5th Oct

ON IP TI SC R SU B

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 5, 2011

Knox heads to US after murder acquittal

40 PAGES

NO: 15230

150 FILS

10

www.kuwaittimes.net

THULQADA 7, 1432 AH

Asia’s biggest technology fair opens in Japan

27

Baghdad film fest aims to break cultural isolation

Nadal charges through in purple haze in Tokyo

40

20

14 hurt in rioting in Shiite village Saudi Riyadh blames unrest on ‘foreign country’

Oppn calls on supporters to attend rally

By B Izzak KUWAIT: Opposition groups held a meeting yesterday to coordinate their effort over a proposed grilling against the prime minister over the illegal deposits scandal as they urged supporters and members to attend a massive rally today to press for the resignation of the government. MP Faisal Al-Mislem said that around 12 opposition MPs attended the meeting and agreed that the grilling against the prime minister will be filed before Oct 13 and also agreed on the main issue of the grilling.

The meeting also agreed to mobilise people at today’s rally and future rallies which will all be held in the area opposite the National Assembly, the lawmaker said. M islem denied reports that the liberal National Action Bloc has refused to take par t in MP Ahmad Al-Saadoun the grilling, saying there speaks during a rally late is no problem with the Monday. — Photo by National Bloc as they are par tners in this issue Yasser Al-Zayyat with the rest of the opposition. The meeting did not discuss who will file the grilling against the prime minister, Mislem said, adding that MP Falah Al-Sawwagh will represent the Reform and Development Bloc of which Mislem is the spokesman.

Continued on Page 13

MOGADISHU: Somalis stand near a body at the scene of an explosion yesterday. — AP

70 dead in Mogadishu car bombing carnage MOGADISHU: A car bomb tore through a government compound in Mogadishu yesterday, killing more than 70 people in the deadliest attack by Somalia’s Shabab rebels in their five-year insurgency.

Witnesses described the carnage as the worst they had seen in Mogadishu since Somalia plunged into chaos two decades ago and said the devastation resembled scenes from World War II. The suicide bomber rammed an explosives-laden vehicle into the compound housing four ministries at a strategic crossroads, two months after the Al Qaeda-linked rebels dismantled all their positions in the capital.

Somali President Sharif Sheikh Ahmed condemned the attack which he said claimed “more than 70 peo-

ple and (left) 150 injured; most of them were young students”. “I am extremely shocked and saddened by this cruel and inhumane act of violence against the most vulnerable in our society,” he said in a statement.

The United States, a key Somali government supporter, also condemned the Shabab’s “complete disregard for human life,” State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland said. Somali police spokesman Abdullahi Hassan Barise said the attacker was a Kenyan national named Ashad Abdi Said. “We have the passport.... He was born in Wajir in northeastern Kenya,” he told AFP. United Nations chief Ban Ki-moon also expressed shock at the deadly bombing.

Continued on Page 13

Max 36º Min 25º Low Tide 12:20 High Tide 04:03 & 19:22

RIYADH: Fourteen people, including 11 policemen, were hurt when riots erupted in a Shiite-majority village in eastern Saudi Arabia, state news agency SPA said yesterday, blaming the unrest on a “foreign country”. “A group of outlaws and rioters on motorbikes gathered” at a roundabout in the village of AlAwamia in Al-Qatif province on Monday “carrying petrol bombs,” SPA said, citing the Sunni-ruled kingdom’s interior ministry. The group carried out acts causing “insecurity with incitement from a foreign country that aims to undermine the nation’s security and stability,” SPA quoted a ministry spokesman as saying. “Security forces managed to deal with those traitors at the spot and after they were dispersed, machinegun fire erupted from a nearby neighbourhood.”

It said nine policemen were wounded in the gunfire and two hurt by petrol bombs. Three civilians were also wounded, it said. Saudi Arabia described the unrest as a “blatant interference in its sovereignty”. “Those must clearly state whether their loyalty is to God then to their country, or to this country and its (religious) authority,” it added, apparently referring to Shiiteruled Iran. A Shiite Saudi activist contacted by AFP said that tension grew in the village on Monday after police arrested two men, both in their 70s, in a bid to force their wanted sons, accused of taking part in Shiite-led protests, to surrender.

The health of one of the two men, Hassan Al-Zayed, deteriorated in detention and they were later freed, said the activist, who requested anonymity. A rights activist and writer, Hassan Al-Manasef, who went to the police station to inquire about the two men was himself arrested, he added. A fourth man, Hussein Hathiya, was also arrested when he came to inquire about Manasef, said the same activist.

Saudi police arrested between 20 and 30 Shiites, including two bloggers, for allegedly taking part in protests in oil-rich Eastern Province, activists and an internet websites said in April. The arrests were made in Al-Qatif and nearby areas which witnessed demonstrations urging the release of prisoners and voicing solidarity with Bahraini Shiites. The overwhelming majority of the estimated two million Saudi Shiites live in Eastern Province, which neighbours Bahrain where authorities, supported by Saudi-led Gulf troops, earlier this year crushed a Shiite-led protest.

The crackdown on Bahrain’s Shiites, who make up most of the tiny kingdom’s population, soured relations between the Gulf states and Iran. Last month, the six-member Gulf Cooperation Council accused Iran of issuing provocative statements about its members. But the country rejected its neighbours’ accusations, saying it always refrained from interfering in other countries’ affairs. — AFP

Apple unveils iPhone 4S CUPERTINO, California: Apple Inc unveiled a new responds to spoken questions and commands such as iPhone yesterday that is faster and more powerful but “Do I need an umbrella today?” It’s an advanced verstops short of a more radical upgrade. It said Sprint sion of speech-recognition apps found on other customers will now be able to use one. The new phones.

The new iPhone also iPhone 4S has an comes with new mobile improved camera with a software that includes such higher-resolution sensor. features as the ability to The processor is faster, sync content wirelessly, which helps run without having to plug the smoother, more realistic device to a Mac or action games. It’s also a Windows machine. The “world phone,” which iPhone announcement means that Verizon came during Apple’s first iPhones will be able to major product event in useable overseas, just as years without Steve Jobs AT&T iPhones already are. presiding. New CEO Tim There had been specuCook led the show after lation that Apple would Jobs, who has been batreveal a more radical revitling health problems, sion of the phone, an resigned from the post in “iPhone 5”. The no-show August. leaves room for speculaCook, wearing a navy tion that Apple will reveal blue button-down shirt a new model in less than and jeans, opened by calla year, perhaps one equipped to take advan- CUPERTINO, California: Apple CEO Tim Cook speaks ing his nearly 14-year tage of Verizon’s and at an event introducing the new iPhone 4S at the tenure at Apple “the privilege of a lifetime.” Those in AT&T’s new high-speed company’s headquarters yesterday. — AFP data networks. Apple is including a “personal assis- the audience clapped as he entered, but the reaction Continued on Page 13 tant” application called Siri in the iPhone 4S. It

Scammers touting assets of deposed Arab leaders BEIRUT: Scam emails supposedly from close aides or relatives of deposed Arab leaders are offering a huge chunk of their assets if recipients hand over their bank details or pay a fee up front. “The quantity of attacks of this sort that we detect is enormous,” said Chester Wisniewski, a senior security adviser at Sophos, which uses sophisticated spam filters to identify scam emails. In one email, a scammer pretends to be the wife of deposed Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi. She says she has

managed to escape to Tunisia and is desperately looking for a “reliable partner” to transfer $25 million of Gaddafi’s funds.

“I am very sick of these wars.

People are dying every day. “I am offering 35 percent and you will also help me invest 65 percent of my share into any lucrative business in your country ... but if not please keep it safe for me until everything goes quiet,” the email reads. One Internet con is called advance-fee fraud or the 419 Scam, after an arti-

cle in the Criminal Code in Nigeria where the trick originated. It often works by promising recipients huge sums of money on the condition that an advance fee is paid.

Other emails try to inveigle full bank details out of recipients, supposedly so funds can be transferred into the account. Often the scammers drain the account of money.

“The ‘story’ of a deposed ruler trying to get money out of the country sounds very plausible and in Continued on Page 13

Saul Perlmutter

Brian Schmidt

Adam Riess

Studies of universe’s expansion win Nobel STOCKHOLM: A trio of astronomers won the Nobel Physics Prize yesterday for discovering that the expansion of the Universe is accelerating, a finding that implies the cosmos will end in frozen nothingness. The three are Saul Perlmutter and Adam Riess of the United States and US-Australian Brian Schmidt, who were honoured for findings that were - to their own admission both a complete surprise and a little scary. They looked at so-called type 1a supernovae to set down a benchmark for the movement of light on a cosmological scale.

This kind of supernova, also called a white dwarf, can in the matter of a few weeks emit as much light as an entire galaxy. But to their astonishment, the laureates found through observations of more than 50 distant supernovae that light from the dying stars was weaker than expected, meaning they were further away than anticipated. They concluded that, instead of slowing down as previously believed, the expansion of the Universe that began after it was created by the Big Bang some 14 billion years ago was accelerating. “The discover y that this expansion is accelerating is astounding,” the Nobel jury said, adding that if the acceleration continues “the Universe will end in ice”.

In 1998, Schmidt and Riess were conducting their research at the University of California, Berkeley, literally down the hill from a competing team led by Perlmutter at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory.

Asked about the discovery, Riess, who at 41 is the

youngest of the laureates, recalled first thinking he’d gotten the calculation wrong. “I remember thinking ah, I made a terrible mistake and then spent weeks looking for it,” he told the Nobel Prize website after being informed of his award. It took a long time before he would “allow the possibility that the sign could be real and that the Universe could be accelerating”, he said.

Schmidt, 44, also described to nobelprize.org how “we were frantically trying to sort out where we had gone wrong”. “It seemed too crazy to be right. We were a little scared,” he acknowledged. But then, the two teams - the Supernova Cosmology Project led by Perlmutter and the competing High-Z Supernova Search team with Schmidt and Riess - started to hear that they were each seeing the same thing. “Then it got really exciting because we all started thinking that this might be right,” Riess said. What may drive the acceleration is an enigmatic force called dark energy, thought to constitute about three-quarters of the Universe.

Experts hailed the decision. “Before the discovery ... astronomers had been attempting to measure (the Universe’s) deceleration,” Roger Davies, the president of the Royal Astronomical Society at Oxford University, told AFP. “The discovery led to the realisation that empty space exerts a pressure that pushes the galaxies apart, something that demands new physics and a new understanding of space-time,” he said.

Continued on Page 13

A

y

e niv rsar n

Years

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 5, 2011

local Water consumption surpasses production KUWAIT: Water consumption rates in Kuwait exceeded the Ministry of Electricity and Water’s (MEW) production levels last month, said an official from the ministry.

Speaking on condition of anonymity, the official attributed the surge in demand to high temperatures at noontime last month. It began to drop gradually towards the end of the month. The highest rate of consumption was recorded on September 10 at 422,834 imperial gallons, while the ministry produced 408.896 gallons the same day.

The ministry uses strategic reserves of desalinated water to compensate for the days on which consumption exceeds production, reported Al-Rai. Separately, the ministry placed tenders for projects to lay electricity cables in the Ahmadi, Hawally and Mubarak Al-Kabeer governorates to connect power to new constructions sites. The ministry warned in a statement that the installation process could cause inconveniences to residents because excavation work is being conducted in nearby streets.

KUWAIT: Ahmadi Governor Sheikh Dr Ibrahim Al-Duaij Al-Sabah sponsored an event held at the Shuaiba Port yesterday to announce the signing of a partnership agreement between the Kuwait Catalyst Company and the Advanced Refining Technologies American company.

— Photos by Fouad Al-Shaikh

Al-Khorafi appeals for calm on illegal deposits Government to submit anti-corruption law this week

By B Izaak

Municipality training session concludes

By Hanan Al-Saadoun KUWAIT: The Municipality concluded its training program entitled ‘Leading Task Forces and Mass Work,’ held between September 25 and 29. At least 14 employees participated in supervisory jobs from all sectors. Dr Rashid Al-Shatti from Administrative Science College at Kuwait University lectured on the subject.

Khalaf Masoud Al-Mutairi, Director of Administrative Development and Training Department said that the program aims to give participants the skills to build and lead teams. AlMutairi distributed appreciation certificates to participants in the presence of Dr Abdelreda Aseeri, Dean of the Administrative Sciences College at Kuwait University.

KUWAIT: National Assembly Speaker Jassem Al-Khorafi yesterday appealed for calm over the so-called illegal bank deposits scandal involving a number of MPs, urging all parties to safeguard Kuwait’s reputation and unity. Speaking to reporters after a meeting with Minister of Oil Mohammad Al-Baseeri who said the government will submit its anti-corruption laws this week, Al-Khorafi urged all to refrain from issuing controversial statements on the issue and exchange of accusations.

When asked about the oppositionist groups’ plans to grill the prime minister over the corruption scandal, Al-Khorafi reiterated that it is every MPs’ right to grill any

minister, but added that so far he has not received any request for grilling motion.

Al-Khorafi admitted that the situation in Kuwait at present is ‘uncomfortable’ and appealed to all parties to show more concern for the country, adding that there is no need to create a big noise and those who plan to file the grilling can do so any time.

The oppositionist groups meanwhile have been holding meetings to hammer out an agreement on who should represent them in filing the grilling request. Under Kuwaiti law, a maximum of three MPs can file a grilling motion.

It is scheduled to be submitted on Oct 13 and it was expected that MP Ali AlDeqbasi will represent the Popular Action Bloc (PAB) while MP Falah Al-Sawwagh will represent the Reform and Development

Legislator prepared to submit more grilling motions

By A Saleh KUWAIT: MP Saleh Ashour said that the grilling motion initiated against Sheikh Mohammad Al-Sabah, Foreign Minister could not be discussed because of the former government’s resignation at the time. He said that several interpellation motions are in the pipeline, adding that he has posed several questions to the interior minister and is waiting for replies. “I was not convinced. I will submit my grilling motion.” He said that he supports the idea of worker’s rights, but workers should make realistic demands. He said that any official from KFSD should have calmed the situation and prevent firefighters from entering the office of the director general.

Commenting on the incident where KFSAD director general’s office was stormed into, Fadhel Safar Minister for Municipal Affairs said, “the

Civil Service Commission(CSC) condemns such an action.” He said that the CSC was asked to prepare a draft law that will ban strikes and sit-ins.

Meanwhile, the 11/11 Gathering announced it will not participate in the rally to be held at Determination Square today, although MP Waleed AlTabatabae had announced that it would. The 11/11 Gathering said,” The National Alliance and National Action Bloc(NAB) are corrupt political blocs, so how can we join them in the rally?”

On another topic, MP Faisal AlMislem Spokesman of Development and Reform Bloc said, “I represented the bloc in a meeting held to discuss the cash deposits scandal. We say Kuwait is dying because we live during a time when the corrupt have become ruthless, and Kuwait needs help from all.”

He went on to say, “we asked the government to carry out its plans, but nothing happened. We asked for an

emergency session and it did not hold it. We asked the premier to call for an emergency session but it did not respond. It is necessary to hold a grilling motion. He said, “We asked people to join us at the rally today because all power is vested in the nation. He added, “we are unable to function without popular support and we cannot eliminate corruption without receiving your direct support.”

Al-Mislem accused the government of feeding the people spoiled meat, supplying polluted water, and making the premier the country’s ‘Constitution.’ He added that the grilling motion will be submitted by October 13. In other news, MP Mohammad Al-Hawailah asked Ahmad Al-Mulaifi, Education Minister to construct a religious institution for men and women in ever y governorate. He also called for expanding the existing ones, as Kuwaitis are interested theological studies.

Companies urged to register with UN Secretariat Procurement Division

By Nawara Fattahova KUWAIT: The United Nations Secretariat Procurement Division (UNSPD) held a press conference yesterday at the Kuwait Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI) on the manner in which registrations can be done with the United Nations Global Marketplace (UNGM).

George Henein, Procurement Manager at the UN delegation provided basic information about registration pre-requisites. The other five members representing the regional offices of the organization were provided additional information. The conference was also attended by Anas Al-Saleh, member of the board, KCCI and representatives of some member companies interested in trading with the UN. The KCCI is always keen on presenting such meetings and conferences with Kuwait’s private sector, “The main idea behind holding this workshop is to explain the way registration and commercial dealing with the UN for the members of KCCI are done. The UN

always cooperates with private companies to supply it with goods or services that are referred to countries in need, or those included in the special aids program of the UN,” said Anas Al-Saleh, member of the board, KCCI. George Henein, Procuring Manager of the UN delegation gave a detailed presentation on registration procedures to interested companies, and the way applications should be filed. The attendees were also able to see the commercial deals and procedure that the UN needs whether in the form of goods or services. He also gave examples of some Kuwaiti companies. They have already registered and had a commercial dealing with the UN. The UN delegation has provided companies with the forms of registration and suppliers index, “The company’s can submit details to UN agencies for approval to become a potential supplier. By registering with UNGM, one can ensure a presence in the database that UN buyers use when searching for suppliers. The registration on UNGM is free of charge,” noted George Henein.

KUWAIT: Anas Al-Saleh and George Henen during the conference held yesterday at the Kuwait Chamber of Commerce and Industry. — Photo by Joseph Shagra

“The interested companies can also access business opportunities online to tender opportunities published by UN agencies on UNGM as well as contract awards. And by subscribing to tender alert service, the company will get business opportunities with the United Nations that match with the company’s goods or services delivered directly to the inbox,” he added.

Registration with the United Nations Secretariat begins at the United Nations Global Marketplace (UNGM) and can be accessed via http://www.ungm.org/ Advantages of UNGM: On-line registration allows vendors to prepare their registration from anywhere in the world. b) There is no cost to register and UNGM offers access to all the UN Procurement Offices of the System as there are a list of agencies available to select from. c) UNGM is a central platform for the UN member agencies to advertise upcoming business opportunities, requests for expression of interest, and contract awards.

Levels of Registration: There are four levels of registration which allows companies to select the level of business activity that best matches with their capacity, business scope and commercial strategy. Level 1 - Estimated contract award less than US $200,000, Level 2 - Estimated contract award less than $1 million, Level 3 - Estimated contract award less than $5 million and Level 4 Estimated contract award $5 million and above. It’s preferred that small to medium sized companies start at Level 1 unless they have the capacity to supply at higher levels and can provide the documents required. The working language of the United Nations Secretariat Procurement Division is English.

Therefore all uploaded documents must be accompanied by a certified translation into the English language.

Bloc (RDB). The third MP has not been selected so far and it appears that his selection will depend on whether the liberal National Action Bloc (NAB) will participate in the grilling motion.

The grilling motion is expected to focus on the government’s failure to handle the scandal by exposing those involved, taking necessary legal measures and its role in foiling a request to convene an emergency parliamentary session to debate the issue.

The participation of the National Bloc which has six MPs. It is crucial for the success of the grilling motion. Perhaps the non-cooperation motion can unseat the prime minister.

The government, however, began a campaign of its own when Baseeri announced that the government-spon-

sored anti-corruption bills will be submitted to the National Assembly later this week.

He said the draft laws ‘package’ includes a bill for the establishment of the corruption combating authority and another on wealth disclosure.

Baseeri, who earlier handed Al-Khorafi an Amiri decree for the opening of the new parliamentary term on Oct 25, and assured MPs that the wealth disclosure law will stipulate a retroactive effect, a pre-requisite put forward by opposition MPs. The minister said that the government wants to speed up the approval of the bills and is ready to meet with the legal and legislative committee to complete the approval ahead of the start of the assembly’s new term.

SCB successfully processes loan applications KUWAIT: The Savings and Credit Bank was able to effectively process applications received from widowed and divorced Kuwaiti women during the second day in which housing loans were received. On Monday, the body adopted a new mechanism to collect applications at its main building as well as its branches located along the country’s six governorates. This is in order to avoid a chaotic situation that took place on the first day when employees at the main office failed to serve hundreds of applicants.

“Staff members have been instructed to ease all procedures for women applying to obtain the KD 45,000 housing loan,” said Salah Al-Madhaf Chairman of the Board of the SCB in a statement. He welcomed all suggestions from the media that can help improve the process, reported AlQabas.

The SCB’s main office received nearly 200 applications on Monday, according to estimations of a senior bank official who spoke to Al-Qabas on condition of anonymity.

y

A

4

e niv rsar n

Years

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 5, 2011

LOCAL

kuwait digest

kuwait digest

Tricks don’t work any more

Snakes!

By Dr Ibtehal Al-Khateeb believe that the most dangerous residue left by the successive Cabinets formed by HH Sheikh Nasser Al-Mohammed Al-Sabah is sectarian strife. They recently began posing an imminent danger to the health and minds of each and every individual on this land!

These Cabinets have left communal MPs spoil our hearts and minds, even enabling them to spoil our conscience and turn us against one another. These MPs made their way to the Parliament with our votes in addition to political influence and money, paid by some ruling family members. It helped them assume positions that are way beyond their abilities. However, in view of the comfortable positions they were in, they forgot all about shyness and enjoyed the benefits for a while before exposing us. At the same time, our naivete will have been exposed.

Religion has been to divide us on the basis of creed, sect. These have been used to divide and rule us. I wonder how the strong ‘family members’ viewed such a policy as paving its way up the ‘ladder.’ It has been explained by all history curriculums, even the petty ones that were taught in schools. The ‘divide and rule’ policy can work for a while before it leads to a dramatic downfall.

This kind of corruption is weird, as it only takes a few hours to spread and control an entire society. However, it might take ages to be completely removed. Nevertheless, this was not the end of the game that went further into dividing MPs into tribal, urban, mercantile and bourgeois.

However, I insist that the most dangerous of all threats is sectarian division that might lead to a tragic end unless we did something to change the path!

One way or another, this incompetent government will come to an end. So let us not cooperate anymore with sectarian or tribal MPs. I am sure there are those that found a way using political money, by-elections or sectarian pressure. They are completely government-made, although they recently shifted attitudes against it. They are not trustworthy, even if we have used them to achieve a certain political aim. They will easily turn their backs on us whenever they discover a ‘better-looking’ way.

They have been paid, they have benefited, they have joined coalitions; yet we seem to forget everything in anticipation of a better future.

It is true that forgetfulness is a blessing, but not politics. We will not be bitten or stung twice, especially when our bodies bear the marks sting bites. How much more can we take? — Aljarida

By Thaar Al-Rashidi

O

I

kuwait digest

The simple equation

By Dr Hassan Abbas hile pro-freedom and democracy demonstrations have spread through the Arab world, Kuwait has witnessed protests of another kind of demand: pay increases and bonuses.

It’s no secret that the government has always handled the public sector’s payroll chaotically.

The imbalanced manner in which increases in pay and allowances are enforced give the idea that the government doesn’t know what they’re doing.

The government is currently facing troubles with two types of civil servants. First, there are public sector workers who believe it is unfair that they are left out of negotiations that saw the salaries of their peers in other state departments increase, deciding to go on strike to demand wage parity. On the other hand, there are employees who believe that the current situation offers an opportunity to ask for more financial privileges now that the government is cracking under pressure of labor demands.

I am not entitled to question the right of workers for financial demands, but there are two issues that everyone need to keep in mind while talking about this subject. First, the government will not be able to control the flood of demands if they continue surrendering to every labor union that insists its members are entitled to financial privileges. This approach further leads to serious repercussions that our future generations will end up suffering. To avoid this situation, the government needs to comprehensively reassess the public sector payroll system rather than solving every problem with temporary solutions.

The second issue is the duties of public sector workers. We always hear labor unions making financial demands, but we never heard them talk about the productivity and efficiency standards which employees should commit to. While the government usually ends up enforcing increases in pay and allowances, it should also force state employees to respect standards of professionalism in the working field. It is only fair that the government asks employees to live up their work duties in order to obtain the allowances that they believe they are entitled to. Employees’ rights depend on their level of productivity; that’s the basic rule that labor unions must always keep in mind. Workers have the right to demonstrate or take strike action for their rights, but at the same time they are obliged to commit themselves to meeting basic standards of quality and competency in the workplace. — Al-Rai

W

ne of the basic rules of governance in Arab countries is to keep the public distracted. This is the bitter reality, which all Arab countries without exception live with. The type of distraction employed varies from one regime to another, as well as on the geography and the surrounding political atmosphere, domestic and external.

Go back through one year’s newspaper archives in any Arab country and try to read the headlines concerning issues which the government there has consistently exaggerated, spun and had its parliamentary supporters raise in parliament. You’ll find that all these issues are insubstantial and trivial; more importantly, they have nothing to do with the regime itself and are not concerned with public freedoms.

The issues which the governments wish to prioritize concern three things; first comes money, represented by a high cost of living, taxes, salary increases and the state treasury and budget, with the latter always in danger, even if the country is floating on a sea of oil.

Second comes the subject of religion; we are always in danger from either ‘Salafists’ or Muslim Brotherhood or religious fanatics, as shown by sectarian flare-ups between Sunni and Shiite or Muslims and Christians. Ethnic clashes too are reported as a danger, as with Arabs and Kurds.

Third, the leader will constantly warn of the existential dangers facing the nation, whether from a troublesome neighbor or other external or internal menace, which of course mean that the people must demonstrate their patriotism by sticking up for the government, and whoever does not will be accused of treachery and sedition.

All Arab regimes will be employing at least one of these three methods to distract the public at any given time.

In the internet era and the age of easily accessible information, however, Arab governments are finding these methods increasingly useless in quelling public dissent, and will have to find new strategies; now, they are being forced to face the public in as real and transparent a manner as they can manage.

On the rulers’ warnings of domestic disturbances and possible civil war from the people of their countries, these are nothing more than more attempts at distraction on the rulers’ and regimes’ part. As the rulers are forced to be transparent and open, we will find that both the carrot of money and the stick of threats will disappear, along with the constant warnings of external danger intended to keep the people fearful and submissive.

Arab governments now have no choice except to deal with the public openly and transparently. Your time is over, gentlemen, and we are no more fearful of exposing your favorite ruses. — Al-Anbaa

kuwait digest

Why has parliament only woken up to corruption now?

By Faisal Hamad Al Miyzen e’ve heard a great deal of outraged talk in Council - until they were revealed by the media. So recent weeks about the alleged multimillion where were you MPs, claiming to be the protectors of dinar bribes paid to some MPs and the legisla- public funds, while the acts they now condemn were tive authority becoming a hotbed of corruption. taking place?

Were you fast asleep in the hotel of ‘mutual political Although the anti-government minority of MPs were supposedly going to confront this corruption, the same interests’ or were you a poor oppressed minority withpeople who once demanded the dissolution of the par- out the power to do anything?

Why did you remain silent when the ex-minister liament are now demanding that it remain while the Sheikh Ahmad Al-Abdullah pointed out in a TV intergovernment, as the cause of the corruption, must go.

This all reminds me strongly of the period before the view some time ago that each parliamentarian’s vote Iraqi invasion of Kuwait in 1990, when I used to discuss has a price?

Why didn’t you MPs take to the streets and hold antievents of the time with friends of various Arab nationalities; they absolutely opposed any Western intervention corruption seminars when former state security chief or lasting presence whilst apparently dismissing or for- Sheikh Meshaal Al-Jarrah said in another TV interview getting about the occupation of Kuwait, even insisting that KD7 million was paid in kickbacks to ensure the passage of the law enforcing women’s rights? that the West had pushed Saddam to occupy Kuwait.

Where were you guys when the idea of MPs having Ultimately, however, the honest person will be honto declare their financial est and the corrupt one will be status was first mooted in corrupt. Nobody can force a The honest person will be honest 1996? genuinely honest and honorand the corrupt one will be corrupt.

Why did no MPs speak able to be corrupt for the sake up previously about the of money or anything else. We Nobody can force a genuinely honstrange ability of some should not blame anyone for est and honorable to be corrupt for new MPs to enter parliathe current situation except ment as ordinary people the criminals, who let themthe sake of money or anything else. barely able to afford a selves down first then their We should not blame anyone for beach hut and rapidly voters and Kuwait generally. the current situation except the become millionaires, with Those claiming that the high value companies, luxgovernment practices corrupcriminals, who let themselves ury cars and villas? After tion are right and the governdown first then their voters and becoming MPs, these prement has admitted this, but viously average nonwhat is worse than that is that Kuwait generally. wealthy people who were those who are elected to legisbarely able to afford an late and to supervise the government have known very well all along about the cor- annual holiday to a nation in the Middle East are sudruption in parliament. The question is, why the outcry denly able to casually jet between New York, Paris, now, why is the spotlight being turned on corruption at Geneva, Monaco, Milan and London on a virtually daily this moment, why are there demonstrations and semi- basis.

Why didn’t you oh-so conscientious upholders of nars to discover who paid and received the bribes and call for the toppling of the government at this moment parliamentary decency rush to the Public Prosecutor previously to share your concerns about the suspiciousrather than previously?

In my opinion, the ‘big hitters’ are in disagreement ly sudden wealth of your fellow political representaover how the cake should be divided up and the little tives? Have your consciences been asleep all this time people are paying the price for their argument. This and suddenly awoken? Why all this fuss and legal action whole scandal is wholly about political and economic only now? As a Kuwaiti citizen, I believe that the govadversaries scoring points off one another and using ernment and the National Assembly Council are partners in this corruption and it’s time to change both; we the media as their battleground.

The most important consideration here, however, is have all seen the evidence and we all know that those that public trust and confidence has been lost in all who remain silent when they see a crime are accomMPs, not simply over bribes but over their longtime plices to it. We have to choose rightly in the future silence and selective vision towards financial and all since what we have now is the result of wrong choices other varieties of corruption in the National Assembly previously. — Al-Anbaa

W

kuwait digest

Tsunami of labor strikes

By Ali Al-Fairouz uwait is currently seeing a wave of labor strikes has failed to control rocketing living costs. With this situaspreading across the public sector as Kuwaitis tion, how can we blame a frustrated Kuwaiti civil servant, demand equality of financial privileges, which basi- giving up hope of the government ever meeting their cally means enforcing pay increases and allowances. These demands for pay rises, to help them cope with price waves, which are getting stronger every day, are turning increases? When these people ask for non-performance into a crushing tsunami that threatens to sweep away the related allowances or pay increases other staff may call for interests of the country and the people, as well as leaving parity with colleagues who do different jobs and work in different departments. them with serious repercusDespite its efforts to sions in the form of work stopthwart the employees’ outpages at vital institutions.

Workers have the right to burst of frustration, the govIn the meantime, the govdemand parity of salaries, as well as ernment thankfully has not ernment is acting slowly to concompletely ignored their front this problem. It so far has the right to express their opinion on cause. This is why I believe failed to study the workers’ these issues. Enforcing pay rises not that labor unions should demands and provide solutions only meets labor unions’ demands calm the situation at the currather than empty promises rent time, in order to give the because we all know that the for employees’ rights, but performgovernment time to study Civil Service Commission canance-related pay and bonuses can their demands. not approve pay rises unless it It appears, however, that does so through directives also serve as incentives to boost labor strikes are expected to passed down by the governproductivity and creativity in the increase these days, reaching ment. public and private sectors. more vital facilities such as Workers have the right to the Kuwait Airways demand parity of salaries, as Corporation, the Ministry of well as the right to express their opinion on these issues. Enforcing pay rises not only meets Electricity and Water and the Ministry of Interior, if the labor unions’ demands for employees’ rights, but perform- government fails to promptly implement reforms in public ance-related pay and bonuses can also serve as incentives sector wages. Labor unions have the right to stage peaceto boost productivity and creativity in the public and pri- ful protests to send a message of disapproval to the government when it leaves them out while meeting demands vate sectors.

There are employees whose salaries haven’t changed of staff members in the oil sector, army, police force, and for long periods, however, during which the government others. — Al-Rai

K

kuwait digest

This is why I retired from politics

By Khalifa Al-Kharafi here are many things happening today in Kuwait that remind me of why I decided to retire from political work some time ago. I gave up on political activities when I found PhD holders who were apparently unable to adopt an objective approach rather than wasting the state funds saved for the future generations on further contributing to general overspending. I quit political work when I found hypocrisy being practiced by ‘religious’ figures, and when I discovered that the desire for reform isn’t really a top priority for the government, parliament, and even some parts of society.

I gave up on political work when the government’s weakness allowed corruption to spread, when political forces became weak and lost, and when opposition MPs failed to enforce anticorruption regulations during the past 15 years or even abstain from breaking the law through wasta (unlawful mediation). I quit the political scene when it became dominated - along with the media - by corrupt MPs, and when those who call for reform found themselves clashing with some individuals from the media, the parliament and even the ruling family.

I quit political work after realizing that Kuwait has been kidnapped by a group of corrupt individuals who vehemently oppose every person with a true commitment to reform. I gave up when political feuds became so ugly that they constantly featured the exchange of false accusations by political rivals. I decided to walk away from political work following the incident in which I was jailed by the state security service for voicing my support for having an elected prime minister during a televised interview - which happened a year before the charges were pressed.

I became sick of corrupt individuals who continue to rob the country and build their wealth illegally, then get away with it by vehemently attacking those who confront them. Therefore I decided to leave the political scene after it became so filled with corruption, sponsored by lawmakers who don’t mind breaking the law so long as doing so is to their personal advantage. These are the same type of lawmakers that the government fear, and who the people support. The only hope I find today is in the patriotic young citizens, who are capable of ridding Kuwait of these kind of MPs. I can’t be blamed for having had enough of political work when I watch the future of our young generations being put in jeopardy, and see our economy still dependent on a pipeline that pumps oil to the Shuaiba Port and into oil tankers which has been put up for sale. When I was active in the political scene, I was forced to avoid pointing out what I disliked about certain individuals to avoid their retaliation. But today, retirement from politics has made me more honest in addressing the people of Kuwait. I admit that popular support among voters used to dominate my approach back in the day. But now I feel more comfortable when committing to attending social events because I know that there aren’t any political interest involved. A huge burden was lifted from my shoulders when I retired from politics, but I realize that this same burden is carried today by those who are still committed in their fight against corruption. — Al-Qabas

T

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 5, 2011

LOCAL

KUWAIT: Samer Majali is flanked here by Karim Makhlouf and Ahmad Al-Matrooq at the press conference yesterday. — Photo by Yasser Al-Zayyat

Aviation industry experiences 30% drop in passenger traffic Gulf Air launches additional daily flights

By Ben Garcia KUWAIT: The aviation industry has been badly affected by the political turmoil in the Arab region, admitted an airline executive. Speaking at the press conference held at the JW Marriott Kuwait City yesterday to announce the launch of an additional daily flight between Bahrain and Kuwait and a 50 percent discount offer to all Falcon Gold travelers on selected destinations, Samer Majali, Gulf Air Executive Officer admitted his carrier alone experienced a 30 percent decline in passenger numbers between February and March, the beginning of Bahrain’s uprising.

“We cannot deny the fact that we have been affected,” Majali said. “Aviation industry in the Arab World has been negatively affected because there were very few movement of foreigners to the region. In our case, we admit that our revenues have dropped to 30 percent,” he told reporters.

“It runs in parallel with the other airline industries in the region. Thankfully, from June when the protesters began engaging in a dialogue with the government, we were able to recover losses. Passengers are back to normal again,” he added. The drop in revenues according to Majali can also be attributed to the increase in fuel prices during recent months which increased to 30 percent.

At a presentation held yesterday, the Gulf Air’s CEO announced additional daily flights between Bahrain and Kuwait to five times a day, “The fifth daily flight between Bahrain and Kuwait will be launched on 30 October and will arrive at Kuwait International Airport at 13:35 and depart at 14:20,” he said. Majali also announced a 50 percent discount for Falcon Gold travelers and the launch of family fare package called ‘Family First.’

“Building upon a relationship that dates back to Gulf Air’s formation in 1950, the Kuwait remains a strategic route and market for the airline. Today, as the second-most profitable route in our network, Gulf Air recognizes and celebrates our long-term commitment to Kuwait with tailored offerings for

our passengers.” Majali noted that starting 30 October, Gulf Air will have a total of 35 flights around the world with 10 flights in Europe, 10 flights in the GCC, eight flights in MENA and 15 flights in Asia. According to Majali, Gulf Air is wellpositioned to connect Kuwait to several key destinations in the region with multiple daily flights and excellent connectivity via Bahrain to key destinations like Addis Ababa in Africa, Kabul in Afghanistan and the soon to be launched, Juba in South Sudan.

In fact, Gulf Air has already begun services to eight new destinations since January 2011 in Europe, Africa and the Middle East, and has recently announced the launch of services to three more destinations - Rome, the Italian capital from 30 Nov, Entebbe in Uganda from 5 Dec and Juba, the current capital of South Sudan from 7 Feb 2012. “Our aim is to become a carrier of choice,” he added.

Meanwhile, Gulf Air is also launching Falcon Corporate Plus, a package designed exclusively for corporate travelers offering a range of benefits such as price discounts and free upgrades from economy to Falcon Gold class. The ‘Family First’ program is a series of competitively priced packages for customers travelling with spouses and children, offering special privileges both on the ground and in the air, “The spouses can enjoy a 25 percent discount and for children 50 percent discounts. Kids will also be attended to properly by in-flight nannies and we have in-flight chef to attend to meals,” he added. Gulf Air also boasts of being the first airlines to enjoy on-board connectivity. Passengers can stay connected in the sky for approximately KD 7.400 for 24 hours, “Gulf Air passengers can stay in-touch with their loved ones through internet email connections and can watch live TV programs via satellite. Our passengers can also conduct conference calls via Skype and download their favorite music,” he added.

“Our latest commercial initiatives are simply the beginning of many future endeavors towards developing the existing relationship between Gulf Air and Kuwait, and further strengthening our ties,” Majali concluded.

y

A

6

e niv rsar n

Years

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 5, 2011

LOCAL

‘Cabinet to refer grilling motion to Constitutional Court’

KUWAIT: Ministry of Foreign Affairs Undersecretary Khalid Al-Jarallah and Ambassador of the Republic of Korea Kim Kyung Sik jointly cut the ceremonial cake at the Crowne Plaza Hotel on the occasion of Korean National Foundation Day. A number of diplomats, officials and media persons attended the reception. —Photos by Joseph Shagra

Six-member forgery gang nabbed in Jleeb KUWAIT: Police netted a sixmember gang that sold forged passports to Asian residents in Jleeb Al-Shuyoukh. The suspect admitted that the he obtained the forged passports from a friend for KD 300. Officers arrested the man from a computer hardware shop in Hawally, who divulged more details to five of his accomplices (four men and a woman) who were apprehended at a Jleeb apartment, reported AlRai. The group were referred to higher authorities.

Thieves held Two suspects face multiple charges after admitting responsibility for several thefts following their arrest over a mugging case. Police launched an investigation in search for the suspects after an Asian woman reported being kidnapped by two young men who also stole jewelry and cash from her possession.

Investigators identified the owner of the vehicle whose license plate number was provided by the victim, and revealed that he is an unemployed GCC national that lives in Sulaibiya, reported Al-Rai. He was imprisoned after the victim identified him following his arrest. He divulged more information about his accomplice, a bedoon (stateless) man who was soon apprehended.

Both suspects admitted that they carried out six mugging crimes last year, targeting camps

while impersonating police detectives.

Liquor smuggling Two staff members at the Shuwaikh Port were arrested for abusing their job position to smuggle alcohol into the country and facilitate its sale in the black market. The two Kuwaiti men in their forties were monitored for a couple of months after customs officials received information about their illegal activity. Since their job as marine guides allowed greater proximity to ships, suspects reportedly used lifejackets to smuggle up to 12 liquor bottles at a time after purchasing them at a cheap price.

They will then be sold in Kuwait for double the actual cost, reported Al-Rai. The suspects admitted that an average of 200 bottles a month will be smuggled, which they would sell for around KD 10,000. They were referred to the higher authorities.

Fatal accidents Two Asian men were killed in separate accidents that took place in the Jahra recently. The first victim died in Kabad succumbing to fatal injuries sustained in a car collision. His body was removed for an autopsy after paramedical staff pronounced him dead on the scene. Meanwhile, the second victim died in a car crash in AlQashaniya. His body was removed for an autopsy. Investigations are

KFSD sues MP for inciting violence KUWAIT: The Kuwait Fire Services Department(KFSD) is considering taking legal action against a legislator who allegedly incited firefighters to storm to the department’s building. “The KFSD is coordinating with a legal consultant to determine the charges that will be pressed against MP Dr Waleed Al-Tabtabaei,” a source was quoted as saying in a report published yesterday in Al-Rai. Around 250 firefighters marched into the KFSD building on Monday when no official discussed demands that was the subject of a protest. Police intervention was needed to control the chaos that ensued. MPs Musallam Al-Barrak, Khalid Al-Tahous in addition to Al-Tabtabaei were reportedly present during the sit-in to express solidarity with protestors’ demands. When contacted to receive a comment on the report, Al-Tabtabaei argued, “The KFSD and its director [Major General Jassem] Al-Mansouri ought to resolve staff members’ problems instead of filing cases against me.” The lawmaker added that he welcomes a lawsuit filed that is “motivated by my defense of Kuwaiti citizens’ rights.”

The forcible entry took place two hours after nearly 400 firefighters gathered at 9 am outside the KFSD building, demanding financial privileges as well as a cancelation of the fingerprint attendance system in registering employees’ admission. Maj Gen Al-Mansouri reportedly held a conversation with Al-Tabtabaei and Al-Barrak when the incident took place.

Meanwhile, the Labor Union of the Kuwait Airways Corporation(KAC) rejected an invitation from Salem AlOthaina, Minister of Electricity and Water, Minister of Communications and Acting Minister of Information.

They had called for negotiations to be held to discuss demands to call off a strike that the union had prepared to hold next Sunday, reported Al-Rai. “Out of commitment to defending workers’ rights and ensuring job security, the union decided to decline the invitation on the basis that rights of employees are not negotiable,” said Jamal Al-Mutairi Assistant Secretary. Furthermore, AlMutairi warned that the strike will create millions of dinars in losses “in addition to harming the KAC’s worldwide reputation.”

ongoing in both cases, reported Al-Rai. In another incident, an Asian man died at the Four th Ring Road where he was run over by a citizen that was driving towards Al-Nahdha, reported Al-Qabas.

The body was removed from the scene and the driver was taken into custody.

Sibling rivalry A citizen sustained several injuries after he was assaulted by a gang that involved his own brother. Police and paramedical officers rushed to a home in Thahar where a citizen reported to being assaulted by his brother and a few other men. The victim was as admitted to the Adan Hospital, repor ted Al-Qabas.

Police soon arrested one of the attackers, who admitted that the victim’s brother had called them to settle disputes.

Drunk driving An Indian man and his Filipina friend were caught in an inebriated condition in Hawally recently. Officers patrolling the area ordered a driver to pull his vehicle over in connection reckless driving. They soon learnt that the male driver and his female companion were under the influence of alcohol, repor ted AlWatan. A bottle of liquor was found in the car. The two were taken to proper authorities to face charges.

Unlucky thief A Jordanian man was arrested after a woman accidentally discovered that he had stolen her necklace and presented it to his wife. The woman was invited to a party where she was asked to identify a piece of jewelry worn by one of her friends. It resembled the one that she had reported stolen a while ago, reported Al-Watan. The friend claimed that the necklace was a gift from her husband. The woman reported the case to Salmiya police, who arrested the man and sent him to the proper authorities.

Missing women At least 17 Ethiopian women who were reported missing by their sponsors were nabbed during a raid held in Hawally. The women were referred to higher authorities, reported Al-Watan.

Harassment case A young man pressed charges against a woman, accusing her of harassment, at the Shuwaikh police station. The college student stated that he received a phone call while leaving the campus from an unfamiliar number and the female voice on the other end verbally abused him. The same woman reportedly called him from a different number and continued to insult him, reported Al-Watan.

Investigations in the case are ongoing.

Wataniya offers best technology, great choices KUWAIT: Wataniya offers the latest tech- Android phones have replaceable batternology in the world of communication to ies making them the ideal technology its customers. There is selection of latest that offers more features than anything handsets supported by the Android else in the market.

Customers can now purchase their Operating System (OS) from Google available with a bundle of cost effective plans favorite handset either with cash payments or through monthly installments. for postpaid customers to choose from.

The powerful Android OS from Google The price of the handset will vary based is fast becoming a global trend. This on the monthly plan the customer choossmart, reliable technology is now sup- es. They can get the latest Androids to porting a number of Smartphone brands match their lifestyle and preferences with and models such as Galaxy S2, HTC Desire only 18 months commitment.

Commenting on the offer created by S, HTC Sensation, HTC Cha Cha, Sony Mini Wataniya, Abdolaziz AlPro, Sony Active and Sony Balool Public Relations Ray. According to a number Director said: “The emerof analysis in the market, gence of new technology in more than 630 million the marketplace creates a smartphones will ship worldresponsibility on us as a telewide in 2012, and Android com company. We must will own 49.2 percent of the effectively and wisely inform market. our customers on the value This innovative technoloit will add to their daily gy offers customers more experience and keep them choice and freedom. There updated with the latest. The are thousands of free apps Android technology is brilthat people can enjoy via liant and we are confident their Android phones. The Abdolaziz Al-Balool our customers are going to open source platform allows customers to download movies, songs enjoy it and benefit from it.”

To add value to the customer’s purand games from anywhere on the internet and they can also easily transfer them chase, all the Android handsets have been on to their phones via their laptops there preloaded with four games and are no limitation to any one program or Backstage, all for free for the customers to software. The internet browser support enjoy. The 4 Android games are: Danny flash which makes it easy to watch movies Danger, Guess Car, Rocket Zoo Keeper and videos. The choice of handsets is also and Crash Test Dummies 2. Inside the extremely wide; there are a variety of col- pack will also be a backup MicroSD card ors, keypad and touchscreen options, dust with all these games/music apps for free, resistant and water proof preferences to in case the customer loses his/her phone, pick from. Last but not the least the games or changes the handset.

KUWAIT: The Cabinet will request that an interpellation motion initiated against His Highness the Prime Minister Sheikh Nasser Al-Mohammad Al-Sabah over the graft case be referred to the Constitutional Court to verify its constitutionality, a recent report stated.

The Development and Reform Bloc(DRM) and Popular Action Bloc(PAB) has agreed to co-present their grilling motion on October 13, according to sources. They stated that the PAB leader Ahmad Al-Saadoun is in possession of additional information that will be added to the grilling motion’s draft prepared by DRB Spokesperson Dr Faisal Al-Mislem.

Officials confirmed that both blocs have agreed to wait for a response from the National Action Bloc(NAB) on their invitation to co-present the grilling motion.

They also agreed to hold a meeting ahead of today’s planned mass rally.

The cash deposit case involves several MPs who have been accused of receiving million dinar deposits; the main topic of discussion at several seminars and gatherings held on Monday.

A seminar was held at the diwaniya of PAB member MP Khalid Al-Tahous in Al-Egaila. During the event, MP AlSaadoun argued that the opposition has secured majority support in the Parliament that will help oust the prime minister through a no-confidence vote.

Meanwhile, PAB Spokesperson Musallam

Al-Barrak warned the prime minister against “running away [by referring the grilling motion to the Constitutional Court.”

A group of MPs that held a seminar in the Dewan Al-Suwait in Al-Jahra agreed that “governmental corruption has distorted the parliamentary work,” arguing that corruption will be more rampant if Sheikh Nasser Al-Sabah continues to occupy the position. Meanwhile, attendees of a seminar at the Dar Marafi in AlDasma demanded that the financial disclosure law be passed “since the case has cast suspicion on the entire Parliament,” reported Al-Qabas.

Meanwhile, spokesperson of the Kafi (Enough) youth group said that the Parliament should share the blame with the government for “Kuwait’s deteriorating condition in all fields.”

“The government who is supposed to serve the people are suspected of granting bribes. The Parliament which is supposed to monitor the government is not in a better shape. Some of its members were sent for the Prosecution Department over bribery allegations,” said Mohammad Al-Bulaihees Secretary General, reported Al-Rai. He argued that the concept of constitutional monarchy that most youth groups support “have been marginalized by political groups because it was first proposed by the youth.”

KUWAIT: Nora Al-Othman, Kifaya Al-Alban and Rawan Al-Wugayan

MSAL to tackle private accommodation violations KUWAIT: The Ministry of Social Affairs and Labor(MSAL) has released a statement urging residents to report any kind of violation detected in private accommodation facilities.

“We urge all citizens and residents to contact the relevant authority on violations detected at rented residential units, warehouses, restaurants, law firms, or baqalas (small grocery stores),” urged Jamal AlDousary Assistant Undersecretary at Labor Sector. He added that violations also include renting out rooms to bachelors at buildings that have been reserved for fami-

lies, reported Al-Qabas.

He argued that these violations are the main reasons behind the rise in crime as well as social and security problems in society. “Some baqalas have become a destination for rape cases, but Municipality officials cannot search these shops as they are not authorized to do so,” Al-Dousary said.

Moreover, a senior MSAL official noted that shops and other services opened illegally cause traffic jams as well as an overload on electricity and water consumption.

Kuwait demands Israeli terrorism be put before ICC UNITED NATIONS: Addressing a UN gathering on international terrorism, the State of Kuwait demanded the Israeli crimes against the Palestinians be pu t before the I nternational Criminal Court (ICC) and to hold perpetrators of violations of Human R ig hts and I nternational Law accountable for their actions. The S econd S ecretar y of the Ku waiti Permanent Mission to the UN was addressing, Monday evening, a gathering discussing issues of international terrorism, during the 66th UN General Assembly.

The diplomat urged both the UN and the international community to honor their responsibilities and not turn blind eye to deliberate attack on civilian populations, and went further to clearly re-iterate that Israeli attacks on the Palestinians amount to “state terrorism.”

Al-Ateeqi pointed out physical a ttacks, illeg al confis ca tion a nd seizure of property, expansion in settlements, and an ongoing siege on Gaza Strip are all acts response to which falls under the jurisprudence of the ICC. Chapter VII of the UN Charter clearly states upon referral of is s u es of g enocide and crimes a g a ins t hu ma nit y to the I CC, he added.

The Kuwaiti mission demanded the UN Security Council takes legal action and file suit in this regard, as it is authorized to do by the ICC. While believing peaceful means should be used to settle disputes with du e heed to Hu man R ig hts, International Law, and international conventions and agreements, respect of rule of law and global peace and security is only feasible through holding violators of laws and agreements accountable for their ill deeds, the

secretary said.

On terroris m, the deleg ation’s s peech made a clea r dis tinc tion between this international bane and Peoples’ legitimate right to defend themselves and their homelands.

Al-Ateeqi stressed terrorism is a global phenomenon that should not be associated with any given religion, nationality, community or civilization, or ethnic group. The State of Kuwait, he said, condemns all forms of terrorism, regardless of justification, and believes it a grave threat to international peace, security, and stability.

As for means to counter terrorism, the diplomat said they start with putting an end to root causes and reasons it spreads easily, and mentioned the eradication of poverty, encouraging sustainable development, supporting sound governance, and bolstering religious co-existence and tolerance. He also mentioned shunning inciting of hatred on any grounds, abuse of religious symbols, and all forms of extremism and violence.

The Kuwaiti diplomat also urged more action to fine-tune and finalize the Comprehensive Convention on International Terrorism while also stressing it is essential to include the convention a clear definition of terrorism and state terrorism which differentiates bet ween the t wo and legitimate self defense, sanctioned in UN Charter.

The Ku waiti diplomat then recalled the agreement between the United Nations and Saudi Arabia to set up a new counter-terrorism centre at UN headquarters in New York in September, and urged the international community to support this initiative to better cooperate and coordinate in capacity-building and training in this field. —KUNA

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 5, 2011

Karzai in India amid shifting South Asia ties

Gaddafi will fight on to the end: Ex-PM Page 8

Page 12

Fighting, air strikes kill 16 in Yemen Defence ministry denies general killed by tribesmen SANAA: Mortar fire killed two Yemenis and wounded six in Sanaa yesterday in what appeared to be fighting in the capital between soldiers loyal to President Ali Abdullah Saleh and troops siding with anti-government protesters.

A doctor said the victims were civilians hit by a mortar round that landed in a market in a district contested by government troops and those of rebel general Ali Mohsen, a former Saleh ally. One of the dead was aged 14. The doctor said he had received death threats for helping the wounded and a bag of bullets had been thrown into his yard as a warning.

“We are treating these protesters and civilians but the government wants to threaten us to stop us doing our job.

Now they are threatening my family,” he said. Violence has been sporadic since Saleh’s surprise return to Yemen from Saudi Arabia 10 days ago. Tensions are running high in the impoverished Arabian Peninsula country, which is awash with guns.

Last month in Sanaa, political deadlock gave way to a military showdown between Saleh loyalists and Mohsen’s forces. More than 100 people were killed in the fighting, most of them protesters caught in the middle. Tens of thousands of protesters took to the streets again yesterday afternoon to draw attention to their demands ahead of an expected briefing by the United Nations’ envoy to Yemen before the security council.

The opposition cast doubt on any future dialogue with the government, which it blamed for the apparent failure of mediation attempts by U.N. envoy Jamal Benomar, who left Yemen empty-handed on Monday. “The dialogue with the regime has stopped and there is no form of dialogue after Saleh wasted all opportunities for dialogue, which led to the departure of the U.N. envoy,” opposition spokesman Mohammed al-Sabri said.

Benomar spent two weeks in Yemen trying to broker a deal but left without announcing a breakthrough after days of mediating between the government and the opposition. Yemen’s opposition said a newly appointed general was killed by anti-Saleh tribesmen on his way to a military base in the mountainous region of Naham, north of Sanaa, where he was due to take command after his predecessor was killed by tribal fighters last week.

The defence ministry later denied the report. The upheaval is fanning international fears that weakening government control may help al Qaeda’s local wing expand its foothold in Yemen, which borders oil giant Saudi Arabia and lies near shipping routes through the Gulf of Aden and the Red Sea. The army is fighting to regain territory lost to militants in the south, notably in Abyan province, where Islamist fighters control the city of Jaar and other locations.

At least 10 militants were killed in one of two air force raids in the Jaar area yesterday, residents and a local official said. Three militants and a soldier were killed in a shootout in Abyan’s provincial capital Zinjibar, which the government said it had recaptured from Islamist fighters last month.

In Sanaa, ruling party member Yahya al-Habari said he had escaped an assassination attempt by five masked gunmen as he left work. “They came out and stood in front of the car. I told the driver we should drive the other way, so we sped backwards while they were shooting. Thank God we got away,” he said. —Reuters

Bahrain bans Shiite ‘human chain’ rally DUBAI: Bahraini authorities banned yesterday the Shiite opposition from organising a demonstration against the jailing of medics and activists over their roles in pro-democracy protests quelled in mid-March.

The head of Public Security, Major General Tareq Mubarak bin Daina, turned down the request by Bahrain’s main Shiite opposition group Al-Wefaq to organise a “human chain” protest in Manama, BNA state news agency said. The security chief said the location for the protest, which had been planned to take place outside the offices of Al-Wefaq in Zinj, west of Manama, “is not suitable security-wise.”

He said the protest “could cause traffic bottlenecks... while it will be difficult for organisers and security bodies to control the human chain, which might affect the safety of participants and those using the road.” Bin Daina ordered security measures to ban the event, BNA said. Al-Wefaq slammed the ban as “illegal” and an “indication of constraints on the freedom of expression,” in a statement posted on its Facebook page. —AFP

SANAA: Veiled female Yemeni protestors with Arabic on their hands that reads “We are sick of you” take part in a demonstration demanding the resignation of Yemen’s president Ali Abdullah Saleh, in Sanaa, Yemen yesterday. —AP

A

y

e niv rsar n

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 5, 2011

Years

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

Israel police on alert after mosque attack JERUSALEM: Israeli police were on high alert in the north of the country yesterday after an attack targeting a mosque in a Bedouin village, where locals staged angry protests overnight, police said. “Large numbers of police remain deployed in the village of Tuba Zangaria,” police spokesman Micky Rosenfeld told AFP. “Last night, there was a series of

demonstrations during which rocks were thrown as security forces, who responded with anti-riot means to disperse the protesters,” he said, adding a clinic and a cultural centre had been set alight. The protests erupted just hours after vandals torched a mosque in the northern village in the northern Galilee region in an attack blamed on rightwing extremists. The mosque was

badly damaged by fire in the overnight attack, with the perpetrators scrawling the words “tag” and “revenge” on the walls. Police called the attack “a very severe price tag incident”-a term which usually refers to acts of vengeance against Palestinians and their property

by Jewish settlers in the West Bank. The attackers also graffitied the word “Palmer” on the walls of the mosque in

an apparent reference to Asher Palmer, an Israeli settler who died with his infant son in the southern West Bank on September 23 after his car was hit by stones thrown by Palestinians, causing it to crash.

Although such acts of vengeance normally occur in the occupied West Bank, a similar attack targeted another mosque in Ibtin village in Galilee last

year. Monday’s attack was condemned by officials across the Israeli political spectrum, with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu saying the images were “shocking and do not belong in the state of Israel.”

President Shimon Peres also condemned the attack and visited the mosque along with the country’s two chief rabbis. — AFP

Panetta visiting Egypt amid spy suspense Panetta urges Tel Aviv to resume peace talks

HEBRON: Palestinians take part in a demonstration in solidarity with Palestinian prisoners on hunger strike in Israeli jails, yesterday in the West Bank city of Hebron. Thousands of Palestinian inmates in Israeli jails launched a hunger strike in protest against the policy of solitary confinement. — AFP

Russia says will not back UN resolution on Syria MOSCOW: Russia will not support a European-drafted UN resolution on Syria, the foreign ministry said yesterday, calling the draft “unacceptable” but not revealing whether Moscow would veto it.

Deputy Foreign Minister Gennady Gatilov told Interfax news agency that Russia refused to back the text because it opened the door for punitive sanctions against Syria. “ We cannot support such a text,” Gatilov was quoted as saying. “It is unacceptable because it includes the possibility of imposing sanctions against Syria.”

In Paris, French Foreign Minister Alain Juppe said a compromise reached late on Monday on a resolution had now broken down, with Moscow vowing to deploy its veto.

“The latest news on Syria is that once again Russia has threatened to use its veto,” Juppe told parliament’s foreign affairs committee. The 15-nation UN Security Council is due to vote yesterday at 5 p.m. (2100 GMT) on the resolution condemning Syrian President Bashar alAssad’s six-month-old crackdown on protesters demanding an end to his 11-year rule.

The United Nations says at least 2,700 civilians have been killed in the unrest, which Syria blames on foreign-backed armed gangs who it says have killed 700 security forces personnel. Gatilov said

Moscow also opposes the draft resolution because it fails to include a clause calling on powers not to become involved in internal Syrian affairs and calling for a dialogue between Assad and demonstrators.

Juppe said France was hopeful Russia could be talked around but he also felt the current resolution did not go far enough. “In my view the text we put through is not sufficent,” he said. “It is minimalist, but we accepted it so that we could reach a consensus. There has been a change in attitude and we hope we can convince the Russians.”

Juppe said one thing Russia wanted added, which France categorically refused, was to have the regime and rebels condemned equally in the resolution. “There is a specific point that is unacceptable and I have instructed my UN ambassador on this and that is that we put the regime and the rebels on the same level,” Juppe said.

Fra n ce h a s b e e n o n e o f t h e strongest voices pushing for a UN resolution to stop the bloodshed in Syria.

Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan, whose country has imposed an arms embargo on Syria, said yesterday he would set out Ankara’s plans for further sanctions after he visits a Syrian refugee camp inside Turkey in the coming days. —Reuters

CAIRO: Defense Secretary Leon Panetta, America’s former top spymaster, is meeting with Egyptian leaders to urge them to release a US-born man being held for allegedly being an Israeli spy.

Egypt has accused Ilan Grapel, 27, of being a Mossad agent - a claim Israel denies. And his detention since June has escalated criticism of Egypt’s military, which took over rule of the country after the ouster of Hosni Mubarak in February.

The military has pledged to hold presidential elections soon, and Panetta said he will press Egyptian leaders to move to the elections and quickly put a civilian government in place. It is considered unlikely by some officials that Egypt would choose Panetta’s visit as the time to release Grapel, who has been held since June 12. But Panetta would not totally close the door yesterday when asked about the issue.

“There’s really nothing I can say about the specifics of that,” Panetta, the former CIA director, told reporters at a news conference in Tel Aviv, where he met with Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak. “We have made our concerns known to Egypt about holding that individual and we would hope that ... they will take steps to release that individual.”

Grapel is a dual US-Israeli citizen who said he was working for a Cairo legal aid project when he was arrested. Published reports have suggested that he is ill and that Egypt’s government was responding to appeals for his release. But there have been no specific promises, nor any public suggestion his release might be tied to Panetta’s visit in an effort to curry support from the US. Panetta’s stop in Egypt comes after a day of meetings with Israel and Palestinian leaders, as he traveled from Tel Aviv to the West Bank urging the two groups to resume peace talks. On Monday,

CAIRO: US Defence Secretary Leon Panetta lays a wreath of flowers on the tomb of late Egyptian president Anwar Al-Sadat in Cairo yestertday during his official visit that aims to defuse tensions between Egypt and Israel that have mounted since the end of Hosni Mubarak’s rule. — AFP Barak - with prodding from Panetta - agreed that Israel must find a way to resume negotiations with the Palestinians and that it has a responsibility to try to ease tensions with its neighbors in the region.

Standing next to Panetta, Barak pushed back a bit on the Pentagon chief ’s warning that Israel is becoming increasingly isolated in the region, threatening its security. Panetta urged Israeli leaders to repair frayed relations with its neighbors, including Egypt.

Panetta, however, offered no new thoughts on the thorny issues that have stymied the peace talks, including the proposed timetable and the contested settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem.

Making his first trip to Israel as defense secretary, Panetta pressed the Obama administra-

tion’s view that the two sides must restart the long-stalled peace talks. And during a news conference with Barak, Panetta said it’s time for bold action by both sides to move toward a negotiated two-state solution.

The visit comes amid new international pressure to reach a peace deal by the end of next year, fueled by Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas’ move two weeks ago asking the UN Security Council to recognize an independent Palestinian state in the West Bank, east Jerusalem and Gaza Strip. Those areas were captured by Israel in the 1967 Mideast war.

Mideast negotiators - known as the Quartet - are urging the Israelis and Palestinians to produce comprehensive proposals on territory and security within three months. The Quartet - the United States, European Union,

United Nations and Russia - is also urging both sides to avoid “provocative actions.”

The administration opposes Abbas’ UN bid, and Panetta’s visit was clearly part of a broad campaign to avoid such a vote, and instead nudge the two sides back to the table. After meeting Monday with Barak, Panetta traveled to the West Bank for a meeting with Abbas. He ended the day at a session with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Palestinian officials said privately they believe the Panetta visit was largely meant to show that despite differences of opinion, the US cares about and wants to maintain the relationship with the Palestinians. Panetta also is scheduled to travel to Brussels for a meeting of NATO defense ministers to talk about the Afghanistan war and the military mission in Libya. — AP

Gaddafi will fight on to the end: Ex-PM

Iran puts University of Texas student on trial

TUNIS: Muammar Gaddafi’s former prime minister said yesterday he believed the deposed leader was still in Libya and would carry on fighting the country’s new leaders until the end. “I think Gaddafi ... has not left the country. I strongly believe, based on my knowledge of him, that he is fighting with his weapons and alongside his men,” Al-Baghdadi Ali al-Mahmoudi, who is in prison in neighbouring Tunisia, said in comments passed to Reuters by his lawyer.

“He will not give up and he will not lay down his weapons until the end,” he said. The former prime minister is in a prison about 30 km outside the Tunisian capital while the authorities consider a request from Libya’s National Transitional Council for his extradition.

“I am ready to cooperate with the transitional council but on condition that they drop all requests for extradition and the negative campaigns against me,” he said. “I hope to be a part of the solution in Libya and not part of the problem.”

Al-Mahmoudi was Gaddafi’s prime minister from 2006. At the height of Libya’s civil war he gave televised briefings to foreign reporters during which he said Gaddafi would not leave office and condemned the NATO air strikes on Libya. Soon after Gaddafi’s rule collapsed, he left Libya and sought refuge in Tunisia. A Tunisian court sentenced him to six months in jail for illegally entering the country, but this was later overturned on appeal.

He was kept in prison pending a decision on his extradition.

His lawyer said last week that al-Mahmoudi had started a hunger strike to protest against his detention. The lawyer, Mabrouk Korchid, visited him in jail on Tuesday and afterwards passed on to Reuters the comments which he said al-Mahmoudi had dictated to him.

The former prime minister, who is not on the list of former Libyan officials wanted by the International Criminal Court, distanced himself from the repression carried out by Gaddafi’s administration. “I tell you one thing: I was hated by Gaddafi’s entourage,” al-Mahmoudi said. “I am convinced that I have done nothing bad to the Libyans,” he said. “My role was to ensure food supplies for the Libyan people, particularly during the crisis.”

“The French know very well that this was the role I played ... I had no military role.” He said he had left Libya after NTC Chairman Mustafa Abdel Jalil telephoned him and asked him to lay low until the situation in the country had stabilised.

He appealed to the Tunisian authorities to let him go free. “It’s a shame that the Tunisian government has behaved in such a way with me,” he said. “I am a friend of Tunisia. It was me who opened the borders with Tunisia each time after Gaddafi demanded that they be shut.” — Reuters

TEHRAN: An Iranian graduate student at the University of Texas went on trial yesterday in Tehran on charges of having relations with a hostile country and receiving illegitimate funds, his lawyer said.

Omid Kokabee pleaded not guilty to both charges during the trial’s opening session, said the attorney, Saeed Khalili. He could face up to 10 years in prison if convicted. Iranian authorities arrested the 29-year-old Kokabee in February at Tehran’s international airport as he was about to get on a flight to return to the U.S. after a short vacation in Iran.

Kokabee was studying optics in the physics department of the University of Texas and had previously specialized in lasers, one of his academic advisers said.

None of his studies were linked to nuclear applications, said John Keto, chair of the graduate studies program at the University of Texas at Austin’s department of physics. Iran’s nuclear program is a major source of tension between Tehran and Washington. The U.S. and other countries accuse Iran of making all the necessary preparations to build a nuclear arsenal. Iran denies that and says its nuclear work has only peaceful aims, like power generation.The student’s lawyer told The Associated Press that he was not been permitted to speak with Kokabee at Tuesday’s trial session.

“He denied all charges. The entire session was allocated to (procedural) hearings and the court is to hold another session,” Khalili said. No date was set for the next hearing. There were few details on the precise accusations against the student.

Many Iranian students apply to study in the US every year, but the acrimonious relations between the two countries means that any contact between an Iranian and the United States can raise suspicions in Tehran.

The two countries have never restored diplomatic relations severed in the wake of Iran’s 1979 revolution, and in recent years Tehran has repeatedly accused the US of fomenting unrest inside Iran.

Keto said Kokabee had difficulty getting a visa to the United States. “It took a number of letters to the State Department. But he finally arrived here in August of 2010 and started graduate school,” Keto said.

Since 2007, a number of US-Iranian dual nationals or Americans of Iranian ancestry have faced arrest, imprisonment or criminal charges when visiting Iran. Iran last month released two Americans who had been convicted of illegal entry and espionage after they were arrested along the border with Iraq in July 2009. — AP

BENGHAZI: Libyan head of the ruling National Transitional Council (NTC) Mustafa Abdel Jalil (R) meets with a delegation from neighboring Niger in the eastern Libyan city of Benghazi yesterday. — AFP

Insurgents take police hostage in western Iraq BAGHDAD: Insurgents disguised as police officers burst into a police station in western Iraq Monday, opened fire and blew up an explosives vest before taking a number of people hostage, including the town’s mayor, Iraqi officials said.

The Iraqi Army was surrounding the police station in the town of al-Baghdadi, some 125 miles (200 kilometers) west of Baghdad in Anbar province, said the deputy provincial governor, Dhari Arkan. It was not immediately clear how many people were being held inside the station, or whether the attackers had made any demands.

The ongoing standoff in western Iraq’s Anbar province demonstrates the vulnerability of the Iraqi security forces at a time when American troops are swiftly drawing down their presence after more than eight years of war.

The attackers broke into the police station wearing police uniforms to disguise themselves

and immediately opened fire upon entering, provincial police officials said. Then one of the insurgents blew himself up, the officials said.

Among the hostages is the mayor of alBaghdadi, whose office is on the second floor of the police station, according to the officials. This mayor of the nearby town of Hit, Hikmat Juber, confirmed the attack and hostage standoff. He said a number of officials working on the second floor of the building where some provincial offices were located were also taken hostage.

The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak to the media. Anbar province has been a hotbed of Iraq’s insurgenc y for years. Sunni militants aligned with terror groups such as Al-Qaeda often attack the local police and military who they see as traitors and supporters of the Shiiteled government. — AP

A

y

e niv rsar n

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 5, 2011

Years

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

Colombia anti-union violence undeterred BOGOTA: A new study challenges claims from the administration of President Barack Obama that Colombia is making important strides in bringing to justice killers of labor activists and so deserves US congressional approval of a long-stalled free trade pact.

The Human Rights Watch study found “virtually no progress” in getting convictions for killings that have occurred in the past 4 1/2 years. It counted just six convictions obtained by a special prosecutions unit from 195 slayings between January 2007 and May 2011, with nearly nine in 10 of the unit’s cases from that period in preliminary stages with no suspect formally identified.

Democrats in the U.S. Congress have long resisted bringing the Colombia trade pact to a vote, citing what they said is insufficient success in halting such killings. The White House disagrees, and says Colombia has made significant progress in addressing anti-unionist violence.

It is pushing for congressional approval as early as this week of the Colombia agreement along with pacts with South Korea and Panama, something the Republicans endorse and that they say will increase U.S. exports by $13 billion a year and support tens of thousands of jobs.

US Trade Representative Ron Kirk recent-

ly said the trade agreements are “an integral part of the President’s plan to create jobs here at home.” But in Colombia, the world’s most lethal country for labor organizing, the killings haven’t stopped. At least 38 trade unionists have been slain since President Juan Manuel Santos took office in August 2010, says Colombia’s National Labor School.

“A major reason for this ongoing violence has been the chronic lack of accountability for cases of anti-union violence,” Human Rights Watch said in a letter sent Thursday to Colombian Chief Prosecutor Viviane Morales that details the study’s findings.

Convictions have been obtained for less than 10 percent of the 2,886 trade unionists killed since 1986, and the rights group said it found “severe shortcomings” in the work of a special unit of Morales’ office established five years ago to solve the slayings.

The letter says the unit has demonstrated “a routine failure to adequately investigate the motive” in labor killings as well as to “bring to justice all responsible parties.”

A chief finding: The 74 convictions achieved over the past year owe largely to plea bargains with members of illegal farright militias who confessed to killings in

exchange for leniency. They did so under the so-called Justice and Peace law that gave paramilitary fighters reduced prison sentences of up to eight years in exchange for laying down their arms and confessing to crimes. That law expired at the end of 2006, the year the free trade pact was signed.

Only in a handful of cases did prosecutors pursue evidence that the paramilitaries who confessed acted on the orders of politicians, employers or others, Human Rights Watch says. Prosecutors “made virtually no progress in prosecuting people who order, pay, instigate or collude with paramilitaries in attacking trade unionists,” the letter states. “What is at stake is the justice system’s ability to act as an effective deterrent to anti-union violence.” Of the more than 275 convictions handed down through May, 80 percent were against former members of the United Self-Defense Forces of Colombia, or AUC. The head of international affairs in the chief prosecutor’s office, Francisco Echeverri, told the AP that it has put 513 people in prison.

In nearly half of 50 recent convictions reviewed by Human Rights Watch, the judges cited “evidence pointing to the involvement of members of the security

forces or intelligence services, politicians, landowners, bosses or co-workers.” Yet in only one of those cases was such an individual convicted.

In the case of a gym teacher and union activist killed in the northwestern town of San Rafael in 2002, one of the paramilitaries who confessed to the crime said it was committed at the request of the mayor, according to the judge’s decision.

The man who was mayor at the time and was re-elected in 2008, Edgar Eladio Giraldo, is not being formally investigated and has not been questioned about the killing, said Hernando Castaneda, chief of the special unit.

“I have no knowledge of that and did not know that I was involved in that,” Giraldo told The Associated Press by telephone when asked about the killing of Julio Ernesto Ceballos. A spokeswoman for Chief Prosecutor Morales said Sunday that her boss had not yet yet seen the Human Rights Watch letter.

Dan Kovalik of the United Steel Workers said the study’s findings and the continued killings “prove what labor is telling the White House: The labor rights situation in Colombia is not improving, and passage of the FTA is not appropriate.” A memo soon to

be released by the AFL-CIO deems Colombia noncompliant with the “Labor Action Plan” Santos and Obama agreed to in April as a condition for White House approval of the free trade pact.

In the memo, shown to the AP, the labor federation finds neither “economic, political, or moral justification for rewarding Colombia with a free trade agreement.”

Deputy Assistant US Trade Representative Nkenge Harmon said Friday when presented with the study’s findings that Colombia’s record prosecuting “perpetrators of violence” against labor activists “has improved significantly,” though she added that Colombian officials acknowledge more needs to be done.

Harmon also stressed that additional Colombian resources are being dedicated to the issue and that the U.S. government “is working intensively with them through training and support.”

Human Rights Watch acknowledged that annual trade unionists killings are only a quarter of what they were a decade ago.

And it applauded some measures taken by Chief Prosecutor Morales, including her announcement that an additional 100 police investigators would be assigned to the special investigative unit.—AP

Law firm error imperils Alabama death row inmate ‘No one should be executed without a court review’

WORCESTER: Family members of Rezwan Ferdaus, his brother partially obscured, his mother Maria, center, an aunt and his father, Showket, right, along with public defender attorney Catherine Byrne, left, walk out of the courthouse after Ferdaus’ arraignment hearing in Worcester, Mass. Monday afternoon. Rezwan Ferdaus pleaded not guilty to plotting to fly explosives-packed remote-controlled model planes into the Pentagon and US Capitol. — AP

Romney warns Pakistan of serious consequences SALEM: Republican presidential contender Mitt Romney is talking tough on Pakistan, accusing Islamabad of playing both sides in the war in Afghanistan. The former Massachusetts governor told New Hampshire voters Monday night that it’s unacceptable that Pakistan is going after the Taliban within its borders in some cases and helping it in others.

“It’s pretty straight forward to say, ‘Listen guys, you can’t play both sides of this game.

You’ve got to decide if you’re with us or with them,’” he said during a campaign stop. “‘If you’re with them, that will have a very significant consequence. If you’re with us, that’s very good thing.’” Romney did not clarify what that consequence might be.

The comments are among his toughest regarding Pakistan and represent a departure from his position the last time he ran for president four years ago. Romney was critical of then-Democratic candidate Barack Obama’s support for military action inside Pakistan’s borders in some cases.

Relying largely on drone attacks, Obama has pursued the policy as president, inside Pakistan and elsewhere.

Romney and other Republican presidential candidates last week praised the Obama administration’s killing of a top al-Qaida operative inside Yemen.Romney also took aim at Obama for suggesting in a recent television interview that American competition had gone “soft.” Obama’s comments came last week on a Florida television station while talking about the need case for investment in science and infrastructure and improving education.

“This is a great, great country that had gotten a little soft and didn’t have that same competitive edge that we needed over the last couple of decades,” Obama said during the interview. “We need to get back on track.

I still wouldn’t trade our position with any country on Earth.” Romney pounced Monday night. “We have not gone soft. We have gone soft on the president too long,” he said. “And it’s time for us to get hard on him.” — AP

GUATEMALA CITY: A demonstrator blows a horn as other, wearing a shirt with the Israeli flag, records the sound during a protest against Guatemala’s President Alvaro Colom decision of supporting the creation of a Palestinian state, in Guatemala City, Monday. — AP

3 dead, 3 wounded in California party shooting SAN LEANDRO: Three people were killed and three others wounded when at least two gunmen opened fire as partygoers left a Northern California warehouse early Sunday, authorities said. The gunmen started shooting as a group of people walked out of the building around 1:20 a.m., San Leandro police Sgt. Doug Calgano said.

Three people were pronounced dead at the scene. Police did not know the condition of the three who were wounded. The names of victims had not been released, but Roger Kiel told San Francisco television station ABC7 that his daughter, Shanice Kiel, 19, was one of the people fatally shot.

“I’m devastated” he told the station as police examined a bullet-riddled SUV in the background. “I’m looking at my car with the bullet holes in my windshield where I sit. So, I

know my daughter suffered a horrible death.”

At least 100 people attended the party, which had been advertised on the Internet, Calgano said. He was not aware of a permit being issued for the party, which would have been required for a gathering of that size. As the shooting began, many of the partygoers fled.

“Obviously it was a chaotic scene,” Calgano said. The gunmen were armed with semi-automatic handguns, but police have not determined how many shots were fired.

Investigators were trying to establish if the gunmen had attended the party, or arrived as people left the party. It was not clear if the gunmen were in a vehicle or on foot when they opened fire. No arrests have been made, and police have not determined a motive. — AP

WASHINGTON: The Supreme Court is hearing the case of an Alabama death row inmate who missed a court deadline because two lawyers at a venerable New York firm handling his appeal moved on to other jobs and a court notice was returned to sender, address unknown.

State and federal courts upheld Cory Maples’ death sentence and relied on the missed deadline to refuse to consider his claims that he received inadequate representation, dating back to his trial on charges he gunned down two friends in 1995. A jury convicted him of the shootings and then sentenced him to death by a 10-2 vote.

Maples’ lawyer in the Supreme Court is former Solicitor General Gregory Garre, who says no one should be executed without a court review of “serious constitutional questions.” Garre wants the justices to order lower courts to consider Maples’ claim that the quality of his earlier lawyers’ work was so bad that it violated the Constitution.

Support for Maples has come from former Alabama judges, the NAACP, the American Civil Liberties Union and other civil rights groups.

Twenty states and a nonprofit group that backs the

death penalty are supporting Alabama’s call for the high court to uphold the death sentence.

For its part, Alabama says that Maples’ protests are overblown because he was never left without a lawyer and that, in any case, the role of Maples’ lawyers in missing the deadline is unfortunate but nothing the court should correct under its earlier rulings. Whatever the shortcomings of Maples’ trial lawyers, he appeared to “win the lottery” when two lawyers at Sullivan and Cromwell agreed to represent him for free in his appeals, Garre said. The New York-based firm has 800 lawyers and offices in a dozen cities.

From December 2001 until May 2003 not much happened in the case. But then an Alabama court rejected Maples’ claims that were prepared and filed by the firm’s lawyers. The court sent a notice to the lawyers, as well as a local attorney in Alabama, starting a 42-day clock for appealing the order.

What neither the court nor Maples knew was that during the previous summer, both lawyers left Sullivan and Cromwell, one for a job in Europe and the other to clerk for a federal judge. The notices

Skipper lauded for saving lives at sea PORTLAND: A paraplegic skipper is being credited with actions that helped save the lives of all but one friend on his pleasure fishing boat as it took on water in rough seas off Maine.The 24foot boat, Job Site 2, swamped and rolled upside down Friday while anchored about 5 miles off Kennebunkport during a day of fishing for bluefin tuna.

The outcome could have been worse if skipper Nicholas Masi III, of Biddeford, hadn’t calmly told the three other men on board to don survival suits and issued a mayday with precise coordinates, Maine Marine Patrol Sgt. Rob Beal said. Moments after Masi radioed a distress call, the boat rolled over in 4- to 5foot seas and 63-degree water, with few other boats nearby. “If he hadn’t kept his head and radioed a distress call, it’s hard to say how long all four individuals would have been in the water,” Beal said. “You can only speculate from there.” Masi, 45, said he did what he had to to keep people alive but it’s not much consolation with the death of his good friend Douglas Isenberg, who died at the scene. The two had been close friends since second grade, Masi said. “I hear they’re calling me a hero, but my best friend is gone,” he said.

Masi has used a wheelchair since he was paralyzed four years ago in an accident while working as a house builder. On Friday, he and three friends from Biddeford took his GradyWhite boat to a fishing spot where they anchored for a few hours on a beautiful fall day. Around 3 p.m., the wind and seas kicked up, and the boat started taking on water.

The boat’s anchor line got tangled in the propeller, and the battery then went dead, preventing Masi from driving the boat to safety, he said. That’s when he instructed the others to put on their survival suits before getting on the radio and transmitting a distress call with his situation and location. Masi didn’t have time to put on his survival suit before the boat went under, putting on only a life jacket.

Once the boat rolled over, Masi told his friends to stay together, stay close to the boat and use a cooler to help keep them afloat, said Daricus Hunter, who was on board. “I’m alive because of one of my best friends,” Hunter said. Besides the Coast Guard, the mayday was heard by people on board a power yacht about 5 miles away. The Lady Erica, built by Sabre Yachts, was on its maiden voyage after launching earlier Friday.

Sabre Yachts CEO Aaron Crawford and his wife were on board with the owners, a man and woman from Maryland, and a fifth person. They altered course and headed toward the Job Site 2, finding the boat at the coordinates that Masi had given on the mayday, presumably because it was anchored, Crawford said. When the Lady Erica arrived, two of the men were in the water with Masi, and a fourth was on the hull. The people on the Lady Erica threw out a line with a buoy to Masi and one of the other men and pulled them on board. When they threw the line back out to Isenberg, Crawford could see he wasn’t responsive.

“I yelled to him, but when he didn’t respond I dove in,” Crawford said. When he brought Isenberg back to the boat, attempts to resuscitate him were unsuccessful. Masi said the last thing the 47-year-old Isenberg did was try to push him in the water toward the Lady Erica and safety. “I heard him saying, ‘I can’t, I can’t, I can’t, I can’t,’” Masi said. “I screamed at him and I said, ‘Douglas, we’re OK. Help is here. Pull yourself together.

You’re OK.’” A lobster boat named Miss Konduct plucked the fourth man from the hull as the Coast Guard arrived on the scene. Masi’s boat was towed back to shore and is now at his home. — AP

sent to the firm were returned, while the local lawyer did nothing, thinking the New Yorkers were on the case.

The court clerk likewise did nothing when the notices came back indicating the lawyers were no longer at the firm, even though the lawyers’ personal telephone numbers and home addresses were in the court’s file on Maples. Garre, who served as the top Supreme Court lawyer for President George W. Bush, says the clerk’s inaction in a capital case “defies common sense” and should lead the justices to rule for Maples.

Only after the deadline passed did Maples find out what happened - or rather, didn’t happen - on his behalf. Other lawyers at Sullivan and Cromwell tried to continue the appeal. The firm did not respond to requests for comment from The Associated Press. Both state and federal courts ruled that Maples was out of luck.

The state says the court should not lose sight of the crime, shooting two people to death, that landed Maples in his current predicament. The defendant has had all the legal help he is due, the state said. — AP

y

A

10

e niv rsar n

Years

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 5, 2011

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

Despite tensions, Bulgarians and Roma all cry for justice PLOVDIV: Barely a word passes between Bulgarians and Roma in the southern city of Plovdiv, where ethnic tensions flared up last week, but they still have one thing in common: a desire for justice. Bulgaria’s second city with a population of 340,000, Plovdiv is also home to one of the country ’s largest Roma ghettoesStolipinovo.

Its 40,000 inhabitants-Roma and Turks-live in dire poverty: vending stalls and horse-drawn carts fill the narrow lanes between ugly communist-era blocks of flats where dirty children play in courtyards next to wandering sheep. “Ninety percent of us are unemployed,” says Mihail Angelov, a Roma man of 55.

“And the school in our neighbourhood is so bad it is useless, our children are also unable to find any work.”

The ghetto has been on high alert since the alleged murder of a Bulgarian youth in the nearby village of Katunitsa on September 24 by relatives of Roma kingpin Kiril Rashkov, nicknamed “King Kiro.”

Three of Rashkov’s houses were torched by football ultras in the aftermath of the incident, which has sparked almost daily anti-Roma protests across the country. The Roma baron was also arrested on suspicion of making death threats to one of the victim’s relatives.

“Why should we be held responsible for Kiril Rashkov’s actions when he’s been just as unfair to us as he has been to the Bulgarians in the village?” fumes Roma construction worker Georgy, who used to work for Rashkov but was then thrown out without payment.

“Because of Rashkov, many of our women who sweep the streets in the city have received threats from passers-by,” adds Dzhamiset Dzhafer, a candidate in the Katunitsa local vote on October 23.

“The few families who have sent their children to the city school instead of the one in the ghetto kept them home last week, fearing bad treatment,” he says. Known for his involvement in moonshine production in the 1990s, Rashkov is believed to head Roma networks of pickpockets, beggars and prostitutes abroad, but he has managed to escape prosecution since the end of communism.

On Sunday, no Roma ventured into downtown Plovdiv, where several thousand Bulgarian youths staged yet another anti-Roma rally.

Fuelled by the nationalist Ataka

party, demonstrators-many armed with batons-have brandished racist slogans over the past week, with Roma political groups describing the action as “a warning of looming fascism.”

But protesters in Plovdiv and elsewhere have also had broader demands, asking for the law to apply to all newly rich, regardless of their ethnicity.

They also called for authorities to outlaw begging, to destroy illegal buildings and strip irresponsible parents of social benefits, and demanded stricter fines for the theft of railtracks and manhole covers-which are then sold for scrap and are usually attributed to the Roma.

“Our parents who lived during the post-communist transition are too disillusioned to react. It is up to the

young people to demand that the state fulfill its responsibilities,” said protester Bogomila Ganeva, 30.

Analysts have argued that widespread discontent with Bulgaria’s judiciary often criticised by the EU-can also be seen behind the ethnic tensions.

“The revolt is social, not ethnic. The problem lies between unjust poverty and unexplained wealth,” Antonina Zhelyazkova, chairwoman of the Centre for Minority Studies in Sofia, told AFP. For political analyst Alexander Marinov: “The youths who protest do not want to emigrate but to force the authorities to impose order.”

“These people are expressing their anger against poverty and inequality and launching a desperate appeal that justice be done against the small social clique of untouchables.” —AFP

Knox leaves Italy to head home to US It was a bit of a shock: Stephanie Kercher PERUGIA: Amanda Knox headed home to the United States a free woman yesterday, the morning after an Italian appeals court dramatically overturned the American student’s conviction of sexually assaulting and brutally slaying her British roommate.

The Italy-US Foundation, which has championed Knox’s cause, said she departed shortly after noon (1000 GMT; 6 a.m. EDT) from Rome’s Leonardo da Vinci airport on the way to London, from where she will catch a connecting flight to the United States.

The 24-year-old Knox, who is returning to Seattle, arrived at the airport in a Mercedes with darkened windows and waited for boarding inside a private waiting area, out of public view. Back in Perugia, the family of slain British student Meredith Kercher remained stunned by the verdict and searching for answers.

“It was a bit of a shock,” said Stephanie Kercher, the victim’s older sister. “It’s very upsetting ... We still have no answers.” Lyle Kercher, a brother, said the family is still trying to understand how a decision that “was so certain two years ago has been so dramatically overturned.”

Lyle Kercher said the family has been left to wonder who is guilty in the 21-year-old Kercher’s death after the release of Knox and her one time boyfriend Raffaele Sollecito on appeal. A third man has been convicted in the brutal slaying, however his trial concluded he did not act alone.

“If the two released yesterday were not the guilty parties, we are obviously left to wonder who is the other guilty person or people. We are left back at square one,” Lyle Kercher said. Prosecutor Giuliano Mignini expressed disbelief in the verdict, and vowed an appeal to Italy’s highest criminal court.

“Let’s wait and we will see who was right. The first court or the appeal court,” Mignini told The Associated Press yesterday. “This trial was done under unacceptable

media pressure. The decision was almost already announced; this is not normal,” he said.

If the highest court overturns the acquittal, prosecutors would be free to request Knox’s extradition to Italy to finish whatever remained of a sentence. It is up to the government to decide whether they make such a request.

Knox and her ex-boyfriend Raffaele Sollecito were convicted in

The 24-year-old Knox dissolved into tears as the verdict was read in a packed courtroom after 11 hours of deliberations, and she needed to be propped up by her lawyers on either side. Two hours later Knox was in a dark limousine that took her out of the Capanne prison just outside Perugia, where she had spent the past four years, and headed to Rome.

“During the trip from Perugia to

PERUGIA: Lyle Kercher, brother of slain British student Meredith Kercher, left, and his sister Stephanie face the media in Perugia, Italy, yesterday. Lyle Kercher says the family feels it is back to “square one” following the dramatic appeals court verdict overturning the conviction of American student Amanda Knox and her one-time Italian boyfriend, telling reporters yesterday that the family is still trying to understand how a decision that “was so certain two years ago has been so dramatically overturned.” —AP 2009 of sexually assaulting and murdering Kercher, a 21-year-old British student who shared an apartment with Knox in Perugia.

Knox was convicted to 26 years, Sollecito to 25. Both had been in prison since Nov. 6, 2007, four days after Kercher ’s body had been found at the apartment.

But, the prosecution’s case was blown apart by a court-ordered DNA review that discredited crucial genetic evidence.

French dad’s 30-year hunt ends in murder trial for doctor PARIS: A French father’s 30-year quest for justice for a murdered daughter came a step closer to an end yesterday when a German doctor he had had kidnapped went on trial in France. Dieter Krombach was accused of killing his step-daughter Kalinka in 1982 at their German home. German authorities decided he had no case to answer so, in 2009, her biological father had Krombach kidnapped and brought to France.

The French father, Andre Bamberski, will eventually face a court in his turn for this vigilante actionwhich became a media sensation-but first his 76year-old quarry will go on trial for the alleged murder. The three-week hearing began Tuesday in Paris’ main criminal court, the three-decade-long legal and diplomatic drama having already been prolonged in spring, when Krombach was judged unfit for trial.

He entered the dock leaning on a crutch but, while his steps were careful and his voice hoarse, he appeared focused and attentive as the hearing began. “You saw how he was talking, if you’re telling me you think it’s possible for him to hold on for three weeks-there’s no chance,” Jan Gunter, his daughter, protested outside of court.

Bamberski’s lawyer, Laurent de Caunes, shrugged off what might turn into another attempt to delay proceedings: “I didn’t think he seemed very feeble.

But the experts will tell us what the medical situation is.”

Whatever legal manoeuvring lay ahead, Bamberski remained determined not to give up the chase at this late stage, saying: “It’s certainly not revenge, it’s perseverance on my part. “If it had been revenge I wouldn’t have been in the calm, confident state I’m in today,” he argued before reporters. —AFP

Rome, Amanda was serene,” said Corrado Maria Daclon, the secretar y general of the I taly-US Foundation, who was with Knox in the car. “She confirmed to me that in the future she intends to come back to our country.” On Tuesday, Knox thanked those Italians “who shared my suffering and helped me survive with hope,” in a letter to the foundation.

“Those who wrote, those who defended me, those who were

close, those who prayed for me,” Knox wrote. “I love you, Amanda.”

While waves of relief swept through the defendants’ benches in the courtroom, members of the Kercher family, who flew in for the verdict, appeared dazed and perplexed. Her sister Stephanie shed a tear, while her mother Arline looked straight ahead.

“We still trust the Italian justice system and hope that the truth will eventually emerge,” the Kerchers said in a statement. The Kerchers had pressed for the court to uphold the guilty verdicts, and resisted theories that a third man convicted in the case, Rudy Hermann Guede, had acted alone.

Guede, convicted in a separate trial, is serving a 16-year sentence.

The verdict reverberated through the streets of this medieval hilltop town, where both Knox and Kercher had arrived for overseas studies programs four years ago. Hundreds of mostly university-age youths gathered in the piazza outside the cour troom jeered as news of the acquittals spread. “Shame, shame,” they yelled, adding that a black man had been made to shoulder all of the guilt for the murder.

The jury upheld Knox’s conviction on a charge of slander for accusing bar owner Diya “Patrick” Lumumba of carr ying out the killing. The judge set the sentence at three years, less than the time Knox had spent in prison.

Prosecutors said they would appeal to the nation’s highest criminal court, after reading the court’s reasoning due out within 90 days.

Just before deliberations began Monday, Knox tearfully told the court she did not kill her roommate. “I’ve lost a friend in the worst, most brutal, most inexplicable way possible,” she said of the 2007 murder of Kercher, who shared an apartment with Knox when they were both students in Perugia.

“I’m paying with my life for things that I didn’t do.” —AP

French ‘supercop’ behind bars pending probe PARIS: One of France’s best known police chiefs spent yesterday in jail pending a drug-trafficking investigation that has brought his three-decade career to a halt, shaken his peers and spurred the government to intervene publicly.

Interior Minister Claude Gueant said he was suspending Michel Neyret, an oldschool police commissioner based in the southern city of Lyon whose network of underworld informers had inspired filmmakers as well as his law enforcement colleagues. Neyret, 55, is under investigation on a string of counts including corruption, influence-peddling and drug trafficking in a probe that has snowballed in recent days with the detention of several other police officers.

The affair has surfaced at a tricky time for President Nicolas Sarkozy, as anti-graft magistrates have put several of his political allies under investigation in separate affairs, raising the pressure on Gueant to take an uncompromising public stand on police credibility.

“This is truly traumatic for the national police,” Gueant told France 2 television. “He (Neyret) is under investigation and I will be suspending him as of today.” Five other police officers from Lyon and the surrounding area are also under suspicion and due to be put under formal investigation in the coming days as part of the same inquiry, a judicial source said.

The probe began when police discovered 111 kilos of cocaine in a luxury flat west of Paris late last year, sparking a gang-

ster-hunt that led them to Latin America and prompted them to tap Neyret’s phone.

Lawyers for Neyret, whose success rate as a crime-buster far outweighed his official title as police number two in Lyon, have so far conceded only that their client may have shown “friendly indulgence” towards some of his contacts, but say he ultimately acted in police interests.

That has generated media speculation that Neyret, if not a “good cop turned bad cop”, at the least used dubious methods to maintain close relations with drug-runners and gangsters. David Metaxas, a lawyer who deals with organised crime cases, said last week he had denounced Neyret’s way of operating for years, adding: “It’s a world that works on tip-offs, where part of the hauls goes to pay informers.”

Le Monde newspaper highlighted in an article in yesterday’s edition that police relations with informers, and remuneration for tip-offs, were a matter of discretion until 2004, when a law was introduced obliging police to keep records of contacts and obtain receipts for payments to informants.

Neyret’s reputation as a hard-edged crime-cracker, inspired a recent French film called “Les Lyonnais”, and won him the star role in a TV crime documentary broadcast not long before he became a suspect himself. Sarkozy, who pledged an administration beyond reproach when he came to power in 2007, is trailing the main opposition Socialist Party in opinion polls for the 2012 presidential election where he is expected to seek a second term. —Reuters

DHARMSALA: Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama, center, arrives to give a religious talk at the Tsuglakhang temple in Dharmsala, India, yesterday.

The Dalai Lama has called off a visit to South Africa because he does not expect to get a visa, the Tibetan spiritual and political leader’s office said yesterday. —AP

Dalai Lama cancels highly charged South Africa trip JOHANNESBURG: The Dalai Lama, the Tibetan spiritual leader, canceled a trip to South Africa planned for this week that had put Pretoria in a bind between its biggest trading partner China and one of its modern heroes, Nobel Peace Prize laureate Desmond Tutu.

The Dalai Lama’s office said yesterday he cancelled the trip for him to attend Archbishop Tutu’s 80th birthday celebration this week because South Africawhich has had his application paperwork for weeks-had not issued him a visa on time.

South Africa had come under pressure from China not to issue a visa to the Dalai Lama, a Nobel Peace Prize laureate Beijing sees as a dangerous separatist.

“We are, therefore, now convinced that for whatever reason or reasons, the South African government finds it inconvenient to issue a visa to His Holiness the Dalai Lama,” his office said in a statement.

The Dalai Lama, once embraced as a beacon of peace in South Africa when apartheid ended, has become a diplomatic headache for the country as its economic fortunes are increasingly linked to China, which had pushed Pretoria to reject a previous visa application. “South Africa has not said ‘no’,” said foreign ministry spokesman Clayson Monyela, “The man has decided to cancel the trip.”

South African officials said in the separate decision about two years ago it denied a visa so as not to offend China.

The Dalai Lama was invited to attend a 2010 peace conference by Tutu and former Presidents Nelson Mandela and F.W. de Klerk.

Tutu said in a statement last week the manner in which the visa application was dealt with was reminiscent of the way authorities dealt with applications by black South Africans for travel under apartheid. “ The manner in which the South

African government has responded to the visa application ... is profoundly disrespectful of two Nobel Peace Laureates who are among the most revered spiritual leaders on earth,” Tutu’s foundation said in a statement.

Last week, China agreed to $2.5 billion in investment projects with South Africa during a visit by South African Deputy President Kgalema Motlanthe to Beijing.

President Jacob Zuma’s government has been severely criticised in local media for not allowing the visit for the birthday of Tutu, a man internationally respected for helping bring down authoritarian apartheid rule.

“This is a morally bankrupt decision aimed squarely at appeasing the emerging economic superpower, China,” the influential Mail and Guardian newspaper said in an editorial. “It is, indeed, saddening to count the many countries who stood in solidarity with the antiapartheid movement and ask: where is our principled stand with the people of Tibet? The gays of Uganda? The dissidents in China itself?”

The Dalai Lama came to South Africa in 1996 to visit then President Mandela who told Beijing it was Pretoria’s right to decide on whom it allows into the country.

South Africa exports about $5.5 billion a year in minerals to China and Africa’s largest economy has been increasingly a destination for Chinese foreign direct investment.

China last year invited South Africa to join the BRIC grouping, a diplomatic coup for Zuma. It was also seen by analysts as a Chinese stamp of approval for the country’s role as a stepping stone to the African continent. China has ruled Tibet with an iron fist since Communist troops marched in 1950. It says its rule has brought much needed development to a poor and backward region. —Reuters

PARIS: A combo of files pictures made yesterday shows three of the six contenders for the Socialist Party primary elections before the 2012 presidential vote. (From LtoR) Mayor of Lille Martine Aubry, Correze general council president and deputy Francois Hollande, socialist opposition party leader and Poitou-Charentes’ region president Segolene Royal. —AFP

y

A

11

e niv rsar n

Years

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 5, 2011

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

IAEA experts to help in Japan nuclear clean-up VIENNA: UN nuclear experts will travel to Japan this week to help in the planned clean-up of large areas contaminated by radiation leaks from the Fukushima accident in March, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said yesterday.

The Vienna-based UN agency said a mission of 12 IAEA and other international experts

would be in Japan between Oct. 7-15 “to assist the country in its planning to remediate the areas off-site from the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant”.

The IAEA’s involvement, at Japan’s request, is a sign of the difficult decontamination task facing the authorities. IAEA Director General Yukiya Amano last month said Japan did not

have “that much experience” in carrying out such work.

Nearly seven months after the March 11 earthquake and tsunami triggered reactor meltdowns, explosions and radiation leaks at the plant on Japan’s northeast coast, the size of the task of cleaning up is only now becoming clear. Japan faces the prospect of removing and dis-

posing of 29 million cubic metres of soil contaminated by the world’s worst nuclear crisis in 25 years from an area nearly the size of Tokyo, the Environment Ministry said earlier this week.

Contaminated zones where radiation levels need to be brought down could top 2,400 square km (930 square miles),

sprawling over Fukushima and four nearby prefectures, the ministry said in a report released yesterday. The world’s worst nuclear disaster since Chernobyl in 1986, has led to the “radiological contamination of large areas”, the IAEA said in a statement.

Japan has banned people from entering within a 20 km (12 mile) radius of the plant,

located about 240 km (150 miles) northeast of Tokyo and owned by Tokyo Electric Power Co . Some 80,000 people were forced to evacuate. The government aims to halve radiation over two years in places contaminated by the crisis, relying on both the natural drop in radiation as time passes and by human efforts. —Reuters

Communists create fear in Philippine mining Govt determined to broker a peace deal by next year

BANGKOK: Commuters walk on a makeshift walkway over floodwaters as they disembark from a ferry in downtown Bangkok yesterday. Thailand’s worst monsoon floods in decades have killed 224 people and affected three quarters of the country, including part of the ancient city of Ayutthaya, officials said. —AFP

‘Worst’ Thai floods kill 224, threaten Bangkok BANGKOK: Thailand’s worst monsoon floods in decades have killed 224 people and affected three quarters of the country, including part of the ancient city of Ayutthaya, officials said yesterday.

Authorities were meanwhile battling to stop the floods reaching the centre of low-lying Bangkok, as forecasters warned of more wild weather to come.

“It’s the worst flooding yet in terms of the amount of water and people affected,” said an official at the Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation who preferred not to be named. Two months of flooding have inundated 58 of 77 provinces-with 25 still severely affectedand damaged the homes or livelihoods of millions of people, according to the government.

Wat Chaiwatthanaram, one of Ayutthaya’s best-known temples, has been closed to visitors after a makeshift dyke was breached at the former capital, a popular tourist destination north of Bangkok. “The water level inside the temple grounds is now 1.50 metres (five feet),” said Supoj Prommanoch, head of the Fine Arts Office in Ayutthaya.

He said 10 other temples were also flooded but the authorities were confident they could prevent the waters from

reaching Ayutthaya’s main World Heritage Park, which is located further away from Chao Phraya River.

The nor thern city of Chiang Mai, another popular tourist destination, has also been badly hit. “The current flood situation is the worst that I have ever seen and it will last until the first week of November,” said independent flood expert Royal Chitradon, director of Thai I ntegrated Water Resource Management. “ There is a problem of prolonged flooding in central provinces because roads and cities have blocked natural waterways.” Royal said several reservoirs are already full and the western and eastern outskirts of Bangkok are at risk of flooding because of another approaching tropical storm.

Last week the government announced the deployment of about 10,000 soldiers, backed by 500 military vehicles and more than 100 boats, to help victims. Army bases will also take in evacuees, the military said yesterday.

In total about 14.8 million acres (six million hectares) of land have been undated around the country, said chief government spokeswoman Titima Chaisang. —AFP

MANILA: Communist rebel attacks on three mines in the Philippines have created a climate of fear for investors just as the sector is seeking to cash in on the global resources boom, industry players said yesterday.

The attacks by the New People’s Army (NPA) also showed weaknesses in the government’s capability to protect big-ticket investments in the mineral-rich countryside where the guerrillas operate, they said. “Clearly, the message of the rebels is to create fear,” said Emmanuel Samson, chief finance officer of Nickel Asia, the country’s largest nickel producer whose mine sites were among those attacked Monday.

“When you have disruptions such as the one yesterday, it would create a negative impact and something has to be done about it, especially since the thrust of the government is to generate more investor confidence.”

Police said about 200 New People’s Army (NPA) rebels were involved in the coordinated attacks on three mine sites on the southern island of Mindanao, one of the country’s poorest regions but also home to vast mineral riches.

At one of the mines, run by Nickel Asia’s Taganito Mining, the rebels briefly took several employees hostage, before burning trucks, excavators and a guest house. Another Nickel Asia-linked operation nearby and a mine run

by Platinum Metals Group were also attacked, in what the NPA claimed was payback for years of alleged environmental damage and abuse by the firms.

Operations at the two units of Nickel Asia, which is partly owned

by Japan’s Sumitomo Metal Mining, have been indefinitely suspended, Samson said. The government reacted angrily to the attacks, which came at a particu-

larly sensitive time amid a push for the Philippines to take advantage of skyrocketing global commodity prices.

The country has untapped mineral wealth valued at more than $840 billion, with its copper, gold and chromate deposits among the largest in the world, according to

respond to Seoul’s offer, amid disagreement over what kind of aid to send.

Despite high tensions, Seoul in August offered five billion won ($4.7 million) in aid to Pyongyang after dozens were killed or injured by a storm and torrential rain in the North in June and July. But the South only offered to provide items such as quilts, medi-

the US government. After decades of relative inactivity in the sector, the government last month said it was aiming to see mining investments rise more than four-fold to $18 billion over the next five years.

President Benigno Aquino immediately sought to reassure investors yesterday, ordering a national security threat assessment to determine targets vulnerable to NPA attacks, according to his spokesman, Edwin Lacierda.

affairs, told AFP. After decades of deforestation, the impoverished North Korea is particularly vulnerable to flooding. Its state media reported dozens of casualties, thousands homeless and large areas of farmland flooded.

The aid offer was Seoul’s first since Pyongyang’s deadly attack on a border island

SEOUL: North Korean refugees cover their faces as they arrive at Incheon airport, west of Seoul, yesterday. The nine North Korean refugees who had drifted by boat to Japanese waters last month arrived in South Korea. —AFP cine, instant noodles and nutritious meals for children despite the North’s request for rice, cement and equipment for reconstruction.

South Korea has been reluctant to ship rice or cement for fear it could be diverted to the military.

“Decisions have been made to end the (aid deliver y) effor t since there was no response from the Nor th since then,” a spokeswoman for the South’s unification ministry, which is in charge of cross-border

across mostly poor and remote areas of the countryside.

The government is involved in on-again, off-again talks with the communists and is aiming to broker a peace deal by the middle of next year. But there is no ceasefire in place and the guerrillas frequently attack government and

SURIGAO DEL NORTE: The remains of a truck allegedly burned by communist rebels lie at the compound of Taganito Mining Corp, partly owned by a Japanese company, in Surigao del Norte province, southern Philippines yesterday. —AP

N Korean refugees arrive in Seoul SEOUL: Nine North Koreans who travelled to Japanese waters in a small wooden boat in a rare seaborne defection arrived yesterday to settle in South Korea. The three men, three women and three children were picked up

by Japan’s coastguard on September 13.

They said they had spent five days at sea after leaving the North’s east coast.

TV images showed the nine escorted by armed police at Incheon airport west of Seoul, their faces hidden by jacket hoods, caps, dark sunglasses and masks. They will undergo the normal interrogation by intelligence authorities before being sent to a resettlement centre, a foreign ministr y spokeswoman said.

The group, which was travelling in an eight-metre (26-foot) wooden boat off Japan’s west coast, was led by a man who said he was a member of the North’s People’s Army. South Korea has said it will handle the issue in a humanitarian way in accordance with the nine North Koreans’ own wishes.

In a separate case on Tuesday, two North Korean men were found drifting aboard a small wooden boat near the sea border off South Korea’s east coast, military authorities said. “The pair were under custody for questioning after being spotted by our naval ship south of the sea border this morning,” a spokesman for the joint chiefs of staff told AFP. “Investigators are trying to determine whether they had strayed into our territory or defected,” he said. Hundreds of North Koreans each year flee hunger and repression in the isolated communist state, but the vast majority cross the border on foot to China.

More than 21,700 have arrived in the South since the 1950-1953 war, the vast majority in recent years. They have automatic citizenship in the South but must spend three months in a resettlement and education centre when they arrive.

Meanwhile, South Korea said yesterday it had abandoned efforts to send flood relief to Nor th Korea after Pyongyang failed to

“No one should doubt our commitment to the safety of investors and our fellow citizens, who deserve to be able to pursue their livelihood without threats of extortion and violence to disturb them,” Lacierda said. However investment analyst Astro del Castillo, who heads the

last November that left four South Koreans dead and further heightened tension. Crossborder ties had been icy since Seoul accused Pyongyang of torpedoing one of its warships and killing 46 South Korean sailors in March 2010 — a charge the Nor th has angrily denied.

The Nor th was hit by a famine in the 1990s that killed hundreds of thousands and struggles to feed its 24 million people at the best of times. —Agencies

Association of Securities Analysts of the Philippines, warned that mining firms could shun the country unless concrete steps were taken to improve security.

“It is not a joke when rebels can shut down operations by one of the country’s leading nickel producers,” he said. Philippine communists have been waging a rebellion since 1969 and the NPA, their armed wing, is believed to have about 5,000 fighters spread

private installations.

Rebel attacks last year killed 187 government forces and dozens of civilians were caught in the crossfire, according to the International Crisis Group.

Presidential spokesman Lacierda said Monday’s attacks jeopardised the peace process, but said the government remained committed to negotiations. Peace talks are scheduled to resume in Norway late this month. —AFP

China’s Nobel winner leaves prison briefly BEIJING: China’s jailed Nobel Peace Prize laureate Liu Xiaobo was briefly allowed out of prison last month after his father died, his brother told AFP yesterday, in an unusual break in the dissident’s 11year term.

Liu Xiaoxuan said he had also been able to visit his 55-year-old brother in jail last week, and the inmate’s wife Liu Xia, who has effectively been under house arrest since the prize announcement last October, visited in August. The news is the first to have emerged in almost a year from the prison in China’s northeast where the dissident writer is being held, and comes just three days before the 2011 Nobel Peace Prize winner is announced in Oslo.

The Norwegian Nobel Committee sparked fury in Beijing last year when it honoured the former university professor with the peace prize for his “long and non-violent struggle for fundamental human rights in China”.

The award turned Liu-who until then had been little known abroad-into a global cause celebre as Western nations and rights groups lined up to call for his release. But the first time many people in China heard of Liu Xiaobo was when Beijing publicly denounced the awarding of the Nobel Peace Prize to him as “political theatre” and tantamount to encouraging crime.

Liu Xiaoxuan said his elder brother “was sent back home on September 18” to mark the seventh day after his father’s death-an important day in Chinese culture when families gather to remember the person who died.

The Chinese often hold a person’s funeral three days after their death and normally hold a smaller memorial service on the seventh day. It was unclear whether Liu Xiaobo attended a family gathering or was only allowed to pay his

respects on his own during the brief visit.

Liu Xiaoxuan said that only one brother in the family-Liu Xiaoguang-had been able to accompany the dissident writer on his trip out of prison, adding he had not seen him then and nor had his other brother. “It’s not convenient for me to tell you about details of how long Liu Xiaobo stayed at home or what he did,” Liu Xiaoxuan said.

But he said he had been able to see his elder brother last Wednesday, when he paid him a visit in prison along with his two other siblings, adding the jailed writer “was looking very well.”

He was reluctant to give any more details. Calls to police in Liaoning province’s Jinzhou city-where Liu is being held-and China’s Ministry of Public Security went unanswered. Liu Xiaobo was sentenced to 11 years in jail in December 2009 for “subversion” after coauthoring Charter 08, a bold petition calling for political reform in one-party Communist-ruled China.

He is one of only three people to win the Peace Prize while in prison, after 1991 laureate Aung San Suu Kyi of Myanmar and German pacifist Carl von Ossietzky, who was in a Nazi jail when he won in 1935.

His award triggered a crackdown on dissent by Beijing, which further intensified in February after anonymous calls for Arab-style protests in China emerged on the Internet. Many leading activists and rights lawyers disappeared into custody, including prominent artist Ai Weiwei, who was detained in April for nearly three months.

China’s parliament is currently considering amendments to the criminal code that would allow police to secretly detain suspects for up to six months without charges and without notifying their families. —AFP

A

y

e niv rsar n

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 5, 2011

Years

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

All change, all the same: Afghan Taleban 10 years on KABUL: In 10 years since being toppled from power by invading US troops, the Taleban have transformed from media-shy mullahs into a technology-savvy guerilla force who could still end up back in government.

Ousted just weeks after a foreign assault started on October 7, 2001, the Taleban retreated, at least partly to Pakistan, and were written off by Western militaries as a spent force.

But they rebuilt and re-emerged to lead an increasingly brutal insurgency with a new generation of fighters motivated by the presence of 140,000 foreign troops-and some shifts in emphasis, if not belief. Until earlier this year, Mullah Noor-Ul Aziz was the Taleban’s shadow governor in Kunduz, north Afghanistan and before that was a commander in charge of 300 fighters in the southern province of Helmand.

“About 10 percent were old fighters and 90 percent were new recruits,” he told AFP, of his former men. “Lots of new fighters have joined the Taleban

because of the tyrannies of the foreign forces, because of the killings of innocent civilians by the foreign forces.” A smiling man with a close cropped beard, Aziz is the most senior of several hundred Taleban to defect to the Afghan government under a US-backed reconciliation scheme.

He is now director of hajj and religious affairs in the southern city of Kandahar. Although most Afghan Taleban leaders are still thought to live in Pakistan, many of the younger recruits fighting in Afghanistan are Afghans whose families moved to Pakistan after being displaced by the devastating 1990s civil war.

They share the militant Islamist zeal of their elders but typically take a less hardline view of the media. The Taleban banned television when they were in power between 1996 and 2001, but the new generation have been encouraged to join by Taleban propaganda such as Internet videos of attacks on Western troops and beheadings.

“These young guys are equally radical in their Islamic beliefs (as the older generation) but they are radicals of the computer era and the Internet era,” said Afghan analyst and former diplomat Ahmad Sayedi. For example, the Taleban use Twitter and text messages to communicate with media, plus its slick “Voice of Jihad” website in languages including English.

In other fields, though, there is little evidence of Taleban policy softening on issues such as women’s rights.

Research last year from Human Rights Watch found that women in areas where the insurgency is strong often receive Taleban threats in “night letters” if they work, while girls going to school have been poisoned and even had acid thrown in their faces.

Female politicians also repor t attempts on their lives by the Taleban.

Sayedi said he thought the insurgents may have toned down their rhetoric and behaviour in some areas in a bid to gain support but that this did not represent a fundamental ideological

shift. “They are generally softer. They are not criticising you for not having a beard, they don’t care what you wear.

But I think this is a tactic rather than a change in strategy,” he said. Taliban military tactics have also changed in recent years.

Violence in Afghanistan really picked back up in late 2007 and 2008 after the militia retreated to Pakistani border regions and built up strength as the West’s focus switched to the war in Iraq. The NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF), Western politicians and analysts have claimed major battlefield gains against the Taleban in their southern heartlands following a major push last year.

But the Taleban have increasingly focused on targeted assassinations, plus suicide bombings which overwhelmingly kill Afghan civilians. “We haven’t seen the Taleban coming out and fighting us in the field (this year),” said ISAF spokesman Brigadier General Carsten Jacobson. “They’re

fighting their own population.”

The latest high-profile murder was last month’s assassination of President Hamid Karzai’s peace envoy, Burhanuddin Rabbani, although unusually the Taleban have not claimed responsibility for it.

Karzai said Monday that a traditional meeting or loya jirga will review policy on talking peace with the insurgents amid increasing pressure from non-Pashtun ethnic groups to drop the effort. The government had anyway made scant process on reaching out to the predominantly Pashtun Taleban, who say they will not engage until all foreign troops leave the country.

Experts still predict, though, that the Taleban will end up in power one way or the other after foreign combat forces leave Afghanistan, slated for the end of 2014. “If the Americans leave the country, they will definitely take back power,” said Haroon Mir of the Afghanistan Centre for Research and Policy Studies. —AFP

Karzai in India amid shifting South Asia ties ‘India may get the right to play a more pronounced role’

SRINAGAR: An Indian policeman baton- charges Kashmiri government employees during a protest in Srinagar, India, yesterday. Government employees engaged in civic amenities held a protest demanding a hike in salary, among other demands. — AP

13 killed in anti-Shiite attack in Pakistan QUETTA: Gunmen attacked a bus carrying Shiite Muslims in Pakistan’s insurgency-torn southwest yesterday, killing 13 people in the second major sectarian attack to hit the area in two weeks, police said.

Pakistani has faced mounting criticism from its minority Shiite community and human rights groups for failing to prevent thousands of sectarian murders, which further destabilise the fragile US ally in the war on Al-Qaeda. Yesterday ’s drive-by shooting happened on the outskirts of Quetta, the capital of oil and gas-rich Baluchistan, which borders Iran and Afghanistan.

“Four gunmen riding two motorcycles opened fire on a bus in the outskirts of Quetta,” local police official Hamid Shakeel told AFP. “The death toll has risen to 13.

Two of the injured who were in critical condition died in hospital. Now 12 Shiite Muslims and one Pashtun have been killed in the attack,” he said after initially putting the death toll at 10.

The Shiites were members of Pakistan’s minority Hazara ethnic group and had been travelling from the Hazara-dominated town of Hazarganji to Quetta. Television footage showed the bus engulfed in flames, with blood and passengers’ luggage seen scattered at the site sealed off by a paramilitary and police cordon.

Police said they had been escorting other Shiites in the area, but insisted they had not been informed of the other bus. Up to 400 furious Hazaras demonstrated outside the Bolan Medical Complex where the wounded were taken for treatment, condemning the government for inaction over sectarian groups, said police official Wahid Bakhsh. Baluchistan has become an increasing flashpoint for sectarian violence between Pakistan’s majority Sunni Muslims and minority Shiites, who account for around a fifth of the country’s 167 million

population. On September 20, gunmen killed 26 Shiite pilgrims after ordering them off their bus in Mastung, a district 50 kilometres (30 miles) south of Quetta.

It was the deadliest attack on Shiites in Pakistan since September 4, 2010 when a suicide bomber killed at least 57 people at a rally in Quetta. Gunmen then killed another three Shiites on the outskirts of the city who were going to collect relatives who died in the first incident.

London-based Amnesty International said the killings highlighted the failure of Pakistani authorities to address sectarian violence across the country. “These are not random killings but demonstrate the deliberate targeting of the Shi’a (Shiites) by armed groups,” said Amnesty’s Asia-Pacific director Sam Zarifi.

“These attacks prove that without an urgent and comprehensive government response, no place is safe for the Shi’a,” Zarifi added. The rights group said it had recorded details of at least 15 attacks specifically targeting Shiites across Pakistan.

“Continued failure to address sectarian violence will only exacerbate the general breakdown in law and order in Pakistan,” it said. Pakistan’s own independent rights watchdog said the killers had been emboldened by a persistent lack of action against sectarian militant groups, which have been implicated in thousands of deaths in past years.

Yesterday’s attack “exposes once again the diminishing writ of the state”, warned the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP). B a l u c h i s t a n i s a l s o r i fe w i t h Islamist militancy and a regional insurgency waged by separatists who rose up in 2004 demanding political autonomy and a greater share of profits from t h e r e g i o n’s w e a l t h o f n a t u r a l resources. —AFP

QUETTA: Pakistani students from the Hazara community condemn the killings of a community member in Quetta, Pakistan, yesterday. Suspected Sunni extremists executed 12 Shiite Muslims after ordering them off a bus and lining them up yesterday in southwestern Pakistan, ramping up a campaign of sectarian violence that has exposed Islamabad’s inability to protect minorities. — AP

NEW DELHI: Afghanistan and India, two nations united in their suspicion of Pakistan, are set to forge closer ties yesterday as Hamid Karzai visits New Delhi during a highly unstable time in South Asia. The Afghan president, in the Indian capital on his second trip to the country this year, was to meet Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh against a backdrop of shifting relations in the war-wracked and nuclear-armed region.

Some analysts in India predict that Karzai will elevate New Delhi’s role in stabilising his violence-torn country as he eyes a drawdown of US-led troops by 2014 after more than a decade of fighting. They argue that Karzai is losing patience with Pakistan, which he accuses of funding militant groups, and has a troubled relationship with the United States, his key backer.

“Karzai’s visit comes at a crucial juncture to endorse India’s involvement in Afghanistan,” Saeed Naqvi from the Observer Research Foundation think-tank told AFP. “Karzai is coming to India to confer on India the tag ‘reliable ally’... India will get the right to play a more pronounced role (in Afghanistan) after Karzai’s visit.” The Indian Express newspaper reported on Sunday that the Afghan leader would sign a “strategic partnership” agreement with Singh, his first such pact.

The proposed alliance, which foreign ministry officials declined to confirm, was said to include an Indian commitment to increase its training of Afghan security forces, including the police.

Indian involvement in Afghanistan is extremely sensitive because of the delicate and often deadly power games in South Asia. New Delhi, fearful of the return of an Islamist regime in Kabul, has ploughed billions of dollars of aid into the country to gain influence-raising suspicion in Pakistan which views Afghanistan as its backyard.

NEW DELHI: Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, right, and Afghanistan President Hamid Karzai pose before a meeting in New Delhi, India, yesterday. Karzai is on a two-day official visit to India. — AP But anger in Kabul about the recent death of former president and peace envoy Burhanuddin Rabbani-killed by a Pakistani citizen, according to Karzai’s office-is seen as pushing Afghanistan further into India’s orbit. “After all the destruction and misery, the double game towards Afghanistan and the use of terrorism as an excuse still continues,” Karzai said of Pakistan on Monday evening.

Karzai met Indian Foreign Minister S.M. Krishna later yesterday and then Singh. On Wednesday, he is set to deliver a speech on “ The Future of Afghanistan and South Asia.”

Indian political analyst Subhash Agrawal, head of India Focus, a private think-tank, said the visit was “very significant in light of

Afghanistan accusing Pakistan of being involved in the killing of Rabbani”.

“This visit creates more of a natural window for India to have a sustainable role in Afghanistan post-2014,” Agrawal told AFP. Some analysts fear, however, that a greater role for India would lead to a more intense and dangerous “proxy war” between it and nuclear-armed Pakistan on Afghan territory, with unpre dictable consequences.

New Delhi has repeatedly accused Pakistan of links to groups such as Lashkar-e-Taiba and the Haqqani network, which is accused of carrying out attacks in Afghanistan on Indian targets, including New Delhi’s embassy in Kabul. Any change in the AfghanIndian dynamic also comes amid

a sharp deterioration in ties between Pakistan and the US. Washington has accused Islamabad of covertly funding militant groups in Afghanistan, while the killing of Osama bin Laden by US troops on Pakistani territory in May also hit relations.

But C. Raja Mohan, senior analyst at the Centre For Policy Research in New Delhi, warned that neither India nor Afghanistan could afford to isolate Pakistan.

“Delhi and Kabul are realistic enough to know that there can be no lasting peace in Afghanistan without a measure of Pakistan’s support,” he wrote in the Indian Express. But, he said, “the Pakistan army may not be amenable at this stage to appeals from Delhi and Kabul for regional peace”. — AFP

Pakistan cops, protesters clash over power cuts ISLAMABAD: Protesters upset over severe electricity shortages clashed with police for a second day in eastern Pakistan yesterday, as the country’s main opposition leader used the issue to pressure the US-allied government.

Parts of Pakistan face power cuts of up to 18 hours per day, undermining the country’s weak economy and increasing hardship for citizens already facing a rampant Taleban insurgency.

Anger periodically boils over into violent protests.

Demonstrators threw stones at police yesterday in Gujranwala, a major industrial city of some 4 million people in Punjab province. Local television footage showed the police throwing some of the rocks back, lobbing tear gas, and charging the crowd with their batons.

Angry mobs had burned six electricity company offices in the city on the first day of rioting on Monday and set fire to several rooms in a police station, said Gujranwala police chief Ahsan Tufail.

Four teen policemen were injured in Monday’s clashes and 20 people were arrested, he said.

Demonstrators took to the streets in mostly peaceful protests in several other parts of Pakistan yesterday, including Faisalabad in Punjab and Peshawar, the main city in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.

The country’s main opposition leader, former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, lashed out at the government over the electricity shortages. “The country is facing a severe power crisis, but the government is sleeping and doing nothing for the last 15

months over this issue,” Sharif told reporters in Bahawalpur, another city in Punjab.

Pak istani Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani sought to deflect blame away from his government in an address to parliament on Monday, pointing his finger at the United States. He said that the US should help Pakistan solve its energy crisis if it wanted better ties.

Pakistan and the US are nominally close allies in the war against Islamist extremists, and Islamabad has received billions of dollars in military and civilian aid over the past decade, including money to help the country’s energy sector.

But the two countries have often clashed, and Pakistani officials regularly criticize the U.S. to divert attention away from their own government’s performance.

Analysts say Pakistan’s chronic electricity shortages are largely the result of the government not charging consumers enough and of customers, including the government, not paying their bills.

There are also problems with outdated transmission systems and bureaucratic infighting that has stalled power generation projects. The US is working with the Pak istani government to increase the power supply by constructing and rehabilitating six power plants, according to the US Embassy. This extra energy will eradicate 20 percent of Pakistan’s existing energy shortage, it said. But many analysts say a lasting solution to the countr y ’s power crisis must involve politically painful increases in electricity prices and forcing customers to pay their bills. — AP

A

y

e niv rsar n

Years

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 5, 2011

NEWS

‘Underwear bomber’ calls US a ‘cancer’

MANAMA: Bahraini riot police order a group of women to disperse when they tried to begin a planned human chain anti-government demonstration yesterday near the offices of the main Shiite opposition society Al-Wefaq, but authorities banned the gathering and a heavy police presence prevented it. Instead, those arriving switched to a traffic slowdown to show their displeasure, bringing vehicles to a crawl along a major highway. — AP

Syrian colonel flees to Turkey AMMAN: A Syrian colonel who has joined the revolt against President Bashar Al-Assad took refuge in Turkey yesterday in a move that may ratchet up tensions between Damascus and Ankara. Colonel Riad Al-Asaad told Turkey’s staterun Anatolian news agency he had been the target of a Syrian military crackdown in the Rastan region near the city of Homs, but had escaped. “We live in a safe place in Turkey,” he said, thanking the Turkish government for giving him refuge. Anatolian’s report was datelined Hatay in southern Turkey, where 7,000 Syrians have fled to escape Assad’s crackdown on protesters.

Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan, who has predicted the Syrian people will “sooner or later” overthrow Assad, his former friend, said he would unveil plans for sanctions against Syria after he visits Syrian refugees in Hatay in the next few days.

Turkey also announced a nine-day military exercise in Hatay, a territory long claimed by Syria, starting today. Syrian opposition groups meeting in Istanbul on Sunday appealed for international action to stop what they called indiscriminate killings of civilians by the Syrian authorities, but rejected any Libya-style military intervention.

The United States said it was encouraged by the opposition’s statements supporting non-violence, and blamed the mounting death toll on the Syrian authorities. At least 2,700 civilians have been killed

in Syria, by a UN count. Damascus blames foreignbacked armed gangs for the violence, saying 700 security force members have been killed. Asaad is the most senior Syrian officer to defect to the opposition since the popular revolt erupted in March.

After months of peaceful protests, some army deserters and dissidents have taken up arms, prompting military operations against them, especially in areas bordering Turkey and Jordan. “These are rugged or agricultural regions. The regime cannot control them unless it commits more troops, and then it risks more defections,” said one activist in the northwestern province of Idlib near Turkey.

Asaad, the military defector who leads the “Syrian Free Army”, said last week that 10,000 troops had deserted.

The authorities have denied any army defections, saying its military operations were a response to appeals by residents. “The real face of what is happening in Syria is that armed terrorist groups are continuing to kill and terrify citizens and kill army and police,” Information Minister Adnan Hammoud said. Assad retains control of the military, whose mostly Sunni Muslim rank and file are commanded by officers of his minority Alawite sect that also dominates the security apparatus.

Syria has largely closed its doors to independent media, making it hard to verify events, but a

trickle of desertions appears to have gathered pace in the last several weeks. In Hirak, a town in the southern province of Deraa, residents heard several hours of gunfire from a nearby Fifth Brigade army garrison after at least two soldiers deserted. Activists and human rights campaigners have reported growing number of summary executions of deserters and villagers who had sheltered them in Idlib in the past few weeks, with bodies turning up in woods tied up and shot in the head.

Fighting erupted in the rugged Jabal Al-Zawiya region of Idlib yesterday during army raids on the towns of Sarjeh and Shinan, where deserters were reported to have taken refuge, activists said, adding that at least two villagers were killed.

Military operations have focused on the area around the central city of Homs, 150 km north of Damascus, after security forces said on Saturday they had regained control of the nearby town of Rastan, on the Damascus-Aleppo highway.

Amnesty International said Syrian diplomats abroad are mounting campaigns of harassment and threats against expatriate dissidents protesting outside their embassies. It said embassy officials had filmed and threatened some protesters, and in some cases targeted their relatives in Syria for harassment, detention, torture and outright disappearance. — Reuters

Apple unveils iPhone 4S Continued from Page 1 seemed more muted than what Jobs had recently received. Cook said the latest iPhone, which came out in June 2010, sold more quickly than previous models, but the iPhone still has just 5 percent of the worldwide handset market. Apple is hoping to grow that with the new model.

Apple’s new mobile software, iOS 5, will also be available on Oct 12 for existing devices - the iPhone 4 and 3GS, both iPad models and later versions of the iPod Touch. Apple said Oct 12 will also mark the launch of its new iCloud service, which will store content such as music, documents, apps and photos on Apple’s servers and let people access them wirelessly on numerous devices.

Apple said the new phone will come in black or white. It will cost $199 for a 16 gigabyte-version, $299 for 32 GB and $399 for 64 GB - all with a two-year service contract requirement. It will now be available

through Sprint Nextel Corp, besides the existing carriers, AT&T Inc and Verizon Wireless. The previous version, iPhone 4, will now cost $99 for 8 GB. The 2009 model, the iPhone 3GS, will be given away for free with 8 GB. Both also require a two-year service contract.

Apple also touted the popularity of its products and unveiled a new line of iPods, including a Nano model with a multi-touch display that promises to be easier to navigate. Apple made no mention of its Classic model, which many people had speculated the company might discontinue. The event took place in Apple’s Town Hall room, where the first iPod was launched a decade ago. Cook said Apple has sold more than 300 million iPods worldwide so far, including 45 million in the 12 months through June. The iPhone came six years later and has gained millions of fans, thanks to its slick looks, high-resolution screen and intuitive software. There were 39 million iPhones sold in the first six months of this year. -— AP

DETROIT: The Nigerian man accused of trying to blow up a Detroit-bound flight on Christmas Day 2009 called the United States a “cancer” just before jury selection began yesterday in his trial. Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab, whose attempted bombing led to a further tightening of US aviation security, also blurted out “Anwar is alive” - an apparent reference to Al-Qaeda cleric Anwar Al-Awlaki who was linked to the defendant and killed by a US drone attack in Yemen last week.

Abdulmutallab, 24, is charged with attempting to detonate explosives sewn into his underpants as Northwest Flight 253 approached Detroit from Amsterdam.

The device malfunctioned and burned Abdulmutallab, who was then overpowered by other passengers. He faces life in prison if convicted. Abdulmutallab, a fluent English speaker who has said he wants to represent himself at the trial, was dressed in an oversized white T-shirt and sat quietly at his defense table as court was called to order.

US District Judge Nancy Edmunds advised him he might want to wear a shirt with a collar to make a better impression on jurors. At first, Abdulmutallab indicated he did not want to wear the Western clothes his court-appointed standby counsel had purchased for him, but acceded and court was adjourned briefly while US Marshals took him away to put on more formal clothes. When the court reconvened a few minutes later, Abdulmutallab was dressed in a black jacket with thin pinstripes over a tan-colored robe and baggy pants. He also was wearing a black skull cap.

Awlaki, a US-born Muslim cleric of Yemeni descent, was identified by US intelligence as “chief of external operations” for Al-Qaeda’s branch in Yemen.

Yemen-based Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula claimed responsibility for the botched airliner attack. The attempted bombing was also praised by Osama bin Laden in 2010, months before he was killed in a US commando raid in Pakistan.

Last month, Abdulmutallab muttered “Osama’s alive” to spectators as he was brought in for a hearing. He also mumbled “jihad” when the judge used the phrase “Al-Qaeda” as she read the charges against him.

The first potential juror, a former Detroit police officer, was quickly dismissed. When Edmunds asked the second, a secretary in the auto industry, if she thought she could

Scammers touting assets of deposed Arab...

Continued from Page 1 addition it relates to current events which gives it more credit,” said Avi Turiel, who works at Internet Security company Commtouch. “It allows the scammers to say something new - as opposed to the traditional scams which people might be familiar with.” Common ruses include pretending to be a businessman who needs to transfer large sums because they are being audited by the government or bank employees who need a proxy to transfer funds.

After Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak resigned from office in early February, the scammers pretend-

Continued from Page 1 “It is incomprehensible that innocents are being senselessly targeted,” Ban was quoted as saying by spokesman Martin Nesirky. “The secretary general is appalled by the vicious suicide bomb attack targeting government offices and ministries in Mogadishu today.”

The International Committee for the Red Cross said around 90 people had been hospitalised at Mogadishu’s Medina hospital. Most of the casualties were reported to be civilians, with local residents saying the bomb went off as students were queueing for scholarships offered

by Turkey. “The scene looks like something from World War II. This was total devastation,” said Abdullahi Aptidon, a resident at K4. “It was a powerful explosion and at first I thought it was a landmine, but the magnitude of the explosion made me imagine something different. This is the worst tragedy since civil war began in 1991.”

According to witnesses, the bomber managed to sneak deep into Mogadishu under the cover of transporting displaced civilians from a nearby camp. A Shabab official who did want to be named said one of their fighters carried out the attack. “One of our mujahidin made the sacrifice to kill TFG officials, the African Union troops and other informers who were in the compound,” he said.

Yesterday’s attack was the deadliest by the Shebab since multiple bombings in Kampala killed at least 76 people in July 2010. It was also their bloodiest in Somalia since the group formed around five years ago, largely in response to Ethiopia’s occupation. In a surprise move, the Shebab abandoned their positions in Mogadishu in early August, after years of attempting and failing to break the AU’s defences and take over the capital. They had vowed however that it was a tactical move and that

their struggle against the Western-backed Somali government would continue.

They pulled back to areas they already controlled in the south and west and observers had warned that the Shabab could be reverting to hit-and-run guerrilla tactics. “Although the extremists have left the capital, it is very difficult to prevent these types of terrorist attacks which we have consistently warned are likely to be on the increase,” said Augustine Mahiga, the UN representative for Somalia, also condemning the attack. AU and pro-government forces had re-asserted their authority over most of the capital and the Shebab’s withdrawal had led to a relative lull in violence.

The Shabab have rekindled their insurgency on several fronts almost simultaneously, with clashes also reported in western and southern regions. They launched an attack late Monday in the city of Dhusamareb, which lies in western Somalia near the border with Ethiopia and is the main stronghold of Ahlu Sunna wal Jamaa, a Sufi militia allied to the government.

The UN refuge agency also reported violence in Dhobley, a town on Somalia’s southern border with Kenya and said the clashes were “further exacerbating the already severe humanitarian situation”. “We have received initial, unconfirmed reports of deaths and scores of injured people,” said Adrian Edwards, spokesman for the UN High Commissioner for Refugees.

Dhobley is under the control of forces from the selfdeclared state of Azania, an anti-Shabab militia reportedly backed by Kenya to create a buffer zone along the troubled frontier. The UN Security Council last week urged the AU to increase its 9,000 troops propping up the Somali government. The Horn of African country has lacked a central authority since plunging into a deadly civil war with the 1991 ouster of president Mohamed Siad Barre. — AFP

ed to be members of Mubarak’s family, his accountant and family lawyers. An email from a fraudster pretending to be Mubarak’s wife, Suzanne, appealed to recipients’ conscience. She had “been thrown into a state of antagonism, confusion, humiliation, frustration and hopelessness by the present military leadership of the Egyptian Liberation Organization ... As a woman that is so traumatized, I have lost confidence with everybody in the country at the moment”. The phony Suzanne Mubarak writes that she is looking for foreign assistance to entrust over a million dollars as “the Muslim community has no

regards for women”.

After Gaddafi went into hiding, a surge of similar scam emails appeared. They purport to come from members of the Gaddafi family who are trying to move money out of the country. “We’ve certainly been seeing a lot of these (for want of a better word) Arab Spring 419 scams since things kicked off over there,” Graham Cluley, who writes for the Sophos ‘Naked Security’ blog. “Of course, most people ... wouldn’t fall for a scam like this but there are vulnerable people out there who have lost large amounts of money because they have been duped by a scam email.” — Reuters

Studies of universe’s expansion win Nobel Continued from Page 1

70 dead in Mogadishu car bombing carnage

Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab withhold judgment unless the government established Abdulmutallab’s guilt beyond a reasonable doubt, she said, “I don’t think so. “He tried to kill 300 innocent people ... I feel he’s very guilty.”

Edmunds said final jury selection - 12 jurors and four alternates - would take place tomorrow afternoon. By midday, nine women and two men had made the preliminary grade and four had been excused.

The judge, the attorneys - and at one point, Abdulmutallab himself - quizzed most of the potential jurors on the answer they gave to one question on the preliminary questionnaire: “If you are selected to serve as a juror on the case, would you be concerned about reactions to the verdict by anyone?” Abdulmutallab asked one juror if she agreed that an angry reaction could be triggered by a not guilty verdict as well as a guilty verdict. She agreed, and neither side dismissed her from the pool.

Abdulmutallab, who studied at University College, London, is charged with eight felonies, including conspiracy to commit an act of terrorism, attempted murder and attempted use of a weapon of mass destruction. Opening statements are scheduled to begin on Oc. 11. The trial is expected to last about one month after that. In the aftermath of the failed Christmas Day bombing, the United States authorized the targeted killing of Awlaki.

Major Nidal Malik Hasan, a US Army psychiatrist accused of killing 13 people at Fort Hood, Texas, in November 2009, also allegedly had links to Awlaki. — Reuters

Perlmutter, 52, won half of the 10 million Swedish kronor ($1.48 million) prize. Schmidt, who heads the High-z Supernova Search Team at the Australian National University, shared the other half with Riess, a professor of Astronomy and Physics at the Johns Hopk ins University in Baltimore, Maryland. When hearing the news, Schmidt told Swedish public broadcaster SVT winning

“sort of feels like when my children were born”. Reached by AFP at his home in Canberra, the US-born physicist said the win “certainly was a big surprise”.

While Schmidt and Riess are considered young to have won a Nobel, they are far from being the youngest. That honour went to Laurence Bragg who won the 1915 prize for Physics at the age of just 25. Perlmutter told Swedish public radio by phone the news of the prize was “wonder ful”. “It’s also

wonderful to hear that it’s shared with the other team, since it seems like such a community activity that we all did together,” he added. All three laureates shared the Shaw Prize in Astronomy (worth $1 million) in 2006. Riess and Perlmutter also won the Albert Einstein Medal in February this year. The trio will receive their Nobel Prize at a formal ceremony in Stockholm on Dec 10, the anniversary of prize founder Alfred Nobel’s death in 1896. — AFP

Oppn calls on supporters to attend rally Continued from Page 1 The participation of the National Bloc is crucial for the success of any potential non-cooperation motion that is likely to follow the grilling. Such a motion requires 25 votes to pass and the opposition has so far around 20 MPs and desperately needs the support of the six MPs of the National Bloc. Mislem acknowledged that there are differences among the various groups of the opposition, but stressed that all should be united toward this national cause in order to prevent a national catastrophe “if we do not stop the prime minister”. The lawmaker also appealed to all political groups, opposition MPs, writers and others to unite for the sake of the country and “our children”.

Meanwhile, the Islamic Constitutional Movement and the three liberal groups, National Democratic Alliance, the Democratic Forum and the Progressive Movement, all appealed to their supporters to attend today’s rally. On his part, head of the Salaf Movement Fuhaid Al-Hailam said fighting against corruption is

the responsibility of the whole society and protecting public funds is a national duty. Hailam said that the best way to express rejection to such practices is by attending today’s rally, adding that the Kuwaiti people are required to make serious moves so that their voice reaches the decision-makers to take the appropriate decision to curb rife corruption.

Also, Islamist MP Waleed Al-Tabtabaei said that a number of leading figures have been invited to attend today’s rally like former MPs Hamad Al-Jouaan, Ahmad Al-Khateeb and Ahmad Baqer, besides MPs Ahmad Al-Saadoun and Khaled Al-Sultan. He added that Jouaan has apologized because of his illness and organizers still expected others to attend.

In another development, Shiite MP Saleh Ashour warned that he will file a request to grill Interior Minister Sheikh Ahmad Al-Hmoud Al-Sabah if he fails to answer 20 questions he asked a few weeks ago.

Ashour said that he is still waiting for the answers, and “if I find the answers are not convincing, I will also file to grill the minister.”

14

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 5, 2011

opinion

THE LEADING INDEPENDENT DAILY IN THE ARABIAN GULF ESTABLISHED 1961

Founder and Publisher

YOUSUF S. AL-ALYAN Editor-in-Chief

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

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

Issues

US strikes are hallmarks of stealthier war

By Phil Stewart ive months of successful strikes against Al-Qaeda leaders reflect an increasingly precise, covert US counterterrorism campaign that appears to be reaching critical mass after years of heavy investment. The death of Anwar Al-Awlaki in a CIA drone strike in Yemen on Friday followed about a month of crucial intelligence gathered on one of the highest-value US targets, one US official told Reuters, speaking on condition of anonymity. But the intelligence footwork goes back much further.

President Barack Obama has vastly expanded the covert US war on violent Islamist militants, expanding not just drone strikes, but also the footprint of a beefed-up US military Special Forces corps. Meanwhile, the CIA and Special Forces, with distinctly different cultures and operating styles, have learned to work closely in ways that seemed impossible in the immediate aftermath of the Sept 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. Recent counter-terrorism successes in Yemen and Pakistan were the result less of some sudden breakthrough, than they were the gradual accumulation of these changes, said one senior US official with knowledge of the operations. “The difference now is (that) years of accumulated experience getting inside and degrading Al-Qaeda is paying increasing dividends,” the official told Reuters.

Both drones and special operations forces have played a role in the latest string of high-profile victories, blurring the lines between CIA and military operations in the common pursuit of terrorism suspects. In August Al-Qaeda’s secondin-command, Atiyah abd Al-Rahman was killed in a drone strike in northwest Pakistan. Ilyas Kashmiri, an alleged leader of both Al-Qaeda and one of its Pakistan-based affiliates, was killed in a suspected US drone strike in June. This follows the killing of Osama bin Laden in a covert raid into Pakistan by elite Navy SEALs in May, which led Defense Secretary Leon Panetta to declare the strategic defeat of AlQaeda was within reach.

Improved coordination between the CIA and special operations forces has been key, said Juan Zarate, a White House counter-terrorism adviser to former President George W Bush. “There has been an enormous improvement for collaboration on intelligence gathering and our ability to action against intelligence, based on work in Afghanistan and Iraq,” Zarate said. The strike that killed Awlaki, who had proved a frustrating quarry until recent weeks, was another sign of the maturing use of US drone technology and investment. That has helped quicken the pace of killings of key AlQaeda leaders, particularly in the lawless tribal areas of Pakistan.

“We’ve moved from the type of warfare where identifying the enemy is easy and killing him is difficult to the kind of warfare where identifying and locating him is the difficult bit,” said John Nagl, a retired US Army officer and president of the Center for New American Security think tank. As Obama wraps up the land war in Iraq this year and starts to withdraw troops from Afghanistan, the use of drone technology is expected to become an increasingly attractive option for finding and eliminating terrorism suspects in hard-to-reach places. So will the use of elite US military special operations forces, whose numbers have nearly doubled since Sept 11.

CIA drone strikes have been taking out lower-level AlQaeda leaders in Pakistan’s tribal areas for years before Rahman’s killing. But in Aug 2010 US official signaled plans to put the same kind of pressure on Al-Qaeda’s Yemenbased affiliate, known as Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula.

The United States now has access to facilities in countries near Yemen including Saudi Arabia from which it can launch drones and ground-based intelligence and counter-terrorism operations, a US official said.

Those could prove invaluable as Yemen’s internal unrest increases the risk that militants from Al-Qaeda may seek to deepen their presence in the country. The senior US official stressed that the Yemeni government’s counter-terrorism program has remained strong despite the turmoil there.

Other US officials have said that during the last several years, the US has also stepped up its own efforts to collect intelligence and conduct operations in Yemen.

But US drones don’t only operate in Pakistan and Yemen.

The CIA now operates Predator and Reaper unmanned aircraft over at least five countries including Afghanistan, Somalia and Libya. The unmanned aircraft are an attractive option outside declared theaters of war and one which the Obama administration has clearly embraced. “The thing that made a difference (for the US campaign against Al-Qaeda) is the drone technology itself and the clear policy decision to rely fairly heavily on this in the absence of a lot of other good alternatives,” said Paul Pillar, a former top CIA analyst now at Georgetown University. — Reuters

F

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

China shuns politics in Afghanistan

By Zhou Xin he Chinese passengers boarding the weekly Ariana Flight 332 from the remote western city of Urumqi to Kabul speak volumes about ties between a rising China, the world’s number two economy, and its desperately poor and unstable neighbour, Afghanistan. Of at least nine Chinese, six were heading for a China-funded copper mine, two were working for a Chinese telecom equipment maker and one was the boss of a Chinese restaurant, struggling to check in several boxes of illicit supplies, from alcohol to frozen pork.

“The situation is not as bad as news reports suggest, and I am hoping to make money,” said Li Xiaofeng, the restaurant owner, who is from the eastern Chinese province of Zhejiang and opened his restaurant in Kabul last year. He is contributing to a tiny but growing trade flow between China and Afghanistan, which many in Kabul hope could be the country’s financial salvation as Western troops head home. Bilateral trade between China and Afghanistan is currently just a fraction of trade with other “stans” - the turnover of $114.9 million in the year through July was 2 percent of Sino-Pakistan trade.

But the rich mineral reserves lying untapped in Afghanistan after decades of war are a tempting and potentially lucrative lure for resource-hungry China, whose companies have already shown an ability to operate profitably in hostile environments. A Chinese consortium in 2008 won Afghanistan’s first major mining contract, a deal to develop the Aynak copper deposits. The state-owned parent company of Metallurgical Corp of China Ltd (MCC) and China’s largest copper producer, Jiangxi Copper , are developing the mine, estimated to hold up to nine million tonnes.

The project is the biggest component of plans to wean Afghanistan off foreign aid that currently makes up most of the government budget. But progress has been slower than

T

expected. “Officials in Kabul always said yes, but on the site, there are always a lot of problems to handle,” one MCC official, who asked for anonymity, told Reuters. MCC said in a statement that construction workers were currently idle as archaeological preservation works on a Buddhist monastery were under way. The slow development may actually suit some officials back in Beijing, who are anxious to avoid a military or security role in the central Asian country. China wants to stay out of the diplomatic spotlight in Afghanistan, said He Ming, deputy dean at East China Normal University’s international studies college, who recently held an academic conference on Afghanistan. “It’s quite dangerous for China to play an active role in Afghanistan,” he said, referring to the expense and controversy that followed most foreign intervention in Afghanistan in recent decades - whether Soviet or Westernled. “It’s okay for Chinese companies to start up projects there, but if you are talking about political influence ... I don’t think China has the necessary conditions and abilities.”

Beijing’s ambiguous attitude to Kabul shows in official hesitance to open the border with Afghanistan. The frontier lies on a remote 76-km stretch of land at the end of the narrow valleys of the Wakhan Corridor. But a dirt road leading up near China’s side of a high pass -reputedly used by Marco Polo - is not matched on the Afghan side, where farmers and herders still live much as they did centuries ago.

China fears the spread of Islamist militancy from Afghanistan into its restive Western Xinjiang region, home to millions of Uighur Muslims, and instability in Afghanistan. So it has an interest in Afghanistan’s future, but has also watched the Soviet Union and the United States flounder there. As a result, Beijing plans to steer well clear of serious political or military engagement. “China hopes there will be peace in Afghanistan, but as for what conditions there should be for peace, China has no seat on the negotiating table,” said Ye

Hailin, a researcher with the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences in Beijing.

He added that Pakistan, rather than Afghanistan, was always Beijing’s top choice for exerting influence in the region.

“In China, the phrase ‘Af-Pak’ does not exist,” he said, referring to a term often used by Western diplomats and policy-makers, who consider the neighbours and their problems so closely linked they should be tackled together. “Pakistan is a big Muslim sovereign nation; Afghanistan is a war-torn country eagerly awaiting reconstruction.”

But the wait-and-see stance of Beijing when it comes to politics and security has not deterred Chinese firms’ hunt for precious resources and profit. In September, the China National Petroleum Corp (CNPC), China’s state-owned oil giant, was chosen as a preferred bidder for an oil field in northern Afghanistan. “China has no choice, it has to go out to find resources to ensure energy security,” said Lin Boqiang, director of think-tank the Center for Chinese Energy Economics Research. “For China’s state oil giants, they know clearly that they must take the risks, including risks in Afghanistan.” Chinese firms already have a stake in nearly 40 projects in Afghanistan, with contracts worth nearly $500 million at the end of June, according to Wu Gangchen, the commercial counselor at the Chinese Embassy. “Reconstruction means markets, reconstruction means opportunity,” Wu was quoted as saying in a recent interview with Beijing-based newspaper the International Business Daily. He urged Chinese investors to keep their eyes open for possible deals in Afghanistan, particularly in the sectors of “energy, infrastructure, trade, service and processing.” CNPC appears to agree, and if it can finalise its intended oil deal with Kabul as expected in mid-October, it would be a good news for national airline Ariana as well. On the sunny Thursday flight, only about a third of the seats were taken. — Reuters

China to keep Pakistan at arm’s length

By Sui-Lee Wee akistan, facing a crisis with the United States, has leaned closely to longtime partner China, offering its “all-weather friendship” with Beijing as an alternative to Washington. But Pakistan will be disappointed if it hopes to replace American patronage with the same from China. While China does not welcome the US presence near its border, it wants stability on its western flank and believes an abrupt withdrawal of Washington’s support for Pakistan could imperil that. It also does not want to upset warming relations with India by getting mired in subcontinent security tension.

Maintaining that delicate balance, China will continue supporting economic cooperation with Pakistan but go slow on defence cooperation. While outwardly all smiles and warm pledges of friendship, China will quietly keep things at arm’s length. “I think they see what’s going on in the US-Pakistan front at the moment as reason to tread very carefully,” said Andrew Small, a researcher at the German Marshall Fund think-tank in Brussels who studies China-Pakistan ties and often visits both countries. “They are taking extra care to make sure that what’s going on in the relationship is correctly understood, not reflecting any willingness to rush in or fill the gap or exploit differences.”

Pakistan’s brittle relationship with the United States, its major donor, has turned openly rancorous. Washington accused Pakistan’s powerful ISI spy agency of directly backing the Afghan Taliban-allied Haqqani network and of providing support for a Sept 13 attack on the US mission in Kabul. Pakistan has angrily rejected the accusation and warned the United States that it risked losing an ally if it kept publicly criticising them over militant groups.

Meanwhile, as it often does in times of crisis, Pakistan has been trumpeting its ties with China. Pakistan’s Prime Minister Yusuf Raza Gilani declared Beijing and Islamabad were “true friends and we count on each other” after talks with China’s visiting public security minister, Meng Jianzhu. President Asif Ali Zardari stressed the point last week that Pakistan had other options should its

P

deteriorating relationship with Washington prove beyond repair, and pointedly praised China for its assistance in “stabilising the situation”.

Publicly at least, China has gone out of its way to reassure Pakistan. In May, just weeks after US forces killed Osama bin Laden on Pakistani soil, Premier Wen Jiabao reassured visiting Gilani of their longstanding friendship and spoke of the “huge sacrifices” Pakistan had made in the global struggle against terrorism. A Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman echoed that

“China does not have that ability, nor does the US or any other country. It all depends on Pakistan itself.” China regards Pakistan as an important strategic counterweight against its longstanding rival, India, and a hedge against US influence across the region. It also wants to use Pakistan as a gateway to the Muslim world and needs Islamabad’s help to combat Islamist separatists in its far-western Xinjiang region on their common border. China is a major supplier of military hardware to Pakistan and also a major investor in areas such as

Chinese Public Security Minister Meng Jianzhu (left) meets Pakistan’s Prime Minister Yusuf Raza Gilani in Islamabad Sept 27, 2011. — AP line just last week, saying “Pakistan is on the front lines in the fight against terrorism” and China hoped “the relevant countries respect every country’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.”

But China’s assistance also has limits.

“The ‘all-weather friendship’ doesn’t mean that all of Pakistan’s bills should be paid by us,” said Zhao Gancheng, director of South Asia studies at the Shanghai Institute for International Studies.

telecommunications, ports and infrastructure. But China’s leaders have no desire to turn that limited stake in Pakistan into a heavy security footprint. “The partnership is as deep as it needs to be for China,” Scott Harold, associate political scientist at the RAND Corporation, said. “They’ve got what they want diplomatically and economically.” During Meng’s visit last week, Beijing bolstered its cooperation with Pakistan, with the signing of $250 million in econom-

ic and technical agreements, Zardari’s office said.

Many of Beijing’s deals with Pakistan have had a strategic payoff in helping to balance US influence in the region. China invested more than $200 million to help build the deep-sea Gwadar port on Pakistan’s Arabian Sea coast, partly with a view to opening an energy and trade corridor from the Gulf, across Pakistan to western China. China also helped Pakistan build its main nuclear power generation facility at Chashma in Punjab province. Two reactors are in operation and two more are planned. Analysts say China pointedly agreed to expand the Chashma complex to counter a 2008 nuclear energy deal between India and the United States.

But Beijing appears much less interested in a bilateral defence accord, despite a report by Pakistan media that Islamabad had been secretly lobbying for such an agreement. “I don’t think that’s the sort of space that the Chinese want to get into,” said Small of the German Marshall Fund. “I don’t see why they would suddenly want to be stuck with the liability of Pakistan, particularly vis-a-vis India, given the way Pakistan has behaved in a number of crisis situations.”

In each of Pakistan’s wars with India, China has been fairly restrained, to the point of being almost neutral. Analysts say China is wary about tilting the relationship too much in favour of Pakistan, to avoid offending India, with which China wants to develop better economic ties. Annual two-way trade with India was worth $65.2 billion in 2010, compared with bilateral trade with Pakistan of $8.7 billion, according to Chinese statistics.

Ultimately, Beijing has little to gain from a rift between Islamabad and Washington, experts say. “If US-Pakistan relations deteriorate, and the region falls into instability, China will not be able to shoulder the responsibility by itself and other regional actors will have a difficult time cooperating to restore stability,” said Hu Shisheng, an expert on South Asia at the China Institutes of Contemporary International Relations think-tank. “The US still has to be responsible for the stability of this region.” — Reuters

A

y

e niv rsar n

Years

Barca’s Iniesta fit to play MADRID: Barcelona midfielder Andres Iniesta has been given the all-clear after three weeks out with a muscle tear, the Spanish and European champions said yesterday.

The Spain playmaker, who will miss his national team’s Euro 2012 qualifiers against Czech Republic on Friday and Scotland on Tuesday, should be back for Barca’s La Liga game at home to Racing Santander a week on Saturday. Champions Spain have qualified for the Euro 2012 finals in Ukraine and Poland with two matches to spare. “After pulling a hamstring against AC Milan on September 13, Iniesta is back to full fitness,” Barca said in a statement on their website (www.fcbarcelona.cat).

Barca have suffered a string of injuries in recent weeks, with midfielders Cesc Fabregas (hamstring) and Ibrahim Afellay (knee surgery), forward Alexis Sanchez (thigh) and defender Eric Abidal (hamstring) all sidelined.

Abidal was not as badly hurt as feared in Sunday’s La Liga game at Sporting Gijon and was able to join up with the France squad, Barca said yesterday.—Reuters

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 5, 2011

sp orts

Watson to continue as opener in S Africa SYDNEY: Australia captain Michael Clarke has confirmed his deputy Shane Watson will continue to open the batting in South Africa, despite media reports claiming the allrounder was contemplating a move down the order to revive his form.

The rigor of opening for Australia and bowling regularly appears to have taken a toll on Watson’s batting with the right-hander managing just 85 runs in three tests in last month’s 1-0 series victory in Sri Lanka.

In a recent interview, Watson said moving down the batting order might reduce his workload and suit

the side but his captain believes otherwise.

“My mind hasn’t changed since Sri Lanka,” Clarke told reporters in Sydney yesterday. “Right now, I think he’s best for the team opening the batting and that’s certainly where he’ll bat in South Africa.”

New South Wales coach Anthony Stuart has been quoted in the Indian media as saying they would not ask Watson to bowl in the ongoing Twenty20 Champions League tournament in southern India after receiving a request from Cricket Australia.—Reuters

‘Qualify first, drink later’ MOSCOW: Russia coach Dick Advocaat will allow his players to go on a drinking binge next week if they qualify for the Euro 2012 finals. “(Next) Tuesday evening they can drink as much as they want,” the Dutchman told reporters on Tuesday ahead of the decisive Group B qualifier in Slovakia on Friday. Russia (17 points), who lead second-placed Ireland by two points with Armenia and Slovakia a further point adrift, then host last-placed Andorra in their final match next Tuesday. Two years ago, the Russian media accused some of the national squad of drinking and smoking a hookah pipe ahead of a 2010 World Cup playoff second-leg tie in Slovenia.

After winning the first leg 2-1 in Moscow, the Russians, then led by Advocaat’s compatriot Guus Hiddink, were eliminated on away goals after losing the return match 1-0 in Maribor. The players vigorously denied the accusations with the Berezutsky brothers, Vasily and Alexei, taking their battle to court in order to clear their names.—Reuters

Napoli helps Rangers beat Rays

MILWAUKEE: Brewers’ Nyjer Morgan reacts after hitting a two-run scoring single during the sixth inning of Game 2 of baseball’s National League division series against the Arizona Diamondbacks. —AP

Morgan keeps up antics in NLDS MILWAUKEE: Nyjer Morgan is making a name - or two - for himself. Milwaukee’s eccentric center fielder has spawned no less than four alter egos this season from Tony Plush to Tony Hush, and they’re all helping to keep the Brewers loose as they take a 2-0 lead in their NL division series to Arizona for Game 3 late yesterday.

“It’s good when you have a lot of different personalities on your team. They all draw from each other. They don’t feel like the spotlight’s just on one guy. I think it’s really healthy,” Brewers manager Ron Roenicke said.

“It’s an awful boring team if you have guys with no personalities.”

Morgan insists he’s Plush when he steps on the field because he’s an entertainer, and all entertainers need stage identities. Out of Plush’s persona have come characters like Tony Tombstone, Tony Gumble and Tony Hush.

Morgan’s antics have mostly helped the Brewers. All-Star sluggers Prince Fielder and Ryan Braun let their play do the talking.

Morgan handles everything else.

While Braun and Fielder have started this NLDS a combined 9 of 16 with two homers and six RBIs, Morgan is making a mark, too.

In Game 1, he initially couldn’t see a drive

by Lyle Overbay in the seventh inning with sunlight filtering through Miller Park’s windows, but caught it at the warning track and crashed hard into the wall during Milwaukee’s 4-1 win.

In the Brewers’ five-run rally in the sixth inning of Game 2, Morgan lashed the first pitch he saw for a two-run single in a 9-4 victory that put Milwaukee on the cusp of its first postseason series victory since 1982.

“It’s huge with the home-field advantage in our park,” Morgan said. “But we’ve got to go there and take care of business and try to come home late yesterday.”

Morgan hit .304 and scored 61 runs in 119 regular-season games, batting in front of Braun and Fielder in his role as the left-handed hitter in a center-field platoon. He has also played exceptional defense.

Trying to explain Morgan’s mind is harder.

The 31-year-old has enough personalities for an entire team. While he’s carried the moniker “ Tony Plush” for a dozen years as a joke among friends in the San Francisco Bay area, Milwaukee fans have made him their own.

“I can’t sugarcoat it for anybody. This is who I am. I’m going to be out there, I’m going to go out and have fun,” Morgan said. “I might get under people’s skin a little bit. But as long as it’s for the right things and I’m out there hustling, doing what I am supposed to do to win for my organization, then I’m going to be me.” He certainly has been irritating to opponents.

In July in San Francisco, he made a gesture to signify two outs in an inning that Giants fans took as a crude sign, and Morgan and the fans got into a heated discussion.

That incident, Roenicke said, drew a phone call from Joe Torre, Major League Baseball’s executive vice president of baseball operations.

Morgan also has had a season-long feud with the Cardinals and ace Chris Carpenter.

The talk between the two during a game in

August became so heated that third base umpire Mike Estabrook warned Morgan.

Then last month, Morgan struck out and threw a wad of tobacco after he and Carpenter swore at each other. Albert Pujols got involved as the benches emptied. No punches were thrown, but Morgan insulted Pujols on his Twitter handle, TheRealTPlush, and posted that he hoped the Cardinals enjoyed watching the Brewers in the playoffs.

Instead, St. Louis has joined them as the NL wild card and beat Philadelphia 5-4 on Sunday night to even their series at a game apiece.

The run-ins are a far cry from the laughs Morgan draws in the clubhouse when he dresses up like a cowboy (Tony Tombstone) as part of a road trip theme or acts like a professional broadcaster ( Tony Gumble) in postgame interviews.

“I’m an entertainer and I’m going to make things happen,” Morgan said. “You’ve got to make good things happen for the team and everything. Everything seems to be working out.” It’s led to a group that has stayed grounded despite the postseason pressure.

“We have fun from the time we get to the ballpark to the time that we leave. And I think it helps keep everybody loose. It really helps to keep our minds off of the magnitude of the games that we’re playing,” Braun said. “We’ve done a really good job all year just showing up here, having a good time, laughing, smiling, talking trash and having fun.”

Roenicke said there’s more to Morgan than zany characters and impromptu outbursts.

“This is really a good young man. I know he’s emotional, I know sometimes he does some things that he shouldn’t do,” the first-year manager said. “He’s a big part of, I think, the chemistry of what’s going on with this club.”

Morgan understands he walks a fine line at times and tries hard not to disappoint Roenicke or become a distraction.

“There’s times where he gives me that look, where it’s like, ‘Hey, Nyj, kind of tone it down a little bit,’” Morgan said. “He let’s me be me, and he understands me. Being able to have somebody like that in your corner is pretty solid.”

The club and fans feed off Morgan’s energy on the field, and when Plush became “Tony Hush” following the second Cardinals incident, the Brewers tightened up as the division lead dwindled to 41/2 games.

Morgan slumped, hitting .207 over a 10-game stretch before finally breaking his silence on Twitter on Sept. 20.

“T-Hush tha weather man is gone! He had to battle tha T-Plush storm and still made it through the dense fog! I’m back!!!

Aaaaahhhhh!!!”

Three days later, Milwaukee clinched its first division title in 29 years. Morgan contributed that night with a hit. He batted .300 over the final week of the season, and has kept rolling from there. “The key thing is to go out there and have fun,” Morgan said. “Even though it’s at the highest stage right now, you have to go out there and have fun. They tell us that from Little League kids all the way to now: Go out there and have fun, do everything you need to do and everything takes care of itself.”—AP

ST. PETERSBURG: From part-time starter earlier in his career to an important cog on a team trying to get back to the World Series, Texas catcher Mike Napoli is having quite a season.

The offseason acquisition helped the Rangers take a 2-1 lead in their AL division series Monday night, going 2 for 3 with a go-ahead homer, throwing out a runner and even stealing a base in a 4-3 victory over the Tampa Bay Rays.

The defending AL champions will try to wrap up the best-of-five matchup Tuesday at Tropicana Field, sending left-hander Matt Harrison to the mound against rookie Jeremy Hellickson.

The Rangers have won four consecutive ALDS road games - all against the Rays. A fifth will put them in the AL championship series for the second straight year.

Napoli, who batted .320 with 30 homers and 75 RBIs in 113 games during the regular season, is one of the reasons they like their chances of reaching the World Series again.

“He’s gotten so many big hits for us this year, you just would shudder to think where we’d be without him,” Rangers CEO and president Nolan Ryan said.

“I feel good at the plate,” added Napoli, who’s done plenty of damage against the Rays since joining Texas after being traded twice within five days in January. “I’m glad I can contribute and help us win.”

Napoli singled and stole a base in the second.

He hit a two-run homer off All-Star David Price for a 2-1 lead in the seventh, then threw out B.J. Upton trying to steal second to help a shaky bullpen thwart Tampa Bay’s bid to overcome a three-run hole over the final three innings.

Texas manager Ron Washington is tickled to have the former Los Angeles Angel, who spent less than a week on Toronto’s roster before landing with the Rangers.

Rays manager Joe Maddon, who’s known Napoli since the 29-year-old was a minor leaguer in the Angels system, proclaimed this to be “the year of the Napoli.”

“He is just hot,” said Maddon, who watched Napoli go 9 for 20 with three homers and seven RBI’s in five games at Tropicana Field this season.

“And he got a pitch.” Washington said the catcher has been “very special for us.”

“I think it has a lot to do with the atmosphere that he’s in. It has a lot to do with the work ethic that he brings,” Washington said. “He’s a dirt bag.

He is a baseball player. He really is. We always knew he had power, we always knew he had onbase percentage, and this year he put it together as far as average-wise goes.”

The Rangers went 42-15 in his 57 starts at catcher, and Napoli set career highs for homers, runs, RBIs, total bases, walks and doubles.

Told that Texas designated hitter Michael Young recently described him as one of the best players in baseball right now, Napoli said the comment meant a lot.

“I work hard every day. ... I’m trying to get better every day,” he said. “So just hearing that from him is nice.” Playing in front of the first sellout at home since opening day and hoping to recapture the magic of clinching the AL wild card in the regular-season finale, Tampa Bay got a pair of solo home runs from rookie Desmond Jennings.

The Rays kept it interesting by scoring twice off Rangers relievers before Neftali Feliz got four outs for his second save of the series.

Texas third baseman Adrian Beltre, playing deep and guarding the line to prevent a double in the ninth, started an around-the-horn double play on Kelly Shoppach’s grounder to end it.

“It was three of the toughest innings that we experienced all year. ... I am just so happy we were able to get the 27th out,” Washington said of the late-game drama.

Lately, opponents have found that difficult to do against Tampa Bay. “Believe me, this thing is not over,” Maddon said. “You have seen what we have done over the past month.”

The Rays made up a nine-game deficit on Boston in the wild-card standings after Sept. 3

and claimed their third postseason berth in four years by overcoming a seven-run deficit to beat the Yankees and edge the Red Sox for the playoff spot on Evan Longoria’s dramatic homer last Wednesday in the 12th inning.

And just as Tampa Bay rallied to stay in the game Monday night, Maddon expects his team to bounce back again in Game 4.

“We’ll get back out there ... win that game, take it back to Texas,” Maddon added. “I talked in the beginning of the season of doing it in another way. We’re set up for it.”

Price lost twice to Cliff Lee and the Rangers in the 2010 ALDS and welcomed the opportunity to try to redeem himself against the only AL opponent he’s yet to beat in his career.

The left-hander shrugged off a poor outing in his last regular-season start to take a 1-0 lead

stint in last year’s ALDS. He followed that with an eight-inning performance to beat Price and the Rays on June 1.

But the Rangers’ bullpen nearly let a threerun lead slip away.

Johnny Damon, Ben Zobrist and Casey Kotchman singled to load the bases against reliever Darren Oliver in the seventh. Damon scored when pinch-hitter Sean Rodriguez grounded out, and the Rangers escaped further damage when the second pitcher of the inning, Alexi Ogando, induced pinch-hitter Sam Fuld to hit a roller to second base.

The Rays weren’t finished. Jennings led off the eighth with his second homer, trimming Texas’ lead to 4-3. Mike Adams walked Upton, who was caught stealing, and then walked Longoria and Matt Joyce to get himself into

ST PETERSBURG: Texas Rangers Nelson Cruz (17) breaks his bat in the eighth inning against the Texas Rangers, during Game 3 of baseball’s American League division series. —AP into the seventh, thanks to Jennings’ fourthinning homer off Lewis.

Beltre singled leading off the seventh against Price and took second on a wild pitch. The crowd of 32,828 fell silent when Napoli lifted a 2-2 pitch into the seats in left-center for a 2-1 advantage.

Josh Hamilton extended the lead with a two-run single off reliever J.P. Howell.

As good as Price was early, the Rangers’ Colby Lewis was better in limiting the Rays to one hit over six innings to improve to 4-0 in five career postseason starts.

Jennings’ first homer was the only hit off the right-hander, who had worked 16 consecutive scoreless innings against the Rays up to that point - a stretch that began with a five-inning

trouble again.

The Rangers wiggled off the hook when Michael Gonzales struck out Damon, and Feliz came on to fan Zobrist with the tying and goahead runs in scoring position.

The Texas closer got Zobrist on a check-swing on an 82 mph curve, one pitch after the Rays hitter fouled off a 100 mph fastball.

“We never feel like we’re out of a game, especially this close. We feel we always have a chance until the last out is made,” Jennings said.

Indeed, the Rays had the Rangers riding an emotional roller coaster the last three innings. “I was a nervous wreck,” a relieved Ryan said.

“That’s probably as stressful a game as I’ve sat through.”—AP

Kuwait shooters fit and raring to go

By Abdellatif Sharaa KUWAIT: President of the Arab Shooting Federation, and member of ISSF Administrative Council Eng. Duaij Al-Otaibi thanked HH the Crown Prince on behalf of the chairman, board members and the entire Kuwait Shooting Community for the special interest and unlimited support to the shooting sport.

Al-Otaibi said HH the Crown Prince Sheikh Nawaf Al-Ahmad AlSabah contributes a lot to motivating shooters to keep winning in the name of their country, and that is clear in HH’s reaction when Kuwait shooters win medals.

Al-Otaibi who was speaking on

the occasion of holding HH the Crown Prince Shooting tournament during the coming weekend said, it is evident that competition will be strong at all levels, as shooters are totally fit and eager to start the season on a good note.

He said the tournament comes ahead of the fourth Asian Airgun and Pistol tournament to be held in Kuwait in two weeks time, as the best shooters from Asia will participate. Al-Otaibi wished participants all success. Meanwhile Secretary General of the Arab and Kuwait Shooting Sport Association said the club completed its technical and administrative preparations for the start of HH the Crown Prince tour-

nament which will take place on Thursday October 6th until Saturday October 8th, 2011.

He said Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Olympic Shooting Ranges Complex witnessed a heavy presence by shooters wishing to register for the tournament, and participation will be large from both sexes, as they are already training for the tournament which will include skeet, trap, double trap, air rifle and pistol and Olympic archery.

He said the closing ceremony will be on Saturday under the patronage of HH the Crown Prince, who will be represented by Hawally governor Lt. General Abdallah Al-Fares.

Engr. Duaij Al-Otaibi

A

y

e niv rsar n

Years

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 5, 2011

S P ORT S

World’s elite head for Tour of Beijing BEIJING: The cream of cycling head for the Chinese capital this week for the inaugural Tour of Beijing, a five-day stage race, which will include the world’s top 18 teams and a Chinese selection.

The race will be the first of its kind in Asia, as the International Cycling Union (UCI) looks to expand into new continents.

After Australia’s Tour Down Under and the Grand Prix of Quebec Montreal in north America,

Asia now has a top-level competition on the WorldTour calendar.

Under contract for the next four years, the is being organised jointly by the UCI and ASO (Amaury Sports Organisation), with Tour de France director Jean-Francois Pescheux holding the same function in Beijing. Beijing officials are keen to promote cycling, to build on the heritage of the 2008 Olympics, with the Bird’s Nest stadium and Water

Cube Aquatics Centre hosting the start and finish of the opening time-trial.

The route, which covers the north-west of Beijing, has also been selected for environmental reasons, and includes the Mentougou Eco Valley, hailed as the “green lungs” of the region.

The race gets under way today with 11.3km time-trial around the Olympic Park, concluding on Sunday with a 118km run between Tiananmen

Square and the Bird’s Nest.

Taking into account the physical condition of the peloton at the tail-end of the season, the remaining stages will be short but hilly. Newlycrowned world time-trial champion Tony Martin of Germany starts as favourite in the time-trial, with Slovak Peter Sagan, winner of three stages in the Tour of Spain, and Olympic road race champion Samuel Sanchez of Spain also competing. — AFP

Podium training not just fancy term for practice

STUTTGART: This Sept. 5, 2007, file photo shows gymnast Catalina Ponor, of Romania, competing on the beam during the women’s team final of the Gymnastics World Championships. — AP

TOKYO: The Russians came early. The South Koreans stuck around. The Chinese even brought their video cameras.

Welcome to podium training, the meet within the meet at the world gymnastics championships. Part dress rehearsal, part competition, it won’t win a team a medal. But for those off their games, especially young gymnasts who haven’t built up a reputation yet, it can cost them dearly.

“It’s very important the impression that you make,” national team coordinator Martha Karolyi said Tuesday. “You have to go out there with confidence and be commanding and do the routines in good condition, what you are preparing. They know that. It’s nothing that’s a surprise at the last minute. Considering we have so many young girls, they handled themselves well.” Better than most, that’s for sure.

Defending champion Russia spent almost as much time on the ground Tuesday as it did on the equipment. China was dazzling on balance beam and uneven bars, not so much on floor exercise and vault. And the Japanese, who hope to push for a medal after finishing fifth last year? It wasn’t their best day, but they didn’t take themselves out of the running, either. Prelims begin Friday, and the US women compete Saturday.

“I think this is one of our best podium training for many years, especially since we have a very young group,” said Liang Chow, Gabby Douglas’ coach. “I did not expect anything. But I feel we have a very strong team. This is a very strong group, and I think we can make some damage here.”

Podium training is the only chance gymnasts have to work on the competition floor before the event begins, and it’s more than just a fancy term for practice session. The equipment is springier because it’s 3 feet off the floor, the arena is bigger than those cramped training halls and the lights are, of course, brighter. As if that’s not daunting enough, the judges are watching every move and handicapping the field.

“When you think about it like that, it’s a lot of pressure. But you can’t. You can’t do that,” American McKayla Maroney said. “You’ve just got to go do your routines because that’s what you’re here for and that’s what you’ve trained your whole life for. It really shouldn’t be any pressure because that’s why you’re here. You’re here to compete.”

That’s easy to say and much harder to do.

Especially for a team as green as the U.S., which hasn’t established a reputation with the judges yet. Beijing Olympics captain Alicia Sacramone and Aly Raisman are the only Americans who’ve been to worlds before - and Raisman only last

year. U.S. champ Jordyn Wieber knocked off defending world champion Aliya Mustafina at the American Cup in March. But this is her first year in the senior ranks, and the same goes for Douglas, Maroney and Sabrina Vega.

All have competed internationally before, but nothing quite prepares gymnasts for the world stage like, well, worlds.

“I just was talking to the coaches the other day and pointed out exactly that. It’s the whole process. It’s not only the competition,” Karolyi said. “We have the long training camp before, and changing gyms and traveling and going in one place, going in another place. Regimented training, the number of routines, every routine has to be correct, the mental pressure - everything. It gives you a totally different education as a gymnast if you ... participate in this kind of training and competition situation.”

The Americans aren’t the only ones who have to grow up in a hurry. Russia returns only three members of last year’s gold-medal squad after losing defending champion Aliya Mustafina to an injury at Europeans. Instead, Russa is counting heavily on 16-year-old Viktoria Komova, the gold medalist at the Youth Olympic Games. Maybe that explains why Komova has been fumbling her way through her routines since arriving in Tokyo.

Romania has only three gymnasts back from last year, though its “newest” member is triple Olympic gold medalist Catalina Ponor, who has decided - again - that retirement is not for her.The Chinese, of all teams, are the grizzled veterans.

China has four gymnasts from last year’s thirdplace team, and Jiang Yuyuan and He Kexin were part of the squad that won gold at the Beijing Olympics.

While any experience gained at this year’s worlds will pay off next year, there’s still a lot at stake in Tokyo. The top eight teams earn spots at next summer’s London Olympics, and the team title comes with serious bragging rights, no small thing in a subjective sport. So despite their youth, the US athletes did their best imitation of old pros yesterday.

There was no gawking at the competition. And aside from a few botched landings on floor, Wieber’s struggles with her vault and Douglas’ wobbles on balance beam, there were few major mistakes in what was the cleanest session of any of the contenders.

“They’ve taken this very well. Very calm, cool and collected,” Sacramone said. “We had a couple of rough practices, which is to be expected in first few days, but they’ve been great. I’m so proud of them. I think they’re going to do just fine.” — AP

Back on track: Coe opens London’s Olympic facility nation of all the little tricks to make a track fast and they have brought them all here. This feels like the calm before the storm.”

Despite speculation that London might choose a blue track, organizers have stuck with a traditional red rubber surface. “I’m color blind so it won’t make a jot of difference to me,” Coe said. “They keep me well away from those decisions.”

Some journalists who jogged around the track in unseasonably hot conditions said the 80,000-seat facility did not protect them from gusts that created a headwind. “It felt all right when I was down there,” Coe said.

“But this is Britain.”

The stadium is the first of its kind in Britain capable of hosting a world athletics championship, which London

is bidding for in 2017.

And Coe assured the IAAF team inspecting London’s bid on Monday that the track will remain in place after the Olympics regardless of whether Tottenham wins its court action against rival soccer club West Ham, whose bid for the stadium triumphed this year.

While West Ham will combine soccer and track and field in a downsized 60,000-seat venue after the 2012 Games, Tottenham planned to demolish the stadium to build a new one without any track and field legacy.

“Tottenham’s actions are only about the process, not the fact,” Sports Minister Hugh Robertson said. “And if they were to win in the High Court we would simply start the whole process again and next time around the provision of track would be nonnegotiable.”—AP

LONDON: Chairman of London Olympic Organising Committee, Sebastian Coe (rear left) poses for the media with school children with their themed lanterns and Paralympic athletes. — AP

LONDON: A general view of the London 2012 Olympic stadium. The running track was laid in August and is now declared to be ready for competition. — AP

LONDON: Sebastian Coe rolled back the years and was on the track again, making a first test of the surface that Usain Bolt will be running on at the London Olympics.

“For me it feels fast,” said the 1,500-meter Olympic champion in 1980 and 1984. “I’m guessing sprinters will like that, but as a middle-distance runner it also felt accommodating and firm enough for me.”

With the Olympics 10 months away, the head of London’s organizing committee ran 100 meters with youngsters before completing a lap with Hannah England, the world silver medalist in the 1,500.

“It feels really, really fast - even today in just getting a jog on it you can tell it is going to be really fast,” England said. “These are the tracks that you see world records created on by people like Usain Bolt. This is like a culmi-

LAS VEGAS: Los Angeles Lakers’ Derek Fisher (left) president of the NBA players union, is Joined by NBA players, union executive director Billy Hunter (center) and vice president Maurice Evans (right) during a news conference. — AP

NBA negotiations end, with ‘huge day’ ahead NEW YORK: After a lockout that has lasted more than three months, whether the NBA season starts on time could come down to one “very huge day” in labor talks.

Owners and players will be back late yesterday for a full bargaining session, knowing if they fail to produce results, there may not be enough time left to avoid canceling regular-season games.

“A lot of signs point to tomorrow being a very huge day,” players’ association president Derek Fisher of the Lakers said. “There will be a lot of pressure on all of us in the room, and we’ll accept that responsibility and go in and see what we can get worked out.”

The sides met in small groups Monday for about five hours, a session that Deputy Commissioner Adam Silver said was mainly about “setting the table” for Tuesday.

While careful not to put too much pressure on Tuesday’s talks, he and Commissioner David Stern made clear there had to be signs of compromise.

“Each side understands exactly what’s at stake and where potentially there is movement in order to try to get a deal done,” Silver said. “I mean, we can only say we’re running out of time so many times.

“We both understand that if we don’t make our best offers in the next few days, we’re going to be at the point where we’re going to be causing damage to the game, to ourselves, and they’re going to be out paychecks,” he added.

The regular season is scheduled to open Nov. 1. Players would have reported to training camps Monday, but those were postponed and 43 preseason games scheduled for Oct. 9-15 were canceled last month.

“We still are in the same position that we all wish we were starting training camp today and we know a lot of our fans in respective markets feel the same way,” Fisher said. “So we’re going to continue to work at this until we can either figure it out in a way that will spare us all a lot of collateral damage and games missed, or not, but we’re going to put the effort and the time in as we have been doing and see if we can come to a resolution.”

The league locked out players on July 1 after the expiration of the old collective bargaining agreement. Seeking significant changes after saying they lost $300 million last season, owners want a new salary cap structure and are seeking to reduce the players’ guarantee of basketball revenues from 57 percent, to perhaps 50 percent or below.

Fisher, who didn’t take questions, said the sides still weren’t close enough to be able to talk about major progress, but were aware of the calendar.

“We know that our backs are against the wall in terms of regular-season games and what those consequences will be,” he added, “but we still have to be respectful to the process, not rush through this, realizing that there are great deal of ramifications for years to come. So we have to be responsible in that regard.”

ESPN.com reported Monday that six powerful agents had sent

a letter to their clients warning them of the financial damage the current proposals would cause them, and urging them to demand a full vote on any proposed deal.

Fisher later sent a letter to players, obtained by The Associated Press, in which he said the agents’ letter “includes misinformation and unsupported theories.”

“One issue I need to again be very clear on...nothing can be accepted without a vote by the players,” Fisher wrote. “If and when there is a proposal that we feel is in the best interests of us as players, each of you WILL have the opportunity to vote in person.

It’s in the union bylaws, it’s not up for negotiation. You will have the opportunity to see the full proposal before you agree, you will be able to challenge it, question it, anything you feel appropriate in order to know that this is the best deal for you and your fellow players.”

Fisher later added: “We go into tomorrow’s meeting strong, remaining steadfast on the issues we will not be able to move away from. Anyone saying different is not privy to the meetings and is uninformed.”

Celtics All-Star Paul Pierce was the only other player to take part.

Though not a member of the union executive committee, he participated in meetings over the weekend and Silver had singled him out as a player who had said meaningful things.

Fisher said he didn’t know which players would come Tuesday. The sides will meet among themselves in the morning before the bargaining session follows in the afternoon. “If it’s a very short meeting, that’s bad,” Stern said. “And if it’s a very long meeting, that’s not as bad.”

Stern had warned last week there would be “enormous consequences” to not making progress over the weekend, but he’s since been cautious not to overstate anything.

“It would be great to be able to make some real progress tomorrow,” he said. “Whether that’s possible or not, I don’t know, but we had a good meeting today defining the issues and the positions and we’ll see how that works.”

Stern said it would be difficult to have an 82-game regular season and not start Nov. 1, noting that arenas are already pressuring the league to see if they can schedule events later this year. Yet as much as the league wants the work stoppage to end, there still may be too many differences to make it happen quickly enough.

The revenue split and the cap structure have been such obstacles that the sides have hardly touched anything else that would go in the CBA. Perhaps that’s why Stern and Silver referred to Tuesday being more a beginning than an end to the process.

“It can’t end no matter what tomorrow, because even if we begin to make progress, I mean there are literally a hundred other issues that haven’t even been addressed yet, so-called ‘B-List’ issues,” Silver said. “So there’s a long negotiation ahead of us no matter what.” — AP

A

y

e niv rsar n

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 5, 2011

Years

sp orts

Colts fall to Buccaneers

AUCKLAND: (Left-right) Fabrice Estebanez, lock Julien Pierre, lanker Julien Bonnaire, lock Romain Millo-Chluski, left wing Alexis Palisson, hooker William Servat and lock Lionel Nallet stretch during a training session during the 2011 Rugby World Cup.—AFP

IRB raises stake in feud, controversies dominate WELLINGTON: The International Rugby Board (IRB) set themselves on a collision course with New Zealand over their threat to boycott the 2015 World Cup yesterday as off-field controversies overshadowed preparations for the quarterfinals.

On a day when Samoan centre Eliota Sapulo Fuimaona was banned from all rugby, Italy hooker Leonardo Ghiraldini suspended for 15 weeks and England centre Manu Tuilagi fined, France were first to name their side for this weekend’s matches.

But all of this was overshadowed when the IRB ratcheted up the public relations battle with the New Zealand Rugby Union, telling them they could live without the All Blacks, should they carry out their threat to snub the 2015 tournament.

Last week, NZRU chief executive Steve Tew said they lost NZ$13.2 million ($10 million) in revenue this year because of the World Cup and unless the world governing body changed its commercial model, it would consider not playing in England in four years’ time.

“Does the World Cup need the All Blacks? It would be good for the All Blacks to be there,” IRB chief executive Mike Miller told local radio yesterday.

“Everyone is replaceable.”

The All Blacks team, however, said they felt any World Cup without them in it would lack legitimacy. “You’ve just got to see what rugby means in this country to think of it as inconceivable,” All Blacks assistant coach Wayne Smith said.

Utility back Richard Kahui added the World Cup needed all of the top teams to be playing. “You can’t have a World Cup without the All Blacks, without any of the top nations,” he said.

“They’ve all got to be there just to make it a legitimate World Cup.” France coach Marc Lievermont made two changes to his side for the quarter-final against England at Eden Park on Saturday, calling up prop Nicholas Mas and loose forward Imanol Harinordoquy to add some experience to his forward pack.

The French were beaten 19-14 by Tonga in their final Pool A clash and while they were battling reports of division within their camp, the English were wary of the danger they posed. “I suspect they will be really committed to playing,” England lock Tom Palmer told reporters. “ They will see this as being given

another chance and what has happened before is irrelevant because it is a one-off knockout match.

“I imagine they realise it. They can say ‘screw everything’ behind them and ‘we can go out and win and go to the semifinals of the World Cup’. That will be motivation for them.”

Samoa centre Sapolu Fuimaono was also suspended from all rugby for failing to appear at a judicial hearing in Auckland on Tuesday after he criticised Welsh referee Nigel Owens on social networking website Twitter. The 30-year-old later told Television New Zealand that he had not even been informed of the date and time of the hearing and would fight the charges.

Italy hooker Ghiraldini also fell foul of tournament officials when he was banned for 15 weeks for touching the eyes of Ireland prop Cian Healy during their Pool C clash in Dunedin on Sunday.

Healy was penalised for retaliating after the incident in Ireland’s 36-6 victory at Stadium Otago, though television replays showed Ghiraldini’s hand was near Healy’s eyes as the pair wrestled at the breakdown.

England centre Tuilagi was fined NZ$10,000 for wearing a branded mouthguard, a week after his brother Alesana, the Samoa winger, was fined for the same thing.

Fans annoyed at what they considered the harsh penalty for Alesana, raised thousands of dollars towards his fine with a televised “sausage sizzle” in Auckland.

New Zealand’s central government also moved to avoid any further embarrassment as the knockout phase kicks into high gear, having budgeted an additional NZ$4 million in spending to cope with any potential congestion in Auckland.

The Auckland City council will also contribute another $1 million. Six of the final eight matches are to be held at Eden Park, with fan zones in south Auckland and on the North Shore to be activated to provide a focal point for fans to gather without travelling into central Auckland.

An estimated 200,000 people squeezed onto central Auckland’s streets for the opening match on Sept. 9, causing massive delays on public transport that meant some fans missed the game between New Zealand and Tonga at Eden Park.—Reuters

UIS champions, ICSK runner-up 13TH CBSE Kuwait Cluster Volleyball Tournament KUWAIT: Integrated Indian School, Jleeb hosted the 13th CBSE Kuwait Cluster Volleyball Tournament from Sept 27-29, 2011. The tournament was inaugurated by Mohammed Ali and Prem Kumar, Principal of Bhavans.

Mrs. Cathy Thomas welcomed the guests, coaches and players with her graceful speech. The opening ceremony was marked by song and dance by the students of IIS. Six teams from various CBSE schools in Kuwait participated in the tournament and all the matches were electrifying and a treat to watch.

United Indian School emerged as champions. The boys’ dedication, devotion and hard work helped them maintain supremacy in all matches they played . ICSK were the runner-up.

Mrs. Susan Roy, Principal of UIS, who was present on the closing day, gave away the certificates to the winning team. The three days tournament came to an end with applause and cheer.

TAMPA:- The Indianapolis Colts suffered their fourth loss in a row and remain winless in the National Football League this season after a 24-17 defeat at the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Monday.

LeGarrette Blount’s powerful 35yard touchdown run into the corner with 3:15 left on the clock gave Tampa Bay, who had trailed for much of the game, the win.

Blount combined aggression with power to put up 127 yards on the ground in the Bucs win, which lifts them level with the New Orleans Saints at the top of the NFC South on 3-1.

The 0-4 Colts have struggled without injured quarterback Peyton Manning but his replacement Curtis Painter played well in his first NFL start, making a smart pass to Pierre Garcon for an 87-yard touchdown to put Indianapolis 10-0 up after an Adam Vinatieri field goal.

Painter, who started instead of the injured Kerry Collins, finished with 281 passing yards and two touchdowns. “I think Curtis did some good things, made some big plays, he handled things well,” said Colts head coach Jim Caldwell.

While the Colts put on an improved performance it was not enough against a determined Tampa Bay team inspired by their six foot six quarterback Josh Freeman.

Freeman completed 25 of 39 passes, throwing for 287 yards and a touchdown. He also ran in a touchdown and produced a vital rush for first down in the decisive drive that led to Blount’s score.

The quarterback sneaked in for a one-yard touchdown in the second quarter to bring his team back into the game and a Connor Barth field goal in the third levelled the score.

Garcon displayed some good running after the catch by taking a short pass from Painter and benefited from some fine blocking as he weaved his way into the endzone for a 59-yard touchdown that put the Colts 17-10 up.

Preston Parker caught a 13-yard touchdown pass from Freeman as the Buccaneers pulled level at the end of the third.

Freeman has proven to be a quarterback who can raise his game in the fourth quarter and he did it again on Monday, leading his team down the field to set up Blount’s touchdown as Tampa Bay secured the victory.

The Colts’ injury worries deepened when defensive tackle Eric Foster was carried off with a serious ankle injury. —Reuters

TAMPA BAY: Indianapolis Colts quarterback Curtis Painter (left) looks for a receiver tackle Mike Tepper (67) blocks Tampa Bay Buccaneers defensive end Michael Bennett (71) during the second half of an NFL football game. —AP

NFL standings National Football League standings on Monday.

American Football Conference AFC East W L T OTL PF PA Buffalo 3 1 0 0 133 96 New England 3 1 0 0 135 98 NY Jets 2 2 0 0 100 95 Miami 0 4 0 0 69 104

Baltimore Cincinnati Pittsburgh Cleveland

3 2 2 2

PCT .750 .750 .500 0

National Football Conference NFC East Washington 3 1 0 0 83 63 NY Giants 3 1 0 0 102 87 Dallas 2 2 0 0 99 101 Philadelphia 1 3 0 0 101 101

Green Bay Detroit Chicago Minnesota

4 4 2 0

0 0 2 4

NFC North 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1

148 135 94 77

97 76 98 96

1.000 1.000 .500 0

3 3 2 1

1 1 2 3

NFC South 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

84 127 90 89

77 98 105 102

.750 .750 .500 .250

3 1 1 0

1 3 3 4

NFC West 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0

94 58 86 46

75 97 87 113

.750 .250 .250 0

1 2 2 2

AFC North 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

88 107 39 63

56 70 85 108

.750 .750 .250 0

Tampa Bay New Orleans Atlanta Carolina

91 111 49 81

85 113 126 111

.750 .500 .250 .250

San Francisco Seattle Arizona St. Louis

Tennessee Houston Jacksonville Indianapolis

3 3 1 0

1 1 3 4

AFC South 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

San Diego Oakland Kansas City Denver

3 2 1 1

1 2 3 3

AFC WEST 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

119 80 64 74

57 74 72 93

.750 .500 .500 .500

.750 .750 .500 .250

No living up to the hype for some NFL teams NEW YORK: When Eagles players, the Jets coach and the Cowboys owner ramped up the expectations for their teams, it seemed reasonable. All had the talent to challenge for a championship.

Turns out, through the first month of the NFL season, all that bluster was just that - all hype.

None of those teams has shown much substance through the first four games. Throw in the Falcons, a fashionable pick to represent the NFC in next February’s Super Bowl, and defending AFC champ Pittsburgh, and the opening quarter of the schedule has been full of surprises - and disappointments for some ballyhooed teams.

No one has been more disappointing than the heavily hyped Eagles, who quickly have driven their fans to concentrating on the Phillies in the playoffs. The squad backup quarterback Vince Young dubbed a “Dream Team” after all its offseason acquisitions is keeping folks in Philadelphia up all night trying to figure out what has gone wrong. The Eagles have lost three straight and are at the bottom of the NFC East. Their latest flop was the worst, as they blew a 23-3 second-half lead and fell to San Francisco - despite a sensational performance by Michael Vick.

But Vick doesn’t play in the secondary, which despite some hefty price tags for Nnamdi Asomugha and Asante Samuel, has been a sieve. And Vick isn’t a linebacker - in fact, some in Philly wonder if anyone on the roster actually is one.

He doesn’t placekick, although Vick might have made one of the two field goals from inside 40 yards that rookie Alex Henery missed in the fourth quarter fold Sunday.

What’s going on in Philadelphia is anything but dreamy, and the problems are drawing an even brighter spotlight because of preseason proclamations that the Eagles were going to be something special. “We’ve got the people to do it, but we’re just not doing it,” said defensive tackle Cullen Jenkins, one of several high-priced additions through free agency or trades.

“Maybe having this label of having

so many good people is hurting us, because maybe people are standing around waiting for someone else to do it. Or expecting that someone else is going to come in and make the play instead of people going out and manning up and making it themselves.”

Sounds a lot like the Jets, whose

All of which has made Rex Ryan’s boastful declarations nothing more than ... hype. “We’ve had some ups and downs before,” Ryan said.

“We’ve had one worse than this one, believe it or not. We’re just the men for the job, we’ll get this thing fixed.” Better do so soon, Rex - next up is a visit to New England.

PHILADELPHIA: This photo made Oct. 2, 2011 shows Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver Jeremy Maclin (18) upended after being hit by San Francisco 49ers safety Reggie Smith (30) (bottom) after catching a pass during an NFL football game. —AP recent success - trips to the AFC title game the last two years - has faded under the ugliness of being brutalized by the Raiders and Ravens. With All-Pro center Nick Mangold sidelined by a high right ankle sprain, the Jets (2-2) as a whole forgot how to block. Their defense played decently in the loss to the Ravens, but it has been mediocre in a lucky win over Dallas in the opener, and was miserable in the defeat at Oakland.

Quarterback Mark Sanchez was supposed to take the next big step in his development in his third pro season. Instead, he’s regressed as the offensive line has collapsed.

Dallas fell apart in similar fashion to its NFC East rival Eagles on Sunday. While Philadelphia couldn’t hold a 20-point second-half lead, the Cowboys (2-2) were up 27-3 over the Lions. Then they reverted to recent woes, getting sloppy in pass coverage and sloppier with the ball. Tony Romo has rightly been praised for his courage in playing hurt, and for his leadership skills. He also needs to be lambasted for his penchant to turn over the ball, with both Dallas losses directly attributable to his interceptions or fumbles. And maybe, just maybe, the Cowboys have been overrated, in great part thanks to their front-

and-center owner’s willingness to cast them as something more than they really are.

Not that Jerry Jones should be downgrading the roster he has put together. But asking this group, which would have trouble covering Jones himself on a pass route, to be exceptional might be nothing more than, well, hype. Regardless, Jones isn’t abandoning his quarterback and longtime pet project.

“I view the success we have, I view what he does well and I put the mistakes right in with what he does well and don’t in any way get discouraged about our future with Tony,” Jones said. “There’s no issue about faith in Romo, any place in this organization, period. ... If you’re going to try to make plays, then you’ve got a chance to have some bad plays. But however we go, we’ll go with Tony. As Tony goes, we’ll go.” There’s no such angst over the quarterback in Atlanta, where Matt Ryan is a lot steadier than Romo.

What has been the problem in the ATL is too much average football, and in a division with the Saints and Buccaneers, that’s treading dangerous waters.

With the monster trade to move up for playmaking receiver Julio Jones on draft day, the Falcons dived headfirst into the hype machine. Jones would be the missing link in the NFL’s most competitive division, and would keep the Falcons at the top of the conference, a Super Bowl favorite.

Jones had a breakout game at Seattle with 11 catches for 127 yards in Atlanta’s 30-28. But the Falcons (2-2) had to sweat out a last-minute 61-yard field goal try to win against an inferior opponent.

Finally, there are the struggling Steelers (2-2), who don’t look anything like the club that lost to Green Bay in last February’s Super Bowl. All that talk about veteran outfits with well-established regimens surviving the lockout best has, in Pittsburgh’s case, been a bunch of hype, compounded by injuries. Considering the Steelers’ blue collar history, that’s strange. Of course, it’s already been a strange season.—AP

y

A

18

e niv rsar n

Years

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 5, 2011

SPORTS

DUNEDIN: In these photos released by Insight Sport shows a series of frame grabs from a video camera attached to the headgear on an Otago rugby player. The camera has been developed for support staff to watch a playersí perspective in real time. —AP

Tech gives rugby coaches, players new perspective DUNEDIN: Coaches at the Rugby World Cup are restricted to watching their players from the touchline, or at best from a box high up in the stands. Perhaps not for much longer.

An off-the-cuff discussion two years ago with New Zealand backs coach Wayne Smith about then Texas Tech coach Mike Leach, the so-called Mad Scientist, prompted Otago University lecturer Hayden Croft to develop a system that lets support staff watch a from players’ perspective in real time.

Planted discretely inside what looks like a protective scrum cap, the units have yet to be sanctioned for games by the ruling International Rugby Board.

But the common use of GPS to track players, and television replays to rule on borderline try decisions, show top-level rugby has a strong recent history of embracing technology for the betterment of the game. “There’s a lot of technology out there these days and coaches have become a wee bit wary of technology for technology’s sake,” Croft said. “This actual technology is just video and images, really.

“We’re not selling data analysis software or anything like that.”

A signal a quarter of the strength of a cell phone transmits action to a laptop, on which a coach can record, tag incidents, loop and replay instantly to illustrate to a player just where and when he made the right or wrong call.

That may have been to take the ball into contact when there were better options outside, hurling a pass when there was none on, or something more

subtle such as a hooker using his wrong leg in a scrum or a scrumhalf stepping unnecessarily before passing from the base of a ruck.

“If you look at the top guys in world rugby, you’d immediately say they’re not the best players (just) because they’re big and strong, but because they make the right decisions and read the play very well,” Croft said. With Otago having used it in training for New Zealand’s national ITM Cup, Croft has seen his technology provide plenty of feedback already.

“There was a lot of comments that the loose forwards weren’t looking in the right place and were ballwatching,” Croft said. “There was an incident we put on where he was staring at the breakdown. The coach was able to say ‘you need to look where the ball is coming from and also scan every couple of seconds what’s in front of you.’ “It’s really good for showing guys the importance of head movement and scanning. That’s a known thing: that good players know how to scan well.” Live footage of big backrow forwards bearing down on the ball handler gives the viewer a perspective to rival that of cricket’s now ubiquitous stump-cam, which shows the full trajectory of a bowler’s delivery as it beats the batsman and crashes into the wickets. “It’s also something that’s not been seen by people who haven’t played a lot of rugby in years,” Croft said. “A lot of people remember it from growing up but their memories are quite foggy and they forget about game situations. “People are like ‘wow, there’s a heck of a lot going on.’” But beneath the drama, there are countless applications and sub-

tleties it can uncover. “In the lineout, you see guys raise their eyebrows a lot as a signal to the thrower,” Croft said. “This helps tune the guys to those little things that are going on. We’re coming up with all these applications, but straight away we’ll give it to a coach and they’ll come up with something completely unique.” Otago Highlanders coach Jamie Joseph, a former All Black, has been sufficiently convinced by Croft’s system to use it through next year’s Super 15.

“I’m not sure how Jamie will use that but it’s great to get feedback from a pretty astute coach,” Croft said.

“He’s very sure about what he wants to do.”

The technology was dubbed “Carter Cam” in its initial stages by local media, a reference to New Zealand flyhalf Dan Carter.

“Leach was talking about decision making and how he trains his players,” Croft explained of the original concept. “They strapped a handycam onto the quarterback’s helmet and ran a few plays and ran the tape back. “It took the quarterback about 3 minutes to talk his way through a 2- or 3-second play, so it highlighted the complexity of the decision-making process and strategic plays.”

But the time it took to deconstruct those plays presented a real problem to the likes of Smith, who gets only limited time to work with players. Within three weeks, Croft and a colleague put together a similar unit enabling coaches to watch live.

“Feedback needs to be as immediate as possible,” Croft said. “They used it in a couple of trainings but in the end there were some issues when the guys were

moving quickly, the image signal quality broke up.

“So we went away and we’ve been working away, communicating with the NZRU the last couple of years.” Croft said players recognize and react to firstperson replays far better than to any other angle.

“We find that they can watch the game half an hour later and remember all those plays because your brain records the snapshot from that incident,” Croft said.

“It’s very familiar recall, it’s quite incredible.

“It’s like if you go to the stadium to watch a test and then the next day you watch the replay on TV, you don’t actually remember a lot of stuff because it’s totally different.” Other than the protective fabric cap housing the camera, the revised system is completely manufactured in the rugby-mad province of Otago on New Zealand’s south island.

Insight Sport - Croft, technical director Edwin Nieman and directors Mark Miller and Peter Brook used the same software company that supplies the England and Wales Cricket Board with analysis programs. New Zealand isn’t the only country to embrace technology to tweak training methods. Australia coach Robbie Deans uses GPS to record how far, how fast and exactly where his players run.

“To be able to do something on a training field then review it 2 seconds later and possibly address an area of need immediately is so much more effective,” Deans said. “Before the adoption of this technology, a coach would have to wait until the footage could be reviewed later that day or the next day. It’s a great tool to have.”—AP

Crosby’s comeback marked by secrecy and support

UNCASVILLE: Atlanta Dream’s Erika de Souza (right) chase down a loose ball in this file photo. —AP

Dream hope Erika’s return will pay off MINNEAPOLIS: When Erika de Souza decided to leave the Atlanta Dream in the middle of the WNBA playoffs to help her native Brazil qualify for the Olympics, Lindsey Harding and the rest of the Dream managed to get by.

Coach Marynell Meadors ran out a small lineup that relied on quickness and athleticism to create mismatches. It worked like a charm in the Eastern Conference playoffs, helping the Dream advance to their second straight WNBA finals. Against the aggressive and bruising Minnesota Lynx frontcourt, it was an entirely different story. With de Souza still traveling back from the tournament in Colombia, the Lynx overwhelmed the Dream down low in Game 1 on Sunday night. They outrebounded the Dream 40-28 and outscored them 52-30 in the paint. “I think that the difference in the game was definitely rebounding,” Meadors said. “They outrebounded us 40-28 and I thought that was a huge, huge gap that we haven’t faced in a long time.”

Rebekkah Brunson led the way with 26 points and 11 rebounds and Taj McWilliams Franklin added 10 boards as the Lynx overpowered the Dream in the fourth quarter en route to an 88-74 victory. De Souza is scheduled to be back in time for Game 2 tonight, and not a moment too soon. The 6-foot-5 center averaged 12 points and 10.7 rebounds in the playoffs before departing for Colombia, and her size could be an equalizer.

“I thought Brunson was able to get some easy stuff,” Lynx coach Cheryl Reeve said. “And obviously the next game is going to be more difficult for her. ... Game 2 will look a lot different with de Souza back in there and we’ll have to kind of go back to the drawing

board and look at some things and see where we want to go from here.”

With de Souza gone, star Angel McCoughtry moved from small forward to power forward and Sancho Lyttle got the bulk of the minutes at center.

“I’ve been drinking a lot of protein shakes, eating a lot of meat, trying to build myself up a little bit to bang down there,” McCoughtry quipped. “But my metabolism is too high.”

McCoughtry was superb in the second half on Sunday night, scoring 27 of her team’s 35 points, including 19 in the third quarter alone. But she only had five rebounds, out-muscled underneath by Brunson, McWilliams-Franklin and Maya Moore, who grabbed six boards.

Lyttle had no points and five rebounds in 29 minutes, the Lynx blocked 11 shots and Brunson did whatever she wanted.“She was all over the place,” Lynx guard Lindsay Whalen said.

“She just played a huge role for us and she really carried us at times.”

Brunson knows the going is going to be a little tougher with that big road block in the paint for Game 2.

“We’ve prepared for her,” Brunson said. “We really didn’t gear on the fact that she wasn’t going to be there (for Game 1) and forget her because she is a very important piece to their team. But it did open up the middle a little bit.”

Dream guard Lindsey Harding, who scored 20 points in Game 1, said she is looking forward to having a little more room to work on the perimeter with more attention needing to be paid to de Souza on the block.“She’s great on the boards,” Harding said. “She’s great scoring inside and we’re definitely going to look to her for that. Look at the rebound (differential). We needed her and everyone else to step up.”—AP

PITTSBURGH: Look at your right hand. Close your eyes. Do you know where it is? Are you certain? For months, Sidney Crosby was not.

While the rest of his Pittsburgh Penguins teammates spent the summer resting, working on their golf game and trying to get over a seven-game loss to Tampa Bay in the opening round of the playoffs, the game’s greatest player spent it searching for a way back to normalcy. Two head shots within a week of each other last January ended the former MVP’s season, put his career in jeopardy and may have started a culture change in a sport where toughness, grit and “playing through it” are among the most prized commodities.

Crosby didn’t set out to be the most public case study on the mysterious and sometimes mysteriously lingering effects of concussions. He simply wanted to feel better and get back to doing what he loved.

The road back has been more arduous than he ever possibly imagined when he was scratched out of the lineup following a game against Tampa Bay on Jan. 5 after experiencing what he’s since described as “fogginess.”

Months of rest, of tests, of travel, of quietly - and not so quietly - refuting what his camp has deemed as misinformation about his condition, his health, his future have followed.

The organization did its best to give Crosby space. Coach Dan Bylsma and general manager Ray Shero checked in occasionally.

Teammates, both old and new, would text or call to talk about anything and everything but the state of Crosby’s head.

Penguins forward Jordan Staal says they texted about fishing. The words “vestibular system” - which focuses on a person’s ability to balance and work within a given space, the system most affected by Crosby’s concussions - never came up. “I figured he was getting enough of it from everywhere else,” Staal said. “All that matters to us really is that he’s healthy. All that stuff you thought you heard, I didn’t pay any attention to it.”

Private by nature, the combination of Crosby’s injury and his urge to get away from things back home in Canada during the offseason only seemed to feed the frenzy.

He was retiring. He wasn’t retiring. He suffered a setback. He was skating at full speed. Each week seemed to bring a new rumor or theory.

Crosby remains polite but reserved when talking about the process, though he did spend more than 40 minutes last month addressing reporters while sitting alongside the two doctors who have

overseen his rehabilitation.

Dr. Mickey Collins, a neuropsychologist at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, likened Crosby to a Ferrari. Dr. Ted Carrick, who practices clinical neurology and whom Crosby turned to when things seemed to stall in midsummer, has seen so much progress that he likened it to Christmas.

How exactly did Crosby get to this point in his recovery? Well, that’s tricky. Unlike a muscle or a bone, there is no obvious physical evidence when you’re healed. The science of how to handle and treat the vestibular system is evolving.

to the point where Crosby feels “normal” is an uncertain proposition. A thriving vestibular system allows a person to trust their senses.

Lovell likened it looking at your hand then closing your eyes and trusting your hand is in the same place. For a person with vestibular problems, that’s difficult because the brain may be receiving faulty information.

“From a rehab standpoint you work on gradually giving people exercises so that they’re increasingly able to tolerate the kind of side-toside movement as well as have a better awareness of where they are

PITTSBURGH: Young fans take photos as Pittsburgh Penguins’ Sidney Crosby looks on during the first day of NHL hockey training camp at the Consol Energy Center. —AP “It generally kind of boils down to retraining the brain to know where everything is in space and the awareness of where your body is in space,” said Mark Lovell, the founding director of the UPMC Sports Medicine concussion program and CEO of ImPACT, a computerized concussion evaluation system.

“When you have an injury that can be thrown off.”

Getting it back in a normal person takes time, and lots of it. Throw in the unique demands of Crosby’s job - namely making sudden movements and constantly recalibrating your balance to adjust to an everchanging environment - and getting

in space in any given time,” Lovell said. “You can’t do that all at once. If you do it too quickly, you make a person feel worse.”

That’s part of the danger. Crosby allows his training regimen was adjusted over the summer. It seemed to be whenever he’d reach a certain threshold of exertion, his symptoms would return.

Frustrating?

Absolutely.

Mystifying? Sure. Enough of a reason to consider hanging up his skates for good? No shot. He’s not the first player to deal with debilitating concussions, just one of the most famous.

Boston’s Patrice Bergeron, who

missed nearly the entire 2007-08 season with injuries sustained when he was checked head-first into the boards, told Crosby to hang in there.

“I was reaching out to him and just letting him know what I’ve been through I guess and that patience and staying positive is, it sounds kind of cliche, but that’s exactly what it is,” Bergeron said. “And just to stay with it then he’s going to be, you know he’s going to find a way to get back.”

Not one to make declarative statements, Crosby said during his press conference it was “likely” he would play again this season, and he’s attacked training camp ferociously even if he’s forced to wear a different colored helmet to let his teammates know he’s not cleared for contact yet.

The Penguins open the season on Thursday in Vancouver but Crosby won’t be in the lineup. He remains on injured reserve, meaning he’ll have to wait at least a week before he can return to game action, though the truth is that it will likely take longer.

The league is pulling for him.

Washington Capitals star Alex Ovechkin - the NHL’s exuberant yang to Crosby’s steady yin - is ready to see Crosby’s familiar No. 87 back out there.

“I hope he’s not going to feel dizzy or not feel sick anymore, and he’s going to play - because he’s one of the top guys in the league, and it’s very hard to play against him,” Ovechkin said.

The NHL could certainly use him, and the league has taken an aggressive stance against the kind of head shots that put Crosby’s future in limbo. Former All-Star Brendan Shanahan, now in charge of league discipline, has been cracking down on players during the preseason for taking dangerous and unnecessary chances.

It’s a step in the right direction for a league starting to gain some traction. The last time Crosby played on national television, the Penguins were losing to the Capitals in the Winter Classic, the highest-rated regular season game since 1975. His presence would help hockey fill a bit of the void if the NBA’s lockout continues. “It’s huge,” said Nashville’s Shea Weber, who played alongside Crosby on the 2010 Canadian Olympic team that won gold in Vancouver. “I mean he’s really the face of the NHL I think. He’s the most dominant player in the world.”

Or, at least he was.

Crosby isn’t sure what to expect whenever he’s cleared. He’d love to be the player who seemed to be in the middle of his prime last winter.

He’s not sure when that guy will show up, if he does at all. —AP

y

A

19

e niv rsar n

Years

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 5, 2011

S P ORT S

EU backs fans watching football on cheap decoders BRUSSELS: The European Union’s highest court ruled yesterday that football fans should be free to use the cheapest satellite decoder available to watch games, even if it sidesteps exclusive national broadcasting agreements.

The European Court of Justice said that broadcasters setting up exclusive contracts for each EU nation and seeking to prohibit viewers from watching games with a cheap decoder card in another member state “is contrary to EU law,” a

decision which goes against England’s lucrative Premier League.

The decision could have a huge impact on how the rights of England’s Premier League are sold in the rest of Europe and how it creates revenue for the world’s richest football league.

The Luxembourg-based court said in a statement that it “holds that national legislation which prohibits the import, sale or use of foreign decoder cards is contrary to the freedom to provide services and cannot

be justified.”

The ruling upheld the key element of the court’s earlier legal advice which the Premier League had said would damage the interests of broadcasters and viewers of its games across the EU. Since Premier League games were sold based on national exclusivity, the games in different nations needed to be transmitted with encryption which needed a special decoder to become visible.

Some pubs in Britain, where sub-

scription is more expensive, started to buy cheaper Greek satellite decoder cards and transmitted the games for fans there, which set off the legal challenge.

For years, the EU has been working to turn the territory of its member states into on open market unburdened by commercial frontiers that hurt continent-wide trade in the past.

The court said that the practice of selling rights on a country-by-country basis and keeping cheaper alter-

natives out of other member states as a blatant infringement on that principle.

“A system of exclusive licenses is also contrary to European Union competition law if the license agreements prohibit the supply of decoder cards to television viewers who wish to watch the broadcasts outside the Member State for which the license is granted,” the court’s statement said.

The Premier League is by far the richest football league in the world.

The latest three-year domestic broadcasting-rights deal alone raised 1.782 billion pounds ($2.87 billion).

Some countries in mainland Europe, among them Greece, offer cheaper alternatives for watching the games.

The court ruled that the Premier League cannot claim over the matches themselves, since they “cannot be considered to be an author’s intellectual creation.” It said the Premier League could only do so over its anthem, video sequences and prerecorded films. —AP

South Americans primed for opening WC qualifiers

MONTEVIDEO: Uruguay’s Martin Caceres (front) and Sebastian Abreu fight for the ball during a training session. Uruguay will face Bolivia in a 2014 World Cup qualifying soccer game in Montevideo on Oct. 7. —AP

‘FIFA not transparent on corruption crisis’ LONDON: Longtime International Olympic Committee member Dick Pound claimed Monday that FIFA is not being transparent about the extent of corruption within the organization and lacks the will to clean up football.

Having led the IOC’s inquiry into the Salt Lake City bidding scandal, Pound believes FIFA is in the midst of a deeper crisis that needs to be resolved to protect the integrity of the sport.

The Montreal lawyer’s criticism of FIFA came in a speech to a conference in Germany two weeks before FIFA President Sepp Blatter plans to present the anti-corruption reforms demanded after a year of bribery scandals within his executive committee.

“FIFA has fallen far short of a credible demonstration that it recognizes the many problems it faces, that it has the will to solve them, that it is willing to be transparent about what it is doing and what it finds, and that its conduct in the future will be such that the public can be confident in the governance of the sport,” Pound said. “At the moment, I do not believe that such confidence exists or would be justified if it did.”

Blatter’s pledge to clean up FIFA came after being re-elected unopposed in June for a fourth and final presidential term.

Blatter’s only election rival, FIFA executive committee member Mohamed bin Hammam, withdrew days before the vote when allegations surfaced that he tried to bribe Caribbean voters. The Qatari has since been banned from football for life.

The bribery scandal also exiled FIFA vice president Jack Warner, who resigned rather than face an ethics hearing.

Two more FIFA executive members, Amos Adamu and Reynald Temarii, were suspended last November after allegations of vote-trading in the 2018 and 2022 World Cup bidding contests. Several more of Blatter ’s colleagues, who will vote on approving his reforms, have survived unproven allegations concerning bribes, unethical favors and vote-trading deals.

“When I compare (the Salt Lake City) firestorm of media attention to the relative-

ly benign, again with certain exceptions, treatment of the remarkable conduct of FIFA and certain of its executives, I am astonished,” Pound said. “This is a far more serious and far more extensive problem for the world’s most popular sport than the relatively narrow conduct, improper as it was, of a few IOC members.”

Ten IOC members resigned or were expelled for accepting cash, scholarships and other inducements from leaders of Salt Lake City’s winning bid for the 2002 Winter Olympics.

It led to a series of reforms, including a ban on member visits to bid cities, age and term limits for members and limits on gifts.

The ethics rules were rewritten by a panel that included former U.S. Secretary of State Henry Kissinger and Pound believes FIFA’s reforms will only appear credible if outside parties are involved. Kissinger has been approached by FIFA, but Blatter has been mocked for asking opera great Placido Domingo for assistance.

“The IOC was able to borrow credibility from these independent third parties, in whom the public already had confidence and whose judgment in approving the reform package put forward could be relied upon and whose assertions that the IOC was serious, carried far more weight than similar statements made by the IOC itself,” Pound said. “If I were an independent adviser to FIFA today, I would counsel it to take similar measures.

“The risk of not doing so is that no one will believe the outcomes of whatever process it may be implementing. A good part of the problem, of course, is that we simply do not know what is being done.”

Addressing the “Play the Game” conference in Cologne, Germany, Pound said there have been “massive failures of organizational governance” in sport as well as the world of business and politics.

“If public confidence in the integrity of competition is lost, the public will look elsewhere for its entertainment and will no longer support manipulated competitions,” the former World Anti-Doping Agency president said in a speech published on the conference website. —AP

Brazil and FIFA seek better relations over World Cup BRUSSELS: The president of Brazil met with a top FIFA executive Monday in an effort to improve relations over the organization of the 2014 World Cup. Brazil President Dilma Rousseff and FIFA secretary general Jerome Valcke met privately in Belgium. Rouseff is in Belgium for yesterday’s European Union summit. Government spokeswoman Lais Garcia said it was the first meeting between the two and both sides agree they need to communicate better.

The World Cup organizing country and soccer’s governing body often spar for months over potential conflicts, ranging from sponsorship demands to taxes and other financial issues. “We never compromise on the protection of our commercial partners,” Valcke said.

At the same time, Brazil’s legislators want to make sure that a World Cup bill currently going through congress does not compromise the rights of Brazilians.

“The FIFA World Cup is a partnership and as such we do respect Brazilian law, while the host country respects the commitment made,” Valcke said.

New laws could expose FIFA to income losses and liabilities while limiting the scope of sponsors to promote their brand at one of the most sought events in sports.

One of the harshest critics of FIFA’s plans in Brazil, Demostenes Torres of the opposition

Democrats Party, has warned that the bill would make the government “subservient to FIFA.” Rousseff became president in January, four years after Brazil won the right to the tournament. The transition has meant some changes in the relationship with FIFA. After Rousseff and Valcke broke the ice, there will be follow up meetings in Brazil this week. The bill is expected to be voted on later this year.

Valcke and Rousseff’s officials also made it clear that at no point was there any talk of the World Cup being taken away from the fivetime winners. Three weeks ago, complaints of World Cup delays worsened when a judge stopped building work to renovate and expand Brazil’s largest airport for the World Cup. A federal judge issued an injunction to halt construction at the Sao Paulo international airport because the expansion project was allegedly initiated without a bidding process.

FIFA and government officials have been saying that improving Brazil’s outdated airport infrastructure is one of the main challenges the country faces in preparing for the World Cup and the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro.

The World Cup will be played in 12 cities across Brazil and there has been criticism of slow work on new or renovated stadiums. —AP

PARIS: The marathon South American World Cup qualifying campaign begins this Friday, and the battle to join hosts Brazil in the first finals on the continent since 1978 looks set to be wide open.

Nine teams will face each other home and away over the next two years, with the top four all advancing automatically to the 2014 jamboree, while a fifth nation will take part in a playoff against Asian opposition.

Much of the focus will be on traditional powerhouses Argentina and Uruguay ahead of the opening games, albeit for different reasons.

Argentina are now rebuilding under new coach Alejandro Sabella after their disappointing showing at the recent Copa America on home soil.

The 56-year-old, who led Estudiantes to the Copa Liberatadores title in 2009, replaced Sergio Batista, and must be aware that solving the Lionel Messi conundrum is crucial if he is to be accepted by a passionate public. Messi’s failure to repeat his club form on the international stage is a source of continuing frustration.

“People know that it doesn’t just depend on me,” Messi told Argentine radio ahead of their opening qualifier at home to Chile.

“I am not going to win any games on my own, just as I don’t win games on my own with Barcelona.

“At international level nobody gives results away. We have had too many disappointments in the recent past. Uruguay must be considered the favourites on current form, as coach Oscar Washington Tabarez has done an extraordinary job of making the small nation of only 3.5 million people a footballing force once again.

La Celeste were World Cup semi-finalists in South Africa in 2010, before confirming that was no fluke by winning the Copa America in July, knocking out

Argentina on the way to a final in which they outclassed Paraguay.

However, Tabarez sought to ease the pressure on his squad by dismissing that favourites’ tag. “To think that we are better than other teams because of what we have achieved would be arro-

to maintain their fantastic recent record in qualifying under a new coach in Francisco ‘Chiqui’ Arce, who represented his country in the 1998 and 2002 World Cups.

Argentine Gerardo Martino stepped down after leading his adopted nation to the final of the

BOGOTA: Colombia’s soccer coach Leonel Alvarez controls the ball during a team training session. Colombia will face Bolivia in a 2014 World Cup qualifying soccer game in La Paz, Bolivia on Oct. 11. —AP gant,” he insists.

“We are going to start these qualifiers better than we have done in the past, with more time to work and with everyone in the squad knowing each other well, but in no way are we favourites.”

Of the rest, Paraguay will be out

Copa America despite not winning a single game in open play in Argentina.

Chile remain one of the most attractive footballing sides on the international stage, although Claudio Borghi’s side must begin their campaign without star man

Alexis Sanchez of Barcelona due to injury.

All the other nations have reason to believe that they can qualify too, with Colombia-led by prolific striker Radamel Falcao-hoping for a fresh start under new coach Leonel Alvarez.

He was appointed after predecessor Hernan Dario Gomez resigned in the wake of allegations that he attacked a woman who insulted him in a bar.

Peru finished bottom in qualifying for the 2010 finals, but have been galvanised by their impressive run to the Copa semi-finals, achieved without injured stars Cladio Pizarro and Jefferson Farfan, while neighbors Ecuador are a pale shadow of the side that reached the last 16 in Germany in 2006.

They will get the chance to avenge a defeat to Venezuela at the Copa America when they host the Vino Tinto at altitude in Quito.

Traditionally a footballing backwater, Venezuela have improved rapidly in recent years, and Cesar Farias’ team captured the imagination of a nation as they reached the Copa semi-finals for the first time.

Venezuela’s strength in depth was proven by Farias’ decision to name two separate squads for his side’s opening two games.

Only nine players are included in both squads as Venezuela first face Ecuador at altitude and then Argentina at home. And then there is Bolivia, perceived to be the weakest side, but with one big ally: the altitude of La Paz. There Bolivia play their home games 3,650 metres above sea level, and their 6-1 win over Argentina in 2010 qualifying proved just how big an advantage that can be.

That means that even the poorest-performing side at the Copa America can dream of reaching the finals, even if away from home their lack of quality is likely to be exposed. —AFP

Chelsea explores leaving Stamford Bridge LONDON: No one has played more games at Chelsea’s 106-year home than Ron Harris but the former captain said he would support a move away from Stamford Bridge if it was in the best interests of the club.

The 2009-10 Premier League champions announced late on Monday that they had made a proposal to buy back the freehold land at Stamford Bridge from Chelsea Pitch Owners (CPO).

Chelsea said this did not mean the club would definitely be relocating but added that buying back the freehold removed a potential hurdle “should a suitable (alternative) site become available in the future”.

“I have heard rumours for quite some time they are looking to move but it remains to be seen what will actually happen,” Harris told Reuters in an interview on Tuesday.

“It seems as though they can’t extend Stamford Bridge’s capacity so moving is probably the only thing they can do. If it’s good for the club I’d go along with it.”

CPO was a company set up in 1993, at a time when the ground was under threat from property developers, to ensure the ownership of the site was placed in club-friendly hands.

Now that Chelsea are owned by billionaire Russian Roman Abramovich, the Londoners believe that safeguard is no longer necessary.

“Chelsea should always be grateful to those who invested in CPO,” chairman Bruce Buck said in a statement. “We know only too well how close the club came to losing our home prior to the for-

LONDON: Bayer Leverkusen’s former Chelsea player Michael Ballack takes part in a training session at Chelsea’s Stamford Bridge stadium in London. —AP mation of CPO. “But that threat has now gone under Mr Abramovich’s ownership and with the CPO structure in place we cannot plan with certainty for the future. I hope all CPO shareholders vote in favour of the proposal.”

Harris, who played a record 795 games for the club and was skipper when they won the 1970 FA Cup and 1971 European Cup Winners’ Cup, said a move away from Stamford Bridge would make financial sense.

“The capacity is 41,000 right now so I suppose if they can get a bigger stadium that takes 60,000

it brings in more money,” said the 66-year-old former hard-man defender.

“You’ll obviously have some people for it and some people against it but...if it makes Chelsea a bigger club then I can’t see anything wrong with it.” Chief executive Ron Gourlay underlined the fact that a move was by no means certain.

“Chelsea Football Club and Mr Abramovich are determined to ensure the club continues to compete at the highest level of world football,” said Gourlay. “ We continue to look at options for expanding the Bridge

and I should be clear we have not identified a site for a new stadium elsewhere.”

Harris, who does corporate hospitality work at Stamford Bridge, has a suite named after him at the ground. “The biggest suite at Chelsea is the Ron Harris suite which I’m proud of,” he explained. “That was never done under the previous regime so I’ve got great admiration for everything Roman Abramovich has done for the club and for me personally. “M aybe they would build me a new Ron Harris suite if they moved to a new ground.” —Reuters

S Americans primed for World Cup qualifiers

Colts fall to Buccaneers

19

17

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 5, 2011

EU backs fans watching football on cheap decoders Page 19

JAPAN: A racket slips from the hand of Juan Monaco of Argentina after he returned the ball against Ivan Dodig of Croatia during the Japan Open tennis tournament . —AP

Nadal, Ferrer notch Japan Open wins TOKYO: The Spanish duo of defending champion Rafael Nadal and former winner David Ferrer crushed local hopes yesterday to advance to the second round of the Japan Open.

World number two Nadal, playing his first singles tournament since finishing as runner-up to Novak Djokovic at last month’s US Open, opened his bid in style, thumping Japan’s Go Soeda 6-3, 6-2.

After taking the first set with ease, Nadal took a 3-1 lead in the second set when Soeda double faulted on a break point, before taking a 5-2 lead and winning on his first match point.

“I was playing well but the ball was a bit heavy from the baseline,” said Nadal, 25, the top seed in Tokyo. “It was difficult to hit top spin. Hopefully I can improve. I had a good feeling, but I still need to play longer, especially with my forehand.”

The 2007 champion Ferrer avenged his loss to Japan’s Kei Nishikori at the US Open three years ago with a straightforward 6-4, 6-3 victory.

Nishikori was the first player to hold his serve, in the fourth game of the first set, for a 3-1 lead but Ferrer hit back, winning three games in a row before going on to take the set.

The world number five was never in trouble in the second set, forcing the only break in the sixth game. “It was a very difficult match and I’m very happy to beat him. Tokyo is a special place for me. I have very good memories here,” said Ferrer.

“Nishikori beat me in 2008, but I think every match is different. He had bad luck. He missed one year due to injury and he is coming back. I think he is going to be a better player than in this moment.

“The two sets were very tough. I played very

good and my first serve was the key at an important moment,” added the third seed.

In the second round, Nadal will play Canadian Milos Raonic, who beat Japan’s Yuichi Sugita 6-7 (4/7), 6-3, 7-6 (7/1). Ferrer will play Australia’s Matthew Ebden, who defeated Spain’s Pablo Andujar on Monday.

Meanwhile, the Serbian tennis player who received a life ban for attempting to fix matches denied the accusations and said yesterday he will appeal to the Swiss-based Court of Arbitration for Sport. The Tennis Integrity Unit found 659th-ranked David Savic guilty Saturday and fined him $100,000 for three violations of the sport’s international anticorruption program. The 26-year-old Savic said in a written statement that he was set up by a “current top player” who told the TIU that Savic asked him to

US Open champion Stosur sent packing BEIJING: US Open champion Samantha Stosur was knocked out of the China Open yesterday in another upset at the tournament following shock defeats for the women’s Wimbledon and French Open champions.

The Australian world number seven lost 5-7, 6-1, 5-7 in the second round to 2005 Beijing champion Maria Kirilenko, following exits for French Open winner Li Na and Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova.

Australian Stosur was beaten in her opener last week in Tokyo-again by Kirilenko-as she played her first match since beating Serena Williams in last month’s US Open final.

Kirilenko broke in the final game in Beijing to claim the victory, with Stosur saving only one of six break points in a match lasting more than two hours.

Holder and top seed Caroline Wozniacki and double grand slam finalist Vera Zvonareva, seeded third, restored some order to the day with victories.

Wozniacki, who took over the WTA top ranking for the first time in the Chinese capital a year ago, was in merciless form in dispatching Australian Jarmila Gajdosova 6-2, 6-3.

Zvonareva, who lost the Wimbledon and US Open finals in 2010, came through a tougher match to beat Czech Klara Zakopalova 6-3, 4-6, 6-2.

France’s eighth seed Marion Bartoli beat American Christina McHale 6-2, 61 and ninth seed Andrea Petkovic of Germany was similarly emphatic as she defeated Carla Suarez Navarro 6-4, 6-4.

In the men’s draw, top-seed JoWilfried Tsonga, who took the Metz title last month and is bidding to reach the eight-man ATP World Tour Finals, defeated Bulgarian Grigor Dimitrov 7-6 (7/5), 7-5. Tsonga fired nine aces and

BEIJING: Russian Maria Kirilenko serves to Australian Samantha Stosur during a women’s singles tennis match of the China Open. —AP broke Dimitrov twice in a hard-fought match lasting just under two hours. “It was difficult to play Grigor because he’s a really good player,” said Tsonga. “For a first round, it was not easy.

“I didn’t move really well, I didn’t hit the ball really good, but I was on the court with my head and I did it. So I’m really happy to go through this one.”

Third seed Tomas Berdych, plagued by a back injury for the past six weeks,

showed his fitness with a win over Jurgen Melzer 7-5, 7-5.

Spaniard Marcel Granollers thrashed French fif th seed Gilles Simon 6-3, 6-1 while Russian Mikhail Youzhny dispelled an injury-plagued six weeks to upset fourth seed Nicolas Almagro 6-3, 6-2. China can look forward to having a player in the second round after Zhang Ze beat compatriot Li Zhe 6-1, 6-3.—AFP

fix a match in exchange for money. “That is an absolute lie,” Savic said. In the statement, Savic said that he was friends with the unidentified top player during their junior days, and that he has not spoken or contacted him in the past 11 years. He said that he could not reveal the name of the player because a judge ordered the TIU ruling be kept confidential. “I was obviously chosen as a scapegoat,” Savic said. “Without any concrete evidence, I became a drastic example for other players.”

Savic is the second tennis player to get a lifetime ban. In May, Austrian player Daniel Koellerer was banned for match-fixing. Savic reached a career best 363rd in the rankings in 2009 and never played above the challenger circuit. The anti-corruption hearing was held on Sept. 12 in London and details will not be made public, the TIU said.

The TIU has been set up on behalf of the International Tennis Federation and the ATP and WTA Tours. Koellerer, a former Davis Cup player who once ranked 55th, is fighting his ban that resulted from violations between October 2009 and July 2010.

Five Italians were among lower-ranked players sanctioned by the ATP in recent years for betting on matches - receiving suspensions ranging from six weeks to nine months between 2007-08. French player Mathieu Montcourt also was banned for two months in 2008. Russian player Nikolay Davydenko was cleared in 2008 of any wrongdoing following an investigation by the ATP into suspicious betting patterns surrounding his match against 87thranked Martin Vassallo Arguello the previous year.—Agencies

Pakistan players on trial for alleged ‘spot-fixing’ LONDON: Two Pakistan Test players went on trial in London yesterday charged with so-called spot-fixing during a match against England last year in allegations which rocked the world of cricket.

Former captain Salman Butt, 26, and fast bowler Mohammad Asif, 28, appeared at Southwark Crown Court charged with conspiracy to obtain and accept corrupt payments, and with conspiracy to cheat at gambling.

The charges relate to allegations of the deliberate bowling of no-balls during England’s fourth Test against Pakistan at Lord’s cricket ground in London in August 2010.

Butt and Asif deny the charges. The offences carry maximum sentences of seven years and two years in prison respectively.

The allegations were made in the Rupert Murdoch-owned News of the World tabloid, which was closed down in July this year when it became engulfed in the phone hacking scandal.

In a packed courtroom, Butt sat in the dock wearing a grey pinstripe suit and white open-necked shirt, one seat away from the taller Asif, who wore a black suit with a white shirt.

Asif listened to the proceedings through an Urdu interpreter. Potential jurors were asked whether they or their families worked in the gambling industry or earned money from professional cricket or have ever been employed in journalism.

Butt and Asif stood and were asked if they objected to any of the jurors selected, to which they said they did not.

Taking it in turns to read out their oaths,

Mohammad Asif

Salman Butt

the jurors were then sworn in, in a case which judge Jeremy Cooke said could last up to five weeks.

The two charges, relating to between August 15 and August 29 last year, were then read out. Cooke then told the jury not to talk to anyone else about the trial.

“You will almost certainly have read things in the newspapers,” the judge said. “Dismiss all that.

“Focus on the evidence you hear in this court and nothing else.” Jurors were also told “do not go on the Internet” to look up information relating to the case, and “no tweeting, no blogging to anyone else about it”.

Seemingly accidentally, the judge referred to the “batting order” when asking the prosecution about the witnesses due to take the stand, before adjourning the case until Wednesday.

Two other people-talented 19-year-

old bowler Mohammad Aamer and the three players’ agent Mazhar Majeedhave also been also charged with the same offences.

At the time of the alleged offences, Butt was captain of Pakistan’s Test side and had won plaudits for his leadership of the team.

Asif was the team’s senior pace bowler, while teenage left-arm swing bowler Aamer was regarded as one of the hottest properties in world cricket.

The allegations stem from a probe by Mazher Mahmood, former undercover reporter for the News of the World, widely known in Britain as the “fake sheikh” for wearing Arab dress during investigations.

‘Spot-betting’, hugely popular in South Asia, sees gamblers bet on various possible incidents in a match rather than the final outcome.—AFP

y

A

G20 countries vow to phase out subsidies

e niv rsar n

Years

Page 25

DP World eyes new London Gateway Page 23

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 5, 2011

Wall Street protests spread nationwide

Banks, euro tumble on Greece exposure fears Page 24

Page 26

WASHINGTON: (From left to right) Sen Lindsey Graham, R-SC, Sen Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, Sen Chuck Schumer, D-NY, and Sen Jeff Sessions, R-Ala face reporters following a vote that clears the way for debate on a bill that would impose tariffs on Chinese imports as a penalty for currency manipulation on Capitol Hill. — AP

Angry Beijing warns of trade war China accuses US senate of ‘politicizing’ trade issues BEIJING: An angry China warned Washington yesterday that passage of a bill aimed at forcing Beijing to let its currency rise could lead to a trade war between the world’s top two economies. China’s central bank and the ministries of commerce and foreign affairs accused Washington of “politicizing” currency issues and putting the global economy at risk after US senators voted on Monday to start a week of debate on the bill.

The response suggested China sees a greater risk from the proposed bill than it has in the past when US lawmakers attempted to put forward similar legislation to speed up the pace of appreciation in the yuan, or renminbi.

Beijing made similar remarks last year after the House of Representatives passed a currency bill that later failed to make any further progress in Congress. Yesterday’s coordinated salvo and the central bank’s warning of a trade war and a slowdown in China’s exchange rate reforms indicated Beijing was taking the latest currency bill more seriously.

“It is very rare for three different ministries of the country to refute something so quickly and strongly, showing how deeply the Chinese government is concerned about the

yuan bill,” said Wang Zihong, a researcher at the China Academy of Social Sciences, a top government think tank. “The strong responses made by the Chinese government may also suggest that the possibility would be quite high this time that the United States will pass the final bill in the end and that Beijing is worried about the possible negative impact on China’s exports resulting from the legislation,” he said. US Senate vote opened a week of debate on the Currency Exchange Rate Oversight Reform Act of 2011, which would allow the US government to slap countervailing duties on products from countries found to be subsidizing their exports by undervaluing their currencies. US lawmakers, eyeing 2012 elections, said keeping China’s currency undervalued had cost American jobs and that a fairer exchange rate would help cut an annual trade gap Washington puts at more than $250 billion. “By using the excuse of a socalled ‘currency imbalance’, this will escalate the exchange rate issue, adopting a protectionist measure that gravely violates WTO rules and seriously upsets Sino-U.S. trade and economic relations,” foreign ministr y spokesman Ma Zhaoxu said in a statement

posted on China’s official government website (www.gov.cn) yesterday. “China expresses its adamant opposition to this.” Ma urged US legislators to “proceed from the broader picture of Sino-US trade and economic cooperation” and “forsake protectionism”.

He repeated Beijing’s position that it will continue to gradually reform its currency policy, “strengthening the flexibility of the renminbi exchange rate.” China’s exchange rate has long been a bone of contention between Beijing and Washington.

The yuan has appreciated some 30 percent against the dollar since it was revalued in 2005, although critics say it is still valued too low and gives Chinese exporters an unfair advantage. The emergence of China as the world’s fastest-growing major economy has led to often testy relations with the United States. The most recent tension was over US plans for a $5.3 billion upgrade of the F-16 A/B fighter fleet of Taiwan, which Beijing considers to be a breakaway province.

CAN THE BILL PASS? Monday’s vote bolsters prospects for the bill to clear the Democrat-run Senate later this

week, but prospects for action in the Republican-controlled House of Representatives are murky. If the bill did clear both chambers, it would present President Barack Obama with a tough decision on whether to sign the popular legislation into law and risk a trade war with Beijing, or veto it to pursue a more diplomatic approach.

“My colleagues, both Democrats and Republicans, agree that China’s deliberate actions to devalue its currency give its goods an unfair competitive advantage in the marketplace,” said Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid. China has routinely denied claims that its policies are responsible for trade imbalances and a high rate of unemployment in the United States, saying that structural problems were to blame. “It is widely understood that the renminbi exchange rate is not the cause of China-US trade imbalances,” Ma said.

China’s central bank said in a statement that the bill failed to address the underlying issues in the US economy. “ The yuan bill passed by the US senate will not solve its problems, such as insufficient savings, high trade deficit and high unemployment rate, but it may seriously affect the whole progress of

rupee a ‘victim of global turmoil’ NEW DELHI: India’s rupee has slid nearly 10 percent in three months against the dollar, a consequence of global economic uncertainty that will stoke already high inflation in Asia’s third-biggest economy. The rupee’s tumble makes import prices of everything from oil, fertilizers to food staples such as pulses, fuelling near-double-digit inflation and causing bigger hardship for India’s poor millions. “The last thing India needs now is imported inflation,” Biswajeet Dhar, head of Research and Information Systems for Developing Countries, a Delhi think-tank said.

“We’re walking into a phase of even higher inflation.”

In the three-month financial quarter to September 30, the currency has fallen by about nine percent to 48.9 rupees to the dollar as investors fret about Europe’s spiraling debt crisis and the sputtering US economic recovery. Money has flowed out of emerging markets and into safe assets such as US Treasury bills which are considered the safest bet in a crisis. It has been the biggest quarterly drop by the rupee since the collapse of Lehman Brothers in September 2008 triggered the last global financial crisis.

The slump comes at a bad time for India, with economic growth slackening as a result of a dozen interest rate hikes in 18 months to curb inflation, already the highest among major global economies at 9.78 percent. “Until global commodity prices come down, every (downward) move in the rupee adds to

imported inflation,” Priyanka Kishore, a currency strategist at Standard Chartered Bank said. Already, Indian state-run oil companies have hiked petrol prices by five percent to offset the effects of the rupee’s decline.

The government originally projected growth of around nine percent for this year, up from 8.5 percent last year. Now Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjhee says he expects growth to be around eight percent and that is far above forecasts by private economists who see expansion in the seven percent range. Central bank governor Duvvuri Subbarao says even with growth slowing, there is pressure for more monetary tightening to dampen inflation which is well above the bank’s comfort level of six percent. “Above a (certain) threshold, you can’t accept high inflation to have higher growth,” Subbarao says.

The central bank has held back from intervening in a major way to support the rupee, preferring to hold on to its foreign exchange reserves which are just a tenth of neighboring emerging market giant China’s. On top of global risk appetite declining, a slew of political and corruption scandals which have paralyzed the Congress-led government’s economic reforms have dented foreign investors’ ardor for India. Foreign inward investment inflows so far this year have totaled $5 billion, less than a quarter of the $22 billion for the same period in 2010. Weak local share markets-which have slid more than 20 percent so far in 2011 - have

KOLKATA: An Indian banker counts 100 and 500-Indian rupee notes at a bank in Kolkata. — AFP put additional pressure on the rupee as overseas funds sell Indian stocks.

In August, foreigners dumped $2.1 billion in shares, the largest monthly outflow since October 2008.

There is a silver lining in the rupee’s fall for India’s flagship software industry, which makes twothirds of its sales in US dollars and whose earnings, translated back into rupees, should be higher. “The rupee depreciation is positive for the IT industry,” says HCL Technologies chief financial officer Anil Chanana.

But companies which have borrowed in dollars, taking advantage of low interest rates abroad, are suddenly finding the rupee value of their loans much higher. The rupee has been among the weakest performers this

year of the major Asian currencies, which also have been hit by sharp outflows in foreign funds.

The fall of Asian currencies against the dollar underscores that India and the region remain hostage to financial shocks from the West, analysts say. Futures markets-which indicate the levels at which a currency will be trading in coming monthsshow the rupee at just under 50 rupees to the dollar at the end of December. Standard Chartered expects the Indian currency to be even lower at 51 rupees to the dollar by the end of the year. “There is just so much uncertainty out there globally the rupee is going to be under pressure,” said Standard Chartered’s Kishore.—AFP

China’s reform of its yuan exchange rate regime and may also lead to a trade war which we would not like to see.” Ma said Beijing would continue “proactive” and “gradual” reform of the currency and the central bank added Chinese inflation had already pushed the real yuan exchange rate further “towards the equilibrium.” Ministr y of Commerce spokesman Shen Danyang said the United States was trying to pass on the blame for its own failings.

“Trying to turn domestic disputes onto another country is both unfair and in violation of standard international rules, and China expresses its concern,” he said in a statement issued on the ministry’s website. The Senate move had to be viewed in the context of deepening economic and political uncertainties in the United States, as well as dwindling approval ratings ahead of next year’s elections, the state news agency Xinhua said in a commentary. “US politicians are using the pretext of creating jobs and playing the China currency card-the practice of diverting attention from domestic conflicts has almost become a political convention in recent years,” it said.— Reuters

News

in brief

KPC extends LNG imports DUBAI: Kuwait will continue importing liquefied natural gas next month, extending its summer LNG buying season by a month, and may build a permanent import facility to meet growing power demand, a Kuwait Petroleum Corporation (KPC) executive said.

KPC began importing LNG in 2009, using a temporary receiving facility, to help meet surging air conditioning demand in the hot Middle Eastern summer period from March to October while reducing the burning of crude oil in its power plants. With Kuwaiti power demand rising at 5 percent per year, the OPEC oil exporter needs to maintain gas imports into next month, potentially reducing available heating fuel for buyers in Europe and northeast Asia looking to stock up for winter.

reporters on the sidelines of a conference.

Wataniya to launch Qatar dual listing DUBAI: Kuwait’s National Mobile Telecommunications Co (Wataniya), which is majority-owned by Qatar Telecommunications, plans to launch a dual listing on the Doha exchange by year-end, its chief executive said yesterday. Scott Gegenheimer said Wataniya, which also operates in North Africa, the Maldives and the Palestinian Terrorities, still intended to launch an initial public offering for mobile operator Tunisiana. “(The) Qatar listing is still on cards, but has taken a bit of time because of issues between the exchanges. They have asked for more information and it’s planned before year-end,” Gegenheimer told

Morgan Stanley upgrades STC RIYADH: Saudi Telecom Co’s (STC) stabilizing revenue growth in the domestic market and cost cutting would drive profit, Morgan Stanley said, upgrading the largest telecom operator in the Gulf by revenue to “equalweight” from “under weight.” The brokerage said it expected decline in fixed revenue to be compensated by growth in data revenue and raised its price target on the stock to 38 riyals from 36 riyals. STC recently revamped its product offerings in Saudi Arabia, which are targeted towards both mobile and fixed data and launched a bundled product to offer free domestic on-net calls, high speed broadband and an interactive TV plan.

Mashreq Bank sees lower profit growth DUBAI: Mashreq Bank, Dubai’s secondlargest lender by market value, expects lower profit growth this year as global economic worries hamper recovery, its chief executive said yesterday. Abdul Aziz Al Ghurair said profit growth would be lower for the bank and the overall banking sector in the United Arab Emirates. Local banks were badly hit by the 2008 global financial crisis and a property bust, particularly in the UAE. Gulf banks spent more than $20 billion on loan loss provisions and investment impairments between 2008 and 2010 according to Standard & Poor’s.

y

A

22

e niv rsar n

Years

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 5, 2011

BUSINESS

Nickel Asia to divert output after raid Share price falls nearly 13% fourth quarter, equal to a fourth of the mine’s planned total shipments this year, said Emmanuel Samson, company chief financial officer.

Nickel Asia sells its nickel ore to China and Japan. “We’re a multimine operator, so some of these shipments that were scheduled for this month and next month out of Taganito can be diverted,” Samson told local ANC television. “We have two other mines that can cover for the shipments that were affected out of Taganito,” he said. “We can also rely on third-party contractors to cover the damaged equipment.”

The Philippines is the third-largest mine producer of nickel in 2010, according to the International Nickel Study Group.

“We continue to assess the damage,” Gerard Brimo, Nickel Asia president, told Reuters, adding he can’t

MANILA: Nickel Asia Corp, the Philippines’ top nickel producer, will divert output from two mines to cover ore shipments from its Taganito mine damaged in an attack by communist rebels, a company official said yesterday. The company also plans to hire equipment from other firms to replace machinery destroyed in the raid, allowing it to ship stockpiled ore from the Taganito nickel mine in southern Philippines. Shares of Nickel Asia, partly owned by Japan’s Sumitomo Metal Mining Co Ltd , fell sharply yesterday after it suspended mine operations and ore loadings indefinitely following Monday’s assault, though the disruption was unlikely to influence nickel prices due to ample world supply.

Taganito was due to ship about 500,000 tons of nickel ore in the

say yet when the mine could resume operations. About 50 percent of equipment at Taganito-the biggest of Nickel Asia’s four mineswere destroyed or damaged, Leo Jasareno, head of state regulator Mines and Geosciences Bureau, told Reuters after attending a postattack meeting with the company.

Jasareno said the company may need to invest more to repair damages at the power plant in Taganito torched by rebels and meet its 2013 target for full commercial operations of the $1.4 billion nickel processing facility.

SHARES HIT Shares of Nickel Asia slid nearly 13 percent in early trade to a record low of 15.04 pesos, almost matching its issue price of 15 pesos when it went public in November and down

more than a third from its peak hit in May. The broader market fell nearly 1 percent. In Tokyo, shares of Sumitomo Metal Mining lost 2.6 percent, in a wider market that fell around 1 percent. But traders said a global nickel surplus of around 70,000 tons in 2012 after an excess of 30,000 tons this year, according to International Nickel Study Group data, would counter any impact on nickel prices from the Philippine outage.

“Production in the Philippines is negligible compared to production on a global basis. It won’t have an impact,” said Nirrav Sharma at Singapore-based trading house GSteelmet. Three-month nickel on the London Metal Exchange dropped 3.2 percent to $18,426 a ton by 0932 GMT, tracking movements in copper , the most liquid

among LME base metals, which were pressured by fears over Greece’s debt.

PRODUCTION IMPACT In June, Nickel Asia said its sales volumes were likely to increase about 20 percent this year, with about 60 percent of output going to China. Its first-half sales volume was up 24 percent from a year earlier. It was looking to sell a total of about 10 million tons of ore this year, topping last year’s record of 8.3 million tons. Taganito produced a total 2.75 million tons of saprolite and limonite ore last year, accounting for a third of the firm’s overall 2010 output. The mine has total ore reserves of 21.1 million tons saprolite and 124.2 million tons limonite as of end-2010. The government said the attacks undermined peace

talks with Maoist rebels. Manila resumed talks in February after a six-year break, but further talks have since been delayed.

The attacks also highlight one of the major concerns of foreign investors looking at opportunities in the Southeast Asian country, which has an estimated $1 trillion wor th of mineral wealth. The Philippine Mine Safety and Environment Association, which groups the state regulator and private mining firms, called on President Benigno Aquino to ensure protection for mine workers and investors who contribute greatly to economic growth. In July, Maoist rebels burned equipment and facilities at a mine on the central island of Negros where Philex Mining Corp, the country’s biggest miner, has an interest.—Reuters

Estee Lauder, Philips launch cancer awareness campaign Hundreds of landmarks worldwide shine pink DUBAI: The Estee Lauder Companies and Philips are proud to have launched a global partnership as part of The Estee Lauder Companies’ Breast Cancer Awareness (BCA) Campaign.

Prominent landmarks, like the InterContinental and Crowne Plaza Dubai Festival City hotels, are illuminated using Philips’ innovative and environmentallyfriendly LED technology to raise awareness about the importance of breast health and early detection to millions worldwide. These landmarks, along with numerous others that are lit pink worldwide, join together as part of The Breast Cancer Awareness Campaign’s Global Landmark Illuminations Initiative and stand as symbols of hope and empowerment, encouraging all to “Connect.

Communicate. Conquer. For a Future Free of Breast Cancer.”

The 2011 BCA Campaign’s Global Landmark Illuminations Initiative marks a dozen years of casting a bright light on a disease that, if localized and detected early, is 90% curable. Philips, the global leader in lighting, was a natural partner for The BCA Campaign’s Global Landmark Illuminations Initiative. By drawing on its expertise, Philips is using the power and versatility of LED to illuminate landmarks across the globe in an energy efficient way. Including the

Campaign’s Global Landmark Illuminations Initiative, shining bright pink lights on landmarks worldwide utilizing their innova-

landmarks that are lit by Philips as a result of this partnership, approximately 200 prominent landmarks around the world shine

tive LED technology. This initiative has grown exponentially over the past 12 years and our hope is for these landmarks to remind millions to get an annual mammogram, if 40 years or older, and to communicate the lifesaving message about the importance of breast health and early detection for a future free of breast cancer.”

“We are very proud to partner with The Estee Lauder Companies’

a pink light as beacons of hope. In doing so, millions of women and men everywhere are reminded of the importance of annual mammograms if 40 years or older, and the benefits of early detection in preventing breast cancer.

Evelyn H Lauder, Senior Corporate Vice President of The Estee Lauder Companies, stated “We are thrilled to be partnering with Philips on The BCA

Global Landmark Illumination Initiative and to promote Breast Cancer Awareness to people across the globe, said Marc de Jong, General Manager Professional Luminaires, Philips Lighting.”Since our company’s inception 120 years ago, Philips Lighting has remained steadfast in creating innovative solutions to enhance the life and well-being of people all over the world. In October, we are joining the fight by doing what we do best: using the power of light to raise awareness and let people know that early detection of breast cancer can save lives” William Lauder, Executive Chairman of The Estee Lauder Companies, stated “We are very pleased that our Breast Cancer Awareness Campaign and Philips have launched this partnership.

The Estee Lauder Companies and Philips share many of the same values, including reducing our impact on the environment and using innovation to drive our sustainability and philanthropic initiatives. This partnership will enable our breast health awareness message to reach many more millions of women and men worldwide, and the use of LED lighting solutions underscores our commitment to sustainability and corporate responsibility in local markets.”

IBS, BNP Paribas launch Kuwaiti Graduate Development Program ence in more than 80 countries and more than 200,000 employees, including 160,000 in Europe. It ranks highly in its three core activities: Retail Banking, Investment Solutions and Corporate & Investment Banking. In Europe, the Group has four domestic markets (Belgium, France, Italy and Luxembourg) and BNP Paribas Personal Finance is the leader in consumer lending. BNP Paribas is rolling out its integrated retail banking model across the Europe-Mediterranean zone and boasts a large network in the western part of the United States. In its Corporate & Investment Banking and Investment Solutions activities, BNP Paribas also enjoys top positions in Europe, a strong presence in the Americas and solid and fast-growing businesses in Asia.

KUWAIT: The Institute of Banking Studies (IBS), the leading financial service training provider in Kuwait and BNP Paribas have launched the BNP Paribas Kuwaiti Graduate Development Program, the first program to be delivered in conjunction with a foreign bank in Kuwait.

The program will see a small number of young Kuwaiti graduates undertake a 12 month extensive training program at the IBS. Graduates will develop skills in technical and non technical aspects of the banking sector which will equip participants with the competencies required for a successful career in financial services.

BNP Paribas (www.bnpparibas.com) is one of the six strongest banks in the world* and the largest bank in the eurozone by deposits. The Group has a pres-

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 US Dollar/KD GB Pound/KD Euro Swiss francs Canadian dollars Danish Kroner Swedish Kroner Australian dlr Hong Kong dlr Singapore dlr Japanese yen Indian Rs/KD Sri Lanka rupee Pakistan rupee Bangladesh taka UAE dirhams Bahraini dinars Jordanian dinar Saudi Riyal/KD Omani riyals Philippine Peso

.2740000 .4230000 .3620000 .2970000 .2590000 .2590000 .0040000 .0020000 .0750790 .7314700 .3810000 .0700000 .7170740 .0040000 .0430000

.2808500 .4370000 .3720000 .3130000 .2720000 .2710000 .0072500 .0035000 .0758330 .7388220 .4010000 .0760000 .7242810 .0072000 .0530000

CUSTOMER TRANSFER RATES .2765000 .2786500 .4253750 .4286050 .3642030 .3669680 .2999950 .3022730 .2619090 .2638980 .0489420 .0493130 .0398230 .0401260 .2611880 .2631710 .0355170 .0357870 .2104000 .2119980 .0036070 .0036340 .0000000 .0057220 .0000000 .0025350 .0000000 .0031940 .0000000 .0037200 .0753230 .0758950 .7338460 .7394190 .0000000 .3941300 .0737660 .0743260 .7185920 .7240480 .0000000 .0064430

Al-Muzaini Exchange Co. 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

ASIAN COUNTRIES 3.646 5.636 3.178 2.518 3.559 212.710 35.710 3.685 6.290 8.904 0.271 0.273

GCC COUNTRIES Saudi Riyal Qatari Riyal Omani Riyal Bahraini Dinar UAE Dirham Egyptian Pound - Cash Egyptian Pound - Transfer Yemen Riyal/for 1000 Tunisian Dinar Jordanian Dinar Lebanese Lira/for 1000 Syrian Lier Morocco Dirham

74.150 76.402 722.230 738.540 75.715 ARAB COUNTRIES 49.000 46.613 1.272 191.890 392.670 186.500 6.003 33.448

EUROPEAN & AMERICAN COUNTRIES US Dollar Transfer 277.950 Euro 430.820 Sterling Pound 303.940 Canadian dollar 265.220 Turkish lire 149.840 Swiss Franc 303.940 Australian dollar 272.870 US Dollar Buying 368.840 GOLD 309.600 156.000 80.000

20 Gram 10 Gram 5 Gram

SELL CASH 268.300 738.810 3.890 267.300 545.600 36.900 51.500 167.800 48.020 371.000 36.340 5.910 0.032 0.239 0.242 3.710 394.390 0.188 89.740 46.300 4.270

213.700 1.800 48.900 721.590 3.220 6.600 76.850 74.170 213.300 36.940 2.624 433.500 41.700 305.500 5.700 9.340 198.263 75.740 278.200 1.220

212.200 721.410 3.185 6.305 76.420 74.170 213.300 36.940 2.517 431.500 304.000 5.700 9.120 75.640 277.800

GOLD 1,735.910

10 Tola

TRAVELLER’S CHEQUE 431.500 277.800

Sterling Pound US Dollar

UAE Exchange Centre WLL

Bahrain Exchange Company COUNTRY Australian dollar Bahraini dinar Bangladeshi taka Canadian dollar Cyprus pound Czek koruna Danish krone Deutsche Mark Egyptian pound Euro Cash Hongkong dollar Indian rupees Indonesia Iranian tuman Iraqi dinar Japanese yen Jordanian dinar Lebanese pound Malaysian ringgit Morocco dirham Nepalese Rupees

New Zealand dollar Nigeria Norwegian krone Omani Riyal Pakistani rupees Philippine peso Qatari riyal Saudi riyal Singapore dollar South Africa Sri Lankan rupees Sterling pound Swedish krona Swiss franc Syrian pound Thai bhat Tunisian dollar UAE dirham U.S. dollars Yemeni Riyal

SELL DRAFT 266.800 738.810 3.684 265.800

213.300 46.597 369.500 36.190 5.640 0.032

392.650 0.187 89.740 3.560

Australian Dollar Canadian Dollar Swiss Franc Euro 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

271.92 268.85 309.65 373.72 433.96 3.66 3.712 5.611 2.516 3.547 3.165 75.48 737.61 46.52 394.51 720.68 76.47 74.04

270.60 267.50 308.30 373.80 434.50 3.62 3.820 5.955 2.620 4.200 3.220 75.62 737.62 47.94 393.76 720.42 76.75 74.05

Dollarco Exchange Co. Ltd Rate for Transfer US Dollar Canadian Dollar Sterling Pound Euro Swiss Frank

Selling Rate 277.700 264.750 430.745 369.320 302.600

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

736.280 75.585 76.225 74.015 390.900 46.608 2.516 5.645 3.183 3.689 6.287 681.181 3.715 8.995 5.845 3.620 92.245

Kuwait Bahrain Intl Exchange Co. Currency US Dollar Pak Rupees Indian Rupees Sri Lankan Rupees Bangladesh Taka Philippines Peso UAE Dirhams Saudi Riyals Bahraini Dinars Egyptian Pounds Pound Sterling Indonesian Rupiah Yemeni Riyal Jordanian Dinars Syrian Pounds Euro Canadian Dollars Nepali rupee

Rate per 1000 (Tran) 277.700 3.170 5.635 2.530 3.695 6.330 75.695 74.195 738.300 46.605 434.600 3.190 1.550 394.700 5.750 375.100 269.200 3.690

Al Mulla Exchange Currency Transfer Rate (Per 1000) US Dollar 277.350 Euro 369.300 Pound Sterling 431.300 Canadian Dollar 265.600 Japanese Yen 3.645 Indian Rupee 5.627 Egyptian Pound 46.595 Sri Lankan Rupee 2.517 Bangladesh Taka 3.664 Philippines Peso 6.287 Pakistan Rupee 3.179 Bahraini Dinar 738.700 UAE Dirham 75.550 Saudi Riyal 74.100 *Rates are subject to change

A

y

e niv rsar n

Years

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 5, 2011

business

Msheireb Properties wins Construction Sustainability Award KUWAIT: Msheireb Properties’ focus on innovation, sustainability and green building was recognized last night at the Qatar Construction Week Awards 2011, where the developer tasked with regenerating Doha’s historical downtown picked up the Construction Sustainability Award at a gala ceremony at the Four Seasons Doha. The Construction Sustainability Award was awarded to Msheireb Properties for the ground breaking sustainability practices implemented at its Msheireb Downtown Doha proj-

ect. Construction Week chose the group’s signature project as the “winning initiative that will make a positive contribution to the advance of environmental considerations in construction, while also demonstrating clear practical applications”.

Mohamed M Al Marri, Director of Projects, accepted the Award on behalf of the CEO Eng Issa M Al Mohannadi. Eng Issa said: “We are honored to receive this award which recognizes our unique approach of developing projects that are sensitive

UAE to host IPRA’s 20th World Congress DUBAI: The United Arab Emirates (UAE) selected the UAE as a host country for the will host the 20th Public Relations World Public Relations World Congress 2012.

This is the first time that this event Congress of the International Public Relations Association (IPRA), the world’s will be held in the Middle East and most influential professional association marks the evolution of the region as a for senior international public relations key player in the PR industry internaexecutives. Slated to be an intense brain- tionally. The Congress will establish storming session covering all aspects of Dubai as the PR capital of the Middle the public relations industry, the Public East, bringing the finest minds in comRelations World Congress 2012 will be munications to the city.” Sunil John, held in Dubai from February 29 to March Chief Executive Officer of ASDA’A BursonMarsteller, member 2, 2012. of the Global The bid for the UAE Governing Board of to host this prestigious IPRA and Vice event was led by the President for IPRA-Gulf Chapter Educational (IPRA-GC), which had Programs of IPRArecently hosted the secGC, has been ond Annual appointed as International Public Chairman of the Relations Conference in O r g a n i z i n g Abu Dhabi during April Committee of the 13-14, 2011, attended 20th Public Relations by nearly 200 PR indusWorld Congress in try professionals and Dubai. The Congress media executives from will witness several around the world. prominent keynote The last edition of speakers addressing the Public Relations a variety of topics World Congress was that will help govheld in 2010 in Lima, Faisal Al-Zahrani ernment representaPeru, and attended by tives, corporate entiindustry representatives from 39 countries, while the 2008 ties, educators, the media and PR profesPublic Relations World Congress was held sionals gain a better understanding on in Beijing, China. In both instances, the the shifts in the sector including the event brought significant media and impact and reach of social media. The industry attention to the host country IPRA-GC executive board, besides Al with the world’s foremost communica- Zahrani and John, also includes: Sultan Al tions professionals and media experts Bazie (Executive Vice President); Jassim Al attending the sessions. The first ever Shuwaikh (Managing Director); Nasser Al Congress was held in Brussels, Belgium in Jessmi (Vice President - UAE); Khaled Al 1955. Richard Linning, IPRA President Khulaifi (Vice President - Kuwait); Dr Fahad 2011 said: “UAE’s hosting of the Public Al Shihabi ( Vice President - Bahrain); Relations World Congress 2012 has the Hassan Al Saleh (Vice President - Oman); resounding support of IPRA. It not only Jassim Fakhroo (Vice President - Qatar); marks the growing importance of Public Sarah Al Ayed ( Vice President for the Relations in the Middle East region and Western Region of Saudi Arabia); Homoud the evolution of local PR practice and Al- Ghobaini (Vice President for the Central practitioners, but also underlines the Region of Saudi Arabia); Etedal Al Ayyar (Vice President - Membership); Ahmed UAE’s ability to host truly global events.”

Faisal Al Zahrani, President of IPRA-GC Abed Shaikh (Vice President of Media said: “We are delighted that IPRA has Relations) and Salah Al Dhahri (Treasurer).

Emirates business activity picking up DUBAI: Growth in private sector business activity in the United Arab Emirates picked up in September from a 15month low, but the improvement was minor, a purchasing managers’ survey showed yesterday. The HSBC UAE Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI), which measures the performance of the OPEC member ’s manufacturing and services sectors, rose to 52.11 points from August’s 50.95, the survey of 400 private sector firms showed. The 50point level separates growth from contraction.

“It’s good to see a pick-up in the headline index after four consecutive months of decline, particularly as the gain was driven by strong growth in new orders,” said Simon Williams, chief economist for the Middle East and North Africa at HSBC. “I’m not ready, though, to see this as the start of an upward trend. Readings for employment and wages still look very weak and I’m anxious that an economy as small and open as the UAE will prove vulnerable to the increasingly serious problems afflicting the rest of the global economy.”

New orders hit a three-month high of

56.95 points on an adjusted basis in September, after 53.54 in the previous month, reflecting better business conditions, stronger market demand and competitive pricing, the survey showed.

But job creation across the UAE’s non-oil private sector remained weak in September, accelerating only marginally from August. Output prices rose at their fastest rate since June, but the rate remained below the average seen in the first half of the year.

Consumer price inflation in the world’s No 4 oil exporter eased to an 18month low of 0.6 percent year-on-year in August as housing costs fell. Robust oil prices and strong trade flows have been helping the UAE economy recover this year from the $25 billion debt restructuring at Dubai’s flagship conglomerate in 2010, but slow credit growth and a weak property sector remain obstacles.

Analysts polled by Reuters in September expected the UAE’s economic output to expand by 3.8 percent this year after a 1.4 percent rise in 2010.

However, they trimmed their 2012 growth forecasts because of a worsening global outlook. — Reuters

to local norms, culture and environment and further underscores our leadership in actively promoting environmental awareness, sustainability and conservation. By creating the world’s first sustainable downtown regeneration project we hope that this will serve as a bold new template for the incorporation of practices such as passive cooling, energy and water conservation and use of renewable energy and reduction of carbon emissions across the world.”

Launched in 2009, Msheireb

Downtown will have the highest concentration of LEED certified buildings in the world. The entire site will also be a LEED Certified Neighborhood Development (ND). The development focuses on 12 sustainability objectives that include maximizing use of microclimate, reduction of car use, maximizing water and energy efficiency, reduction of carbon emissions as well as facilitating community interaction and social exchange.

The Award acknowledges Msheireb Properties’ role in leading

the way, with the first neighborhood regeneration project in the region to have integrated urban sustainability as the paramount design direction, creating a unique architectural language sensitive to Qatar’s climate, culture and heritage. Msheireb Properties has earned a number of other prestigious industry awards, including the MIPIM Architectural Review Future Projects Awards in Cannes France and the 2010 Arabian Business Award for excellence in Corporate Social Responsibility.

Etisalat mulls partnerships Telecommunications corp seeks expansion DUBAI: Emirates Telecommunications Corp (Etisalat) is open to partnerships or obtaining new licenses as it seeks to expand into different markets, the United Arab Emirates carrier said yesterday.

Available mergers and acquisition opportunities are decreasing despite an ongoing need for consolidation within the industry, Ahmed bin Ali, Etisalat’s senior vice president for corporate communications, said on the sidelines of a business conference.

“Competition is healthy and good for customers but if we are overdoing it, it will be miserable for customers. Price wars (mean) less services will be introduced, less investment,” Ali said, adding that regulators can play a role in helping small players consolidate with other operators.

Ali said the company has enough reser ve cash to buy another operator, if the opportunity meets its investment strategy. But in the absence of consolidation opportunities, Ali said the

S&P on trial over ‘misleading info’ SYDNEY: Standard & Poor’s went on trial in Australia yesterday, accused of misleading several towns by giving top ratings to financial products that collapsed in the build-up to the 2008 global economic crisis. While several lawsuits are underway around the world, a spokesman for the Australian municipalities said it marked the first time that one of the big three credit risk agencies was being held to account in a court. Brought on behalf of 13 Australian towns, the federal court case claims S&P misled investors on the quality of Constant Proportion Debt Obligation notes (CPDOs), which the US agency slapped with top-notch triple-A ratings.

However, within four months of the councils buying the notes from Australian firm Local Government Financial Service (LGFS) in late 2006, assured they had a less than one percent chance of failing, the synthetic derivatives defaulted. “They had no underlying value... and the councils lost the bet,” said John Walker, spokesman for IMF Australia, a publicly listed company that provides funding for large legal claims. “Our clients lost about Aus$15-odd million dollars (US$14.22 million). Within four months they’d lost 90 percent of their investment,” Walker said.

The mostly small mining and farming towns in populous New South Wales state want their Aus$15 million dollars back, with interest, claiming the CPDOs’ premium rating led them to believe it was a safe, conservative investment. “This is the first time the ratings agencies have fronted a trial on these issues,” Walker said. S&P was unable to comment on the details of the case, which was filed against the British unit of its parent company McGraw-Hill. But the firm said the lawsuit “lacks merit, and we are defending against it vigorously”.

Walker said other claims had been filed in the United States and Europe but were yet to get to trial, and said the Australian case would be the first to see “a rating agency in front of a court having to answer their involvement in the debacle”. The sale of risky investments such as mortgage-backed securities contributed to the worldwide financial meltdown in late 2008. “These (securities) weren’t regulated and they weren’t controlled under the money supply of the reserve (central) bank in each of the countries,” Walker said. “Because they were synthetic they could just create as many as they wanted to, they didn’t have to have a physical bond or whatever to tie it to, so they could do as many of these debts as they could find buyers for,” he added. “In 2005, 2006, the market went from billions to trillions.” S&P is facing a US Securities and Exchange Commission probe into a mortgage-backed investment rating it gave on a product in 2007. The investment in question, Delphinus CDO 2007-1, was a package of collateralized debt obligations, which together with credit default swaps were widely blamed for the 2008 financial meltdown.

S&P is also the subject of a separate SEC investigation over its decision in August to downgrade the US government’s credit rating for the first time ever, which sent world markets into a panic. In the 10week Australian trial, the plaintiffs will allege that S&P had “insufficient historical background” to assign the CPDOs a triple-A rating because they were new and untested, and that the rating was misleading. It also accuses the LGFS of failing in its duty to the councils by selling them the products, while S&P is counter-suing banking giant ABN AMRO, which created the CPDOs.— AFP

company sees greenfield licenses or partnerships as an ideal way to enter markets, such as Asia and Africa.

“There’s a chance of consolidation (but) if this is not available, the right model for most of the market is partnering or alliances between operators where they can benefit from economies of scale, resources and technology,” he said.

“Different operators in Asia and Africa can will be able to benefit from our experience.” Etisalat,

which operates in 18 countries, has reported falling profits in five of the past six quarters.

About three quarters of its revenues in the first half of 2011 came from the UAE, where rival du now claims a 44 percent share of the oil exporter’s mobile subscribers. Du launched services in 2007. Mobile penetration in the UAE was 145 percent in 2010, down from 154 percent a year earlier, according to the International Telecommunications Union.—Reuters

10% discount for AUB Cardholders KUWAIT: Ahli United Bank (AUB) in cooperation with Al Mudaires Per fumes 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 needs, Al Mudaires Perfumes is offering them a discount of 10% on all their products.

The par ticipation of Al Mudaires Perfumes 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 Al Mudaires Perfumes which reinforces AUB commitment to constantly deliver added value services & privileges to its customers. Al Mudaires is specialized in offering a large selection of perfumes, agar wood, essential oil, gifts and accessories. In addition to

offering a unique selection of essences tailored to each of its customers and thus suiting a large array of customers with different needs and tastes.

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 Par tners; 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.

DP World to launch new London Gateway DUBAI: Dubai-based ports operator DP World expects its new London Gateway deep-sea container port to be operational by the fourth quarter of 2013, it said yesterday, with spending on the project set to continue apace despite the economic gloom. London Gateway, located about 25 miles east of central London on the north bank of the river Thames, is a staged 1.5 billion-pound ($2.3 billion) development embracing the container port itself as well as what is expected to be Europe’s largest logistics park. The world’s third-largest port operator said that it would invest another $1 billion on the project over the next three years, having already spent $600 million, with construction in progress since January last year. “The funds for the project are coming from the resources of the company and international financial institutions. They are already in place,” Sultan Ahmed bin Sulayem, chairman of DP World, said in a conference call with reporters.

“These projects are not something that would be affected by the (euro zone debt) crisis.

They are long term.”

The port will have an initial container capacity of 1.6 million twenty-foot equivalent units (TEU) and DP World said it will contribute 3.2 billion pounds ($4.95 billion) to Britain’s economy every year. In London, UK Business Secretary Vince Cable said the new port would transform the UK’s maritime port infrastructure and save millions of pounds every year in land transport costs. “It will help Britain maintain its competitiveness, drive productivity and crucially strengthen our links with Asia and beyond,” he told business leaders. DP World is considered one of the more profitable units of debt-laden Dubai World which reached a near $26 billion debt deal with creditors last year. Shares in DP World were trading down 3 percent at $10 at 1140 GMT. The port operator also said yesterday it has awarded four port equipment contracts, which includes a partnership with Cargotec for port automation. Cargotec said separately that the project is worth around 100-150 million euros. —Reuters

Egypt’s OCI secures $1.9 billion in credit facilities CAIRO: Egypt’s Orascom Construction Industries (OCI), the country’s biggest listed company, said yesterday its fertilizer subsidiaries had signed credit facilities worth $1.9 billion with international and local banks. The group plans to use the new facilities to refinance existing ones and help carry out a planned separation of its fertilizer and construction businesses into two legal entities under a single holding company.

“This package will help us achieve our twin objectives of refinancing the credit facilities

which were due in 2013 thereby fulfilling our near-term refinancing obligations,” Chief Financial Officer Salman Butt said. He added that the loan would facilitate borrowing within the fertilizer business.

The initial lead arrangers and underwriters of the deal include Al-Ahli United Bank, Banque Audi, BNP Paribas, Citigroup, Commercial International Bank , HSBC, National Bank of Abu Dhabi, National Societe Generale Bank Egypt , and JP Morgan. —Reuters

y

A

24

e niv rsar n

Years

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 5, 2011

business

Price Index closes at 5,804.3 points GLOBAL DAILY MARKET REPORT KUWAIT: Kuwait stocks ended yesterday’s session on a mixed note, with the third quarter’s earnings announcement just around the corner. Gains in select blue chips stocks sent large caps higher. Investors worry over the global economic outlook. It’s worth mentioning that, The US Federal Reserve chairman will comment on US economy later yesterday.

Market Indices Global General Index (GGI) ended the day up by 0.14 percent, at 179.78 points. Market Capitalization was also up for the day, reaching KD29.31bn. On the other hand, KSE Price Index closed at 5,804.3 points, shedding 7.60 points (0.13 percent) to its previous close.

Market Breadth During the session, 90 companies were traded. Market breadth was skewed towards decliners as 39 equities declined versus 21

that advanced.

Daily Trading Activity Total volume traded was down by 28.94 percent with 90.26mn shares changing hands at a total value of KD10.89mn (9.25 percent lower compared to yesterday’s session). Services sector was the volume leader, accounting for 38.17 percent of total shares exchanges. Al-Safat Investment Company was the session’s most traded stock with 8.76mn shares exchanged. The same sector was the value leader, having 42.35 percent of total traded value.

Top Gainers and Biggest Decliners In terms of top gainers, Bayan Investment Company was the top gainer for the day, adding 9.43 percent to its share value and closing at KD0.029. On the other hand, Kuwait Syrian Holding Company shed 8.33 percent and closed at KD0.028, making it the biggest decliner in the market.

Sectors Wise Global sector indices witnessed a mixed performance yesterday as 3 out of the 8 sectoral indices witnessed increases. Global Food Index was the prominent gainer recording an increase of 0.46 percent. Danah Al Safat Foodstuff Company and Livestock Transport & Trading Company closed up by 5.06 percent and 4.39 percent respectively.

Global Banking Index rose by 0.26 percent on the back of the gain registered in one bank only, National Bank of Kuwait (NBK) increased by 1.89 percent to close at KD1.080.

Elsewhere in the banking sector, Boubyan Bank said the central bank has approved its request to extend the buyback period for up to 10 percent of its shares by six months. The new share buyback period will begin October 14, 2011 which is also the expiry date of the current buyback period. On the flip side, investment stocks performed poorly yesterday. As highlighted by Global Investment Index, the sector shed 0.52 percent. Kuwait Projects

Company (Holding) lost 1.61 percent of its stock price on a solitary trade, to close at KD0.305.

Corporate News The chief executive of Kuwaitbased National Mobile Telecommunications Company (NMTC) said yesterday that a dual listing on the Qatar exchange before the end of the year is still a possibility.

Oil News Kuwait’s oil output rose to 2.87mnbpd in September compared 2.8mnbpd in August due to an increase in market demand, a Kuwaiti OPEC delegate said yesterday. “Basically as long as there is market demand there will be an increase, this is why we have an increase of around 100,000bpd in September,” said the delegate. The price of Kuwaiti crude oil slipped $2.26pb to come to $97.25pb on Monday, compared to Friday’s $99.51pb, said Kuwait Petroleum Corporation yesterday.

US buyers shun ‘conflict minerals’ in Congo’s east GOMA: A battered pickup truck pulling up to Huaying Trading’s back street office in Goma is about all that remains of Congo’s once-bustling resources business as an impending US crackdown on so-called “conflict minerals” scares most buyers away. Eight years after the formal end of a war that killed millions and drew in six other African countries, rebel groups and the Congolese army continue to battle for control of mine sites deep in the hills of eastern Congo. For years, the conflict has been sustained by revenues from mines that in many cases are controlled by armed groups.

Now, a local industry that has long operated in a near legal vacuum is facing an onslaught of leg-

islative and regulatory initiatives that could amount to a “kill or cure” treatment. Last year’s Dodd-Frank financial oversight law requires the US Securities and Exchange Commission to write rules forcing companies to disclose whether they use minerals such as tantalum, tin, gold or tungsten from Congo.

While it is unclear when the rules will be finalized or go into effect, firms such as Apple Inc and Hewlett Packard are not waiting to see the fine print. They are no longer sourcing from the region, having launched in April their own industry drive against conflict minerals which anticipates much of the spirit of Dodd-Frank. For now, only the Chinese

has chosen to stay. “Of 25 exporters that exist (in Goma), not more than three are operational, (all) belonging to Chinese. For China there is no problem, they continue to export to their country,” local Congolese exporter Thierry Kituli Kaoma told Reuters.

The workers outside Huaying Trading say the sacks they are unloading contain cassiterite, an ore that yields the tin used as solder in devices such as portable phones and laptop computers. They say the shipment is from Walikale, an eastern mining area plagued by armed rebels. Local representatives of Huaying Trading declined to be interviewed.— Reuters

Banks, euro tumble on Greece exposure fears LONDON: World stocks hit a fresh 15-month low yesterday and the euro fell across the board as the growing prospect of a near-term default by Greece stoked fears of a major bank ing crisis in Europe, which would accelerate a global economic slowdown. The cost of insuring German sovereign debt against default hit a record high for a second day in a row, reflecting concerns that the euro zone’s paymaster-in-chief will have to dig ever deeper into its pockets to bail out the region’s weaker states. A fresh sell-off in risky assets began after euro zone finance ministers said they were reviewing the size of private sector involvement in a second bailout package for Greece, a move that could undermine the aid plan and hasten a default.

The prospect of private creditors taking a bigger writedown on their holdings of Greek debt than agreed in July added to unease about an already fragile European banking sector. European banking shares fell 4.2 percent, with Dexia shedding as much as 37 percent on top of its 10 percent fall on Monday due to worries about the Franco-Belgian bank’s heavy exposure to Greece. “The tone for the euro is sour after the failure of the euro zone finmins to bring anything concrete to the table with respect to Greece,” said Jane Foley, senior currenc y strategist at Rabobank.

“The market is increasingly worried about the potential of the Greek crisis and the calamity that could be created if there was a messy default.” There had been no discussion about Greece defaulting, the country’s finance minister told a news conference in Athens. The MSCI world equity index fell 1.5 percent, hitting its lowest since July 2010. The index has fallen more than 18 percent since January and more than 24 percent since hitting a

three-year high in March. US stock futures were down 0.3 percent, pointing to a weaker open on Wall Street later.

BANKS UNDER PRESSURE European stocks lost 2.6 percent while emerging stocks fell 2 percent to hit their lowest since September 2009. Dexia, whose shares hit a record low, vowed to fix its balance sheet after Moody ’s placed the group on a review for a possible downgrade, warning about its liquidity. According to a Belgian newspaper report yesterday, Dexia could be split up and its ‘good’ assets sold by the end of 2011.

France and Belgium, work ing with central banks, said they would take all measures necessary to protect Dexia’s account holders and creditors. Euro zone ministers also agreed Greece could wait until midNovember for the next installment from the existing aid program, putting further pressure on Athens to get to grips with its debt problems .

“What you’re now beginning to see is they (investors) are now picking out the banks. Dexia is the weakest,” said Justin Urquhart Stewart, director at Seven Investment Management.

“Politicians have to stand behind these banks-whether you call it state support, nationalization, you have to keep the financial system working otherwise we will end up with another credit crisis.” German fiveyear credit default swaps rose to 121 basis points while Belgium’s fiveyear CDS gained 14 bps to 286 bps, close to a Sept 22 record high. US crude oil fell 1.5 percent to $76.45 a barrel. Bund futures rose 88 ticks.

The dollar rose 0.4 percent against a basket of major currencies to a fresh nine-month high. The euro fell as low as $1.3144, a nine -month trough. It also fell to a 10-year low of 100.78 yen.— Reuters

A

y

e niv rsar n

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 5, 2011

Years

BUSINESS

IEA warns of ballooning fossil fuel subsidies G20 countries vow to phase out subsidies PARIS: Global subsidies for fossil fuel consumption are set to reach $660 billion in 2020 unless reforms are passed to effectively eliminate this form of state aid, the International Energy Agency (IEA) said yesterday.

“Governments and taxpayers spent about half a trillion dollars last year supporting the production and consumption of fossil fuels,” the energy watchdog to 28 industrialized countries said. “In a period of persistently high energy prices, subsidies represent a significant economic liability,” it said in an extract of its annual World Energy Outlook, which is due to be published in full on Nov 9.

The IEA estimated such subsidies at $409 billion in 2010, compared to $312 billion in 2009. Oil products had the largest subsidies at $193 billion in 2010 while $91 billion went to natural gas. Iran and Saudi Arabia had the biggest subsidies. “It’s a huge amount of money,” the IEA’s Chief Economist Fatih Birol told reporters. “Without further reform, spending on fossil fuel consumption subsidies is set to reach $660 billion in 2020, or 0.7 percent of global gross domestic product.”

In 2010, Birol had forecast that fossil fuel subsidies would reach $600 billion as early as 2015 without further reforms. He said the slower

rate of growth was par tly due to efforts in certain major countries including China. “This is thanks to the improvements in India, China, Russia. They have made significant efforts. We have to be fair,” he said.

Leaders of the Group of 20 (G20) major economies committed in Pittsburgh in 2009 to phase out, over the medium-term, inefficient fossil fuel subsidies that encourage wasteful consumption. Eliminating fossil fuel consumption subsidies by 2020 would cut global energy demand by 5 percent and reduce carbon emissions by nearly 6 percent by then, said the IEA report. — Reuters

SEOUL: South Korean farmers bow every three steps in a march during a rally held against a free trade agreement between South Korea and the United States in Seoul yesterday. — AP

Anti-austerity protesters block Greece’s ministries More austerity looms as Greece misses deficit target

LUXEMBOURG: German Finance Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble (right) talks with Spanish Finance Minister Elena Salgado, during the EU finance ministers meeting in Luxembourg yesterday. — AP

Eurozone considers making banks pay more for Greece Ministers set review of bondholder deal LUXEMBOURG: European finance ministers are considering making banks take bigger losses on Greek debt and have delayed a vital aid payment to Athens until midNovember, setting up a crunch point in the euro zone’s sovereign debt crisis. Bank shares took a further sharp tumble yesterday, leading a broader stock market retreat, after the 17 euro zone ministers, meeting in Luxembourg, called for a review of a July 21 debt swap agreement with private bondholders.

The delay in disbursing an 8 billion euro loan installment, which Greece had said was needed to pay October salaries and pensions, and the revisiting of the private sector deal raised the chance of a Greek default as soon as the currency area has new financial firefighting tools in place, analysts said. “The market is increasingly worried about the potential of the Greek crisis and the calamity that could be created if there was a messy default,” said Jane Foley, senior currency strategist at Rabobank.

The euro hit a nine-month low against the dollar and a 10-year low against the yen. Investor confidence was also hit by deepening trouble at Franco-Belgian bank Dexia , a municipal lender with big holdings of Greek and other peripheral euro zone debt, whose shares plunged by over 20 percent yesterday after losing 10 percent on Monday. The French and Belgian finance ministers said in a joint statement that Paris and Brussels and their central banks would take all necessary measures to safeguard Dexia account holders and creditors.

Jean-Claude Juncker, chairman of the 17-nation Eurogroup, said ministers were reassessing the extent of private sector involvement in a planned 109 billion euro second rescue package for Greece which may now prove insufficient after Athens admitted it would miss key deficit targets.

Under the July deal, private creditors agreed to take a 21 percent write-down on their Greek holdings via a plan to lighten and stretch the debt burden, with euro zone governments funding credit enhancements to attract voluntary participation.

Now that Greece’s economic growth and deficit situation has worsened, that deal needed to be reviewed, Juncker said. “As far as the PSI (private sector involvement) is concerned, we have to take into account the fact that we have experienced changes since the decisions we took on the July 21, so we are considering technical revisions, so yes,” Juncker told reporters. He would not elaborate. France, whose banks stand to lose most from a Greek default, urged all sides to stick to the original deal. “We have the July 21 agreement. We have to implement it, we have to keep working on it.

Today Greece needs to make an effort, needs to keep moving,” French government spokeswoman Valerie Pecresse said.

Juncker also disappointed analysts by saying the European Central Bank was not the main avenue being explored to increase the firepower of the euro zone’s rescue fund. His comment, reflecting strong German opposition to using the ECB to leverage up the European Financial Stability Facility, raised doubts that the bailout fund can be sufficiently scaled up to calm febrile

markets. The United States has urged the euro zone to leverage its 440 billion euro rescue fund to buy government bonds from the market, recapitalize banks and extend precautionary credit to sovereigns but political resistance to pouring more public money into bailouts is growing across northern Europe. In Athens, striking public sector workers blockaded the entrance to several ministries on the second anniversary of the ruling Socialist party’s election victory, disrupting talks with EU and IMF inspectors on the next aid tranche.

“TIME TO DECIDE” Despite more than six hours of talks, the euro zone meeting produced few concrete steps to tackle the deepening sovereign debt crisis, raising expectations that Greece will end up having to default on its 357 billion euros of debts. All roads now point to mid-November. The only minor advance was a deal resolving a dispute over Finnish demands for collateral from Greece in return for new loan guarantees. The terms were complex and seemed designed to deter other countries from seeking such special conditions.

A tentatively planned finance ministers’ meeting on Oct 13, expected to have signed off on the next payment to Greece, was cancelled, giving EU and IMF inspectors several more weeks to report back on Athens’ austerity measures and lagging economic reforms and privatizations.

“Greece told us that the funds will have to be made available during the second week of November,” Belgian Finance Minister Didier Reynders said. “We reviewed the Greek plan and we will now wait for the final report from the troika since we have time to decide.” Euro zone parliaments are expected to complete approval of new powers for the EFSF rescue fund by midOctober, giving it scope to intervene on bond markets and help recapitalize banks.

Greece’s admission on Sunday that it will miss its deficit target this year despite ever deeper cost-cutting measures provoked a sharp sell-off in stock markets and raised new doubts over the proposed second bailout. Economists and market analysts have long said the July deal was insufficient to make Greece solvent and forecast that Athens would have to default within months. Greece’s draft budget sent to parliament on Monday showed this year’s deficit would be 8.5 percent of gross domestic product, well above the 7.6 percent agreed in Greece’s EU/IMF bailout program, the benchmark for future EU aid.

Compounding the debt problem, the economy is set to shrink by a further 2.5 percent next year after a record 5.5 percent contraction this year. The deeper-than-forecast recession means public debt will be equivalent to 161.8 percent of GDP this year, rising to 172.7 percent next year, by far the highest ratio in Europe. The likelihood that Greece’s funding needs next year will be greater than forecast when the second rescue package was agreed in principle in July has reopened a fraught battle over who should pay-taxpayers or financiers. EU and German officials have suggested the creditors’ “haircut” may have to be increased to as much as 40 or 50 percent. — Reuters

ATHENS: Greek public sector workers blocked the entrances to several ministries yesterday to protest against austerity measures, disrupting talks with EU and IMF inspectors on a vital aid tranche. The Socialist government, which came to power two years ago on a pledge to help the poor and tax the rich, is facing growing anger from voters hit hard by a series of tax hikes and wage cuts agreed to stem a debt crisis.

Athens admitted on Sunday that it will miss its 2011 deficit target despite the harsh austerity steps and approved unpopular plans to put tens of thousands of public sector workers into a “labor reserve” on the road to redundancy.

“There is very big turmoil and very deep anger in society,” the secretary general of public sector union ADEDY, Ilias Iliopoulos, told Reuters as he took part in the protest, which blocked access to several buildings including the Finance Ministry.

“Today’s protests mainly have to do with the labor reserve and firings. But there is also the new budget which brings new measures against the people,” he said, a day before a 24-hour strike by the public sector union and state utility workers. Fears of a debt default drove the Athens stock exchange to an 18-year low yesterday. Greek bank stocks went down as much as 8 percent. The euro hit a nine-month low against the dollar and a 10-year low against the yen.

Protesters also blocked the entrances of other public buildings including the labor, agriculture, culture and development ministries, a police official said. They did the same on Thursday and Friday, when an EU/IMF inspection of Greece’s finances started. About 20 protesters from communist-affiliated union PAME briefly occupied the office of the Labor Minister. Planes and trains will be halted on Wednesday, schools will be shut and hospitals will have only limited staff as workers walk off the job to protest against austerity.

APPLY PRESSURE Euro zone finance ministers agreed on

Monday that Greece could afford to wait until mid-November, rather than mid-October, to receive the next 8-billion-euro installment from its aid program. That gives inspectors from the European Union, International Monetary Fund and European Central Bank, known as the troika, more time to apply pressure on Athens to carry out reforms. The euro zone ministers are also reviewing the size of the private sector’s involvement in a second international bailout package, a move that could undermine the aid program and hasten the threat of a default.

In a meeting with Labor Minister George Koutroumanis, troika officials raised the issue of lowering the minimum wage of about 740 euros a month, to boost firms’ competitiveness,

ATHENS: High school students chant slogans outside the Greek Parliament during a protest in central Athens yesterday. — AP

Brazil set to back crisis-hit Europe BRUSSELS: Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff pledged to stand by Europe in the eurozone debt crisis but warned against resorting to drastic austerity measures that stunt growth. Brazil “is ready to take on its responsibility,” Rousseff said after an EU-Brazil summit in Brussels. “You can rely and count on us.” But differing on the recipe for a turnaround, Rousseff said developed nations, which are slashing budgets to reduce huge debt burdens, instead should take measures to stimulate growth and reduce unemployment, and not focus solely on austerity programs.

“The world today sees the current state of affairs in developed countries with great concern,” she told a news conference. The world has entered “stage two” of an economic crisis following the 2008 global financial turmoil, which led to bailouts of banks that increased the debts of developed nations, Rousseff said.

“We were not able to resume sustained growth and once again we face a recessive scenario marked by high unemployment and deterioration of historic social achievements,” she said.

“History shows us that we will only be able to exit the crisis through stimuli to economic growth, coupled with macroeconomic stability policies as well as social policies aimed at creating jobs and

further angering unions. “They operate like the crusaders of a neo-liberal obsession,” Yannis Panagopoulos, president of private sector union GSEE said on NET radio. “They will have cheap labor, but with this ... the country will sink into a deeper recession.”

The government said on Monday the country will remain in recession next year, threatening its efforts to put its finances back on track and claw its way out of a debt crisis shaking the euro zone, with more belt-tightening looming. The economy will suffer a fourth consecutive year of contraction, shrinking by 2.5 percent in 2012 after an expected 5.5 percent slump this year, according to the 2012 budget draft. — Reuters

income,” she said. “Simply adopting recessive adjustments is not enough.” Brazil has raised the possibility that the BRICS group of emerging powers of which it is part with Russia, India, China and South Africa-could provide aid to the European Union. As Rousseff made her plea for growth measures, EU finance ministers held talks in Luxembourg where Greece was pressured to take more austerity measures to cut its massive deficit and debt in return for bailout funds.

EU president Herman Van Rompuy sought to reassure Rousseff that Europe would take action to contain the debt crisis. “I underlined to the president the European Union’s determination to maintain the stability of the euro area and to stimulate structural economic growth and productivity,” he said. “ The European Union will continue to act in a forceful way to address the current tensions in the sovereign debt market and to reinforce the foundations of the European monetary union on top of what we already decided.” The EU and Brazil will cooperate closely at a G20 summit in Cannes, France, next month, to prevent the global economy from falling back into recession, he said. The EU and Brazilian leaders refused to take questions from reporters at the close of the summit. — AFP

RBS reviewing return targets RBS shares down 4 percent LONDON: Royal Bank of Scotland is reviewing its investor return targets as the business plans and profit targets of the world’s leading banks come under pressure from turmoil in the global economy caused by fears of a European debt crisis.

RBS put up a presentation by Chief Executive Stephen Hester at a Bank of America Merrill Lynch conference on its website, in which one of the slides stated “return target under review in light of challenges.” RBS, which is 83 percent owned by the British government following a taxpayer bailout during the credit crisis, added yesterday that it was likely to raise its targeted core Tier 1 capital ratio.

I t said this was due to the impact of strict new rules from the Basel committee of banking super visors and Britain’s Independent Commission on Banking (ICB). The new Basel III banking regulations have set out a minimum global core capital level of 7 percent for top banks that will be phased in from the start of 2013 to the end of 2018, while the ICB has said top UK banks should hold core capital of at least 10 percent of risk-weighted assets in their domestic retail operations. RBS reported in August a core tier 1 capital ratio of 11.1 percent and a return on equity at its core business of 13 percent, along with a second-quarter pre-tax loss of 678 million pounds ($1.05 billion).

RBS SHARES SLIP RBS shares fell as much as 7.9 percent to an intraday low of 20.69 pence, before edging back to be down by 3.8 percent at 22 pence in mid-morning trading.

The stock underperformed a 2.1 percent fall in Britain’s benchmark FTSE 100 index. RBS shares have consistently traded below the 49.9 pence level at which the British taxpayer acquired its stake in the Scottish bank. Britain ended up its 83 percent stake in RBS and a 40.6 percent holding in rival Lloyds after rescuing both banks during the credit crisis with taxpayer bailouts. As a result of the bailouts, both banks were ordered by European regulators to trim their balance sheets and sell off a host of assets, with Lloyds currently looking to sell some 630 retail branches and RBS aiming to dispose of its insurance arm.

Once a small Scottish retail bank, RBS staged a meteoric rise to global prominence over two decades with an increasingly aggressive expansion into wholesale banking that subsequently threatened to fell the entire UK financial system. RBS was rescued in October 2008 after its finances were stretched by the credit crisis and its part in the acquisition of Dutch bank ABN AMRO in 2007.

The bailout caused the eventual resignation of then chief executive Sir Fred Goodwin, and British regulators are preparing to issue a public report into its near-failure during the crisis. — Reuters

y

A

26

e niv rsar n

Years

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 5, 2011

BUSINESS

Wall Street protests spread nationwide NEW YORK: Protests against Wall Street entered their 18th day yesterday as demonstrators across the country show their anger over the wobbly economy and what they see as corporate greed by marching on Federal Reserve banks and camping out in parks from Los Angeles to Portland, Maine. Demonstrations are expected to continue throughout the week as more groups hold organizational meetings and air their concerns on websites and through streaming video. In Manhattan on Monday, hundreds of protesters dressed as corporate zombies in white face paint lurched past the New York Stock Exchange clutching fistfuls of fake money.

In Chicago, demonstrators pounded drums in the city’s financial district. Others pitched tents or waved protest signs at passing cars in Boston, St Louis, Kansas City, Mo, and Los Angeles. A slice of America’s discontented, from college students worried about their job prospects to middle-age workers who have been recently laid off, were galvanized after the arrests of 700 protesters on the Brooklyn Bridge over the weekend. Some protesters likened themselves to the tea party movement but with a liberal bent - or to the Arab Spring demonstrators who brought down their rulers in the Middle East.

“We feel the power in Washington has actually been compromised by Wall Street,” said Jason Counts, a

computer systems analyst and one of about three dozen protesters in St Louis. “ We want a voice, and our voice has slowly been degraded over time.” The Occupy Wall Street protests started on Sept. 17 with a few dozen demonstrators who tried to pitch tents in front of the New York Stock Exchange. Since then, hundreds have set up camp in a park nearby and have become increasingly organized, lining up medical aid and legal help and printing their own newspaper, the Occupied Wall Street Journal.

About 100 demonstrators were arrested on Sept 24 and some were pepper-sprayed. On Saturday police arrested 700 on charges of disorderly conduct and blocking a public street as they tried to march over the Brooklyn Bridge. Police said they took five more protesters into custody on Monday, though it was unclear whether they had been charged with any crime. “At this point, we don’t anticipate wider unrest,” said Tim Flannelly, an FBI spokesman in New York, “but should it occur the city, including the NYPD and the FBI, will deploy any and all resources necessary to control any developments.”

Flannelly said he does not expect the New York protests to develop into the often-violent demonstrations that have rocked cities in the United Kingdom since the summer.

But he said the FBI is “monitoring the situation and will respond accordingly.” Wiljago Cook, of Oakland, Calif.,

who joined the New York protest on the first day, said she was shocked by the arrests. “Exposing police brutality wasn’t even really on my agenda, but my eyes have been opened,” she said.

She vowed to stay in New York “as long as it seems useful.”

City bus drivers sued the New York

Samuelsen. “Our bus operators are not going to be pressed into service to arrest protesters anywhere.” The city ’s Law Depar tment said the NYPD’s actions were proper.

On Monday, the zombies stayed on the sidewalks as they wound through Manhattan’s financial district

NEW YORK: Passing City Hall, protesters march through downtown Los Angeles in solidarity with Occupy Wall Street protesters in New York City. —AFP Police Department on Monday for commandeering their buses and making them drive to the Brooklyn Bridge on Saturday to pick up detained protesters. “We’re down with these protesters. We support the notion that rich folk are not paying their fair share,” said Transpor t Workers Union President John

chanting, “How to fix the deficit: End the war, tax the rich!” They lurched along with their arms in front of them. Some yelled, “I smell money!”

Reaction was mixed from passers-by.

Roland Klingman, who works in the financial industry and was wearing a suit as he walked through a raucous crowd of protesters, said he could

sympathize with the anti-Wall Street message. “I don’t think it’s directed personally at everyone who works down here,” Klingman said. “If they believe everyone down here contributes to policy decisions, it’s a serious misunderstanding.”

Another man in a suit yelled at the protesters, “Go back to work!” He declined to be interviewed. Mayor Michael Bloomberg, a billionaire who made his fortune as a corporate executive, has said the demonstrators are making a mistake by targeting Wall Street. “The protesters are protesting against people who make $40- or $50,000 a year and are struggling to make ends meet. That’s the bottom line. Those are the people who work on Wall Street or in the finance sector,” Bloomberg said in a radio interview Friday. Some protesters planned to travel to other cities to organize similar events.

John Hildebrand, a protester in New York from Norman, Okla, hoped to mount a protest there af ter returning home yesterday. Julie Levine, a protester in Los Angeles, planned to go to Washington tomorrow. Websites and Facebook pages with names like Occupy Boston and Occupy Philadelphia have also sprung up to plan the demonstrations. Hundreds of demonstrators marched from a tent city on a grassy plot in downtown Boston to the Statehouse to call for an end of corporate influence of government.

“Our beautiful system of American

checks and balances has been thoroughly trashed by the influence of banks and big finance that have made it impossible for the people to speak ,” said protester Marisa Engerstrom, of Somerville, Mass., a Harvard doctoral student.

The Boston demonstrators decorated their tents with hand-written signs reading, “Fight the rich, not their wars” and “Human need, not corporate greed.” Some stood on the sidewalk holding up signs, engaging in debate with passers-by and waving at honking cars. One man yelled “Go home!” from his truck. Another man made an obscene gesture.

Patrick Putnam, a 27-year-old chef from Framingham, Mass, said he’s standing up for the 99 percent of Americans who have no say in what happens in government. “We don’t have voices, we don’t have lobbyists, so we’ve been pretty much neglected by Washington,” he said.

In Chicago, protesters beat drums on the corner near the Federal Reser ve Bank of Chicago. In Los Angeles, demonstrators hoping to get TV coverage gathered in front of the cour thouse where M ichael Jackson’s doc tor is on trial on manslaughter charges. Protesters in St Louis stood on a street corner a few blocks from the shimmering Gateway Arch, carrying signs that read, “How Did The Cat Get So Fat?,” “You’re a Pawn in Their Game” and “ We Want The Sacks O f Gold Goldman Sachs Stole From Us.”—AP

Gold climbs; Greek fears hurt stocks Dollar firms against currency basket LONDON: Gold prices rose in Europe yesterday as fears that Greece could be heading for a default, potentially sparking a banking crisis in Europe, hurt stock markets and prompted investors to seek out assets seen as lower risk.

European shares fell 2.25 percent in early trade, while the STOXX Europe 600 Banking Index tumbled as much as 4 percent. World stocks hit a fresh 15-month low. Spot gold was up 0.7 percent at $1,668.19 an ounce at 0907 GMT. Other assets

cent from the record $1,920.30 an ounce they hit early in the month.

“There is still potential for further slides should profit taking again set in. I’m not really convinced gold weakness is over,” said Commerzbank analyst Eugen Weinberg. “But gold is definitely living up to its status as a safe haven at the moment. That is very reassuring for investors.”

Despite putting in its weakest performance in nearly three years in September, gold still managed

other currency holders.

That traditional relationship has broken down since the credit crunch of 2008 as both the dollar and gold were targeted as stores of value. The dollar rose 0.4 percent against a currency basket yesterday, in line with gold. “(Gold’s) ability to hold its ground despite EUR/USD trading back down to 1.32 is encouraging,” said Swiss bank UBS. “Gold has separated itself from the wider pack, trading up to a high of $1,678... as it takes

SUDANESE DESERT: A Ariab worker watches a belt carrying earth at a gold mine in the Sudanese desert, 800 kms northeast of the capital Khartoum. Sudan’s Mining Minister Abdelbaqi AlJaylani said Sudan will earn $4 billion from mine exports this year, helping to prop up its ailing economy after it lost most of its oil resources to the south. —AFP seen as a relatively safe store of value, such as German bunds and the Swiss franc, also climbed.

Investors are still wary towards gold after it was caught up in a broad-based financial market rout in late September, which saw heavy selling of the metal to cover losses on other markets. Prices fell 20 per-

to deliver its biggest quarterly gain of 2011 in the third quarter, and is up more than 15 percent so far this year. This is despite some gains in the dollar, which has inched up 1.5 percent this year versus the euro. Gold is usually pressured by a stronger dollar, which makes it more expensive for

strength from the news that Greece will likely have to wait until midNovember before it receives the next aid tranche and little progress made on the enhancement of the (European Financial Stability Fund).”

US gold futures for December delivery were up $14.10 an ounce at $1,671.80.

COMMODITIES SLIDE Among other commodities, oil and industrial metals like copper and nickel fell as worries over the economic outlook hurt demand expectations for raw materials.

Goldman Sachs reiterated its 12month gold price target of $1,860 an ounce, at the same as it cut its 2012 forecasts for oil and copper prices. “As we expect gold prices will continue to be driven in large measure by the evolution of US real interest rates and with our US economic outlook pointing for continued low levels of US real rates in 2012, we continue to recommend long trading positions,” it said.

Credit Suisse also raised its 2012 gold price forecast to $1,850 an ounce, saying the metal, as a clear beneficiary of the uncertainty and dislocations in financial markets, has further upside with the crises set to continue. Among other precious metals, silver prices also climbed, up 1.7 percent at $30.83 an ounce. Spot platinum was down 1.2 percent at $1,479.24 an ounce, while spot palladium was up 1.3 percent at $588.72 an ounce.

Platinum widened its discount to gold to nearly $200 an ounce, an unprecedented level, while the gold: platinum ratio- the number of platinum ounces needed to buy an ounce of gold- rose to 1.13, its highest since Reuters data began.

Platinum prices were hurt by a 29 percent hike in CME Group trading margins on platinum futures, as the biggest operator of US futures exchanges moved to tame market volatility. “Major automakers posted double-digit percentage US sales gains for September.... (but) September car sales in Italy and France were weak, offsetting gains in Germany,” said HSBC in a note.

“More than half of annual platinum and palladium demand is from the auto sector where it is a necessary component in the production of catalytic converters and particulate filters.” —Reuters

Barclays to focus on Islamic liquidity, risk management

DUBAI: Barclays Capital will focus on growing its liquidity management and risk management businesses as the Islamic bond market continues to struggle because of global economic worries, its head of Islamic products said. The eurozone debt crisis and a lackluster economic outlook in the United States have created more risk aversion among clients, creating opportunities to expand liquidity and risk management offerings, said Dominic Selwood in an inter view with Reuters.

“In this year and the coming 12 months, I think it’s about shining torches on places where people haven’t been looking but are truly critical, like liquidity management, risk management, like the hedging products,” he said. Barclays will launch an Islamic structured notes program in the near future, Selwood said, declining to give an exact time

frame for the offering. “It will be a significant milestone for Barclays,” he said. “It’s been a while since the market has had a structured note program. It will be more up-to-date in terms of sharia aims and sharia technology.”

An Islamic structured note is a derivative with value attached to the underlying value of assets, such as a basket of commodities or an index, and provides a return to investors as well as capital protection in some cases. A program provides standardized documentation for the produc t. Barclays will also expand its Islamic liquidity management offerings, such as repurchase agreements (repos), to markets such as Africa where Islamic finance is expected to grow. A lack of liquidity management tools is seen as one of the key challenges for the Islamic finance industry; the religion’s ban on interest rules out most interbank tools. Repos allow banks

to grant extra funds to lend or buy assets, thereby boosting liquidity.

LACKLUSTRE SUKUK MARKET Selwood said the strengthened focus on liquidity management came amid lackluster activity in Islamic bonds, or sukuk. “We’re not focused right now on leading the highprofile sukuk deals, that’s not where the day-to-day work is for Islamic needs,” he said. “We’re still there for sukuk when it comes back, and when the market begins to look more favorable for issuers and investors.” S elwood said sukuk pricing remained difficult in the current environment, causing many potential issuers to sit on the sidelines until there is more clarity or more benchmark issues come to market. He added that the market was unlikely to see a recovery this year. —Reuters

SUDANESE DESERT: A tub full of gold nuggets is shown at the Ariab company gold mine in the Sudanese desert. —AFP

Brent slips below $101 Goldman Sachs cut its 2012 forecast LONDON: Brent crude futures slipped below $101 a barrel yesterday, squeezed by growing fears that a Greek debt default could spread across the banking system and threaten the global economy. Brent crude for November delivery was $1.17 lower at $100.54 by 1104 GMT, after hitting an intraday low of $100.42 a barrel, which was within striking distance of an eightweek low. US crude fell $1.73 cents to $75.88 a barrel after reaching an intraday low of $75.84.

Goldman Sachs cut its 2012 Brent crude forecast to $120 a barrel from $130 a barrel, joining a growing chorus of increasingly bearish analysts. Stock markets hit a fresh 15-month low yesterday, while the euro and base metals tumbled this week on mounting worries the debt crisis in Greece will unleash a global recession. “The market continues to focus on the risk of a new economic recession, triggered by the stress on the European financial and banking system,” Goldman Sachs analysts said, noting that the financial stress in Europe will continue to present headwinds to economic and oil demand growth next year.

Concern about Greece’s ability to avert a default, as negotiations about a second bailout inched ahead, spooked equity markets after the country admitted it would miss its deficit targets. “If our economists are correct in their bearishness, then the macro gloom will eventually make itself felt in the oil markets via weak product demand and low refining margins that undermine crude demand and drive spreads lower,” Citigroup oil analysts said in a note to clients.

Tony Nunan, a Tokyo-based risk manager at Mitsubishi Corp, said: “I think more people are getting more afraid,” “There’s a concern that there will be a mini financial crisis. If they don’t do it properly, it will cause some banks in Europe to fail, and

there will be a domino effect,” he said, referring to European leaders’ efforts to resolve Greece’s financial crisis. The deepening crisis has forced investors to seek safe havens such as gold and Treasuries, which has helped push the US dollar to its highest in more than eight months against a basket of major currencies. A stronger dollar can pressure dollar-denominated commodities prices by making them more expensive for consumers using other currencies.

OPEC EYES PRICES, LIBYA TURNING TAP ON On the supply front, Qatar did not see a need for oil cartel OPEC to meet before its next scheduled gathering in December, although it is closely watching the impact on oil demand of slowing economic growth and the debt crisis in Europe, Energy Minister Mohammed Al-Sada told reporters in Tokyo. Analysts said Brent could also come under further pressure as Libyan output may be restored faster than expected after the conflict there. Libya will start pumping crude at two major oilfields in about two weeks, doubling production to 700,000 barrels a day by year-end, the head of its National Oil Corp., Nouri Berouin, told Reuters.

While the resumption in operations at the Repsol-operated Sharara field and Eni’s part-owned Elephant will help boost output, Berouin said Libya’s biggest oil terminal at Es-Sider may take more than a year to be fully repaired. US commercial crude stockpiles are expected to have risen for a second week as imports continued to increase, a preliminary Reuters poll of analysts found on Monday. Industry group the American Petroleum Institute will release its weekly inventory report at 2030 GMT. The Energy Information Administration will issue its own stocks data today.—Reuters

UBS to post ‘modest’ Q3 profit despite rogue trade ZURICH: Swiss banking giant UBS said yesterday that it expected to post a slight profit for the third quarter, despite rogue trading which lost the bank $2.3 billion. “UBS expects to report a modest net profit for the group and positive net new money in its wealth management businesses for the third quarter of 2011,” the bank said in a statement. When the bank first announced the discovery of the massive fraud perpetrated by 31-year-old trader Kweku Adoboli, it warned that it may have to report a loss for the three months ending September due to the unauthorized trade.

However, the bank said preliminary esti-

mates now show a small profit even after taking into account losses from the incident as well as 400 million francs ($435 million, 329 million euros) worth of restructuring charges linked to its cost-cutting program. Credit gains of 1.5 billion francs from its financial liabilities as well as the sale of treasury related investments had net it 700 million francs, largely cancelling out the losses.

The bank said however that its Tier 1 capital ratio-a measure of bank’s capital strength, was expected to decline slightly compared to the second quarter due to the impact from the incident. —AFP

A

y

e niv rsar n

Years

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 5, 2011

technology

Asia’s biggest tech fair opens in Japan 200,000 visitors expected

CHIBA: A model displays Japanese electronics parts maker Murata’s prototype remote controller, which has a transparent organic film sensor to detect twisting and bending motions, at Asia’s largest electronics trade show CEATEC (Cutting-Edge IT & Electronics Comprehensive Exhibition) in Chiba City, suburban Tokyo yesterday. The purple part is a solar powered cell. — AFP

Apple rejects settlement, requests court judgment SYDNEY: Apple Inc rejected an offer from Samsung Electronics Co to settle their tablet computer dispute in Australia, possibly killing off the commercial viability of the South Korean firm’s new Galaxy tablet in that market. Apple says Samsung’s Galaxy line of mobile phones and tablets “slavishly” copied its iPhone and iPad and has launched an international legal battle which is expected to hurt growth at one of Samsung’s fastest-growing businesses.

Samsung, whose Galaxy gadgets are seen as a major threat to Apple’s devices, rejects the claims but has been seeking a quick settlement in Australia so that its new Galaxy 10.1 tablets can be launched there in time for Christmas.

But a lawyer for Apple told the Federal Court in Sydney yesterday that Samsung’s latest offer, made last week, provided no basis for a settlement and it wanted the court to rule on its claim that the Galaxy’s touch-screen technology infringed an Apple patent. “The main reason we are here is to prevent the launch (of the Galaxy tablet) and maintain the status quo,” Apple lawyer Steven Burley told the court. An Apple victor y in Australia could hur t Samsung’s bid to close the gap with Apple in the global tablet market, with a crucial US cour t ruling expected next week.

Samsung told the Sydney court that if it could not secure a ruling within about two weeks, the opportunity to launch its new tablets in time for Christmas would be lost and that it might as well take its time to argue the case well into 2012.

“If we can’t get a decision out by midOctober, there is no urgency,” said Neil Young, a lawyer for Samsung, adding that it might take until March to fully prepare its legal defense. In that case, he added, the Galaxy 10.1 in the Australian market would be “commercially dead”.

Samsung’s latest Galaxy tablets, pow-

ered by Google’s Android operating system, have already been blocked in Germany. So too have some smartphone models in the Netherlands.

Crucial US court ruling Samsung had hoped to launch the new Galaxy tablet in Australia in late August or early September but this has been repeatedly delayed as it awaits the Australian court’s ruling. The ruling could come this week, a federal court judge had said last week. Last week, Samsung agreed to withdraw two features from the Galaxy 10.1, leaving just one disputed Apple patent over touch-screen display technology. This patent deals with how finger movements are used on tablets to generate a software command. Samsung and Apple are suing each other in nine countries over 20 cases, with few of them holding as much significance as the California court ruling expected next week.

Samsung may seek legal measures to ban sales of Apple’s new iPhone, a source familiar with the matter has told Reuters.

The highly anticipated iPhone 5 was set to be unveiled yesterday. Apple fired its first salvo in April by suing Samsung in California, saying the Galaxy lineup devices infringed on its mobile technology patents and design. Samsung’s smartphone business has been growing furiously, powered by its flagship Galaxy lineups.

Some analysts expect Samsung to overtake Apple in unit terms as the world’s No.1 smar tphone vendor and repor t record profits from mobile business in JulySeptember. Samsung, due to report its third-quarter earnings guidance later this week, saw smartphone sales soar more than 500 percent in the second quarter, easily eclipsing Apple’s 142 percent growth, though Apple sold about 1 million more units. — Reuters

CHIBA: Smartphones detecting bad breath and radiation, twistable remote controls and a super-thin tablet computer were just some of the gadgets on show at Asia’s biggest tech fair in Japan yesterday. Around 600 firms unveiled their innovations at the Combined Exhibition of Advanced Technologies (Ceatec) technology exhibition in Chiba, near Tokyo, which is expected to draw 200,000 visitors during its five-day run, organizers said. Japan’s Toshiba showcased what it calls “the world’s thinnest and lightest” tablet computer, equipped with a 10.1-inch display that is just 7.7 millimetres thick and weighs 558 grams. Electronics parts maker Murata Manufacturing unveiled devices using a newly-developed transparent organic film that can deliver instructions via twisting motions or pressure.

One of its gadgets, a light-powered plate called the Leaf Grip Remote Controller, has no buttons but is instead operated by the user bending and twisting it. Another application of the film is as a touch panel which responds to left-right and up-down finger swipes but also senses how strongly it is being pressed, unlike conventional touchscreen glass used on smartphones. “Currently we give commands two-dimensionally on touch panels in smartphones and tablet computers but this invention would give us another dimension-how hard they are pressed,” Murata spokesman Kazuhisa Mashita said. “This could enable users to scroll screens slowly by touching the screen lightly and move images faster by pressing it harder,” he told AFP ahead of the exhibition.

Japanese telecom giant NTT DoCoMo showed off a smartphone with changeable sensor-embedded shells that can measure bad breath, vital body signs and even earphones that can be used to measure background radiation levels. DoCoMo also demonstrated how population data can be obtained from mobile phone base stations, allowing urban planners to map population movements or identify the gender and age of people gathering in specific areas. State-of-the-art radiation counters were on display along with power-saving technologies, with both in high demand after Japan’s March 11 disasters sparked fears over contamination and drives to cut power consumption over the summer. The Fukushima crisis, triggered by the earthquake and tsunami, has led to around 80 percent of Japan’s reactors being taken off-line amid growing anti-nuclear sentiment in the archipelago nation.

Meanwhile car accessories firm Pioneer displayed an in-car navigation system that projects data directly on to the windscreen instead of relying on a dashboard display. Japan’s Nissan showed off its Vehicle to Home system that enables energy stored in an electric vehicle’s batteries to be used in homes, while microchip maker Rohm showcased what it hails as the world’s tiniest resistors-so small that 500,000 of them can be used in an hourglass instead of sand. The Japanese firm also revealed efforts to diversify into the healthcare business, with “Technojewel” accessories such as earrings that can take the wearer’s pulse. Sony’s displays include binoculars capable of high-quality digital recording in 2D and 3D, aimed at animal watchers, storm chasers and sports fans.—AFP

EMC to lead the way to the cloud KUWAIT: EMC Corporation, announced today its participation at GITEX 2011, under the theme of “Cloud Meets Big Data”. EMC, the platinum sponsor of Cloud Confex, has a senior delegation of regional and international executives attending the exhibition, and is keen to share its wealth of industry knowledge and expertise with the exhibition and conference visitors, customers and partners.

Chuck Hollis, Global Marketing Chief Technology Officer, will be delivering a keynote speech at the Cloud Confex Conference, on the 10th of October, and will be sharing key challenges and solutions IT organizations face, on their jour-

Mobile-loving Thais still waiting for full 3G BANGKOK: While BlackBerrys and iPhones are fast becoming musthave accessories for many urban Thais, mobile Internet in the kingdom is still struggling to get out of the slow lane. A long-running business tussle means that as other nations-including impoverished Laos-move to introduce faster 4G technology, Thailand has yet to fully roll out 3G, a decade after it was first launched in Japan. Thirdgeneration — 3G-technology allows mobile phone users to surf the Internet and download music and videos, and Thailand is the only country in Southeast Asia not to have full 3G apart from militarydominated Myanmar.

“I bought this phone about three years ago because I thought I could use 3G but it has taken me three years to be able to actually use (the service),” said 25-year-old Bangkok resident Tiabtawan Limjittrakorn.

In contrast Cambodia has had 3G network since 2006, enabling mobile users there to access online content at a faster pace than their Thai neighbors. A year ago a Thai court halted a 3G licence auction at the last minute after state-owned giant CAT argued that then-regulator the National Telecommunications Commission, had no authority to conduct the bidding. The next attempt is expected in 2012.

CAT and TOT, another stateowned company, have lucrative rights to grant concessions for second-generation services and face a loss in revenue should operators acquire 3G licences and switch over to the new technology. There

is some limited coverage in some areas as the three major Thai telecoms operators-Advanced Info Service (AIS), Dtac and True-have side-stepped the licence issue by upgrading network data transmission speeds, building their own phone masts and providing 3G free of charge. Another consortium of firms offers pockets of high speed coverage, although outside of these they have no signal at all.

The situation has turned Thailand’s smartphone users into experts at navigating the patchwork of services. Some people juggle a variety of phones and SIM cards-one for home, one for the train to work and maybe a third for the shopping mall. Of Thailand’s 21 million Internet users, 17.6 million connect to the web through their mobiles, according to research group Nielsen. Social media is rocketing, with a 75 percent jump in the number of Facebook accounts to almost 12 million users since the beginning of the year. William Wang, director of telecom practice at Nielsen Thailand, said the kingdom has “one of the fastest smartphone take up rates in Southeast Asian countries”, with eight percent growth in 2010.

Promotions for discount smartphones are wildly popular, with a recent iPhone offer attracting a crowd of thousands at a Bangkok shopping centre, many of whom camped overnight. “With smartphones and the iPhone in particular, I think you have the trend factor coming into play-it’s new, it’s hip and it’s a status symbol,”

TOKYO: Bicyclist robot “Murata Seisaku-kun”, or Murata Boy, performs on a narrow rail during a demonstration by Murata Manufacturing Co, at the CEATEC Japan, Japan’s biggest consumer electronics show, in Chiba yesterday. The new model features the energy-saving sensor and communication technology, using wireless modules. — AP

Moody’s analyst Laura Acres told AFP. “People are lining up wanting to use these things but if you are going to pay the money, you want to use it for what it is designed for, you want it to be more than a fashion item. Operators must be champing at the bit to really have these platforms working.” True’s total sales of smartphones soared to around three million this year, from 1.6 million in 2009, according to research from mobile maker HTC. The operator ’s 3G chief Piroon Paireepairit said his group expects the number of smartphones on its network to triple in the next two years and said 3G would be the “number one key strategy” in the coming years.

Without data networks like 3G, “smartphones won’t be smart,” he said. Telecoms and technology consultancy Ovum forecasts almost 30 million 3G subscribers in Thailand by the end of 2016. It is hoped that a new body-the National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission (NBTC) - will be able to break the license deadlock. Anudith Nakornthap, Information Communication and Technology minister, said the government was “concerned” that Thailand did not yet have full 3G and expected it to be an “urgent” priority for the incoming NBTC. But Moody’s Acres said the “whole regulatory environment is so political”, with “so many competing agendas”. “It is quite remarkable an entire industry has been stifled because of lack of a comprehensive regulatory framework,” she said. —AFP

ney to the cloud, and how to cross the phase of business production and virtualization of the mission critical applications and the lessons learned that can help accelerate transitions to an IT-as-a-service model to enable them to better compete. He will also address the evolution of today’s IT jobs to meet the needs of the transformation with the right skillset and competencies.

On the EMC stand, located in the Cloud Confex, CLD2, Sheikh Saeed Hall, workstations with virtual demos highlighting EMC’s latest breakthrough products and solutions designed to help organizations accelerate the journey to

the cloud and transform their business as well as live demos showcasing vBlockTM the unified stack of compute, network and storage for cloud infrastructure, Avamar and Data Domain, the Fast, efficient backup and recovery solutions with deduplication technology will be staged to allow stand visitors a hands-on experience and opportunity to interact with the industry leaders.

In addition to the demonstrations, a real ‘in practice’ series of educational technology workshops will run for 3 days. The 3 day workshops will be delivered by international industry experts covering a range of hot topics aimed

at showing how EMC can help organizations of all sizes realize the benefits of cloud computing by building a storage infrastructure designed to reduce risk, lower cost and maximize the value of ‘Big Data’.

Key areas to be covered by the workshops include; Transforming the Data Center With Vblock Infrastructure Platforms: Built to Reach Your Cloud Faster; The Data Tsunami on how Enterprise Meets the Challenges of ‘Big Data’ with Isilon, EMC Atmos, the Foundation for the Storage Cloud; Crafting Your Security Management Strategy and NAS Meets SAN: the EMC VNX Unified Storage Family.

Samsung launches first 3D LED HDTV monitor in Kuwait KUWAIT: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd, a global leader in digital media and digital convergence technologies, yesterday introduced the first 3D LED HDTV monitors, the 950 Series in Kuwait. The new monitor line-up incorporates Samsung’s proprietary 3D technology, sophisticated styling with a unique asymmetrical design and TV tuner capability and is set to redefine the world of entertainment and gaming.

The Samsung 950 Series can be used as a computer monitor, a social media hub and as a TV as well thus, allowing users to integrate all their entertainment, work, gaming and computing activities in one place. Using Samsung’s patented 3D Hyper Real Engine technology that converts 2D content to 3D, the new monitor line-up delivers an immersive 3D experience by optimizing color, contrast and motion. With the Mega DCR and LED BLU technologies, the 950 Series monitors provide the best high definition picture quality with superior contrast, richer colors, deeper blacks and sharper images.

“We are very proud to launch the

region’s first 3D LED HDTV monitor lineup to our valued customers in Kuwait.

The new 950 Series 3D LED HDTV monitor line-up demonstrates Samsung’s commitment to innovation in digital convergence and providing customers with world-class products. The Samsung 950 Series 3D LED HDTV monitor line-up is truly a remarkable piece of engineering that combines innovative technologies, state of art design and excellent picture quality with the added benefit of a TV Tuner capability,” said Anupam Birla, Business Head of Samsung Gulf Electronics’ Visual Display Unit. The Samsung 950 Series 3D LED HDTV monitors allow users to enjoy a variety of 3D content due to its high compatibility with various consoles such as 3D BD player, 3D game console, 3D digital camera, 3D camcorder, computer and TV. The new monitor line-up is also the first in the industry to allow users to directly enjoy various applications on their monitor without turning on their PC using the Samsung Smart Hub feature.

The monitors refresh the screen at

120Hz, two times more than a standard 2D monitor while the Digital Noise Filter technology enhances the visibility of pictures by clearing out the noise from compressed low quality images thus providing the most comfortable viewing experience in both 2D and 3D. The Magic Angle provides a wide viewing angle of up to 170 degrees ensuring the most optimized viewing experience at any position.

The full 3D HDTV monitors include a variety of connectivity options to enhance the users’ entertainment experience. The monitors’ connectivity options include AllShare, ConnectShare, Smart Hub and multiple input ports. The Samsung AllShare allows users to share contents from various devices using DLNA technology. With the ConnectShare feature, users can effortlessly connect their USB to the monitor and enjoy instant playback of video, music and photo files without turning on their PC. The Samsung Smart Hub allows users to enjoy the Samsung Apps, Social TV, Search All and Your Video features.

Nokia planning to unveil first Windows phones this quarter HELSINKI: Nokia will unveil its first Windows-based smartphones this quarter, arguing that there is room for an alternative to the products of big-hitters Apple and Google on the same day that Apple prepared to launch its latest iPhone. “Our belief is that there is a clear opportunity for an alternative ecosystem,” chief executive Stephen Elop told a technology fair in Helsinki yesterday.

Nokia was expected to launch one handset late this month at its annual Nokia World trade show in London but in a signal that more may be forthcoming, Elop talked of introducing “products” in the current quarter. The world’s

largest phone maker by volume, left in the dust by Apple and Google, announced a high-risk new strategy at the start of the year to ditch its homegrown Symbian software for a deal with Microsoft . The switch-which Elop likened to jumping from a burning oil platform-meant a tough eight-month changeover period during which investors fretted about the delay between the announcement and the first of its Windows smartphone models reaching the market. Already struggling with falling sales and profits, Nokia has seen its shares halve since the announcement on worries it would lose

so much market share before the new phones come out that it might never make up lost ground.

Both Apple and Samsung outstripped Nokia in the smartphone market this year, ending its 15-year reign at the top of that market. Nokia’s quarterly phone sales to end-June dropped 20 percent at a time when the market grew 10 percent Elop, who took over a year ago, last week unveiled a plan to cut 3,500 jobs in its second major restructuring in six months. The latest redundancies come on top of cost cut plans set out in April, which included laying off 4,000 staff. — Reuters

A

y

e niv rsar n

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 5, 2011

Years

H E A LT H & S C I E NC E

Golfing reawakens some of dementia’s muscle memories 5.2 million Americans have Alzheimer’s

MOJAVE: This file photo taken from 2004 shows, from left, Sir Richard Branson, Burt Rutan and Paul Allen as they watch SpaceShipOne glide back to earth during the Ansari X Prize competition. The flight tests in 2004 were hailed by space enthusiasts as a stepping stone toward opening the final frontier to civilians. — AP

Dream is over for Virgin Galactic space tourist LOS ANGELES: Venture capitalist Alan Walton has trekked to the North Pole, climbed Mount Kilimanjaro and skydived over Mount Everest. A hop into space to enjoy a few minutes of weightlessness would have been the ultimate adventure.

After waiting seven years to fly aboard Sir Richard Branson’s Virgin Galactic spaceline, Walton gave up on the dream and asked for a $200,000 ticket refund on his 75th birthday this past spring. Walton, who was among the first 100 customers to sign up, is not as spry as he used to be, and he’s concerned about the project delays. “This was a decision I wish I didn’t have to make,” he said recently. But “it was time.”

Promises of space travel for the masses reached a euphoric pitch in 2004 when the experimental SpaceShipOne air-launched over the Mojave Desert and became the first privately financed, manned spacecraft to dash into space. It won the $10 million Ansari X Prize on Oct. 4, 2004, for accomplishing the feat twice in two weeks. The flights were hailed by space enthusiasts as a leap toward opening the final frontier to civilians. Virgin Galactic, which licensed the SpaceShipOne technology, began taking reservations before a commercial version was even built. Branson predicted back then that the maiden passenger flight would take off in 2007.

Other private rocketeers hunkered down in their hangars and sketched out designs to compete with Virgin Galactic.

Soon a cottage industry rose. While there’s been progress made - most are in the testing stage - there’s still no launch date. “It’s tough,” said Erika Wagner of the X Prize Foundation, which sponsored the 2004 contest. “ We’ve seen slower progress than a lot of people would have liked.” Human spaceflight so far has been restricted to governments and a handful of wealthy thrill-seekers who have plunked down millions of dollars to hitch rides aboard Russian rockets to the International Space Station, which circles the Earth 250 miles high. Instead of flying all the way to orbit, current space tourism efforts are focused on suborbital trips using vehicles designed to rocket up to the edge of space then immediately descend rather than circle the Earth.

Virgin Galactic promises flights to altitudes of at least 62 miles (100 kilometers) with a few minutes of weightlessness.

Cost per head ranges from $100,000 to $200,000 - far cheaper than the trips to orbit but still pricey.

Besides Virgin Galactic, other players include XCOR Aerospace headed by rocketeer Jeff Greason; Armadillo Aerospace founded by computer game programmer John Carmack; and Blue Origin headed by Amazon.com chief executive Jeff Bezos. The companies are privately held and do not answer to shareholders.

As a result, details about progress are hard to come by. Scaled Composites, which designed SpaceShipOne and is building a passenger version for Virgin

Galactic, is publicity-shy, but posts results of test flights on its website. Blue Origin is the most tight-lipped. The company didn’t disclose a recent accident until a week after it happened. Even now, details about what failed during the test flight are sketchy. Except for Blue Origin, the space tourism players are separate from those vying to build space taxis to the International Space Station under a NASA contract.

John Gedmark, executive director of the Commercial Spaceflight Federation, a trade group that represents suborbital and orbital space companies, is pleased with the testing despite the longer-thanexpected time frame to get off the ground. “Everything in aerospace always takes longer that you originally think,” he said. Scaled Composites, considered by many in the industry as the front-runner, has been conducting glide tests in the Mojave Desert since last year. The project suffered a setback in 2007 after a deadly explosion during testing to develop the propellant flow system for the hybrid rocket motor. Virgin Galactic chief executive George Whitesides said he expected powered test flights to begin sometime next year. Commercial service will start up after the company gets a license from the Federal Aviation Administration, he said. About 450 ticket-holders are in line to fly with Virgin Galactic. A small number of people - fewer than 10 - dropped out due to medical and other reasons, Whitesides said. “Folks are tremendously loyal and excited,” he said. “They want us to do it safely. They want us to take our time and make sure we got it right.” Even if space tourism takes off, it’s unclear whether there’s a strong market for joy rides to view the curvature of the Earth, said space policy expert John Logsdon of George Washington University. “In the current economic climate, how many people have that level of discretionary money?” he said.

Space Tourism Society founder John Spencer said the industry has matured in recent years with some branching out beyond passenger flights and inking deals with universities and NASA to take scientists and experiments to space.

Later this month, Virgin Galactic executives and selected customers will gather at Spaceport America in New Mexico for a dedication ceremony.

The company plans to launch from the spaceport once construction is complete. One space tourist who will not be present is Walton, the British-born venture capitalist who lives in Connecticut.

Walton booked with Virgin Galactic in 2004 and became a “founder” - a title given to the first 100 customers who paid in full. He got a refund earlier this year. Walton is coping with the reality that he will never fly like an astronaut but believes he made the right decision.

He has moved on his latest adventure investing in genome-mapping pioneer J Craig Venter’s quest to create artificial life. — AP

ARGENTINA: People walk along “water pipes” at Tecnopolis, a science and technology mega exhibition. Tecnopolis, which was visited by 3 million people so far, aims to interest young people in science in a country which lacks human resources to meet the challenges of the 21st century.

In this stand, people can. — AFP

SAN JOSE: Names, dates, places - such memories are lost to the unforgiving chasm of Alzheimer’s disease. But when 84-year-old Jim Byerlee stepped up to the driving range at Cupertino, Calif.’s Deep Cliff Golf Course, he swung with the graceful rhythm of a long-ago athlete, sending the ball skyward in an elegant arc. “You get lucky sometimes,” said the bemused Byerlee, a renowned US Geologic Survey geophysicist with a PhD from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Life with dementia can feel cloudy, confused, sleepless and agitated. But once a week, a handful of residents of Belmont, Calif.’s Silverado Senior Living briefly defy gravity, and their illness, with a simple game of golf.

Facts fade, but a fairway is forever. “I was trying to hit it short,” explained Matilda McNaughton, 71, who exchanged her walker for a wedge, then hit a perfect pitch shot onto a lush carpet of green.

As America ages and the Alzheimer’s population grows, caregivers and geriatricians are working to rethink the possibilities of life with the disease, a catastrophic deterioration of the mind. There is no cure. No drugs have been proven to do more than slow the progression of the disease, caused by damage and death to brain cells. An estimated 5.2 million Americans have Alzheimer’s, a statistic expected to grow according to the Alzheimer’s Association as baby boomers pass through their 60s and 70s. But experts say that outdoor activities - particularly those that were enjoyed in younger years - can make day-to-day life more pleasant, even enriching.

And muscles remember what the mind cannot.

“The nature of the disease is that it doesn’t march uniformly, from cell to cell,” although eventually it affects every aspect of life, said William H. Fisher, CEO of Alzheimer ’s Association of Northern California. “I have known patients who could still play the piano very well. In art therapy programs, some people who are pretty shut down will re-engage,” said Fisher. “My grandmother went to same Presbyterian Church every Sunday, sitting in the same pew, and she knew the drill - when to stand up, when to sit down.” Research has shown that one of the areas of the brain most immediately affected by Alzheimer’s is the medial/temporal lobe, especially the hippocampus, which consolidates and stores short-term memories. But other types of memory that appear to rely on different neural systems in the brain remain accessible longer, say scientists. These include procedural memory, such as how to count from one to 10, or motor memory, such as how to ride a bike - or swing a golf club.

There are other benefits, say experts. “With Alzheimer’s, the big behavioral problems that

come along with the diagnosis are agitation, present in 60 percent of patients, and sleep disturbance, which is present in 70 percent of patients,” said Jeffery Newell, research coordinator for the Aging Clinical Research Center in the Department of Psychiatry at Stanford University’s School of Medicine. “Getting patients outside and doing things like golf, as a general rule, wears them out and exposes them to sunlight, which helps them sleep better at night,” he said. “Our first recommendation to families is to get them outside for physical activity - a walk, gardening, even sewing - to get some sun. It helps keep the peace. If someone is agitated, and throwing the remote control at you, you can’t take care of them.”

The retired executives, engineers and other professionals who can afford to live at

“like Bing Crosby and Bob Hope.” When not on the course, the retired Westinghouse mechanical engineer likes to practice his putting in his carpeted bedroom, hitting a whiffle ball into a Hula-Hoop. “I find the game fascinating,” he said, in a written statement he had carefully typed out himself. “I understand the dimples on the balls make them travel almost twice as far.” Deep Cliff pro Gerry Benton celebrated each shot like it was the 18th hole at Pebble Beach. “It is deeply satisfying,” said Benton, who as a child grew devoted to his maternal grandmother. “One rule I made for myself: Take the word ‘remember’ out of my vocabulary,” said Benton. “I used to go into the ‘golf teaching mode,’ almost reflexively,” he said. I would say ‘Remember we worked on this?

Remember how you put your hands like that?’

But, of course, they don’t.”

CUPERTINO: Silverado Senior Living resident Norma Boyle enjoys the scenery before a golf lesson with other residents at Deep Cliff Golf Course in Cupertino. — MCT Silverado - a $72,000 to $108,000 a year “memory care” facility tucked into a verdant hillside, on a six-acre manicured campus with secure fencing, locked doors and 24 hour nursing - look forward to the Wednesday outings. Five staff accompanied seven golfers.

“They are very accomplished people and we can’t forget that,” said Silverardo administrator Daizel Gasperian. “It gives them a sense of freedom, and dignity. Everything is right. They feel empowered and more energetic. It’s normalcy.”

Two hours before tee off time, Ralph Dinardi waited patiently, a putter in his hand,

China activist defies officials to save lake YIXING: Prominent environmental activist Wu Lihong plunges his hands into a thick layer of toxic green scum and brown foam floating on one of China’s biggest freshwater lakes. Despite a two-decade battle to clean up the once-scenic Taihu Lake that earned him three years in jail, Wu says the water still “stinks” from pollution. “There’s no place in China that isn’t polluted. There’s no place in China that’s clean,” complains Wu, 43, who calls himself the “Guardian of Lake Tai”. Taihu Lake lies on the border of the eastern provinces of Zhejiang and Jiangsu in one of China’s richest regions, once known as the “land of fish and rice,” and is still a source of drinking water for the heavily populated area.

But after three decades of explosive economic growth and lax enforcement of environmental protection laws, the lake-like most waterways in China-is heavily contaminated with toxic waste from surrounding factories and farms. Wu, who remembers swimming in Taihu Lake as a boy, started campaigning to clean up the water in the late 1980s. The former engineering equipment salesman has paid a high price for his environmental crusade, losing his job in 2001 and landing in jail a few years later as his oneman battle embarrassed and angered local officials. His once-portly frame has thinned somewhat and his black hair is speckled with white, which Wu attributes to his time in prison. “There are only a few people like me making a fuss. But I’m not afraid,” said Wu, who was jailed in 2007 for extortion.

Wu has long proclaimed his innocence and insisted he was set up by the government of his native Yixing city, which was eager to protect the booming local industry from pollution controls. Shortly after his arrest, a toxic algae bloom in Taihu Lake contaminated water supplies for more than 2.3 million people in Wuxi city, which sits across the lake from Yixing, drawing nationwide attention to the issue. Many of Wu’s supporters said the toxic pollution, which turned large parts of Taihu Lake a murky green, should have led to the activist’s release. Wu was finally freed last year and was immediately ordered by police to stay quiet or “we will make you disappear”.

Authorities, anxious about the power of online social networking sites to organize protests, have also blocked Wu from accessing the Internet.

His rural home is constantly monitored by security cameras, he is routinely followed when he goes out and is not allowed to work. But Wu says he is undeterred, especially after discovering that the water quality of Taihu Lake improved little during his time in jail despite government efforts to crack down on surrounding factories. In its 2010 annual report on the country’s water quality, China’s environmental protection ministry gave Taihu Lake its lowest rating. Under China’s water quality classification system that means the lake is “essentially useless” and can’t even be used for agriculture or landscaping, according to a World Bank report. Wu accuses local officials of protecting factory bosses, who evade detection by discharging pollutants at night, trucking waste to other sites or channeling contaminated water into hastilydug ditches.-—AFP

“Now we start new, every time. It is very much ‘in the moment.’ It’s not five minutes from now. It’s not building on something we did before. All of my attention is there. I’m not thinking about the future, or past,” he said. “It is really refreshing.” Byerlee grew annoyed when a plastic tee tipped over. “What do I do with this?” he asked. Nearby, Don Thor, sharply dressed in Dockers and topsiders, just sat quietly and watched. But in the warm sunshine, in the late afternoon of their lives, no one fretted about scores, sandtraps or hitting par. “I’m a late bloomer,” giggled Annette Hotz, 87. “I really truly love the game.” — MCT

Health consumers make US deficit fight personal WASHINGTON: The numbers are devastating: almost 2,000 poor kids in Texas with cancer, another 18,000 with diabetes and more than 350,000 suffering from chronic lung disease, heart disease or stroke. What sounds like a grim statistical report on poverty and disease is actually a lobbying message from Medicaid advocates to Texas congressman Jeb Hensarling, Republican co-chairman of a special congressional panel charged with cutting at least $1.2 trillion from the US deficit over 10 years.

The message is in a 14-page electronic brochure titled “Medicaid’s Impact in Texas,” sent to Hensarling and other Texas lawmakers by the health consumer advocacy group Families USA, American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network, American Diabetes Association and American Lung Association.

The aim is to remind Congress of the potential human toll from tens of billions of dollars in federal Medicaid spending cuts that the groups expect Hensarling and his fellow “super committee” members to consider in the coming weeks.

“We want to make sure members of the super committee feel a more personal connection to what Medicaid cuts would mean for people in their home states,” said Ron Pollack, executive director of the Families USA, which is spearheading the campaign. Brochures for all 50 states and the District of Columbia are in production for a drive expected to continue into 2013, when the next Congress takes office.

Tweaking the conscience But that is not the only push to influence deficit talks by playing on the emotions of key politicians. Hundreds of cancer patients, survivors and caregivers trooped into lawmakers’ offices on Capitol Hill last week to argue against any cuts that could harm their community. They have since fanned out across the country to lobby in home states and districts.

Religious leaders are also getting into the act.

Starting yesteday, a coalition of Christians, Jews and Muslims called the Faithful Budget Campaign will hold weekly prayer vigils outside the US Capitol to oppose cuts to Medicaid and other programs that benefit the poor. The coalition plans a “super” vigil in November that will include simultaneous prayer services outside committee members’ home offices.

The efforts are part of a looming battle over deficit reduction between special-interest groups that represent millions of Medicaid and Medicare beneficiaries, and a healthcare industry that has poured more than $1 billion into federal campaign coffers over a period of decades, according to data from the nonpartisan Center for Responsive Politics, which tracks campaign contributions. The clash could have

consequences for the White House, the Senate and the House of Representatives in the 2012 elections, if cuts to the popular programs become a rallying cry for angry senior citizens and other impacted voters, analysts say.

Medicare and Medicaid are the governmentrun programs for the elderly and the poor, respectively, and together provide health coverage for about 100 million Americans.

“Bloody warfare” Doctors, hospitals, drug companies and insurers are fighting potential cuts that would harm their livelihoods, profit margins and revenues. Many groups are promoting ideas that would shift the burden to the other side, from insurers who want future Medicare beneficiaries to pay more for services, to Medicare advocates who want a government-imposed lid on prescription drug prices. A key concern for doctors, hospitals and other healthcare providers are prospects for cutbacks on Medicare payments for a sector that has seen successive cuts in Medicaid. “It’s going to be bloody warfare to get another $1 billion, $2 billion, $3 billion out of us, out of other physicians, out of the hospitals,” said Cindy Moran, a former Republican Senate staffer who now lobbies for the American College of Radiology.

The super committee is due to send recommendations to Congress by Nov. 23.

Congress will vote on them by Dec 23. Both sides are mounting huge grass-roots efforts.

But consumer advocates have employed more high-profile tactics. AARP, which represents 37 million older Americans, is running a multimillion-dollar TV ad opposing any cuts to Medicare and Social Security. The group is also encouraging people to record personal messages to the super committee. A network of more than 340 organizations called the National Medicaid Coalition plans to have members phone lawmakers just before an Oct. 14 deadline for congressional panels that deal with healthcare issues to submit deficitcutting ideas to the super committee.

Healthcare lobbyists of all stripes agree that the best outcome would be a deadlock if Republicans remain unwilling to raise tax revenues. A deadlock would trigger automatic cuts that would spare Medicaid and impose only moderate reductions on Medicare. “Our mantra is revenues first,” said Patricia Nemore of the Center for Medicare Advocacy. But in case the panel reaches agreement, both sides are aggressively pushing ideas that would minimize the pain. Where industry groups want Congress to raise the age of eligibility for Medicare from 65 to 67, consumer advocates would lower the requirement to 55 so that younger, healthier people could add revenue to the program. — Reuters

A

y

e niv rsar n

Years

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 5, 2011

H E A LT H

Al Seef’s Dr Khalil Shain highlights heatstroke risks

I

t is always time to prepare for the inevitable heat of the summer months. Each year, millions of people are exposed to the danger of extreme heat. Outdoor laborers compose the largest percentage of patients with heat related illnesses. Athletes, children, and elderly also are frequently affected, with elderly persons being particularly vulnerable to heatstroke. Results of epidemiologic studies indicate that the incidence of heatstroke in Kuwait is 1 in 16-18 cases of heat related illnesses.

Heat related illnesses are largely preventable, and physicians can do a great deal to ensure the safety of their patients during the hot summer months.

Heat related illnesses are characterized by the body’s ability to regulate the body’s core temperature. This phenomenon depends on a host of factors, including ambient temperature, acclimatization, humidity, wind, clothing, pre-existing medical condition, and lastly medication use. There are three kinds of heat related illnesses. They are heat cramps (mild), heat exhaustion (little worse), and heatstroke (most dangerous). Simply, if you sweat too much and drink too much or too little fluid, you can get painful muscle spasms (cramps).

The cramps are often in the calf and the abdominal muscle. At this stage, you are said to have heat cramps. If you do not drink enough fluids and continue to stay in the heat, your body gets too hot. You will be dehydrated. You may feel lightheaded, nauseated, tired, anxious, and sometimes worried or confused. Reaching this stage, you are said to have heat exhaustion. Heatstroke is much more serious than heat exhaustion and can kill you. It might be very difficult to tell you have heatstroke. Classic heatstroke can develop with minimally elevated core temperature and can rise to a level above 40 degrees C. Other associated neurologic symptoms may include delirium, convulsion, and possibly coma, making it difficult to distinguish from sepsis (a severe infection).

The question that is always asked, what are the signs and symptoms of heat related illnesses? And what should people look out for?

The signs and symptoms of potentially life

threatening heat related illnesses are summarized as follows: for heat cramps, the person should watch for mildly elevated body temperature, thirst, muscle cramps, sweating, and rapid heart rate. As the situation worsens to heat exhaustion, the signs and symptoms are somewhat similar to heat cramps plus nausea or vomiting, headache, malaise or myalgia, hypotension, decreased urine output, lightheadedness, uncoordination and possibly confusion. As the patient progress to heatstroke,

Dr Khalil Shain

one should look for elevated body temperature of 40 C or above, anhydrosis (no sweating), delirium (confusion), seizures (convulsions), and coma (loss of consciousness).

Although heat related illnesses can occur in any individual with prolonged exposure to heat, certain conditions may contribute highly to the illness and make the patient more susceptible to heat related illnesses. For example:

cardiac diseases, eating disorders, obesity, poor acclimatization, sleep deprivation, seizures, uncontrolled diabetes, dehydration, febrile illnesses, gastroenteritis, being very old or very young, uncontrolled thyroid disease, alcoholism and medications. Some of the medications include allergy medicines (antihistamines), cough and cold medicines (anticholinergics), blood pressure medicines (diuretics), diet pills, laxatives, caffeine, sedatives and mental health medicines. Your doctor should be informed of all your medical condition and of any medications you are taking in order to help treating you properly.

As a conclusion to this topic, one should ask the one million d ollar question, what should we do if we suspect that someone has a heat related illness and how can we prevent heat related illnesses? The answer is, if you think someone has a heat related illness, the person should be taken to a cool shady place quickly, and a doctor should be called immediately. Meanwhile, removing the person’s unnecessary clothing and bathing or spraying the person’s skin with cool water can help cool him or her down. If the person is suffering from muscle cramps, stretching of the affected muscle is necessary. Subsequently, you can try to fan warm air over the person while wetting the skin with lukewarm water. The evaporation of the water will speed cooling. The person should be hydrated well and monitored for resolution of symptoms within 20-30 min. If symptoms persist, medical intervention is necessary. On the other hand, be proactive about preventing heat related illnesses. Do not exercise outside when it is hot and humid, drink 1 1/2 to 2 cups of fluids before working out and use sport drinks after exercising to replete the lost electrolytes.

Drink 2-4 cups of fluids during each hour of physical activity. Try to exercise in the early morning or evening. Wear light and cool clothes when exercising in hot weather. If a heat wave happens, stay in an air-conditioned place. If you have travelled to a place that is hotter than where you live, do not exercise for at least a week. Finally, get medical help immediately if you think you might have heat exhaustion or stroke.

iPad helps elderly remember, socialize WINTER GARDEN: The newest arrival at Health Central Park nursing home is barely a year old, but it’s already making an impact with the elderly. The west Orange County, Fla, nursing home is using Apple iPad 2 tablets to jump-start residents’ memory, mobility and social skills that have deteriorated through age, Alzheimer’s disease or other types of dementia. “It came to us as a happy accident,” said Judy Skilton, Health Central Park’s director. “What started out as one resident’s curiosity about... an iPhone turned into something that is helping them spell, track items, make choices and read words. It’s amazing.”

The iPad’s innovative approach with the elderly could open doors to new geriatric and Alzheimer’s research as the nation’s baby boomers near retirement age and tablets increase in popularity, experts say. “They are on the cutting edge of technology and geriatric care,” said LuMarie Polivka-West, president of Florida Health Care Association, the state’s largest advocacy organization for long-term-care providers and the elderly. “We hope to encourage the use of this new technology.” In Florida, 3.2 million residents are age 65 and older, US census figures show.

Alzheimer’s Association statistics reveal that nearly 13 percent of those suffer from the disease.

Devices that monitor an elderly person’s movements, habits and temperature in their home, and remind them to take their pills have existed in the market for years - with varying degrees of success but the iPad is one of the first in the hightech field to interact with them. Activities coordinator Ed Dobski said residents whose hands are atrophied or unable to type on a keyboard or hold a mouse will

swipe their hand across the tablet’s smooth glass. “It’s lightweight and looks like a book,” he said. “It’s instant gratification.” The iPad 2, which starts at $499, weighs a little over a pound, and it’s much thinner than a magazine.

Lester Windham, an 80-year-old retired butcher from Virginia, used to be isolated and quiet - a behavior shared by most men in nursing homes - but thanks to what he calls “The Black Box,” he now interacts with workers and other residents. “I asked my daughter to buy me one because I like it,” Windham said while he played Memory Game with Dobski. “I won the first game!” His daughter, Brenda Roy, said the device has improved her father’s condition and their relationship.

“Now we don’t just sit there and look at the squirrels,” Roy said. “(The iPad 2) keeps his memory going. He’s a great checker player.” Workers had tried using a Wii to develop motor skills, but it proved too cumbersome for those with mobility problems.

Recreation-therapy assistant Marian Yandle said the Talking Tom Cat app, which features an animated feline that repeats what it is told, encouraged a 99-year-old resident to drink her fluids. “She watched the cat drink a cup of milk. Then she took her own cup and drank her fluids. We were very excited,” Yandle said. “She also likes the music app and sings to Shirley Temple’s ‘On the Good Ship Lollipop.’ She knows all the words.” Researchers across the country are using Apple’s tablets for similar applications to engage the elderly.

Tony Marsh and Jack Rejeski, health and exercise-science professors at Wake Forest University in North Carolina, in 2010 helped develop the Mobility Assessment Tool for the iPad. — MCT

y

A

30

e niv rsar n

Years

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 5, 2011

W H AT ’ S O N

Announcements NSS Kuwait Vidyarambham event planned for tomorrow NSS-KUWAIT (National Service Society) will be organizing its 9th Vidyarambham (Ceremonial initiation for kids to the world of alphabets) tomorrow at United Indian School Auditorium, Abbassiya from 4.30 AM till 6.00 AM. The ritual will start with Ganapathy Homam and Saraswathi Pooja at 4.00 AM followed by the Vidyarambham which will be graced by Sri. KP Balakrishnan Nair, a Teacher by profession and a well known writer.

The day is freely open for all Kids from all religions and casts. For online registration and further details, please contact Telephone No. 99282573/ 97861393 OR email to nsskuwait@gmail.com in advance.

Laif annual convention Here comes LAIF Annual Convention. The Life Abundant International Fountain Kuwait is holding its first annual convention at the National Evangelical Church, Kuwait (Neck Compound-Hall of Faith), Near Parliament House, Kuwait City from Thursday, October 6-9, 2011. It will commence on Thursday at 7 pm, Friday at 10 am, Friday at 10 pm, Saturday at 6 pm and Sunday at 6:30 pm. For more information, contact and transport, call 66332844 50611737, 66922052, 665SO209 or email: laifkuwait@yahoo.co.uk, www.facebook.com/L.A.I.F.CHURCH.

IDAK holds meeting with new Indian Ambassador

T

he Indian Dentists Alliance in Kuwait (IDAK) had the privilege to meet the new Indian Ambassador H.E. Satish C Mehta and extended a warm welcome to Kuwait. They enlightened the Ambassador on the various activities being undertaken by IDAK and His Excellency has promised the support of Indian Embassy to IDAK activities. From left to right are Dr. Dileep Thomas (Joint Secretary), Dr. Shaheer Malik (General Secretary), Ambassador, Dr. Peter D’souza (President) and Dr. Pooja Nanda (Vice President).

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 Dsouza- 60035824, Shalini Alva- 23726164, Suma Bhatt- 97834578 Salmiya & Hawally: Swarna Shetty- 99006934, Kripa Gatty- 66044194 Kuwait City, Jahra, Sharq: Rekha Sachu- 65044521,97862115 Farwaniya, Abbassiya, Shuwaikh & Khaitan: Sathyanarayana66585077 Sanath Shetty- 67712409.

Kuwait Times sponsors

‘Most Beautiful Egyptian Child’ contest

By Sherif Ismail

T

he ‘Bawabat Al-Masreyeen’ (Egyptians Gate) Facebook page in Kuwait launched a course in operating the Photoshop program which deals with editing pictures and preparing designs.

There was also a contest for the picture of the most beautiful child among Egyptian community children in Kuwait. The contest started on the 29th of September. The results will be announced on Saturday, October 15 wherein, the top three winners will grace the Kuwait Times office to be awarded of their prices which include free lunch/dinner date at Swiss-Belhotel and a luxury wristwatch (First Prize), free lunch/dinner at Swiss-Belhotel and a food processor(Second Prize); free lunch/dinner at Swiss-Belhotel plus a coffeemaker (Third Prize).

It is worth mentioning that the Gate began dealing with the community’s problems two weeks ago, as it presents them to concerned officials, and the most important problem is that of Egypt Air so far. http://www.facebook.com/egykwt

Brain Bang Calling all students aged 11 and above, Support Group for Accelerated learning under the umbrella of FOCC (Friends of CRY Club, Kuwait), BRAINBANG invites you to join us in our fortnightly Friday Class from 11.45 am to 13.45 pm in Salmiya starting October 7th for the next 6 months.

Successfully running for the seventh consecutive year.

Areas of development are : lMemory tools to Understand and Learn Better lTools and Techniques to empower your mind lActivity, fun, games and worksheet based assignments lPractical Experiments lMind Gymnastics lApplication of Learning Techniques to conventional study. Register before October 5th 2011.

Limited seats. Register early to avoid disappointment. Website: www.focckwt.org E-Mail: brainbang@focckwt.org Phone no: 25660835/25618471/97677820

K’s path to hold 2nd annual charity golf tournament

K

’S PATH (Kuwait Society for the Protection of Animals and Their Habitat) in association with Gulf Bank , will hold its 2nd Annual Charity Golf Tournament on Saturday, 29th October 2011 at the Sahara Golf Club. The tournament is a fundraising event with all proceeds going towards K’S PATH programs.

“Our 2nd Annual Charity Golf Tournament builds upon the encouraging response that our first such tournament received last year”, says K’S PATH Chairman Ayeshah Al Humaidhi. “There’s a growing community of golf lovers in Kuwait and our fundraising tournament is an opportunity for families and friends to have a great time while supporting a great cause. We’d like to thank Gulf Bank and Sahara Golf Club for their contribution to this much-awaited fundraising tournament.”

Taking the format of a 4-man Texas Scramble with exciting prizes for the winning team and a special ‘nearest the pin’ prize, the tournament will tee off at 8.30 am at Sahara’s lush green golf course. Sahara Club members, and non-members, are invited to join the tournament for varying fees. Those who don’t play golf are welcome to join as spectators (at a lesser fee) and root for teams at Sahara’s grand terrace overlooking the golf course. The tournament will be followed by an award ceremony and lunch. To register, email golf@kspath.org or visit www.kspath.org K ’S PATH’s 2nd Annual Charit y Golf Tournament tournament celebrates the spirit of spor tsmanship and drive to transcend challenges, virtues reflected in K’S PATH’s organizational philosophy to champion animal welfare and habitat protection in Kuwait.

Write to us Send to What’s On upcoming events, birthdays or celebrations by email: local@kuwaittimes.net Fax: 24835619 / 20

National Service Society celebrates 10th anniversary

N

SS-Kuwait celebrated its 10th anniversary on a grand scale at the Integrated Indian School Auditorium, Abbassiya on 30th September 2011. His Excellency Satish C. Mehta, Indian Ambassador was the Chief Guest and inaugurated the function by lighting the lamp which was witnessed by a jampacked audience. While addressing the audience the Ambassador appreciated the NSS-Kuwait for various charitable activities NSS-Kuwait has undertaken over the last ten years.

The celebrations started with a meeting presided by Baiju P. Pillai, President of NSS-Kuwait. The General Secretary, Suresh Nair delivered the

welcome speech and the Treasurer Gopakumar expressed the vote of thanks. In appreciation to the dedicated service and sincere contribution rendered to NSS-Kuwait during the last ten years P.S. Ullas Kumar, K.P. Vijayakumar and K. Venugopal, NSSKuwait founders and steering committee members were honoured during the function. His Excellency the Ambassador adorned them with ponnadas and presented them with NSS-Kuwait mementos.

Mani was perfect in his signature Folk songs while the audience literally sang along. Pisharadi was in his best form to make the audience laughs by his high sense of humor and comedy

skits. Sajan Palluruthi’s faster than the fastest talk show was a feast to the ears. Varsha’s melodious numbers and Pradeep Babu’s fast numbers were enjoyed by all. Firoz, Salu Menon and Subi Suresh had elevated the mood of the audience to a feverish pitch with their excellent dance numbers with a mix of Modern, classic and folk forms. The mega show was well supported by talented dancers from local troupes Heart beats,Ground zero and Rhythm scapes.

The show was well organized by the organizers and it will be remembered as one of the successful mega shows in Kuwait by its quality and perfection.

British Ladies Society to hold meeting

T

he British Ladies Society will hold their Monthly Meeting on October 4th at the Movenpick Al Bida’a from 6:30pm. October is Breast Cancer Month and Dr Suzanne Samir from the Hussein Make Juma Kuwait Cancer Centre will give a talk on the work they are doing.

It promises to be an informative and inspirational evening. Tickets are KD8 for members and KD10 for guests. To book please contact events@theblskuwait.com

KKMCC to conduct CH Memorial football

K

MCC will conduct CH Memorial All- India Open Football tournament in Al-Nazar Stadium, Kuwait.

The tournament in the memorial of CH Muhammed Koya, the former chief Minister and leader of IUML who was the main architect using the platform of IUML for transforming the backwardness of Muslim community in Kerala by uplifting them through education and political empowerment. KKMCC officer bearers declared in the press conference.

The tournament will start on 14th October Friday, and will continue for four consecutive Fridays. The final will be played on second day of Eid-Al-Adha, with a whole day festivities and games in the same stadium. The tournament is designed in such way to accommodate teams from all over India. It will be con-

ducted in a very professional way and will be controlled by the accredited referees. The international standards of football matches will be followed in the tournament.

The fixture releasing will be on 07th October Friday. All the team registration must receive before this date. The tournament declaration was done by Member of Parliament M.K. Raghavan last Friday. For further details, please contact Msthafa Kari 66176834, salim Kottayil 97243928 or Iqbal Maviladam 66323116. The press conference was attended President Sharafuddeen Kanneth, General Secretary Basheer Batha Treasurer Nazeer Khan, General Convener Musthafa Kari, conveners Iqbal Maviladam and Salim Kottayil.

A

y

e niv rsar n

Years

31

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 5, 2011

W H AT ’ S O N

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

Marina Hotel Kuwait launches weekly Poolside BBQ

M

arina Hotel launched the Barbeque Nights by the pool on Monday with the presence of the media and senior management. Guests were welcomed on their arrival by General Manager, Nabil Hammoud and the management of the hotel.

Attendees were treated to a relaxing evening with an array of delights from the BBQ grill, live entertainment, shisha and sweeping views of the city’s iconic establishments by the Arabian Gulf.

The Hotel’s spectacular settings, beautiful landscape combined with the warm spring weather reflects the ambience of the BBQ dinner buffet. Guests were offered grilled selections from the sumptuous barbecue station filled with especially marinated and seasoned varieties of succulent meats and chicken, fresh seafood with rich variety of seaside dishes and a delicious salad bar with the assorted breads. For the finale, delectable desserts were served.

For the occasion, Nabil Hammoud said: “We are delighted to launch our BBQ nights; the beautiful weather proves to be the perfect setting for guests to enjoy our unique dining experience with our specialties cooked with the freshest possible ingredients.

Every year we receive a very positive feedback on our

BBQ Nights, this year; there will also be an even bigger variety of choices. With the launch of our Barbeque Nights, we would like to offer our guests a scrumptious dining experience at the pool side every Wednesday

evening.” The Marina poolside BBQ has a capacity to accommodate up to 150 guests at a time and has a special area dedicated for groups.

EMBASSY OF CANADA The Embassy of Canada is located at Villa 24, Al-Mutawakel St., Block 4 in Da’aiyah. Please visit our website at www.Kuwait.gc.ca.

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

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

All previous Temporary Resident Visa application forms will no longer be accepted by CIC and instead will be returned to applicants. Should old applications be submitted prior to January 15, 2011 they will continue to be processed. To ensure that the most recent version of the Temporary Resident Visa application form is being utilized, applicants should refer to the CIC website. As of January 15, 2011, forms are to be filled in electronically. 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 nnnnnnn

EMBASSY OF INDIA The Embassy of India will remain closed on the following dates during the month of October 2011. October 6, 2011 (Thursday) - Dussehra; and October 26, 2011 (Wednesday) - Diwali.

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.

Study in Canada Fair 2011

O

rganized by the Embassy of Canada, the sixth annual Middle East Education Initiative (MEEI) will be visiting Kuwait from Oct 1 to 4, 2011. Representatives of 20 leading Canadian universities and colleges will be available to meet students, parents, teachers and guidance counsellors to present the advantages of studying in Canada. The Canadian institutions will also be visiting local schools to speak to interested students about opportunities to study in Canada.

Pictured are Premier GOAL Academy players from the Friday Morning Coaching Group, Under 10/11/12 teams and Under 13/14/15/16 senior teams.

A

y

e niv rsar n

Years

00:45 Dogs 101 01:40 Planet Earth 02:35 Karina: Wild On Safari 03:30 Untamed & Uncut 04:25 Your Worst Animal Nightmares 05:20 Dogs 101 06:10 Clinically Wild: Alaska 07:00 Monkey Life 07:25 The Really Wild Show 07:50 Natural Born Hunters 08:15 Safari Sisters 08:40 Breed All About It 09:10 America’s Cutest...

10:05 Dogs 101 11:00 Animal Cops Houston 11:55 Michaela’s Animal Road Trip 12:50 K9 Cops 13:45 Planet Earth 14:40 Weird Creatures With Nick Baker 15:30 Monkey Life 16:00 The Really Wild Show 16:30 Growing Up...

17:25 Dogs 101 18:20 Bad Dog 19:15 Weird Creatures With Nick Baker 20:10 Cats 101 21:05 Galapagos 22:00 Wildest Africa 22:55 Untamed & Uncut 23:50 Killer Crocs

00:00 01:00 01:50 02:40 03:30 04:00 04:30 04:50 05:05 05:25 05:45 05:50 06:10 06:25 06:45 06:55 07:00 07:20 07:35 07:55 08:15 08:20 08:40 08:55 09:15 09:35 09:40 10:40 11:25 12:15 12:45 13:15 14:10 14:40 15:40 16:30 17:15 17:45 18:15 19:10 20:00 20:45 21:15 21:45 22:40 23:30

Last Of The Summer Wine The Weakest Link Holby City The Fixer Doctors Last Of The Summer Wine Balamory Gigglebiz Me Too Tellytales Poetry Pie Balamory Gigglebiz Me Too Tellytales Poetry Pie Balamory Gigglebiz Me Too Tellytales Poetry Pie Balamory Gigglebiz Me Too Tellytales Poetry Pie Last Of The Summer Wine The Weakest Link Full Circle With Michael Palin Doctors Eastenders Holby City Last Of The Summer Wine Keeping Up Appearances Full Circle With Michael Palin The Weakest Link Doctors Eastenders Holby City Full Circle With Michael Palin The Weakest Link Doctors Eastenders Casualty Lark Rise To Candleford The Royle Family

00:25 Come Dine With Me 01:15 What Not To Wear 02:05 Fantasy Homes By The Sea 02:50 Antiques Roadshow 03:40 Design Star 04:25 Design Star 05:10 Come Dine With Me 06:05 Antiques Roadshow 07:00 Raymond Blanc’s Kitchen Secrets 07:25 Raymond Blanc’s Kitchen

Secrets 07:50 The Hairy Bikers Ride Again 08:15 The Naked Chef 08:45 James Martin’s Brittany 09:10 The Naked Chef 09:35 Come Dine With Me 10:25 James Martin’s Brittany 10:50 Fantasy Homes By The Sea 11:30 Antiques Roadshow 12:25 Bargain Hunt 13:10 Daily Cooks Challenge 14:35 Bargain Hunt 15:20 Antiques Roadshow17:10 Come Dine With Me 18:00 Raymond Blanc’s Kitchen Secrets 18:25 The Hairy Bikers Ride Again 18:50 The Naked Chef 19:20 James Martin’s Brittany 19:45 Come Dine With Me 20:35 Fantasy Homes By The Sea 21:20 Antiques Roadshow 22:10 Bargain Hunt 22:55 Masterchef Australia 23:45 The Naked Chef

00:00 BBC World News 00:30 World Business Report 00:45 Sport Today 01:00 BBC World News America 01:30 Asia Business Report 01:45 Sport Today 02:00 BBC World News 02:30 Asia Business Report 02:45 Sport Today 03:00 Newsday 03:30 Asia Business Report 03:45 Sport Today 04:00 Newsday 04:30 Asia Business Report 04:45 Sport Today 05:00 Newsday 05:30 Asia Business Report 05:45 Sport Today 06:00 Newsday 06:30 Hardtalk 07:00 BBC World News 07:30 World Business Report 07:45 BBC World News 08:00 BBC World News 08:30 World Business Report 08:45 BBC World News 09:00 BBC World News 09:30 World Business Report 09:45 Sport Today 10:00 BBC World News 10:30 World Business Report 10:45 Sport Today 11:00 BBC World News 11:30 Hardtalk 12:00 BBC World News 12:30 World Business Report 12:45 Sport Today 13:00 BBC World News 13:30 World Business Report 13:45 Sport Today 14:00 GMT With George Alagiah 14:30 GMT With George Alagiah 15:00 BBC World News 15:30 World Business Report 15:45 Sport Today 16:00 Impact With Mishal Husain 17:30 World Business Report 17:45 Sport Today 18:00 BBC World News 18:30 Hardtalk 19:00 The Hub With Nik Gowing 20:30 World Business Report 20:45 Sport Today 21:00 World News Today With Zeinab Badawi 22:30 World Business Report 22:45 Sport Today 23:00 BBC World News America 23:30 Hardtalk

00:20 00:45 01:10 01:35 02:00 02:25 02:50 03:00 03:25

Droopy: Master Detective The Flintstones Johnny Bravo Duck Dodgers King Arthur’s Disasters The Scooby Doo Show Popeye Classics Tom & Jerry Popeye

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 5, 2011

TV PROGRAMS 03:50 04:15 04:35 05:00 05:10 05:35 06:00 06:15 06:30 06:55 07:20 07:45 08:00 08:25 08:50 09:15 09:40 10:05 10:30 10:55 11:20 11:35 12:00 12:15 12:40 12:55 13:20 13:45 14:15 14:40 15:05 15:30 15:55 16:20 Doo 16:45 17:10 17:35 18:00 18:25 18:50 19:00 19:25 19:50 20:15 20:45 21:10 21:35 22:00 22:25 22:55 23:05 23:30 23:55

The Jetsons The Flintstones Looney Tunes Pink Panther & Pals Tex Avery Yogi’s Treasure Hunt The Garfield Show New Yogi Bear Show The Scooby Doo Show Tom & Jerry Looney Tunes Popeye Classics Pink Panther And Pals Puppy In My Pocket The Garfield Show Dastardly And Muttley The Flintstones Tom & Jerry Pink Panther And Pals Top Cat New Yogi Bear Show Puppy In My Pocket Popeye Classics Looney Tunes Wacky Races The Jetsons Duck Dodgers Looney Tunes Scooby Doo Where Are You! Tom & Jerry The Perils Of Penelope Pitstop Droopy: Master Detective Wacky Races Scooby-Doo And ScrappyDastardly And Muttley Tom & Jerry Puppy In My Pocket The Garfield Show The Flintstones Pink Panther & Pals Looney Tunes Yogi’s Treasure Hunt Top Cat Wacky Races Tom & Jerry The Scooby Doo Show Dastardly And Muttley Tom & Jerry Johnny Bravo Dexters Laboratory The Garfield Show Scooby Doo Where Are You! The Perils Of Penelope Pitstop

00:05 Robotboy - Elements 00:30 Squirrel Boy 00:55 George Of The Jungle 01:20 Cramp Twins 01:45 Chop Socky Chooks 02:10 Best Ed 02:35 My Gym Partner’s A Monkey 03:00 Ben 10: Ultimate Alien 03:25 Generator Rex 03:50 Adventure Time 04:15 Flapjack 04:40 Chowder 05:05 Powerpuff Girls 05:30 Ed, Edd n Eddy 05:55 I Am Weasel 06:20 Squirrel Boy 06:45 Cow & Chicken 07:00 Eliot Kid 07:04 Cow & Chicken 07:12 Eliot Kid 07:25 Angelo Rules 07:50 Best Ed 08:15 Flapjack 08:40 My Gym Partner’s A Monkey 09:05 The Grim Adventures Of Billy & Mandy 09:30 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 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 The Grim Adventures Of Billy & Mandy

KING ARTHUR ON OSN ACTION HD

16:25 Cow & Chicken 16:50 Courage The Cowardly Dog 17:15 I Am Weasel 17:40 George Of The Jungle 18:05 Casper’s Scare School 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 Billy And Mandy 22:00 Ben 10 22:25 Bakugan Battle Brawlers 22:50 The Secret Saturdays 23:15 Samurai Jack 23:40 Megas XLR

00:00 Backstory 00:30 World Sport 01:00 The Situation Room 02:00 World Report 03:00 World Business Today 04:00 Piers Morgan Tonight 05:00 Anderson Cooper 360 06:00 World Sport 06:30 Inside Africa 07:00 World Report 07:30 Backstory 08:00 World Report 10:00 World Sport 10:30 Inside The Middle East 11:00 World Business Today 12:00 American Morning: Wake-Up Call 12:30 Talk Asia 13:00 World One 14:00 Piers Morgan Tonight 15:00 News Stream 16:00 World Business Today 17:00 International Desk 18:00 The Brief 18:30 World Sport 19:00 Prism 20:00 International Desk 20:30 Inside The Middle East 21:00 Quest Means Business 22:00 Piers Morgan Tonight 23:00 Connect The World With Becky Anderson

00:15 00:40 01:35 02:30 03:25 04:20 05:15 05:40 06:05 07:00 07:25 07:50 08:45 09:10 10:05 10:30 10:55 11:25 12:20 13:15 14:10 15:05 15:30 16:00 16:25 16:55 17:50 18:45 19:10 19:40 20:05 20:35 21:00 21:30 22:25 23:20

Swamp Brothers Extreme Fishing The Future Of...

Dirty Jobs Ultimate Survival Mythbusters How Do They Do It? How Stuff’s Made Dirty Jobs Wheeler Dealers Fifth Gear The Future Of...

How Do They Do It? Mythbusters Cake Boss Border Security Auction Kings Weird Or What?

Mythbusters Ultimate Survival Extreme Fishing Swamp Brothers Cash Cab Us Wheeler Dealers Fifth Gear The Future Of...

Mythbusters Cake Boss Border Security Auction Kings How Stuff’s Made How Do They Do It? Cash Cab Us Stan Lee’s Superhumans Mythbusters Science Of The Movies

00:05 The Tech Show 00:30 Kings of Construction 01:20 Stunt Junkies 01:45 Through the Wormhole with Morgan Freeman 02:35 Brainiac 03:25 The Gadget Show 03:50 The Gadget Show 04:15 How Stuff’s Made 04:45 Kings of Construction 05:40 One Step Beyond 06:10 Superships 07:00 Thunder Races 07:55 Through the Wormhole with Morgan Freeman 08:50 The Tech Show 09:15 Weird Connections 09:40 The Gadget Show 10:05 The Gadget Show 10:35 Superships 11:30 Sci-Fi Science 11:55 How Stuff’s Made 12:25 Through the Wormhole with Morgan Freeman 13:15 Through the Wormhole with Morgan Freeman 14:05 One Step Beyond 14:30 Stunt Junkies 14:55 Kings of Construction 15:45 Weird Connections 16:10 Thunder Races 17:00 Brainiac 17:50 Sci-Fi Science 18:15 The Tech Show 18:40 Killer Outbreaks 19:30 Moon Machines 20:20 Engineered 21:10 The Gadget Show 22:00 Killer Outbreaks 22:50 Moon Machines 23:40 The Gadget Show

00:00 00:25 00:50 01:15 01:35 02:00 02:25 02:50 03:15 03:35 04:00 04:25 04:50 05:15 05:35 06:00

Kim Possible Fairly Odd Parents Fairly Odd Parents Stitch Stitch Replacements Replacements Emperor’s New School Emperor’s New School Stitch Stitch Replacements Replacements Fairly Odd Parents Fairly Odd Parents Emperor’s New School

06:20 Cody 06:45 07:05 07:30 07:55 08:20 08:35 09:00 10:25 10:50 11:35 12:25 12:45 13:10 13:30 13:55 14:55 15:20 15:45 16:10 16:35 Cody 17:00 17:25 17:50 18:15 18:45 19:35 20:00 20:25 20:50 21:15 21:35 22:00 22:25 Cody 22:50 23:15 23:35

The Suite Life Of Zack And Phineas And Ferb Wizards Of Waverly Place Suite Life On Deck Good Luck Charlie Fish Hooks Suite Life On Deck Avalon High Fish Hooks Good Luck Charlie Phineas And Ferb Wizards Of Waverly Place Good Luck Charlie Hannah Montana Suite Life On Deck Wizards Of Waverly Place Good Luck Charlie Phineas And Ferb Fish Hooks Shake It Up The Suite Life Of Zack And Wizards Of Waverly Place Good Luck Charlie Fish Hooks Shake It Up 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 The Suite Life Of Zack And Sonny With A Chance Wizards Of Waverly Place Jonas

00:25 Kendra 00:55 Style Star 01:25 20 Most Shocking Unsolved Crimes 03:15 25 Most Stylish 04:10 Sexiest 05:05 Extreme Hollywood 06:00 30 Most Outrageous Celebrity Feuds 07:50 Behind The Scenes 08:20 E! News 09:15 Kourtney & Kim Take New York 09:45 Kourtney & Kim Take New York 10:15 30 Best & Worst Beach Bodies 12:05 E! News 13:05 Giuliana & Bill 14:05 Keeping Up With The Kardashians 14:35 Giuliana & Bill 15:30 E!es 16:25 Behind The Scenes 16:55 Kourtney & Kim Take New York 17:25 Kourtney & Kim Take New York 17:55 E! News 18:55 E!es 19:55 Khloe And Lamar 20:55 Chelsea Lately 21:25 Keeping Up With The Kardashians 22:25 E! News 23:25 Chelsea Lately 23:55 Keeping Up With The Kardashians

00:30 01:15 02:05 03:40 04:25 05:15 06:10 07:00 07:45 08:35 09:20 09:45 10:05 10:50 11:40 12:25 13:15 14:00 14:50 15:15 15:35 16:20 17:10 18:00 18:45 19:10 19:55 20:20 21:10 22:00 23:40

Ghost Lab A Haunting Couples Who Kill Dr G: Medical Examiner A Haunting Ghost Lab Mystery Diagnosis Murder Shift Forensic Detectives Mystery Diagnosis Real Emergency Calls Street Patrol The Prosecutors FBI Files Murder Shift On The Case With Paula Zahn Ghost Lab Mystery Diagnosis Street Patrol Real Emergency Calls The Prosecutors FBI Files Forensic Detectives Murder Shift Real Emergency Calls Mystery Diagnosis Street Patrol On The Case With Paula Zahn Ghost Lab I Almost Got Away With It Dr G: Medical Examiner

00:00 A World Apart 01:00 Meet The Amish 02:00 Banged Up Abroad 03:00 Graham’s World 03:30 Eccentric Uk 04:00 Weird & Wonderful Hotels 04:30 Somewhere In China 05:30 The Best Job In The World 06:00 A World Apart 07:00 Meet The Amish 08:00 Banged Up Abroad 09:00 Graham’s World 09:30 Eccentric Uk 10:00 Weird & Wonderful Hotels 10:30 Somewhere In China 11:30 The Best Job In The World 12:00 A World Apart 13:00 Destination Extreme 13:30 First Ascent 14:00 Chasing Che: Latin America On A Motorcycle 14:30 Chasing Che: Latin America On A Motorcycle 15:00 Endurance Traveller 16:00 Departures 18:00 Danger Men 19:00 Destination Extreme 19:30 First Ascent 20:00 Chasing Che: Latin America On A Motorcycle 20:30 Chasing Che: Latin America On A Motorcycle 21:00 Endurance Traveller 22:00 Departures

00:00 The Butterfly Effect 3: Revelations-18 02:00 Orphan-18 04:15 Icarus-18 06:00 King Arthur-PG15 08:15 Annihilation Earth-PG15

THE ECLIPSE ON OSN CINEMA 10:00 12:00 14:00 16:00 PG15 18:00 20:00 22:00

From Paris With Love-PG15 Deceit-PG15 Annihilation Earth-PG15 Jesse Stone: No Remorse-

01:15 03:00 04:45 07:15 09:00 11:00 13:15 15:00 17:00 19:00 21:00 23:30

The Answer Man-PG15 Hurricane Season-PG15 Eat Pray Love-PG15 At Risk-PG15 Hurricane Season-PG15 Secretariat-PG15 The Eclipse-PG15 On Broadway-PG15 Bustin’ Down The Door-PG15 The Greatest-PG15 Biutiful-PG15 Let Me In-R

Deceit-PG15 Jason X-18 Ninja Assassin-18

00:30 The Daily Show With Jon Stewart 01:00 The Colbert Report 01:30 Neighbors From Hell 02:00 The Cleveland Show 02:30 Entourage 03:00 Friends 03:30 Friends 04:00 Two And A Half Men 04:30 The Tonight Show With Jay Leno 05:30 Will And Grace 06:00 Coach 06:30 Weird Science 07:00 Late Night With Jimmy Fallon 08:00 Two And A Half Men 08:30 Friends 09:00 Will And Grace 09:30 Raising Hope 10:00 Cougar Town 10:30 Coach 11:00 Weird Science 11:30 The Tonight Show With Jay Leno 12:30 Two And A Half Men 13:00 Friends 13:30 Will And Grace 14:00 Coach 14:30 Raising Hope 15:00 Cougar Town 15:30 The Daily Show With Jon Stewart 16:00 The Colbert Report 16:30 Weird Science 17:00 Late Night With Jimmy Fallon 18:00 Friends 18:30 Friends 19:00 Parks And Recreation 19:30 The Simpsons 20:00 The Tonight Show With Jay Leno 21:00 The Daily Show With Jon Stewart 21:30 The Colbert Report 22:00 Louie 22:30 Entourage 23:00 Neighbors From Hell 23:30 The Tonight Show With Jay Leno

00:00 01:00 02:00 03:00 04:00 05:00 06:00 07:00 07:30 08:00 09:00 10:00 11:00 12:00 12:30 14:00 15:00 16:00 16:30 18:00 19:00 20:00 21:00 22:00 23:30

Psych Mildred Pierce Boardwalk Empire Desperate Housewives Revenge Alias Psych According To Jim Coronation Street Body Of Proof Alias Desperate Housewives Revenge According To Jim Coronation Street Body Of Proof Psych According To Jim Coronation Street Body Of Proof Grey’s Anatomy Private Practice House Mildred Pierce Big Love

00:30 02:00 03:00 04:00

Psych House Grey’s Anatomy Private Practice

05:00 06:00 07:00 07:30 08:00 09:00 10:00 11:00 12:00 12:30 14:00 15:00 16:00 16:30 18:00 19:00 20:00 21:00 22:00 23:00

Alias Psych According To Jim Coronation Street Body Of Proof Alias Grey’s Anatomy House According To Jim Coronation Street Body Of Proof Psych According To Jim Coronation Street Body Of Proof Warehouse 13 Terra Nova Supernatural Any Human Heart Terriers

01:00 Child’s Play 2-PG15 03:00 Icarus-18 05:00 Wild Things: Foursome -18 07:00 No Time To Fear-PG15 09:00 Cirque Du Freak: The Vampire’s Assistant-PG15 11:00 G.I. Joe: The Rise Of CobraPG15 13:00 Altitude-PG15 15:00 Cirque Du Freak: The Vampire’s Assistant-PG15 17:00 The Day After TomorrowPG15 19:15 30 Days Of Night: Dark Days18 21:00 Universal Soldier: Regeneration-PG15 23:00 The Rig-18

00:00 Dickie Roberts: Former Child Star-PG15 02:00 Jack Goes Boating-PG15 04:00 Hey Hey Its Esther Blueburger-PG15 06:00 The Invention Of Lying-PG15 08:00 Did You Hear About The Morgans?-PG15 10:00 16 To Life-PG15 12:00 The Ramen Girl-PG15 14:00 Not The Messiah: He’s A Very Naughty Boy-PG15 16:00 Dickie Roberts: Former Child Star-PG15 18:00 Sweet Home Alabama-PG15 20:00 Bubble Boy-PG15 22:00 Aim Low: The Very Best Of Dylan Moran-18

01:00 Limousine-PG15 02:45 Coach Carter-PG15 05:00 The Lovely Bones-PG15 07:15 In God’s Hands-PG 09:00 Secret Origin: The Story Of DC Comics-PG 11:00 The Dust Factory-PG15 13:00 When We Were Kings-PG15 15:00 North-PG 17:00 Witness To Jonestown-PG15 19:00 Not Since You-PG15 21:00 The Italian Job (1969)-PG 23:15 I Am Sam-PG15

01:00 Mr. Nice-18 03:00 Alvin And The Chipmunks: The Squeakquel-FAM 05:00 From Justin To Kelly-PG 07:00 The Box-PG15 09:00 Saved!-PG15 11:00 District 9-PG15 13:00 Dean Spanley-PG 15:00 My Last Five Girlfriends-PG15 17:00 Saved!-PG15 19:00 Jack Goes Boating-PG15 21:00 Biutiful-PG15 23:30 Bubble Boy-PG15

00:00 Barbie: A Fairy Secret-FAM 02:00 Gold Diggers: The Secret Of Bear Mountain-PG 04:00 Time Kid-FAM 06:00 Nativity!-PG 08:15 Globehunters-FAM 10:00 Toy Story 3-FAM 12:00 Babe-FAM 14:00 Christmas In New York-PG 16:00 Garfield-PG

17:45 Toy Story 3-FAM 19:45 The Karate Kid-PG 22:15 Christmas In New York-PG

00:00 00:30 02:45 05:00 06:00 07:00 09:15 11:30 12:45 15:00 16:00 17:00 17:30 18:30 19:00 20:00 21:00 22:00

Power Boats F1 Highlights Rugby World Cup Rugby World Cup RWC Weekly Highlights UFC 136 Countdown Rugby World Cup Rugby World Cup RWC Weekly Highlights Rugby World Cup WWE Vintage Collection Le Mans Series Highlights Le Mans Series Trans World Sport Power Boats F1 Highlights RWC Weekly Highlights UFC 136 Countdown The Ultimate Fighter Rugby World Cup

02:00 Futbol Mundial 02:30 Spirit of Yachting 03:00 European Senior Tour Highlights 04:00 Scottish Premier League 06:00 FEI Equestrian World 06:30 FIVB Beach Volley Ball 07:00 Darts 12:00 FIVB Beach Volley Ball 12:30 Futbol Mundial 13:00 Golfing World 14:00 Rugby World Cup 2011 16:30 Ladies European PGA Tour Highlights 17:30 Trans World Sport 18:30 Scottish Premier League 20:30 Futbol Mundial 21:00 Live Darts Grand Prix

00:30 NRL Full Time 01:00 AFL Highlights 02:00 European PGA Tour Highlights 03:00 Beach Volley Ball 03:30 Trans World Sport 04:30 Super League 06:30 Futbol Mundial 07:00 Golfing World 08:00 Premier League Snooker 11:30 NRL Full Time 12:00 Super League 14:00 Darts Grand Prix 19:00 The Challenge Series Golf 19:30 Asian Tour Golf 20:00 European Tour Weekly 20:30 RWC Matchday Highlights 21:00 AFL Premiership

00:30 01:00 07:00 08:00 09:00 12:00 13:00 15:00 16:00 17:00 18:00 19:00 21:00 22:00 23:00

V8 Supercars Extra Le Mans WWE Tough Enough Speedway FIM World Prizefighter WWE Tough Enough WWE SmackDown V8 Supercars Championship Le Mans Series Highlights Power Boats F1 WWE Bottom Line WWE SmackDown UFC The Ultimate Fighter UFC 136 CountDown UFC Unleashed

00:00 Investigating History 01:00 Ice Road Truckers 02:00 Pawn Stars 04:00 American Pickers 05:00 Lock N’ Load with R. Lee Ermey 06:00 Investigating History 07:00 Ice Road Truckers 08:00 Pawn Stars 10:00 American Pickers 11:00 Lock N’ Load with R. Lee Ermey 12:00 Investigating History 13:00 Ice Road Truckers 14:00 Pawn Stars 16:00 American Pickers 17:00 Lock N’ Load with R. Lee Ermey 18:00 Investigating History 19:00 Ice Road Truckers 20:00 Dogfights 21:00 World War II: Lost Films

Classifieds WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 5, 2011

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

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

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

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

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

— World Almanac for Kids

Another Earth?

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

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

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

D A N C OY R O / S A N TA C R U Z S E N T I N E L / M C T

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

A

JO EL HE R S C H

S

/

“The Superman,” photo taken

by Nicholas Gonzalez, 13.

EYES TO THE SKIES

BY

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

A

NT

A

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Defer to friend’s feelings over phone

Keep ’em separated

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

— Good friend or bad?

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

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

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

— Merrie Leininger, MCT

CHANGE OF NAME

Sharing accommodation available for single working ladies in Abu Halifa near round about, one room with separate toilet + purified water drinking, internet available, KD 75/-.

Contact: 66971502/ 90033641/ 66924824.

(C 3666)

I, Shina Kurian holder of Indian Passport No. E8470284 here by change my name to SHYNA KURIAN. Hence forth all my dealings and documents will be known by my new name.

(C 3669)

To-let, a big room with independent toilet from a 3 BR flat in B’neid Al-Ghar, single occupancy KD 75/-, double occupancy KD 95/-.

Contact: 60914165.

(C 3667) 3-10-2011

I, Sheikh Mohmed Juber Haji Ibrahim Bhai holding Indian Passport No. G5618180 would like to correct my name to Shekh Mohammadzuber Haji Ibrahimbhai. Herein after in all dealings and documents I will be known by my new name. (C 3660) 3-10-2011

Sharing accommodation available for a couple or working ladies with Christian Keralite family C-A/C 2 bathroom near Integrated School Abbassiya, internet available.

Contact: 66293133, 24317514. (C 3664) 2-10-2011 Sharing accommodation available for single bachelor near Khaitan Garnata Cinema bus stop with a Mangalorean R/C bachelor, KD 25. Contact: 66036893.

(C 3658) 1-10-2011

4-10-2011

MATRIMONIAL Orthodox, Jacobite well settled parents invite proposals for their daughter 25 years, 168cm, fair, M.B.A employed in a private firm in Kuwait from parents of professionally qualified boys. E-mail: sushirishta@gmail.com (C 3672) Proposals invited from good looking Nair girls below 24,

FOR SALE

from upper middle class family from TCR/EKM/North Kerala for a Nair boy 28, 5’10” (1 - 1 1/2 Dosham) working in a Multi National Company Bombay hailing from aristocratic Nair family - EKM. Email: phmenon@hotmail.com (C 3671) 4-10-2011 Hyderabadi Sunni Muslim (S.M) parents invite proposals for their religious, fair, smart, B.E, MBA gold medalist daughter from good looking M.B.B.S / B.E, M.S. boys of decent, proper Hyderabadi families.

Interested contact:Mohdr2005@yahoo.com

(C 3665)

Procurement Logistics seeks job of senior position.

Experience in the field of General Hardware, Oil Field Materials, Tools, Hydraulic Materials, Timber and steel.

Contact: 66889375. (C 3668)

3-10-2011 Marriage proposal is invited from parents of well to do Nair girls for an Indian, Kerala, Hindu, Nair boy, 29 years, Bachelor of Engineering, height 161 cm, Star Punartham with slight dosham, hailing from central Kerala, working as mechanical engineer in Kuwait.

Interested parties may email: menon.murali@ymail.com (C 3661)

Mechanical Engineering graduate, with immaculate English language skills, looking for a job in Kuwait, transferable residency. Contact: 67078742.

(C 3663) 3-10-2011

SITUATION VACANT SITUATION WANTED

Indian male, well experienced in Management, Sales,

Manager (Asian) in Maiden Hawally looking for a maid on part time duty. Please call 97263962 for details.

(C 3673) 5-10-2011

No: 15230

For sale computer HP Compaq P4 2.4Ghz, Ram 512, Harddisk 40GB, CD Rom, 17” Monitor, internet ready, price KD 35/-.

Contact: 66762737.

(C 3670) 4-10-2011 Complete contents of 1 BR flat for sale, ideal for newlywed or single executive, for details and viewing call: 99701641 or email: alem.furnz@gmail.com (C 3640) 3-10-2011 Citroen - C5, 2002 excellent condition, low mileage, full options, reasonable price.

Contact: 99836939.

(C 3662)

2-10-2011

DIAL 161 FOR AIRPORT INFORMATION

Airlines JZR THY ETH UAE DHX FDB GFA QTR JZR THY JZR FCX JZR KAC BAW KAC KAC KAC KAC FDB KAC KAC KAC UAE QTR ABY IRA ETD GFA FCX MEA RBG IRM JZR KAC MSR UAL RJA MSR FDB KAC KAC QTR IRC SVA JZR

Arrival Flights on Wednesday 5/10/2011 Flt Route 267 BEIRUT 772 ISTANBUL 620 ADDIS ABABA 853 DUBAI 370 BAHRAIN 67 DUBAI 211 BAHRAIN 138 DOHA 529 ASSIUT 770 ISTANBUL 503 LUXOR 201 DUBAI 555 ALEXANDRIA 412 MANILA/BANGKOK 157 LONDON 206 ISLAMABAD 382 DELHI 284 DHAKA 302 MUMBAI 53 DUBAI 352 COCHIN 344 CHENNAI 362 COLOMBO 855 DUBAI 132 DOHA 125 SHARJAH 603 SHIRAZ 301 ABU DHABI 213 BAHRAIN 203 DUBAI 404 BEIRUT 3555 ALEXANDRIA 5066 MASHAD 561 SOHAG 672 DUBAI 610 CAIRO 982 WASHINGTON DC DULLES 640 AMMAN 621 ASSIUT 57 DUBAI 802 CAIRO 790 MEDINAH 140 DOHA 6791 MASHAD 500 JEDDAH 257 BEIRUT

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

QTR KAC JZR SYR ETD UAE GFA SVA JZR RBG ABY KAC KNE FDB JZR ALK KAC IYE KAC KAC KAC KAC KAC KAC KAC KAC AIC JAI JZR FDB OMA VOS MEA MSR DHX UAE GFA QTR UAL JZR JZR MSR DLH SAI AXB JZR KLM PIA

134 546 201 341 303 857 215 510 777 3557 127 550 745 63 177 227 166 824 502 542 618 786 614 774 102 674 975 572 787 61 647 81 402 618 372 859 217 136 981 135 185 612 636 441 393 539 447 215

DOHA ALEXANDRIA DAMASCUS DAMASCUS ABU DHABI DUBAI BAHRAIN RIYADH JEDDAH SOHAG SHARJAH SHARM EL SHEIKH/SOHAG JEDDAH DUBAI DUBAI COLOMBO/DUBAI PARIS/ROME SANAA/DOHA BEIRUT CAIRO DOHA JEDDAH BAHRAIN RIYADH NEW YORK/LONDON DUBAI CHENNAI/GOA MUMBAI RIYADH DUBAI MUSCAT BAGHDAD BEIRUT ALEXANDRIA BAHRAIN DUBAI BAHRAIN DOHA BAHRAIN BAHRAIN DUBAI CAIRO FRANKFURT LAHORE KOZHIKODE/COCHIN CAIRO AMSTERDAM/BAHRAIN KARACHI

15:15 15:30 15:45 16:30 16:50 16:55 17:15 17:20 17:25 17:35 17:40 17:45 17:50 17:55 18:00 18:00 18:40 18:40 18:45 18:50 18:55 19:00 19:20 19:25 19:25 19:25 19:30 19:35 20:00 20:00 20:10 20:15 20:15 20:55 21:00 21:15 21:25 21:35 22:00 22:10 22:35 22:50 23:00 23:05 23:15 23:30 23:35 23:55

Airlines AXB DLH BBC AIC PIA THY ETH SWT UAE FDB DHX QTR THY JZR GFA KAC BAW KAC FDB KAC KAC JZR KAC UAE ABY KAC KAC QTR ETD GFA JZR IRA FCX RBG MEA KAC JZR KAC KAC IRM KAC JZR MSR RJA FDB MSR

Departure Flights on Wednesday 5/10/2011 Flt Route 390 MANGALORE/KOZHIKODE 637 FRANKFURT 46 DHAKA 982 AHMEDABAD/CHENNAI 206 LAHORE 773 ISTANBUL 621 ADDIS ABABA 94 DUBAI/KANDAHAR 854 DUBAI 68 DUBAI 371 BAHRAIN 139 DOHA 771 ISTANBUL 560 SOHAG 212 BAHRAIN 801 CAIRO 156 LONDON 545 ALEXANDRIA 54 DUBAI 177 FRANKFURT/GENEVA 671 DUBAI 256 BEIRUT 789 MEDINAH 856 DUBAI 126 SHARJAH 549 SHARM EL SHEIKH/SOHAG 117 NEW YORK 133 DOHA 302 ABU DHABI 214 BAHRAIN 200 DAMASCUS 602 SHIRAZ 204 DUBAI 3558 SOHAG 405 BEIRUT 541 CAIRO 776 JEDDAH 103 LONDON 501 BEIRUT 5065 MASHAD 785 JEDDAH 176 DUBAI 611 CAIRO 641 AMMAN 58 DUBAI 622 ASSIUT

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

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

UAL KAC IRC KAC SVA KAC QTR KAC JZR JZR SYR ETD QTR UAE GFA RBG ABY JZR JZR KNE SVA FDB ALK JZR IYE KAC KAC JAI FDB KAC KAC OMA MEA MSR DHX UAE GFA KAC FCX QTR KAC KAC JZR JZR UAL MSR KAC SAI

982 673 6792 617 503 773 141 613 786 538 342 304 135 858 216 3556 128 184 266 746 511 64 228 134 824 283 361 571 62 331 351 648 403 619 373 860 218 381 102 137 301 205 502 554 981 613 415 442

BAHRAIN DUBAI MASHAD DOHA MEDINAH/JEDDAH RIYADH DOHA BAHRAIN RIYADH CAIRO DAMASCUS ABU DHABI DOHA DUBAI BAHRAIN ALEXANDRIA SHARJAH DUBAI BEIRUT JEDDAH RIYADH DUBAI DUBAI/COLOMBO BAHRAIN SANAA DHAKA COLOMBO MUMBAI DUBAI TRIVANDRUM COCHIN MUSCAT BEIRUT ALEXANDRIA BAHRAIN DUBAI BAHRAIN DELHI BAHRAIN DOHA MUMBAI ISLAMABAD LUXOR ALEXANDRIA WASHINGTON DC DULLES CAIRO KUALA LUMPUR/JAKARTA LAHORE

14:45 15:10 15:15 15:35 15:45 16:05 16:15 16:20 16:35 16:40 17:30 17:35 17:45 18:05 18:15 18:20 18:20 18:25 18:30 18:35 18:35 18:40 19:10 19:10 19:40 20:00 20:20 20:35 20:40 21:00 21:05 21:10 21:15 21:55 22:00 22:25 22:30 22:30 22:30 22:35 22:45 22:55 23:05 23:10 23:40 23:50 23:50 23:59

34

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 5, 2011

stars CROSSWORD 459

STAR TRACK

CALVIN & HOBBES

Aries (March 21-April 19) You must be open to the opportunities around you now. Exert the initiative it takes to use each moment to the benefit of your progress. This is an active day. If you feel that there is more stress in your day than you would prefer, help your physical well-being by softening your diet. At home this evening, you enjoy the communication between friends and family. There is an appreciation for ideas and thoughts that are innovative. Many times you have been pressed for time, yet you know that your interaction with family and friends require special attention. You are wise to take time to be with loved ones. It is easy for you to love and be compassionate and to value what life offers. You have a sense of unity and brotherhood that will stay with you.

Taurus (April 20-May 20) Satisfying days make up for all the stress that comes with the challenging days. This is a rewarding day; you can grab the attention or the benefits. Work is easy to complete. Travel and adventure are compelling temptations as you dare to test your mettle and stretch your horizons. You can demonstrate great understanding and sensitivity to the needs of others just now and are in a good position to communicate concerning groups and society. You may be able to bring a group together with words or ideas that transport others. Poetry and art may be possible now. Creative endeavors may bring monetary rewards—praises for the depth of your imagination and creativity are overflowing. Movies, books and all forms of escape are enjoyed.

POOCH CAFE ACROSS 1. A gradual decline (in size or strength or power or number).

4. Covered with scabs.

10. A solution containing a phosphate buffer.

13. An affirmative.

14. Any of various trees or shrubs of the genus Cassia having pinnately compound leaves and usually yellow flowers followed by long seedpods.

15. Electrical conduction through a gas in an applied electric field.

16. An Indian side dish of yogurt and chopped cucumbers and spices.

18. The 8th letter of the Hebrew alphabet.

19. An independent agency of the United States government responsible for collecting and coordinating intelligence and counterintelligence activities abroad in the national interest.

20. Hardy evergreen dioecious shrubs and small trees from Japan.

22. Called forth from a latent or potential state by stimulation.

24. A light touch or stroke.

27. Any of various trees of the genus Ulmus.

28. Of or relating to or characteristic of the Republic of Chad or its people or language.

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

33. (used of count nouns) Every one considered individually.

36. The capital of Croatia.

37. A genus of orb-weaving spiders including common garden spiders and barn spiders.

38. A particular geographical region of indefinite boundary (usually serving some special purpose or distinguished by its people or culture or geography).

41. A light strong brittle gray toxic bivalent metallic element.

42. Having any of numerous bright or strong colors reminiscent of the color of blood or cherries or tomatoes or rubies.

48. The blood group whose red cells carry both the A and B antigens.

49. West Indian tree having racemes of fragrant white flowers and yielding a durable timber and resinous juice.

56. In a murderous frenzy as if possessed by a demon.

57. A member of a people who have no permanent home but move about according to the seasons.

60. A river in north central Switzerland that runs northeast into the Rhine.

61. The piece of land on which something is located (or is to be located).

62. Jordan's port.

63. The federal agency that insures residential mortgages.

64. German chemist who was co-discoverer with Lise Meitner of nuclear fission (1879-1968).

65. (Mesopotamia) God of agriculture and earth.

66. The bill in a restaurant.

DOWN 1. Long-bodied long-tailed tropical American wildcat.

2. A man who is the lover of a girl or young woman.

3. The Tibeto-Burman language spoken in the Dali region of Yunnan.

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

5. A white metallic element that burns with a brilliant light.

6. The residue that remains when something is burned.

7. A fatal disease of cattle that affects the central nervous system.

8. A wound resulting from biting.

9. A name for the Old Testament God as transliterated from the Hebrew YHVH. 10. Someone who travels about selling his wares (as on the streets or at carnivals).

11. Soft creamy white cheese.

12. Any of a number of fishes of the family Carangidae.

17. A vast treeless plain in the arctic regions between the ice cap and the tree line.

21. A public promotion of some product or service.

23. Evergreen trees and shrubs having oily one-seeded fruits.

25. A radioactive element of the actinide series.

26. A soft silvery metallic element of the alkali earth group.

29. Swift timid long-eared mammal larger than a rabbit having a divided upper lip and long hind legs.

30. Advanced in years.

32. The cry made by sheep.

34. An important seaport on the Island of Cebu in the Philippines.

35. A complex red organic pigment containing iron and other atoms to which oxygen binds.

39. An associate degree in applied science.

40. Aircraft landing in bad weather in which the pilot is talked down by ground control using precision approach radar.

43. The upper house of the parliament of the Republic of Ireland.

44. A native of ancient Troy.

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

46. Consisting of or made of wood of the oak tree.

47. A logarithmic unit of sound intensity.

50. Type genus of the Amiidae.

51. Unwillingness to do something contrary to your custom.

52. A small cake leavened with yeast.

53. The handle of a weapon or tool.

54. A member of the Siouan people formerly living in the Missouri river valley in NE Nebraska.

55. An Arabic speaking person who lives in Arabia or North Africa.

58. A Turkish unit of weight equal to about 2.75 pounds.

59. A periodic paperback publication.

Yesterday’s Solution

Gemini (May 21-June 20) Although you shy away from challenges, you cannot escape facing a few of them. Challenges are what helps us grow—learning about ourselves and others. Challenges also help us to improve our problem solving skills—today may be challenging. An irresistible force meets an immovable object— proceed with caution! There are appropriate times to express your feelings. Today your problem solving skills may be more directed toward learning how to stay out of a sticky situation. There is a lot of energy available for whatever is needed. The secret to a successful day is a good meal and breaks where you can really enjoy some quiet time, which may include a walk or some exercise routine. Water, music and an animal are forms of relaxation this evening.

Cancer (June 21-July 22)

NON SEQUITUR

This morning you are up early and in the mood to clean and clear away any clutter, whether it be inside or outside your living area. You are in a determined mood to make things look neat and to clear away the cobwebs, so to speak. Clear thinking is important just now. Today you could be teaching or attending a lecture. Your words and ideas can transport and enchant listeners, carrying them beyond the world as they know it and into the world as they wish it could be. You may decide that this afternoon is the time to put your energies toward some environmental concerns. You may help to organize some benefit for the kids in your town. Children certainly have your attention as you want very much to help them have a good start in life.

Leo (July 23-August 22) Contracts signed now through the end of this month will have positive results. High-tech gambles could pay off in big ways.

Superiors seem to demand more than usual today. Making this a harmonious day may depend on your willingness to tend to someone elseís needs. Turn-about-fairplay will happen for you soon, but for now a patient attitude will be most important.

Unconventional hobbies and other forms of self-expression that break from the norm play a bigger part in your life now. A child or lover may be rebellious—or perhaps simply ahead of his or her time. Romance and recreation take on an unusual character, out of step with ordinary expectations. You may find that you have intuitive abilities that you had never noticed before.

ZITS

Virgo (August 23-September 22) If professional advice is needed, today and tomorrow are the most productive times to seek that advice. Stresses and blocks that previously were in your way, now seem to be fading. Faith untested is not worth bothering with: that’s the lesson that takes center stage in your life now. This is apt to be a time of analyzing religious, philosophical or ideological beliefs—becoming more aware of their logical shortcomings. Legal, political or educational experiences require serious thought and planning. This afternoon you could be plotting your next move to success. You could have some fun times with young people later today. You are very imaginative when it comes to other people and relationships of all kinds. Relax this evening—romance is possible.

Libra (September 23-October 22)

MOTHER GOOSE AND GRIMM

You may have trouble getting moving, but once rolling, others better move aside. This is an excellent time to be in school, or to work at a job. You will benefit from logical insights, getting to the heart of things. After you have given some time for thought and focus, negotiations during this time can be quite positive. If you take it easy and do a bit of research, you will find yourself in a good position to resolve or finalize plans. You may have a wonderful opportunity to socialize this evening. This could be in a restaurant or at a community get-together.

Networking at this time, with people who share your interests, provides both support and feedback for future achievements. Today and tomorrow are the best times this month to begin a diet.

Scorpio (October 23-November 21) You may be helping people that find difficulty in listening or grasping what is told to them. Try not to personalize the situation and repeat yourself in several different ways. Sometimes people need to hear an explanation in a different sort of presentation or explanation. Much is accomplished today. This could mean that some form of teaching, lecturing, conference or research work is accomplished. Your mind is very clear and your thoughts are brought to a sharp focus. It is easy to organize your thoughts and communication of all kinds is furthered. Write that book—take that course. Your thoughts count—so use your mind and communicate. You may have sudden insights, and you will have an unexpected boost in the way you express yourself.

Sagittarius (November 22-December 21) Today is a big communication day. Continue with ongoing negotiations and expect positive end results. There are good results as you dare to take risks. You will prosper through new insights and an independent point of view—do not hold back. You plan to do some entertaining in your home and may decide that now is the time to shop for more updated furniture. You could find some good sales that will help you make decisions on what you want. You must realize that some furniture stores may not have the furniture ready as quickly as you would like; a planning attitude may be the best attitude for now. Measure the furniture you are ordering and when you get home you will know exactly how it will fit.

Consider home delivery for food this evening.

Capricorn (December 22-January 19)

To

Examine and reorganize your workplace to reflect an environment that will increase productivity. Speculative ventures have tremendous promise. Retirement planning also can be especially fortunate. This is a good time to promote your talents or to make proposals. Your discipline and focus in creative endeavors help you to be creative in the way you make your presentations.

You tend to take everything with great passion. Your drive to get at the heart and truth of things is constantly invoked and serves as a common theme in your life. You may find that your personal growth depends upon how you can handle some very sensitive subjects this afternoon—patience. You make the right choices when you give yourself time to think before you speak.

Yesterday’s Solution Yester

Aquarius (January 20- February 18) Your organizational abilities and sense of responsibility will be what guides you and proves successful at this time. Your career could assume a much more determined and solid form—a firm foundation. Making your mark on the world has special significance for you now. Achievement, ambition and authority are things that take on greater importance. Organizing and administering people and projects will become central to your lifestyle. Speculative ventures fare well at this time. You may finally see some results from an investment you have held for some time. A relationship will improve as the evening moves along; you can help your loved one to relax with a massage. A massage could also be shared. Home is where the heart is this evening.

Pisces (February 19-March 20)

Word Sleuth Solution

At the workplace today there is a sense of emotional coolness or detachment at the personal level. You may find this a good setting for working and accomplishing much. It is ideas that count for you now, more than narrowly personal concerns—and you may have little tolerance for people who do not operate at this level. You value what is honest and straightforward and have a particular dislike as to what is secret, intense and private. The new, unusual and at times, the whimsical are the things that instinctively appeal to you. A social event this evening will find you at your most elegant. You draw emotional sustenance and a sense of security from ideals, friends and social involvement now. Tonight is for laughter and fun conversations.

A

y

e niv rsar n

Years

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 5, 2011

i n f o r m at i o n

FIRE BRIGADE

112

Al-Madena

22418714

Al-Shohada’a

22545171

Al-Shuwaikh

24810598

Al-Nuzha

22545171

Sabhan

24742838

Al-Helaly

22434853

Al-Fayhaa

22545051

Al-Farwaniya

24711433

Al-Sulaibikhat

24316983

Al-Fahaheel

23927002

Jleeb Al-Shuyoukh

24316983

Ahmadi

23980088

Al-Mangaf

23711183

Al-Shuaiba

23262845

24812000

Al-Jahra

25610011

Amiri Hospital

22450005

Al-Salmiya

25616368

Maternity Hospital

24843100

Mubarak Al-Kabir Hospital

25312700

Chest Hospital

24849400

Farwaniya Hospital

24892010

Adan Hospital

23940620

Ibn Sina Hospital

24840300

Al-Razi Hospital

24846000

Physiotherapy Hospital

24874330/9

Ministry of Interior website: www.moi.gov.kw For labor-related inquiries and complaints: Call MSAL hotline 128

Hospitals Sabah Hospital

POLICE STATION Al-Madena Police Station Al-Murqab Police Station Al-Daiya Police Station Al-Fayha’a Police Station Al-Qadissiya Police Station Al-Nugra Police Station Al-Salmiya Police Station Al-Dasma Police Station

Clinics Rabiya

4732263

Roudha

22517733

Adhaliya

22517144

Khaldiya

24848075

Keifan

24849807

Shamiya

24848913

Shuwaikh

24814507

Abdullah Salim

22549134

Al-Nuzha

22526804

Industrial Shuwaikh

24814764

Al-Khadissiya

22515088

Dasmah

22532265

Bneid Al-Ghar

22531908

Al-Shaab

22518752

Al-Kibla

22459381

Ayoun Al-Kibla

22451082

Al-Mirqab

22456536

Sharq

22465401

Salmiya

25746401

Jabriya

25316254

Maidan Hawally

25623444

Bayan

25388462

Mishref

25381200

W.Hawally

22630786

Sabah

24810221

Jahra

24770319

New Jahra

24575755

West Jahra

24772608

South Jahra

24775066

North Jahra

24775992

North Jleeb

24311795

Al-Ardhiya

24884079

Firdous

24892674

Al-Omariya

24719048

N.Kheitan

24710044

Fintas

3900322

22434064 22435865 22544200 22547133 22515277 22616662 25714406 22530801

THE PUBLIC AUTHORITY FOR CIVIL INFORMATION Automated enquiry about the Civil ID card is 1889988

PHARMACIES

AIRLINES

ON 24 HRS DUTY GOVERNORATE

PHARMACY

ADDRESS

PHONE

Ahmadi

Sama Safwan Abu Halaifa Danat Al-Sultan

Fahaeel Makka St Abu Halaifa-Coastal Rd Mahboula Block 1, Coastal Rd

23915883 23715414 23726558

Jahra

Modern Jahra Madina Munawara

Jahra-Block 3 Lot 1 Jahra-Block 92

24575518 24566622

Capital

Ahlam Khaldiya Coop

Fahad Al-Salem St Khaldiya Coop

22436184 24833967

Farwaniya

New Shifa Ferdous Coop Modern Safwan

Farwaniya Block 40 Ferdous Coop Old Kheitan Block 11

24734000 24881201 24726638

Hawally

Tariq Hana Ikhlas Hawally & Rawdha Ghadeer Kindy Ibn Al-Nafis Mishrif Coop Salwa Coop

Salmiya-Hamad Mubarak St Salmiya-Amman St Hawally-Beirut St Hawally & Rawdha Coop Jabriya-Block 1A Jabriya-Block 3B Salmiya-Hamad Mubarak St Mishrif Coop Salwa Coop

25726265 25647075 22625999 22564549 25340559 25326554 25721264 25380581 25628241

Kuwait Airways Jazeera Airways Jet Airways FlyDubai Qatar Airways KLM Air Slovakia Olympic Airways Royal Jordanian Reservation British Airways Air France Emirates Air India Sri Lanka Airlines Egypt Air Swiss Air Saudia Middle East Airlines Lufthansa PIA Alitalia Balkan Airlines Bangladesh Airlines Czech Airlines Indian Airlines Oman Air Turkish Airlines Aeroflot

22433377 177 22924455 22414400 22423888 22425747 22434940 22420002/9 22418064/5/6 22433388 22425635 22430224 22425566 22438184 22424444 22421578 22421516 22426306 22423073 22422493 22421044 22414427 22416474 22452977/8 22417901/ 2433141 22456700 22958787 22453820/1 22404838/9

PRIVATE CLINICS Ophthalmologists Dr. Abidallah Al-Mansoor 25622444 Dr. Samy Al-Rabeea 25752222 Dr. Masoma Habeeb 25321171 Dr. Mubarak Al-Ajmy 25739999 Dr. Mohsen Abel 25757700 Dr Adnan Hasan Alwayl 25732223 Dr. Abdallah Al-Baghly 25732223 Ear, Nose & Throat (ENT) Dr. Ahmed Fouad Mouner 24555050 Ext 510 Dr. Abdallah Al-Ali 25644660 Dr. Abd Al-Hameed Al-Taweel 25646478 Dr. Sanad Al-Fathalah 25311996 Dr. Mohammad Al-Daaory 25731988 Dr. Ismail Al-Fodary 22620166 Dr. Mahmoud Al-Booz 25651426 General Practitioners Dr. Mohamme Y Majidi 24555050 Ext 123 Dr. Yousef Al-Omar 24719312 Dr. Tarek Al-Mikhazeem 23926920 Dr. Kathem Maarafi 25730465 Dr. Abdallah Ahmad Eyadah 25655528 Dr. Nabeel Al-Ayoobi 24577781 Dr. Dina Abidallah Al-Refae 25333501 Urologists Dr. Ali Naser Al-Serfy 22641534 Dr. Fawzi Taher Abul 22639955 Dr. Khaleel Abidallah Al-Awadi 22616660 Dr. Adel Al-Hunayan FRCS (C) 25313120 Dr. Leons Joseph 66703427 Psychologists /Psychotherapists

Paediatricians

Plastic Surgeons Dr. Mohammad Al-Khalaf

22547272

Dr. Abd Al-Aziz Al-Rashed

Dr. Abdal-Redha Lari

22617700

Dr. Zahra Qabazard

Dr. Abdel Quttainah

25625030/60

Family Doctor Dr Divya Damodar

23729596/23729581

Psychiatrists Dr. Esam Al-Ansari

22635047

Dr Eisa M. Al-Balhan

INTERNATIONAL CALLS

22613623/0

Gynaecologists & Obstetricians DrAdrian arbe

23729596/23729581

Dr. Verginia s.Marin

2572-6666 ext 8321

Endocrinologist 25340300

25710444

Dr. Sohail Qamar

22621099

Dr. Snaa Maaroof

25713514

Dr. Pradip Gujare

23713100

Dr. Zacharias Mathew

24334282

(1) Ear, Nose and Throat (2) Plastic Surgeon Dr. Abdul Mohsin Jafar, FRCS (Canada)

Dr Anil Thomas

3729596/3729581 22641071/2

22655539

Dr. Majeda Khalefa Aliytami

25343406

Dr. Anesah Al-Rasheed

22562226

Dr. Ahmad Al-Khooly

25739272

Dr. Abidallah Al-Amer

22561444

Dr. Salem soso

22618787

Dr. Faysal Al-Fozan

22619557

Dr. Abdallateef Al-Katrash

22525888

Dr. Amer Zawaz Al-Amer

22610044

Dr. Abidallah Al-Duweisan

25653755

Dr. Mohammad Yousef Basher

25327148

Dr. Bader Al-Ansari

25620111

Neurologists

Dr. Adnan Ebil

22639939

Dr. Sohal Najem Al-Shemeri

25633324

Dr. Mousa Khadada

22666300

Dr. Jasem Mola Hassan

25345875

Gastrologists

25728004

Dr. Nadem Al-Ghabra

25355515

Dr. Sami Aman

22636464

Dr. Mobarak Aldoub

24726446

Dr. Mohammad Al-Shamaly

25322030

Dr Nasser Behbehani

25654300/3

Dr. Foad Abidallah Al-Ali

22633135

Soor Center Tel: 2290-1677 Fax: 2290 1688

info@soorcenter.com www.soorcenter.com

Dr. Kamal Al-Shomr 25329924 Physiotherapists & VD Dr. Deyaa Shehab

25722291 22666288

Rheumatologists:

Dr. Fozeya Ali Al-Qatan

Dr. Latefa Al-Duweisan

Dr. Ahmad Al-Ansari 25658888

Dr. Musaed Faraj Khamees

Dentists

Internists, Chest & Heart

25339330

25655535

Dr. Shamah Al-Matar

General Surgeons

Dr. Abd Al-Naser Al-Othman

Dr. Naif Al-Mutawa, Ph.D. 2290-1677 Susannah-Joy Schuilenberg, M.A. 2290-1677

Dr. Adel Al-Awadi

25330060

Dr. Khaled Al-Jarallah

25722290

Internist, Chest & Heart DR.Mohammes Akkad

24555050 Ext 210

Dr. Mohammad Zubaid MB, ChB, FRCPC, PACC Assistant Professor Of Medicine Head, Division of Cardiology Mubarak Al-Kabeer Hospital Consultant Cardiologist Dr. Farida Al-Habib MD, PH.D, FACC Inaya German Medical Center Te: 2575077 Fax: 25723123

2611555-2622555

William Schuilenberg, RPC 2290-1677 Zaina Al Zabin, M.Sc. 2290-1677

Afghanistan Albania Algeria Andorra Angola Anguilla Antiga Argentina Armenia Australia Austria Bahamas Bahrain Bangladesh Barbados Belarus Belgium Belize Benin Bermuda Bhutan Bolivia Bosnia Botswana Brazil Brunei Bulgaria Burkina Burundi Cambodia Cameroon Canada Cape Verde Cayman Islands

0093 00355 00213 00376 00244 001264 001268 0054 00374 0061 0043 001242 00973 00880 001246 00375 0032 00501 00229 001441 00975 00591 00387 00267 0055 00673 00359 00226 00257 00855 00237 001 00238 001345

Central African Chad Chile China Colombia Comoros Congo Cook Islands Costa Rica Croatia Cuba Cyprus Cyprus (Northern) Czech Republic Denmark Diego Garcia Djibouti Dominica Dominican Republic Ecuador Egypt El Salvador England (UK) Equatorial Guinea Eritrea Estonia Ethiopia Falkland Islands Faroe Islands Fiji Finland France French Guiana French Polynesia

00236 00235 0056 0086 0057 00269 00242 00682 00506 00385 0053 00357 0090392 00420 0045 00246 00253 001767 001809 00593 0020 00503 0044 00240 00291 00372 00251 00500 00298 00679 00358 0033 00594 00689

A

y

e niv rsar n

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 5, 2011

Years

lifestyle M u s i c

&

Hollywood star Sean Penn is greated by a Libyan official upon his arrival in the eastern Libyan city of Benghazi yesterday — the epicentre of rebellion against Moamer Kadhafi-to assess at first hand the humanitarian needs of the people of Libya. — AFP photos

H

ollywood star Sean Penn yesterday flew in to Benghazi—the epicenter of rebellion against Moamer Kadhafi-to assess at first hand the humanitarian needs of the people of Libya. “This is my first visit to inspirational Libya. I am inspired by the Arab Spring and am here to be able to get a sense of what humanitarian aid can be delivered” to the people, Penn told AFP after land-

ing at Benghazi airport.

Penn, who arrived from a visit to Egypt, is set to meet humanitarian organizations already working in Libya and also to meet high-ranking officials and leaders of the uprising that toppled the now fugitive former strongman. “It is amazing what is happening in this part of the world, be it Tunisia, Egypt or Libya. These are my initial moments. I am

M o v i e s

Sean Penn arrives in the eastern Libyan city of Benghazi yesterday.

here to take it in,” the actor said, flashing a V for victory sign to a small crowd at the airport.

“What is happening here makes it all the more important to see what humanitarian aid is needed,” he said, adding that he will be in the country for a “couple of days.”

On Friday, the two-time Oscar winner for best actor was among thousands gathered in Cairo’s Tahrir Square to

‘Idol’

Review

Bob Dylan, Jack White channel Hank Williams

Review

T

T

rue to his prediction, Hank Williams never got out of this world alive. But leave it to country’s all-time monarch of misery, last heard on this mortal coil 58 years ago, to be responsible for the most delightfully despondent album of 2011. Executive-produced by Bob Dylan, “The Lost Notebooks of Hank Williams” resurrects lyrics left behind by the country legend after his 1953 death and lends them to a dozen contemporary singer/songwriters, who completed and recorded them. The well-chosen cast of collaborators includes Jack White, Lucinda Williams, Sheryl Crow, Alan Jackson, Levon Helm, and Dylan himself-all so lonesome they could cry, or die, or cowrite across the great divide.

The compilation holds together with a remarkable consistency, since nearly all the performers opted to adopt sadder scraps from Williams’ archives, and also because they all fitted them with pre-rock, hillbilly-baiting arrangements right out of the early ‘50s. Fiddles are plentiful, and this is the place this weekend-not at a movie theater-to find some real (pedal) steel.

Dylan wisely lets Alan Jacksonwhose place among Williams’ descendants isn’t hard for any country fan to figure — kick off the wondrous gloom. “If in your heart somehow you know you’ll fail whate’er you do If you have had each joy of life destroyed and cast away If your soul has wilted like a rose that’s never felt the dew... yes, you’ve been lonesome, too.” They truly don’t slit ‘em-er, write ‘em-like that anymore.

The fatalism rarely lets up. Vince Gill and Rodney Crowell partner up for “I Hope You Shed a Million Tears,” with the former doing all of the singing and the latter interjecting some longer spoken-word recitatives, in the great melodramatic country tradition. “I loved you like there’s no tomorrow and found out that there’s not,” reads Crowell.

Naturally, it doesn’t all sound as suicidal as it reads. Along with the loudest electric rhythm guitar on the album, Jack White brings a certain vengeful jauntiness to his accusatory

Bob Dylan tone in “You Know That I Know.” Patty Loveless, the brilliant mountain-music revivalist, sounds positively giddy in announcing “You’re Through Fooling Me.” Norah Jones’ Western-style melody on “How Many Times Have You Broken My Heart”-the arrangement of which owes as much to Willie Nelson as Williams-achieves a sweet liftoff, even as it essays plummeting spirits. For his part, Dylan seems determined to get mourners out onto the dance floor with “The Love That Faded,” one of a half-dozen waltzes on the album (which, honestly, might be one or two too many).

A bare handful of happy tunes crop up, including Crow’s heartfelt “Angel Mine” and Merle Haggard’s “The Sermon on the Mount,” the sole example of the gospel lyrics Williams frequently sang under his Luke the Drifter pseudonym.

Lucinda Williams has traded sadness for celebration in her most recent work, so anyone aware of that development won’t be surprised that her contribution, “I’m So Happy I Found You,” is the album’s most rapturous song of devotion.

The lyrics here are particularly spare, and so is the solo-acoustic accompaniment, leaving plenty of room to worship Williams’ vibrato in all its transfixing, emotive glory.

Labors of love don’t get much less laborious or much lovelier. That lonesome whippoorwill Williams sang about? It still hasn’t been put out of its misery, and thank God for that.—AP

he path Scotty McCreery would take after being crowned king of “American Idol’s” 10th season couldn’t have been clearer. Like Carrie Underwood before him, the 17-year-old winner would renounce any pop crossover temptations, record contemporary country with a slightly traditional twist, and declare to his handlers, “Music Row, take the wheel.” Not surprisingly, then, McCreery’s debut album, “Clear as Day,” pretty much follows the template you’d expect. With one very slight wrinkle, though: He sings high.

Or high-er, anyway, considering that we’re discussing the most famous baritone of 2011. After watching McCreery on “Idol,” country pros wondered if there was really a glaring need for a mini-Josh Turner, once the novelty of hearing a high school kid sing deeper than the holler wore off. But McCreery doesn’t sound much like his idol, Turner, on “Clear as Day” after all. Instead, pushed into his (relative) upper range by producer Mark Bright, he sounds a lot like a wholesomer Dierks Bentley, to name a country hunk with a less subwoofer-rattling baritone than Turner’s.

The good news is, the album arrives bearing far better songs than “I Love You This Much,” the coronation single that started fast but stalled on the country chart at No 15, proving it is still possible to produce a ballad too treacly for country radio programmers. Unfortunately, the second single, “The Trouble With Girls,” isn’t one of these superior tracks. The sweetly playful lyrics extol everything wonderful about the female of the species, concluding that “the trouble with girls is nobody loves trouble as much as me.”

But the sappy music seems to have been written for a different set of words, as if McCreery were supposed to be singing about Jesus taking the wheel, not chick magnetism.

Those two numbers are part of a stretch of three consecutive ballads that bogs down the album’s early going.

The third song in this down-tempo trilogy is the title track, in which McCreery mourns the girl who got away-because, we eventually learn, she died in a car crash. Whether it’s a cautionary tale about drunk driving or the “fog” mentioned in the final stanza really was to blame remains ambiguous.

And lugubrious. The pace finally picks up midway through the album, as its assemblers remember that even the upper female demo that drives both “Idol” and country radio likes men (or boys) with a little bit of pep in ‘em.

And it’s once McCreery gets into a stretch of near-rockers like the requisite small-town anthem, “Water Tower Town,” and the requisite romance-among-the-ticks ode, “Walk in the Country”-that McCreery seriously sounds like the winner of a Dierks doppelganger competition. If you hear Keith Urban, too, in the combination of power chords and banjo plucking, it doesn’t hurt that “Walk in the Country” is a cover of a long-forgotten number from Urban’s first album.

Though some expectations foresaw Scotty veering into ultra-traditional territory, the only selection in that vein is “Write My Number on Your Hand,” a winsome slice of liteWestern swing that answers the question: What would

Luke to star opposite Jordin Sparks in

‘Sparkle’

D

erek Luke will star in Sony’s remake of the girl group musical “Sparkle,” TheWrap has confirmed.

Luke will play Stix, a songwriter who helps a Harlem-based singer break into the big time. The part was originally assayed by “Miami Vice” star Philip Michael Thomas.

Others in the cast include Whitney Houston and “American Idol” winner Jordin Sparks. Luke first came to prominence as the star of Denzel Washington’s 2002 directorial debut “Antwone Fisher.”

Since that time he’s scored several supporting roles in a wide array of films such as “Captain America: The First Avenger,” “Friday Night Lights,” and “Madea Goes to Jail.” — AP Derek Luke

protest against Egypt’s military rulers’ handling of the transition since the toppling in February of Hosni Mubarak.

Penn won best actor Oscars in 2004 for Mystic River and in 2009 for Milk.—AFP

George Strait sound like as an apple-cheeked adolescent?

(McCreery even throws in a Bob Wills-style “aaah, ha!” at the end.)

The G-rated “Clear as Day” is very much an alcohol-free and tank top-avoidant zone, but there aren’t many other thematic country bases McCreedy doesn’t touch, least of all the maternal one. Toward the end, he offers not one but two odes to the selfless mothers of the world, “Dirty Dishes” and “That Old King James.” Mama tried-and succeeded!

But the kid desperately needs a “tempo” song as a third single. You would have thought the second would be “Out of Summertime,” since it was a contender to be his coronation song and got leaked at the time. The lyric would be perfect for easy autumn listening, but maybe someone noticed how uncomfortably close it comes to Kenny Chesney’s “Young.”

McCreery turns 18 this week, and between that and the hurry to get post-”Idol” albums recorded, it’s hard to work up umbrage about how he lacks his own identity, though Underwood didn’t have much of one, either, when she broke out with a career-defining first single, in the hands of the same producer. Will Scotty be beamed up to whatever obscure place Lee DeWyze currently remains marooned, or have a chance to find himself and grow into a keeper?

Even after hearing his debut album, the answer’s still opaque as night.—Reuters

In this CD cover image released by Mercury Nashville/19 Recordings/Interscope Records, the latest release by Scotty McCreery “Clear as Day” is shown. —AP

‘English Patient’ producer sues Miramax for $20 million

P

roducer Saul Zaentz has sued distributor Miramax and its former owner, the Walt Disney Co, for $20 million, claiming the defendants hid profits to the Oscar-winning drama “The English Patient.”

The action, filed Thursday in Los Angeles Superior Court, claims that a prolonged scheme existed between Miramax (run during this earlier phase by founders Bob and Harvey Weinstein) and Disney to hide the film’s $300 million in profits, paying Zaentz’s company a mere $5 million over time. (The Weinsteins are not parties to the lawsuit.)

Released in 1996, “The English Patient” grossed $232 million at the worldwide box office on a production spend of $27 millionand made many more millions on VHS and DVD. The suit, filed by Levely & Singer, says that an audit of Miramax’s books revealed “multiple acts of self-dealing and unfair business practices designed to ensure that the amount of the true gross receipts generated from the exploitation of ‘The English Patient’ would be artificially manipulated

and understated....”

The suit further alleges that “the distribution expenses, distribution fees, interest charges, and other fees and deductions charged by Miramax against the gross receipts were exaggerated, misapplied and falsified. Miramax and Disney thereby contrived to keep the picture in a paper loss position so that no matter how much money ‘The English Patient’ earned, Miramax and Disney would reap all of the profits....”

The case revisits an earlier suit Zaentz filed against Miramax in Superior Court in late 2006. That case was removed to Federal Court, before being dismissed. Calls for comment from the contending parties were not immediately returned. Pamela Chelin contributed to this report. — Reuters

A

y

e niv rsar n

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 5, 2011

Years

lifestyle M u s i c

&

M o v i e s

Review

“R

eal Steel” dresses up a bad idea - robots boxing-with all the computer effects and heavy-metal action that Hollywood can buy. But that doesn’t cover up the fact that it’s a bad idea. Really bad. And “Real Steel” is a really bad movie, with some embarrassingly awful moments for Hugh Jackman, whose silly Wolverine whiskers in the “X-Men” flicks seem quite distinguished compared to the outlandish trappings here. A horribly predictable mash-up of “Rocky,” “The Champ” and Rock ‘Em Sock ‘Em Robots, “Real Steel” puts director Shawn Levy (the “Night at the Museum” movies) in contention with fellow robot handler Michael Bay for the title of worst blockbuster filmmaker in show business.

With a team of executive producers that includes Steven Spielberg and Robert Zemeckis, Levy has all the resources a director could ever want. It all goes toward punishing noise and machine mayhem, the fight scenes stitched together by the humdrum drama of an annoying deadbeat dad connecting with his annoying young son. Jackman’s Charlie Kenton is an ex-boxer scraping by in the near future as a promoter of brawling robots, which have taken over the sport from human fighters. Charlie’s on the seedy side of boxing, his secondhand ‘bots trading punches at fairgrounds and other unsanctioned venues while the big boys duke it out in televised league fights at huge arenas.

A sleazebag who’s built a life on skipping out on his debts and responsibilities, Charlie suddenly finds himself on the road with his 11-year-old son, Max (Dakota Goyo), after the boy’s mother dies.

Short on cash and needing a new robot, Charlie heads to the junkyard to pilfer parts so he can piece together a new fighter. There, Max stumbles on Atom, an outdated sparring robot that turns out to be a diamond in the rough, a scrappy machine that becomes a sensation on the fight circuit.

From there, the drama as developed by screenwriter John Gatins and two others who share story credit goes just where you expect it to, without a ripple of surprise or originality. Father and son squawk and fight, find common ground and gradually make their way toward becoming a family, while Atom gets an underdog shot against the world champion. It’s pretty nauseating, though not as nauseating as some of the images of Jackman shadow boxing outside the ring during the climac-

tic match. He looks quite the fool doing it, capping an uneven performance in which Jackman generally is out-acted by the robots. Jackman is overly eager at the start to show how slimy Charlie is, and that makes the guy’s abrupt transformation into father-of-the-year material all the more unconvincing.

Goyo overdoes it, too, his earnestness growing tiresome and eventually cloying by the time Max becomes a ringside idol himself for his dance routines alongside Atom. The rest of the cast is thrown in as spare parts: Evangeline Lilly as a robot mechanic and Charlie’s sometime love interest; Anthony Mackie as a bookie and fight organizer; Hope Davis as an aunt aiming to adopt Max; and Kevin Durand as a rival fight promoter. None of the humans have anything interesting to do. The

robots are the stars. Life-size versions of some robots were built for the actors to perform with, while the fight scenes were created using human boxers whose movements were digitally recorded as the basis for the computer-animated robots’ motions (Sugar Ray Leonard helped choreograph the fights).

The bouts are deafening and bruising, more like demolition derbies than sporting events. It’s hard to buy into the notion that fans could ever be as rabid to watch a couple of machines tear each other apart as they are to see two men sweating and straining and bleeding on the canvas. Without human consequence, where’s the drama? “People wanted more carnage, more show,” Charlie says, explaining why robots replaced people in the ring.

The metallic carnage of “Real Steel” rings hollow,

though. The filmmakers took the basic idea of robot boxers from a short story by “I Am Legend” author Richard Matheson, which previously was made into an episode of “The Twilight Zone”.

The only advancement “Real Steel” brings is production values. Hollywood robots have come a long way since that quaint old black-and-white show. Storytelling, not so much. “Real Steel,” a DreamWorks release distributed by Disney, is rated PG-13 for some violence, intense action and brief language. Running time: 127 minutes. One and a half stars out of four. — AP

In this image released by Disney/DreamWorks II, Hugh Jackman, left, and Dakota Goyo are shown in a scene from “Real Steel”. — AP

This handout graphic image released

by BIFF yesterday shows the Busan Cinema Center for the 16th Busan International Film Festival. — AFP

“D

olphin Tale,” a feel-good family film about a boy who helps a dolphin get a prosthetic tail, made the biggest weekend splash at North American box offices, industry data showed Monday. The movie starring Morgan Freeman, Ashley Judd and Harry Connick Jr, which is based on a real story of a dolphin saved by a biologist and a young boy, netted $13.9 million, according to data tracker Exhibitor Relations. “Moneyball,” a sports drama starring Brad Pitt as a baseball coach, was in the number two spot, taking in $12 million.

“Lion King - 3D” was stripped of the top spot but still raked in $10.6 million in its third week. It has earned $79.2 million so far in re -release. New films were in the fourth and fifth spots: “Courageous,” a police drama, brought in $9.1 million, followed by “50/50”, a comedy about a 27-year-old man’s battle against cancer, which earned $8.6 million. “Dream House,” a thriller starring reallife couple Daniel Craig and Rachel Weisz, was in the sixth spot with $8.1 million.

“Abduction,” a thriller with “Twilight” star Taylor Lautner, was in seventh place with $5.6 million in earnings. “What’s Your Number?,” the Anna Faris comedy about her search among her exes for the love of her life, came in eighth place with $5.4 million. “Killer Elite” was in 9th place taking $4.916 million, while “Contagion,” the Steven Soderbergh film starring Matt Damon and Gwyneth Paltrow, rounded out the top 10, earning $4.907 million. —AFP

A

sia’s largest annual film festival opens with a glittering cast in South Korea on Thursday as it seeks to cement its place on the world cinema stage against growing competition. The Busan International Film Festival, now in its 16th edition, is moving into a new $140 million permanent home, the Busan Cinema Center in South Korea’s second city.

Designed by award-winning Austria-based architecture collective Coop Himmelblau, it spans 30,000 square meters and includes a 4,000-seater outdoor theatre and four indoor screens under a vast LED-covered roof, 1.5 times the area of a football pitch.

New festival director Lee Yong-kwan is pledging to use the venue to show art and independent film all year, keeping Busan at the centre of Asian cinema as Chinese events seek greater prominence. “BIFF’s role will now expand beyond the festival,” he said. “Facilities such as our media centre, the cinematheque, and our archive space will enable the Busan Cinema Centre to become a symbolic structure representing the entire Asian film culture and business.”

This year’s event-formerly known as the Pusan festival, when it used the host city’s Korean name rather than the Romanised version-will see 307 films screened, representing 70 countries and including 135 world premieres.

Special programs include a look at Asian directors’ takes on the Western movie genre and a

focus on modern Korean cinema. The festival’s main award is called New Currents, and offers two prizes of $30,000 to first- or second-time Asian directors. And while Asian films are the festival’s mainstay-it opens with the premiere of local director Song Il-gon’s romance “Always” and closes with Masato Harada’s Japanese drama “Chronicle of My Mother”-international guests will also play a prominent role.

BIFF will welcome French director Luc Besson and actress Isabelle Huppert in town to promote their latest films. Besson is bringing “The Lady” to Busan, his biopic of the Myanmar activist Aung San Suu Kyi, while Huppert comes with the drama “My Little Princess”-the pair will also hold master classes for local cinema enthusiasts Lee said the plan was to consolidate BIFF’s role as a platform for Asian cinema while helping Asian directors establish links with the international filmmaking community and, through them, an international audience. “ The ultimate mission of the Busan International Film Festival is to be the leader in shepherding the growth of the Asian films,” he said, adding the festival can “stand in the middle” by boosting the number of co-productions.

Yet as BIFF looks to the future it would do well to keep an eye over its shoulder, with the emergence of film festivals held annually in Beijing in April and Shanghai in June now offering greater competition. Buoyed by the incredible growth of Chinese cinema-box office takings surged 61

percent to $1.47 billion last year-both festivals are positioning themselves and their respective film markets as major players in Asia. But veterans of the Asian movie scene back BIFF to stay as a leading regional, and increasingly global, pivot-point for cinema where new talent can emerge and connect with the industry’s allimportant moneymen.

“The most important role Busan can play is to continue as a showcase for young directors, writers and producers,” said American producer Andre Morgan, who first came to Asia to work with Bruce Lee on “Enter the Dragon” in 1972. It was also a “venue for forging business relationships between young directors, distribution and finance companies around the Asia region” he added. “This exchange is important in understanding the economic forces and popular media trends at play in the region.”It is a twoway process, with European filmmakers looking to link up with Asia. The European Film Promotion group is this year leading a delegation of directors to Busan ready to take questions from keen audiences on more than 80 European films to be shown at the festival.

Last year’s festival saw 200,000 people attend the nine-day event, and the EFP’s managing director Renate Rose said: “There is an enthusiasm in the Korean audiences which has rare comparison in the festival world.”—AFP

A

y

e niv rsar n

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 5, 2011

Years

lifestyle F a s h i o n

E

ven the gorgeous silk blouses and skirts in saturated jewel tones weren’t enough to divert the audience’s attention from the pink elephant in the room Monday at the Yves Saint Laurent spring-summer 2012 ready-towear show. Everyone had of course read International Herald Tribune’s story last week quoting unnamed sources as saying that YSL designer Stefano Pilati was on his way out, to be replaced by Raf Simons, currently of Jil Sander.

Pilati, a temperamental Italian known for his impeccable tailoring, has garnered mixed critical reviews over his years at YSL, and the rumor mill has insisted he was halfway out the door for several seasons running.

But Menkes’ status as a living fashion legend and rocksolid reporter gave the story an almost bankable credibility - despite a suspiciously toothless denial from the brand.

And so it was that the audience took in Monday’s YSL display with pre-emptive nostalgia, as if they were already missing the man they’d had such a hard time liking in the first place. Two storied Paris labels that have both struggled in recent years to recapture their erstwhile days of glory, Chloe and Emanuel Ungaro, both fielded the debut collections of their new designers on Monday.

Chloe’s Clare Waight Keller shrugged off her predecessor’s heavy looks, sending out feather-light pleated dresses and chemisiers that tapped into the house’s ultra-feminine legacy. The situation at Ungaro was murkier: After pinning their fortunes to a series of well-reputed designers, who ended up cycling in and out of the label at dizzying pace, the label’s officials have plotted out a new course: Teamwork. They stressed that Jeanne Labib, the littleknown 29-year-old who took over after the latest designer deserted just weeks ahead of the spring-summer collections, is not actually replacing the decamped creative director but simply leading the studio as “chief designer.”

The hope, apparently, is that by prioritizing the actual clothes over the people who design them, they’ll be able to jump-start the stalled brand.

Stella McCartney and Vanessa Bruno both delivered solid collections that looked like surefire commercial successes, while Italy’s Giambattista Valli refined his retro-fabulous vision of haute bourgeois dressing. Paris’ most timeless brand, Leonard, served up appealing variations on the flower-covered jersey silk dresses they’ve been making largely unchanged - for more than half a century. Exhausted fashionistas approaching the end of the grueling monthlong multi-city exercise (some would say torture) that are the ready-to-wear collections have a good reason to wake up early on Tuesday: Chanel, possibly the most highly anticipated show on the calendar, kicks off day eight of the Paris collections, which also includes displays by Valentino and Alexander McQueen.

YVES SAINT LAURENT The fallout from Suzy Menkes’ bombshell of a story hung over the show like a pall, obscuring the collection - which, despite a few faux pas (a pup tent-sized day coat, anyone?)

- was a strong one that showcased the kinds of rigorous but structured clothes Pilati does best. He whipped up stiff silks in the kinds of saturated jewel tones one usually associates with fall into pretty blouses that puffed out through the back and shoulders and into little skirts and jackets with panels of scalloped ruffles. There were palazzo pants in fluid paisley printed silks and halter tops in rich sapphire, amethyst and turquoise. And let us not forget the black pantsuits that somehow managed to be even steamier than the ones from last season - which several of the guests, including Elettra Wiedemann, Isabella Rossellini’s model daughter - were rocking. The audience applauded Pilati heartily, almost urgently, as he took his post-show victory lap, as if they were already feeling nostalgic him.

Models display creations by British fashion designer Clare Waight Keller for Chloe.

CHLOE The new creative director, Waight Keller, peeled off the thick ponchos and woolen coats that shrouded the Paris label over seasons past to reveal light, girly looks that tap into the romantic, feminine charm that have historically been at the heart of the brand. Drop-waisted apron dresses in ivory and tan crepe de chine were layered over linen blouses, while slouchy trousers and shorts were paired with boxy button-down shirts. Everything was covered in pleats - tiny bicolor accordion pleats that shook seductively as the models walked and wider ones that gave the A-line skirts a school-girlish charm. With Waight Keller’s feather-light touch, the collection marked a return to the house’s signature romantic roots - which her predecessor, Hannah MacGibbon, had sometimes smothered under thick woolen capes, leather paper bag-waisted pants and oversized shirts in thick chambray. It was a strong debut from Waight Keller - a British designer formerly of knitwear label Pringle of Scotland - and a good sign for the label, which has struggled in recent years to duplicate the success it knew under two former designers turned fashion superstars, Stella McCartney and Phoebe Philo.

Still, it’s possible that Waight Keller got a boost from cir-

Models displays creations

by Italian designer Stefano Pilati for Yves Saint Laurent spring-summer 2012 ready to wear collection. — AP photos

cumstance, and that a last-ditch face- lift performed on the show venue helped enhance the light and airy feel of her debut collection: After guests at earlier shows in the same tent in Paris’ Tuileries Garden came close to passing out from the heat inside, organizers striped the tent of its roof, allowing humidity out and the sunlight to come streaming in. Rumor has it they made the welcome change after Vogue editor-in-cheif Anna Wintour threatened to boycott any future shows there.

EMANUEL UNGARO After blowing through more designers than you can count on one hand in nearly as many years, and following the spectacular implosion of its partnership with starlet Lindsay Lohan, Ungaro has decided it’s time to prioritize product over personality. Instead of the dramatic but hardto-sell looks that its last designer, the now-decamped Giles Deacon, served up over his two season-long tenure at the brand, Monday’s collection was full of pretty, wearable cocktail dresses and pants in ravishing liquid silk prints. It was not clear how much of the collection was Deacon’s work, but it was a worker bee - and not an industry star who ducked out Monday for a post-show bow. Press handlers for the label stressed that Jeanne Labib, a 29-year-old who hails from Giambattista Valli, has not succeeded Deacon as creative director, and is just “chief designer.”

Weakened by the constant changes in the personnel and the collections - whose style and tone have fluctuated wildly from season to season - the label can only hope the new strategy proves the right one. With its fetching cocktail dresses and hip-looking pants in teal silk, the collection was certainly a step in the right direction. Still, it must be said that there was little to distinguish it from the chic, urban fares that flood other runways worldwide, meaning that the label’s the main challenge - reconstructing an instantly recognizable Ungaro look - is far from accomplished.

GIAMBATTISTA VALLI A signature style is something the Italian designer has in spades. Each season, Valli manages to push his trademark look forward without really touching the shape of the short, boxy cocktail dresses he built his reputation on. This season, it was the fabrics that did the heavy lifting: In addition to his usual animal prints, feathers and furs, there were rich, flower-strewn brocades shot with Lurex and gorgeous ikats made from silk fringe which pushed the collection into uncharted territory. Strips of burnished silver lame served as frames, separating out the patchwork panels of brocades, fluttering silks and zebra-striped satin. The eyepopping patterns on the swingy, square-cut coats in silk shag evoked the wings of a particularly exotic specimen of butterfly. Valli made a grand entrance into the exclusive club of Paris’ haute couture purveyors last season, and Monday’s ready-to-wear collection had a very couture spirit about it: You could feel the work and minute attention to detail that went into every look.

Models display creations by Italian fashion designer Giambattista Valli.

VANESSA BRUNO It was like a neglige chic Paris version of the Valli collection. A-line dresses in crisp Liberty flower prints - given a sophisticated touch by strips of shimmering silver lame were paired with fringed poncho-sweater hybrids in nubby oatmeal yard which looked like they’d been knit by granny.

Boxy little dresses were made out of color blocked panels, some printed with rosebuds, others with what appeared to be T-shirts that had been washed to the brink transparency. It takes a special girl to pull off an outfit that looks like it was made out of grandma’s old quilt, and Bruno’s ability to take what would normally appear to be dowdy pieces and infuse them with a uniquely Parisian bourgeois bohemian chic has won her legions of fans in France and a growing number in abroad, too. One of a several French retailers who are popular Stateside, Bruno opened a boutique in Los Angeles last year.

STELLA McCARTNEY McCartney delivered a collection fit for sexy sleepwalkers that was full of relaxed chic pieces that looked like they’d been made from silk sleepwear. Models wore abbreviated slip dresses, like little nighties, embellished with fancy arabesque embroidery and slouchy pajama pants suits in printed silks. The collection was all about the prints - little crosses, dots, fancy wheel shapes and paisleys in navy and maroon - which McCartney wielded with a deft hand, sending out looks that mixed and matched clashing prints or unified head-to-toe outfits, where even the handbags and sunglasses were served up in the same patterns. It was an appealing collection from McCartney, whose Beatle father, Sir Paul, as well as an A list roster of top photographers Nan Goldin, Cindy Sherman - were on hand for the show.

— AP

Models wear creations for Stella McCartney.

A

y

e niv rsar n

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 5, 2011

Years

lifestyle F a s h i o n

German fashion designer Karl Lagerfeld, left, waves after the presentation of Chanel’s spring-summer 2012 ready-to-wear collection presented yesterday in Paris. At center is British singer Florence and the Machine. — AP photos

L

ike a luminous Venus rising from the sea atop a half-shell, pearl-covered Chanel models in light, liquidy fabrics emerged from a giant sea anemone onto a catwalk transformed into a sprawling undersea kingdom. Giant clumps of seaweed, sand dollars, coral and conches made from gleaming white plaster-glass were strewn across the pristine white sands of Chanel’s ocean floor runway as the luxury powerhouse, whose outrageous sets are things of legend, again upped the ante with yesterday’s salt water-flavored spring-summer 2012 readyto-wear show.

There was nothing literal in uber-designer Karl Lagerfeld’s take on the ocean theme: None of the clothes was covered in sailor stripes or emblazoned with kitschy red anchors. The collection was more about play of sunlight on the surface of the ocean shine, reflection, radiance. “I absolutely wanted to avoid mermaids and things like that,” Lagerfeld,

sporting a seashell pink shirt and matching tie for the occasion, told reporters in a post-show interview.

“I was inspired by the movement of seaweed, its lightness, and by certain fish that have very modern shapes, like sting rays.” He swapped the house’s traditional tweeds for space age fabrics shot with fiberglass and sometimes even paper, sending out little cocktail dresses and round-shouldered variations on the house’s iconic skirt suits in watery whites that glowed with highlights of coral pink and sea green.

Frothy puffs of chiffon clung like sea foam to the hemlines of some of the narrow skirts, and shiny aqua ribbons zigzagged down the white shift dresses, like angry waves. A cocktail dress had puffs of slick ribbon embroidery at the sleeves and the hips, like clumps of black seaweed.

“Everybody makes fake Chanel tweeds, I don’t need to,” quipped Lagerfeld, adding that the lightweight suits in yesterday’s collection “weigh literally

3 grams.” Everything was covered with pearls: They stood in for buttons and replaced chain belts, punctuated the models’ slick, wet looking hairdos and were stuck onto their ears and backs in neat rows down their prominent vertebrae. Ahead of the show, which attracted A-list guests including Uma Thurman, Lagerfeld himself emerged to survey his underwater kingdom, like a chic Chanel Neptune. He hammed it up for the scrum of photographers that immediately materialized around him, pretending to strum a fish-adorned

harp as the flashes popped furiously.

Like tourists at the Eiffel Tower, guests posed for snapshots on the set: Two Chinese couples dressed in head-to-toe black - the women in floor-length Chanel evening gowns, the men in tuxes with bow ties for the 10:00 a.m. show - contrasted smartly with the backdrop of gleaming white coral. A border terrier named Frickey in an Yves Saint Laurent leopard print collar ran in excited loops around the set, sniffing at the mammoth fiberglass seashells. Thankfully, he was well-trained and didn’t dare mark his territory.—AP

e niv rsar n

y

A

Sean Penn visits ‘inspirational’ Libya

Years

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 5, 2011

36

An Iraqi dancer performs a folkloric dance at the opening ceremony.

An Iraqi folkloric dance troupe performs at the opening ceremony of Baghdad’s first international film festival in four years yesterday, with the aim of reviving an industry hammered by decades of violence and sanctions. — AFP photos

T

he Baghdad International Film Festival, which runs all this week, is the latest effort by Iraqis to use an improving but precarious security situation to break their decades-long cultural isolation. The opening ceremony on Monday had all the glitz of a major film premiere. A huge crowd, mostly young, massed along a red carpet as ushers handed out glossy programs at the entrance to the national theatre in the city centre. Inside, television news crews raced between interviews, jostling particularly fiercely to interview Abdelaziz Belrhali, a Moroccan who heads a festival of short films from across the Arab world in his home country and who is the only

Iraqi actress Shuruq attends the opening ceremony of Baghdad’s first international film festival. international member of the film festival’s jury.

“Culture, in Iraq or elsewhere, is like the sea without a shore-it has no end, no barriers, it cannot be stopped,” he said. More than 150 films from 32 countries will be aired at venues across the capital over the course of the eight

M

atisse and Picasso masterpieces from the art collection of Gertrude Stein and her family are going on display at Paris’ Grand Palais. It’s the same venue where Matisse’s “Femme Au Chapeau,” a classic portrait of a woman gone wild with color, scandalized visitors during an art exhibit in

Members of the media looks at paintings by Picasso and Cezanne, on the eve of the opening of the exhibition entitled, “Matisse, Cezanne, Picasso, L’aventure des Stein”, at the Grand Palais in Paris, yesterday. From left, Picasso’s 1907 “Nu a la Serviette”, Picasso’s 1906 “Gertrude Stein” and Paul Cezanne’ “La Femme de l’Artiste dans un Fauteuil”. — AP

days of the festival, the third of its kind since the US-led invasion of 2003. The previous edition lasted four days in December 2007, screening 63 films at the Palestine Hotel in central Baghdad. The first film festival was held in September 2005, screening 58 locally-made short films over six days at the Mansour Melia hotel, also in the city centre.

Films this year will be judged for awards in three categories-best drama, best short film and best documentary, with two other prizes reserved for the best young Iraqi director, and the best female Arab filmmaker. Despite Belrhali’s optimism, however, the film festival faced difficulties it was hampered by a shortfall in funds and a lack of interest from the authorities, obstacles that go some way towards explaining why the last film festival was held four years ago. Taher Alwan, one of the festival’s directors, said that he had worked for months to put the week-long program together.

“We contacted all the senior officials in the government and told them about the festival, but the response was very weak because no one believed we would actually organize the festival,” he said. Alwan also suggested he had been made to pay to obtain authorization documents to hold the festival at all, a sign of Iraq’s pervasive graft.

Transparency International ranks it among the four most corrupt countries in the world.

Alwan said that funding problems and question marks over Iraq’s security were why no festival had been held since 2007 but voiced hope that it would soon become an annual fixture.

Despite a sharp reduction in the number of attacks since unrest peaked in 2006 and 2007, Iraq remains one of the world’s most violent countries.

1905. The Steins left San Francisco and set up in Paris and became the patrons of often obscure and cutting edge artists at the turn of the 20th century - like Picasso, who couldn’t find a gallery to exhibit his work. The Paris show, opening today, brings together masters like Matisse and Picasso, Renoir, Degas,

“I believe this festival will stimulate cultural life in Iraq, and we will try to restore the culture of cinema in Iraq,” Alwan said. “As you know, after 2003, everything was closed-the cinemas were closed, there was no cinema activity, so Iraqis felt isolated from the world.” Film-going, like most other leisure pursuits, came to a virtual standstill in Baghdad in the years following the invasion, as families chose to stay at home and many cinemas were burned down during a brutal sectarian war. The Iraqi film industry dates back to the 1940s and was at its most popular in the 1970s and 1980s, when going to the cinema became a weekly family outing.

However the 1991 Gulf war and the economic sanctions that followed saw cinemas go into decline. The turmoil that followed the 2003 invasion saw many cinemas burned down. Alwan added that by showing their work and meeting fellow filmmakers from other countries, the festival would build confidence among young Iraqi professionals and aspiring moviemakers.

Athraa, a film student attending the first day of the festival and a member of the generation Alwan is hoping to inspire, said she had come to “watch and learn, especially regarding their use of sound and special effects.”“It is a great help for us,” the 20-year-old said. Alwan, who described himself as a screenwriter, documentary filmmaker and movie critic, said he hoped the festival would mark a “turning point” for Iraq’s film industry.”We have thousands and thousands of stories that are very suitable for cinema, but where is the system of production?” he asked. — AFP

Cezanne or Manet, artists who defined modern art. Along the way, it tells the story of the important role of the Steins.—AP

Jolie

mulling new role with UN refugee agency

A

ngelina Jolie says she’s considering taking on a new and expanded role with the UN refugee agency for which she already serves as goodwill ambassador. The actress told reporters yesterday that she and the agency are still studying their options and working out the details, but haven’t settled on anything because they want to get it right. Jolie stopped by the UN’s European headquarters to highlight the plight of refugees globally in an address to the agency’s executive committee. She told diplomats and officials with the agency known as UNHCR that her work for them has been “moving, sometimes heartbreaking, but always rewarding, and unforgettable.”

Her speech about refugees everywhere from Somalia to Afghanistan drew widespread applause. “They are the most vulnerable people in the world, and they are also the most resilient people in the world,” the actress told U.N. diplomats and officials. “Refugees are survivors, they are mothers and daughters and fathers and sons, they are all extraordinary people who have a remarkable story that tells of strength in the face of great loss,” she said. “They need our help more than ever.”

Jolie also recalled the killing of UN staff in Afghanistan and Nigeria and said “we must demand a great respect for the concepts of independence, impartiality and neutrality in order to ensure the safety and lives of humanitarian workers.” She said she hoped increasing budget constraints among U.N. donor nations would not prevent them from continuing to open their wallets to the world’s most vulnerable. On Monday, she was in Geneva to be recognized for her work and to honor a Yemeni aid group, the Society for Humanitarian Solidarity, at UNHCR’s annual awards ceremony. — AP

United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, UNHCR, Goodwill Ambassador US actress Angelina Jolie, left, walks with the Chairman of the UNHCR Executive Committee, Hisham Badr, right, Ambassador of the Permanent Representative Mission of Egypt to Geneva, at the UN building after delivering a speech at the 62nd UNHCR Executive Committee at the European headquarters of the United Nations in Geneva, Switzerland, yesterday. — AP