its share value and closing at KD0.020. On the other hand, Metal & Recycling Company shed 7.69 percent and closed at KD0.120, making it the biggest decliner in the market.

Sectors Sector wise, all market sectors indices witnessed losses during the day, except for Global Banking Index which rose 0.15 percent.

The index’s gains came on the back of the 1.85 percent gains registered in National Bank of Kuwait (NBK). The scrip closed at KD1.100.

Global Non Kuwaiti Index led the losers, registering a decrease of 1.43 percent to close at 45.17 points. The decline came on the back of the retreat registered in many stocks in this sector. Only 1 gainer was observed among the non-Kuwaiti stocks. Ras AlKhaimah Company For White Cement & Construction Materials witnessed an increase of 1.72 percent to close at KD0.118. Ahli United Bank was the major loser in the sector, shedding 1.96 percent to close at KD0.200.

Global Services Index retreated by 1.42 percent on the back of the losses registered in heavyweights services stocks. Zain lost 1.96 percent, Agility declined by 1.52 per-

cent and National Mobile Telecommunication Company (NMTC) retreated by 1.01 percent.

Oil news The price of OPEC basket of twelve crudes stood at $109.58pb on Thursday, compared with $107.91pb the previous day, according to OPEC Secretariat calculations.

Ahmed Al-Khaled, AGM for Commercial Sector at Kuwait Finance House (KFH), stated that the lender injected almost KWD365mn into the local retail market over the first eight months of this year. The move helped boost sales and accelerate the economic environment.

DUBAI: Leading global investment banks, including Credit Suisse AG , are cutting research staff in the Middle East to save costs amid tough global conditions and a dearth of work in the region.

Japan’s largest investment bank Nomura has shut down its research department, a person with knowledge of the matter said.

Deutsche Bank and Credit Suisse have cut their top equity research jobs for the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region, four sources said.

“Regionally, (Nomura’s) research department has been closed, given the wider situation of little activity on stock exchanges,” said the person familiar with the matter, adding the move affected about five analysts in Dubai and London.

Credit Suisse laid off its London-based MENA equity research head Mohamad Hawa. At Deutsche, MENA equity research head Nabil Ahmed has left the bank. The sources did not want to be identified due to the sensitivity of the matter. “Funding for most of the growth areas like the Middle East ... came from revenue derived in more developed markets,” said one source familiar with the matter.

“That revenue chunk has been significantly hit and there is no doubt that it will continue to be hit in the short term. “Even though these banks think the growth is here, they will be forced to cut in the absence of any significant business from these markets.”

Nomura and Credit Suisse declined to comment. Deutsche officials were not immediately available. — Reuters

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Investors peer through the global gloom GLOBAL MARKETS WEEK AHEAD LONDON: Even after a rare four-day rally in world stocks, investors are unlikely to let their guard down in a week filled with heavy US and euro-zone policy risks that could potentially disappoint again and trigger a sell-off.

There is no doubt gloom is widespread.

However, investors are also beginning to realize that betting too strongly on a collapse of financial markets with policymakers poised for action to combat global crisis may be unwise.

Thursday’s coordinated action by five major central banks to add liquidity to a European banking system struggling with its dollar funding needs has lifted world stocks, measured by MSCI , from a one-year low.

Focus this week will be on a policy meeting of the US Federal Reserve. The Fed is posed to increase downward pressure on long-term interest rates to spur the recovery, reviving “Operation Twist”, first undertaken in the 1960s.

Despite the rally in the past week, the MSCI index is still down more than 9 percent since January and the third quarter performance looks set to be the worst since the June-September period in 2010. Furthermore, against conventional wisdom, total returns on a 10-year rolling basis on government bonds are higher than on

equities. This is providing much food for thought for long-term investors.

“In a very short term, positive news may come out and policymakers will announce something.

Economic data is not as bad as falls in the market would’ve suggested. So over the next 4-6 weeks we could get slightly higher,” said Jeremy Beckwith, chief investment officer at wealth manager Kleinwort Benson.

“Everyone is hoping policymakers are coming up with good ideas, although it’s hard to see what good ideas are... The euro zone is such a huge issue and one day you could wake up and find out Greece has defaulted and get caught out. So our position is to underweight risk.”

The euro rose more than 1 percent against the dollar last week, its biggest weekly gain since July. But analysts expect the single currency to come under pressure again in the coming week as EU finance ministers again failed to eliminate fears of Greek sovereign default at their weekend meeting. EU finance ministers broke no new ground in dealing with the euro zone debt crisis and made no decision on whether to give more firepower to the 440-billion euro bailout fund, suggested by US Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner. “The euro-zone’s medium term struc-

tural issues of excessive sovereign debt and banks’ exposure remains unresolved,” UBS said in a note to clients.

“Thus investors will continue to worry about the risk of Greece defaulting on its bonds over the next couple of quarters as well as the efforts of Spain, Portugal and Italy to tackle their own public finances. This will also keep investors fearful over the solvency - not just liquidity - of eurozone banks.”

This week promises a heavy dose of policy actions. Finance ministers of the BRIC emerging countries-Brazil, Russia, India and China-meet in Washington on Thursday, on the sidelines of the International Monetary Fund meeting, to discuss steps to offer support to the euro area. If they buy euro-denominated bonds-as suggested in preliminary talks-this may help turn around sentiment, after the European Central Bank’s 70 billion euro operation failed to stop the crisis from spreading to Spain and Italy.

Investors will also keep a close eye on US President Barack Obama who is presenting a deficit-reduction plan today that will cover the cost of his recent jobs bill.

There are signs monetary policy is shifting from withdrawing stimulus toward further eas-

ing at a global level-which would also be supportive for asset markets in the long term.

The Fed has already pledged to keep its policy rate at record lows until at least mid-2013 and, in Operation Twist, may introduce a program involving buying long-dated Treasuries to lower mortgage rates and other long-term borrowing costs. The Bank of Japan eased policy in August by boosting asset purchases and the ECB has signaled that it had halted a cycle of interest rate rises begun just five months ago. Even in emerging markets, the tightening cycle seems to be nearly over. Brazil and Turkey have cut interest rates, Mexico and Chile’s central banks have left the door open for easing, Israel and South Africa are expected to cut rates.

“Risk markets will rebound when everyone is short risk, the worst is priced in, data stop surprising on the downside and policymakers take decisive counter action,” JPMorgan said in a note to clients.

“Our perception is that most investors are sitting on the fence and that there is no surplus of risk underweight positions... Policymakers across the world will likely try their best to prevent another contraction, and it is here that upside surprises could come from.” — Reuters

HSBC expects $1bn Gulf project bond in 6 months Qatar Petroleum-Exxon JV seen printing project bond

WROCLAW: Tourists walk through the main square with the Town Hall on the right in Wroclaw. The latest backdrop for European financial crisis talks was Wroclaw, Poland — or Breslau, as the picturesque city on the Oder River is still known in Germany. — AP

Euroskepticism rises in crisis-weary Germany BERLIN: A decade after swapping the mighty deutschmark for the euro, the once fiercely pro-euro Germans are becoming more euroskeptic, analysts say, as people in Europe’s top economy tire of the debt crisis.

With the euro-zone’s woes on the front pages most days, people in Germany, who are paying the lion’s share into the rescue packages, appear to be turning against the single currency but remain faithful to the EU, surveys show. A poll by the German Marshall Fund published Thursday found 76 percent of Germans were in favor of the European Union but that percentage dropped to 48 percent when asked about the monetary union.

Germans are fed up of stumping up for what they see as profligate countries such as Greece that have failed to undertake the hard economic reforms Germany has, said Claire Demesmay, from the German Council on Foreign Relations.

“In the Germans’ popular imagination until now, Europe had a very positive image, synonymous with anchoring Germany in the western world and international acceptance,” she said.

“But now there is a feeling that the Germans have made painful reforms and the others have not,” she added, citing labor market changes made under former chancellor Gerhard Schroeder.

Signs of mounting German anger at the euro are growing. Even Germany’s EU Commissioner, Guenther Oettinger, has suggested the flags of deficit sinners should be lowered outside European institutions.

A former captain of industry, Hans Olaf Henkel, has called for a “monetary club” limited to Germany and “fiscally virtuous” northern euro states. Joachim Starbatty, an economist, has given the euro-zone “around two years” to live. And a handful of demonstrators wielding placards proclaiming “Let’s Get Out Of The Euro” recently protested outside the

European Central Bank building in Frankfurt, the very symbol of the currency. Germany ’s top-selling Bild on Thursday mocked up the same building as if it were collapsing with an accompanying editorial: “What country are we living in nowadays? Our government did not swear an oath to save the Greeks from harm.”

Conscious of the prevailing public mood, politicians are burnishing their own euroskeptic credentials.

Economy Minister and Vice Chancellor Philipp Roesler sent markets into a tailspin last week with loose talk of a Greek default, earning himself a rebuke from Chancellor Angela Merkel.

His Free Democrats, junior partners in the ruling coalition, appeared to gain a boost from the anti-bailout line, with a poll published Friday showing them up two points to five percent. Merkel’s conservatives fell two points to 33 percent.

Meanwhile President Christian Wulff, not generally known for outbursts on monetary policy, recently upbraided the ECB for its controversial policy of buying government bonds.

And this year, the country’s two most senior central bankers, Bundesbank President Axel Weber and ECB chief economist Juergen Stark, both resigned in an apparent huff over how “unGerman” the management of the euro is becoming. Merkel herself rarely misses an opportunity to tell the public that the euro is as strong and stable a currency as the deutschmark, the powerful symbol of Germany’s strength and post-war “economic miracle.”

“In spite of all the turmoil, I note that the euro has stood the test of time. It is as stable and valuable as the D-Mark,” she said Thursday as she opened the IAA car fair, another display of Germany’s industrial might. But the rising unwillingness of German voters and policymakers to continue to bail out the debt-wracked countries of the euro-zone is causing Merkel a real headache politically. —AFP

DUBAI: A $1 billion project bond from a Gulf borrower is likely to be issued in the next six months, an HSBC executive said yesterday, adding Qatar’s Barzan gas project was a “likely candidate” for the sale. Jonathan Robinson, HSBC’s regional head of project finance, said the project bond would be in the hydrocarbons or power and utilities sector.

However, he declined to say whether banks had been mandated for the deal, which would support the $10 billion joint venture between Qatar Petroleum and ExxonMobil .

“It is likely to happen in the next six months but it would be premature to say that banks have been mandated. However, we are a very well known and large bank in the region so you would expect us to be in there,” Robinson told reporters.

Banks are evaluating a $4.7 billion syndicated loan for the project launched to the

market last month. Raising such a large amount from banks in a difficult funding market would make Barzan a “bellwether” for future project financings in the region, Robinson said. Bankers told Reuters last week the pressure on European banks’ cost of funding had pushed up the pricing of the loan.

This comes at the same time as project bonds have garnered increased interest as a way of diversifying funding sources for MENA (Middle East and North Africa) infrastructure projects. Abu Dhabi Water and Electricity Authority (ADWEA) has reportedly picked HSBC to advise on the $2.2 billion refinancing of its Shuweihat 2 loan and plans to issue a bond. Robinson declined to comment on this.

The executive said the lender was hopeful it could continue with mandates it had secured before the unrest in Libya, worth around $3 billion, despite the country’s immediate

future remaining unclear.

“We are optimistic about it. We had two mandates: one in hydrocarbons and one in power and utilities. These were disbanded but we are enthusiastic to pick them up again. We still believe very strongly in the fundamentals in Libya and it remains a focus area for the bank.” He added that in Dubai, the Hassyan independent water and power project, on which HSBC is advising Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA) , has attracted strong interest during the bidding phase. “We have seven strong contenders for consortia. There will be some consolidation which will bring this down to four or five. The bid deadline is Oct. 18 but is likely to be extended.”

The Hassyan scheme is the first time the Dubai government has used the public-private partnership (PPP) model to fund the construction of an project. — Reuters

Pakistan won’t seek new IMF program: official KARACHI: Pakistan will not seek a new IMF loan program or ask for an extension when its existing loan package ends on Sept. 30, because it has no balance of payments crisis and has enough foreign exchange reserves, a finance ministry official told Reuters yesterda.

Pakistan is due to meet with International Monetary Fund officials during the World Bank and IMF annual meeting in Washington from Sept 23-25.

“There is no immediate threat to the balance of payment and our foreign exchange reserves position is comfortable enough,” the official said, speaking on condition of anonymity.

“There is no crisis at hand that will call for an immediate action. But we will stay in close contact with the IMF.” The official said Pakistan would ask the IMF to conduct an overview of its economy, known as an article IV consultation.

Pakistan has been struggling since 2008 to keep its economy afloat with an $11 billion IMF loan.

Around $3 billion is left to be disbursed. The IMF has repeatedly urged Pakistan to speed up fiscal reforms.

The official said that despite no longer seeking IMF support, the government would “continue to implement the fiscal reforms required for macroeconomic stability in the medium term.”

Pakistan’s current account deficit in the first two months of 2011/12 fiscal year narrowed to $189 million, compared with a deficit of $1.016 billion in the same period last year, due to an increase in exports and a rise in remittances from Pakistanis working abroad. Pakistan’s foreign exchange reserves stood at $17.79 billion in the week ending Sept. 10 and had hit a record $18.31 billion in the week ending July 10, but have eased due to scheduled debt payments.

The IMF loan repayments are also due to start from early next year. Analysts said that Pakistan-facing multiple challenges from a Taliban insurgency to crippling power cuts- will eventually need to turn to the IMF for another loan program. —Reuters

FRANKFURT: People surround Volkswagen cars at the Frankfurt Auto Show IAA in Frankfurt on the first public weekend yesterday. Organizers expect more than 800 000 visitors to the Auto Show that ends Sept. 25. —AP

Volkswagen says open to takeover Suzuki BERLIN: German automaker giant Volkswagen is open to a takeover of Suzuki Motor Corporation if the Japanese automaker persists in dissolving the alliance between the two companies, Spiegel magazine reported yesterday, citing a Volkswagen manager it didn’t identify.

If Suzuki cancels its Volkswagen tie-up, the German company is free under the terms of the deal to add to its 19.9 percent holding in Suzuki without the Japanese company’s approval, Spiegel said yester-

day. Last Monday, Suzuki said it wanted to end its ill-fated two-year alliance with Volkswagen following disagreements between the two on how to operate together. But Volkswagen maintains that it has no plans to end its cooperation with Suzuki, even though the latter has decided to pull out of the two-year-old alliance.

In a statement through the Tokyo Stock Exchange, Suzuki said it had asked Volkswagen to end the capital and business alliance between the firms and unload its stake in the carmaker. — KUNA

Greek PM to chair cabinet meeting on debt crisis

ATHENS: Protesters carry placards that read “Nationalization of the Banks, Money for production and not for the rich” during an anti-austerity protest in front of the Greek Parliament in Athens on Saturday. — AP

ATHENS: Greek Prime Minister George Papandreou is to chair a cabinet meeting on the country’s festering debt crisis later yesterday after calling off a planned visit to UN headquar ters in New York , his office said.

Ten ministers were due to take part in the meeting, including Finance Minister Evangelos Venizelos who attended an informal gathering of euro-zone finance ministers in Poland Friday and Saturday.

T h a t m e e t i n g i n t h e Po l i s h c i t y o f Wroclaw highlighted differences over cash aid for Greece and other indebted

m e m b e r s t a t e s . At a J u l y s u m m i t i n Brussels, the euro-zone decided in principle on a second bailout for Greece of around 159 billion euros ($219 billion) but the details have not been worked out.

The Wroclaw meeting decided to delay until October a decision on eight billion e u ro s o f b a i l o u t l o a n s b l o c k e d u n t i l Greece has convinced auditors it is on track to cut its deficit.

Venizelos stressed that “the situation was serious” and explained that the decision taken Saturday to cancel the prime

minister’s trip to New York “was not due to an economic threat but to the need to take initiatives to help the country deal with this pressure,” according to an official statement. “ We have no room for (budgetar y) manoeuvre,” government spokesman Ilias Mossialos said in an interview with the daily Kathimerini published yesterday. He called for a “national consensus” and respect for a new real estate tax which caused a firestorm but is, in his words, “necessary to save the country from collapse”. —AFP

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BUSINESS

Protesters blocked in bid to ‘occupy’ Wall Street

NEW YORK: Demonstrators gather in front of a police barricade to call for the occupation of Wall Street on Saturday in New York. —AP

NEW YORK: Hundreds of people marched yesterday near Wall Street in New York in a failed attempt to occupy the heart of global finance to protest greed, corruption and budget cuts.

Plans by protesters to turn Lower Manhattan into an “American Tahrir Square” was thwarted when police blocked all the streets near the New York Stock Exchange and Federal Hall in Lower Manhattan. The demonstrators had planned to stake out Wall Street until their anger over a financial system they say favors the rich and powerful was heard.

“The one thing we all have in common is that We Are The 99 Percent that will no longer tolerate the greed and corruption of the one percent,” said a statement on the website Occupy Wall Street.

By noon, about 700 people, many carrying backpacks and sleeping bags, had gathered near Wall Street to search for a place to camp amid a heavy police presence. That was far less than the 20,000 people that the online magazine Adbusters, which launched the movement in July, had hoped to see “flood” the neighborhood for a months-long occupation.

The protesters who did arrive were full of zeal and righteous indignation. “ This is a protest against corporate greed and we come to Wall Street because Wall Street is the Ground Zero for corporate greed,” said Julia River Hitt, a 22year-old philosophy student.

“We are here just to say we are fed up, we are not gonna take it anymore.” The protesters gathered

in Trinity Place, some 1,000 feet (300 meters) from Wall Street, which they hope to turn into the US version of the famous square in Cairo that became the focal point of protests that led to the ouster of Egyptian strongman Hosni Mubarak in February.

“No more corruption,” read one sign a demonstrator brandished.

“Wall St Greed, New Yorkers Say Enough,” read another. “I will sleep here. A lot of us we will sleep here,” said Steven Taylor, 24 a protester who arrived equipped with a backpack and a sleeping bag.

Youths shared food and discussed the economic crisis in groups of 15 and 20. Others marched around the square. Among the group was Javier Dorado, a law professor from Spain who com-

Fed’s dilemma: Twist or shout Policymakers to wrestle over inflation threat WASHINGTON: A fight looms on Tuesday in the US Federal Reserve as policy makers wrestle over whether the threat of inflation should prevent them from feeding more money into the economy to boost jobs.

While one camp on the Federal Open Market Committee is believed to favor a hopefully stimulative economic measure known as “Operation Twist,” a group of vocal dissenters could block that, shouting the alarm that inflation is picking up. Until data released on Thursday showed a surge in inflation, markets and economists had mostly expected that the FOMC would adopt Operation Twist-a 1961 bond-buying tactic named after the popular rock and roll dance of the time.

But with consumer prices having surged significantly in July and August, and the inflation rate now at 3.8 percent year-over-year, analysts say the so-called inflation hawks might have power behind their argument that more stimulus would be dangerous.

The August inflation report “makes a mockery of the FOMC’s claim that inflation has moderated in recent months and raises the hurdle for additional easing action,” John Ryding and Conrad DeQuadros of RDQ Economics said in a report. Already anticipating a tough debate, the FOMC decided last month to extend the meeting to two days to weigh the evidence and the choices.

At the end of June the Fed wound up its “QE2” stimulus measure, a six-month program to inject $600 billion of liquidity into the economy by buying short-term US bonds. QE2 — the second round of “quantitative easing”-prevented a plunge

into disinflation. But it failed to give a sustained boost to the overall economy, which grew at a near-stall rate of below one percent in the first half of the year, leaving the jobless rate at more than nine percent.

Since then, Fed chairman Ben Bernanke

worries of recession resurfacing, at its last meeting on August 9 the FOMC decided to make a pledge to hold interest rates near zero for two more years.

It was an uncommon public commitment designed to encourage long-term, job-generating lending by banks and

WASHINGTON: Comptroller General David Walker discusses the long-term budget outlook during the Senate Budget Committee hearing on Capitol Hill in Washington. Deficit hawks note the inconsistency of 2012 Republican presidential candidates who say they’ll try to repeal President Barack Obama’s health overhaul, but nod to another massive health care entitlement with unfunded future costs of over $7 trillion created by Republicans. —AP has consistently said that unemployment, and the lack of confidence that is preventing consumers from spending money, is the US economy’s biggest problem. With

investment by companies skittishly hoarding cash.

The Fed, however, did not offer a successor to QE2, and weeks later the min-

utes of that meeting showed that three of the FOMC’s 10 voting members-the inflation hawks-were strongly against the pledge on interest rates. But with the government increasingly concerned about slow growth and joblessness-and critics pointing out that promoting employment is a central Fed mission — in succeeding weeks Bernanke declared the Fed was ready to take new action to speed up the economy.

“The Federal Reserve has a range of tools that could be used to provide additional monetary stimulus,” he said on September 8. The pickup in inflation could make the FOMC more cautious, however.

A key issue is that the surge has mainly come from often volatile food and fuel prices.

The Fed prefers to focus on “core inflation” which does not include food and fuel, and that figure has also risen, to a year-on-year rate of 2.0 percent in August.

Operation Twist could be an acceptable compromise. The Fed is still holding and rolling over the QE2 purchases of shortterm bonds. It could shift these holdings to long-term bonds, a move that would press down long-term rates, to further encourage bank lending to companies and corporate investment.

Another possibility is to reduce to zero the interest the Fed pays on the excess reserves commercial banks deposit with it-another incentive for them to lend it out to higher-paying private borrowers, whether companies or homeowners seeking to refinance to lower their mortgage costs. “The Twist is the least dull tool in the box,” said economist Chris Low of FTN Financial. —AFP

US consumers turn to ‘extreme couponing’ Desperate remedies for Americans WASHINGTON: The humble couponwhich in the past gave consumers a few cents off soap or cereal-has mushroomed into a lifestyle for millions of Americans with its own television programs, websites and trading platforms.

A total of 167 billion coupons were distributed to US consumers in the first six months of 2011, according to the research firm NCH Marketing Services, and the value of redeemed coupons rose 5.3 percent to $2 billion. But it’s not your grandmother’s Sunday newspaper coupon clipping anymore.

Websites with names like Southern Savers, livefabuless.com or thekrazycouponlady.com give consumers an edge on how to find the right discounts in the art of “couponing,” which has now evolved into a verb. The principle is simple. First buy several copies of the Sunday papers which have pages of coupons tucked inside. Print others out from the Internet. These coupons give the bearer the right to a price reduction.

But the real “pro” combines all the offers to maximize reduc tions by adding on those offered by store cards as well as promotions on certain products.

Take a humble $2 tube of toothpaste. Look for it on offer for $1.50, then add a 0.50 cent store reduction coupon and a 0.50 cent off manufacturer’s coupon, and suddenly it can be bought for just 0.50 cents. Some days the coupon can be doubled in value.

Which can then mean the store has to return money to the buyer... either in cash or more coupons.

Coupon aficionados get advice from websites on coupon schedules, how to get coupons doubled or combined with other promotions.

Sites contain testimonials such as one on Southern Savers from a woman identified as Jenny, who says: “I thought it would be temporary only until the roof loan was paid off. It only

took one trip to C VS to become hooked, leaving with over $100 in merchandise that I paid a quarter for.”

Picking up on the trend, the TLC cable channel has launched its program “Extreme Couponing,” which is starting its second season this month and which the Washington Post called “a fascinating yet deeply disturbing show.”

The show features coupon addicts such as Scott, who admitted on the show, “I love my wife and my kid, but I love my (coupon) stockpile.”

S ome social obser vers say the obsession with couponing is a sad reflection on the consumer society.

“Some people do it because they want to fill up some kind of internal emptiness, some people do it to regulate their mood. Other people do it because they feel more in control,” says April Benson, a psychologist specializing in shopping addiction.

A Washington Post review of the TLC program says it allows couponers “to boastfully present themselves as newfangled heroes of the Great Recession, rather than as the piggy stockpilers they come off as, who voraciously amass paper towels, pancake syrup, spaghetti, deodorant, ketchup and more... Or it’s just another weird reality show about the freak next door!”

Even some coupon users say they object to the extreme coupon movement.

Jennifer Savage, an acknowledged couponer, said she does uses coupons for discounts but finds it “distasteful” when people try to game the system.

“We do it to help feed our families during this tough economic time,” she told AFP. “And when other people like these extreme couponers break the rules, it really hurts everyone that tries to use coupons in the way that they are intended, because it is stealing from stores, which in turn drives up prices for everyone.” —AFP

DENVER: A foreclosure sign sits atop a for sale sign in front of a single-family home in Denver. Barack Obama’s road to re-election is lined with lots of boarded-up homes. While the high unemployment rate dominates talk in Washington, for many 2012 voters the housing crisis may well be a more powerful manifestation of the sick economy. —AP

Poland targets 2014 for shale gas debut: PM WARSAW: Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said yesterday his country planned to begin commercial shale gas production from 2014, dismissing environmental concerns while insisting the technologies involved were safe.

“Being a moderate optimistic, the commercial exploitation of shale gas will begin in 2014,” the leader of Poland’s governing Civic Platform (PO) liberals said while on the campaign trail ahead of an October 9 general election.

Poland could achieved “gas security” by 2035, he added as he visited Lubocin, northern Poland, where shale gas exploration was underway. “After years of dependence on our large neighbor (Russia), today we can say that my generation will see the day when we will be independent in the area of natural gas and we will be setting terms,” Tusk said. The prime minister also insisted he had been “assured that well conducted exploration and production would not pose a danger to the environment.”

“This is very important to us,” he said. Earlier this month Brussels said it intended to draft European Union-wide rules on tapping shalegas reserves in the face of environmental concerns. Moves to tap gas from shale-sedimenta-

ry rock containing hydrocarbons-have sown deep divisions in Europe amid concerns that hydraulic fracturing used in its extraction is environmentally risky.

France, for example, has frozen extraction projects and slapped a legal ban on so-called “fracking”.

But Poland is pushing ahead with moves to exploit reserves thought to contain some 5.3 trillion cubic metres of natural gas. If the estimate proves right, it would allow Poland reduce its reliance on coal for electricity production and it reduce its dependence on Russian gas supplies, which cover 40 percent of its needs.

Little known even five years ago, tapping shale-gas is seen as having the potential to change global energy markets, for example by doubling the estimated reserves of the United States.

Poland has already granted over 90 shale gas exploration licenses to international energy companies including ExxonMobil and Total in the hope of bringing its considerable reserves to market and ending its energy dependence on Soviet-era master Russia. —AFP

pared the protesters with the mass “indignant” demonstrations in his country against high unemployment, welfare cuts and corruption.

“This is a global phenomenon that is taking place in Europe and many countries,” Dorado said. The protest came as the United States struggles to overcome an economic crisis marked by a huge budget deficit that has triggered cuts in the public service sector while unemployment hovers stubbornly above nine percent.

“There’s a war in Libya, there’s a war in Afghanistan, there’s a war in Iraq and we have cuts in education, social programs,” said a masked protester who declined to be identified. “We know where the money is going! Revolution in America!” —AFP

layoff fears in Greece’s civil service ATHENS: Up and down three floors, half a dozen offices to visit for document approval, over an hour needed if you count the queues-welcome to Greece’s tax service, the heart of the cash-strapped country’s struggle against a debt crisis that has shaken the euro-zone.

Contrary to reports of go-slow practices, many of these civil servants are hard at work to shore up the state’s slipping revenue targets. But the deck is stacked against them. Many of their computer terminals have no Internet access and the number of taxpayers coming to settle outstanding debts has taken a hit from wave upon wave of austerity measures imposed for the past 22 months to shore up Greece’s tottering economy. Tax receipts from self-employed individuals are in particular decline after thousands hastened to close their books.

“Well, what do you expect? Is there anyone left in Greece that earns money?” grumbles a staffer tasked with imposing fines for lost tax receipt books.

At a neighboring office handling tax records, the desk clerk greets customers with a mouthful of sandwich, a freshly-spilled coffee and Tina Turner’s “You’re simply the best” ringing on his cellphone.

Greeks love to complain about the depths of poor service meted out at the country’s cumbersome bureaucracy, which employs over 800,000 people. At the same time, securing a post in the labyrinthine corridors of the Greek civil service was considered one of the nation’s top job opportunities for decades.

Depending on their respective department, civil servants benefited from a slimmed-down working week and padded their basic salaries with bonuses for dressing well, turning up for work on time or keeping company cars running. But when the time came for sweeping cuts to save Greece’s tattered finances from bankruptcy last year, at the insistence of the country’s EU-IMF creditors, this was the first place where state auditors came knocking.

Civil service salaries were slashed by around a fifth and the government has pledged to shed 150,000 jobs by 2015, many through early retirement.

Scores of state-operated entities are also to be merged or eliminated. And authorities this month began applying a labor reserve scheme designed to re-evaluate the performance of over 20,000 staff, with six in ten facing eventual dismissal. The government on Friday said the cull would be “transparent” and “based on merit.”

But many insiders harbor no illusions. “Normally I would not need to fear dismissal but this is Greece, where some are more protected than others,” says a 50-year-old computer scientist who identified himself as Petros.

Petros works in a state company that employs 300 people.

One in ten are slated to be fired, he says. “The majority are here because of who they know. Some were recruited at their village by a local lawmaker who actually begged them to take the post” in return for votes, he told AFP. Others were helped into the service with bogus tests.

Those nearing retirement are nominally the first in line for an early exit, but Petros argues that this proviso is unlikely to touch organized supporters of the ruling Socialist party. A wave of general strikes hit the country last year in opposition to the austerity cuts. Unions are planning to mobilize again in early October. —AFP

BP trying to raise Iraq oil output ABU DHABI: British oil major BP remains committed to reaching its oil production targets at Iraq’s huge Rumaila field and is not renegotiating contract terms, the company’s chief executive Bob Dudley said yesterday. Iraq’s oil minister said in June Iraq could renegotiate production deals with global oil majors and may cut the country’s ambitious goal to expand capacity from below 3 million barrels per day (bpd) to 12 million barrels per day by 2017. Dudley also said in June he doubted Iraq’s capacity would exceed 6 million bpd by the end of this decade, due to infrastructure problems.

Production from the Rumaila oil field-which BP is developing with China’s CNPC and which has some 17 billion barrels in estimated crude reserves-is thought to have fluctuated widely in early 2011 due to pressure problems.

But BP-one of the biggest players in the push to increase Iraqi oil production to levels to rival OPEC’s top producer Saudi Arabia-still hopes Rumaila will reach its production target of 2.85 million bpd by 2017. “We remain committed to heading towards that plateau and we are not in any discussions around changing the terms of our contract,” he said, adding that limits on exporting crude from the warn-torn country were the biggest obstacle.

“There is a lot of work to do but there is a lot of potential,” he told reporters at a conference in Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates. Dudley declined to comment on whether BP was in talks with US authorities over a possible out of court settlement after the latest report into the Macondo well blow-out in April 2010, which led to the death of 11 men and the biggest offshore oil spill in US history, put most of the blame on BP last week. —Reuters

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TECHNOLOGY

Kaspersky internet security rated dynamic in testing NEW YORK: Kaspersky Lab, a leading developer of content and threat management solutions providing protection against malware, hackers and spam, announces that Kaspersky Internet Security has received an “Advanced+” cer tificate in AVComparatives’ independent testing.

This highest rating from the respected European independent testing lab was based on the results of a whole-product dynamic test in the second quarter of 2011.

AV-Comparatives’ real-world tests

News

in brief

Software fails to detect ZeuS HANOVER: International cyber criminals often use trojan horse viruses to steal banking information by keystroke logging and form grabbing.

ZeuS is one such trojan and is spread mainly through drive -by downloads and phishing schemes.

Although it was first identified back in 2007, many free anti-virus software packages are unable to detect ZeuS, according to a report in German computer magazine c’t. Following a thorough analysis of the software code, experts recommend that users of free anti-virus software also install monitoring software that can detect third-party programs by registering typical action patterns, allowing viruses to be discovered.

The magazine recommends ThreatFire. “ZeuS is so successful because of its modular structure, which makes it very adaptable,” explained c’t editor Ronald Eikenberg. “Fraudsters are capable of designing specific viruses to match already existing service providers.” Once ZeuS has been installed on a PC, it can receive continuous updated commands.

Clone your hard drive The new Mac OS X Lion offers numerous benefits but some users might occasionally want to work with the previous Snow Leopard operating system.

To achieve this, an external hard drive is required as well as the free SuperDuper bootable backup creation program and plenty of time.

SuperDuper - or alternatively Carbon Copy Cloner - creates a clone of the old system, including all programs and files, before the update although this process can take several hours to complete. The Mac can then be updated, and the old OS can still be started from the hard drive by holding down the Alt button and selecting the external device as a boot partition.

Blog displays Photoshop disasters Virtually no advertising image is spared the full Photoshop - or other graphic program - treatment, with pimples airbrushed out of existence and figures touched up to optimise curves. In most cases, the changes can’t be spotted by the naked eye but sometimes designers make huge errors, leaving models without arms or, in one instance, with three hands.

The US blog www.psdisasters.com collects disastrous images that have made it into the public domain and publishes them on its website. The blog doesn’t restrict itself only to blatantly obvious errors, but also documents graphic dilettantism like incorrect reflections or cutouts.

There is plenty of available material, meaning the website is updated on a daily basis. The website circles the blooper if the Photoshop disaster isn’t immediately obvious to the naked eye. — dpa

Explore solar system from your computer WASHINGTON: The US space agency NASA has made available an interactive internet tool that allows the public to journey through the solar system using actual space mission data.

The “Eyes on the Solar System” interface combines video game technology and NASA data to create an environment where users can travel on agency spacecraft and explore the cosmos.

Graphics, planet locations and spacecraft maneuvers all use accurate data gathered on actual space missions.

“This is the first time the public has been able to see the entire solar system and our missions moving together in real time,” said Jim Green, director of NASA’s Planetary Science Division at the agency’s headquarters in Washington. “It demonstrates NASA’s continued commitment to share our science with everyone.”

The virtual environment uses the Unity game engine to display models of planets, moons, asteroids, comets and spacecraft as they move through our solar system. A free browser plug-in, available at the site, is required to run the web application.

“You are now free to move about the solar system,” said Blaine Baggett, executive manager in the Office of Communication and Education at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laborator y (JPL) in Pasadena, California. “See what NASA’s spacecraft see - and where they are right now - all without leaving your computer.”

Users can fully customise what they see and there’s even a 3D mode available. It’s envisaged that the tool will also feature missions to be launched during the coming months such as the Mars Science Laboratory Curiosity rover. — dpa

are focused on evaluating the full range of technologies implemented in a security solution. In the second quarter of 2011 AV-Comparatives per formed a test of Kaspersky Internet Security 2011 and 2012. The products were able to update signature databases and query the cloudbased Kaspersky Security Network throughout the whole testing process. Therefore, this kind of testing by AV-Comparatives is very close to reflecting real-world scenarios users face.

During the day-to-day testing, all security products were exposed to a total of 2,480 test cases of malware and infected websites.

Kaspersky Internet Security successfully blocked 98.2% of the threats. Another 23 samples of malware were also detected by Kaspersky Internet Security and could have been successfully blocked in a real-life situation after displaying a warning. The testing lab also checked security software from different vendors for false positive

detections of legitimate files and web pages. The resulting number of false positives for Kaspersky Internet Security was below average: suspicious behavior was blocked for only five out of 2000 legitimate samples.

Nikita Shvetsov, Director of AntiMalware Research at Kaspersky Lab, said: “Dynamic or real-world testing of security software challenges both the vendors and the independent testing labs. The latter deal with a complicated daily exercise of exposing machines with a security solution

installed to dozens of the latest malicious programs and web pages. The challenge for the software vendors is to build a security solution that is as light on resources as possible, while at the same time blocking every suspicious action made.

“These two requirements often contradict each other, but judging by the results of this independent testing, we are pleased to see that we are moving in the right direction in getting the balance right between the two.”

Apple booms in China ‘We are just scratching the surface’ BEIJING: When the iPad2 went on sale in China, demand was so high at one Apple Store in Beijing’s Sanlitun Village on the first day that a crowd of customers broke through a glass door, leaving four injured.

That is just a sign of the popularity Apple is enjoying in China. Even better for Apple, the country remains a huge potential growth market, especially as its devices like the iPhone and iPad have become ever more popular as a form of status symbol. The California-based company is planning a huge expansion, with a host of new stores. The ones that are already up and running, like the store in Sanlitun Village, are usually packed.

Sales for the greater China region (China, Hong Kong and Taiwan) increased by a factor of six in the most recent quarter, to 3.8 billion dollars. Another sign of the company’s popularity is a rash of fake Apple Stores, none of which offer the same variety and range of products as the genuine stores.

To date, there are four official stores in Beijing and Shanghai. Two more are planned to open this year, in Hong Kong and Shanghai. “This has been a substantial opportunity for Apple and I firmly believe that we are just scratching the surface right now,” said Timothy Cook, who recently succeeded Steve Jobs at the helm of the world’s second-largest company by market value.

He was widely quoted as saying the chances in China are “incredible.”

Already, Chinese sales account for a tenth of the Cupertino-headquartered company’s global sales. The trend is upwards, since business is nowhere near as good at Apple Stores anywhere in the world as it is in China. Besides the four official stores, a lot of merchants and electronics stores in China sell Apple products. The volume of these gray imports is hard to gauge. Some merchants are already advertising the iPhone 5, even though its release date has not officially been announced.

The iPhone has achieved a kind of cult status among China’s 800 million mobile phone users, especially in richer cities. Apple products are considered to be cool and signal a higher social status. And while fake Gucci or Louis Vitton handbags are routinely used, Chinese people show that they’ve made it with a genuine iPhone or iPad. This is despite the fact that Apple sales were sluggish for a long time in China, partially because of restrictions on wireless products or ones with 3G reception.

Prices skyrocketed as demand ratcheted up for illicit Apple imports from Hong Kong and the United States.

The first Apple Store opened in China in 2008.

Negotiations with mobile phone service providers also took a while. But now the iPad2 is set to come into

used to be exclusively through individual merchants or via the company’s online store. But work began in June for the first Apple Store there, in the IFC Mall. Work should be completed by the end of September.

Once it opens, 40,000 visitors a day are expected -

stores, thanks to a cooperation contract with China Unicom. So far it has only been available as a gray import. In Hong Kong, where Apple products are noticeably cheaper thanks to lower customs and taxes, sales

four times higher than the average to US stores.

Unconfirmed media reports say that two more stores are also planned in Hong Kong. A third is also planned for Shanghai. Worldwide, Apple has 320 stores. — dpa

Smartphone apps help cyclists explore world BERLIN: Bulky distance gauges on bicycles are history. Nowadays, cyclists want to log their distance with a smartphone or satellite navigation device that can also help them if they get lost. Thus, no detail remains unknown. For example, a bike ride from Berlin’s Checkpoint Charlie to Westend takes 30 minutes and 38 seconds, assuming an average speed of 19.7 kilometres for the 10-kilometre stretch. And all that information is registered on a smartphone app.

“Just like with car navigation systems, the trend with cyclists is for smartphone apps as an alternative to special navigation devices,” says Bernd Klusmann, a telematics exper t with Bitkom, a German IT industry association. If it’s just a question of measuring the trip, there’s no need to remove the phone from your pocket and risk running foul of laws about biking with a mobile in hand. If you plan to use it as a navigation device, it’s best to mount it on the handlebar. There is a variety of waterproof, universal holders for most models.

“A navigation app on the smartphone is great for cyclists in a foreign city,” says Bettina Cibulski of the General German Bicycle Club. “You don’t want to get stuck in heavy traffic on the main streets.” They’re also good for longer bike tours. “It’s getting more and more common for people to use a smartphone navigator instead of a map,” she says. “That way you don’t have to get off the path to look for the right way, you just have to follow the arrow on the display.”

One option is the MotionX GPS (2.39 euros/3.27 dollars) for the iPhone, which allows users to save information about specific points on a trail and then email that data, or even an entire route map. The B.iCycle app (3.99 euros) has some benefits as well, displaying not just previous tours, but also the entire kilometre count.

Skobbler (1.59 euros) is available for both the iPhone and Android mobiles. It uses map material from the OpenStreetMap project and customizes it for bicycle navigation, although the data is not specialized for such use.

There’s also the free OsmAnd app for Android phones. Also

linked to the Open Street Map project, it allows map information to be downloaded. Along with providing navigation services, it makes it possible to install routes stored in a GPX format and follow them. As for the Maverick app (4.95 euros for the full version), it offers hiking tips and orientation for geocoaching fans.

It’s usually possible to plot a course and then save it in GPX format (GPS Exchange) so it can be uploaded onto a smartphone. The BBBike.org project is busy trying to come up with a route planner for cyclists based on the data. Once a start and end point are entered, a route is generated and displayed as a map.

Of course, heading out on an all-day bike tour can push most batteries to their limits, especially for older smartphones, notes Klusmann. That’s why it is advisable to pick up a second battery or a special battery charger. Environmentally aware cyclists might wonder about some kind of solar power option. Unfortunately, these usually take too long to charge. But there are options to recharge the phone with the energy generated by the act of cycling, using a dynamo.

There’s also a lot of buzz around mobile fuel cells, like the Powertrekk from Swedish company myFC. “To use it, a cyclist would need the charger, a little water and a PowerPukk fuel capsule,” says Kristine Lindholm of myFC. The small package can be placed in a backpack to charge the smartphone during the trip. According to the manufacturer, the charger should go on sale in January for 199 euros, with PowerPukk capsules costing 1.90 euros. Once you’ve solved your software and battery problems, the only real problem that remains is reading your smartphone display in bright sunlight. For that, outdoor solutions like the Garmin Edge 800 (399 euros) GPS bicycle computer have their advantages. — dpa

Google promises German privacy HAMBURG: Google reached an agreement with German privacy officials to limit an internet technology that tells website owners what type of people are visiting their sites. The technology, Google Analytics, is a free service that tracks the addresses of the computers used to visit websites.

Combining the data over days or months gives Google a picture who is interested in which subjects online.

Hamburg state’s commissioner for data protection, Johannes Caspar, representing privacy officials nationwide, gave Google Analytics a clean bill of health after Google urged third parties running websites in Germany to allow users to opt out of being tracked.

The deal appears to balance website owners’ needs to collect advertising data with German concerns that data about individual people and their private tastes and opinions might be collected. The dispute has dragged on for years. Germany has also criticized US-based Google over its Street View and Books services. As a result, Google has said it will not photograph German cities again for Street View and has stopped offering images of German books.

The rules for Analytics initially apply in Germany only. Google will appeal to anyone in Germany who owns a website to warn users if Google Analytics is in use and advise visitors on methods to hide from scrutiny, such as using browser addon sof t ware. Caspar said he would welcome Google applying the new rules for the whole of the European Union. — dpa

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Years

H E A LT H & S C I E NC E

Drug-resistant bacteria top agenda of convention CHICAGO: The emergence of bacteria resistant to antibiotics and efforts by scientists trying to cope with the problem top the agenda at a medical convention under way here this weekend. “ The emergence of antibiotic-resistant bacteria worldwide is clearly the hot topic because one can observe bacteria becoming more resistant everywhere,” and more frequently outside of hospitals, said Doctor Laurent Poirel, a specialist in infectious diseases at KremlinBicetre Hospital near Paris.

Many studies of such bacteria are presented to the 51st convention of the Interscience Conference on Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy (ICAAC), which brought

together 9,000 participants, including 6,000 researchers from around the world. “If we do not do something soon, we will lose the war against microbial resistance, which would pave the way to the next pandemic,” warned Doctor Jean Cardet, consultant to the World Health Organization, which in April launched an initiative against it, advocating moderate use of antibiotics.

Cardet cited the E.coli bacteria responsible for the deaths of 51 people this year in Europe, especially in Germany, where it displayed super-resistance. It was similar to the super-bacteria that last year came from India and was named NDM-1.

In fact, the bacteria had a gene that

Health

in brief

Obesity can have psychological causes BERLIN: Many cases of obesity tend to have psychological, not physical, causes, experts say. According to Burghard Klapp, a physician and professor at the Obesity Centre of Charite university hospital in Berlin, obesity is “not seldom” the result of an addiction similar to alcohol dependence. Obese people like to see their obesity as a physical problem, however, “because it’s easier to deal with something on a physical level than on a psychological one,” he said. “The more strongly a person is given to obesity, the more suspicious one ought to become,” remarked Klapp, who specializes in psychosomatics. He said it made sense to ask what other impairments the person had in addition to excess weight. Overweight people often suffer from psychological disorders or social anxieties and take prescription sedatives, which, like alcohol, can be addictive, he noted. Klapp said few obese people gave any thought to the physical consequences of their obesity: “Tomorrow’s illnesses don’t interest them.” He recommended that more attention be paid to looking for and treating the psychological causes of obesity.

Exercise protect men Sufficient exercise and a calcium-rich diet help prevent osteoporosis in older men, according to the German Urology Society (DGU). It said that physical activity was the best preventative measure and recommended plenty of vitamin D along with a daily calcium intake of about 1,300 milligrams. Men over 50 years of age should also regularly have a urologist check their risk of osteoporosis, a disease characterized by a reduction in bone density, increasing porosity and brittleness. Although only one in three people with osteoporosis is male, the proportion is increasing, the DGU noted. The biggest risk factor, it said, is a deficiency of the male sex hormone testosterone.

Cortisone therapies, kidney disorders and an unhealthy lifestyle marked by smoking, drinking, poor nutrition and lack of exercise foster the disease.

Caregivers suffer from burnout Doctors, nurses, therapists and social workers suffer especially often from burnout syndrome, according to the German Association for Psychiatry and Psychotherapy (DGPPN). It said that, in Germany for example, 76 per cent of young doctors showed signs of extreme overwork, such as emotional exhaustion or demotivation. It is important to take countermeasures immediately after burnout symptoms appear because they can lead to depression, the DGPPN noted. It said that improving one’s time management and learning to delegate authority were helpful. — dpa

Genes linked to Schizophrenia PARIS: Broad sweeps of the human genome have exposed genetic mutations that boost the risk of the devastating yet baffling diseases of schizophrenia and bipolar disorder, according to two studies published yesterday.

The independent studies, each conducted by a consortium of about 200 scientists, also found significant genetic overlap between the debilitating mental disorders.

Schizophrenia patients typically hear voices that are not real, tend toward paranoia and suffer from disorganized speech and thinking. The condition is thought to affect about one percent of adults worldwide.

Previously known as manic depression, bipolar disorder is characterised by hard-to-control mood swings that veer backand-forth between depression and euphoria, and afflicts a similar percentage of the population.

The biological profile of both conditions remain almost entirely unknown. Doctors seek to hold them in check with powerful drugs. Scientists have long observed that each syndromes tends to run in families, suggesting a powerful inherited component.

But early hopes of finding a single-gene culprit swiftly faded, giving way to the realisation that—to the extent DNA is at fault—blame is probably spread across dozens, maybe even hundreds of DNA variants.

Genome-wide comparisons made possible by gains in computing power involve sweeps of tens of thousands of individual genetic codes from patients and otherwise healthy counterparts.

But so far only a handful of suspects have been found that, at best, account for about 30 percent of the heritable component of schizophrenia. Nailing down genetic drivers is made even harder by uncertainty as to whether schizophrenia and bipolar—defined by a varying constellation of symptoms— are single or multiple diseases.

In one of the largest gene sweeps so far, Pablo Gejman of the University of Chicago and colleagues worldwide started by reviewing 17 earlier efforts involving nearly 22,000 people, just under half of them schizophrenia patients.

The so-called meta-study unearthed seven genetic variants, five of them new. One in particular—known as rs1625579 — plays a key role in regulating brain cells.

To substantiate the results, published in Nature Genetics, the scientists duplicated the genome search with nearly 30,000 other individuals. For the study on bipolar disorder, also appearing in Nature Genetics, a team led by Pamela Sklar of Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York first looked at the genomes of 7,481 patients and 9,250 healthy individuals.

A second sweep focusing on 34 DNA suspects involved some 2,500 other patients and 42,500 controls.

The study confirmed a significant link with a gene, CACNA1C, that also has been previously associated with schizophrenia. — AFP

produces an enzyme capable of destroying antibiotics, a mechanism that is now observed in other microbes.

Speaking to AFP in Chicago, Doctor Cardet cautioned that it was important to make a distinction between bacteria known as Gram-positive such as golden staphylococcus and Gram-negative, such as E.coli, salmonella and pseudomonas. The latter account for 60 percent of all infections and have been the pathogens against which the “current arsenal of antibiotics has had the greatest difficulty coping.” They are responsible for most hospital-acquired lung infections as well as those of blood and the urinary tract. Efforts to make hospitals cleaner and the use of special

new antibiotics against Gram-positive bacteria such as golden staphylococcus have helped reduce the number of cases involving drug-resistant bacteria, particularly in France, noted Cardet.

Gram was the name of a Danish scientist who developed this bacteriafighting technique in the late 19th century. It refers to a process of membrane staining in bacteria to distinguish them.

Gram-negative bacteria have a thicker membrane and are therefore more resistant. “Gram-negative bacteria are becoming highly resistant, resistant to multiple antibiotic classes,” Doctor Karen Bush from the University of Indiana at Bloomington told a news conference.

But she also noted that scientists had

found “many newer types of compounds ... targeting the novel anti-bacterial enzymes.” Bush also pointed out that pharmaceutical companies were becoming “more interested in early stage drug discovery.” “There is also cooperation between academic scientists and government scientists,” she said.

The company Cubist Pharmaceuticals in Boston has been at the forefront of the fight against Gram-negative bacteria in contrast to other major laboratories that believe this area of science has low profit margins. In August, the firm conducted its final test of the antibiotic CXA-201 that targets Gram-negative bacteria. — AFP

More overweight Indians opting for surgery: Doctors Almost one in five men are overweight MUMBAI: The leader of India’s main opposition party went under the knife this week to help him lose weight, throwing the spotlight on increasing use of surgery to tackle the country’s growing obesity problem.

The president of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Nitin Gadkari, is one of a rising number of Indians now opting for weight loss (bariatric) surgery to slim down.

Muffazal Lakdawala, Gadkari’s doctor at the Centre for Obesity and Diabetes Surgery (CODS) at the private Saifee Hospital in Mumbai, said the political heavyweight was recovering well after his gastric bypass.

“He’s fine. He’s stopped his insulin” for his Type 2 diabetes, he told AFP on Thursday. The surgeon said that Gadkari, who tipped the scales at 130 kilograms (287 pounds), was morbidly obese-medically, someone with a body mass index of more than 40 — but that his weight should fall in coming months.

“He should tentatively settle at around 80 to 90 kilograms within a year or a year and a half,” he explained. India is traditionally more associated with malnutrition and chronic food shortages than overeating and weight-related illness, but economic growth has had an impact on waistlines, particularly in urban areas.

The boom has brought a more sedentary lifestyle, while being able to eat oil and sugar-rich foods, particularly Western fast food, is seen as a visible sign of

NEW DELHI: In this file picture taken Feb 18, 2011, president of India’s main opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Nitin Gadkari (2nd left), along with other party leaders and members of parliament exits the Presidential Palace. — AFP status and increased disposable income. Between 1998 and 2005, the number of overweight adults in India increased by 20 percent, according to an Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) study published in The Lancet medical jour-

nal last year. Almost one in five men and more than one in six women are now overweight.

In some urban areas, rates were as high as 40 percent, the study suggested. Meanwhile, a separate study of 4,000 Indian children in 15 cities published last

August indicated that almost a quarter (23 percent) of five to 14year-olds in urban schools were overweight, while nearly 11 percent were obese. Ramen Goel, a bariatric and metabolic surgeon at the state-run Bombay Hospital, blamed growing rates of obesity

on lifestyle changes combined with a genetic predisposition among South Asian people to store more fat. As a result, and due to greater awareness of the availability of the procedure, Goel’s workload has increased drastically since he performed the first weight loss operations in India more than a decade ago.

At the turn of the millennium he carried out only about four procedures a year but that rate has now shot up to about 20 a month. Likewise, Lakdawala said doctors at CODS carried out only one or two gastric bypasses a month when they opened in 2005 but now conduct about 30 a month. A number of their patients are politicians.

Gastric bypass surgery, such as Gadkari underwent, reduces the size of the stomach and length of the intestine that comes into contact with food, so the person eats less and absorbs fewer calories.

Other options include placing a gastric band around the stomach, which cuts the amount of food that can be consumed.

Lakdawala said that overweight and obese people were increasingly seeking surger y because a majority of them failed to shift excess body fat through diet and exercise. But it also had other advantages, he said.

“This is the only surgery that can get rid of diabetes, hypertension, maybe uric acid and sleep apnoea all at once,” he added, referring to conditions often associated with excess weight.— AFP

Health of millions on the menu at summit UNITED NATIONS: World leaders hold a landmark health summit today that is expected to launch an acrimonious debate on the cost and responsibility for diseases killing tens of millions each year. More than 36 million people a year die from cancer, heart disease, diabetes and other non-communicable diseases (NCDs) which are the topic of the summit starting the UN General Assembly week in New York.

About 35 heads of state and government and 50 health and foreign ministers are to attend the two day meeting which must take the first steps to pushing governments into greater preventive measures. The spread of non-communicable diseases is particularly alarming in Africa, the Middle East and Asia with poorer countries suffering most, experts say. About 80 percent of the deaths are in developing countries.

The summit’s draft final statement takes tentative steps toward laying the blame for the deaths. UN states “recognize that the most prominent NCDs are linked to common risk factors, namely tobacco use, harmful use of alcohol, and unhealthy diet, and lack of physical activity.”

The final statement also says more help must given to poor countries. It calls non-communicable diseases “one of the major challenges for development in the 21st century. “Poor populations and those living in vulnerable situations, in particular in developing countries bear a disporportionate burden.” Anne Keeling, president of the NCD Alliance, which groups about 2,000 health organisations around the world. said the diseases are now at “epidemic level” and are a challenge to be confronted by all

countries. Keeling, who is also chief executive of the International Diabetes Federation, said there are currently about 344 million diabetes sufferers around the world and the number will soon pass 500 million within a generation. The summit statement says prevention must be the cornerstone of international efforts. Many experts are urging leaders to take a tougher stand however.

Even the UN’s special rapporteur on the right to food has called for taxes on unhealthy food and regulating harmful marketing practices. “Voluntary guidelines are not enough. World leaders must not bow to industry pressure,” the expert, Olivier De Schutter, said in a statement ahead of the two day summit.

“It is crucial for world leaders to counter food industry efforts to sell unbalanced processed products and readyto-serve meals too rich in transfats and saturated fats, salt and sugars,” he said. Aid for the poor countries battling the new wave of non-communicable diseases will also be an issue at the summit.

It currently makes up less than three percent of official development aid, a lot less than sums given to tackle transmissible diseases like malaria, said Ala Alwan, deputy director general of the World Health Organization.

The summit declaration says there should be “policies and actions aimed at promoting healthy diets and increasing physical activity in the entire population.” It proposes initiatives to reduce salt, sugar and saturated fats in our diets. Many experts are hungry for even more cutbacks on the dinner plate. —AFP

CHANGZHOU: This file picture taken on November 28, 2009 shows a masked worker in a lab coat sorting silicon wafers at the manufacturing centre of solar cell maker Trina Solar in Changzhou. China’s solar power firms are having their day in the sun with the collapse of overseas competitors, but the new giants are struggling with low prices and overcapacity like others in the industry. — AFP

Zimbabwe poachers poison water holes

JUNAGADH CITY: Thalassemic children reportedly contracted HIV after being given contaminated blood in Junagadh city of Gujarat protest along with their parents during a fast “Satyagrah” led by unseen senior Congress leader Shankersinh Vaghela in Ahmedabad yesterday. — AFP

HARARE: Health fears were on the rise in Zimbabwe as poachers began poisoning water holes in many of the country’s biggest game-parks, killing dozens of animals, reports said yesterday.

Caroline Washaya-Mayo, a spokesperson for the Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Manaagement Authority, was quoted by the Sunday Mail newspaper as saying that waterholes have been contaminated with the unidentified poison at the Gonarezhou, Mana Pools, Zambezi, Charara and Matsudona national parks.

“This is the only time we have had cases of poaching involving chemicals,” Washaya-Mayo said, adding that poachers are using different techniques which are silent and do not raise suspicion.

Nine elephants, five lions, two buffaloes and several vultures are among

the animals known to have died after drinking the water. Authorities are concerned that the health of nearby villages may be at risk if residents accidentally drink the contaminated water and urged game rangers patrolling the areas to carry their own water.

In July, a local conservation group accused Chinese miners of using poisoned bread to kill a herd of elephants in the Zambezi Valley.

Poisoned cabbage leaves were reportedly used to kill rhinos in southeastern Zimbabwe last year.

Authorities in once game -rich Zimbabwe have recently stepped up their fight against poachers, killing three suspected rhino poachers in the Chipangayi Safari area, south-east of the country, on Tuesday. — dpa

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MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 19, 2011

H E A LT H

Accidents in Africa, bigger threat than HIV, malaria JOHANNESBURG: It has been a week full of terrible accidents in Africa, with approximately 200 people dying after a ferry sank in Tanzania, while in Kenya a blaze in a crowded slum killed more than 100 people.

And those were just the big stories.

Dozens in east Africa perished from methanol poisoning after drinking poorly brewed moonshine. In Angola, a plane crash killed 30. Car and boating accidents are too numerous to count, leaving behind grieving families in their wake.

“We don’t call them accidents anymore. We call them injuries as that is the result, and the causes of injuries are ver y much preventable,” says Etienne Krug at the World Health Organisation. He is the director of the WHO Department of Violence and Injury Prevention and Disability, which aims to promote health though focusing on preparedness.

Speaking with the German Press Agency dpa, Krug says governments must do more to prevent needless deaths, while average citizens too, if given the tools and knowledge, can help save themselves from painful and often debilitation bodily harm. But in African countries it is a particularly trying task, as cash-strapped governments lack the resources to invest in safety, while citizens are often too destitute to afford healthier living.

“It is very clear there is a strong link to poverty. All can be affected by

injury, but the lower economic classes of society are at higher risk, because they live in more dangerous housing, work in more dangerous places and travel by more dangerous means,” says Krug.

Another impediment to tackling accidental injuries is popular perception, even among political leaders.

Generous philanthropists donate billions of dollars each year to communicable disease research and prevention, though other causes of physical harm are often ignored. But about 5.8 million people globally die each year as a result of injuries, accounting for about 10 per cent of the world’s deaths. This is 32 per cent higher than the number of fatalities that result from malaria, tuberculosis, and HIV/AIDS combined, according to the WHO. “Injuries are a leading cause of death for people between ages 15 and 45. These are the breadwinners.

So if the breadwinners die, the whole family can end up in poverty,” Krug commented. With the improvement of modern science and technology, aided by funding and political support, diseases like malaria and cancer are sliding down the list of top causes of death. Health promotion, such as antismoking campaigns, are also fighting the causes of lung illnesses and other ailments.

At the same time, more roads are being paved and slums are becoming

more crowded in poor countries. “We see in Africa new roads being built where before there were only dirt roads. So now there is driving at much higher speeds, but not much is done for protection,” says Krug, adding that in his talks with governments, this is being stressed as a “big priority.”

Tougher seat belt and helmet laws and stricter regulation of drink-driving ordinances can save lives and boost a government’s coffers. “In Kenya, we introduced the first two speed cameras,” Krug relates about a recent collaboration with local police.

“They have managed to decrease speeds, reduced deaths by half and are bringing in money by fines, so they can buy more cameras,” he notes with pride. The WHO is also warning that lax rules about water transport can cause the types of accidents Tanzania saw this past weekend. The Democratic Republic of Congo witnesses hundreds of deaths each year, it is estimated, when ferries sink.

Often the boats are overloaded and poorly maintained. There are insufficient amounts of flotation devices on board and many people simply cannot swim.

While people are urged to avoid traveling in dangerous vessels, sometimes there are no alternatives and the poor cannot afford other options if they do exist. Governments must step in and protect their citizens, the WHO says. — dpa

New New e H Hope ope …

New Life

Treating the skin disease neurodermatitis BERLIN: The skin disease neurodermatitis affects children primarily. When treating the skin, parents should carefully check the basic elements of any cream or ointment.

“Creams and ointments can rapidly improve how the skin looks, but only if the base used for these medical and care products is appropriate to the condition of the skin,” says Rolf Daniels of the pharmaceutical department at the University of Tuebingen in Germany.

Water-based creams help with acute infections, but fatty ointments are better suited to treating chronic neurodermatitis. Daniels advises against constantly trying out new products.

“In some cases, constantly trying out new products can even do the skin more harm than good,” the professor says. It is often better for the pharmacist to prepare a cream that best suits the particular skin after consultation with the doctor, he says.

Creams containing active ingredients should not be used indiscriminately with neurodermatitis, depending on the skin condition.

Should a paediatrician prescribe a cream containing cortisone for acute neurodermatitis, this should be applied in accordance with the directions - mostly just once a day.

There should be rapid improvement, but

scratch marks will heal only slowly. “Fears regarding cor tisone that many parents have are unfounded if it is used properly,” Daniels says.

Cortisone is discontinued in stages after around a week.

Often an intermediate treatment follows, in which the affected skin areas are usually treated with the preparation containing cortisone twice a week.

The parents then apply the basic care treatment to their child’s skin on the no-cortisone days.

Cortisone creams should never be applied under nappies or on the face.

For some time, preparations containing silver have been used in skin care. Here nano and micro silver particles need to be differentiated. Both consist of finely divided elementary silver, with the silver microparticles more than 100 times larger that the nanoparticles, although still so fine that they do not scratch the skin.

Silver microparticles inhibit topical bacterial growth on the skin, but are not absorbed by the blood.

“Cosmetics using silver microparticles may be useful for neurodermatitis, but this depends on the particular skin condition and the base,” Daniels says. The authorities in Germany advise against the use of silver nanoparticles. — dpa

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s - 65561619 TEL: 24734000 6

shifakuwait@gmail.com shifak uwait@g gmail.com www.shifakuwait.com www.shifakuwait.com W orking m to to 12:00am Working i Hours: 8.00 am

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NECK to host preschoolers’ motivation program

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t. Johns Mar Thomas Church, Kuwait, is set to hold a brief pre-school Motivation Program (Ezhuthiniruthu Sisrusha) for children about to begin school or nursery for the first time. All children in these categories and their parents and guardians are invited and cordially welcomed to participate in the special service, which will be held on September 23 at 10:00 AM in the National Evangelical Church of Kuwait’s (NECK) church and parish hall. Certificates will be given to all the children attending the program.

Those who are interested in taking part in the event are kindly requested to contact the Vicar on 65563486, the Convener on 66742985 or the Secretary on 66546705.

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 Balamurali to perform for VOICE music As part of its Youth Wing’s first anniversary, VOICE Kuwait will hold a classical music evening on Friday, Sept 23 at United Indian School, Abbassiya.

Renowned musician Prof Ayamkuti Mani will present a vocal program accompanied by distinguished violinist Karunagappally S Balamurali, Arun Arunapuram on mridangam, Aranmula Harilal on ghatam and Manoj Mavelikkara on morsing. Karunagappally S Balamurali, a violinist for 25 years and music director for several TV serials and music albums is new in Kuwait and Friday’s performance is his maiden presentation in Kuwait, as the launch of his musical career in Kuwait. Viswakarma Organisation for Ideal Career & Education (VOICE) invites all music lovers to this program. For details, please contact: PG Binu 97964375; Balamurali 99584182 Tulukoota talent hunt Tulukoota Kuwait will hold a “Talent Hunt 2011” a chance to prove an inborn trait in you that confirms your individuality, uniqueness.

So step forward to grab this opportunity to show your caliber and entertain. Dance, music, art or any special talent- now is your chance to showcase it - and be part of this year’s Talent Hunt & Tulu Parba. Talent Hunt event is open to all Tuluvas. For more information and registration form kindly log on to our Website: www.tulukootakuwait.org or visit our facebook page - Tulukoota Kuwait Talent Hunt 2011. You could also email your form request to: secretary@tulukootakuwait.org or contact our area coordinators mentioned below.

Mangaf, Fahaheel, Abuhalifa : Ronald Dsouza60035824, Shalini Alva- 23726164, Suma Bhatt- 97834578 Salmiya & Hawally: Swarna Shetty- 99006934, Kripa Gatty- 66044194 Kuwait City, Jahra, Sharq : Rekha Sachu65044521,97862115 Farwaniya, Abbassiya, Shuwaikh & Khaitan: Sathyanarayana66585077 Sanath Shetty- 67712409.

Bangladesh envoy hosts farewell dinner for Thai ambassador

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is Excellency Syed Shahed Reza, Bangladesh Ambassador to Kuwait bids farewell to His Excellency Chet Dherapattana, Ambassador of Thailand to Kuwait. The Farewell dinner hosted by Bangladesh Ambassador at his Residence in Qortuba was attended by all Asian ambassadors, ambassadors from many African, European countries as well as Kuwaiti dignitaries.

Teacher’s Day at Integrated Indian School

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veryone who remembers his own education remembers teachers, not methods and techniques”.

The staff and students of Integrated Indian School, Jeleeb in collaboration with Kalka Group of Institutions, once again got back into action after their long summer vacation. The enthusiastic students took the opportunity to celebrate Teachers’ Day on 8th September 2011 amidst much grandeur. It provided an occasion to convey their affection and gratitude befitting the moulders of their lives. The programme commenced by garlanding the portrait of Dr. S. Radhakrishnan and lighting the lamp by Mohd Ali, our Manager and the staff members.

The students of Integrated Indian School are always known for their aesthetic sense, enter-

tained their teachers with skits, dances and songs. They honoured and appreciated every teacher with flowers and cards.

The students of XI and XII were the acting teachers of the day and maintained the discipline of the school, which was commendable.

Mrs. Cathy Thomas expressed deep appreciation to the students for their impressive and affectionate celebration and assured them that we teachers would continue to be committed to our vacation with caring and positive attitude to every student. The teachers were given a grand treat at the end.

“The teacher is the heart of the educational system for, a teacher affects eternity, no one can tell where his influence stops.

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.

Stars of ISP excel

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nternational School of Pakistan Khaitan, Kuwait (ISP) credentials remain unquestionable as it continues its excellence by performing brilliantly at IGCSE and A level in the Cambridge and Edexcel examinations of May/ June 2011 conducted by British Council Kuwait.

The distinctive features of the 2011 results is that 43 A*, 63 A’s, 63 B’s and 59 C grades out of 288 entries. Many students secured A*, A and B Grades in Science subjects and Mathematics par-

ticularly both at IGCSE and A level.

According to the traditions of the institution thirty students got the title of the “Stars of ISP”.

In IGCSE many students have shown the outstanding results by their excellent performance. Mohammad Mahmoud 4A*, 2A, 1C, Azeer Zafar and Abdulrehman Ahmed having 4A* and 2A. Bassant Mohsen and Somaia Raafat have bagged 4 A*, and 1A. Ahmed Mohammad Al - Shammeri got 3A* and 4A. Sharar Bin Rahman, and Nadeen

Nagy are also on the top of the list by having 3A*and 2A. Nuha Mansoor got 1A* & 5A, Taha Zouhair got 5A & 1B. In AS level the brilliant performance is shown by Ali Abdel Wahab. He secured straight 4 A in Chemistry, Maths, Physics and ICT. Waleed Khalid, Ahmad Mujtaba, Isra Kamal, Nada Ibrahim and Amr Adel have shown their skills in different subjects by having 2 A. In A level Labeeb Hossain got A*, B, B and Murtaza Hassan got A*, B, C

In a press release, the Coordinator Muhammad Ali said the result reflects the academic excellence of the institution. It was the combination of teamwork, dedication and determination which made ISP come out with flying colours.

The school Directress Madam Nadia Al - Hufaiti, Principal Anjum Masood and Senior Section In charge Amjad Latif appreciated the excellent result. They conveyed the heartfelt congratulations to the students and their parents.

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Embassy

Premier goal academy

Information

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he Premier GOAL Academy, sponsored by Porsche, Behebehani Motors Company, invites all soccer mad females aged 12-18 years to join the Everton Girls Coaching Course at Shaab Park commencing Wednesday 5th October 1700-1900. The girls only group will receive expert coaching following the Everton way curriculum in preparation for the fixtures and tournaments planned throughout the season. For further details contact Academy Director Mike on 99981327 or Executive Director Baker on 66918666.

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. nnnnnnn

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

KDNA celebrates ‘Onam-Eid Sangamam 2011’ U

nder the auspices of Kozhikode District NRI Association Kuwait (KDNA) “Onam -Eid Sangamam” was held in Kohinoor Auditorium, Souk Al Sabah Fahaheel on 15th September 2011. The celebration was inaugurated

by Fima President Siddik Valiyakath.

The function was highly auspicious with the presence of “Maveli “who lighted the lamp and conveyed best wishes to the audience.

KDNA acting president Kalathil Abdurahiman presided over the function Vice President Azeez Thikodi delivered Onam-Eid message.

Malabar Gold country head Afzal Khan, KMCC President Sharafudin Kanneth, Asianet TV Kuwait Bureau chief Nixon George, Iqbal Kuttamangalam, and KDNA Advisory Board Members Krishnan Kadalundi & Basheer Batha made the felicitation speeches. The message of unity in diversity and the

importance of understand the true spirit of these festivals was underlined by the speakers. These festivals propagates the good over the evil, they emphasized.

Association Gen Secretary Suresh Mathur proposed welcome speech and Treasurer Santhosh Punathil proposed vote of thanks.

After the official function, variety of cultural programs under the leadership of KDNA Arts & Cultural Secretary Rafie Kallai highlighted by comedy

show by Kuwait super jokes, classical, non-classical and folk dances and memorable orchestra which enchanted the audience until the midnight.

A traditional “Ona Pookalam” was arranged at the auditorium by the leader ship of Vice President Mrs Asha Premraj, Mrs Swapna Santhosh, Mrs Rejitha Thulasi, Mrs Indira Karunakaran, Mrs Jisha Suresh, Mrs Sofia Abdurahiman, Mrs Jayalalitha Krishnan & Mrs

Sajitha Nisar.

The Onam-Eid Sangamam overall controlled and coordinated by organizing & media secretary Rasheed Payanthong, Web & IT secretary Naser Thikkodi, charity & welfare secretary K.Ali Koya, investment & benefits secretary Ilyas Thottathil, membership & data secretary Sathyan Varunda, sports secretary Zaheer Arakkal, employment secretary Mohammed Vazhayil, academic secretary Nisar KV, arts & culture joint secretary Abdurahiman KP, benefit & investment. Joint secretary K Karunakaran, Premraj, Shamsudin AM, C.K Ubaid, Raveerndran Mukkam, A.V. Shamsuddin, Jitesh Jith, Rajeevan, Gafoor Master, Dinesan, Zachariah Kurian etc.

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EMBASSY OF CANADA The Embassy of Canada is located at Villa 24, Al-Mutawakel St., Block 4 in Da’aiyah. Please visit our website at www.Kuwait.gc.ca.

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

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

EMBASSY OF JAPAN The Embassy of Japan in the State of Kuwait announces that it will be closed to the public today, September 19, 2011 on the occasion of respect of the Aged Day. The Embassy will reopen again on Tuesday, September 20. Official working hours in the embassy are from Sunday to Thursday, from 08:00 am to 04:00 pm. nnnnnnn

EMBASSY OF GERMANY The Embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany in Kuwait wishes to announce that as of 1 May 2011, the external service provider Al Qabas Assurex is operating a Visa Application Centre in support of the German Embassy. Short-term visa applications for travels to Germany (e.g. for tourism, visits, business) are to be submitted to the service provider Al Qabas who for your convenience will ensure that all relevant documents are included in your application. Your personal appearance at the Application Centre is not required. Address of the Visa Application Centre: Al Qabas Assurex Sanabel Tower (Al-Babtain) Mezzanine (M3) opposite Sharq Mall Kuwait 22924444 Fax: 22924442 Further information are available on the following websites: www.kuwait.diplo.de www.qavisa.com

Kuwait Malankara Rite Movement (KMRM) former president VI Cheriyan, who is leaving Kuwait, is being presented a gift by Bishop Camillo in Kuwait recently.

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Al-Juman Kindergarten begins new school year

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l-Juman Kindergarten in Abdullah Al-Mubarak (Al-Farwaniya educational directorate) hosted a celebration for the start of the new school year.

EMBASSY OF INDIA Embassy of India, would like to inform that application forms for passport/visa services and labour contracts that are on its website, www.indembkwt.org, have been upgraded to include the facility for online data entry. Affidavit forms on the Embassy website have had this facility since May 6, 2009. nnnnnnn

EMBASSY OF KENYA The Embassy of the Republic of Kenya wishes to request all Kenyans resident in or training through Kuwait to register with the Embassy. We are updating our database. This information is necessary in order to facilitate quick assistance and advise in times of emergency. Kindly visit in person or register through our website www.kenyaembkuwait.com. The Embassy is located in: Surra Area - Block 6 - Street 9 Villa 3 Tel: 25353362 - 25353314; Fax: 25353316. nnnnnnn

EMBASSY OF NIGERIA The Nigerian embassy has its new office in Mishref. Block 3, Street 7, House 4. For enquires please call 25379541. Fax25387719. Email- nigeriakuwait@yahoo.com or nigeriankuwait@yahoo.co.uk

Bangladesh Nationalist Poet holds Iftar party

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angladesh Nationalist Poet Kazi Nazrul Islam organized an Iftar party last month. The programme began with recitation of holy Quran by Mawlana Khorshed Alam. The meeting was presided by Al-Amin Sapun, poet Foundation Nazrul Islam Stage. Special guests were Jalal Ahmed Chunno Mulla and Shoeb Ahmed, Omar Faruq Jiban, Aziz Uddin Mintu, A.K. Azad Nur,

President Manikgonj of Immigrant Society.

The program was compered by A.N.M. Taha Muon. A discussion on Ramadan was compered by Khorshed Alam from Bangladesh Quran Institution city area president. Also present where Motalib Hossain, Mostafa, Abu Jaman Bolu, Subhan, Mosharaf, Anisul Hoque Ulka, Romen, Sher Ali, Shafi Ullah Liton, Abdul Hai, Rani Abmed, Faruqe.

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Charity golf tournament

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reast cancer affects everyone. A charity golf tournament will be held on Friday, October 14 at 9 am at Kuwait International Golf & Country Club.

Four person “Texas Scramble”.

Shotgun start 10 am - BBQ - Prizes A ladies’ Pre-Tournament Clinics (3

sessions) will begin from Saturday 24 September 8 am, Saturday 01 October 8 am, Saturday 08 October 8 am, fully swing, chipping & putting, specialty shots. To register and ensure your spot in the tournament, please call 99076721 /99073710. Email: info@kigcc.com www.kigcc.com

EMBASSY OF PERU Embassy of Peru in Kuwait has the honor to announce the opening of its office soon in Sharq area, Ahmed Al-Jaber street, Al-Arabiya Tower, 6th Floor, Kuwait City.

Moreover, please be notified that there will be “Peru Expo-Tour, Trade & Invest” and the working hours will be from 09:00 till 14:00 (SundayThursday). You are cordially invited to visit us in order to know why Peru should be your new touristic destination and your best business partner.

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Untamed & Uncut Perfect Predators Whale Wars Dogs 101 Animal Cops Phoenix Michaela’s Animal Road Trip Meerkat Manor The Really Wild Show Baby Planet Breed All About It Project Puppy Dogs 101 Animal Cops Houston E-Vets: The Interns Wildlife SOS International Cell Dogs Crocodile Hunter Jaws Comes Home: Return Of

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Dalziel And Pascoe As Time Goes By Kiss Of Death Lark Rise To Candleford Last Of The Summer Wine Balamory The Roly Mo Show Me Too Jackanory Junior Poetry Pie Balamory The Roly Mo Show Me Too Jackanory Junior Balamory The Roly Mo Show Me Too Jackanory Junior Poetry Pie Balamory The Roly Mo Show Me Too Jackanory Junior Poetry Pie Last Of The Summer Wine The Weakest Link Heart & Soul Doctors As Time Goes By Coast Last Of The Summer Wine Heart & Soul The Weakest Link Doctors As Time Goes By Coast Heart & Soul The Weakest Link Doctors Eastenders Holby City Dalziel And Pascoe Blackadder

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Escape To Chimp Eden The Really Wild Show Animal Crackers Safari Sisters America’s Cutest...

Breed All About It Crocodile Hunter

BBC World News The Secret War On Terror BBC World News Asia Business Report Sport Today BBC World News The Health Show Our World Newsday India Business Report Newsday Asia Business Report Sport Today Newsday Asia Business Report Sport Today Newsday Hardtalk BBC World News

07:30 World Business Report 07:45 BBC World News 08:30 World Business Report 08:45 BBC World News 09:30 World Business Report 09:45 Sport Today 10:00 BBC World News 10:30 World Business Report 10:45 Sport Today 11:00 BBC World News 11:30 Hardtalk 12:00 BBC World News 12:30 World Business Report 12:45 Sport Today 13:00 BBC World News 13:30 World Business Report 13:45 Sport Today 14:00 GMT With George Alagiah 15:00 BBC World News 15:30 World Business Report 15:45 Sport Today 16:00 Impact With Mishal Husain 17:30 World Business Report 17:45 Sport Today 18:00 BBC World News 18:30 Hardtalk 19:00 The Hub With Nik Gowing 20:30 World Business Report 20:45 Sport Today 21:00 World News Today With Zeinab Badawi 22:30 World Business Report 22:45 Sport Today 23:00 BBC World News America 23:30 Hardtalk

00:10 Holmes On Homes 01:50 Come Dine With Me 06:50 James Martin’s Favourite Feasts 07:10 Daily Cooks Challenge 07:40 Come Dine With Me 08:30 James Martin’s Champagne 08:55 The Naked Chef 09:25 New Scandinavian Cooking With Andreas Viestad 09:50 James Martin’s Favourite Feasts 10:15 Holmes On Homes 11:05 Antiques Roadshow 11:55 Come Dine With Me 12:45 Daily Cooks Challenge 13:15 Daily Cooks Challenge 13:45 Daily Cooks Challenge 14:15 Daily Cooks Challenge 14:45 Bargain Hunt 15:30 Antiques Roadshow 17:10 Come Dine With Me 18:00 New Scandinavian Cooking With Andreas Viestad 18:25 James Martin’s Champagne 18:50 The Naked Chef 19:20 James Martin’s Favourite Feasts 19:45 Come Dine With Me 20:35 Holmes On Homes 21:25 Antiques Roadshow 22:15 Come Dine With Me

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Robotboy - Elements Squirrel Boy George Of The Jungle Cramp Twins Chop Socky Chooks Best Ed My Gym Partner’s A Monkey Ben 10: Ultimate Alien Generator Rex Adventure Time Flapjack Chowder The Powerpuff Girls Ed, Edd n Eddy Cow & Chicken Squirrel Boy I Am Weasel Eliot Kid Angelo Rules Best Ed Flapjack My Gym Partner’s A Monkey Grim Adventures Of Billy &

MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 19, 2011

TV PROGRAMS Mandy 09:30 Courage The Cowardly Dog 09:32 Grim Adventures Of Billy & Mandy 09:40 Courage The Cowardly Dog 09:55 Cow & Chicken 10:20 I Am Weasel 10:35 Adventure Time 11:00 Ben 10 11:25 Bakugan Battle Brawlers 11:50 The Secret Saturdays 12:15 Samurai Jack 12:40 Ben 10: Alien Force 13:05 Codename: Kids Next Door 13:30 Skunk Fu! 13:50 My Gym Partner’s A Monkey 14:15 Flapjack 14:40 Ed, Edd n Eddy 15:05 Camp Lazlo 15:30 Chowder 15:55 Grim Adventures Of Billy & Mandy 16:25 Cow & Chicken 16:50 Courage The Cowardly Dog 17:15 I Am Weasel 17:40 Adventure Time 18:05 Codename: Kids Next Door 18:30 Scooby-Doo! Mystery Incorporated 18:55 Ben 10: Ultimate Alien 19:20 Generator Rex 19:45 Star Wars: The Clone Wars 20:10 Hero 108 20:35 Bakugan: New Vestroia 21:00 Total Drama Island 21:25 Adventure Time 21:50 Grim Adventures Of Billy & Mandy 22:00 Ben 10 22:25 Bakugan Battle Brawlers 22:50 The Secret Saturdays 23:15 Samurai Jack 23:40 Megas Xlr

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

THE HAUNTING IN CONNECTICUT ON OSN ACTION HD

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Frontline Battle Machines...

Wheeler Dealers Fifth Gear Gold Rush: Alaska How Do They Do It? Mythbusters Cake Boss Border Security Auction Kings Ultimate Survival Deadliest Catch Ultimate Survival River Monsters Sons Of Guns Cash Cab Us Wheeler Dealers Fifth Gear Mythbusters Flying Wild Alaska Cake Boss Border Security Auction Kings How Stuff’s Made How Do They Do It? Cash Cab Us Ultimate Survival Deadliest Catch Jonas Los Angeles

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Killer Outbreaks The Colony Powering the Future Science of the Movies What’s That About?

Kings of Construction How Does That Work?

Smash Lab Thunder Races Investigation X The Gadget Show Smash Lab Brainiac Sci-Fi Science How Does That Work?

The Tech Show The Gadget Show One Step Beyond Stunt Junkies Superships Weird Connections Thunder Races Cosmic Collisions Sci-Fi Science The Gadget Show Mighty Ships Kings of Construction Smash Lab The Gadget Show The Gadget Show Mighty Ships Kings of Construction The Gadget Show

00:05 Luke Nguyen’s Vietnam 00:30 Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives 00:55 Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives 01:45 Aarti Party 02:10 Aarti Party 02:35 World Cafe Middle East 03:25 Chopped 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 Grill It! With Bobby Flay 20:45 Grill It! With Bobby Flay 21:10 Barefoot Contessa 21:35 Barefoot Contessa 22:00 Chef vs Britain 22:25 Chef vs Britain 22:50 Luke Nguyen’s Vietnam 23:15 Luke Nguyen’s Vietnam 23:40 World Cafe Asia

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Jungle Junction Little Einsteins Higglytown Heroes Jo Jo’s Circus Special Agent Oso Jungle Junction Little Einsteins Higglytown Heroes Jo Jo’s Circus Special Agent Oso Jungle Junction Little Einsteins Higglytown Heroes Jo Jo’s Circus Jungle Junction Higglytown Heroes Handy Manny Special Agent Oso Jungle Junction Mickey Mouse Clubhouse Timmy Time Handy Manny Jake & The Neverland Pirates Handy Manny The Hive Mickey Mouse Clubhouse Little Einsteins

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A Poem Is...

The Little Mermaid Mickey Mouse Clubhouse Imagination Movers Jake & The Neverland Pirates A Poem Is...

Mickey Mouse Clubhouse Little Einsteins Imagination Movers The Hive Special Agent Oso Little Einsteins Lazytown Mickey Mouse Clubhouse The Hive Little Einsteins Jake & The Neverland Pirates Mickey Mouse Clubhouse A Poem Is...

The Little Mermaid Mickey Mouse Clubhouse Lazytown Mickey Mouse Clubhouse A Poem Is...

Little Einsteins Jungle Junction Special Agent Oso Animated Stories Mickey Mouse Clubhouse Jake & The Neverland Pirates The Hive Timmy Time Handy Manny Little Einsteins Jake & The Neverland Pirates Jungle Junction Mickey Mouse Clubhouse Timmy Time Handy Manny Jungle Junction Mickey Mouse Clubhouse Special Agent Oso Jungle Junction

00:00 Countdown To The Red Carpet 01:00 Live From The Red Carpet 11:00 E!es 12:30 Fashion Police 13:00 Khloe And Lamar 13:30 Live From The Red Carpet 15:30 THS 16:25 Live From The Red Carpet 18:25 Holly’s World 18:55 THS 19:55 The Dance Scene 20:55 Chelsea Lately 21:25 Kourtney & Kim Take New York 21:55 Live From The Red Carpet 23:55 Kourtney & Khloe Take Miami

00:15 Kick Ass Miracles 01:30 Eds Up 02:20 Fantasy Factory 04:50 Lucas Oil Ama Motocross Championships...

06:30 Ride Guide Mountainbike 2008 08:00 Kenny Belaey’s Big Time 08:25 Maloof Money Cup 2009 10:05 Maloof Money Cup 2010 10:55 Fantasy Factory 11:45 Eds Up 12:35 Fight Girls 13:25 Carpocalypse 14:15 World Combat League 15:05 Fantasy Factory 15:55 Eds Up 16:45 Kenny Belaey’s Big Time 17:10 Maloof Money Cup 2009 18:50 Maloof Money Cup 2010 19:40 Carpocalypse 20:30 Fight Girls 21:20 Untracked 22:10 World Combat League 23:00 Aiya TV 23:25 Dr Danger 23:50 Fight Girls

00:30 01:20 02:10 03:00 03:50 04:45 05:15 06:10 07:00 07:50 08:40 09:05 09:30 10:20 11:10 12:00 12:50 13:40 14:30 14:55 15:20 16:10 17:00 17:50 18:40 19:05 19:55 20:20 21:10 22:00 22:50 23:15 23:40

Cuff Me If You Can Nightmare Next Door I Almost Got Away With It Deadly Women Cuff Me If You Can Amsterdam Vice Murder Shift Mystery Diagnosis Murder Shift Forensic Detectives Street Patrol Real Emergency Calls Diagnosis: Unknown CSU FBI Files On The Case With Paula Zahn Disappeared Diagnosis: Unknown Street Patrol Real Emergency Calls CSU FBI Files Forensic Detectives Murder Shift Real Emergency Calls Diagnosis: Unknown Street Patrol On The Case With Paula Zahn Disappeared Nightmare Next Door Street Patrol Real Emergency Calls Dr G: Medical Examiner

00:00 Travel Madness 01:00 Cooking The World 02:00 Going Bush 02:30 Bluelist Australia 03:00 Food School 03:30 Banged Up Abroad 05:30 Weird & Wonderful Hotels 06:00 Travel Madness 06:30 Travel Madness 07:00 Cooking The World 08:00 Going Bush 08:30 Bluelist Australia 09:00 Food School 09:30 Banged Up Abroad 11:30 Weird & Wonderful Hotels 12:00 Travel Madness 13:00 Don’t Tell My Mother 14:00 Word Travels 14:30 Market Values 15:00 Cycling Home From Siberia With Rob Lilwall 15:30 Madventures 16:00 Which Way To

WINDTALKERS ON OSN MOVIES ACTION 17:00 Word Travels 17:30 Market Values 18:00 Lonely Planet: Roads Less Travelled 19:00 Don’t Tell My Mother 20:00 Word Travels 20:30 Market Values

00:30 02:15 03:45 06:00 08:15 10:30 12:45 14:30 16:45 18:30 20:15 22:30

01:15 03:15 05:00 07:15 09:00 11:00 13:00 15:00 16:45 19:00 21:00 23:00

The Haunting In Connecticut Child’s Play 2-PG15 Windtalkers-PG15 King Arthur-PG15 The Manchurian Candidate The Sum Of All Fears-PG15 The Bannen Way-PG15 The Manchurian Candidate Deceit-PG15 The Bannen Way-PG15 Se7en-18 4.3.2.1.-18

Crazy-18 Private-PG15 Flash Of Genius-PG15 How To Train Your Dragon-PG Private-PG15 My Bollywood Bride-PG15 Charlie & Boots-PG15 Far North-PG15 The Brothers Bloom-PG15 Paper Man-PG15 The Losers-PG15 Blue Valentine-18

00:00 Curb Your Enthusiasm 00:30 The Daily Show With Jon Stewart 01:00 The Colbert Report 01:30 Sarah Silverman Program 02:00 Saturday Night Live 03:00 Friends 04:00 Dharma And Greg 04:30 The 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 Friends 09:00 Will And Grace 09:30 30 Rock 10:00 30 Rock 10:30 Coach 11:00 The Drew Carey Show 11:30 The Tonight Show With Jay Leno 12:30 Dharma And Greg 13:00 Friends 13:30 Will And Grace 14:00 Coach 14:30 30 Rock 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 Friends 19:00 Cougar Town 19:30 Traffic Light 20:00 Seinfeld 20:30 Seinfeld 21:00 The Daily Show Global Edition 21:30 The Colbert Report Global Edition 22:00 It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia 23:00 Sarah Silverman Program 23:30 Seinfeld

01:00 Jason X-18 03:00 Windtalkers-PG15 05:15 Child’s Play 3-18 06:45 What Lies Beneath-PG15 09:00 Hollywood Homicide-PG15 11:00 Set It Off-PG15 13:00 Alatriste-PG15 15:30 Hollywood Homicide-PG15 17:30 Stonehenge ApocalypsePG15 19:00 Fast Lane-PG15 21:00 Casualties Of War-18 23:00 Clive Barker ’s Book Of Blood-18

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

Molly-PG15 Wake-PG15 The Addams Family-PG Addams Family Values-PG A Film With Me In It-PG15 Hope Springs-PG15 The Lizzie McGuire Movie-PG Ace Ventura: Pet Detective Jr. Molly-PG15 Under The Tuscan Sun-PG15 Cop Out-PG15 Palo Alto-18

00:45 04:00 05:30 07:00 09:00 11:00 13:00 15:00 17:00 19:00 21:00 23:15

Titanic-PG15 Sleepover-PG15 One Hot Summer-PG15 Bandslam-PG15 The Informant!-PG15 Alice In Wonderland-PG From Justin To Kelly-PG Mammoth-PG15 The Informant!-PG15 Couples Retreat-18 Agora-18 Funny People-18

00:00 Astro Boy-FAM 02:00 Globehunters-FAM 04:00 A Simple Wish-FAM 06:00 Dinosaur Island-PG 08:00 Barney’s Great Adventure 10:00 Dr. Dolittle 2-PG 12:00 Astro Boy-FAM 14:00 Turandot-PG 16:00 Gold Diggers: The Secret Of Bear Mountain-PG 18:00 Dr. Dolittle 2-PG 20:00 War Of The Buttons-PG 22:00 Turandot-PG

00:00 WWE Tough Enough 01:00 WWE SmackDown 03:00 WWE Bottomline 04:00 RWC Weekly Highlights 04:30 RWC Highlights 04:45 Rugby World Cup 13:45 RWC Highlights 14:00 Trans World Sport 15:00 Le Mans Series Magazine 15:30 RWC Weekly Highlights 16:00 Speedway FIM World Championship 17:00 Rugby World Cup 23:45 UFC 135 Countdown

00:00 RWC Weekly Highlights 00:30 Super League 02:30 Super League 04:30 AFL Premiership 07:00 Scottish Premier League 09:00 NRL Premiership 11:00 RWC Weekly Highlights 11:30 Rugby World Cup 16:00 ICC Cricket World 16:30 Super League 18:30 NRL Premiership 20:30 RWC Weekly Highlights 21:00 Scottish Premier League Highlights 21:30 AFL Highlights 22:30 European PGA Tour Highlights 23:30 NRL Premiership

04:45 Super League 06:45 RWC Highlights 07:00 Golfing World 08:00 PGA European Tour 12:30 Super League 14:30 Super League 16:30 Futbol Mundial 17:00 Spirit of Yachting 17:30 Golfing World 18:30 RWC Highlights 19:00 AFL Highlights 20:00 PGA European Tour Highlights 21:00 ICC Criket World 21:30 Scottish Premier League 23:30 Scottish Premier League Highlights

00:30 04:00 05:00 06:00 07:00 08:00 09:00 10:00 13:30 14:00 15:00 16:00 18:00 19:00 20:00 21:00 23:30

V8 Supercars Championship WWE NXT WWE Vintage Collection UFC Unleashed WWE Bottomline WWE Tough Enough Speedway FIM World V8 Supercars Championship Mobil 1 The Grid Speedway FIM World WWE Vintage Collection WWE SmackDown WWE Tough Enough Speedway FIM World UFC 135 Countdown UFC Fight Night 25 UFC All Access

00:00 The Universe 01:00 American Pickers 02:00 Pawn Stars 02:30 Pawn Stars 03:00 UFO Hunters 04:00 Ancient Aliens 06:00 The Universe 07:00 American Pickers 08:00 Pawn Stars 08:30 Pawn Stars 09:00 UFO Hunters 10:00 Ancient Aliens 12:00 The Universe 13:00 American Pickers 14:00 Pawn Stars 14:30 Pawn Stars 15:00 UFO Hunters 16:00 Ancient Aliens 18:00 The Universe 19:00 Ice Road Truckers 20:00 Ax Men 21:00 Lock N’ Load With R. Lee Ermey 22:00 IRT: Deadliest Roads 23:00 Ax Men

00:00 Top 10 01:55 Big Boutique 02:25 How Do I Look?

03:20 Whose Wedding Is It Anyway?

04:15 Married Away 05:10 Homes With Style 05:35 Area 06:05 Clean House 07:00 Big Boutique 08:00 Videofashion News 09:00 Open House 09:55 How Do I Look?

10:50 Whose Wedding Is It Anyway?

11:50 Clean House: Search For The Messiest...

12:50 Clean House 13:45 Videofashion News 14:15 Videofashion News 14:45 How Do I Look?

15:40 Ruby 16:35 Jerseylicious 17:30 How Do I Look?

18:25 Ruby 19:25 Open House 19:50 Open House 20:20 Clean House 21:15 Top 10 21:40 Top 10 22:10 Ruby 23:05 How Do I Look?

00:10 The Split 01:40 The Opposite Sex-PG 03:40 The Unfinished Dance-FAM 05:35 Vengeance Valley-PG 07:00 The Shoes Of The FishermanFAM 09:35 TCM Presents Under The Influence-PG 10:05 TCM Presents Under The Influence-U 10:35 The Angel Wore Red-PG 12:10 Boys’ Night Out-FAM 14:00 Gun Glory-FAM 15:30 Tom Thumb-FAM 17:00 The Little Hut-PG 18:35 Ben-Hur-PG 22:00 Two Weeks In Another TownPG 23:45 Whose Life Is It Anyway?

Classifieds MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 19, 2011

ACCOMMODATION Sharing accommodation in Mahboula near McDonald in sea side, 2 bedroom flat, 2 bathroom central A/C, looking for executive bachelor or couple. Contact: 66216713. (C 3631) Room for rent in Farwaniya for small family or working ladies, available starting 01-10-2011 with small Indian family.

Call: 99051353, 97823565.

(C 3633) One room available in two bedroom flat behind Crowne Plaza near Dar AlQuran, for Pakistani and Indian bachelor. Please contact: 50129393 / 66490857.

(C 3634) 19-09-2011 Single room with separate bathroom available in 3 bedroom 3 bathroom deluxe C-AC flat with small Muslim family in Hawally Tunis street, near Sadique roundabout, behind Commercial Bank, for single executive or decent couple or 2 working ladies.

Contact: 97794619.

(C 3626) 15-9-2011 Accommodation available in Salmiya, Amman St, CA/C new building, for two Indian/ Sri Lanka bachelors with another Indian.

Contact: 99467432.

(C 3622) Accommodation available from 1-10-2011 or before for a small family or one or two decent non-smoking / non-drinking bachelors in a two bedroom flat near Paradise Restaurant, Abbassiya. Tel: 97669236/ 24315927. (C 3623) 14-9-2011

FOR SALE

recorder, Polaroid multimedia projector with screen.

All in excellent condition at good price. Contact: 99322585. (C 3625)

holding Indian Passport No: Z1846634 has changed my name to VADAKKE VEEDU DAMODARAN VINOD as on 19-9-2011. (C 3632) 19-9-2011

A/C General, gas oven, bed, cupboard, fully carpeted in two bedroom big hall flat in Abbassiya. For further details, contact: 66895049.

(C 3627) 15-9-2011

I, Ramar Perumal, holder of Indian Passport No: J5341408 hereby change my name to P. Abdul Rahman.

18-9-2011

Toyota Corolla model 2006, 1.8 engine, excellent condition, registration 2007-2012, price KD 2,400.

Contact: 66396517.

(C 3621) 14-9-2011

No: 15214

SITUATION WANTED Indian couple need a job 12 years experience in Kuwait, cleaning, cooking and driving, we are expecting good salary, Please call 65585930.

(C 3624) 15-9-2011

CHANGE OF NAME

PC Compaq P4 with LCD monitor, Panasonic DVD

I, VADAKKE VEEDU DAMODARAN VINODAN

DIAL 161 FOR AIRPORT INFORMATION

Airlines JZR BBC THY ETH UAE DHX ETD FDB GFA QTR KAC FCX JZR JZR KAC JZR BAW JZR KAC KAC FDB KAC KAC KAC KAC UAE QTR ABY ETD GFA SHY MEA JZR JZR IRC MSR KAC KAC MSR SYR UAL RJA FDB OMA QTR SVA

Flt 205 45 772 620 853 370 305 67 211 138 544 201 503 555 412 531 157 1541 206 302 53 352 284 362 344 855 132 125 301 213 1125 404 165 121 6521 623 618 672 610 341 982 640 57 645 140 500

Arrival Flights on Monday 19/9/2011 Route DAMASCUS DHAKA/BAHRAIN ISTANBUL ADDIS ABABA DUBAI BAHRAIN ABU DHABI DUBAI BAHRAIN DOHA CAIRO DUBAI LUXOR ALEXANDRIA MANILA/BANGKOK ASSIUT LONDON CAIRO ISLAMABAD MUMBAI DUBAI COCHIN DHAKA COLOMBO CHENNAI DUBAI DOHA SHARJAH ABU DHABI BAHRAIN ANTALYA BEIRUT DUBAI BAHRAIN LAMERD SOHAG DOHA DUBAI CAIRO DAMASCUS WASHINGTON DC DULLES AMMAN DUBAI MUSCAT DOHA JEDDAH

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

KAC JZR QTR KNE KAC KAC JZR KAC MLR ETD UAE GFA SVA JZR JZR ABY RBG JZR FDB ALK KAC KAC KAC KAC KAC KAC KAC AIC JAI FDB OMA JZR VOS MEA KAC DHX KLM UAE GFA QTR UAL JZR TAR JZR MSR DLH JZR PIA

788 257 134 745 546 550 535 118 403 303 857 215 510 777 239 127 3553 213 63 227 104 542 786 744 614 774 674 975 572 61 647 179 81 402 552 372 445 859 217 136 981 135 327 185 612 636 539 239

JEDDAH BEIRUT DOHA JEDDAH ALEXANDRIA SOHAG CAIRO NEW YORK COLOMBO/DUBAI ABU DHABI DUBAI BAHRAIN RIYADH JEDDAH AMMAN SHARJAH ALEXANDRIA DEIREZZOR DUBAI COLOMBO/DUBAI LONDON CAIRO JEDDAH DAMMAM BAHRAIN RIYADH DUBAI CHENNAI/GOA MUMBAI DUBAI MUSCAT DUBAI BAGHDAD BEIRUT DAMASCUS BAHRAIN AMSTERDAM DUBAI BAHRAIN DOHA BAHRAIN BAHRAIN TUNIS DUBAI CAIRO FRANKFURT CAIRO SIALKOT

15:00 15:10 15:15 15:25 15:30 15:35 15:50 16:15 16:40 16:50 16:55 17:15 17:20 17:25 17:35 17:40 17:50 17:50 17:55 18:00 18:35 18:50 19:00 19:15 19:20 19:25 19:25 19:30 19:35 20:00 20:10 20:10 20:15 20:15 20:45 21:00 21:05 21:15 21:25 21:35 22:00 22:10 22:15 22:35 22:50 23:00 23:30 23:55

Airlines AWS JZR AXB DLH KLM AIC PIA AFG BBC THY ETH UAE FDB DHX ETD QTR JZR GFA JZR BAW KAC FDB JZR KAC JZR KAC KAC KAC UAE ABY QTR ETD GFA SHY KAC MEA KAC JZR JZR JZR IRC KAC MSR KAC MSR SYR

Departure Flights on Monday 19/9/2011 Flt Route XXXX TBN 1540 CAIRO 390 MANGALORE/KOZHIKODE 637 FRANKFURT 447 AMSTERDAM 982 AHMEDABAD/CHENNAI 206 PESHAWER/LAHORE 406 KABUL 46 DHAKA 773 ISTANBUL 621 ADDIS ABABA 854 DUBAI 68 DUBAI 371 BAHRAIN 306 ABU DHABI 139 DOHA 164 DUBAI 212 BAHRAIN 120 BAHRAIN 156 LONDON 545 ALEXANDRIA 54 DUBAI 534 CAIRO 671 DUBAI 256 BEIRUT 787 JEDDAH 549 SOHAG 617 DOHA 856 DUBAI 126 SHARJAH 133 DOHA 302 ABU DHABI 214 BAHRAIN 1126 ANTALYA 165 ROME/PARIS 405 BEIRUT 541 CAIRO 776 JEDDAH 212 DEIREZZOR 238 AMMAN 6522 LAMERD 103 LONDON 624 SOHAG 785 JEDDAH 611 CAIRO 342 DAMASCUS

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

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

RJA FDB UAL OMA KAC KAC SVA JZR KAC KNE QTR KAC KAC JZR ETD MLR QTR UAE GFA ABY JZR JZR RBG SVA FDB ALK JZR KAC JAI FDB JZR JZR KAC KAC OMA MEA KAC DHX KLM UAE GFA FCX QTR KAC KAC TAR JZR JZR UAL KAC MSR

641 58 982 646 673 551 501 178 773 746 141 613 743 538 304 404 135 858 216 128 184 266 3554 511 64 228 134 283 571 62 528 268 331 351 648 403 543 373 445 860 218 102 137 301 205 327 554 504 981 411 613

AMMAN DUBAI BAHRAIN MUSCAT DUBAI DAMASCUS JEDDAH DUBAI RIYADH JEDDAH DOHA BAHRAIN DAMMAM CAIRO ABU DHABI DUBAI/COLOMBO DOHA DUBAI BAHRAIN SHARJAH DUBAI BEIRUT ALEXANDRIA RIYADH DUBAI DUBAI/COLOMBO BAHRAIN DHAKA MUMBAI DUBAI ASSIUT BEIRUT TRIVANDRUM COCHIN MUSCAT BEIRUT CAIRO BAHRAIN BAHRAIN/AMSTERDAM DUBAI BAHRAIN BAHRAIN DOHA MUMBAI ISLAMABAD DUBAI/TUNIS ALEXANDRIA LUXOR WASHINGTON DC DULLES BANGKOK/MANILA CAIRO

14:30 14:35 14:45 15:00 15:10 15:25 15:45 16:00 16:05 16:10 16:15 16:20 16:25 16:40 17:35 17:40 17:45 18:05 18:15 18:20 18:25 18:30 18:30 18:35 18:40 19:10 19:10 20:00 20:35 20:40 20:50 21:00 21:00 21:05 21:10 21:15 21:55 22:00 22:05 22:25 22:30 22:30 22:35 22:45 22:55 23:05 23:10 23:35 23:40 23:40 23:50

34

MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 19, 2011

stars CROSSWORD 443

STAR TRACK

CALVIN & HOBBES

Aries (March 21-April 19) You could be frugal when it comes to possessions, always limiting your purchases to what is essential and has value. This same theme carries through in your response to people. You do not tend to lavish unnecessary affection or sentiment—short and simple. A friend may ask you for advice today on some very personal issues. You are able to cut through the red tape and get beneath and behind. If you are looking for a way to express your creative talents, look into the possibilities of working with stone. Perhaps white marble could be worked into your living surroundings. The light colors of stone or marble will promote a clean feeling and are wonderful to place in or around pool areas, spas, bathrooms, stairways, etc.

Taurus (April 20-May 20) You may find yourself guiding young people this Monday—at least spending a great deal of time with young people. You may be feeling that your work world has taken away from family time and family may be where your interests are just now. A short trip to some entertainment area or a nearby park is in order. Your intuition is strong and can guide you accurately in making forecasts or decisions. Refinement and relationships are the keys to emotional satisfaction for you now. Neighbors may join you this evening for an evening treat and some good conversation. Close relationships are important to you and you take a little extra time to grant a wish. Making someone else’s dreams come true may give you some rewarding times.

POOCH CAFE ACROSS 1. Worthless people.

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

10. Large northern deer with enormous flattened antlers in the male.

13. An island northwest of Wales.

14. First in order of importance.

15. Being one more than two.

16. New Guinea echidnas.

18. Away from the mouth or oral region.

20. Wild sheep of northern Africa.

22. One of a set of small pieces of stiff paper marked in various ways and used for playing games or for telling fortunes.

23. Not widely known.

24. The cry made by sheep.

26. Date used in reckoning dates before the supposed year Christ was born.

27. A state in east central United States.

28. A Loloish language.

30. A book of the New Testament.

33. A public promotion of some product or service.

36. Rate of revolution of a motor.

38. A radioactive element of the actinide series.

39. A Russian prison camp for political prisoners.

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

44. 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.

45. A gonadotropic hormone that is secreted by the anterior pituitary.

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

47. Strong and sharp.

50. An independent agency of the United States government responsible for collecting and coordinating intelligence and counterintelligence activities abroad in the national interest.

51. A signal transmitted along a narrow path.

54. The Fate who determines the length of the thread of life.

57. A pungent gas compounded of nitrogen and hydrogen (NH3).

60. The seventh month of the Moslem calendar.

61. Being two more than fifty.

62. American professional baseball player who hit more home runs than Babe Ruth (born in 1934).

65. The face of a timepiece.

66. A period marked by distinctive character or reckoned from a fixed point or event.

67. English monk and scholar (672-735).

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

DOWN 1. Slanderous defamation.

2. Made from baking chocolate or cocoa powder and milk and sugar.

3. Wholly unharmed.

4. Serving to set in motion.

5. A bag used for carrying money and small personal items or accessories (especially by women).

6. A flat wing-shaped process or winglike part of an organism.

7. A person forced to flee from home or country.

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

9. A workplace for the conduct of scientific research.

10. A genus of Mustelidae.

11. A person who has lied or who lies repeatedly.

12. Scottish sea captain who was hired to protect British shipping in the Indian Ocean and then was accused of piracy and hanged (1645-1701).

17. An official prosecutor for a judicial district.

19. English scholastic philosopher and assumed author of Occam's Razor (1285-1349).

21. The longer of the two telegraphic signals used in Morse code.

25. Jordan's port.

29. A constellation in the southern hemisphere near Telescopium and Norma.

31. A sock with a separation for the big toe.

32. Any of a number of fishes of the family Carangidae.

34. Owed and payable immediately or on demand.

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

37. An alluvial deposit that contains particles of some valuable mineral.

40. The mission in San Antonio where in 1836 Mexican forces under Santa Anna besieged and massacred American rebels who were fighting to make Texas independent of Mexico.

42. A defensive missile designed to shoot down incoming intercontinental ballistic missiles.

43. Small genus of South American evergreen vines.

44. A person who has lied or who lies repeatedly.

48. Stout-bodied insect with large membranous wings.

49. Any of various cycads of the genus Zamia.

52. An independent ruler or chieftain (especially in Africa or Arabia).

53. An agenda of things to do.

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

56. (usually followed by `to') Having the necessary means or skill or know-how or authority to do something.

58. Tag the base runner to get him out.

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

63. A doctor's degree in optometry.

64. A silvery soft waxy metallic element of the alkali metal group.

Yesterday’s Solution

Gemini (May 21-June 20) You might like to ignore responsibilities and do some socializing—realities may demand that you tend to business and forget your friends for the moment. Although you may be tempted to stay inside or just goof off from your responsibilities—you are actually in a good position to make much progress. There are breakthroughs in compassion and communion. This is a very nice day, perhaps filled with some renewed appreciation for all that is beautiful and fine.

There is a sense of value and valuing that may find you lavishing affection on those near you. You may want to confer with a friend before you go on a shopping expedition. A different place to shop may give you better budgeting options and merchandise choices. Color is very important.

Cancer (June 21-July 22)

NON SEQUITUR

You may not appreciate some changes that are taking place in your life now. Patience is in order now—with time you may see the purpose in another person’s decisions or plans—they may also see the advantage of your ideas as well. If you go with the flow, you will find that soon your own ideas can be merged into a plan. You spend a lot of money on good causes—you give away a lot of your money—perhaps you want to save the world. Check to make sure the people you are giving your money to, share your compassion. Not only that, also make sure they are good business people—getting the most for your dollars. That includes your tax dollars, too, by the way. Today, you enjoy cultivating your large vegetable garden or some other outdoor project.

Leo (July 23-August 22) Your ability to work with others and help guide them toward a more positive direction may come into play today—perhaps young people. A friend or sibling seems disturbed over some form of family security—you have the gift of working with others. You have great insight into matters of personal freedom. You come up with brilliant ways to express, emote or act things out today.

New methods of lovemaking, raising kids, caring for animals are yours. You are outspoken, very dramatic, impressive and even regal. You relax with children, sports, acting, singing, etc. You really like yourself. You may enjoy eccentric friends this evening and perhaps participate in a group that has some kind of humanitarian flavor. You look for ways to better the community.

ZITS

Virgo (August 23-September 22) A new cycle begins for you, signaling a greater than usual interest in relationships, social connections and the arts. Regardless of how uncomfortable you may feel about being in front of people, you may find yourself in front of the public eye, making speeches or leading a lesson. You draw emotional sustenance and a sense of security from ideals, friends and social involvement now.

You may find that someone close to you is supportive. Close relationships take on more emotional depth, power and importance. This afternoon, obtaining and exchanging information takes on more emotional significance for you. Being more involved with neighbors or sibling(s) satisfies a deep emotional need. Communicating feelings becomes important.

Libra (September 23-October 22)

MOTHER GOOSE AND GRIMM

You may be making definite moves to add to your friendship list. That rich feeling happens when you have good friendships, not just acquaintances, but really good friends. You may enjoy eccentric or unconventional friends and groups with some kind of humanitarian flavor will appeal as well. You have very original ideas for community and making shared dreams a reality. Perhaps you can lead a community project to plant or trim trees in several neighborhoods.

Your burning zeal for the ideal world and your need to be part of a group of like-minded souls are major factors in your makeup. You learn and grow through your efforts to help others and to make your inner vision into a reality. Exercise by bicycling or walking with others.

Scorpio (October 23-November 21) You may have a sense of circumstances working against you or feel a lack of support and love from those around you. You could clash with young people or old habits. Your support system and your environment may feel a bit stressed. Find the cause of the problem so the whole day is not stressed—show your gratefulness for this difficulty, even though you may not be happy with it. This could be a person or a situation but it is teaching you something great.

Your need for psychological security and absolute truth in all matters cuts through most chit-chat and settles on core material. You concentrate on deep, inner changes in yourself and in others—depth psychology. Keep your thoughts positive and make this evening a special one.

Sagittarius (November 22-December 21) Real insight into your own inner workings or psychology could surface today, and in a manageable form. You may be in the mood for deep conversations. You have a natural sense of what the public wants and may find yourself preparing for a conference, lecture or some sort of political speech in the near future. Your ability to coordinate events is something to be admired. Financial gain is one of the brighter prospects looming before you now, as you focus on what is most important to you at this time. There may be a tendency to emphasize the material too much, which could lead to the feeling that the things you own, own you instead. You will be delighted to know that there is still time to enjoy a loved one’s company this evening.

Capricorn (December 22-January 19)

To

This is a time in your life marked by greater involvement with friends and groups who share some of your ideals about how people should live. Some of these friends or groups are likely to be WAY off the beaten path— at least unusual, maybe eccentric; perhaps even revolutionary. This may be a time you will become interested in political issues—perhaps to the point of becoming involved as a politician. Your social consciousness is raised. Many people do not want to be around others that are sarcastic or cynical so check the attitude and create a good exit line when conversations seem to have no potential. Redecorating, remodeling or cleaning may be listed at the top of your priority list now. Before the winter season begins, you will have a home project.

Yesterday’s Solution Yester

Aquarius (January 20- February 18) A future neighborhood garage sale may be on your mind today. Many people could be involved to help make the garage sale a great neighborhood effort. A circular with little squares to checkmark a suggestion would help you see where best to use the funds that come from the results. Children may need a see-through covered area to wait on a bus for school or getting house numbers painted on the curb for each home would be helpful. Maybe the homeowners will have their own suggestion. Circumstances may urge you to great effort and hard work. Things are working with rather than against you, however, so do not hold back. Everyone wants to help and this can all be very useful! A good book has your attention tonight.

Pisces (February 19-March 20)

Word Sleuth Solution

Fun conversation surrounding your first love prevails today. This may be the renewal of an old friendship or a class reunion. Whatever the case, the memories of your youth are not at all uncomfortable to recall. You may be able to enjoy and value your own life situation today. Someone may compliment you on your accomplishments. There is a yearning to boost your energies, perhaps through a health spa or group activity, even travel is likely to come into play. You now have an opportunity to rethink some of your personal goals, as well as your desires.

Take some time to think about how to fit your talents into your life. Your pastime activity this evening may just include listening to music. Music can be a source of support and inspiration.

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Years

MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 19, 2011

i n f o r m at i o n

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36 Winehouse looked like a ‘superstar’ at funeral e niv rsar n

Years

MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 19, 2011

lifestyle G O S S I P

my Winehouse’s mother wanted to make sure her daughter looked a “superstar” at her funeral. The ‘Rehab’ singer - who died at her north London home in July at the age of 27 - was famed for her heavy eye make-up and her beehive hairstyle and Janis Winehouse was keen for her to have her trademark look before she was cremated. So before she was put in her coffin, two of her assistants made sure her make-up was perfect, put her

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famous black beehive wig on her head and dressed her in a short yellow dress. Janis told the Sunday Mirror newspaper: “It was an act of love. She went out looking like the superstar the whole world fell in love with.” After being given the tragic news her beloved daughter had died, Janis went to visit Amy’s body in a coroner’s office in London so she could say goodbye. She said: “It was only then , when I looked at Amy’s body, that it dawned on me that she’d

gone. She looked peaceful, at rest, beautiful. “But as I gazed at her, Amy aged nine flashed into my head. When she was young I’d scream at the bottom of the stairs, calling for her to get up for school. ‘Amy wake up! Amy wake up!’, I’d shout. No answer. “I’d run up and find her asleep. She was impossible to wake up. Now she wouldn’t wake again. She was gone. It was my moment of final acceptance. The time to say goodbye.”

Cowell splits from fiancee

imon Cowell reportedly split from fiancee Mezhgan Hussainy last month. The music mogul - who recently said he was “not sure” if he was still engaged to the make-up artist - is said to have called time on their relationship a few weeks ago although the break-up was amicable. A source told The Mail on Sunday newspaper: “Simon and Mezhgan split up in August. He called it off and she wasn’t that surprised or even very bothered about it. Mezhgan told her friends she knew it had been coming for a while. She offered him the ring back but he has insisted she keep it. “As with all his exes, he is being very generous, but he is already dating again and he has been on a dinner date or two with a mystery British brunette.” Mezhgan - who put on a united front with Simon at the premiere of

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the US version of ‘The X Factor’ last week - is now living in Simon’s $5 million Beverly Hills home after moving out of the house they once shared. The property is dubbed his “girlfriend graveyard” by friends because it is where his former lover Terri Seymour went after the pair separated in 2008.

Sources claim one of the reasons the couple - who got engaged last Februar y after a whirlwind romance - split was because Mezhgan didn’t get on that well with Simon’s beloved mother Julie. One said: “Simon knew it wasn’t going to end in marriage. There were commitment issues on his part and the added problem that Mezhgan didn’t get on all that well with Simon’s mother Julie. “The pair would often argue about how Mezhgan spoke to him.”

Parker

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Aguilera won’t put movies first hristina Aguilera will never put movies before her music career. The 30-year-old star made her film debut last year in ‘Burlesque’, and while she is looking for more cinematic projects, she insists her main focus will always be as a singer. She said: “I’m always reading scripts. ‘Burlesque’ was something that came to my door that I was truly inspired to do. It was the right time and place for me to dive into that world I’ve always been inspired by. “But I’m not going to do back-to-back movies just to do them. Music is always my first love and where my time and attention will remain.

“But film is something that will be on my mind and I am looking for the next project.” Christina split from her husband Jordan Bratman - the father of her three-year-old son Max - last year and she admits their break-up and subsequent divorce has inspired some tracks for her next album. She told Britain’s Hello! magazine: “I’m in the studio now working on my next album and I’m writing so much.

I’ve been inspired by a lot over the past year, the experiences I’ve had, the good, the bad, the highs, the lows it will all be apparent in the lyrics. “The mood of the album will be very introspective, heartfelt and deep rooted.” — Bang Showbiz

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Ferguson moving permanently to Los Angeles

he ex wife of Britain’s Prince Andrew has told friends she is sick of how she is portrayed in Britain and is hoping for a fresh start in America, where she believes she isn’t judged for her past transgressions, including her attempt to sell access to her former spouse for cash. A source told BANG Showbiz: “Sarah is moving to Los Angeles in the middle of next month, she’s still finalizing everything but expects to be here by the 16 or 17 of October. “Her profile is much bigger in the US than it is in Britain, especially after making a reality TV show with Oprah Winfrey and Sarah feels people are kinder to her and accept her for who she is in the US much more easily than they do in the UK.” Sarah is still close to her former husband, with whom she has two children, Princesses Beatrice, 23, and Eugenie, 21, and lives with him at his official residence Royal Lodge in Windsor Great Park. The duchess first considered moving away from Britain permanently last year after it was revealed she was filmed accepting a bribe in return for access to Andrew. Her friend Rob Shuter said at the time: “I think she’d love to stay in America and start afresh. “She knows she’s made a terrible mistake, and she knows she’ll have to carry this with her for the rest of her life. She is terribly sorry.”

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is an ‘inspiring and intimidating’ collaborator S

kylar Grey - who penned the rapper’s duet with Rihanna, ‘Love the Way You Lie’, as well as ‘I Need A Doctor’ for Dr Dre - enjoys working with the ‘Real Slim Shady’ hitmaker because of his “rare” talent. She said: “Eminem makes fun of me. But he’s a rare breed of an artist that doesn’t come along every day, so being able to be in a room with him and see his creativity at work was both inspiring and intimidating.” Skylar also revealed that ‘Love the Way You Lie’ was inspired by the vicious cycle” of her relationships with “assholes”. She explained to NME magazine: “It wasn’t necessarily about literal violence in a relationship, but that vicious cycle of somebody who keeps you on your toes because they’re kind of an asshole. I do tend to fall for assholes because they keep me on my toes and I don’t get bored. That’s what I wrote it about.”

plans future without children

arah Jessica Parker is already planning for her children leaving home. The 46-year-old actress - who has children James, eight, and twin daughters Tabitha and Marion, two, with husband Matthew Broderick - admits she and her spouse have lots of ideas of what they will do when they find themselves sharing an empty house in years to come. Asked how they keep their marriage alive, she said: “We go to the theatre and to dinner and we occasionally see friends.

And we talk a lot about when the kids are grown and gone and all the things we’ll do.” The ‘I Don’t Know How She Does It’ star also revealed her favorite way to unwind is by watching property programs on television - but she has to wait until her children are asleep before she can tune in. She explained: “It’s really only when the children are in bed and really in their beds, not their fake, pretending to be cooperative going to sleep, but when I hear deep breathing - that I have any free time. “And what I do is watch ‘House Hunters International.’ It’s not even a guilty pleasure- I make very public statements about how much I love it. “They’re just real people looking to buy a home or a holiday home and it’s just fascinating. I cannot get enough of it. “And then sometimes my son will stub le down all crazy from attempted sleep and go, ‘Oh my God ) I’ve seen this one. They buy the second house in Romania.’ “

Eminem

Nolan’s

Dark Knight secrecy hristopher Nolan won’t give out scripts for the final ‘Dark Knight Rises’ scenes.

The filmmaker is determined to keep the ending of his third Batman movie - which stars Christian Bale as the caped crusader - under wraps so is advising his cast on the story verbally in order to minimize the chance of leaks.

Gary Oldman - who plays Police Commissioner James Gordon - said: “Christopher doesn’t want anyone to ruin it and I completely understand that. “The newer people on the film go to his office to read the script. They sent mine out, but it had to be hand delivered directly to me and nobody else. And the final few pages were missing. “I went along and talked to Christopher and in person about the ending.

Then I locked it away in my head.” Gary is happy with his role in the film and is pleased his career has moved on from the “frenetic” characters of his younger days, such as Drexl from ‘True Romance’ and Stansfield in ‘Leon’.

He added: “I was younger then, that’s all. In ‘The Dark Knight Rises’ I’m the 50 year old police commissioner while wonderful, young Heath Ledger is bouncing off the walls as The Joker. Now, had that part come along 15 years ago, people might have said, ‘That’s a Gary Oldman role’.”

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Pamela Anderson dates for her sons he former ‘Baywatch’ beauty has two boys, Brandon, 15, and 13-yearold Dylan, with ex-husband Tommy Lee and admits being a single mother limits the type of man she can go out with. She said: “My sons influence who I date but maybe as they get older my attitude towards men may change. It’s just when you’re a single mum, unfortunately I think we date for our kids. You think, ‘Who are my kids going to want to hang out with?’ Rather than who you want.”

The 44-year-old star - who has also been married to Kid Rock and Rick Salomon - says she’s single at the moment but is confident she will eventually meet the right man. She told Britain’s OK! magazine: “I am single. I like someone with a bit of an edge. Someone who’s passionate about what they do. But I guess I haven’t found that magical combination of everything yet. Someday I’ll find someone.”

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MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 19, 2011

Years

lifestyle

Natalie Imbruglia M U S I C

&

M O V I E S

rocks to new passion: Ending fistula

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ustralian pop star Natalie Imbruglia doesn’t mean to leave you with the wrong impression. She loves making music and has returned to acting, but the “Torn” singer with millions of record sales under her belt has a more rewarding mission these days: helping women recover from a haunting affliction that is all but eradicated in the West, yet affects millions across Africa and Asia. “I’m very passionate about it,” Imbruglia told AFP about her role as spokeswoman for the UN Campaign to End Fistula, a childbearing injury that often results in the loss of the baby and leaves women shunned.

“I intend to continue my creative endeavors. I’m songwriting at the moment, in Los Angeles, and working on some other projects,” she said. “But most importantly, we’re planning a trip to Africa” and possibly India and elsewhere. Obstetric fistula is a hole in the birth canal which develops during a prolonged and obstructed labor. It results in chronic incontinence, and the foul smell of leaking urine and feces often drives away husbands and shatters women’s lives.

“It was like dying every day,” Sarah Omega, who was raped at 19 and then suffered with fistula for nine years, told a United Nations economic council meeting in 2009 that Imbruglia also addressed.

While it is largely preventable and easily treated, up to 100,000 new cases develop annually, the UN estimates. Some say the number is far higher. Treatment costs about $300, but many poor women can’t afford the operation. Others are never told treatment is available for fistula.

Imbruglia is the most high-profile star committed to stamping out the ailment. “It just jumped out to me as a woman, and the fact that they didn’t seem to have anybody

Australian singer and actress Natalie Imbruglia talks about the childbirth injury fistula with a woman who identified herself as Helena, at a forum in Washington, DC. —AFP speaking for them,” Imbruglia said in Washington, where she attended a UN Population Fund forum. The quiet crisis caught her eye back in 2005, when friend Richard Branson, the British business tycoon who heads Virgin Group, urged Imbruglia to harness her fame into activism.

She had been basking in superstardom after her 1997 debut album “Left of the Middle” was a global smash. The stunning star also became one of the faces for cosmetics giant L’Oreal, and her image was plastered across gossip magazines. She would soon put a hold on the glamour, becoming an ambassador with the Virgin Unite humanitarian campaign and heading

to Africa. “The kind of things that you see there, it becomes personal,” she said. She visited villages and hospitals in Ethiopia, broke bread with religious leaders in Nigeria, and met countless women suffering from fistula’s indignity. At the Washington forum, a young African woman named Helena, her smile as wide as the stage, approached Imbruglia and told her of how she reclaimed her own life once she had the operation to repair her fistula.

The singer lit up, and they hugged at length. “You’re doing a good job,” the woman whispered. “So good.” Celebrity activists are a dime a dozen, and largescale issues such as poverty reduction and environmental protection bring out the big

guns like U2 frontman Bono. But few have braved such personally unpleasant issues as the secretion of human waste, troubles with reproduction and the specter of rape, “all things that people are conditioned to turn away from,” said Heidi Breeze-Harris, founder of non-governmental group One

By One, which works to end fistula. But Imbruglia has not shied away, leading UN Population Fund chief Babatunde Osotimehin to hail her “extraordinary work to fight this terrible childbirth condition.”

“Her travels across the globe and her efforts to raise money to support fistula rehabilitation centers and training for community educators are essential in bringing help and needed health care to women and girls,” he told AFP. The taboo on speaking about the condition in Africa has begun to lift too, said Imbruglia, particularly among the very people whose involvement is crucial in improving women’s health in small, poor communities: men. “Nurses in the hospital told me, ‘You have to speak to the emirs, it’s not just about the government. If you don’t have their ear and if they’re not on side, the women won’t listen, the men won’t listen,’” she recalled of one of her trips to Africa. “So of course we set up the meeting with the emir of Katsina (in Nigeria), and he was incredibly supportive.”Imbruglia, who starred on Australian soap opera “Neighbors” as a teenager, reprised her acting career in 2003 with a role in spy spoof “Johnny English.” In 2009, she starred in “Closed for Winter,” and last year was a judge on Australia’s “X Factor” reality show. But asked if she gets the same satisfaction from singing and acting as she does helping women, her big eyes quickly grew moist. “No,” she admitted.

“It doesn’t come anywhere near.” —AFP

‘Happy Gilmore’ Frances Bay dies at 95

Gillian Welch plays at the Austin City Limits Music Festival in Austin, Texas, Saturday.

ACL is celebrating its 10th anniversary. —AP

Lovato to young girls with

problems: Seek help

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Demi Lovato

inger Demi Lovato thanked her fans at a concert for supporting her after she entered rehab last year and encouraged young girls to seek help if they are dealing with similar problems. “A year ago today ... I was not in a good place,” the 19-year-old said at her concert Saturday night. “I needed help and I want anybody in this audience to know that if you’re struggling with one of the issues that I dealt with or a different issue, that you can get help, that you can recover and it’s possible if you just tell someone.”

Lovato entered a treatment facility for three months last year to deal with “emotional and physical issues.” The singer-actress said as an 8year-old who faced bullying she had an eating disorder and later started cutting her wrists to vent her despair. She performed a show at New York’s Hammerstein ballroom, just days ahead of the release of third album, “Unbroken.” Lovato was beginning to play her latest song, “Skyscraper,” when she stopped to address the crowd.

“They’re so many beautiful girls in this audience that don’t know that they’re beautiful, but they just are,” she said. “So I want to thank you guys for being there for me every single day I was away. I wouldn’t be here without you guys today.”

Concertgoers screamed “I love you” while Lovato spoke and one girl held a sign that read: “Demi makes me strong!”

After performing “Skyscraper,” she sang a cover of Lil Wayne’s recent hit “How to Love,” a song about women’s insecurities and their struggles to find love. Lovato was the star of the Disney Channel series “Sonny With a Chance” before she announced she was leaving the show in April.—AP

File photo actress Frances Bay poses at an unveiling ceremony for Canada’s Walk of Fame in Toronto. —AP

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rances Bay, who tussled with Jerry Seinfeld over a loaf of marble rye and played Adam Sandler’s grandmother in “Happy Gilmore” during a career that began in the 1930s,has died. She was 92. Her cousin Les Berman says Bay died Thursday at a Los Angeles area hospital after being diagnosed with pneumonia.

After working as a radio actress before World War II, Bay married and became a housewife. She returned to acting in the 1970s and her career took off.

Bay played Fonzie’s Grandma Nussbaum on “Happy Days” and kindly older ladies in shows like “The Jeffersons,” “The Dukes of Hazzard” and “Who’s the Boss?”

The Canadian-born actress also was cast by director David Lynch in several films, including “Blue Velvet” and “Wild at Heart.”Fans of “Seinfeld” know her as the tough lady who fought with the show’s star over the last loaf of bread. She has no immediate survivors.—AP

File photo shows Bollywood actor Abhay Deol poses during a promotional event for the forthcoming hindi film ‘Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara’ in Mumbai. —AFP

Bollywood to make first

zombie comedies

B

ollywood is lurching with arms outstretched into new territory with its first zombie comedies, hoping to replicate the success of a host of light-hearted Hollywood movies about the living dead. “Shaadi of the Dead” (Wedding of the Dead), starring Abhay Deol and up-and-coming female lead Genelia D’Souza, is due for release next year and centers around a zombie invasion at a Punjabi marriage ceremony. The film will be vying for audiences with the Saif Ali Khan vehicle “Go Goa Gone”, about a group of youngsters who fight an army of the undead in the Indian resort state of Goa. Popular Western examples of the “rom-zom-com” (romantic zombie comedy) genre include “Shaun of the Dead” (2004), starring British comic Simon Pegg, and “Zombieland” (2009), with Woody Harrelson.

“Shaadi of the Dead” director Navdeep Singh is banking on the novelty value of the genre to suit the changing tastes of younger Indian film audiences now exposed to wider outside influences.

“We feel this idea of a zombie film is very fresh,” he told AFP. “It will be India’s first zombie film. It is something that has never been tried in the Hindi film industry and so we feel it will work.” Bollywood may be famous for its stories of idealised love set to song and dance but belief in the supernatural is widespread in India and movie-makers have previously flirted with horror. In the 1970s and 1980s, the Ramsay family directed a string of schlock horror monster films, like “Hotel”, “Purana Mandir” (The Old Temple), “Veerana” (Wilderness) and “Purani Haveli” (The Old Mansion).

The movies are cult viewing among many Indian film fans. But after the Ramsay brothers’ “Bandh Darwaza” (Closed Door) in 1990, the genre all but disappeared, as film-makers returned to well-worn themes of love and romance. The last decade, however, saw a partial horror revival, as directors began to experiment with different themes, introducing better production values and special effects to the shaky sets and flimsy plots of old.

Ram Gopal Verma brought out “Bhoot” (Ghost) and “Darna Mana Hai” (Being Scared Forbidden) in 2003, using more mainstream actors such as Ajay Devgn, Saif Ali Khan and Shilpa Shetty. Saurab Narang’s “Vaastu Shastra” (Possession, 2004), and “Raaz” (Secret, 2002) director Vikram Bhatt’s “1920”, released in 2008, were well-received. Bhatt also released a 3-D horror film “Haunted” this year.

Navdeep Singh admits that in previous years, making a zom-com would be a risk, with most Indian film-makers pandering to conservative audiences in providing a bread-and-butter diet of strong-jawed heroes and doe-eyed heroines.

But he added: “Things have changed a lot now and producers want to take a risk with films on different subjects. And ‘Shaadi of the Dead’ is one of them because the script of the film has come to me from Siddharth Jain.” Jain, widely known as Sid, is an emerging Bollywood film-maker and entrepreneur who is head of Mumbai-based iRock Films. Earlier this year, he co-produced the paranormal thriller “Ragini MMS”, with Ekta Kapoor, whose “Love, Sex Aur Dhokha” (Love, Sex and Betrayal, 2010) was hailed as groundbreaking for of its use of hand-held and security cameras.

Gritty cops, ‘Mad Men’ knock-offs for new US TV season

T

he fall US television season is off and running with gritty new cop shows, stylish 1960s dramas with “Mad Men” overtones and the primetime return of Buffy no longer the vampire slayer. On the eve of yesterday’s Emmy Awards, few new series have critics swooning-”they’re not as exciting or as ambitious as in the past,” said David Bianculli of tvworthwatching.com and National Public Radio-but some are raising eyebrows. With heroines in pencil-skirt uniforms and bunny corsets, “Pan Am” and “The Playboy Club”-both rich in retro detail-reach five decades back in time with storylines that riff off on the runaway success of AMC’s “Mad Men.” “Pan Am” stars doe-eyed Christina Ricci, born in 1980, as a free spirit who abandons the bohemian life to become a stewardess (that’s what they called flight attendants in 1963) for the eponymous but now-defunct airline. “Passion, jealousy and espionage... They do it all-and they do it at 30,000 feet,” crows the ABC network of a show that revisits an era when flying was considered glamorous and noone ever took off their shoes at security. “The Playboy Club” on NBC depicts Hugh Hefner’s racy

chain of nightspots as a cradle of women’s liberation-an idea that old-school feminists might find tough to grasp.

Texas blonde Amber Heard, born in 1986, dons rabbit ears and puffy white tail as a newly-hired but naive cocktail waitress (that’s what they called a server in 1963) in the lead role. On the CW network, home of “Gossip Girl,” people are talking about the return to the small screen of Sarah Michelle Gellar, eight years after the final episode of the phenomenal “Buffy the Vampire Slayer.”

She plays two characters: Bridgit, a former exotic dancer (that’s what they now call strippers) who witnesses a mob murder, and Siobhan, her rich twin sister in Manhattan whose own charmed life is equally messed up. “The return of Buffy!” hailed Rolling Stone magazine. “And it’s about time.

Seriously, has any TV star ever gotten as massive as Sarah Michelle Gellar and then just walked away?”

In the crime genre, with AMC’s critically acclaimed “Breaking Bad” well into its penultimate season, NBC is heavily promoting “Prime Suspect” starring Maria Bello as hard-boiled New York homicide detective Jane Timoney. —AFP

Elisabeth Moss, an Emmy nominee for Lead Actress in a Drama Series for ‘Mad Men,’ poses at the 63rd Primetime Emmy Awards Performers Nominee Reception, Friday. —AP

A

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MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 19, 2011

Years

lifestyle F a s h i o n

Tom Ford adds to glitz for London Fashion Week B

Models present outfits by designer Bora Aksu. —AP photos

Models present outfits by designer Paul Costelloe.

y day, London may look the same - downbeat commuters, snarled traffic, headaches galore. But after dark the city will be sparkling on Friday as London Fashion Week spawns dozens of catwalk shows, parties, and ever-more-exclusive after-parties. If you’re going, rest assured that there is always one more party a bit more posh than the one you’re attending, unless your name happens to be Natalia (as in Vodianova, the Anglicized Russian “it” girl with the stunning cheekbones) or Gisele.

The unveiling of the spring and summer 2012 collections - this time including a show by Tom Ford, the latest A-plus fashion star to embrace London’s catwalk - marks an unofficial end to London’s riot-torn, phonehacked summer and, hopefully, kicks off a bumper fall social season.

The sound of champagne being uncorked can’t come soon enough for people whose businesses were hurt by the widespread rioting and looting that struck London and other British cities in August, events that put a damper on night life that only now seems about to lift.

“It’s something positive, it’s a good thing in many ways, and it’s not rioting,” said Charles Gilkes, co-owner of several London bars and clubs, including Barts, Maggie’s and Bunga Bunga. “It means more people are out and about during the week.” He said the majority of Londoners aren’t aware of fashion week, but that for a small segment of the population, including many in the service industry, the catwalk shows and the spinoff trade they create, are the most important time of the year.

There is a ripple effect that goes far beyond the shows, with many of the capital’s finest stores sponsoring gala parties or exclusive cocktail receptions. Many Bond Street boutiques - the kind where seriously nice accessories costs seriously large amounts of money - stayed open late last Thursday as part of Vogue’s Fashion Night Out, now a fashion week tradition.

For Gilkes, it meant an extra job - setting up the bar for Tod’s, a favored shoe store - and it sharpened the focus on London’s status as an upscale shopping center, a place with so much variety that it’s possible to spend 25 pounds ($40) on some trendy, colored plastic shoes or more than 1,000 pounds ($1600) on unique Italian footwear, all on the same block.

London has capitalized on its reputation for encouraging fringe and street designers to work their way up the fashion ladder, giving fashion week an edgy feel despite big name houses and generous corporate sponsorships.

There are dozens of smaller events in the side streets near Somerset House, which has proved in the last few years to be a successful base for Fashion Week headquarters.

The crucial buzz factor will be helped this year by the presence of Ford, who was instrumental in the turnaround of the Gucci house and has found nothing but success as the head of his own label, which has branched out into trendy (read expensive) sunglasses and beauty products to go along with his men’s and women’s fashion lines.

Ford has been increasing his presence on London of late, holding a series of private presentations at fashion week last spring, and his catwalk show Sunday is expected to be one of fashion week’s hot tickets, though he will share the spotlight with Christopher Bailey of Burberry

Prorsum, Vivienne Westwood and rising stars like Roksanda Ilincic and Daniella Issa Helayel, Kate Middleton’s fave. “It’s very exciting to have him here in London,” said Vogue Executive Fashion Director Calgary Avansino.

“Everyone is keen to see what’s next. He’s always on the cutting edge, and he always uses the best models and chooses them meticulously. It’s fun to see his choices.”

Avansino said Ford’s clothes have come to represent classiness and elegance, with only the best fabrics and leathers and detailing, whatever the cost. “The clothes are very expensive for a reason,” she said. “He designs for a very specific woman, a very secure woman with a career path. A strong, emboldened woman who is sexy, too.” The addition of Ford to the traditionally strong London lineup is another step forward for Britain’s expanding fashion industry, which lags behind New York, Paris and Milan despite more than a decade of steady growth.

Hillary Alexander, a fashion correspondent with The Daily Telegraph newspaper, told The Associated Press that Ford’s decision to show his collection in London represents a major boost to the British fashion industry. “It reflects his love of all things British,” she said. She said Ford’s show will be quieter and less oriented toward the Internet and social media networks than those of his competitors, who want to instantly reach a mass audience. “He wants it to be slightly more intimate, with a very personal presentation,” she said. “That’s in direct contrast to the attitude of a lot of fashion today. It suits his clientele, and it suits the man.”

MARIA GRACHVOGEL Maria Grachvogel showed a series of ethereal, flowing gowns, dresses and catsuits, with her unique “magic pants” seeming to give models a slimmer waist and longer legs. The free-flowing dresses, with exaggerated

drape, had a timeless feel, with some elements of Greek classicism. “They’re a bit of a lightning warrior look,” Grachvogel said backstage after the show. “Very much about volume, with that Grecian feminine thing, and a bit of fierceness.”

She seemed deeply relieved that the show had been successfully concluded, sipping Moet & Chandon champagne and toasting the friends who surrounded her.

She breathed a deep, elaborate sigh of relief to indicate that the tension had lifted.

Grachvogel, who first exhibited at London Fashion Week in 1995, made extensive use of white and ivory, including a long white catsuit with a plunging Vneck. Others relied on her artwork prints, each individually engineered by Grachvogel on individual garments, in colors that included black, white, apple, raspberry and blossom. The long, flowing look was interrupted by several outfits, including a beige ensemble featuring short pants, blouse and cape.

PAUL COSTELLOE Irish designer Paul Costelloe used his traditional role opening fashion week to show a series of short, flirtatious dresses, many in monochrome silver-gray with well-patterned, subtle fabrics. The spring and summer 2012 collection was offset by several bursts of color in impressive brocade dresses. He showed a number of short jacket dresses, some with high cowl necks, and also several black and white striped smock dresses. Some models wore sleek pantsuits with flared trousers.

There were few formal touches, and Costelloe seemed to be striving for a celebratory mood despite the early hour of the 9 am show. “Every piece was beautiful,” said shoemaster Jimmy Choo, who sat in the front row.

“Paul is an inspiration and a role model to young designers. We’re all here to support Paul - he’s a good man and a good Irishman.”

The fashion week headquarters at Somerset House next to the River Thames was jammed early Friday morning as the shows began.

Some with special invitations complained about having to stand with “the rabble” as they waited to gain entry to the Costelloe show, but most were good-natured.

CAROLINE CHARLES Longtime British designer Caroline Charles turned to the French Riviera - and American jazz when seeking inspiration for her spring and summer 2012 collection. There were dramatic silhouettes, elegant evening wear, and liberal use of jaunty straw hats, often with hatbands that played off the colors of dresses and pantsuits. A green dress was set off by a green polka-dotted hatband as she made

Models present outfits by designer Caroline Charles.

full use of the possibilities of a simple accessory.

Charles, who worked with fashion legend Mary Quant before branching out on her own, turned her back on many modern trends, embracing prints that relied on hand drawn designs, not computer graphics, and turning her back on body-hugging cuts. Many of the silk dresses had dropped waistlines, pleats, and fluted hemlines.

BORA AKSU Turkish-born Bora Aksu, one of the many Central St Martins art college alumni who have built successful careers in London, Friday showed a series of dresses with elaborate corsetry and gauzy, revealing patterns. The sexy pieces relied on hand-made leather details, Edwardian lace and startling pleated ropes for their unique look. Waists were cinched to emphasize the female form, and some gauzy panels, combined with distressed fishnet tights, gave the outfits an edge.

Many of the dresses relied on variations of white and ivory. Most went well below the knee. Some of the black outfits used black mesh panels and rope to complete the look.

Aksu, with 15 years on the London scene, described his look as “romantic, but with a dark twist.” Indeed, the pale makeup and heavy eyeliner gave the models an otherworldly look. —AP

Models present outfits by designer Jean-Pierre Braganza.

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Years

MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 19, 2011

LIFESTYLE F a s h i o n

Models display a Spring/Summer design by Francis Montesinos during the Pasarela Cibeles fashion show, in Madrid, Saturday.

—AP photos

Designer offerings for children expanding as parents splurge on kids’ clothes t’s hard to miss those paparazzi shots of celebrity toddlers being toted around by their famous parents, kids who are dressed, well, to look just like mom or dad.

Gwen Stefani’s boys sport mohawks, black rocker T-shirts and baggy cargo pants like their dad Gavin Rossdale; Jessica Alba’s daughter Honor Warren mimics her mother’s frilly, feminine style; and little Suri Cruise seems to love perusing the shoe section at Barneys New York just as much as does her stylish mother, Katie Holmes.

The parade of mini-me’s isn’t relegated to celebrities and seems to be a trend among many parents who are buying designer wear for their kids, much to the delight, no doubt, of luxury houses that have expanded to include tiny sizes.

Some companies, such as Ralph Lauren, have offered children’s fare for years; others, such as Versace and Lanvin, are releasing their kids’ lines later this year. In the 12month period that concluded in May 2011, sales of children’s clothing in the US reached $32.4 billion, and $800 million of that was spent on designer lines, according to the NPD Group Inc. Consumer Tracking Service.

“People are no longer buying overthe-top homes and cars,” says

I

Ralph Lauren’s RL Gang line.

—MCT photos

Marshal Cohen, chief analyst for NPD. “We did that, and that kind of backfired, but we will continue to splurge on our kids. In their minds, the best thing consumers can do is make sure their kids get all the right things and dress the part.” Cohen adds that this is one reason the children’s clothing market is being infiltrated by a growing number of high-end designers and luxury brands and that the area is generally one of the last to be affected by a recession and one of the first to recover. In 2008, when the adult apparel industry dipped 5 percent, the sale of children’s clothing dropped just 1 percent.

“That could practically be considered growth in this market,” Cohen says.

The wealthy, of course, have always garbed their children in luxurious fabrics; go to any large museum and check out paintings from the last several hundred years and you’ll see infants in lace; toddlers in velvet and 7year-olds in dresses with embroidered pearls.

Most families, of course, have never had that option.

Nonetheless, in the last few decades, the sales of children’s clothing have grown rapidly, as parents in the US have upped the number of garments in the family wardrobe. Even parents who might scrimp on clothing for themselves will buy beautiful dresses and jackets for a family photo portrait or a special occasion. And options for the wealthy have multiplied in the last several years.

Many luxury fashion houses (think Fendi, Missoni, Prada, Armani, Gucci, Dior, Burberry, Marc Jacobs and Phillip Lim) have a children’s division, which generally includes garments designed to fit a range of ages that runs from newborn to 12 years old. Some of the designers churn out mini versions of their men’s and women’s ready-to-wear

lines or logo heavy accessories; others merely riff on the aesthetic of their already established brand.

“It is about picking the most charming and cute items, and scaling them down,” says Phillip Lim, whose whimsical children’s line is called Kid. “Nothing is skimped on.

It’s just as you’d get in the adult versionItalian fabrics, hand embroidery, only smaller. It’s like ‘Mommy and me.’”

Versace is just joining the kids’ clothing game, releasing the Young Versace line this fall. As one might expect, the style will be slightly over the top and very much in line with the glitzy look of the luxury house adult fareMedusa heads and all.

“Nothing is plain; it’s very rock ‘n’ roll and colorful,” says Gian

Giacomo Ferraris, chief executive of Versace. “This is the attitude of the house. It expresses our glamorous DNA.” Part of that expression includes limited-edition leather items and Swarovskiencrusted baby bottles. “We’re finding that our customers are looking for very special emotional pieces with a wow factor,” says Colleen Sherin, fashion director of Saks Fifth Avenue, which carries a robust selection of

designer kids lines, including Prada, Burberry and Fendi. “There’s an emotional response to the items and not really any price resistance.”

Sherin says footwear (from brands like Prada and Gucci) gets the biggest response in the children’s category on the Saks.com website and that the designer children’s wear category in general is an area of growth for the retailer.

“These lines have the same innovative design found in the brand’s ready-to-wear collections,” she says. “They’ve translated the look into kid’s clothing, so the woman who wears these labels is going to find the children’s line appealing.”

The price tags ($250 and higher for designer kids’ shoes and around $350 to $475 for a coat) are about half that for the grown-up versions and, just as with the adult lines, the desire for having Burberry check on a collar or a Gucci horse bit detail on a ballet flat is appealing to parents with big bank accounts.

“It’s all about the generation of the minime,” says Amy Tara Koch, style expert and author of “Bump It Up,” a book about how to have a stylish pregnancy. “They want their kids to stand out-or in the language of ‘Project Runway’-to have a point of view.

It’s like the fashion-forward version of playing dress-up with an American Girl doll.”

“Especially with the first baby, people go crazy, they have no limits,” says Rosie Pope, a New York maternity concierge, designer of a maternity clothing line and star of the Bravo channel’s “Pregnant in Heels.” “They justify the purchase in their heads. And since at 6 months, the babies start to look like little people and parents can really start to see them as an extension of themselves, it’s part of the whole process of becoming a parent. It’s the fun part.” —MCT

Phillip Lim

Gucci

Bollywood to make first zombie comedies

37

MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 19, 2011

Thousands of

M

Taiwanese children set violin record

ore than 4,600 Taiwanese schoolchildren came together for a mass violin-playing session yesterdy, breaking a world record that had stood for 86 years. An official from Guinness World Records witnessed the event that brought together 4,645 children aged under 18 at a stadium in central Changhua county, the county government said. The performance was 30 seconds longer than the required minimum of five minutes, it said. “Creating a world record is not our goal. The event is to review a music education promotion program for schoolchildren launched seven years ago,” Chang Chueh-fen, a county official, told AFP. The previous world record was set in 1925 in London when 4,000 violinists performed. —AFP

Crucial mummy found 20 years ago T

wenty years ago today, a German couple hiking the Italian Alps veered off a marked footpath and stumbled upon one of the world’s oldest and most important archeological finds: Oetzi, “The Iceman”. Oetzi fast became a sensation, not just because he proved to be more than 5,000 years old, but because his remains were so well-preserved, allowing paleontologists to uncover new details about the Stone Age in Europe.

On September 19, 1991, Helmut and Erika Simon from Nuremburg were hiking at an altitude of 3,210 meters (10,500 feet) in the Italy’s South Tyrol alps, according to

File photo shows a reconstruction of the iceman named Otzi, discovered by Helmut and Erika Simon on September 19, 1991 in the Italian Schnal Valley glacier, displayed at the Archeological Museu of Bolzano. —AFP photos

an account published online by the South Tyrol Museum of Archeology. Toward the end of a hot summer, much of the ice and snow had melted. Protruding out of a icy patch, face down on exposed rock and embedded in a gully, they noticed what looked like the top half of a human corpse.

The Simons assumed they had discovered the remains of a hiker, perhaps killed by avalanche a few years earlier. They took a picture, and headed off to report their find, according to the museum’s website.

But Oetzi turned out to be what paleontologists call a “wet mummy”, a rare and precious discovery, where the corpse’s individual cells have retained enough humidity to allow scientists to conduct detailed investigations on the remains.

Until the Simons spotted Oetzi “such a well preserved find of a human several thousand years old - fully clothed and with numerous personal belongings - had never before been seen anywhere in the world,” the South Tyrol museum says online. “The Ice Man” was also a natural mummy, meaning his flesh was not altered by the burial rites practiced in some societies, like ancient Egypt, which further expanded the corpse’s research potential.

Once the body was extracted and examined, experts established that Oetzi was 1.6 meters tall (five feet, two inches), weighed 50 kilograms (110 pounds),and, most importantly, that he had died more than 5,000 years earlier. Oetzi has been studied extensively over the past two decades, and coinciding with the 20th anniversary of his discovery, the South Tyrol museum has organized an exhibit highlighting some of the crucial revelations. —AFP

Frame for

man’s best friend A

s a pet lover, I think anyone who loves animals should have the right to keep a pet. But taking one into your home is a huge commitment that goes above providing food and medical treatment. You must commit to meet all the animal’s needs, including proper training and providing adequate exercise on a daily basis, either by walking on a sidewalk, a trail or on a treadmill. Wellbehaved dogs generally receive better training, starting in puppyhood. And they get exercise every day-it’s not enough to open up the door and let them outside to run inside a fenced-in yard.

Cats have needs, too, such as toys to keep their minds stimulated to replace their basic instinct to hunt; perches so they can climb high as their ancestors did in trees and specific scratching places for claws.

Studies and practical knowledge tell me dogs that are walked on a daily basis have fewer behavior problems. Consistently walking your dog also gives you the best opportunity to train it and allows it to gain confidence that you will always be there to protect it.

Dogs that have been bred as working dogs, such as the border collie, have instinctive needs to do the job they were bred to do.

The border collie, for example, will herd rocks or even small children if they aren’t given the opportunity to do some kind of job to replace the herding instinct they have learned

through generations.

To celebrate “man’s best friend” during National Dog Week Sept. 22-28, I made a frame for a photo of your pet with instructions I found at http://familyfun.go.com/crafts/crafts-bytype/animal-bug-crafts/animal-themedcrafts/cat-dog-crafts/puppy-portrait-frame665734/ on the Web. I modified the directions for our use.

Supplies you will need: • Flat wooden frame from craft store.

• Multi-colored dog bone-shaped treats.

• Water-based polyurethane.

• Small paint brush.

• White tacky glue.

If the flat wooden frame you purchased has a glass, remove it and the cardboard backing and set them aside.

Paint the frame with a coat of polyurethane and allow to dry.

Place the frame, face side up on a flat working surface and arrange the dog bones around the frame on the flat surface. Place them horizontally, end to end to fashion a border all the way around, or diagonally to accent the corners. Once the pattern is determined, remove the dog bones, lay them face down, and apply a coat of water-based highgloss polyurethane to the backs of the bones.

When the backs are dry, use tacky glue to attach the backs to the frame in the pattern

Celebrate man’s best friend with this dog biscuit picture frame craft project. — MCT you prefer. Apply polyurethane to the tops and sides of the glued-on dog bones, let dr y, and apply another coat of polyurethane. When the final coat is completely dr y, insert the dog’s photo and reassemble the frame. —MCT

Stamp honors

Barbara Jordan

F

This undated handout image provided by the US Postal Service shows the Forever postage stamp featuring former Texas Rep Barbara Jordan. —AP

File photo shows the mummy of Otzi.

ormer US Rep Barbara Jordan of Texas now has her own postage stamp. It’s the 34th in the post office’s Black Heritage series. Jordan served three terms in Congress and in 1976 was the first woman and the first African-American to deliver a keynote address at a Democratic national convention.

She described Americans as “a people in search of a national community” and said Americans were attempting to create a society “in which all of us are equal.”

The new forever stamp was issued in Jordan’s hometown of Houston and is on sale nationwide. —AP

A girl stands on a grafitti painted by US artist Tracy Lee Stum in Russian Black Sea resort of Sochi, yesterday. 3D chalk artist Tracy Lee Stum is one of the world’s foremost interactive 3D street painter. —AFP