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APPLE ‘GENIUS’ JOBS DIES

SEE PAGE 19

LOS ANGELES: An iPad 2 is displayed late Wednesday showing the changed Apple website paying homage to the company’s visionary leader Steve Jobs who died from cancer aged just 56. — AFP

Local FRIDAY, OCTOBER 7, 2011

local spotlight

Do you work too much?

In my view

What you wish you had learnt

By muna al-fuzai

By Sahar Moussa

muna@kuwaittimes.net

K

eeping yourself preoccupied with work is also a form of relaxation in Kuwait. I’m not writing about what activities one can take up during leisure time. I’d like to focus on workaholics who are too fastidious about a job well-done.

Such over-achievers wake up on a Friday morning and keep wondering what portion of a previously assigned task remains incomplete. Also, you may be fascinated with the idea of reporting to work on your day off and your mind is clouded with thoughts about diligently completing work.

Although your boss will appreciate dogged sincerity, it may not last long. All the fervor soon fades, only to be replaced with fatigue and tension.

Working too hard does not prove that you have mastered the trade. It is simply a reflection of vulnerability.

There may be other underlying concerns like anxiety about losing your job.

Work-related perfection cannot be gauged in terms of the number of hours spent in office. Accomplishments and achievements, however, speak for themselves. It is akin to the situation that school kids face - they study for long hours at a stretch but fail examinations. Some smart kids, on the other hand, spend fewer hours studying but pass with excellent grades! So, no hard and fast rules can be formulated on success; it varies from one individual to another depending on their abilities.

The number of hours spent in the office does not count unless you have been made in charge of monitoring the front door!

Most businessmen need to carry their laptops with them all the time. You can work from any preferred location and still achieve the desired output and performance.

I hope readers enjoy their weekend!.

sahar@kuwaittimes.net

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ife’s greatest lessons never come from text books,” said one of my colleagues. At school, I don’t remember having taken classes on ‘how to protect ourselves from bullies’. I had to figure it out on my own when one of the students started calling me names and we ended up fighting. This incident, of course, led to detention, strict parental supervision and also newfound respect from friends. Had there been classes to teach us how to deal with such situations, I wouldn’t have earned the nickname ‘problem-maker’!

While in university, you believe your personality has matured and are bold enough to take decisions and handle unsavory situations that crop up between friends, teachers and the environment. You are clueless about communicating with individuals whose personalities clash with yours. You end up wishing that a special course would be created to teach to survive this stage or even free your mind from the regret

that you didn’t register for psychology classes!

After scraping through life experiments at school, college and university you are faced with the biggest test ever - finding a job and building a successful career. So on your first job interview you think you are ready because of the advantages you have over rival candidates - youth, freshness and enthusiasm. You feel assured that no force on earth can stop you because you have a degree in hand. Your confidence is crushed when you realize that while answering the interviewer’s questions you failed to take a course on how to answer job interviews questions, and even doubt if you are properly dressed!

If you are lucky you could pass your first job interview successfully. If you aren’t, you will after a second or third trial.

Once again you are filled with the false reassurance that your life is secure.

Since the university does not equip you with life skills, your new work place is nothing but a lion’s den where you are

trying to survive every day. No one teaches you about who you can trust at the work place, how to behave in an extremely competitive atmosphere, cope with work pressure, how to develop communication skills, or what to do if you are dragged into a fight with a colleague, or for that matter if it is healthy to be part of a clique.

One crucial question that an interviewer never asks is: “So, how well trained are you in martial arts?” It may not be a part of your job function, but hey, extras skills always help, right? No one teaches you the rules on standing up for yourself when harassed by a colleague or even your boss. I think it’s very important to create a life skills course in school and university. This will help children a clue about what awaits them in a real-life setting. In school, the lessons are taught first and tests taken later. In life, we take the hardest tests first and learn the lessons later.

In my view

The last bite

By Priyanka saligram priyankasaligram@kuwaittimes.net

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Cars whizz by on a highway backdropped by Kuwait City’s modern skyline. — Photo by Yasser Al-Zayyat

e changed everything he touched. A tall lean man in a simple black sweatshirt, grubby denims and faded white sneakers was responsible for creating a trend that has followers between the age group of four to 100. It’s not his clothes that created history but his vision from another planet which told us what we were missing out on way before we realized it ourselves.

It was shocking for most people to read that Steve Jobs had died. I guess all the tech freaks had assumed that Jobs was immortal, despite knowing about his battle with cancer since 2004 and subsequent liver transplant in 2009. When he handed over the reins to Tim Cook this August, Apple shares fell and everyone from analysts to the kid down the block with an iPod wondered if newly appointed Cook would be able to fill Jobs’ yeti-sized big boots.

The much-awaited and anticipated iPhone 5, which came out on Tuesday, turned out to be just an iPhone 4S but Apple wasn’t apologetic or willing to get shot by fans. Hey, they claimed, we never said we were releasing an iPhone 5 or raised your hopes regarding any of the features. Yet, YouTube had a bunch of videos of what the new iPhone 5 looked like with laser-fuelled keyboards and futuristic screen projections that defied the laws of physics. All this was lapped up by 500,000 plus viewers who would have believed the commentary even if it said that iPhone 5 was nuclear-powered and could teleport users into a new dimension.

This was the power of Jobs. Nobody knew what to expect and when he finally delivered, it went beyond expectations. It was the first Apple commercial which was broadcast only once during the Superbowl in 1984 which showed an army of drones marching expressionless to the voice of a Big Brother-like figure on a large screen. A lithe young woman came running with a sledgehammer and swung it with all her energy before releasing it at the screen and smashing it - finally breaking the spell on the brainwashed lot and waking them from their hypnotic slumber. This ad heralded the entry of Mac into the market and sent a very strong message that it was The End for IBM and its users who were compared to fixated, braindead zombies. The ad created ripples in the industry and is still shown to advertising and marketing students all over the world, despite being aired just once.

Steven Paul Jobs will be remembered and sorely missed by anyone and everyone for what he brought to the digital world. Even when he stepped down from Apple, the knowledge that he was around somewhere meant that every new Apple release created a tsunami of expectations, as well as a truckload of rumors of how they were going to challenge the unseen and unheard of. On a lighter note, I hope news of India releasing their cheapest tablet at $35 yesterday had nothing to do with his sudden departure. RIP Jobs. Every apple - fruit and device - will remind us of you.

Local FRIDAY, OCTOBER 7, 2011

Kaffeeklatsch

Left out in the cold

Conspiracy Theories

Steve Jobs: RIP

By Shakir Reshamwala

By Badrya Darwish

shakir@kuwaittimes.net

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t’s the Nobel season again, and as usual, there are no Arab winners in sight. There are rumours that bloggers/revolutionaries from the region will win the Nobel peace prize today over their role in the so-called Arab Spring, but we’ll just have to wait and watch.

Moreover, although the peace prize is the most hyped of all the Nobel prizes, it’s the science ones (for medicine, physics and chemistry) that carry more weight and prestige. Yasser Arafat, Shimon Peres, Barack Obama and the Dalai Lama all won the peace Nobel, but as we can see, the regions they represent - Palestine/Israel, US and Tibet - are no closer to peace.

At the last count, only five Arabs have won any Nobel prize - Arafat, Anwar Sadat and Mohamed ElBaradei (Peace), Naguib Mahfouz (Literature) and Ahmed Zewail (Chemistry). Compare this to Israel, which has won 10 Nobel prizes.

Four of these were for chemistry,

two for economics; one for literature, and three for peace. Israel is also the country which counts the most engineers per head and ranks second only to the United States in the number of companies listed on Nasdaq, according to a news report.

Also, in the Times Higher Education (THE) league table of top worldwide universities released yesterday, Israel is the only country from the Middle East in the top 200, with Hebrew University of Jerusalem in 121st place and Tel Aviv University in 166th place. Arab universities are nowhere to be found.

This wasn’t always the case.

Arab scientists, physicists, architects, mathematicians and astronomers - even poets and painters - were leaders in their fields during the Islamic Golden Age between the 8th and 15th centuries. Their research and discoveries have had a profound

effect on science and technology, and much of their work is still relevant in today’s era. Both the words algebra (al jabr) and alchemy (al kimia), among many others, are derived from Arabic, a nod to the rich Arab contributions in these fields.

But somewhere the fiery thirst for knowledge got extinguished, leaving the Arab world languishing in the dark and ravaged by colonialism, a state of affairs that continues till present. It seems as if the exploits of Ibn Sina (Avicenna) and Ibn Rushd (Averroes) have today become as mythical as those of Sindbad (Sinbad) and Ala ad-Din (Aladdin). Let’s hope the Arab ‘Spring’ brings about some movement this winter in the Arab scientific field, and help it emerge from a state of permafrost.

Satire Wire

Murder is also not halal

By Sawsan Kazak

sawsank@kuwaittimes.net

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Muslim inmate in Ohio filed a federal lawsuit claiming his civil rights have been violated by the prison cafeteria. The death row prisoner said that the jail was not offering him meals prepared according to the Islamic law. Apparently, the prison’s inability to offer halal dishes is a ‘restraint on his religious freedoms’.

The prison does offer a selection of vegetarian, kosher and non-pork options, but the Muslim inmate said that they are not good enough for him. He insists that the animal’s meat he is to be served must be butchered in a specific fashion, by having the throat slit, the blood drained as to conform with his beliefs.

This very religious prisoner said, “the issue of eating halal meals is especially important to me because I face a death sentence. It is important to me that I follow the requirements of my faith as I approach death”.

Well, seeing as this inmate is on death row, he must have committed some sort of violent crime against another person; most probably murder. It’s funny that he thinks that his religious freedoms have been ‘restrained,’ what about the freedoms of the person he

injured? Didn’t that person have any rights, religious or not?

This inmate is on the way to meet his Maker and yet, the most important aspect of his life is his diet. Does he believe that eating halal meals until he is put to death will make up for killing another human? As if ingesting the right amount of properly killed meat is the equivalent of another human life!

What about feeling remorse for your actions, apologizing to those you’ve hurt and all the other parts of your religion? If it were up to me, there would be no options at meal time. Apart from the dangerous food allergies or last meal requests, food would be all vegetarian all the time. They are in death row, not on a first class flight. Do well-dressed hostesses walk down the prison aisles asking who ordered the low-carb meal?

Maybe having infringed on another person’s right to live should mean you no longer have the right to chose your favorite meals.

badrya_d@kuwaittimes.net

S

teve Jobs, the computer genius passed away. Death is normal, everybody dies. But millions die and nobody remembers them.

They don’t leave behind them anything worthy to remember. Many people around them may also be glad they’re gone. I hope I’m not harsh in this statement, but these are facts of life.

Last night, the world lost a legend. Jobs was not an ordinary guy. The tech whiz delighted the world with inventions after inventions in the digital world. Steve did not leave the world. Billions over the world are using the gadgets and technologies he invented, be it the iMac, be it the iPad, be it the iPhone, be it the iPod, the MacBook or even iTunes and iCloud.

Steve was not only a hardware specialist. He was also a software genius, revolutionizing how we consume music, movies and apps. I need pages and pages to mention his beautiful inventions. Every invention created millions of jobs around the world, not only in his native US, but also in Europe, Africa, Middle East, India, China etc. in simple mathematics, I fail to name the inventions he gave the world and their effects on humanity to help them in every aspect of their lives. And we will keep using them for years after his death.

The whole world paid tribute to Steve Jobs.

The sad part is that many of our fanatics who claim they are muftis and sharia legislators have issued a most ridiculous fatwa I’ve ever heard that one cannot pray for his soul because he was not a Muslim. When a Muslim dies, we say may Allah bless his/her soul (Allah yarhamu). Some of these fatwa legislators felt it was not correct to pray for Jobs. I don’t know from where they got this fatwa. It reminded me of a story of the Prophet (PBUH). One day he was sitting with his sahaba (companions) in Madinah when a funeral passed by. All of a sudden the Prophet (PBUH) stood in respect. His companions asked him, “why are you standing. This funeral is of a nonbeliever.” The Prophet (PBUH) smiled and replied, “I know. I’m standing in respect of the soul, which is created by the Almighty.”

Who are these people to tarnish Islam, which is a beautiful religion which came to respect and serve humanity. Stop hijacking Islam for God’s sake! But these legislators are cowards. They stand during the funerals of corrupt dictators and pray for them, as if God is going to answer their prayers.

Have a nice weekend.

Local FRIDAY, OCTOBER 7, 2011

Closing in on the past Futuristic maritime trade expansion reflects Kuwait heritage

By Rupert Horsley

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he visitor to today’s Kuwait is likely to note, above all else, that almost everything is new.

Other than the oddly anodyne Souq Al-Mubarakiya, the amputated gates which stand as testament to the city’s walled past and the tasteful nostalgia of the municipal architecture, it’s not immediately obvious to the dazed newcomer where the past has gone.

A recent exhibition held at Al M Gallery, ‘The Dreams of Kuwait’, was aptly titled in this regard. The wonderful paintings on display there - of camels and fisherman, pearl divers and sword waving dancers - were certainly evocative, but not of today’s hectic city. The Hopperesque ‘Old Kuwait,’ by Suleiman Haidar, expresses the point eloquently. His serene 60’s scene of a low -slung Ford dealership and elaborately winged American cars, though hardly bedu in ambience, is still a world away from today’s Gulf Road.

The apparent opacity of the present in Kuwait results, of course, from rapid development. This can be traced to the discovery of oil. Kuwait sits atop a staggering 96 billion barrels of the stuff, or about nine percent of world reserves. And this vast inheritance has changed, and keeps on changing, the appearance and way of life of the nation it lies beneath. It has reconstituted the once humble sky line into true a 21st century cityscape. It has erected enormous air- conditioned malls to soak up the abundant leisure time it helps create. It has filled the roads with thirsty vehicles that is fuels at ridiculously low costs. It invites luxury franchises to down town streets and dispatches the population to shop in London, New York and Manchester. But the past, in fact, is far closer than appearances might

suggest. The coalition of families that founded Kuwait in 1705 exploited their excellent natural harbor and convenient situation to pursue trade; from Africa and the east, up the Gulf, through the Shatt Al-Arab and onwards to Iraq and the Levant. And in doing so, they bought a tradition as old as the great empires of the Ancient World right along into living memory.

Mercantile Tradition While the speed of change the country has seen since 1938 might confuse the uninitiated, thoughts of a noble mercantile tradition linger in the minds of some more senior Kuwaitis.

Dry docked in front of Kuwait’s marvelous Aquarium is the beautiful Fatah Al-Khayr (Gateway to Bounty), a beautiful dhow that once ferried loads of up to 275 tons - and 30 crew - between Gulf and Indian Ocean ports. Abdulla Bishara describes with pride the voyages his brother, the famous Captain Issa Bishara, now 92, made in this boat, “he cruised the oceans from 1941 till 1953, taking dates from Basra to India, roofing tiles from there to East Africa, and bringing timber from there back to Kuwait. The crossing from India to Africa took only a few dozen days, which is not bad.” As with many Kuwaitis, transshipment and reexport trade was the Bishara family business, “there was nothing before oil, we traded and sailing was our national art...Kuwaitis were a seafaring people.” Hearing Abdulla Bishara, who is a key figure in modern Kuwait - both the first Secretary General of the GCC and a former ambassador to the UN - discuss these voyages brings the past vividly to life, an eloquent expression of Kuwait’s maritime heritage. And while there is, of course, some nostalgia in these reminiscences, Bishara’s words also signal

tries though the ancient diplomacy of trade.

Of course the Mubarak port, and the Abdali development, are not intended to serve only the domestic market. Kuwaiti goods crossing the border with Iraq amount to just $500 million in value, a fraction of the

a defiant note of continuity, “Before oil, the sea was our pipeline to wealth,” he avers, “and in many ways it still is. Today Kuwait has many shipping interests, we have general cargo ships, tankers, dry bulk carriers...there is still a strong affinity with the sea here.”

Indeed, it is not simply in the memories of older Kuwaitis, or through the sight of memorial masts glimpsed incongruously from flowing traffic, that the dhow and trading lives on in the national conscience.

The boats are a ubiquitous image across all forms of Kuwaiti insignia.

The official logo of the Kuwaiti state features a dhow. Kuwait University has the same. Gulf Bank emphasizes its national commitment with both a dhow logo and maritime -themed branches. The 1/4 and 10 dinar notes both contain separate depictions of dhows, as does the 100 fils coin. In fact, once one starts looking for this iconic boat, one sees it everywhere.

Turn to the front of this paper, and there it is, braving the waves and the whales!

Another key project is the KD 212 million airport expansion, which involves the building of a new run way, expansion of the existing two and the construction of a new terminal building. All of this will increase capacity from 7 to 20 million passengers per year.

Trading Future And of course, beyond official iconography and commercial marketing, there are the huge sums the government is investing in the country’s trading future. The most ambitious of these ‘mega projects’ is the $1.1 billion Mubarak Al-Kabeer port, the construction of which is currently developing apace, with road and rail connections almost finished. The port is projected to have 60 berths on completion, adding 2.5 million containers to Kuwait’s already considerable maritime trade capacity. It will, according to Kuwait’s official news agency, “represent a tremendous shift in the sector of transit trade, and will be an important step that revives the old silk road through Kuwait’s gateway.”

KUWAIT: This undated archive photo shows old Kuwait’s port.

Another trade-oriented project, while more humble in scale, might also come to be just as important politically. Responding to requests from a business community frustrated with poor facilities and long waiting times, the Kuwaiti government is planning to invest significantly in infrastructure at the Abdali-Safwan crossing on the Iraq border. It has been reported that there are plans to improve the road, build a large terminal and provide accommodation for drivers and warehousing for their goods. In addition to reducing waiting times, which at present can exceed four days, these improvements will doubtless bring about closer ties between the two coun-

annual total. It is, rather, with transshipment and re-export trade in mind that the investments are being made. These forms of trading have been of great historical importance to the people of the Arabian Gulf, whose bleak lands offered relatively little with which they might engage in the trade networks proliferating around them, until the discovery of oil, of course.

So it is possible to detect, in today’s ambitious mega projects, the echoes of Kuwait’s heritage and the journeys made, not so long ago by Captain Issa Bishara. While Kuwait may appear to be all new, it is, contrarily, in its most forward-looking plans that the past is most alive.

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Local

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 7, 2011

Toastmasters provide stage for aspiring public speakers

By Nawara Fattahova

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ndividuals no longer require innate leadership and communication skills.

Instead, such traits can be honed with peers during interactive sessions hosted by Toastmasters. The international organization has 15 to 20 clubs in Kuwait itself, which hold multiple weekly sessions with those wishing to master the art of public speaking. Toastmasters members, as if to reflect the organization itself, are international and diverse in their make-up, with sessions in Kuwait held in Arabic and English, drawing both men and women.

Ninety-five per cent of attendees in Kuwait are professionals but housewives and students are also active participants.

Anil Lobo is a member of four clubs in Kuwait: the Desert Pioneers, Capital Speakers, Kuwait Advanced and the Bright Horizons. “I have been a member of these clubs for about 12 years. I really enjoy it and I’ve benefited from it very much. Now I’m 43-years-old and the older you are it’s more difficult to learn, so I joined early,” he explained.

According to Lobo, the main objective of the Toastmasters Club is to improve communication skills, “Toastmasters meetings benefit individuals’ public speaking skills in two ways: verbal communication such as grammar, and also body language, such as

posture. Attendees practice and learn how to improve their speeches,” Lobo noted.

Lobo believes the Toastmasters clubs are the only places that provide useful guidance on social behavior, “Members not only learn from the sessions but they also get feedback simultaneously. In other learning programs you study something and then go sit an exam on the subject,” he said, explaining that what sets the Toastmasters

Peer-evaluation system hones members’ social skills system apart from rival programs is the feedback participants receive from each other. As well as critiquing content of speeches presented, participants will also comment on the presenter’s body language, explains Lobo. Participants hone their own - and others’ - public speaking skills in this manner.

A further benefit of Toastmasters, according to Lobo, is that members can bring friends and relatives along to the sessions. “Some members feel they need somebody to support them and give them confidence, so they bring somebody with

them, and what’s more, it’s free,” he explains. Given the interactive and evaluative nature of the sessions, number of attendees is key to productivity. While not seasonal, attendance tends to dip during Ramadan, reaching lows of 15 to17 participants.

One can usually expect to meet 20 to 25 fellow aspiring public speakers at any given session, with attendance reaching a maxi-

mum of 40. Toastmasters clubs are nonprofit centers and membership ranges from KD 20 to 30 for six months. “It’s not much considering these are non-profit clubs and the fees are used to cover the education syllabus sent from the United States, and to pay the rent for the club’s venue. There are no teacher or trainer fees as the members and attendees learn from each other,” highlighted Lobo.

Drive Now. Talk Later.

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Local

Years

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 7, 2011

By Sawsan Kazak

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ailing from northern Mexico, Claudia Ledezma found herself a world away from everything she knew when she arrived in Kuwait in 1984.

With no Mexican restaurants in sight, Ledezma had to depend on her cooking abilities to stay in touch with her Mexican heritage. “I taught myself how to cook.

When I came to Kuwait I didn’t know how to cook. I had to improvise from the memories I had of my mother’s cooking. Seeing my mom and my grandmother cooking in front of me was all I had from the food back home,” she explained.

Based on those experiences and early childhood memories, Ledezma researched recipes and tried her hand at Mexican cuisine. “I used my memories and applied them to what I thought was right here. I was alone here - I didn’t have anyone to teach me. I was reading books, trying to remember the recipes. Back when I arrived in Kuwait, there was no Internet and no food channels,” she recalled.

With Mexican cuisine somewhat of a new phenomenon in Kuwait, Ledezma was happy to see people enjoy it. “When I cooked for my kids and they had their friends over, they would really enjoy the food. I would also take the food to my kids’ school and people really liked it there too. This really encouraged me to cook more and promote Mexican cuisine here in Kuwait. That’s how I began,” said Ledezma.

Home-cooked food For three years now, Ledezma has been offering authentic Mexican food from her home-based catering service. With a little help, Ledezma cooks all dishes to order, coping with scarcity of specialty ingredients, on occasion. “Some of the ingredients I need to make my dishes are just not available here in Kuwait. I need to import them from Mexico. I bring certain items, like tamale leaves (corn husks), back with me as I just can’t find these kind of items here. Certain types of chilies are not available here either,” Ledezma said, adding that she finds that substitutes are readily available. “I can improvise with most dishes. Our cuisine shares some similarities with that of India and those ingredients, such as certain spices and vegetables, are readily available here,” she explained.

When it comes to the cooking procedure and the quality of the meat used in recipes, however, guidelines must be followed to the letter. “Most vegetables are now available here in Kuwait and I try to keep the ingredients as close as possible to the original recipes. The chilies I can’t find I substitute with cap-

sicum; the type used here is also very good too. It’s not the same but I can manage,” Ledezma conceded.

Orders have been quite interesting and varied.

“People want to know everything. They are interested in new flavors and recipes. They are not scared to try new things. They are interested in balanced orders.

They like to try authentic recipes and dishes I recommend,” Ledezma enthused.

A quintessentially-entertaining cuisine, Mexican dishes allow you to engage with your food. You dip chips, fill tacos, and roll fajitas, making Mexican food a great option for parties. One such occasion is Ramadan. Ledezma explains, “Orders vary according to the season. During Ramadan, it’s a little slower but it’s a great social food and people like to entertain with it so we do have a lot of orders.”

The core of Mexican cuisine Her most popular dish is her home-made guacamole and salsa with home-made chips. “I enjoy food with many flavors that combine food groups. I like to cook good rice with many deep flavors. I enjoy cooking flavorful dishes that need special kinds of

preparation. Meat cooked in banana leaves is one of my favorites, as is chiles rellenos (stuffed chilies),” says Ledezma.

As any good cook, Ledezma has found herself creating her own fusion dishes, her chips being the perfect example of Mexican food meeting regional ingredients. “I had to come up with something where the ingredients were available 100 percent of the time.

One such example is Lebanese-style bread that I brush with my own spices and then bake. People like it because they enjoy the Mexican flavor and at the same time recognize the texture,” says Ledezma.

There are some ingredients or recipes that cannot be duplicated or even imitated. “We cook cactus in Mexico. There are some great cactus salad dishes and there’s cactus with tomato sauce. These recipes are delicious and nutritious but just can’t be found here. I can find some cacti here but it’s not the same. In Mexico, the cacti we use are fresh.”

Ledezma tries to stay in touch with her roots and tries to maintain a link with her homeland. She finds cooking her national food helps her do just that.

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Local

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 7, 2011

A celebration of learning

By Sunil Cherian

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t 65, Hala Fadda still dances in the classroom - a place where diverse groups of learners work together as if trying to solve a puzzle. The PalestinianBritish teacher with 40 years of experience behind her does not feel the urge to control her vibrant students unless disciplinary issues arise. She believes that students have no time to be naughty once they are exposed to the new world of learning -where the curriculum framework has turned truly global.

The educational program is called IB (International Baccalaureate). Formed around 1999 by a group of visionary educational enthusiasts, IB is a program that ‘aims to develop inquiring, knowledgeable and caring young people that help create a better and more peaceful world through intercultural understanding and respect’.

Hala was in Kuwait last weekend at Kuwait Bilingual School (KBS), Jahra, which follows the IB Primary Years Program. She held two workshops separately for the Arabic and the English teaching staff. “I’m happy that they didn’t shoot me,” Hala quipped. She dispelled the myth of change-resistant teachers that have settled into comfort zones, “The 85 teachers at the Jahra school are ready to take up IB, good news for Jahra and for Kuwait,” she said. She spent an entire working day with primary students as well, singing with

Hala Fadda promotes education through IB program them, reading out stories set in the Arabian deserts enlivened by local characters.

Hala believes in taking a trans-disciplinary approach to learning, supporting her views with examples using children’s books to write

specifically about the Arabian Gulf, history, literature, culture, myths and legends. Without downplaying the importance of essential elements in education, IB underlines ongoing assessment and effectiveness of collaborative

planning in an international curriculum that caters to the needs of tomorrow’s global citizens. In Kuwait, KBS Jahra has been running the IB preliminary program for the second consecutive year.

Hala’s workshop was an inspiring experience for staff members. Teachers were highly enthusiastic about participating in the workshop, said Rebecca Hawtin, the IB Coordinator at KBS. “This was a culture swapping experience,” said an American teacher, recalling a story that Hala read out. In the story, ‘The Sandwich Swap’, Lily and Salma, American and Arab characters come to accept and respect two cultures symbolized through the peanut butter and jelly sandwich and the hummus-pita sandwich, after displaying an initial reluctance. “The story spans across continents and transcends our mind.”

Hala had a piece of advice to teachers when she was leaving KBS: ‘Do not work more than your students’.

Palestinian-British educator Hala Fadda (left) in action during a teachers’ workshop held at Kuwait Bilingual School, Jahra, last weekend.

Star surprised by expat fans

By Sunil Cherian

town, Chalakkudy. After 20 years, not only he has his own chauffeur but hundreds of thousands of fans and he continues to surprise e has surprised many in south India as sethem by his occasional folk CDs, stage pera comedy star and a folk singer before formances and his social persona. his stardom in the tinsel world.

Onscreen he has played a blind man, tilting Last week Mani was surprised to find his his eyeballs for long hours, and his performfan association in Kuwait, when he came here ances from hero to villain including in Robot, as a guest at the National Service Society superstar Rajnikath’s blockbuster, have made (NSS) anniversary function, held at Integrated him a bankable star in the south Indian film Indian School, Abbassiya, last Friday. The 20 industry. Off-screen he is a philanthropist, plus members of the association in a film donating to numerous charity works and culstar’s name is unusual if not first of its kind among the Kerala community in Kuwait. tural programs. For Kalabhavan Mani, 40, life Sukesh Chavakkadu, a Jumeira beach cleaner, has always been a bouquet of surprises. Born as a poor daily laborer’s son, he made his livwho heads the fan association, told me he ing by driving an auto rickshaw in his homewants to make his association grow into a charity organization.

Sukesh, a junior artist himself, has been acquainted with the star for 10 years and the relation has also resulted in the star giving acting opportunities to the diehard fan. The admirer continued his fan network even after coming to Kuwait, inviting his colleagues and roommates who have a taste for the down-to-earth actor. The group, after 10 months since its inception, had the golden chance to meet their mentor, but shied away Kalabhavan Mani receives his caricature made by from the limelight and Johnarts Kalabhavan during the NSS event. did not disturb the actor

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Sukesh, Kalabhavan Mani Fans Association president, Kuwait, fixes the welcome banner the fans made on stage before a function at the Integrat Indian School, Jleeb. during the show.

The star had another surprise when he was presented with a caricature of him by his former consociate at Kalabhavan, the cultural institute where the star was an entertainer before his entry into the film world. The caricature was made by Johnarts Kalabhavan who has been a resident of Jleeb for the past seventeen years. Both the star and the artist still use the institute’s name with their first names. The star received the caricature from

his former colleague amid cheers and applauds.

After the hurrah-brouhaha, the star said jokingly of his overwhelming experience as “from frying pan to fuel tank”. The star, Sukesh said, had seen his visit to Kuwait as a getaway but in essence saw cheering howls and waving hands. Behind him on the stage was a banner the fans made, which read: ‘Welcome to Kuwait, the black pearl of Malayalam cinema’.

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FRIDAY, OCTOBER 7, 2011

By Lisa Conrad

T

he Contemporary Art Platform (CAP) is putting contemporary art in Kuwait on the map. A newly opened gallery in Shuwaikh, funded by an art collector who wanted to share his passion with society.

Director of CAP, Liane Al-Ghusain, says of the gallery, “We want to bring art some intellectual recognition in Kuwait. There’s often a risk that it can become too commercialised, but we concentrate more on offering the opportunity to both enjoy, and learn about art.”

Seventy-five works are displayed during each exhibit, with the current exhibition concentration on portraits. Amongst other spaces, it also includes a room dedicated to works by Kuwaiti artists and a modern art room, which includes many Syrian and Lebanese works.

The gallery runs talks and classes alongside their exhibits, so those interested in learning more or expanding their understanding further have the chance to do so, “We had a panel discussion and presentation at our opening, and we really felt that education should be involved with the exhibitions,” Liane said.

The upcoming abstract art exhibit will be accompanied by weekly classes instructed by AUK Professor Dominique Malarde. The abstract art classes would probably be of more interest to adults but, Liane adds, getting kids interested in the arts is also a priority. “In December we have Hamad Al Humaidhan coming, in collaboration with Dar Funoon. He’s been hailed as a ‘young Picasso’ for his Picasso-esque works, but is only 10 years old.”

In the short week that it’s been open, the gallery has already attracted a diverse range of Kuwait’s residents, “It’s been such a pleasure so far, it’s been so diverse. We’ve had a range of nationalities and ages passing by, so it’s great that the public has shown so much interest,” said Liane. She added, “There’s a big population of people interested in the arts here. We want to encourage engagement which is why entry is free - and whether you’re beginner or a collector, it’s worth passing by. For art lovers especially, it’s a great place to start a community of like-minded people.”

Expectations The works on show are mainly modern and

contemporary Middle Eastern art, but, Liane commented they are open to work from different regions. “We need to represent art for what it is instead of just where it’s from.”

Middle Eastern art, she added, is often limited by expectations of what it will represent and how closely linked it is with the region. For example, people often expect to see depic-

region, and also looking out for new talent.

The overall aim is to export the collections and show them abroad. That’s what we’re hoping for,” said Liane. However, there’s often considerable pressure for youngsters to pursue more ‘realistic’ career choices, which can impact on the popularity of the Arts. “The current situation in the Middle East is a combina-

tions of burqa-clad women in Middle Eastern art. Liane, however, said that artists should be free to “express their feelings about issues in the country or region that are most personal to them.” By accepting artists who break the mould and disregard expectations attached to Middle Eastern Art, the gallery really is living up to its name and forming a strong platform for contemporary art in the region.

Whilst CAP has already started broadening the art scene in Kuwait, they’ve also got longterm ambitions. “We’re anchoring our preexisting relationships with artists in the

tion of internal and external issues.

Families often choose career paths for their kids, and there are high expectations. We have an old fashioned idea about our careers sometimes and can end up promoting the idea that technical skills are the only useful ones,” she said.

“Aesthetics are just as relevant and important though. They’re often incorporated into other

fields also, such as architecture.”

Choices However, the situation is rapidly changing, “The government has invested heavily in our education and we’re eligible for many generous scholarships to study abroad. It makes such an impact on society, and you can see people’s interests are broadening,” said Liane.

“When students return from abroad, they see Kuwait’s potential with more clarity and begin to see alternative paths more clearly. They see how they can tailor their new ideas to Kuwait.”

Pressures to follow certain career paths are still apparent but Liane noted the Arts and Humanities are being taken more seriously and encouraged, “When parents see their kids pursuing the Arts and Humanities, they encourage them to pursue a Masters degree after their Bachelors. It’s a great change, and shows that the field is being taken more seriously. “ Organisations like Contemporary Art Platform are broadening the spectrum in Kuwait and allowing people to pursue different interests, whether professionally or in their free time. Finding your niche or your passion requires the opportunity to choose, and, according to Liane, CAP intends to keep art firmly on the list of choices, “We want to encourage, and allow, people to discover what their passions are so they can find out what they want to be doing.”

Photos by Patrick Makhoul

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FRIDAY, OCTOBER 7, 2011

Students rally against KUWAIT: Hundreds of public high school students yesterday staged a protest outside the Ministry of Education (MoE) headquarters in Shuwaikh against the recently adopted assessment system. A call to stage the demo was spread across various social networking websites.

Amid the presence of security forces, MoE Undersecretary Mona Alloghani met with ten of the students, including five girls to discuss their demands. According to the students who met her, they discussed the need to cancel the new assessment system and resume working according to the old one.

The students also threatened to continue protesting until next Thursday unless the new system is withdrawn.

Officials also underscored that the rally was well-organized and that one of the students had provided five buses to transport his classmates. Officials added that Maj Gen Tareq Hamadah asked students to leave when representatives were holding a meeting with Alloghani, reported Alaan.

Further, officials said that in the beginning, MoE officials handled the situation in a less than satisfactory manner. One of them told students that the decision was already taken and that it would not be altered. This angered the students who threatened to demonstrate until their demands were met.

Education Minister Ahmed Al-Mulaifi will reportedly meet with the ten representatives on Monday to discuss the issue.

Placard reads: We refuse the unfair assessment system.—Photos by Fouad Al-Shaikh

A student argues with Maj Gen Hamadah.

‘No universities, No future’.

‘We’re not responsible for your ill-planning’.

‘Yes to the old system!’

‘We’ll not keep silent!’

‘Mulaifi, your decision blew my PhD dreams, we’re failing’.

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FRIDAY, OCTOBER 7, 2011

new evaluation system

‘Give us what we want, your decision is ruining us’.

Banners read: ‘Down with the new system’, ‘Yes to the old’, ‘No system change’, ‘No for ruining our future!’

‘Your decision blew my engineering dreams leaving me only a GTX and a military course.’

Security forces stand guard outside the MoE building.

Mulaifi your decision blew my dreams to become a doctor, it only left me the Safari and the military!

Security forces at mininstry gate prevent students getting in.

We’re doomed, says the banner.

Students rallying outside the ministry.

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FRIDAY, OCTOBER 7, 2011

KUWAIT: (Clockwise from top left) HH the Prime Minister Sheikh Nasser Al-Mohammad Al-Sabah receives at the Amiri tent yesterday the ambassadors of the US, Iran, Egypt and India on the occasion of starting their tenure in Kuwait. He also met the ambassadors of Bosnia-Herzegovina, Malaysia and Sri Lanka. — KUNA

NUKS UAE holds annual meeting SHARJAH: The UAE branch of the National Union of Kuwaiti Students (NUKS) held its annual meeting Wednesday, with the participation of the Kuwaiti Consul General for Dubai and the northern Emirates Tareq Al-Hamad, Head of the Cultural Bureau in UAE Saleh AlYaseen, and cultural attache Dr Osama AlYousif. Al-Hamad welcomed the students in his opening speech, encouraging them to serve as a good example for their countrymen in the educational field. He further wished to see Kuwaiti students among the top achievers in the UAE, as well as among the most respected guests of the GCC country.

Al-Yaseen also greeted the new students, wishing them success in their studies and hoping they would prove best representatives of their country. The Kuwaiti cultural bureau in the UAE is ready to offer the students all the assistance they need, and would work hard to help them overcome any obstacles they face in

their studies, he affirmed. Talal Al-Husaini Vice President of NUKS in the UAE urged students to set high goals before they began studies.

This is in order to achieve their aspirations. He hailed the role of the Kuwaiti consulate and the cultural bureau in serving students.

Al-Hamad, Al-Yaseen, and Al-Yousif honored the top students for the previous year, namely Mohammad Ahmad Mohammad Mubarak, Abdullah Al-Hwaidi, Khalid Al-Enizi, Khalid Al-Attal, Fahad Al-Dabbos, Abdullah AlNijadah, Ammar Mohammad Abdulredha, Ahmad Al-Ojairi, Abdullah Mandani, Mohammad Al-Mutiari, Mohammad AlBathali, Bashayer Al-Hammady, Muneerah AlJeeran, and Rawan Al-Asosi. They also honored Hisham Al-Nabteet, Asraf Younis, and Aldaw Abdulqadir Al-Sheikh from the cultural bureau for their good service. The ceremony included an open Q-and-A segment for the students. — KUNA

Kuwait to solve problem of bedoons in five years Govt to keep assisting ‘illegal residents’ KUWAIT: Chairman of the central agency for addressing the situations of illegal residents in Kuwait Saleh Yousuf Al-Fadhalah said Wednesday his agency is keen on apprising the Kuwaiti people on the progress made in solving the problem of illegal residents (bedoons).

Speaking to KUNA after meeting a delegation from the UK Embassy in Kuwait, Al-Fadhalah said he affirmed during the meeting the keenness of the Kuwaiti government on solving this problem as early as possible.

“This keenness was clearly evident in the issuance of an Amiri Decree to launch the central agency in November 2010,” he pointed out.

“The state has set out a road map envisaging putting an end to the prob-

lem of illegal residents in five years if things go smoothly,” Al-Fadhalah disclosed. Studies are underway to grant Kuwaiti citizenship to residents covered by the census of 1965 if they were living permanently in Kuwait in the last years and had no criminal records, he added.

“Until this problem is solved once and for all, the government will continue offering a package of assistances to illegal residents such as health and educational services and access to documents of registry offices,” the senior official affirmed.

Meanwhile, second secretary of the embassy Tom Shepherd spoke highly of the efforts of the Kuwaiti government, saying that Kuwait made a good progress in this direction. — KUNA

Municipality vows to get tough

SHARJAH: Students pose during a meeting of the UAE branch of NUKS on Wednesday. — KUNA

KUWAIT: Minister of Public Works and Municipal Affairs Dr Fadhel Safar affirmed yesterday the council’s keenness on ridding Kuwait of outdated food products. Safar told KUNA that harsh consequences would face those selling such products to the masses, adding

that the Municipal Council would work with other institutions like the Ministry of Interior to ensure the safety of people. Municipal teams will work in all Kuwaiti districts to crack down on such acts that disregarded others’ health, said the official. —KUNA

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 7, 2011

Sniper fire holds up push into Gaddafi hometown

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Arabs embrace Steve Jobs and the Syrian connection

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NYPD spied on Muslim anti-terror partners

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GAZA: Palestinian women shout slogans during a protest calling for the release of Palestinian prisoners from Israeli jails and insupport of inmates in hunger strike yesterday. — AFP

UNESCO vote on Palestine ‘inexplicable’ Palestine state quest wins first victory in UNESCO vote SANTO DOMINGO: The Obama administration warned the UN cultural agency to stay out of the question of Palestinian statehood or face the consequences, as American lawmakers were threatening to withhold tens of millions of dollars in US funding if the organization agrees to admit Palestine as a member before an Israeli-Palestinian peace deal is reached. US Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton called UNESCO’s deliberation “inexplicable” at a time when the Palestinian bid for UN recognition and membership was being examined by the Security Council, the global body’s top decision-making organ. And she said such an action would be a setback for Mideast peace hopes.

“I think that that is a very odd procedure indeed and would urge the governing body of UNESCO to think again before proceeding with that vote,” Clinton told reporters in the Dominican Republic, where she was attending a regional economic conference. She stopped of saying how the US might react, or if it would consider pulling out of the agency as it did under President Ronald Reagan,

but acknowledged Congress’ “strong legislative prohibition that prevents the United States from funding organizations that jump the gun, so to speak, in recognizing entities before they are fully ready for such recognition.” Clinton said any deliberation over Palestinian statehood must be made at the United Nations in New York and not an auxiliary organ of the global body. And she repeated US objections to even the UN route, saying it couldn’t replace negotiations with Israel as a fast-track toward Palestinian independence.

“What is the boundary of this state that is being considered by UNESCO?” Clinton asked. “What authorities does it have? What jurisdiction will it be endowed with? Who knows?” “Nobody knows,” she said, “because those are the hard issues that can only be resolved by negotiation, and unfortunately there are those who in their enthusiasm to recognize the aspirations of the Palestinian people are skipping over the most important step, which is determining what the state will look like, what its borders are, how it will deal with the myriad issues that states must address.”

Clinton spoke after two top members of the House panel that oversees UNESCO’s funding said it could lose roughly $80 million in annual US contributions if it follows the recommendation of its board and admits Palestine. The board of the Parisbased agency made that recommendation earlier Wednesday, over US objections, and a vote from the full body is expected later this month. The US provides 22 percent of UNESCO’s budget. But it was in the clear minority when the board voted 40-4 with 14 abstentions in favor of recommending the Palestinian bid. Apart from the US, only Latvia, Germany and Romania voted against, according to US officials. While lawmakers have proposed suspending US assistance to the Palestinians if they proceed with a bid for UN membership, current US law prohibits giving funds to the United Nations or any UN agency that grants the Palestine Liberation Organization the same standing as member states. In addition, existing US law can bar Washington from funding any UN body that accepts members that do not have the “internationally recognized attributes of

statehood.” That requirement is generally, but not exclusively, interpreted to mean UN membership.

The Palestinians are seeking recognition and full membership in the United Nations at the UN Security Council but the US has said it will veto the bid unless there is a peace deal with Israel. Faced with that obstacle, the Palestinians have taken their request to other UN bodies. Reps. Kay Granger, R-Texas, and Nita Lowey, D-NY, the chairwoman and ranking member, respectively, of the House panel that controls US foreign aid, both urged UNESCO not to admit the Palestinians, noting the aid restrictions.

“Making a move in another UN agency will not only jeopardize our relationship with the Palestinians, it will jeopardize our contributions to the United Nations,” Granger said in a statement. “There are consequences for short-cutting the process, not only for the Palestinians, but for our longstanding relationship with the United Nations.” Lowey said UNESCO’s board should “foster - not thwart - conditions for peace.”—AP

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FRIDAY, OCTOBER 7, 2011

Sniper fire holds up push into Gaddafi hometown Residents accuse NTC forces of killing innocent people

CAIRO: Egyptians visit the tomb of assassinated president Anwar Sadat inside the memorial of the Unknown Soldier yesterday. — AP

Egypt revolution chips away at Sadat’s legacy CAIRO: Egyptian President Anwar Sadat, gunned down by Islamists at a military parade in Cairo 30 years ago on Thursday, left a political legacy that survived largely unscathed in the long reign of his successor, Hosni Mubarak. His peace treaty with Israel still stands, the first between the Jewish state and any of its Arab neighbors, and after the openings Sadat gave to the private sector Egypt has evolved into a market economy that has turned its back on the socialist policies of the 1960s and early 1970s.

But eight months after the popular uprising that overthrew Mubarak on Feb. 11, some aspects of Sadat’s legacy have vanished. Others, including the peace treaty itself, may have to adapt to the political transition that Egypt’s interim military leaders have initiated. Tareq Al-Zumur, one of the Islamists who took part in the conspiracy to assassinate Sadat, said Sadat had laid the groundwork for all the oppressive policies followed by Mubarak, who sat next to him as vice president at the parade on October 6, 1981, but that the 2011 uprising had set Egypt on a new democratic path of no-return.

“The Hosni Mubarak regime never strayed one inch from the policies followed by Sadat,” he told Reuters in an interview on the eve of the anniversary. If rigged elections were one of the hallmarks of the Mubarak era, Sadat set the trend in the elections of 1979, when he tried to ensure that no opponents of the peace treaty survived in parliament, he added. But with the overthrow of Mubarak, the strict controls on political activity, which kept the powerful Islamist movement on the sidelines of public life for decades, broke down overnight.

The State Security police, which specialized in harassing the opposition, have had to change their name and give up some of their powers, even if critics say they continue many of the same old practices. Close diplomatic and strategic cooperation with the United States, which Mubarak inherited from Sadat and made one of the fundamentals of Egyptian foreign policy, is now contested and may be an early casualty under a democratically elected government. Prime Minister Essam Sharaf said in September that the 1979 peace treaty with Israel, one of the cornerstones of the Cairo-Washington relationship, was not sacrosanct and could be changed for the sake of peace or the good of the region. “The Camp David agreement is not a sacred thing and is always open to discussion with what would benefit the region and the case of fair peace ... and we could make a change if needed,” he told a Turkish television station. Sharaf may have been thinking of minor, mutually agreed adjustments to the limits on Egyptian troop deployments in Sinai, but many of the revolutionaries who took to the streets in January envisage a more radical shift in relations with the Jewish state. — Reuters

SIRTE: Heavy sniper fire from forces loyal to Muammar Gaddafi held back Libyan government forces trying to take the former leader’s hometown on Thursday, making predictions of a quick end to the battle looked optimistic.

Residents who fled the town of Sirte said civilians were dying. One man said a rocket strike killed his 11-year-old son and he had to bury him where he died because the fighting was too intense to reach the cemetery. Taking Sirte is of huge importance to Libya’s new rulers, and until it is captured they are putting on hold plans to start rebuilding the country as a democracy.

Once a sleepy fishing town, Gaddafi transformed his birthplace into Libya’s second capital. Parliament often sat in Sirte and international summits were held in a marble-clad conference centre in the south of the city. Commanders with the National Transitional Council (NTC) said this week they believed they would have Sirte, a city of 75,000, under their full control by the weekend.

But Gaddafi loyalists, many of whom pulled back to Sirte when they lost control of other cities, are putting up fierce resistance. They have nowhere else to go. “A lot of them are veterans, the hardcore fanatics. There’s also mercenaries (and) people fiercely loyal to Gaddafi,” said Matthew Van Dyke, an American who is fighting with the anti-Gaddafi forces. “They are not going to give up,” said Van Dyke, who said he came to Libya seven months ago to visit friends, was arrested by Gaddafi forces, and joined the fighting on his release. “It’s going to take a while. (Because of) the snipers, we are going to take a lot of casualties.”

Taking cover NTC units at the front line based themselves in a luxury hotel on the northeastern corner of Sirte, from where they were trying to take out loyalist sniper positions and mount patrols into the surrounding streets. They did not appear to have progressed any further into the centre of Sirte than they had been 24 hours earlier. At one point, fighters on the roof of the hotel had to lie flat and take cover behind a parapet when they came under machine gun fire from loyalists in nearby buildings.

On the marble staircase leading down from the roof was a trail of blood and bandages. On the ground floor of the hotel- which rebels said was built to accommodate Gaddafi’s guests- water in the fountain was stagnant. NTC units used binoculars to look for the telltale flash coming from the weapons of proGaddafi snipers, and then directed machine gun and mortar fire at the

SIRTE: National Transitional Council fighters celebrate at the front Line yesterday. — AFP source of the flash.

They said one loyalist sniper was hiding out in the minaret of a mosque about 600 metres away. Residential buildings were blackened, and lumps of concrete lay in the streets below after they had been blown off by large-calibre rounds. Anti-Gaddafi commanders say they do not believe the deposed Libyan leader is in Sirte, though they said one of his sons, Mo’atassem, was in the city.

Muammar Gaddafi himself is thought to be hiding somewhere to the south, in the Sahara desert.

Near Sirte airport, a set of aircraft steps had been abandoned in the highway. They were lined with a red carpet, edged in gold-possibly the steps used for the foreign heads of state Gaddafi would welcome to summits in Sirte. At the airport, to the south of Sirte, Suleiman Ali, an NTC fighter who said he had been in the city for a month, said talk of a final push was premature. “They are stupid,” he said, referring to NTC commanders attacking Sirte from the east. “You cannot get in with 15 men.

They do not see the balance of their force and our force.”

Civilian anger The battle for the city has come at a high cost for civilians. They have been trapped by the fighting with dwindling supplies of food and water and no proper medical facilities to treat the wounded. Many of Sirte’s residents are members of Gaddafi’s own tribe, making the city a test of the new NTC’s ability to unite the country and reconcile its fractious tribes. People fleeing the city blamed the NTC forces, and the NATO alliance whose warplanes have been fly-

ing sorties over the city, for the death and destruction.

Hajj Abdullah, in his late 50s, was at a Red Cross post on the edge of Sirte where food was being handed out. He said he had just escaped the city. “My 11 year old died from the NATO rockets ... I buried him where he died,” because it was too dangerous to go to the cemetery, he said. “There are random strikes in the city. People are dying in their houses.” He said many civilians were unable to leave. “If someone doesn’t have petrol and has small kids, what does he do? ... The ones who stayed behind are the poor and the weak.”

A NATO spokesman on Wednesday said the alliance’s warplanes had not made any strikes on Sirte since last weekend, and that they were doing everything possible to protect civilians.

But that message had not reached angry residents. “NATO is the one who hit the innocent. We will never forgive them,” said a 23-year-old from Sirte called Mohammed.

Anti-Gaddafi forces say they are trying to liberate the people of Sirte from a small number of pro-Gaddafi hardliners and mercenaries. But residents say ordinary people have taken up arms in Sirte to fight the attackers-suggesting the battle could be prolonged and, even once it is over, that there will be lasting hostility towards Libya’s new rulers.

“There are no (pro-Gaddafi) brigades.

You know, the ones who are is fighting in Sirte are the people who lost their brothers, their mothers and sisters,” said Mohammed “The families are fighting for their homes and their children who have died.” — Reuters

Social rules clash with reality for Iran’s youth TEHRAN: Twenty-one-year-old Iranian Farnoush has her own job but no longer her own telephone. When her father looked at her text messages and discovered she had a boyfriend, he confiscated the cell phone, saying her behavior was not proper in an Islamic republic. “You have no idea. It’s the worst feel-

ing, the pressure, when your father finds out you have a boyfriend,” Farnoush said, while plucking a customer’s eyebrows at a Tehran salon. Iran is governed by a version of sharia law which in theory prohibits any mingling between members of the opposite sex outside marriage or close family. While social rules

were relaxed under reformist former President Mohammad Khatami, who was first elected in 1997, things have tightened up again since Mahmoud Ahmadinejad succeeded him in 2005. With reformists sidelined after protests against Ahmadinejad’s disputed 2009 re-election were crushed, parliamentary elections

next March may end up being contested only by various factions on the right, leaving little hope for social liberalisation anytime soon.

Nima Soltani, a 23-year-old psychology student, complains about “morality police” patrols on city streets to ensure people respect Islamic dress and other rules of conduct. — Reuters

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FRIDAY, OCTOBER 7, 2011

Arabs embrace Steve Jobs and Syrian connection Syrians mourn Apple founder

MIDDLETOWN: Sheikh Reda Shata stands in the men’s prayer room at his mosque, The Islamic Center of Monmouth County. — AP

NYPD spied on Muslim anti-terror partners NEW YORK: Egyptian sheikh Reda Shata considered himself a partner in New York’s fight against terrorism. He cooperated with the police and FBI, invited officers to his mosque for breakfast, even dined with Mayor Michael Bloomberg. Despite the handshakes and photo ops, however, the New York Police Department was all the while watching him. Even as Shata’s story was splashed across the front page of The New York Times in a Pulitzer Prize-winning series about Muslims in America, an undercover officer and an informant were assigned to monitor him, and two others kept tabs on his mosque that same year. An Associated Press investigation has found that the NYPD dispatched undercover officers into ethnic communities to monitor daily life and scrutinized more than 250 mosques and Muslim student groups in the years after the Sept 11 terrorist attacks. Some of its programs were developed with the help of seasoned CIA officers.

“What did they find?” Shata asked through an interpreter at his current mosque in Monmouth County, NJ, after learning about the secret surveillance. “It’s a waste of time and a waste of money.” Shata welcomed FBI agents to his mosque to speak to Muslims, invited NYPD officers for breakfast and threw parties for officers who were leaving the precinct during his time at the Islamic Center of Bay Ridge. As police secretly watched him in 2006, he had breakfast and dinner with Bloomberg at Gracie Mansion and was invited to meet with Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly, Shata recalls.

“This is very sad,” he said after seeing his name in the NYPD file. “What is your feeling if you see this about people you trusted?” This was life in America for Shata: a government partner in the fight against terrorism and a suspect at the same time. The dichotomy between simultaneously being partner and suspect is common among some of New York’s Muslims. Some of the same mosques that city leaders visited to hail their strong alliances with the Muslim community have also been placed under NYPD surveillance - in some cases infiltrated by undercover police officers and informants.

In April, more than 100 area imams publicly supported a rally to “oppose wars, condemn terrorism and fight Islamophobia.” Of those, more than 30 were either identified by name or work in mosques included in the NYPD’s 2006 listing of suspicious people and places. “The way things are playing out in New York does not paint a picture of partnership and of a conversation among equals,” said Ramzi Kassem, a professor at the City University of New York School of Law. “It seems that city officials prefer hosting Ramadan banquets to engaging with citizens who wish to hold them to account.

Spying on almost every aspect of community life certainly does not signal a desire to engage constructively.”

On Wednesday, seven New York Democratic state senators called for the state attorney general to investigate the NYPD’s spying on Muslim neighborhoods. And last month, the CIA announced an inspector general investigation into the agency’s partnership with the NYPD. A small number of Capitol Hill and New York lawmakers have called for greater oversight and controls over the police department’s intelligence unit. But most in politics, including President Barack Obama, have shown no interest in even talking about what the NYPD is doing, much less saying whether they support it. — AP

LONDON: While the world mourned the death of Apple founder Steve Jobs in California, many Syrians were quick to claim the computer genius as one of their own yesterday through a littleknown connection to his biological father. Jobs, who died of cancer at the age of 56 on Wednesday, was given up for adoption soon after his birth in San Francisco to an American mother, Joanne Carole Schieble, and a Syrianborn father, Abdulfattah “John” Jandali.

Jandali, 80, a former academic, has told how Schieble’s “tyrant” father refused to allow his daughter to marry a Syrian and so the baby was adopted by a married couple from California, Paul and Clara Jobs.

Only in recent years did Jandali, born in the Syrian city of Homs and latterly an executive of the Boomtown Casino in Reno, Nevada, realise that the Apple chief was his son. “Without telling me, Joanne upped and left to move to San Francisco to have the baby without anyone knowing, including me,” Jandali told the New York Post in an interview in August. “She did not want to bring shame onto the family and thought this was best for everyone.”

With Jandali out of the picture at the outset, many Syrians were unaware of the connection between Apple and their homeland until recently. But they were quick to embrace Jobs when news broke of his death. Users of the social networking site Twitter were also quick to draw parallels with Syria’s uprising against President Bashar Al-Assad, which has cost more than 2,900 lives, by a U count.

‘Wrong Syrian’ “The wrong Syrian died today,” said one Twitter user, echoing sentiments of

the Syrian leader’s bitter opponents. “A sick world we live in when Steve Jobs has to die of cancer and Bashar Al-Assad remains Syria’s cancer,” another opposition supporter said on the website.

Others hailed Jobs, whose Syrian links

“This is sad and we will miss a lot of his achievements, but the company will continue,” said Ali, a website designer.

“If he had lived and died in Syria, he would not have accomplished anything.” A 28-year-old Damascus resident,

MONTREAL: A memorial is displayed in front of an Apple store for Apple cofounder and former CEO Steve Jobs yesterday. — AP have been little mentioned until now, as “a great Arab American” and “the most famous Arab in the world”.

In Syria, some people, who all declined to give their full names, said Jobs would have been unlikely to have had such a stellar career if he had lived in the land of his father’s birth, where the Assad family has ruled for 41 years. “I felt sad, not because he is of Syrian origin but because we will miss the inventor and his inventions,” said Rana, a 21year-old student. “But I think that if he had stayed in Syria, he would not have invented anything.”

who gave his name as Ahmed, said he was happy to learn that Jobs had Syrian antecedents, although he was unable to afford any of Apple’s products. “I think that if he had lived in Syria he would not have been able to achieve any of this, or else he would have chosen to leave Syria,” Ahmed said. Other Syrians regretted that Jobs had no roots of his own in his father’s homeland. “The sad thing is that he had lived and died abroad, and humanity lost him,” said Maneh, a 27year-old bank employee, who posted an image of the Apple founder on his Facebook page. — Reuters

Syrian troops pursue defectors in north BEIRUT: Syrian troops stormed villages close to the border with Turkey yesterday, hunting armed military defectors who fought back in clashes that left at least four soldiers and three others dead, activists said. The fighting in the country’s restive northern region of Jabal Al-Zawiya, where Syrian military

DAMASCUS: A handout picture from the Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA) shows Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad center) laying a wreath at the tomb of the unknown soldier yesterday during a ceremony marking the 38th anniversary of the six-day Arab-Israeli war in October 1973. — AFP

defectors are active, was the latest sign of a trend toward growing militarization of the 7-month-old uprising. The Syrian opposition had until recently focused on nonviolent resistance. But since late July, a group calling itself the Free Syrian Army has claimed attacks across the country and emerged as the first significant armed challenge to President Bashar Assad’s authoritarian regime. The opposition has mostly welcomed the armed group’s formation, and the movement could propel the Syrian revolt by encouraging senior officers to desert the regime. But the escalation could also backfire horribly, giving the regime a new pretext to crack down even harder than it already has. The sectarian divide in Syria, where a regime composed mostly of the Alawite offshoot of Shiite Islam rules over Sunnis and others, also means that any insurgency could escalate quickly into civil war.

The UN’s human rights office yesterday raised its tally of people killed during seven months of unrest in Syria to more than 2,900, including members of the security forces. The figure rose by at least 200 since the beginning of September. Four troops and three others died in yesterday’s clashes in villages in the west of Jabal al-Zawiya region, the London-based Syrian Human Rights Organization said. The group did not specify whether the three non-military dead were armed defectors or civilians caught in the fighting. The Local Coordination Committees activist group had no confirmation of the soldiers’ casualties but said three people died in military operations which were accompanied by intense shooting from heavy machine guns. Syrian defectors armed mostly with rocket propelled grenades and guns operate mainly around Jabal AlZawiya and also in the central Syrian region of Homs. — AP

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Pakistan squeezed by Afghan-India pact ‘This is no time for point-scoring

KABUL: A burqa-clad Afghan woman is pictured yesterday. —AFP

Fear lingers for Afghan women 10 years later KABUL: Aged just 17, Roya Shams cannot leave home in the Afghan city of Kandahar because she fears the Taleban will kill her. “If I do, they will shoot me,” she said. “I’m a problem for them.” Young, educated and speaking good English, Roya is one of thousands of women across Afghanistan who still live in terror of the militant Islamists, 10 years after the start of the USled war on October 7, 2001. Women’s rights have undoubtedly improved in Afghanistan since the Taleban were ousted. Under them, girls’ schools had been closed, and women banned from working outside the home and forced to wear the burqa.

But the Taleban still intimidate women, as Roya’s story shows. Her family started receiving threats saying she should not study or go to work teaching English after the Taleban killed her policeman father in July. “My family is saying ‘Look what they did to your father, they will do it to you.’ But actually, I am happy to lose myself for my country,” she told AFP by telephone.

Some female politicians argue that former mujahedeen warlords who now form part of President Hamid Karzai’s government are just as bad as the Taleban when it comes to women’s rights. Malalai Joya, a former lawmaker kicked out of parliament in 2007 for denouncing warlords and now a political activist, called them “wolves in the skin of lambs.” Joya, 33, travels with armed guards and said she moves between safe houses in Kabul because she fears for her life after five assassination attempts.

The international presence in Afghanistan “pushed us from the frying pan into the fire because they replaced the terrorist, fundamentalist, misogynist Taleban with warlords who are mentally the same as the Taleban,” she said. Restoring rights for women was touted as a major aim of the US-led invasion 10 years ago. Hillary Clinton, then a US senator but now secretary of state, wrote in Time magazine in November 2001 that the Taleban’s mistreatment of women “was like an early warning signal of the kind of terrorism that culminated in the attacks of September 11.

“Similarly, the proper treatment of women in post-Taleban Afghanistan can be a harbinger of a more peaceful, prosperous and democratic future,” Clinton added. There have been clear gains in the last 10 years, experts say, particularly in education for women. British charity Oxfam says there are now 2.7 million girls in school in Afghanistan compared to only a few thousand who received religious education under the Taleban.

Girls walking to school and smartly-dressed women going to work are a common sight on the streets of Kabul, although the picture is often different in rural areas, where illiteracy is widespread and the Taleban can be stronger. Another study from ActionAid found that 72 percent of Afghan women believe their lives are better now than they were 10 years ago. —AFP

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan warned Afghanistan to behave responsibly yesterday following Kabul’s move to sign a strategic pact with Islamabad’s archenemy, India, at a particularly sensitive time in relations between the two countries. Afghanistan’s interior minister recently accused Pakistan’s powerful spy agency, the ISI, of being involved in last month’s suicide bombing in Kabul that killed former Afghan Pre sident Burhanuddin Rabbani - an allegation denied by Pakistan. Rabbani was working as chief envoy in peace talks with the Taleban. “At this defining stage when challenges have multiplied, as have the opportunities, it is our expectation that everyone, especially those in position of authority in Afghanistan, will demonstrate requisite maturity and responsibility,” Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Tehmina Janjua told reporters.

“This is no time for point-scoring, playing politics or grandstanding,” she said in her weekly press briefing. Her comments seemed more confrontational than Pakistani Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani’s statement Wednesday that Afghanistan and India have the right to maintain bilateral relations as sovereign nations. His comments were reported by the state-run Associated Press of Pakistan. The agreement, which was signed Tuesday, outlined areas of common concern including trade, economic expansion, education, security and politics. It was the first of its kind between Afghanistan and any country.

Afghan President Hamid Karzai tried to assuage concern over the pact Wednesday, saying it was not intended as an aggressive move against Pakistan.

He said the agreement simply made official years of close ties between India and Afghanistan’s post-Taleban government. “Pakistan is a twin brother. India is a great friend,” said Karzai during a visit to New Delhi, according to the Press Trust of India news agency. “The agreement that we signed yesterday with our friend will not affect our brother.”

But Karzai’s words likely carried little weight in Pakistan, which is sandwiched between Afghanistan to its west and India to its east. Pakistani officials, especially in the country’s powerful army, have long viewed policy in Afghanistan through one lens: countering the perceived danger of Indian influence in the

too close to India, where he attended university. To check India’s power in Afghanistan, Pakistan has historically supported Islamist militants like the Taleban who are also opposed to its majority Hindu neighbor. Islamabad has also allegedly backed militants who have carried out attacks in Kashmir, an

ISLAMABAD: Activists and Pakistani opposition lawmakers led by Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) shout slogans as they march outside the Parliament House building during a protest rally yesterday. —AFP country. “The agreement will heighten Pakistan’s insecurities,” said Talat Masood, an analyst and former Pakistani general. “Pakistan has always felt that it is being encircled by India from both the eastern and western borders.”

Pakistan and India have fought three major wars and have been at each other’s throats since the two were carved out of British India in 1947.

Relations between Pakistan and Afghanistan have also been rocky, and many Pakistani officials view Karzai as

area claimed by both Pakistan and India.

Pakistan maintains it cut off ties to the Taleban and other militants following the US invasion of Afghanistan in 2001. But Washington and Kabul say otherwise. The US has accused Pakistan’s main spy agency, the ISI, of supporting the Haqqani militant network, which is allied with the Taleban and is suspected of carrying out a recent attack against the US Embassy in Kabul.

The group is believed to be based in Pakistan’s North Waziristan tribal area near the Afghan border. —AP

Afghans demand NATO troops leave KABUL: Hundreds of people marched through the streets of the Afghan capital yesterday, demanding the immediate withdrawal of international military forces ahead of the 10th anniversary of the US invasion. The peaceful demonstration in downtown Kabul was meant to mark the Oct 7 invasion of Afghanistan 10 years ago, following the Sept 11 terrorist attacks against the United States. The US invasion came after Taleban leader Mullah Omar refused to hand over Osama bin Laden, purportedly because of his disbelief that the Al-Qaeda chief was responsible for the attacks and because it went against the Afghan tradition of hospitality and protection of guests.

US forces killed bin Laden in a raid on his hideout in Pakistan in May. The

demonstrators chanted "no to occupation," and "Americans out" as they marched through the streets holding pictures of Afghans killed in violence, and later burned an American flag. The demonstration was organized by a small left wing party. No official events have been announced so far to mark the invasion, neither by the government nor NATO. "The United States said it came to help the Afghan people and provide a good life to Afghan people, but their true purpose was to occupy our country," said Farzana, a 22-year-old woman who goes by one name. "It is 10 years since the invasion of Afghanistan and all it has left behind is the blood of the Afghan people. We want the US to leave our coun-

try." She added that "suicide attacks, insecurity and corruption are increasing dayby-day."

In southwest Helmand province, insurgents opened fire on a civilian bus traveling in the Girishk district, killing a man and a child and wounding 16 others, the governor's office said. And in southern Uruzgan province, a car bomb killed the commander of a highway security force, Wali Jan, as he walked out of his home, the police said. The US-led coalition currently has more than 130,000 troops in Afghanistan, with about 98,000 from the United States. International forces have begun handing over responsibly for security to Afghan forces and all foreign combat troops are to leave Afghanistan by the end of 2014. —AP

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Nevada Republicans move up US presidential caucus LAS VEGAS: Nevada Republicans on Wednesday moved up their presidential caucus to Jan 14, aiming to protect its status as one of the earliest contests in the race as states jostle for influence in the nominating process. Nevada is one of four states authorized by the Republican National Committee to hold the first contests on the road to choosing the party’s nominee to face Democratic President Barack Obama in the November 2012 election. The other three states are Iowa, New Hampshire and South Carolina.

The move by Nevada’s Republicans to move up by more than a month their caucus from the previously planned date of Feb 18 followed Florida’s decision last week to hold its presidential primary on Jan 31.

Florida’s move, in defiance of national party leaders, was intended to boost that state’s clout in picking the Republican nominee, but it left the nominating process in turmoil.

“I’m extremely pleased to finally have a firm date for

a caucus that will greatly improve Nevada’s standing and relevance in terms of national politics,” Nevada Republican Party Chairwoman Amy Tarkanian said in a statement announcing the date change. “By establishing this date, we maintain Nevada’s standing as one of the first four ‘carve-out’ states and as the very first in the West,” she said.

Tarkanian has criticized Florida’s move as “disrespectful and counter-productive,” and had previously said she was working closely with representatives of the other early states for what she described as a positive resolution to the matter. Voting had been scheduled to start with Iowa caucuses on Feb. 6, the New Hampshire primary on Feb 14, Nevada caucuses on Feb 18 and the South Carolina primary on Feb. 28, before Florida preempted that plan.

Even before Nevada announced its move, South Carolina Republicans said they would hold their primary on Jan 21. Nevada’s Republican governor Brian

New dinosaur tracks found FAYETTEVILLE: Researchers at the University of Arkansas are studying a new field of fossilized dinosaur tracks, including one set that appears to be from a large three-toed predator, the university said Wednesday. The tracks were found on private land in southwest Arkansas and provide a window into the life forms that roamed the area as long as 120 million years ago during the Early Cretaceous period. “The quality of the tracks and the length of the trackways make this an important site,” said Stephen K. Boss, who led the project. The research effort is funded by a grant from the National Science Foundation. Based on the rock in which the footprints were found, researchers have a good idea of what the climate would have been like, Boss said.

“Picture an environment much like that of the shores of the Persian Gulf today. The air temperature was hot. The water was shallow and very salty,” Boss

ARKANSAS: This photo shows tracks from a three-toed dinosaur that researchers are studying in Southwest Arkansas. — AP

said. “It was a harsh environment. We’re not sure what the animals were doing here, but clearly they were here in some abundance.” Some of the tracks in the field have not been documented before in Arkansas. The researchers’ work will expand knowledge about dinosaurs that roamed the area and the climate during the period.

The tracks from the three-toed dinosaur are about 2 feet (0.6 meters) long by 1 foot (0.3 meter) wide and likely are from Acrocanthosaurus atokensis, one of the largest predators ever known. There are also prints from sauropods, large, long-necked planteating dinosaurs. Other sauropod tracks have been found in the state, including at a site near Nashville, also in the state’s southwest. “Through tracks, we can learn all sorts things about dinosaur biomechanics and behavior,” said University of Kansas researcher Brian Platt, who is taking part in the program.

“Dinosaur bones can be dragged away by animals or swept out to sea. But we know that about 120 million years ago, dinosaurs walked right through here.”

The grant from the National Science Foundation enabled a team of researchers to spend two weeks studying the site. They used traditional tools, including hammers, chisels and brooms, but also cutting-edge technology to record images, take measurements and map the site. Rock samples from the site can also shed light on the conditions under which the dinosaurs lived.

“Because we see footprints here, we know that this surface was at one time exposed to the elements,” said Celina Suarez, a postdoctoral researcher at Boise State University who will be joining the faculty at the University of Arkansas in the fall of 2012. Researchers can calculate how much rain fell and how much moisture evaporated. Using data from this site and others, scientists can learn more about the climate in general and work to predict the planet’s future climate. “This site will add to the knowledge of both the animals and climate of the Early Cretaceous,” Boss said. “Scientists will be studying these data for many years.” — Reuters

Sandoval has endorsed Rick Perry, giving the Texas governor a boost in a state that backed Obama in the 2008 election and has long been a swing state in national polls. Tarkanian described Nevada’s move as in the state’s best interests.

“We are in the process of creating a caucus that will energize Republicans throughout Nevada and the West, and allow us to play a major role in deciding who will carry the fight to unseat Barack Obama and his destructive policies,” she said. Under the Republican National Committee rules, Florida will be punished for moving up its primary with the automatic loss of half of its delegates to the party’s nominating convention, which will be held in Tampa, Florida, in August 2012, senior party officials said. But New Hampshire, Nevada and South Carolina would also lose half their convention delegates if they vote before Feb 1 — diluting their clout in choosing the nominee. Iowa would not because its caucuses are nonbinding. — Reuters

Romney under pressure to break from Republican pack Perry fund-raising poses challenge WASHINGTON: The good news for Republican Mitt Romney is that he is now the leader of the pack of candidates jockeying for the party’s 2012 presidential nomination. The bad news is he is still stuck in that pack. Romney’s path to take on President Barack Obama in November 2012 has become clearer now that fellow moderate New Jersey Governor Chris Christie has opted not to run. His challenge is to distance himself from chief rival Rick Perry and persuade the various Republican factions to support him as the most electable Republican to run against Obama. That may not be as easy as it sounds. Perry raised $17 million in the third quarter of this year, possibly more than Romney, who has yet to release his totals but may have raised about $13 million.

And Romney has a lot of work to do to persuade Tea Party conservatives to back him when there is still the tantalizing possibility of supporting conservatives such as Texas Governor Perry or businessman Herman Cain, who has been on a surge of late but who most experts believe will eventually fade. “I think Perry should not be dismissed at this point in time,” said Ed Rollins, former campaign manager for presidential candidate Michele Bachmann. “At the end of the day, both of them have the resources, organization and money to make it a long battle.”

Romney is considered a much better candidate this year than he was in 2008, when he lost the nomination battle to Senator John McCain. He has delivered crisper debate performances and is running a more focused campaign centered on the US economy without getting bogged down in responding to every attack hurled his way, as happened four years ago.

“I don’t think there’s any doubt that Mitt has run a very disciplined campaign. You see him putting one foot in front of the other. I think he learned a lot from the 2008 campaign,” McCain told Reuters. McCain, who has not taken sides in the 2012 campaign, said

TALLAHASSEE: Republican presidential candidate former Massachusetts Gov Mitt Romney speaks to supporters during a lunch stop at Seminole Wind Restaurant. — AP Christie’s decision not to run is bound to be helpful to Romney but that it will take some weeks to determine where Christie’s supporters have landed.

Debates on the horizon Romney has not been able to establish a big lead. A Quinnipiac University poll on Wednesday found 22 percent of Republican voters supporting Romney, followed by Cain with 17 percent and Perry with 14 percent.

His supporters believe he will eventually gain broader support, since he is often cited in polls as the second choice of voters after their preferred candidate, and Perry has had a rough few weeks with two shaky debate performances.

Battle lines will become clearer after candidates clash again in debates Oct. 11 and 18 in New Hampshire and Nevada and start to gird for the first nominating contests in January.

Saul Anuzis, a Republican National Committee member from Michigan who backs Romney, said Republicans are still determining who is the best and strongest challenger to Obama. “My gut feeling is that over the next 30 days or

so we’ll start seeing a coalescing of party activists and leadership around Romney,” Anuzis said. A key challenge for Romney is winning the support of the Tea Party movement because of doubts about the depth of his conservative views. A recent CBS News/New York Times poll said about half of all Republican primary voters support the Tea Party movement, and a majority of those Tea Party supporters view Perry most positively. In most recent US presidential races, Republicans have nominated candidates seen as conservatives, including Ronald Reagan and George W. Bush. McCain had to tack to the right to pick up the nomination in 2008. Sal Russo, a strategist for the Tea Party Express, said Tea Party conservatives remain open to Romney, deciding “Let’s be open-minded about this.” But not everyone in the Tea Party agrees with this strategy. Chris Littleton, co-founder of the Ohio Liberty Council, a coalition of 80 Tea Party groups, said many Tea Partiers refuse to back Romney because of an Achilles’ heel: The healthcare plan he developed for Massachusetts when he was governor. — Reuters

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US Republicans urge better cybersecurity WASHINGTON: A Republican task force in the US House of Representatives said Congress should give companies incentives to boost their cyber defenses, but that tougher regulation may be warranted to protect critical facilities like power and water plants.

Recommendations in the report, which was released on Wednesday, can “reasonably be acted upon during this Congress,” which ends in January 2013, said the task force of 12 Republicans headed by Representative Mac Thornberry.

Senate Democratic Leader Harry Reid’s office is overseeing the drafting of a comprehensive cybersecurity bill aimed at combating breaches and theft from company and government computer networks. But progress has been slow. The Thornberry report appeared to reject Reid’s comprehensive approach, arguing for a more piecemeal strategy to avoid unintended consequences. “We think that it is very important that you get the details right,” Thornberry told

Reuters. The report also appeared to be skeptical of government regulation to strengthen cyber defenses with the exception of critical facilities like nuclear power, electricity, chemical and water treatment plants.

“Congress should consider carefully targeted directives for limited regulation of particular critical infrastructures,” the Thornberry report said. White House spokeswoman Caitlin Hayden said the Obama administration was still reviewing the House report but thought it “reflects a common belief” in the need to confront cyber threats to US national security. “We remain committed to the passage of cybersecurity legislation and look forward to working ... on the swift accomplishment of this goal,” she said.

‘Good chance’ US lawmakers have considered several cybersecurity bills in recent years, but failed to pass any despite a growing sense of urgency following hack-

ing attacks on Google Inc, Lockheed Martin Corp, the Pentagon’s No 1 supplier, Citigroup, the International Monetary Fund and others. Among the many obstacles to cyber legislation are overlapping jurisdictions in Congress and disagreement over how much a role government should play in regulating and protecting private networks. Congress, meanwhile, has spent much of the recent months in bitter battles over the budget and national debt.

Paul Smocer of the Financial Services Roundtable, which represents banking, securities, investment and insurance firms, said a cyber bill “probably has a better chance now than it’s ever had” in spite of Washington’s rancor over debt and taxes. “Obviously Congress is dealing with a lot of key issues. But we are seeing some momentum behind the introduction of legislation and in its consideration, more so than we have seen in quite a while,” he said. — Reuters

Secret US panel can put Americans on ‘kill list’ Left and right attack Obama for Awlaki killing

BRASILIA: People walk in front of the Metropolitan Cathedral in Brasilia. The cathedral is lit in pink to mark October as the Breast Cancer Awareness Month. — AP

Palin rules out US presidential bid WASHINGTON: Former Alaska Gov Sarah Palin said Wednesday she will not run for president, leaving little doubt that the eventual Republican nominee will come from the current field of contenders. After months of leaving her fans guessing, the former Republican vice presidential nominee said in a statement that she and her husband Todd “devote ourselves to God, family and country.” She said her decision maintains that order. Palin sent the statement to supporters. She told conservative radio host Mark Levin that she would not consider a minor party candidacy because it would assure President Barack Obama’s reelection.

In a video posted on YouTube, Palin said, “you don’t need an office or a title to make a difference.” Sen John McCain plucked Palin from relative obscurity in 2008 by naming her as his running mate. She electrified Republican activists for a while, delivering a wellreceived speech at the Republican national convention. But Palin later seemed overwhelmed by the national spotlight, faltering at times in televised interviews even when asked straightforward questions.

Palin’s announcement Wednesday was much anticipated but not greatly surprising. Her popularity had plummeted in polls lately, even though she remained a darling to many hard-core conservatives. Some Republicans felt she waited and teased too long about a

presidential candidacy. Some remained perplexed by her decision to quit her job as governor with more than a year left in her single term. Palin also angered some Americans with a defensive speech shortly after a Democratic congresswoman was gravely wounded in an Arizona shooting in January that killed six people.

Palin’s announcement came one day after New Jersey Gov Chris Christie also said he would not run. Republican insiders say the field is set. It includes former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney and Texas Gov. Rick Perry, whom party insiders see as the strongest contenders.

Libertarian-leaning Rep. Ron Paul of Texas continues to draw a devoted following and former pizza company executive Herman Cain has gained in recent polls.

Voting will start in about three months in the Iowa caucus and New Hampshire primary. Because Palin’s star had faded, it’s not clear that her decision will have a big impact on the Republican race. Some analysts said Palin might have drawn significant conservative support, especially in Iowa. If so, she might have split that constituency with Perry, Cain, Minnesota Rep. Michele Bachmann and others, possibly giving Romney a chance to win the caucus with a relatively modest plurality.

Others siad Perry benefits from Palin’s decision because it helps him portray himself as the best-known conservative alternative to Romney.—AP

WASHINGTON: American militants like Anwar Al-Awlaki are placed on a kill or capture list by a secretive panel of senior US government officials, which then informs the president of its decisions, according to US officials. There is no public record of the operations or decisions of the panel, which is a subset of the White House’s National Security Council, several current and former officials said. Neither is there any law establishing its existence or setting out the rules by which it is supposed to operate.

The panel was behind the decision to add Awlaki, a US-born militant preacher with alleged al Qaeda connections, to the target list. He was killed by a CIA drone strike in Yemen late last month. The role of the president in ordering or ratifying a decision to target a US citizen is fuzzy. White House spokesman Tommy Vietor declined to discuss anything about the process.

Current and former US officials said that to the best of their knowledge, Awlaki, who the White House said was a key figure in Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, Al Qaeda’s Yemen-based affiliate, had been the only American put on a US government list targeting people for capture or death due to their alleged involvement with militants.

The White House is portraying the killing of Awlaki as a demonstration of President Barack Obama’s toughness toward militants who threaten the United States. But the process that led to Awlaki’s killing has drawn fierce criticism from both the political left and right. In an ironic turn, Obama, who ran for president denouncing predecessor George W. Bush’s expansive use of executive power in his “war on terrorism,” is being attacked in some quarters for using similar tactics. They include secret legal justifications and undisclosed intelligence assessments.

Liberals criticized the drone attack on an American citizen as extra-judicial murder. Conservatives criticized Obama for refusing to release a Justice

Department legal opinion that reportedly justified killing Awlaki. They accuse Obama of hypocrisy, noting his administration insisted on publishing Bush-era administration legal memos justifying the use of interrogation techniques many equate with torture, but refused to make public its rationale for killing a US citizen without due process.

Some details about how the administration went about targeting Awlaki emerged on Tuesday when the top Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, Representative Dutch Ruppersberger, was asked by reporters about the killing. The process involves “going through the National Security Council, then it eventually goes to the president, but the National Security Council does the investigation, they have lawyers, they review, they look at the situation, you have input from the military, and also, we make sure that we follow international law,” Ruppersberger said.

Lawyers consulted Other officials said the role of the president in the process was murkier than what Ruppersberger described.

They said targeting recommendations are drawn up by a committee of midlevel National Security Council and agency officials. Their recommendations are then sent to the panel of NSC “principals,” meaning Cabinet secretaries and intelligence unit chiefs, for approval. The panel of principals could have different memberships when considering different operational issues, they said. The officials insisted on anonymity to discuss sensitive information.

They confirmed that lawyers, including those in the Justice Department, were consulted before Awlaki’s name was added to the target list. Two principal legal theories were advanced, an official said: first, that the actions were permitted by Congress when it authorized the use of US military forces against militants in the wake of the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001; and

they are permitted under international law if a country is defending itself.

Several officials said that when Awlaki became the first American put on the target list, Obama was not required personally to approve the targeting of a US person. But one official said Obama would be notified of the principals’ decision. If he objected, the decision would be nullified, the official said. A former official said one of the reasons for making senior officials principally responsible for nominating Americans for the target list was to “protect” the president.

US officials confirmed that a second American, Samir Khan, was killed in the drone attack that killed Awlaki. Khan had served as editor of Inspire, a glossy English-language magazine used by AQAP as a propaganda and recruitment vehicle. But rather than being specifically targeted by drone operators, Khan was in the wrong place at the wrong time, officials said.

Ruppersberger appeared to confirm that, saying Khan’s death was “collateral,” meaning he was not an intentional target of the drone strike. When the name of a foreign, rather than American, militant is added to US targeting lists, the decision is made within the US intelligence community and normally does not require approval by high-level NSC officials.

‘From inspirational to operational’ Officials said Awlaki, whose fierce sermons were widely circulated on English-language militant websites, was targeted because Washington accumulated information his role in AQAP had gone “from inspirational to operational.” That meant that instead of just propagandizing in favor of AlQaeda objectives, Awlaki allegedly began to participate directly in plots against American targets. “Let me underscore, Awlaki is no mere messenger but someone integrally involved in lethal terrorist activities,” Daniel Benjamin, top counterterrorism official at the State Department, warned last spring. — Reuters

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BEIJING: Fresh apples, flowers and a large poster of Steve Jobs are placed outside an Apple retail store in Beijing, China yesterday. Steve Jobs, the cofounder of Apple Inc. and father of the iPhone, has died at age 56. —AP

World mourns passing of Apple visionary Jobs dies at 56 after long battle with cancer SAN FRANCISCO: The world yesterday mourned the premature passing of Apple visionary Steve Jobs, who revolutionized computers and transformed modern life with inventions like the iPhone and iPad. The towering pioneer-not only in the field of personal computers but also in online music, animated films and marketing-died Wednesday at the age of 56 after a long battle with cancer.

“Steve’s brilliance, passion and energy were the source of countless innovations that enrich and improve all of our lives. The world is immeasurably better because of Steve,” Apple’s board of directors said. Tributes flowed in from world leaders and tech giants, while Apple fans flooded social networking sites to voice their sorrow at the passing of the man who helped put phone-sized computers in millions of pockets.

Ordinary people, many of whom learned of his death on their iPhones and iPads, swamped Twitter to pay tribute to Jobs, generating worldwide traffic that social media analysts expected to shatter records. Jobs was just 21 when he founded Apple Computer in 1976 with his 26-year-old friend Steve Wozniak in his family garage. From such humble beginnings the company grew into one of the world’s most valuable firms, posting sec-

ond quarter profits of $731 billion in July on revenue of $28.57 billion despite the worldwide economic turmoil.

US President Barack Obama said Jobs had “transformed our lives, redefined entire industries, and achieved one of the rarest feats in human history: he changed the way each of us sees the world.” Wozniak, now 61, told CNN he was “dumbfounded” by news of the death of his former partner, comparing it to the untimely and traumatic loss of John F. Kennedy and Martin Luther King in the 1960s.

“Here is a guy that created tools that everyone in the world-billions of people-just love, and feel happy and good about,” he said.

Microsoft boss Bill Gates and other titans of the high-tech industry, some of whom had competed with Jobs for decades, agreed. “The world rarely sees someone who has had the profound impact Steve has had, the effects of which will be felt for many generations to come,” Gates said in a statement.

The two men were rivals in the race to dominate the market at the start of the personal computer era. But while personal computers powered by Microsoft software ruled work places, Jobs envisioned people-friendly machines with mouse controllers and icons to click on to activate programs or open files.

Tim Cook-who had been handling Apple’s day-to-day operations since Jobs went on medical leave in January, and was made CEO in August after his resignation-led the praise for the Silicon Valley legend.

“Steve leaves behind a company that only he could have built, and his spirit will forever be the foundation of Apple,” he said in a statement. Apple turned its home page into a tribute to Jobs, posting a large black-andwhite photo of the bearded high-tech maestro in his trademark black turtleneck and small round glasses. The only caption: “Steve Jobs, 1955-2011.” Jobs’s family also issued a statement, saying he was surrounded by relatives when he lost his long battle with pancreatic cancer.

“In his public life, Steve was known as a visionary; in his private life, he cherished his family,” it said. Born on February 24, 1955 in San Francisco to a single mother and adopted by a couple in nearby Mountain View at barely a week old, Jobs grew up among the orchards that would one day become the technology hub known as Silicon Valley.

Under Jobs, Apple introduced its first computers and then the Macintosh, which became wildly popular in the 1980s.

He was elevated to idol status by ranks of

Macintosh computer devotees, but left Apple in 1985 after an internal power struggle and started NeXT Computer company, specializing in sophisticated workstations for businesses. He then co-founded Pixar animated studios in 1986 from a former computer graphics unit he bought from movie industry titan George Lucas. The studio has since produced acclaimed films like “Toy Story,” “Finding Nemo” and “Wall-E.” Apple’s luster faded after Jobs left the company, but they reconciled in 1996 with Apple buying NeXT for $429 million and Jobs ascending once again to the Apple throne.

Apple went from strength to strength as Jobs revamped the Macintosh line, launching a “post-PC era” in which personal computers give way to smart mobile gadgets-the iPod, iPhone and the iPad, as well as the popular iTunes site. His passing will raise doubts over whether the Cupertino, California-based company can continue to dominate the hugely competitive technology sector. His death comes only a day after Cook presided over the launch of the new iPhone 4S in a move that failed to dazzle investors. Jobs is survived by his wife Laurene, with whom he had three children. He also had a daughter with a woman he dated prior to marrying.—AFP

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FRIDAY, OCTOBER 7, 2011

Sovereign funds could win big with M&A lending DUBAI: Sovereign wealth funds could win big with M&A lending. As financing dries up, Abu Dhabi appears willing to use its vast wealth to grease the wheels of big deals. The emirate was ready to finance a bid by South Korea’s STX Corp for chipmaker Hynix Semiconductor, but the deal collapsed last month. Now another of the emirate’s funds is reported to be interested in helping Sony Corp fund its bid for EMI music group.

For borrowers trying to finance leveraged deals in the midst of the euro zone crisis, sovereign funds look like an

attractive alternative to banks, which are fearful and often capital constrained.

But state funds are unlikely to be keen to lend at the same margins offered by banks, which can bulk up their profits by selling additional services to borrowers.

Yet, as Warren Buffett has shown, it can be profitable to lend when others won’tas long as the rewards are generous enough. Shares in Sony have been all over the place since 2007 and EMI might be a successful turnaround. A loan that comes with equity kickers could pay off handsomely if markets

Banks lift Qatar index; most Gulf markets rise DUBAI: Qatar National Bank helped lift the Gulf state’s index yesterday after posting quarterly results that beat analysts’ forecasts and most other markets also rose.

QNB closed 0.7 percent higher after reporting thirdquarter net profit rose 27 percent to 1.9 billion riyals ($521 million), according to Reuters calculations.

Analysts polled by Reuters estimated profit at 1.8 billion riyals.

Commercial Bank of Qatar climbed 3.1 percent and Doha Bank gained 3.7 percent. “(One of) the more interesting sectors will be banking, in Saudi Arabia and Qatar,” said Shakeel Sarwar, head of asset management at Securities & Investment Co (SICO) in Bahrain.

“That’s where we may get some positive surprise.”

Dubai investment bank Shuaa Capital named Michael Philipp, a former Credit Suisse executive, as its new chief executive, replacing Sameer Al Ansari who joined in 2009. Shuaa, which took companies such as ports operator DP World to market, has been struggling to drive revenue growth amid a slowdown in its core business.

The index ended 1.1 market percent higher, but is still down 1.8 percent on the month. Elsewhere, UAE’s bourses ended higher with Dubai’s benchmark climbing 0.8 percent, recovering from Wednesday’s seven-month low. Property stocks rose in both markets, but investors are skeptical about the pending quarterly earnings results. Emaar Properties gained 1.6 percent and Arabtec added 2.3 percent. In Abu Dhabi, Aldar Properties and Sorouh Real Estate’s shares were up 0.9 percent and 1 percent.

“With real estate companies in UAE, I don’t think we will see any positive surprises. The sector is going through a consolidation phase and the view right now is long term,” Sarwar added. Aldar said its Chief Financial Officer Shafqat Malik resigned to pursue other opportunities. The emirate’s index rose 0.2 percent, up from Wednesday’s 13-month low. In Oman, the index slipped 0.1 percent, down for a seventh consecutive session.

Renaissance Services fell 2.1 percent and Galfar Engineering dipped 0.9 percent.

Oman Telecommunications ended flat. “The services sector is estimated to report a total income growth of about 7.5 percent on a year-on-year basis to 328.795 million Omani rials on the back of higher than anticipated growth from the incumbent telecom player,” Gulf Baader Capital Markets says in a research note.

“The same is expected to grow marginally by 1.4 percent on a quarter-on-quarter basis.” Elsewhere, Kuwait’s index ended 0.1 percent higher, trimming 2011 losses to 16.2 percent. “Activity is mainly retail, with high-net worth individuals on the side” said a Kuwait-based trader on condition of anonymity. “Foreign money is coming back a bit in banks and services stocks but confidence is at an all time low.” Logistics firm Agility jumped for a third day, up 4.4 percent to its highest level since June 8.

and economies stabilize.

The potentially low entry price and asymmetric structure of warrants and options-uncapped gains and limited losses- makes them attractive for flexible, long-term lenders. Structuring a loan with equity kickers also reduces some of the due diligence burden compared with, say, making an outright acquisition because lenders come higher up the pecking order if things go wrong.

Of course, it is not all plain sailing.

Buffett’s warrants on Goldman Sachs,

issued in 2008, are currently out of the money. But that hasn’t been the case for the majority of the time elapsed since the investment and a recovery is possible before the warrants expire in 2013.

EMI’s music doesn’t obviously help to diversify the Abu Dhabi economy, but that consideration didn’t stop the emirate from buying a stake last year in the firm that owns the Ultimate Fighting Championship. Abu Dhabi could be onto a winning strategy, if its fund managers can master the fine art of bargain hunting. — Reuters

Bahrain may need Saudi help to plug budget gap Loans, oil grant from Saudis among options DUBAI: Saudi Arabia is likely to step in and help Bahrain plug a budget hole next year if oil prices keep falling as ratings downgrades in the wake of social unrest make it costly for the island state to issue foreign debt and the Saudis seek to keep restive elements in the region in check.

Saudi troops have already been brought in this year to help quell Bahrain’s worst social revolt since the 1990s, which left at least 30 dead and pushed Bahrain’s economy to its first quarterly contraction in January-March since the global financial crisis in 2008.

Supporting Bahrain is strategically vital for Saudi Arabia’s Sunni government given the island’s proximity to regional rival Iran, which claimed Bahrain ahead of the island’s 1971 independence from Britain. Bahrain accused Iran of being behind this year’s ant i-government revolt, in which mostly Shiite protesters demanded an end to sectarian discrimination and a greater say in Bahrain’s Sunni-led government.

Robust oil prices have helped ease Bahrain’s budget gap, which has been under pressure as the state’s credit rating has been downgraded by up to three notches this year due to the social unrest, which also prompted the government to boost spending by 22 per cent from its original 2011 target. However, Brent crude prices have plunged by $24 from April highs of $127 per barrel, making the state, which depends on oil for 85 percent of its income, highly vulnerable if prices fall next year in the face of slower global economy.

Analysts say Bahrain needs an average oil price of $108 to balance its budget while some forecast crude prices could fall to as low as $86 per barrel next year.

“We are still averaging high oil prices for 2011, so there is really not much reason why the government of Saudi Arabia would step in to help Bahrain in 2011. But certainly 2012 looks much more challenging,” said Farouk Soussa, Middle East chief economist at Citi in Dubai.

“There are two ways Saudi Arabia could do that. One is through direct grants and lending and that includes the d evelopment fund that they set up to help Oman and Bahrain. The other way is to increase the share of oil that Bahrain is

allocated from Abu Safah field.” Bahrain has posted a budget deficit in 13 out of the last 20 years. Its budget for this year, including a 22 percent jump in spending, estimates a deficit of 10.1 percent of GDP, or 835.7 million dinars ($2.2 billion).

For 2012, the government forecasts a deficit of 8.8 percent of GDP due to slightly lower spending, which at 3.08 billion dinars is still 14 percent higher than the original 2012 plan. Additionally, Bahrain’s King Hamad bin Isa al-Khalifa last month approved an extra 388.5 million dinars in spending for public wage rises over the next two years. Further ratings downgrades, which would push Bahrain’s debt servicing costs still higher, cannot be ruled out. Standard & Poor’s in July put a negative outlook on the Gulf state’s BBB long-term rating, warning that renewed political turmoil could result in weaker economic performance.

The island’s image to foreign investors has been further dented in the past week after it jailed 20 doctors for between five and 15 years, in what critics claimed was reprisal for treating anti-government protesters this year.

Analysts forecast economic growth of 2 percent this year, half the average of the past two decades, and 3.2 percent in

2012. They see fiscal gaps of up to 7.2 percent of GDP in 2012 though some say oil prices will stay high enough for Bahrain to turn a surplus of up to 1.5 percent of GDP. Bahrain’s finance ministry did not respond to Reuters questions about its fiscal outlook. The state’s foreign exchange reserves, at 1.6 billion dinars ($4.3 billion) as of August, are tiny compared to its wealthier Arab neighbors. Its sovereign wealth fund Mumtalakat has assets of about $9.1 billion whereas Abu Dhabi’s sovereign fund, one of the world’s biggest, is estimated to be worth $627 billion.

“Bahrain’s budget finances remain under pressure with elevated social spending against limited support from oil revenues and faltering non-oil activity,” said Kubilay Ozturk, EMEA economist at Deutsche Bank in London.

“That said, explicit funding channels from the GCC (Gulf Cooperation Council) bloc, particularly Saudi Arabia, will help to put a cap on a widening headline deficit.” In 2010 Bahrain relied on the Abu Safah oil field , which belongs to Saudi Arabia, for nearly 67 percent of its budget revenue. Under a 50-50 bilateral deal agreed in 1972 the two countries share income from the field. —Reuters

TOKYO: Visiting Qatar Deputy Prime Minister Abdullah bin Hamad Al-Attiyah, 2nd left, accompanied by Qatari Energy Minister Mohammed Saleh Al-Sada, left, talks with Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda prior to their talks at Noda’s office in Tokyo yesterday.—AP

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ECB leaves interest rates unchanged BERLIN: The European Central bank left interest rates unchanged yesterday, holding off on a step many economists think the eurozone’s chief monetary authority will eventually take by year-end to support a weakening economy. Markets waited for bank head Jean-Claude Trichet’s last news conference to see whether the ECB would announce new measures to support shaky banks under pressure from the Greek debt crisis.

The bank’s 23-member governing council left the refinancing rate at 1.5 percent. Some economists had expected a rate cut because of signs of slowing growth in the eurozone economy. Most think the bank waited this month because the latest inflation figures were higher than expected and it typically likes to signal rate moves at least a month ahead of time. It hadn’t done so ahead of yesterday’s meeting. Rate cuts tend to boost inflation.

Trichet will turn the job over to Bank of Italy head Mario Draghi at the end of the month. But the European debt and banking crisis means his last days in office are not offering any chance for a leisurely goodbye. Markets are now waiting to see if Trichet will announce at the news conference additional measures to steady Europe’s banks. Possible steps include opening the central bank’s credit window and offering unlimited loans to banks for six or 12 months or both.

Normally the longest lending period is three months.

The bank loaned euro49.75 billion ($66 billion) to 114 banks in August as an anti-crisis measure.

Eurozone leaders fear the effects on their banking system from Greece’s debt crisis. A default on Greek bonds could inflict losses on the banks that hold Greek bonds. Those default fears are keeping banks from lending to each other for fear they won’t get paid back, leaving some European banks dependent on ECB credit to keep running. Experts and investors are increasingly resigned to the view that Greece will eventually default on its debts. The country faces bankruptcy if it does not get its next euro8 billion installment of money under a 2010 bailout; the European Commission, International Monetary Fund and ECB say a decision won’t come until the end of the month.

European Union finance ministers have asked the bloc’s banking supervisor to draw up a report on banks’ capital levels, a European official said yesterday, amid fears that the worsening debt crisis could trigger another credit crunch. Banks’ ability to survive steeper losses on Greek debt will be one of the scenarios assessed in that report, the official said. German Chancellor Angela Merkel said Wednesday she was in favor of a coordinated recapitalization of European banks if that was deemed necessary. — AFP

BERLIN: A handout picture released by the European Central Bank (ECB) shows Bank of Italy Governor and incoming ECB’s president Mario Draghi attending the ECB’s policy-setting governing council’s meeting yesterday at the German central bank Bundesbank office in Berlin. —AFP

Greek govt to submit public sector pay cut bill Bill aims to suspend 30,000 workers ATHENS: The Greek government will submit a bill yesterday suspending thousands of civil servants and cutting public sector salaries as it pushes ahead with harsher austerity measures to stave off a disastrous default.

Parliament will vote next week on the bill which aims to suspend 30,000 government workers at reduced pay by year’s end and to cut salaries by an additional ?2.8 billion ($3.73 billion).

The new cutbacks come on top of salary and pension cuts, as well as a string of tax hikes over the past year and a half that have outraged ordinary Greeks trying to cope with a 16 percent unemployment rate. A day after a nationwide civil servant strike shut down the government, about 50 finance ministry workers protested peacefully outside the General Accounting office over the expected salary cuts.

On the island of Crete, hundreds of angry farmers took over the District Office to voice their frustration at shrinking salaries. Greece is struggling to meet budget targets to qualify for the next installment of a ?110 billion ($145 billion) package of international bailout loans it has relied on since May 2010 to pay its bills.

Finance Minister Evangelos Venizelos has said that Greece has enough money to pay pensions, salaries and bondholders through midnext month. But the country needs the next batch of loans, worth €8 billion ($10.5 billion), to avoid bankruptcy.

The Greek economy is expected to contract 5.5 percent this year and many in the markets expect the gov-

ernment to eventually default on its massive debt.

Ahead of a trip to Athens, German Economy Minister Philipp Roesler said all of Europe must help Greece to get back on its feet and that German businesses would invest in the country.

“Multibillion-euro investments should-

term eurozone rescue measures aren’t enough in themselves to overcome all the problems.

“We must use intensively the time that we have won (with these measures) to help build up the economy particularly in difficult countries, hence this trip,” he said.

ATHENS: A Greek Army veteran stands at the entrance to the Defense Ministry, holding a placard reading: “I want my country back - betrayers”, during an anti-austerity protest in Athens yesterday. Retired army officers demonstrated outside the defense ministry over pension cuts. —AP n’t be expected immediately, but it is necessary to help build up the infrastructure and economic structure because there are two components to the crisis, on one hand the debt, on the other hand the lack of economic competitiveness,” Roesler told Germany’s ZDF television. Roesler said the short-

Meanwhile, Greece’s Deputy Minister of Environment, Energy and Climate Change Yiannis Maniatis said the government has approved a search for hydrocarbon deposits in three areas in the north and southwest of the country with an estimated combined quantity of 250 million barrels. —AP

Spain pays sharply lower rates in bond issue MADRID: Spain paid sharply lower borrowing rates in a 4.499-billion-euro ($6.0-billion) bond issue yesterday, helped by European Central Bank bond purchases since August. Demand for the three- and four-year bonds outstripped supply by nearly two-to-one even as yields fell compared to previous sales, which were executed before the ECB started intervening, the Bank of Spain said.

The lower yields mean S pain is able to finance its swelling sovereign debt at a lower cost. Deep concerns over fragile eurozone economies’ annual deficits and accumulated debts had sent bond yields surging in July as investors demanded higher and higher returns to compensate for the perceived risk. In August, the ECB finally stepped in, buying Spanish and Italian government bonds directly from the market so as to prevent borrowing rates reaching an unsustainable level.

Spain’s central government and its powerful regions are now struggling to cut costs to meet ambitious annual deficit-cutting targets, and to prevent the accumulated debt from rising too fast.

But the prospect of health and education cuts has become a key concern ahead of November 20 general elections, in which the conservative opposition Popular Party is widely expected to oust the ruling Socialists.

In the latest bond auction, Spain sold: 1.120 llion euros in four-year bonds at a rate of 3.639 percent, compared to 4.230 percent in the previous comparable auction on June 2, before the ECB began buying Spanish and Italian government bonds; 2.398 billion euros in a three-year bond issue expiring April 2014 at a rate of 3.589 percent compared to 4.813 percent in the previous comparable auction on August 4; and 981 million euros in a second tranche of three-year bonds expiring October 2014 at a rate of 3.495 percent compared to 4.291 percent in the previous comparable auction on July 7. Although the yields are down from the height of the crisis in July, they remain much higher than the levels Spain paid last year. In August 2010, for example, a three-year bond issue returned a yield of 2.276 percent.

Spain has promised to reduce its annual public deficit from the equivalent of 9.2 percent of gross domestic product last year to 6.0 percent of GDP this year, 4.4 percent in 2012 and 3.0 percent-the EU limit-in 2013.

It is now scrambling to raise extra money in 2011 to meet those targets- telling firms to pay tax installments early, lowering state spending on medicines and stimulating new home purchases with a tax cut. — AFP

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Austerity cushioned Latvia from new crisis RIGA: Latvia’s austerity drive under the terms of global bailout has helped it meet head on the risk of a massive spillover from the eurozone crisis, an International Monetary Fund official said yesterday. “Latvia has gone through some very difficult times under the programme but it has succeeded and the crisis and tensions in Europe that we are seeing have not really affected Latvia anywhere near as much,” Mark Griffiths, head of the IMF’s monitor-

ing team for Latvia, told reporters.

“That is a strong testament to this government and the Latvian people over the last couple of years,” Griffiths said as he arrived for talks with Latvian authorities. The former Soviet-ruled nation of 2.2 million posted double-digit growth after joining the European Union in 2004.

But stoked by rising wages and easy credit, its overheated economy skidded off the rails and shrank by a quarter over 2008 and 2009 combined-

Poland shuns eurozone

WARSAW: Boasting central Europe’s largest economy and scoring higher growth than its western European Union partners, Poland faces a general election Sunday with all parties shunning the crisis-mired eurozone. Although Warsaw vowed to join the European single currency club as part of its 2004 EU entry deal, the commitment came with no fixed deadline.

Incumbent Prime Minister Donald Tusk, a centrist, has vowed to meet macro-economic criteria for eurozone entry by 2015, but has been loath to set a target entry date, a stance echoed by both the right and left-wing opposition. Tusk’s conservative opposition arch-rival Jaroslaw Kaczynski, an avowed eurosceptic, argues Poland would have suffered a “tragic situation had we been in the eurozone” during the last global crisis.

Instead, the sharp depreciation of Poland’s free-floating currency, the zloty, helped it absorb the shock by buoying exports. In 2009, it was the only state in the 27-member EU to escape recession. “It’s an advantage to have a flexible exchange rate-it helps adjustment,” PricewaterhouseCoopers expert Witold Orlowski told AFP recently in Warsaw. “This doesn’t mean Poland shouldn’t enter the eurozone. But in the short-term, a flexible exchange rate makes it easier to cope,” he added.

Exports generate around 40 percent of Poland’s gross domestic product (GDP), compared to over 70 percent for the neighboring smaller Czech Republic. With the Greek debt crisis rattling Europe, “we wouldn’t want Poland, a relatively poor country, entering the eurozone just to pay the debts of richer states”, added Orlowski, who once served as a presidential advisor. Massive cash injections stemming from EU entry have also buoyed Poland’s GDP. The nation of 38 million absorbed a net 14 billion euros ($18.6 billion) in EU subsides between 2004-2009 and is allotted 68 billion euros for 20072013, a government report said.

Days ahead of the October 9 general election, the initially wide lead of Tusk’s Civic Platform (PO) over Kaczynski’s Law and Justice (PiS) in opinion polls has dwindled to just a few percentage points, suggesting a much tighter race than expected. While the parties are miles apart on key issues such as relations with larger neighbors like Germany and Russiawith Tusk’s PO seeking closer ties in stark contrast to Kaczynski’s combative bent-both rule-out a two-speed Europe understood as a closely-integrated core of stronger eurozone economies, excluding smaller or weaker EU states.

Although Poland’s economy is considerably smaller than those of EU powerhouses Germany and France, what it lacks in size, it makes up in growth. This year Warsaw expects to see output expand by 3.8 percent compared to the 1.6 percent average for the mostly richer 17-member eurozone, according to International Monetary Fund (IMF) estimates.

The largest of 10 ex-communist states to have joined the EU, 38-million strong Poland distinguished itself by scoring 1.7 percent output growth in 2009, and so become the only member of the 27-state bloc to avoid sliding into recession amid the global crisis.

Maintaining a low national debt by EU standards has also been a key factor in Poland’s success, Orlowski told AFP. Tallying at 52,8 percent of GDP last year, the national debt grew slightly to 58.3 percent of GDP this year but is projected to decline again to 53 percent of GDP in 2012, according to the Polish finance ministry. A constitutionally-mandated national debt ceiling of 60 percent of GDP, means Poland is safer than most from a crippling debt.—AFP

the world’s deepest recession, according to the IMF. At the end of 2008, Latvia tapped the IMF and EU for a 7.5-billion-euro ($10 billion) loan package, paid in installments provided Riga keeps tight control over finances. To do so, it has slashed public spending and hiked taxes. Unlike other embattled European nations, notably Greece, Latvia has seen few major anti-austerity protests, with analysts pointing to memories of tough Soviet times.

Latvia’s economy contracted by 0.3 percent in 2010 but has rebounded.

The IMF forecasts 4.0 percent growth this year, then 3.0 percent in 2012.

“The economic situation here is getting better. Growth this year could be four percent or higher and under normal circumstances it could continue at four or five percent,” said Griffiths. “Unfortunately the world economy is facing a bit of a pause and conditions in Europe are also problematic, so this unfortunately

will affect growth in Latvia,” he noted. “But no repeat of the previous crisis is a major achievement,” he underlined. In an interview last week with AFP, Latvia’s Prime Minister Valdis Dombrovksis said that debtwracked eurozone nations had no alternative but to impose draconian austerity measures. “Our lesson is that you have to frontload this adjustment, do it quickly,” he said. Latvia aims to adopt the euro in 2014. —AFP

Markets up as economy chiefs head for talks EU executive proposes ‘coordinated action’ BERLIN: Stock markets rose yesterday ahead of an interest rate decision by the European Central Bank as German Chancellor Angela Merkel was to host talks with top officials over the eurozone debt crisis. After Germany called on EU partners to recapitalize the banking sector, European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso said yesterday the EU executive was proposing “coordinated action” to the 27 EU nations to recapitalize banks and prevent the crisis spreading.

“We are now proposing to the member states to have a coordinated action to recapitalise banks and get rid of toxic assets they may have,” Barroso said in a television interview. European stocks climbed following gains in Asia, boosted by another strong performance on Wall Street and hopes European leaders will come together to plan a route out of the crisis. Asia’s stock markets surged yesterday, also buoyed by better-than-expected economic data out of Washington that eased concerns the United States is slipping into recession.

Merkel was to host talks on threats to the financial global system later yesterday.

European Central Bank chief Jean-Claude Trichet, as well as the heads of the International Monetary Fund, the World Bank, the OECD and G20 representatives are gathering in the German capital.

Trichet will also chair the last meeting of his eight-year term with central bank chiefs from the 17 eurozone countries in Berlin, with analysts expecting him to signal rate cuts to stave off a recession. ECB watchers, however, are divided over the timing of such a move and whether the guardian of the single currency will choose to act as early as yesterday or wait until later this year.

Merkel, in Brussels Wednesday for a European Commission meeting, said that helping the banks was “justified, if we have a joint approach”, giving nervous financial markets an immediate boost after days of heavy losses on fears the banking sector needed help urgently. She was speaking after France and Belgium agreed to bail out Dexia, the first European bank to be dragged down by the eurozone debt crisis-and which also had to be rescued in 2008.

The debt crisis, beginning in Greece, has snared Ireland and Portugal and put Italy and Spain in the firing line too, threat-

BERLIN: European Central Bank President Jean-Claude Trichet holds the final press conference of his eight-year term, after a governing council meeting yesterday in Berlin, with analysts expecting the bank to hold rates steady, with an outside chance of a cut. —AFP ening to sink the whole euro project as banks exposed to their debt find it impossible to raise funding. The resulting “credit crunch” has sparked warnings there could be a replay of 2008 when US giant investment bank Lehman Brothers collapsed, nearly taking the global financial system with it but for massive government support.

Merkel said that it “is important for the markets that we achieve results ... time is pressing and we have to act quickly”.

Germany, she said, was ready to show the way, putting fresh capital into its banks if necessary, while adding that there was no “magic wand” at Europe’s disposal to resolve its problems. IMF Europe director Antonio Borges on Wednesday said that “somewhere between 100-200 billion (euros) will be more than enough” to back up the banks, adding it was “not that much money ... by no means beyond reach”.

Borges was in Brussels issuing the International Monetary Fund’s latest report on European economic prospects. Neither he nor his report minced words after two days of hectic talks in Luxembourg that kept Greece waiting to see if promised bailout funds, on hold for the past month,

will come through and save it from default.

The IMF urged Europe to balance growth with austerity as it called for a “more than overdue” solution to the crisis, warning of recession next year if it fails to find the right recipe. Canada’s finance minister Jim Flaherty, in a New York speech, warned that the EU must urgently address its debt woes or the crisis could become “too big for Europe to solve” and trigger a global recession. In Athens, civil servants staged a 24-hour walkout Wednesday in protest at a government plan to sideline 30,000 staff to reduce the deficit in return for the next tranche of debt rescue funding.

The EU again demanded more sacrifices from Greece at the Luxembourg meetings and also warned banks they may have to shoulder more losses as part of the resolution of the debt crisis-a point also raised by Merkel. Her deputy and Economy Minister Philipp Roesler was due to travel to Athens for talks over the Greek austerity program.

The Netherlands is due yesterday to vote on expanding the European Financial Stability Facility, while hold-out Slovakia is still struggling with internal coalition politics over their approval —AFP

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Floods drown Asia’s rice bowl 1.5 million hectares of paddy fields damaged PEA REANG, Cambodia: Massive floods have ravaged vast swathes of Asia’s rice bowl, threatening to further drive up food prices and adding to the burden of farmers who are among the region’s poorest, experts say. About 1.5 million hectares (3.7 million acres) of paddy fields in Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos have been damaged or are at risk from the worst floods to hit the region in years, officials say.

Heavy rains in Laos and Cambodia have also led to big losses in recent weeks, and experts say flood waters have now drained into Vietnam’s Mekong Delta, a key global rice producer, making it the latest to be inundated. Further west, flooding of rice and other farmland in Pakistan’s arable belt has cost that country nearly $2 billion in losses. “The whole region will now suffer from rising food prices as potential harvests have now been devastated. The damage is very serious this year and it will be some time before people can resume normal lives,” Margareta Wahlstrom, the United Nations chief of disaster reduction, said in a statement.

Cambodian rice farmer Nou Nem, 30, standing waist-deep in water in his rice field at Pea Reang

east of Phnom Penh, said the water has “destroyed everything”.

“I’m worried we might not have enough rice to eat this year and next year,” he told AFP. In Thailand, the world’s biggest rice exporter, where 244 people have died in the floods, about one million hectares of paddyroughly 10 percent of the total-have been damaged, officials say.

The flood damage comes on top of worries about the impact on global rice prices of a new scheme by the Thai government to boost the minimum price farmers receive for their crop. Vietnam meanwhile is the world’s number-two rice exporter and the Mekong Delta in southern Vietnam accounts for half the country’s production. “The upstream waters have begun to drop slightly but here they are rising three to five centimetres (1.2 to two inches) daily,” said Duong Nghia Quoc, director of the agriculture department in Dong Thap province.

Dong Thap and neighboring An Giang, which abut Cambodia, have been the worst affected in the delta. Vietnamese officials say 11 people have died, about 27,000 homes are flooded and nearly 6,000 hectares of rice have been lost.

Officials earlier said 99,000 hectares

China premier urges help for debt-laden businesses SHANGHAI : China must do more to support the small businesses that provide the bulk of new jobs but are struggling due to tight controls on credit, Premier Wen Jiabao says. Wen made the comments while making an inspection tour this week of Wenzhou in a visit that reflects growing concern over surging bankruptcies in a city famous for the vitality of its mostly small and medium-sized private businesses.

Wen, who is China’s top economic official, also suggested Beijing might adjust some policies aimed at excess lending and combatting inflation, noting that the economy, growing at a rate of about 9 percent, remains robust. “We should maintain the continuity and stability of our policies while giving them more foresight, relevance and flexibility,” he said in comments published yesterday.

China has ordered its state-run banks to keep record amounts of reserves to reduce excess lending, adding to the difficulties smaller businesses have in borrowing. That has prompted many to rely more on underground, informal lending, often at usurious rates. “Effective measures should be taken to contain the trend of usury, crack down on illegal fundraising and properly handle the problems of collateral and capital shortage in order to prevent risks from spreading and evolving on a regional scale,” Wen said in comments posted on the government website.

“Small businesses play an irreplaceable role in creating jobs and boosting economic growth,” Wen was quoted as saying. “It is of overall and strategic significance to support their development,” he said.

According to local officials, a lack of cash has forced one-fifth of Wenzhou’s 360,000 small and medium-sized businesses to stop operating. In some cases, factory owners have fled, leaving millions of dollars in debt behind. —AP

were “at risk” in Vietnam.

“Agricultural production is seriously affected this year by the floods that were, in fact, worse than our fore-

In Cambodia, more than 330,000 hectares of rice paddy have been inundated, of which more than 100,000 hectares are completely

PREY VENG: A Cambodian man walks through a rice field in floodwaters at a Reang district in Prey Veng province, some 60 kilometers st of Phnom Penh yesterday. —AFP casts,” said Vuong Huu Tien, of the flood and storm control department in An Giang, where thousands of soldiers have been mobilised to reinforce dykes and help residents reach safer ground.

destroyed, said a senior official at the Ministry of Agriculture. Ngin Chhay said the “big loss” was likely to affect this year’s rice surplus, which was expected to reach some three million tons.

Cambodia, where more than 160 people have been killed in the floods, exports only a fraction of total rice production but the crop accounts for about 7.5 percent of gross domestic product. Laos, one of Asia’s poorest nations, has also suffered, according to reports in state-controlled media there.

Tropical storms which struck since June killed at least 23 people in the country and damaged more than 60,000 hectares of paddy, the reports said. In late September more crops suffered after a dam on a tributary of the Mekong released water to lower its rain-swollen levels, the Vientiane Times reported.

Vo Tong Xuan, a Vietnamese rice expert based in the Mekong Delta, said a major contributor to this year’s floods has been the unusually heavy rains in Thailand and Laos, which drain down through the Mekong. Experts say the delta’s expanding system of dykes adds to the problem. They “prevent water circulation in some places but provoke floods in others,” said Bui Minh Tang, a weather forecaster. Vietnam News, the communist state’s official English-language daily, reported that the lost rice crop in Dong Thap province alone was worth $2.7 million. —AFP

Airbus eyes customer financing amid euro crisis SYDNEY: Global aviation giant Airbus said it would consider providing financing for customers as the eurozone debt crisis drags on, but affirmed upbeat long-term forecasts due to booming Asian demand. The comments came as the International Monetary Fund warned of a eurozone recession, with banksheaded by French-Belgian lender Dexianow facing collapse over bad exposure to sovereign debts.

Tom Williams, vice president of programs, said Airbus had not seen any immediate impact from intensifying debt crisis in the eurozone, but it was in talks with European credit agencies about shoring up its customers. “The European banks have been in the past few years active in terms of aircraft finance ... and clearly there will be some question marks if you look at the euro crisis today and the liquidity position of some of the big banks,” he told a markets briefing in Sydney.

“We will if necessary enter into some financing although we’re not a bank,” he added. “Of course that’s just an insurance (policy) and it has a cost, but it does allow the airlines to go into the market with a strong guarantee and to raise money.” During the 2008 global financial crisis Williams said Airbus had the benefit of “strong support from the European export credit agencies” (ECAs) and it would seek similar help for customers if needed during the current turmoil.

“I think we will look again to the ECAs, and we’ve been fairly active in talking to them all in the past few weeks,” he said.

Airbus affirmed last month’s long-range forecast of 27,850 new passenger and freight aircraft deliveries worth $3.5 trillion over the next 20 years due to huge demand from Asia, particularly China

SYDNEY: Tom Williams, vice president of programs at global aviation giant Airbus, scratches his head while speaking to analysts in Sydney yesterday. —AFP and India. “Really what’s driven us through the last recession and the difficult period in 2008-09 was the large numbers of aircraft that we were shipping to India, to China and to South

America,” Williams said.

About a third of Airbus deliveries during the previous crisis had “some kind of ECA guarantee” and though that had eased to about 21-22 percent Williams said “it may have to go back up again.”

“We’ll look at our own position and if necessary do some selective financing,” he added. The company will also maintain constant production through the turmoil, preferring to build up a backlog of aircraft rather than letting skills and capability lapse.

A division of European aerospace giant EADS, France-based Airbus expects solid growth in coming decades as the middle classes explode in China and India and demand soars for bigger, cleaner aircraft to curb fuel pollution.

Airbus expects Asia-Pacific to dominate air traffic by 2030, growing 5.7 percent over the next 20 years to take a 33 percent share of the global market, from 28 percent currently, which is roughly equal to Europe and North America.

Williams also saw a greater role for Asian financiers, saying firms such as Bank of China “who have a lot of dollars and want to fill some of the gap” would be “much more active in the market in the future”. Airbus had experienced a “pretty good year so far”, Williams said, with 73 percent of net market share compared to Boeing’s 27 percent, and US$95.4 billion in revenue, against Boeing’s $52.0 billion. —AFP

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Retail trade group sees modest holiday sales gain NEW YORK: The National Retail Federation, the nation’s largest retail trade group, expects winter holiday sales to rise 2.8 percent to $465.6 billion this year.

That would be smaller than 2010’s 5.2 percent increase, but it’s higher than the average increase for November and December over the past 10 years. And it would continue a recovery begun last ye ar after holiday sales fell the previous two years; they dropped 4.4 percent in 2008 and 0.4 percent in 2009.

NRF’s president and CEO, Matthew Shay, said the challenging economic climate - particularly the high unemployment rate - will weigh on the biggest shopping period of the year. But he said stores and their shoppers are acclimating. “While businesses remain concerned over the viability of the economic recovery, there is no doubt that the retail industry is in a better position this year to handle consumer uncertainty than it was in 2008 and 2009,” Shay said in explaining yesterday’s forecast.

Shay predicted a “slow and steady” holiday season.

The NRF forecast is in line with sales predictions from ShopperTrak and the International Council of Shopping Centers, which both foresee a 3 percent incre ase in sales for November and December. Those groups both measured a 4.1 percent increase in 2010.

Consulting firm Deloitte LLP also expects sales in the same range. It forecasts an increase of 2.5 percent to 3 percent for November through January, and it too sees a drop from a year earlier, when it measured a 5.9 percent gain.

NRF says holiday revenue grew 2.6 percent per year on average over the past decade. The NRF counts sales at discounters, department stores, grocery stores and specialty merchants. It excludes automotive dealers, gas stations and restaurants from its counts. The industry’s cautious stance heading into the holidays contrasts with stores’ optimism earlier in 2011.

Encouraged by strong holiday shopping in 2010, stores were starting to see a road to economic recovery. Jobs growth was gaining momentum, and consumers’ confidence was climbing, though it remained anemic.

But the situation has stagnated: Job growth has sputtered, and the housing market remains weak. Gas, food and clothing cost more than a year ago. And the stock market is in turmoil amid over the European financial crisis and continuing uncertainty in the US. The good news is that spending in mid-July through mid-September, the back-to-school period, appears to have been solid. According to MasterCard Advisors’ SpendingPulse, sales of back-to-school categories like children’s clothing and office supplies rose 3.2 percent for the period, the biggest increase since 2007, when they rose 2.1 percent. SpendingPulse data includes all forms of payment including cash. —AP Shopping in late summer is not a predictor for the hol idays - because people are more focused on necessities like children’s clothing and school supplies - but back-to-school trends can be a helpful gauge.

And experts say shoppers are still looking for bargains. “The consumer needs to be lured with a deal, and that’s why we are seeing more aggressive deals,” David Bassuk, managing director of retail at AlixPartners, a consultancy.— AP

Unions, students join Wall Street protesters Smaller demonstrations flourished across country NEW YORK: Unions lent their muscle to the long-running protest against Wall Street and economic inequality Wednesday, with their members joining thousands of protesters in a lower Manhattan march as smaller demonstrations flourished across the country.

Protesters in suits and T-shirts with union slogans left work early to march with activists who have been camped out in Zuccotti Park for days. Some marchers brought along their children, hoisting them onto their shoulders as they walked down Broadway. “We’re here to stop corporate greed,” said Mike Pellegrino, an NYC Transit bus mechanic from Rye Brook.

“They should pay their fair share of taxes.

We’re just working and looking for decent lives for our families.” Of the camping protesters, he said, “We feel kinship with them. We’re both looking for the same things.” The Occupy Wall Street protests started 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 nearby in Zuccotti Park and have become increasingly organized, lining up medical aid and legal help and printing their own newspaper. On Wednesday, people gathered in front of the courthouses that encircle Foley Square, then marched to Zuccotti Park, where they refueled with snacks and hurriedly painted new signs as the strong scent of burning sage wafted through the plaza.

Previous marches have resulted in mass arrests. Police said there were about 28 arrests on Wednesday night, mostly for disorderly conduct. But at least one arrest was for assaulting a police officer; authorities said a demonstrator knocked an officer off his scooter. The demonstrators Wednesday night posted a video on YouTube in which a police official is seen swinging a baton to clear a crowd of protesters. It was unclear from the angle of the video if anyone was hit. Officers are allowed to use batons and pepper spray in crowd control efforts. Another arrest came when a group of about 300 people decided to start marching again Wednesday night after the main march had ended.

The protesters have varied causes but have spoken largely about unemployment and economic inequality and reserved most of their criticism for Wall Street. “We are the 99 percent,” they chanted, contrasting themselves with the wealthiest 1 percent of Americans. Susan Henoch, 63, of Manhattan said she was a “child of the ‘60s” and came out to the park for the first time Wednesday. She held a sign that read, “Enough.”

“It’s time for the people to speak up,” she said. “Nobody’s listening to us, nobody’s representing us. Politics is dead. “This is no longer a recognizable democracy. This is a disaster,”

she said. Several Democratic lawmakers have expressed support for the protesters, but some Republican presidential candidates have rebuked them. Herman Cain, called the activists “un-American” Wednesday at a book signing in St. Petersburg, Fla. “They’re basically saying that somehow the government is supposed to take from those that have succeeded and give to those

Northeastern University students rallied together to condemn what they called corporate control of government and the spiraling costs of their education. The students banged on drums made of water jugs and chanted, “Banks got bailed out, and we got sold out.”

“This is an organic process. This is a process of grassroot people coming together. It’s a beautiful thing,” said David Schildmeier,

NEW YORK: A New York City police lieutenant swings his baton as he and other police try to stop protesters who breached a barricade to enter Wall Street after an Occupy Wall Street march Wednesday in New York. —AP who want to protest,” the former pizza-company executive said. “That’s not the way America was built.” On Tuesday, CBS reported that former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney called the protest “class warfare” at an appearance at a Florida retirement community.

Activists have been showing solidarity with movement in many cities: Occupy Providence.

Occupy Los Angeles. Occupy Boise. More than 100 people withstood an afternoon downpour in Idaho’s capital to protest, including Judy Taylor, a retired property manager. “I want change. I’m tired of things being taken away from those that need help,” she said. In Seattle, at least four demonstrators who had been camping out since the weekend in a downtown park were arrested after they refused orders from city park rangers to pack up. The reception was warmer in Los Angeles, where the City Council approved a resolution of support and Mayor Antonia Villaraigosa’s office distributed 100 rain ponchos to activists at another dayslong demonstration, according to City News Service.

In Boston, hundreds of nurses and

spokesman for the Massachusetts Nurses Association. Many of those protesting are college students. Hundreds walked out of classes in New York, some in a show of solidarity for the Wall Street movement but many more concerned with worries closer to home.

Protests were scheduled at State University of New York campuses including Albany, Buffalo, Binghamton, New Paltz and Purchase.

Not every campus appeared to feel the rumblings of dissent. At the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, there were students publicizing breast cancer awareness and National Coming Out Week, students crawling on their elbows in an apparent fraternity hazing ritual, quarreling evangelicals and even a flash mob to promote physical fitness, but no sign of the Wall Street protests.

Wednesday was quieter for the New York protesters than Saturday, when about 700 people were arrested and given disorderly conduct summonses for spilling into the roadway of the Brooklyn Bridge despite warnings from police. Wednesday’s march route was well marked with metal —AP

Nissan to pump $1.5bn into its first Brazil factory RIO DE JANEIRO: Nissan will invest $1.5 billion (1.12 billion euros) in a new factory in Brazil, where it hopes to produce more than 200,000 units per year, the Japanese automaker said yesterday. Nissan to date has no manufacturing facility of its own in South America’s largest economy, producing vehicles at the factory of its French partner Renault in

the southern Brazilian state of Parana.

Production in the new factory, to be built in the town of Resende, in Rio de Janeiro state, will begin in the first quarter of 2014, according to a Nissan statement.

The announcement comes as Nissan chief executive Carlos Ghosn, who also heads Renault, visits Brazil with the companies targeting the country’s large and lucra-

tive auto market. The move marks a new step in the group’s strategy of beefing up its presen ce in emerging economies, according to the company. It says it wants to increase market share in Brazil from the 1.5 percent today to at least five percent by 2016.

Nissan aims to launch 10 new models in Brazil between now and 2016 and boost its

sales network from 117 dealerships to 239.

The investment will lead to creation of some 2,000 jobs, Nissan said. Renault, which has produced cars in Brazil since the late 1990s, for its part announced on Wednesday an investment of about $265 million (200 million euros) in its plant in Curitiba, in Parana state, as it, too, aims to increase its market share in Brazil. —AFP

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Restive Egypt workers pose economic, political threats Companies feel the squeeze amid demands for higher pay MAHALLA EL-KUBRA: Like many Egyptians, textile factory worker Magdi elAleemy expected the uprising that toppled Hosni Mubarak to change his life. It did, but not for the better. The firm where he worked for 10 years, like so many other businesses in Egypt, was pummelled when the economy nosedived as investors fled and orders dried up. Aleemy lost his job.

“The revolution did nothing for us,” said Aleemy, standing with dozens of others protesting outside his old factory gates in Mahalla el-Kubra, north of Cairo. “We will stay here until or demands are met,” he said, drawing a roar of support from others.

Expectations were sky-high when Mubarak was driven out in February. For many, it signalled an end to policies they said lined the pockets of a rich elite at the expense of ordinary Egyptians. Workers expected a swift economic dividend. Eight months later, disappointment that the dividend has not materialised is fuelling a wave of worker unrest that the military-backed government, wary of provoking fresh political turmoil, is not attempting to suppress forcibly. Strikes are disrupting production and investment, reducing the resources available to satisfy workers. Comprehensive data for the frequency of strikes could not be obtained, but Nabil Abdel Fattah, analyst at the Al-Ahram Centre for Political and Strategic Studies in Cairo, estimated it had almost doubled since Mubarak’s ouster.

And if the anger in industrial cities such as Mahalla el-Kubra does not subside, the frustrated aspirations of workers may eventually boil over into a fresh wave of political unrest, say analysts.

“Given the deteriorating economic conditions, and if the government administration remains paralysed and unable to solve the workers’ problems, protests will most likely grow bigger and could lead to another big uprising,” said Abdel Fattah. There are no easy solutions. Many of those on strike work in state-owned factories, but the government has limited means to hike salaries when it forecasts a budget deficit of 8.6 percent of gross domestic product in the financial year to June 2012. Economists say the actual deficit is likely to be bigger.

HALTING PRODUCTION “The protestors have legitimate demands, their salaries can’t meet their needs, but we don’t have resources to pay them,” Finance Minister Hazem el-Beblawi told reporters after opening a session of Egypt’s battered stock market.

Private firms are also feeling the squeeze. Gamal el-Deeb, owner of plant that produces stone for use in construction in the Nile Delta town of Manoufiya, said the economic downturn had slashed the market for his product, forcing him to halt output. “We have no work. We don’t get money and the situation has been miserable for the past six months. I don’t get any income yet I am required to pay the salaries of my workers and keep the factory open,” Deeb told Reuters.

His 35 workers earn about 30 to 40

CAIRO: A passenger waits for his departure outside Cairo airport yesterday. Flights in and out of Egypt’s main international airport were severely disrupted yesterday because of a work slowdown by Cairo air traffic controllers to protest the revocation of a promised bonus, airport officials said. — AP pounds ($5-7) daily for six-hour shifts. “The lion. It dropped to half that in the global wage. “The workers are asking for better, workers need money and get angry with us financial crisis, but still was stronger than in more fairly distributed pay and better work if we don’t pay them regardless of the situ- many other emerging economies of similar conditions. The government is very slow in ation,” he said. Nationwide, experiences size. Now money is flowing out; the central responding to those demands, which will like Deeb’s are weighing heavily on eco- bank’s reserves have dropped by about $12 eventually lead to more unrest and more nomic growth; a Reuters poll of analysts billion since early this year to $24.01 billion instability,” said Zaher. The Workers Union published last week predicted gross in September. during Mubarak’s 30-year-rule was seen, domestic product would expand by just 1.3 Simon Williams, Middle East economist like most public bodies, as an ally of the rulpercent in the fiscal year to June 30, 2012 at HSBC, said some investors were looking ing National Democratic Party. That has and 3.6 percent next year, after 1.8 percent to place long-term funds in Egypt. “But changed. Zaher took over as acting union with economic performance still weak, head after his predecessor went on trial for growth last fiscal year.

Egyptian ceramics firm Lecico warned in industrial action heightened and the politi- corruption.

August that 2011 might be its worst year cal outlook so uncertain, only a few are perAccording to activists and members of since 2004 after second-quarter net profit suaded that they must invest now,” he said, the Union, there are at least 3 million peoplunged 80 percent, partly because of a adding that the weak global outlook was ple registered as workers in Egypt, with nine-day strike that halted work at adding to Egypt’s challenges. around 360,000 in the public sector. “They Alexandria sanitary ware and tile certainly have the ability to attract many plants.This week Egypt’s stock market fell other sectors of the low-middle class who ‘MORE UNREST’ to fresh 30-month lows, hit by the threat of In a bid to contain labor disputes and are the majority of the people, and this a possible strike by brokerage employees. respond to public calls for social equality, could lead to a bigger uprising than the The stock exchange issued a statement say- the government hiked the minimum wage past one,” said Al-Ahram’s Abdel Fattah. ing its head Mohamed Omran had met to 708 Egyptian pounds a month from Even in Mubarak’s time, workers showed 422.20 pounds in July. Labor Ministry readiness to challenge employers; strikes with traders and discussed their concerns.

Before the anti-Mubarak unrest erupted, spokesman Alaa Awad said the minimum occurred in Mahalla el-Kubra in 2006 and the economy was heading for a growth rate wage had been implemented across state 2008. But at that time, the state had more of some 6 percent, the rate which analysts firms. But he also said the ministry would money in its coffers so it could offer wage estimate Egypt, with 80 million people and not talk with strikers who disrupted output. hikes, and it had a strong police force that youthful demographics, needs to generate “The minister said there would be no talks came down hard on protests. Now there enough new employment. Labor unrest is with a protesting worker who is delaying may be little respite for the government scaring away both local and foreign production. He has to return to work before through next year or longer. Nagi Rashad, a investors, who were already fretting about entering in any talks with the state,” he union member employed by the state’s the uncertain political outlook before a said. Unions say the new minimum wage is South Cairo & Giza Mills & Bakeries, said November parliamentary election. Until still too low. Ahmed Abdel Zaher, the act- labourers needed new laws “to prevent Mubarak’s ouster, foreign direct investment ing head of Egypt’s Workers Union, said company owners mistreating us or abusing was a pillar of the economy. In the 2007- that in practice, many factory workers still our rights”. “We will keep protesting until 2008 financial year, FDI exceeded $13 bil- earned even less than the old minimum that happens,” he added.— Reuters

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FRIDAY, OCTOBER 7, 2011

Iran at a crossroads

By Kamran Bokhari

G

eopolitically, a trip to Iran could not come at a better time. Iran is an emerging power seeking to exploit the vacuum created by the departure of US troops from Iraq, which is scheduled to conclude in a little more than three months. Tehran also plays a major role along its eastern border, where Washington is seeking a political settlement with the Taliban to facilitate a US withdrawal from Afghanistan.

The Islamic republic simultaneously is trying to steer popular unrest in the Arab world in its favor. That unrest in turn has significant implications for the IsraeliPalestinian conflict, an issue in which Iran has successfully inserted itself over the years. The question of the US-Iranian relationship also looms - does accommodation or confrontation lie ahead? At the same time, the Iranian state - a unique hybrid of Shiite theocracy and Western republicanism - is experiencing intense domestic power struggles.

This is the geopolitical context in which I arrived at Imam Khomeini International airport late Sept 16. Along with several hundred foreign guests, I had been invited to attend a Sept 17-18 event dubbed the “Islamic Awakening” conference, organized by the office of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Given the state of Iranian-Western ties and my position as a senior analyst with a leading US-based private intelligence company, the invitation came as surprise.

With some justification, Tehran views foreign visitors as potential spies working to undermine Iranian national security. The case of the American hikers jailed in Iran (two of whom were released the day of my return to Canada) provided a sobering example of tourism devolving into accusations of espionage. Fortunately for me, Stratfor had not been placed on the list of some 60 Western organizations (mostly American and British think tanks and civil society groups) banned as seditious in early 2010 following the failed Green Movement uprising. Still, the Iranian regime is well aware of our views on Iranian geopolitics.

In addition to my concerns about how Iranian authorities would view me, I also worried about how attending a statesponsored event designed to further Iranian geopolitical interests where many speakers heavily criticized the United States and Israel would look in the West. In the end, I set my trepidations aside and opted for the trip.

Geopolitical Observations in Tehran Stratfor CEO and founder George Friedman has written of geopolitical journeys, of how people from diverse national backgrounds visiting other countries see places in very different ways. In my case, my Pakistani heritage, American upbringing, Muslim religious identity and Canadian nationality allowed me to navigate a milieu of both locals and some 700 delegates of various Arab and Muslim backgrounds. But the key was in the way Stratfor trains its analysts to avoid the pitfall that many succumb to - the blurring of what is really happening with what we may want to see happen.

The foreigner arriving in Iran immediately notices that despite 30 years of increasingly severe sanctions, the infrastructure and systems in the Islamic repub-

lic appear fairly solid. As a developing country and an international pariah, one would expect infrastructure along the lines of North Korea or Cuba. But Iran’s construction, transportation and communications infrastructure shares more in common with apartheid-era South Africa, and was largely developed indigenously.

Also notable was the absence of any visible evidence of a police state.

Considering the state’s enormous security establishment and the recent unrest surrounding the Green Movement, I expected to see droves of elite security forces. I especially expected this in the northern districts of the capital, where the more Westernized segment of society lives and

several with tears in their eyes as they prayed at the tomb.

Obviously, the intensity of religious feelings varies in Iran, but a significant stratum of the public remains deeply religious and still believes in the national narrative of the revolutionary republic. This fact does not get enough attention in the Western media and discourse, clouding foreigners’ understanding of Iran and leading to misperceptions of an autocratic clergy clinging to power only by virtue of a massive security apparatus.

In the same vein, I had expected to see stricter enforcement of religious attire on women in public after the suppression of the Green Movement. Instead, I saw a

religiously informed, though they have retained their nationalist and radical antiWestern tone.

For example, his speech at the conclusion of the second day of the conference on the theme of the event, Islamic Awakening, was articulated in non-religious language. This stood in sharp contrast to almost every other speaker.

Ahmadinejad spoke of recent Arab unrest in terms of a struggle for freedom, justice and emancipation for oppressed peoples, while his criticism of the United States and Israel was couched in terms of how the two countries’ policies were detrimental to global peace as opposed to the raw ideological vitriol that we have seen in the not

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad (foreground third left) listens to Iranian national anthem with other participants of the “Islamic Awakening” conference in Tehran Sept 18, 2011. — AP where I spent a good bit of time walking and sitting in cafes.

Granted, I didn’t stay for long and was only able to see a few areas of the city to be able to tell, but the only public display of opposition to the regime was “Death to Khamenei” graffiti scribbled in small letters on a few phone booths on Vali-e-Asr Avenue in the Saadabad area. I saw no sign of Basij or Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps personnel patrolling the streets, only the kind of police presence one will find in many countries.

This normal security arrangement gave support to Stratfor’s view from the very beginning that the unrest in 2009 was not something the regime couldn’t contain. As we wrote then and I was able to see firsthand last week, Iran has enough people who - contrary to conventional wisdom support the regime, or at the very least do not seek its downfall even if they disagree with its policies.

I saw another sign of support for the Islamic republic a day after the conference ended, when the organizers arranged a tour of the mausoleum of the republic’s founder, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini. We visited the large complex off a main highway on the southern end of town on a weekday; even so, numerous people had come to the shrine to pay their respects -

light-handed approach on the issue.

Women obeyed the requirement to cover everything but their hands and faces in a variety of ways. Some women wore the traditional black chador. Others wore long shirts and pants and scarves covering their heads. Still others were dressed in Western attire save a scarf over their head, which was covering very little of their hair.

The dress code has become a political issue in Iran, especially in recent months in the context of the struggle between conservative factions. President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, who has encountered growing opposition from both pragmatic and ultraconservative forces, has come under criticism from clerics and others for alleged moral laxity when it comes to female dress codes. Even so, the supreme leader has not moved to challenge Ahmadinejad on this point.

Ahmadinejad and the Clerical-Political Divide In sharp contrast with his first term, Ahmadinejad - the most ambitious and assertive president since the founding of the Islamic republic in 1979 - has been trying to position himself as the pragmatist in his second term while his opponents come out looking like hard-liners. In recent months his statements have become less

too distant past.

But while Iran’s intra-elite political struggles complicate domestic and foreign policymaking, they are not about to bring down the Islamic republic - at least not anytime soon. In the longer term, the issue at the heart of all disputes - that of shared governance by clerics and politicians does pose a significant challenge to the regime. This tension has existed throughout the nearly 32-year history of the Islamic republic, and it will continue to be an issue into the foreseeable future as Iran focuses heavily on the foreign policy front.

Iran’s Regional Ambitions In fact, the conference was all about Iran’s foreign policy ambitions to assume intellectual and geopolitical leadership of the unrest in the Arab world. Iran is well aware that it is in competition with Turkey over leadership for the Middle East and that Ankara is in a far better position than Iran economically, diplomatically and religiously as a Sunni power. Nevertheless, Iran is trying to position itself as the champion of the Arab masses who have risen up in opposition to autocratic regimes. The Iranian view is that Turkey cannot lead the region while remaining aligned with Washington and that Saudi Arabia’s lack of enthusiasm for the uprisings works in

Tehran’s favor.

The sheer number of Iranian officials who are bilingual (fluent in Persian and Arabic) highlights the efforts of Tehran to overcome the ethno-linguistic geopolitical constraints it faces as a Persian country trying to operate in a region where most Muslim countries are Arab. While its radical anti-US and anti-Israeli position has allowed it to circumvent the ethnic factor and attract support in the Arab and Muslim worlds, its Shiite sectarian character has allowed its opponents in Riyadh and elsewhere to restrict Iranian regional influence. In fact, Saudi Arabia remains a major bulwark against Iranian attempts expand its influence across the Persian Gulf and into Arabian Peninsula, as has been clear by the success that the Saudis have had in containing the largely Shiite uprising in Bahrain against the country’s Sunni monarchy.

Even so, Iran has developed some close relations across the sectarian divide, something obvious from the foreign participants invited to the conference. Thus in addition to the many Shiite leaders from Lebanon and Iraq and other parts of the Islamic world, the guest list included deputy Hamas leader Mousa Abu Marzook; Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) chief Ramadan Abdullah Shallah; a number of Egyptian religious, political, intellectual and business notables; the chief adviser to Sudanese President Omar Al-Bashir as well as the leader of the country’s main opposition party, Sadiq Al-Mahdi; a number of Sunni Islamist leaders from Pakistan and Afghanistan, including former Afghan President Burhanuddin Rabbani whom I had the opportunity of speaking with only two days before he was assassinated in Kabul; and the head of Malaysia’s main Islamist group, PAS, which runs governments in a few states - just to name a few.

Tehran has had much less success in breaching the ideological chasm, something evidenced by the dearth of secular political actors at the conference. Its very name, Islamic Awakening, was hardly welcoming to secularists. It also did not accurately reflect the nature of the popular agitation in the Arab countries, which is not being led by forces that seek revival of religion. The Middle East could be described as experiencing a political awakening, but not a religious awakening given that Islamist forces are latecomers to the cause.

A number of my hosts asked me what I thought of the conference, prompting me to address this conceptual discrepancy. I told them that the name Islamic Awakening only made sense if one was referring the Islamic world, but that even this interpretation was flawed as the current unrest has been limited to Arab countries. While speaker after speaker pressed for unity among Muslim countries and groups in the cause of revival and the need to support the Arab masses in their struggle against autocracy, one unmistakable tension was clear. This had to do with Syria, the only state in the Arab world allied with Iran. A number of speakers and members of the audience tried to criticize the Syrian regime’s efforts to crush popular dissent, but the discomfort this caused was plain. Syria has proven embarrassing for Iran and even groups like Hezbollah, Hamas and PIJ, which are having a hard time reconciling their support for the Arab unrest on one hand and supporting the Syrian regime against its dissidents on the other.— Stratfor

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www.kuwaittimes.net

A Cambodian man rides on a water buffalo at Preah Vihear Sour pagoda during a water buffalo racing on Tuesday, Sept. 27, 2011, in Kandal province, some 40 kilometers (25 miles) northeast of Phnom Penh, Cambodia. Residents of the village on Tuesday held an annual water buffalo race to mark the end of a traditional celebration known as the Festival for the Dead in Cambodia. — AP

Te c h n o l o g y FRIDAY, OCTOBER 7, 2011

Reading between the digital lines

Selection of e-readers and e-books ever growing P

rinted books are in no danger of extinction due to the rise of e-books, but that doesn’t mean e-books aren’t well on their way to establishing themselves as a regular part of the market.

“North America might be two years ahead of us, so we need a little time to catch up,” says Nina Kreutzfeldt, who is setting up a German-language shop for the Canadian e-book seller Kobo. “But we’re watching some fascinating developments and I think it will get a little bit bigger already this year.” When it comes to e-books and e-readers, the selection is increasingly growing, both in terms of content and delivery method. E-readers are also dropping in price.

Last year, at the Frankfurt Book Fair, the fight was over whether people would read books on ereaders, or switch to reading them on tablet computers, like Apple’s iPad. Now experts are saying that both are being used for reading digital books. “The market figures of which we are aware indicate co-existence for both categories,” says Per Dalheimer, the head of German e-book marketer Libri.de. “You can read books no problem on the tablet, when you’re at home, sitting on the couch or in bed. When you’re underway or if you read a lot of e-books, then you might want to consider an e-reader, if for no other reason than

for the long battery times.”

E-readers use e-ink display technology, which means text is displayed in high contrast on a matte, reader-friendly screen. There is no background lighting: If you want to read the e-book, you need daylight or artificial light, just like with a regular book. Energy is only needed for turning the page.

That means the battery can go for weeks between charges. Amazon’s Kindle is one of the most popular e-readers. The standard 6-inch display version costs 139 euros (190 dollars).

Combined with mobile communications capabilities, it costs 189 euros. Part of the marketing concept behind the Kindle is that customers pick the specific Kindle format they want. Apple has also set up a system where the device and e-book store are closely linked. Its iPad pulls reading materials from the iBooks store.

Most other providers have opted for the EPUB standard format, which is linked to a copyright protection system from Adobe. Those include Sony, which is going to bring its PRS-T1 reader to markets in October, for 149 euros. “We don’t see any competition between e-readers and tablets, rather an extension,” says Fujio Noguchi, the Sony manager responsible for reading devices.

Dalheimer expects the price of e-readers to continue to decline: “Last year, it cost 179 euros for a

wi-fi reader. Now it’s 139 euros. My estimate for next year is 99 euros.” Since e-book prices are linked to those of published books, there’s no way for e-book providers to wage direct price wars on that front. Nonetheless, Kreutzfeldt says e-books tend to be, on average, about 20 per cent cheaper than printed versions. They can even be cheaper in some countries, where tax is lower on electronic versions of books. Dalheimer says an added boost will come when the complete catalogue of books is available at attractive prices.

“When we get a full set on offer and the prices go down, then it’s just going to boom,” he says. — dpa

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FRIDAY, OCTOBER 7, 2011

Muslim matchmaker bridges modernity and old values T

he one-line email that greeted Mohammad Mertaban came straight to the point. “Mertaban, find me a husband, k? I await your list of potential suitors,” wrote a woman who lives on the East Coast. Mertaban was not surprised, although he knew the woman only slightly. “If it comes from a brother or sister whom I don’t know very well, I know that she would do it out of frustration, desperation or a strong desire to get married,” he explained later. An information technology project manager who lives in Fullerton, California, Mertaban, 30, has grown accustomed to urgent requests - by phone, email and in person - since he began dabbling in matchmaking for friends and acquaintances about eight years ago. Those he helps are observant young Muslims searching for a modern path to marriage that stays true to Islam.

American Muslims regularly speak of a “marriage crisis” in their communities, as growing numbers of Muslims reach their late 20s and early 30s still single. Young religious Muslims tend to avoid Western-style dating, but many also reject the ways of earlier generations, in which potential spouses were introduced to one another by family.

Traditionally, in South Asia and the Middle East, older women - often called the “aunties” - and parents recommended matches by drawing upon their extensive networks of family, friends and acquaintances. Marriage criteria were typically limited to religion, ethnicity, jobs and looks. But in the US, their little black books of contacts are significantly thinner and many second-generation American Muslims see such methods as decidedly old-world.

So many turn to yo ung volunteer matchmakers like Mertaban, who have connections in their hometowns, college circles and vast online networks. “The aunties don’t really know people very well and I think they’re just shooting in the dark,” said Mertaban, whose parents emigrated from Lebanon. “I think people have veered away from that.” Amir Mertaban, Mohammad’s younger brother and a matchmaker as well, said the goal was “to keep this as close to Islam as possible. I’m trying to get people hooked up, but we’re trying to do this in a halal (permissible) manner.”

What is and isn’t allowed is debated within the Muslim community. But those who seek a matchmaker’s help tend to steer clear of anything resembling dating and to avoid meeting one another without a chaperone. And even though they may see their parents’ methods as too traditional, they are still more comfortable seeking help from a go-between than online matrimonial sites or singles’ events held at mosques under the guise of “networking.”

Mertaban, who is lively with a quick laugh and a wide, almost Joker-like smile, says he didn’t choose to be a matchmaker but fell into the role after he helped a number of friends.

He grew up in Diamond Bar and has lived in Los Angeles, Irvine and Fullerton, California - where he is now a youth mentor at the area mosque - which helped him establish a wide Southern California Muslim network. In his senior year at UCLA, Mertaban was president of the campus’ Muslim Student Association and the following year president of MSAWest, an umbrella group covering much of the West Coast.

With chapters at universities nationwide, it has jokingly been called the Muslim Singles Association.

He was well-liked and known for making other students, especially freshmen, feel welcome. Many turned to him for advice about their problems.

“He’s a leader ... everybody trusts Mohammad,” said Lena Khan, 26, an independent filmmaker who attended UCLA with Mertaban. “If you need something at 2 am, you know Mohammad is happy to help you.”

In a community that observes a certain level of gender segregation, Mertaban, because of his leadership roles, interacted regularly with both men and women. Soon, students began asking him for help finding potential mates. His first attempt involved one of his best friends, of Palestinian descent, and an Indian woman the man was interested in. It didn’t work, partly because of their different ethnicities - a cultural lesson Mertaban now keeps in mind when suggest-

ing pairings. He organizes his lists of single men and women by nationality.

The “Single Sisters” directory on his laptop begins with a 28-year-old Afghan woman and ends with a 25-year-old Syrian. In between are almost three dozen women, ranging from their early 20s to early 30s with details such as “Algerian only” or “wants to marry an Egyptian dr, mba or engineer.”

Other notations include “not hijabi,” referring to women who don’t wear a head scarf. His “Single Brothers” list, which is kept separate, is longer.

Mertaban, who has been married since 2005 and has two young daughters, said he has become well known as a source of reliable information about single Muslims - perhaps too well known. “I’ll get random emails from people that I’ve met once,” he said. “And sometimes it’s just really overwhelming and I don’t want to take these cases on.” At a recent Muslim conference, Mertaban volunteered at the information booth of a relief agency with projects in the Middle East and Africa.

But some at the conference still wanted to talk matrimony.

A man from Northern California stood awkwardly beside Mertaban, saying, “Maybe you can mention potentials” as

one like Mohammad.” She and Ahmad were married 10 months later.

Twice previously, Khan’s parents had entertained suitors for her - young men and their parents - and both efforts ended the day they began. “It’s just not as fruitful,” she said. Even though Mertaban is a new-style matchmaker, his methods are relatively conservative. He is wary of suggesting matches for couples of different ethnicities and he declines to help any man who doesn’t plan to approach the woman’s father first for permission.

“I mean guys and girls shouldn’t be talking freely,” he said.

“If you have the intention of getting married, the parents need to be involved.” Sounding not unlike an “auntie” himself, he says those interested in marriage need to decide if they are compatible as a couple before emotions get in the way. He was introduced to his wife, Ferdaus Serhal, by his older sister who had worked with Serhal at a mosque. The couple emailed and spoke on the phone for two months before their families met.

Now he often consults with Serhal to get her opinion on a young woman or a possible pairing. He has matched eight

Mohammad Mertaban (left) at home with his family, during dinner time in Fullerton, California. — MCT young women walked by. The man, whom Mertaban had previously tried to set up but without success, stayed at his elbow as conference-goers browsed through religious books and other materials nearby. Too polite to mention his discomfort with the request, Mertaban escaped only when the call to prayer was made.

He had greater success with Khan, the filmmaker. On Valentine’s Day 2008, he called to say that a friend, Ahmad, was interested in her. For a few weeks, Khan peppered Mertaban with questions about her suitor. Mertaban told her that Ahmad was devoted to his prayers and very involved in volunteer activities, both of which were important to her. He helped fill the gaps in a courtship that took place mostly over the phone, Khan said.

“Mohammad told me he was funny and it would have taken me forever ... to find out because he’s not going to start busting out jokes on the phone with a girl he wants to marry,” she said. “If you want to know about a guy, you need some-

couples who married and has about half a dozen more in progress. Still, he says he spends too much time counseling men with unrealistic expectations. Two days after a wedding where he ran into a college friend, Mertaban got a call from the man. They spent time catching up, then the man volunteered that he was struggling to find a wife. Mertaban asked what he was looking for.

“He said he wants a girl with beautiful hair, tall, slender body and he wants her to have really pretty eyes and on top of that, get this, he wanted a girl who would not talk back to him,” the matchmaker recalled.

“I thought this is not worth my time, this guy needs a lot more maturing.” But he felt obliged to say something. He told the man, a doctor, that his criteria were unrealistic. He tried to be sensitive, knowing that asking for his help can be a humbling experience. The man seemed to understand, but at the end of the conversation he just reiterated his requirements.

Mertaban hung up feeling frustrated. — MCT

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FRIDAY, OCTOBER 7, 2011

Everyday cooking

Broccoli

By Sawsan Kazak

C

auliflower’s wild cousin, broccoli is the rebel in the family with its wild green shade and untamed florets.

Nutritionally beneficial and good tasting, broccoli is great in a starter, main, or side dish. Unfortunately, broccoli has gotten a bad rap from its years of maltreatment by school cafeterias and unknowing parents. Most of the time, broccoli is bowled down until it is limp, flavorless and benefit-free; the water it sat in is usually more useful. But when treated right, broccoli can provide dishes with an earthy and complex flavor and provide us with vitamins and minerals. The following recipes highlight broccoli as the rock star vegetable it is.

Pick the perfect floret

Send suggestions to: sawsank@kuwaittimes.net

T

hough it thrives in the cold weather and peaks from late autumn to early spring, broccoli is available fresh year-round.

Here’s what to look for when shopping for broccoli:

• • •

The best broccoli will have dark green tops with lighter green stems.

Buds should be tightly closed, with no mushy spots or signs of yellowing.

The stalks should feel firm and crisp, never limp or wobbly.

At most stores, you can also buy packages of pre-cut broccoli florets—look for the same characteristics to ensure quality.

Broccoli can stay fresh for up to two weeks if you store it unwashed, dry, and tightly wrapped in a plastic bag. Keep in mind broccoli’s nutritional value depletes the longer you store it, so you’re better off using it as soon as possible.

Another alternative is frozen broccoli—you can use as much or as little as you like and freezing does a great job of preserving nutrients.

Cook it right Perfectly cooked broccoli is an appetizing bright green with a mild, pleasant flavor and a tender but firm texture. To avoid overcooking, uncover once it’s done and serve right away. You can also plunge it into an ice bath to stop the cooking—this will preserve the color, flavor, and nutrients.

(www.allrecipes.com)

Fo o d

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Fo o d

Broccoli soup with cheddar cheese

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 7, 2011

Quick broccoli rice casserole 10 oz pkg frozen chopped broccoli 1 can cream of mushroom soup 1 large onion chopped and sauteed in butter 1/2 cups grated cheddar or marble cheese 3 cups cooked rice 1 cups mushrooms

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ix all ingredients together well and bake at 350ยบ F for 30 minutes.

6 tablespoons butter, room temperature 2 pounds fresh broccoli 1 large onion, chopped 2 garlic cloves, minced 1/2 teaspoon dried 6 1/2 cups chicken stock 1 cup whipping cream 3 tablespoons all purpose flour 2 cups (packed) grated extrasharp cheddar cheese

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elt 3 tablespoons butter in heavy medium pot over medium-high heat. Add broccoli stems and onion; saute until onion is translucent, about 6 minutes.

Add garlic and tarragon; saute 1 minute. Add stock; bring to boil. Simmer uncovered until broccoli is tender, about 15 minutes. Stir in cream. Mix remaining 3 tablespoons butter with flour in small bowl to make paste. Whisk paste into soup.

Add broccoli florets. Simmer until soup thickens and florets are tender, stirring frequently, about 5 minutes.

Stir-fried broccoli with chili and garlic

Fast and easy garlic and broccoli pasta 3-4 tablespoon olive oil 1-2 cloves garlic, finely chopped 2 cup broccoli, frozen 2 cup cooked noodles of choice Garlic flavored salt, to taste

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ut olive oil in hot pan at medium heat, and add garlic. When the garlic pieces start to brown add the broccoli, still frozen. You could speed this step up by heating the broccoli thoroughly by other means, but this way really takes in the flavor of the garlic and the oil.

Continuously stir the dish until the broccoli is soft, about ten minutes. Sprinkle with garlic salt to your taste. At least a little is good, or it can be a little bland. Finally, toss with cooked pasta.

ENJOY!!! You can throw in any additional veggies you like, I have used mushrooms and sun dried tomatoes in this too for variation.

1 tbsp olive oil 1 garlic clove, chopped 1/2 head broccoli, cut into florets 1/2 tsp chili flakes 2 tbsp soy sauce salt and freshly ground black pepper soy sauce, to serve

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eat the olive oil in a wok over a high heat. Add the garlic, broccoli and chili flakes and stir fry for 5-6 minutes. Add the soy sauce, and season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper.

To serve, place the stir-fried broccoli onto a serving plate with a dipping dish of soy sauce on the side if desired.

THEY ARE THE 99!

99 Mystical Noor Stones carry all that is left of the wisdom and knowledge of the lost civilization of Baghdad. But the Noor Stones lie scattered across the globe - now little more than a legend.

One man has made it his life’s mission to seek out what was lost. His name is Dr. Ramzi Razem and he has searched fruitlessly for the Noor Stones all his life.

Now, his luck is about to change - the first of the stones have been rediscovered and with them a special type of human who can unlock the gem’s mystical power. Ramzi brings these gem - bearers together to form a new force for good in the world. A force known as ... the 99!

THE FASCINATING STORY OF THE 99 Baghdad lies in ruins, destroyed by the marauding armies of Hulagu Khan. The brave librarians of the great Dar Al-Hikma rush to save the glory of the ancient world’s accumulated wisdom, little knowing that centuries later their efforts will bear strange fruit. While the Noor Stones were created to save the library, their power has transcended that task and in our own time has provided extraordinary abilities to an international group of young people, the world’s newest superheroes known as… The 99.

The 99 ® and all related characters ® and © 2011, Teshkeel Media Group, Inc. All rights reserved.

www.the99.org

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FRIDAY, OCTOBER 7, 2011

Istanbul top ten attractions

admired tulips that his reign was dubbed the Tulip Age. Open Wednesday to Monday from 9am to 5pm.

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stanbul is a sprawling city that uniquely spans two continents and oozes both culture and romance. Staddling the Bosphoros the landscape is dotted with domes, minarets and mosques of exquisite architecture. Start at the Sultanahmet District (named after Sltan Ahmet I), the heart of the old section of Istanbul where you can find many attractions including Topkapi Palace and the Blue Mosque and some of the city’s most popular restaurants.

1. Hagia Sophia Museum Church (Ayasofya) This architectural marvel displays 30 million gold tiles throughout its interior, and a wide, flat dome which was a bold engineering feat at the time it was constructed in the 6th century.

2. Grand Bazaar (Kapali Carsi) This huge market started out as a warehouse and just grew into a shopping Mecca the largest covered bazaar in Turkey.

Haggling for anything from carpets to jewels

to cumin is part of the culture and it is rumoured to contain over 4,000 shops. So be prepared: comfortable shoes, lots of energy and a huge dollop of humour to deal with the bargaining banter. It will be worth it to come away with basement prices on fur, leather and handcrafted souvenirs. The bazaar is open Monday to Saturday from 8.30am to 7.00pm. www.grand-bazaar.com 3. Topkapi Palace This enormous palace was the Imperial residence of Ottoman sultans for almost 400 years. Although much of the palace is not accessible, the daily tours of the Harem are of great interest to tourists. You will learn about its former resident Selim the Sot, who drowned in his own bath after imbibing far to much champagne. Mahmut II was the last emperor to live here and although the palace has changed over the years, its basic four-courtyard plan have not. Don’t forget to visit the Harem and take a peek at the ornate structure in the cobbled square which is the Fountain of Sultan Amhet III, a sultan who so

4. Blue Mosque (Mosque Sultan Ahmet Camii) Nicknamed the Blue Mosque because of the colour of its tens of thousands of interior tiles, this masterful early 17th century building with its many domes and six minarets was built to compete with the Hagia Sophia across the street that had been erected almost a millenium earlier. Indeed its courtyard is the biggest of all the Ottoman mosques. Approach the mosque viat the middle of the Hippodrome rather than making your way through Sultanahmet park, because you will get a far better of appreciation of the design this way.

5. The Bosphorus This body of water that passes along the shores of Istanbul is 20 miles in length and is the physical divider between the continents of Europe and Asia. Be sure to catch a ferry from Karakoy (just over the Galata Bridge from Eminonu) to Kadikoy. This way you can enjoy a romantic night-time ferry over the waters while taking in the view of the Old City.

6. Yerebatan Sarayi (Sunken Palace Cistern) Istanbul has hundreds of gloomy cisterns left from the days when Istanbul was Constantinople. The grandest is known as Yerebatan Sarayi or Sunken Palace. This giant well, complete with 336 marble columns, once held over 21 million gallons of water for the city residents. It’s claim to hollywood

fame is its appearence in the Bond Movie, From Russia With Love. The scene where Bond rows a small boat through a series of marble columns was filmed here. Today, it is a major tourist attraction, complete with piped-in music and pulsing lights and a little cafe. Allow at least 30 minutes for your visit here.

7. Istanbul Archaeological Museum This museum has three distinct sections: Museum of the Ancient Orient and the Tiled Kiosk, the Archaelogy Museum and the Tiled Kiosk. It is brim full of Roman sarcophagi, Turkish faience (glazed earthenware) and Hittite artefacts. Open Tuesday to Sunday from 8.30am to 5pm.

8. Cemberlitas Hamam Turkey is the home of the Hamam and this is one of several Turkish baths in the city.

It was built by the same architect responsible for the Blue Mosque designed this one.

9. Dolmabahce Palace (Dolmabahce Sarayi) This palace was built in the mid 1800s to replace an earlier structure that was made of wood. The new palace incorporated sixteen separate buildings with stables, a flour mill and a clock tower among them.

10. Egyptian Bazaar (Misir Carsisi) Spices, dried fruits, nuts and seeds are among the many treasures to be found at this bazaar also known as the Spice Market. (www.thetravelmagazine.net)

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FRIDAY, OCTOBER 7, 2011

On the waterfront in

Hong Kong During a brief stopover in Hong Kong, Kevin Rushby discovers its traditional side is alive and well on the waterfront and in its bustling fish markets

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ut on the Star ferry at night all the lights of Hong Kong island and Kowloon were around us, but the sea was black. A stiff breeze was throwing up a nasty choppy sea, making the sampans struggle as they beat against it. The old brass fittings of the boat, the painted signs in English and Cantonese, the central funnel puffing valiantly - this is the quintessential Hong Kong journey, the one that opens the 1960 film The World of Suzie Wong.

It is inextricably woven into the rich history of the place.

And yet this is also a place famed for its breathtaking ability to move forward, abandoning the past with a steely lack of sentiment. Land reclamation is pushing the ferry terminals closer to each other, making that precious short voyage even shorter. Even at night I could see the dredgers and barges at work.

Next to me on the polished wooden bench seat of the ferry I had Fred Cheng, a local travel expert. I wanted to see the best of this changing waterfront right now, before some developer fills it in. What’s more, I wanted it in one day - this was a whistle-stopover.

“I’m going to have to get on ferries, aren’t I? Lots of them.”

Fred thought a bit, examined the map on his knee and shook his head. “If you want the feel of old Hong Kong waterfront in one day, there’s no time for the ferries. You need a bus, a train and ... “ he grinned, “a cable-car.”

Next morning I took the hour-long bus ride over Hong Kong island to the waterfront settlement of Aberdeen.

There were fleets of fishing vessels lashed together in rows, while little bull-nosed sampans charged among them, ferrying passengers to and fro. I leapt aboard one for a tour of the harbour, actually a sheltered anchorage between Ap Lei Chau (Duck’s Tongue island) and Hong Kong island.

Families in conical hats were busy mending nets in the shadow of slim, glass-fronted skyscrapers. There were plenty of these, and tower cranes working on more: it looked as though Aberdeen’s days as a bastion of tradition and old culture might be numbered. I got myself dropped off at the fish market and wandered inside.

Nothing, certainly not a European fish market, can prepare you for the assault on the senses that is a big oriental seafood market. The staggering propensity of the Chinese to eat almost anything that lives in saltwater means that, instead of a few silvery fishes lined up in orderly fashion, you get the sea turned upside down. There were vats of crabs bigger than dinner plates, giant shellfish, tank after tank of fish - all alive. Things with feelers, things with spines, things the colour of ripe peaches that were crawling away down the concrete hallway chased by men in aprons brandishing gaff hooks and firehoses that spouted green seawater. There were fish that glared, some that snoozed, a few that fought against captivity with tireless ferocity, leaping from tanks and being gently restored to the water by men with landing nets.

Strange fish on sale in Hong Kong. Photograph: Kevin Rushby Elsewhere in the world, the ugly, unfamiliar and undersized are thrown to the gulls but in the Far East many of them are considered delicacies. For example, dried fish maws and swim bladders - organs rarely mentioned at your supermarket fish counter - are, a market trader called Lily assured me, a wonderful source of protein. Whatever sins are committed against the seas in this part of the world, EU-style wastefulness does not appear to be one of them.

I asked Lily how many fish she knew. “Too many!” She rattled off perhaps 30 names. “That’s just the beginning and I don’t deal in live fish or shellfish.”

Eventually I crossed the road in search of coffee, something familiar. It took a while, delving through places that served soups in which floated inexplicable parts of unidentifiable creatures, or drinks made from grasses, beans and herbal extracts. When I finally found coffee, it was thick with condensed milk. Fred had been right about Aberdeen, I reflected: the old Hong Kong waterfront atmosphere definitely still existed there.

Back in downtown Hong Kong I caught the MTR underground out to Tung Chung station on Lantau, the territory’s largest island, where I boarded the Ngong Ping cable car (np360.com.hk). This three-and-a-half mile ride took

me up over the jungly hills of Lantau with a dog-leg out over Lam Chau and Chek Lap Kok islands, now unified, flattened and home to Hong Kong’s international airport.

These lost islets are not alone in being victims of the feverish rush for development: 14 others have disappeared off the map too, some more permanently than others. Mong Chau, for example, is now buried under the terminals of the main container port. Even historical status is no protection: the Queen’s Pier, where every viceroy and visiting monarch had landed since 1925, was erased in 2008.

The cable car ends at the Tian Tan Buddha, a 34m statue hugely popular with local visitors. From there I grabbed a taxi down to Tai O. This fishing village on stilts is also a great local attraction, as people flock here to buy all those delicious swim bladders, sea slugs, prawn eggs, jellyfish tentacles and so on.

A small museum skirts politely around Tai O’s role as smuggling port - largely illegal Chinese immigrants during Mao’s time - but covers all the ancient arts of catching the diverse maritime products on display in the streets outside.

Tai O has not been immune to change - the rope bridge into the village is now a steel span - but it does retain great character. After visiting a couple of its 300-year-old temples, I tried some charcoal-roasted baby cuttlefish, then asked about the swim bladders. There was a big string of them hanging up, looking like discarded yellow bathing caps.

“Only HK$12,000!” demanded the seller. “Very special - puffer fish.”

This was one culinary experience I decided to forgo.

Next time I buy a whole cod, however, I am going to rummage around for this valuable organ I have been throwing away for years. As any Hong Kong historian must believe: it’s never too late to start saving the best bits.—Guardian

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Books

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 7, 2011

Should we mourn the end of chick-lit?

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lizabeth Day, Observer feature writer and author of Scissors Paper Stone. I don’t mourn the end of chicklit, not because I don’t admire it when it’s done well but because the term has lost all meaning. It has become a catch-all label for a generic mass of pink-jacketed books with hand-illustrated covers depicting stilettos and Martini glasses.

By buying into “chick-lit” we are buying into the notion - perpetuated by publishers - that, as women, we require a different genre of fiction. That is harmful, not just because it’s patronising, but because it undermines the work of the author too.

There are some brilliantly written, warm, funny and insightful examples of so-called “chick-lit”, but because they have all been lumped in together and marketed so obviously at women (or, at least, the type of women marketing departments imagine spend their days eating cupcakes and watching re-runs of Sex and the City), the quality of the work gets ignored.

As a consequence, the idea that men and women like different books has gained a depressing currency. It’s interesting that although “chick-lit” has been seamlessly assimilated into our language, there is no male equivalent. Men, you see, don’t need their own category. They have serious literature, not “dick-lit”.

According to recent obituaries of chick-lit, this much derided literary genre is a very broad church indeed.

Apparently Jodi Picoult, whose plotlines include ambivalent motherhood, gay rights and date rape, is a chick-lit author. So too is Marian Keyes, who has tackled the issues of domestic abuse and alcoholism. And so am I. My latest book, Private Lives, is a peep behind the curtains in a media law firm. As a well-read friend recently told me, it’s the only book with a pink cover that examines the Reynolds defence, but that hasn’t stopped dozens of people asking me how I became a chick-lit writer.

I think it’s because we’re women. You don’t get David Nicholls isn’t name-checked in close proximity to the words chick-lit, even though One Day’s Emma Morley could hardly ever find a boyfriend. We write unapologetically commercial fiction with the aim of entertaining our readers, not winning Pulitzer prizes. And it’s not so much the publishers who are guilty of pigeonholing us (come on, one of Jodi’s books had toy soldiers on the front cover) but the public at large. After all, “chick-lit” trips off the tongue a lot more neatly than “women’s commercial fiction” when you’re describing what you read on your sunlounger.

If it’s a lazy label for women writing for other women, then there’s lots of terrific, well-written examples out there. Bridget Jones was as smart a satire as anything written by PG Wodehouse. Allison Pearson’s I Don’t Know How She Does It might have had a peony-hued jacket but it made me both laugh out loud and cry like a baby within a few chapters.

Chick-lit isn’t meant to change the world. It’s meant to go rather nicely with a hot bath and a glass of wine and it

The Bookseller has reported a 10% fall in sales of chick-lit titles. So is this the end for a much-derided genre? Elizabeth Day and Tasmina Perry debate the state of women’s fiction can sit happily on your bookshelves alongside Ian McEwan, just as I love Michael Bay movies as much as Powell and Pressburger - different movie directors for different moods.

Are there any poorly written, derivative examples of chick-lit out there? Absolutely. Has this sector been overpublished because it’s made the book industry a lot of money? Arguably.

But to want to see the back of chick-lit because you’ve read too many blurbs that feature a single girl with too many shoes and a Martini habit is a bit like consigning pop music to the knackers’ yard just because you don’t like The X Factor. Sorry, Damien Rice, Florence and the Machine, the Beatles - but I just hated Diva Fever’s rendition of “I Will Survive”, so I’m glad to see the back of you.

Elizabeth Day I suppose my problem with chick-lit is not the books it describes, but the term itself. I don’t want to get rid of the books; just the irritating label. Why is it necessary to perpetuate this notion that women need a special kind of literature that isn’t too taxing for their pretty little heads? Or that female authors - and it is only ever female authors - need to be packaged in a certain way in order to sell? I loved Bridget Jones’s Diary and I Don’t Know How She Does It when they first came out because they were witty, insightful and genuinely subversive. They were saying things that hadn’t been said before and tapping into something a lot of women felt but hadn’t necessarily expressed. In the case of Bridget Jones, it was the social malaise of the thirtysomething singleton, surrounded by smug marrieds and inappropriate men. In the case of IDKHSDI, it was the harried life of a working mother trying to balance it all.

But sometimes great parents have awful children.

These two themes have now been done to death by wave upon wave of inferior writers trying to capitalise on the original success. They have become their own cliche. I’m not sure I’m comfortable either with the idea of “women writing for other women”. As a female author, I think I write for other people. Of course, my main characters might be women and they might go through a series of emotional journeys, but that doesn’t mean men shouldn’t read these books too.

But they’re not likely to do so if it has a pink cover and is placed in the chick-lit section of the bookstore. As you rightly point out, no one said David Nicholls’s One Day was chick-lit.

Why not? Because it was written by a man.

Tasmina Perry Let’s be honest - there was never anything particularly new about chick-lit, anyway. Bridget Jones might have felt fresh and funny but Helen Fielding wasn’t doing

anything that Jane Austen, Nancy Mitford or Stella Gibbons weren’t doing decades earlier. But to dismiss everything that has followed on from Bridget Jones as a cliche is to write off some fantastic books that bring a lot of pleasure to a lot of readers. Jennifer Weiner and Melissa Bank are just two authors who write smart and thoughtful books but are probably categorised as chick-lit just because they write about real heroines with real problems and have book jackets that have at some point featured the colour pink. How are they supposed to be packaged with gothic font and a knife on the front cover dripping with blood?

And what’s wrong with writing books that are aimed squarely at a female audience? I don’t notice Wilbur Smith or Andy McNab being lambasted for writing for a mainly male readership and being packaged that way.

If there’s a problem here it’s about the word “chick”.

Somewhere along the line chick-lit was probably a fun, easy-to-digest marketing slogan but it now seems to be an all-encompassing slur to lots of warm, witty and wonderfully written books. Perhaps some clever book executive somewhere needs to come up with a new moniker for a range of novels that examine a whole spectrum of topics, from media law to marital breakdown. But until that happens don’t fear the pink. Embrace it. Somewhere behind a soft-focus cover could be a book that might not change your life but will give you several pleasurable hours escaping from it.

Elizabeth Day Yes, I agree. Let’s get rid of the “chick” in lit. I’ve never liked being compared to a small, freshly hatched bird in any case. It’s a wholly unnecessary pigeonhole.—Guardian

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Years

Books

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 7, 2011

Confessions of a Shopaholic Sophie Kinsella

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f you’ve ever paid off one credit card with another, thrown out a bill before opening it, or convinced yourself that buying at a two-for-one sale is like making money, then this silly, appealing novel is for you. In the opening pages of Confessions of a Shopaholic, recent college graduate Rebecca Bloomwood is offered a hefty line of credit by a London bank. Within a few months, Sophie Kinsella’s heroine has exceeded the limits of this generous offer, and begins furtively to scan her credit-card bills at work, certain that she couldn’t have spent the reported sums.

In theory anyway, the world of finance shouldn’t be a mystery to Rebecca, since she writes for a magazine called Successful Saving. Struggling with her spendthrift impulses, she tries to heed the advice of an expert and appreciate life’s cheaper pleasures: parks, museums, and so forth. Yet her first Saturday at the Victoria and Albert Museum strikes her as a waste. Why? There’s not a price tag in sight. It kind of takes the fun out of it, doesn’t it? You wander round, just looking at things, and it all gets a bit boring after a while.

Whereas if they put price tags on, you’d be far more interested. In fact, I think all

museums should put prices on their exhibits. You’d look at a silver chalice or a marble statue or the Mona Lisa or whatever, and admire it for its beauty and historical importance and everything—and then you’d reach for the price tag and gasp, “Hey, look how much this one is!” It would really liven things up.

Shopaholic Takes Manhattan Sophie Kinsella

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he world is a different place since Helen Fielding triumphed on both sides of the Atlantic, but the torrent of benignly self-indulgent Bridget Jones’s Diary knockoffs has not subsided. In this sequel to Kinsella’s bestselling Confessions of a Shopaholic, Becky Bloomwood, a personal finance “expert” with her own TV show, is more of a financial mess than ever: she can’t stop shopping, even though she can’t afford anything. She’s even assigned her flatmate, Suze, to monitor her spending, but to no avail: Becky is full of cute rationalizations, like “Foreign money doesn’t count, so you can spend as much as you like,” and can’t stop herself from sneaking into posh boutiques. Her work-obsessed boyfriend, Luke, runs a financial PR agency, and when he gets the green light to open an office in New York City, he brings Becky along. Upon her arrival in the Big Apple, she euphorically discovers Barney’s, Saks, Sephora and sample sales but when wind of her shopping excesses gets back to the British press, she loses both her relationship and her TV job. Becky manages to save the day in predictably winning fashion, with plenty of comic moments

Bergdorf Blondes Plum Sykes

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hey’re ravenous. They’re ruthless.

They live in a strictly hierarchical, alpha-dog, eat-or-be-eaten world.

No, it’s not a rerun of Wild America; it’s the world of dressed-to-the-nines Park Avenue heiresses, aka Bergdorf Blondes, botoxed to within an inch of their barely-into-the-third-decade lives.

Our unnamed London-born heroine is New York’s favorite “champagne-bubble-about-town” and just as effervescent and exhilarating as a fine bottle of Dom Perignon. Blissfully self-interested and flush with the cheeriness that comes from being, well, flush, Miss Disposable Income 2004 sashays her way through New York society in search of the perfect P.H. (Potential Husband)-”Have you any idea how awesome your skin looks if you are engaged?”-and the perfect butt-shaping pair of Chloe jeans. Despair occasionally strikes when her latest prince turns into yet another toad, but it’s nothing an invitation to an uber-exclusive Hermes sale and a gallon or so of Bellinis can’t fix. She’s got the creme de la crEme along with her for the ride, including her best friend, the fabulously wealthy heiress Julie Bergdorf, who is tres supportive of her nervous breakdown=You’ll be able to dine out on how crazy you went in Paris for

The Nanny Diaries months-and a posse of chattering, Harry Winston-bedecked clones with whom to limo around New York. Tacky?

Absolutely. But it’s impossible not to be massively entertained by a woman who refers euphemistically to oral sex as “going to Rio” in memory of the first man who suggested she get a Brazilian bikini wax, considers vodka a food group and who holds up glamour as the first of the commandments. This is a savvy and viciously funny trip into a glittery, glitzy world we sure wouldn’t want to live in-but by which we’re more than happy to be vicariously consumed for the length of a book.

Emma Mclaughlin, Nicola Kraus

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he Nanny Diaries is an absolutely addictive peek into the utterly weird world of child rearing in the upper reaches of Manhattan’s social strata. Cowritten by two former nannies, Emma McLaughlin and Nicola Kraus, the novel follows the adventures of the aptly named Nan as she negotiates the Byzantine byways of working for Mrs. X, a Park Avenue mommy. Nan’s 4-year-old charge, the hilariously named Grayer (his pals include Josephina, Christabelle, Brandford, and Darwin) is a genuinely good sort. He can’t help it if his mom has scheduled him for every activity known to the Upper East Side, including ice skating, French lessons, and a Mommy and Me group largely attended by nannies.

What makes the book so impossible to put down is the suspense of finding out what the unbelievably inconsiderate Mrs X will demand of Nan next. One pictures the two authors having the last hearty laugh on their former employers.

along the way. Sure, it’s tongue-in-cheek and all in good fun but will the barrage of shopping hijinks be enough to hold readers this time around? Kinsella creates some winning characters, but the credit card and shopping bag action is wearing dangerously thin.

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Years

Beauty FRIDAY, OCTOBER 7, 2011

Become your own master colorist W

hile we all admire JLo’s honey blonde highlights and Katy Perry’s ever-changing hues, the maintenance is time and cost consuming. There’s a new generation of at-home color that’s easy and mess free. Celebrity colorist Dwayne Ross, whose clients includes Jessica Alba, Jessica Simpson and Kate Beckinsale, gives us a crash course on becoming a master colorist.

Get started by finding someone whose color you really like. An easy way to know if it will look right on you is if they have similar skin tone to you. Finding a beautiful hair color on someone whose hair and skin tone differs from yours can spell disaster! If you’re still feeling lost, dig up some childhood photos. The further away from your natural color you venture, the more unpredictable your end result will be.

If you have “virgin hair” (hai r that’s never felt a drop of color!), follow my below color key suggestions. ● If your hair is black or dark brown. Deep reds like wines and/or purples like plum reds will look the best. ● If your hair is medium brown to light brown. Ash high-lift blonds with 40 volume peroxide will work best. ● If your hair is dark blonde. You have the option of either ash or golden high-lift blondes. ● If your hair is medium blonde or lighter.

Gold high-lifts with 30 volume will look great.

If your hair has been previously colored the color tones above still apply, but first you will need to highlight your hair with a bleach to remove the previous color. Follow my below color key suggestions after the bleaching process: ● If your hair is black or dark brown.

Highlight with a bleach to a reddish/orange and then wash and dry. Then apply the above recommendation. ● If your color is medium to light brown.

Highlight with bleach to yellow. Wash hair and dry. Then apply a level 8 (light blonde) ammonia free color over entire head. If you cannot reach a true yellow with no orange in it then apply a level 7 neutral ammonia free color instead. ● Dark blonde. Highlight with bleach and 10 or 20 volume peroxide to a light yellow then wash and dry. Apply an ammonia free level 9 or 10 golden blonde all over. If you cannot reach a light yellow with the bleach switch your ammonia free color to a level 10 neutral blonde. ● If you are a previously colored medium or lighter blonde. You can treat your hair the same as the virgin suggestion for your category except increase peroxide to 40 volume when using a high-lift color.

If you’ve gone grey and want to return to your natural color, you need to be a little experimental. When your hair loses pigment (making it grey) your skin loses some pigment as well. To make it look more natural, try one shade lighter and slightly warmer to balance the loss of pigment in your skin.

Follow my below color key to hide your grey: ● Use natural tone colors ranging from level 2 (dark brown) to level 7 (dark blonde).

Levels 8, 9 and 10 will not give 100% grey coverage. Nor will ash colors or pure red/auburn’s colors at any level, as natural tone colors are balanced to cover grey. ● If you want something lighter than a level 7, add highlights after coloring the

grey roots. ● If you like reds and you have grey, you need to mix a percentage of natural color to your red color (ie, you want to be auburn but are 25% grey. Your formula is 25% natural shade and 75% desired auburn shade). ● Wait a minimum of four weeks between covering your greys. If you color more often, the temple area of your hairline will gradually get darker and darker even though you didn’t change your color. This is called color build-up and it can be a nightmare to get off. The best solution is to use hair-color make-up sticks between your four week colors.

Choose your at-home color wisely After you’ve purchased your color, make sure you have everything on the below check list before you get started. Once you mix the color, there’s no turning back! ● plastic bowl and tint brush or bottle ● drape ● dark towels ● gloves ● hair-color stain remover for your skin

long hair clips and wide tooth comb shampoo and conditioner ● plenty of hair color (always have more than one application on hand, I recommend three) ● timer ● a button down shirt that you don’t care if it gets ruined When you’re ready to get started on the actual coloring, double check that you have everything you need and ample time-don’t try to multitask and cook dinner or clean the house at the same time.

Begin by detangling your hair (if it’s been over a week since you last shampooed, wash ● ●

your hair and apply the color when it is at least halfway dry). Next, using clips and a comb, divide your hair into four sections (right front, right back, left front, left back).

When you’re ready, mix the color-this should be the last thing that you do. Never mix color until you’re ready to apply it! Apply the color to your hair as directed (if you’re covering grey, start with the section that is the most grey first) and set the timer.

If you’ve mastered the basic coloring technique and want to create highlights or lowlights at home, keep in mind that less is always more.

For highlights, you need to color a few sections around the face and on the top. Make sure you have ten pre-cut pieces of foil that are 4x8 to wrap the hair you are coloring in.

Begin by blow-drying your hair the way you typically wear it. Looking in the mirror, grab small pieces of hair in the two areas mentioned above. Apply color as directed, wrapping each section in foil afterwards.

For lowlights, you want to stay away from the hairline and place your lowlights on the

top one inch behind the hairline and on the sides one inch behind the hairline and crown area. Make sure you have fifteen to twenty pre-cut pieces of foil that are 4x8 to wrap the hair you are coloring in. Begin by blow-drying your hair the way you typically wear it.

Looking in the mirror, grab small pieces of hair in the areas mentioned above. Lowlights should be no darker then a warm level 7 ammonia-free hair color, if you want to stay blonde but just add some depth. If you want to be a natural looking light brunette you can low-light with a warm level 6 ammonia-free color. If your lowlight color is not warm enough, your hair may turn green or muddy.

If you’re not satisfied with your end result, don’t panic-it never helps! If your hair comes out too dark, add some highlights, or if it comes out too light, add some lowlights.

Remember, practice makes perfect! (www.bettyconfidential.com)

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Years

Beauty FRIDAY, OCTOBER 7, 2011

JEWELRY do’s & don’ts I

t’s an all too familiar story. Woman gets dressed in fabulous outfit. Woman wears hottest new shoes and handbag with outfit. Woman ruins everything by wearing wrong jewelry with outfit. As if rules for skirt lengths, shoe height and lipstick color weren’t enough, women also have to worry about the do’s and don’ts of wearing jewelry. Relax — these rules aren’t that tough to follow, and we’ll also tell you which ones you can now completely ignore!

Go bold and beautiful Wearing bold jewelry takes confidence and fashion know-how. It says to the world, “I’m no shrinking violet, and I’m okay with standing out in a crowd.” What it shouldn’t scream is, “I am over-accessorizing with the wrong outfit!” The main thing to remember is less is more. If you are wearing a chunky bangle and necklace, forget the bling-bling ring and big earrings, or you’ll look like you’re playing dress-up in Mommy’s closet. When you want to wear big and bold jewelry, don’t wear prints — they just don’t get along. Sleek allblack and all-white, however, are perfect with big or colorful jewelry. Have fun with the coral and turquoise trends of the season. The last thing to remember is the larger a stone, the less real it looks. Large retro-cool cocktail rings are very in right now, but resist the “gem-tation” to pair yours with other jewelencrusted pieces. Let the ring be the focal point of your look.

Mix metals We were once told not to mix metals, and this is one of the old-school rules (like no white after Labor Day) that designers now ignore. Wearing gold with gold and silver with silver creates a more traditional look, but isn’t true fashion all about looking modern?

The trick is, if you want to mix metals, keep the style of the jewelry the same. A modern gold cuff won’t look right paired back to dainty, antique platinum and diamond earrings.

The “stacking trend” lends itself perfectly to the mixing of metals. Stack square or round rings or bangles in different shades of gold.

You can even layer gold and silver necklaces for a fashion-forward look. Sometimes rules were made to be broken.

Wear the right necklace lengths Have you even seen someone who is dressed to the nines, yet something seems somehow off? Wearing the wrong length necklace with a particular neckline is probably the most common mistake women make when it comes to wearing jewelry. Here are some simple guidelines for getting it right. ● Collar necklaces should lie snugly around the middle of the neck, and can be worn with V-neck, boat-neck and off-the-shoulder tops. ● Chokers fall perfectly at the base of the neck, and look great with strapless or plunging necklines. ● Princess length necklaces (17 to 19 inches) fall just below the throat. This is the most common and versatile length of necklace. It can be worn with most necklines except the high ones. Add a pendant and wear with a Vneck for a pretty look. ● Matinee length necklaces (20 to 24 inches) hit the top of the bust, and it’s best not to wear this length with plunging necklines. If the necklace hits the very top of your neck-

line, it will be fighting for attention with your top. ● Opera length necklaces (28 to 34 inches) fall below the bust and look great with a very high neckline. They can be worn from day to evening. This length can also be doubled for a multi-strand look.

Consider your age and body type Just as a piece of jewelry can accentuate

the positive, it can also draw attention to your not-so-positive areas. ● Chokers are made for women with more youthful skin. Women with aging necks will want longer chains and necklaces to draw attention away from any neck imperfections. ● If you have a wide neck, you can balance that by wearing graduated necklaces, which are very thin around the side of the neck and larger below the collarbone.

● If you have a long, thin neck that you don’t want to accentuate, try a triple-strand necklace, with the shortest strand hugging the base of the throat. Avoid V-shaped chains. (www.ivillage.com)

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Health

Years

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 7, 2011

Natural cold and flu remedies I t’s no wonder natural cold and flu remedies are popular-modern medicine has yet to offer a cure for these age-old ailments. While some antiviral drugs can prevent and shorten the flu’s duration, most medications only offer temporary relief of symptoms. Many natural remedies provide temporary relief as well, and a few may actually help you get better. See which cold and flu remedies show the most promise.

advocates say the soup may soothe inflammation. Researchers have found chicken soup has anti-inflammatory properties in the lab, though it’s unclear whether this effect translates to real-world colds.

Neti pot For a more systematic nasal rinse, the neti pot is an option. This small ceramic pot is used to flush out the nasal passages with a saltwater solution-a process known as

Nasal strips Another strategy for relieving nighttime congestion is to try over-the-counter nasal strips. These are strips of tape worn on the bridge of the nose to open the nasal passages. While they can’t unclog the nose, they do create more space for airflow.

Echinacea Echinacea is an herbal supplement that is believed to boost the immune system to help fight infections. But it’s unclear whether this boost helps fight off colds or flu. Some researchers have reported no benefits, but at least one recent study paints a more positive picture. Participants who took echinacea shortened their colds by an average of 1.4 days. Still, experts remain skeptical, and it’s best to check with a doctor before trying this or other herbal remedies.

Zinc Some studies show that Zinc appears to have antiviral properties. There is some evidence the mineral may prevent the formation of certain proteins that cold viruses use to reproduce themselves. While zinc does not appear to help prevent colds, some research suggests it may help shorten cold symptom duration and reduce the severity of the common cold when taken within 24 hours of the first symptoms. The FDA recommends against using zinc nasal products for colds because of reports of permanent loss of smell.

Vitamin C The cold-fighting prowess of vitamin C remains uncertain. Some studies suggest it can help reduce the duration and severity of cold symptoms. In one study, partici-

Let your fever work A fever is the original natural remedy.

The rise in temperature actively fights colds and flu by making your body inhospitable for germs. Endure a moderate fever for a couple of days to get better faster. Just be sure to stay well hydrated. Call your doctor right away if the fever is over 104, unless it comes down quickly with treatment. In infants 3 months or younger call your doctor for any fever greater than 100.4.

Children with a fever of less than 102 usually don’t require treatment unless they’re uncomfortable.

Hot tea Drinking hot tea offers some of the same benefits as chicken soup. Inhaling the steam relieves congestion, while swallowing the fluid soothes the throat and keeps you hydrated. Black and green teas have the added bonus of being loaded with disease-fighting antioxidants, which may fight colds.

Hot toddy The hot toddy is an age-old nighttime cold remedy. Since you won’t want to drink black tea before bed, make a cup of hot herbal tea. Add a teaspoon of honey, and a squeeze of lemon. This mixture may ease congestion, soothe the throat and help you sleep. Limit yourself to one hot toddy.

Garlic Garlic has long been touted for legendary germ-fighting abilities. And it is still being promoted as a health food with medicinal properties. Many of the claims surrounding it are not backed by enough research, yet garlic is very nutritious. In addition, it can help spice up your meals when a stuffy nose makes everything taste bland.

pants who were exposed to extreme physical stress and cold weather-and who took vitamin C-were 50% less likely to get a cold.

To prevent side effects, such as diarrhea and stomach upset, the maximum daily intake of vitamin C for adults is 2,000 milligrams.

Chicken soup Grandma was onto something. Chicken soup may help cold symptoms in more than one way. Inhaling the steam can ease nasal congestion. Sipping spoonfuls of fluid can help avoid dehydration. And some

ter gargle may have some merit. Gargling warm water with a teaspoon of salt four times daily may help keep a scratchy throat moist.

Steam/Humidifier For a heavy dose of steam, use a room humidifier-or simply sit in the bathroom with the door shut and a hot shower running. Breathing in steam can break up congestion in the nasal passages, offering relief from a stuffy or runny nose.

Saline drops Dripping saltwater into the nose can thin out nasal secretions and help remove excess mucus, while reducing congestion. Try overthe-counter saline drops, or make your own by mixing 8 ounces of warm water with 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon baking soda.

Use a bulb syringe to squirt the mixture into one nostril while holding the other one closed. Repeat 2-3 times and then do the other side.

nasal irrigation. The result is thinner mucus that drains more easily. Research suggests neti pots are useful in relieving sinus symptoms, such as congestion, pressure, and facial pain, particularly in patients with chronic sinus troubles.

Menthol ointment Days of wiping and blowing your nose can leave the skin around your nostrils sore and irritated. A simple remedy is to dab a menthol-infused ointment under, but not in, the nose. Menthol has mild numbing agents that can relieve the pain of raw skin.

As an added benefit, breathing in the medicated vapors that contain menthol or camphor may help open clogged passages and relieve symptoms of congestion. Use only in children over 2 years of age.

Saltwater gargle For a sore throat, the traditional saltwa-

Bed rest With our busy lives, most of us loathe to spend a day or two under the covers. But getting plenty of rest lets your body direct more energy to fighting off germs. Staying warm is also important, so tuck yourself in and give your immune cells a leg up in their noble battle. (www.webmd.com)

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Health

Years

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 7, 2011

The 30-minute fitness blitz

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hink you don’t have time to work out? You do. It’s the intensity of your workout that’s key. A short-burst, high-intensity workout boosts your metabolism and tones muscles. Get moving with this 30-minute “quickie” routine that includes cardio and resistance training.

If you’re new to exercise, over 40, have a health problem, or take regular medication, check with your doctor before starting a fitness program.

Beginner squats: For thighs If you’re new at this, get started with a beginner version of squats using an exercise ball. Stand against a wall with the ball at your lower back, feet hip-width apart and out in front. Slowly lower your body by folding at the hips and bending the knees, dropping glutes toward the floor; slowly move back to the starting position. Your knees should remain over your heels. Perform 10 challenging repetitions.

Squats: For thighs Once you’re ready, try squats without an exercise ball.

For good form: Keep your feet shoulder-width apart and your back straight. Bend your knees and lower your rear as if you were sitting down, keeping your knees over your ankles. To target more muscle groups in less time, add an overhead press at the same time. With a dumbbell in each hand, rise from the squat position and push weights overhead, palms out. Perform 10 repetitions.

Forward lunge: For thighs Standing with feet hip-width apart, take a big step forward with one leg, then lower your body toward the floor, front knee aligned with ankle, back knee pointing to the floor. Return to the starting position, and repeat by stepping forward with the other leg. For more challenge, hold a free weight in both hands and complete the lunge with a rotation in the torso, twisting the body toward the forward leg. Perform 10 repetitions on each side.

width apart, peel your spine off the floor, starting at the tailbone, forming a diagonal line from knees down to shoulders. Slowly return to the starting position. For an extra challenge: Target your triceps by holding light weights, lifting your arms ceilingward as you raise your hips, see right. Bend your elbows to lower the weights towards the floor. Perform 10 repetitions.

Push-ups: For chest and core Let’s move to the upper body. Push-ups strengthen the chest, shoulders, triceps, and core muscles. Lying facedown, place hands a bit wider than your shoulders. Place toes on the floor, creating a smooth line from shoulders to feet. Keeping core muscles engaged, lower and lift your body by bending and straightening your elbows. Too hard?

Place knees on the floor instead of toes. To boost the workout, add an exercise ball under the hips, knees, or feet.

Perform 10 repetitions.

Chest press: For the chest Instead of push-ups you can try the chest press with weights. Lie face-up on a bench, with knees bent or feet on the floor, spine relaxed. Press a body bar or free weights from your chest, see left, toward the ceiling. Extend your arms but don’t lock the elbows, and move slowly in both directions, keeping shoulder blades on the bench. For an extra challenge, do the chest press with your head and upper back on an exercise ball. Perform 10 repetitions.

Bent-over row: For back and biceps The bent-over row works all the major muscles of the upper back as well as the biceps. Begin the exercise in a bent-over position with your back flat, one knee and one hand on the same side of the body braced on a bench.

Hold a free weight in the other hand with arm extended, see left. Lift the weight toward the hip until the upper arm is just beyond horizontal, see right. Then slowly lower weight to the starting position. Perform 10 repetitions.

Romanian Deadlift: For Hamstrings To perform a deadlift holding a body bar or free weights, stand up straight with feet hip-width apart. Fold at your hips, moving the hips backward as you lower your upper body parallel to the floor. Keep the legs straight without locking the knees, and keep the back level and the spine in neutral. Lower the weight to just below your knees, then slowly return to the starting position. Perform 10 repetitions.

Shoulder press: For shoulders A shoulder press works the shoulder muscles and can be performed standing or seated. For extra back support, use a bench with a back rest. Begin with elbows bent and weights at shoulders, see left. Slowly reach toward the ceiling, keeping the elbows under the hands and the shoulders away from the ears; slowly lower back to the starting position. Perform 10 repetitions.

The bridge: For hamstrings The bridge works the glutes (butt), hamstrings, and core. Lying on your back with knees bent and feet hip-

Cable pull down: For upper back For the last upper body exercise, do the cable pull down, which works the upper back. Using a cable machine,

sitting straight with a neutral spine, grasp the bar with arms extended, see left. Slowly pull the bar down past the face and toward the chest. Only go as far as you can without leaning back, and control the weight on the way back up. Perform 10 repetitions.

Bicycle crunch: For core & abdominals Lying on your back on the floor, fold knees toward the chest and curl the upper body off the floor. With hands behind head, slowly rotate upper body to the right while drawing the right knee in and reaching the left leg out.

Then rotate left and pull the left knee in and extend right leg out. Focus on bringing the shoulder toward the hip (rather than the elbow to the knee), and keep the opposite shoulder off the floor. Perform 10 repetitions.

Side plank: For core or abdominals For another abdominal alternative, lie on your side with a bent elbow directly under your shoulder, and use your torso muscles to lift the body up into a side plank. Then lift the hips higher, then back to the plank, then lower. Do as many as you can with proper form, then repeat on the other side.

Have You Completed 20 Minutes?

Before moving on to the cardio portion of the workout, be sure you’ve completed 20 minutes of resistance training. If you have, now’s a good time for a water break to keep your body well-hydrated. If you haven’t, go back and start the circuit over again until you reach the 20 minute goal.

Cardiovascular training Vary the intensity during your cardio workout. Use intense intervals, taking about a minute to get from moderate speed to intense. Whether you’re on the stair-stepper, the elliptical trainer, or the treadmill, do: 30 seconds of the highest speed you can tolerate, then 30 seconds of normal speed.

Then 30 seconds of the stiffest resistance you can handle, then 30 seconds of normal.

Keep moving back and forth between speed and resistance until you’ve completed 10 minutes.

Frequency of workout Perform this 30-minute workout routine every other day, or do it two days in a row if that better suits your schedule. These are not hardcore bodybuilding-style routines where the high degree of muscular overload requires full rest to recover. For a healthy body, work out regularly and eat a healthy diet.-Webmd

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Years

Spotlight

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 7 , 2011

Pipilotti Rist:

Eyeball Massage

There are sheets of canvas propped against the wall with sticks, their swags holding topographies of darkness and light. There are canvases stitched with knots that resemble thick impasto; sculptures playing at being paintings, and vice versa.

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he Swiss artist Pipilotti Rist is best known for a video in which she appears fairly dancing down the street smashing car windows with a large metal flower. She wears ruby shoes and a delirious smile. A passing policewoman salutes this riotous freedom, so you can assume there are politics at play, and that this is one of art’s parallel universes. The scene glides dreamily along, mesmeric as an early Talking Heads video.

That was back in 1997, and if you want to know what Rist has been up to ever since then go to the Hayward Gallery. Thirty or so works fill that cavernous space with a hippy-dippy swirl of moving images, picturesque sculptures and swoony sounds. The show reaches back to the mid-80s, when the artist was in a folkpunk band and making short sharp works like “I’m Not the Girl Who Misses Much” - in which she appears bare-breasted like a Minoan goddess singing that Beatles line (the article piquantly adjusted from “a” to “the”); and forward to the present day and the big immersive installations of her late 40s.

In between, Rist’s distinct aesthetic is played out over and again on a grand and small scale. This runs all the way from the voluptuous to the pretty and cute. And if that feels pointed - sunshine, flowers, juicy fruits, flawless nudes, the politics of pleasure then at least it raises the question (or indeed the absence) of a point.

The show opens with a chandelier festooned with pristine white underwear: families of flimsies held up to the light, seen to be innocent after all. On the opposite wall is an immense collage of white objects - sponges, sieves, saucers, Tupperware - charming to look at and arranged as appealingly as the household goods in a John Lewis window; though I suppose it could also be a catalogue of domestic banality.

In a doll’s-house model of a child’s bedroom a dreamy planet is coming through the wall. If you sit on a nearby chair a pretty landscape is projected in your lap, and sunset on the lamp alongside. Can it all be so unresistingly charming?

The largest installation is a hanging garden of gauzy drapes on which are projected gamboling mountain goats, enormously enlarged blossoms, close-ups of mouths eating ripe tomatoes

and any number of sunny uplands. On the floor are stuffed clothes on which you might lounge, tuning into the ambience as the airy-fairy frieze flutters over your body to the sound of tinkling cowbells. I was out of there before you could say windchimes.

A dipping cable car, a gliding camera, a monologue about marital breakdown delivered from a CitroÎn slipping through a golden landscape: slow, rhythmic movement is her modus operandi in the videos of recent years. And in the dark fug of the Hayward this can be mesmerising or stultifying depending on your expectations of art (or the artist, whose work once had such pith and vigour).

The later the work, the tamer it gets; this is art for the crowdhungry Kunsthalle. We are all meant to be in it together, lying about in mutual bodily warmth gazing at these images that go round and round like the windmills of our minds. Yet the analogies Rist sets up - dreams/films, minds/screens - do not come off because her videos, of late, are so frictionless and empty. What is happening in th e viewer’s head is almost bound to be more interesting than what is going on before her eyes.

The Welsh-born sculptor Barry Flanagan, who died two years ago at the age of 68, was so strongly associated with those outsize bronze hares that leap their way through public spaces across the world (funny bunnies as they were inevitably known) that it is quite surprising to find only one in this show, as if Tate Britain was hell-bent on avoiding the obvious.

But in concentrating on the years 1965-82 the curators are able to present the much greater range of his art: maverick, conceptual, ever inventive; attracted to rough and cheap materials and yet, in its playfulness, more obviously presaging the commercial bronzes than one could have expected.

Those materials were crucial - central. Flanagan’s four sheets of neatly folded hessian, inspired by family blankets and now so venerable the dust makes one sneeze, were once considered as outrageous as Carl Andre’s bricks during the notorious anti-Tate campaigns of 1976. He propped sticks in elegant ziggurats, transformed stones into figures with little more than an incised or

chalked line, tore coloured paper into gleeful new flags to celebrate the events of 1968.

Early success came at St Martin’s School of Art in his 20s.

Flanagan would stitch irregular hessian bags, fill them with sand and wait to see how the substance would behave when contained. The resulting sculptures - irregular, tubular, bulging like thighs or nearly splitting their sides - are nameless but full of character: hapless, toppling, cheery, distended. You can see a good deal of art prefigured there, from Ernesto Neto’s stuffed muslin biomorphs to Sarah Lucas’s stuffed-stocking bunnies.

Over the years Flanagan found a lot of ways of making paintings without paint or brush. One of the best things here is a “painting” on the wall, drippily beautiful but in fact nothing more than a projection of golden light. Another is a great rivulet of rope, twisting and turning like a vast brushmark across the floor.

There are sheets of canvas propped against the wall with sticks, their swags holding topographies of darkness and light.

There are canvases stitched with knots that resemble thick impasto; sculptures playing at being paintings, and vice versa. (There are plenty of gauzy drapes.)

Most comic of all is a great heap of stuffed sacks cosying up in a corner of the room, a beam of light falling upon them. It is as if one had opened a barn door and caught them in flagrante.

Strong scholarly emphasis is given here to Flanagan’s interest in Alfred Jarry, but there is no need to linger over the documents.

This art can thrive without knowledge of ‘Pataphysics or Ubu Roi. The pieces hit, and sometimes they miss, but Flanagan just keeps at it, his joie de vivre as irrepressible as the characteris tic urge to get out of the rut. Restless and exuberant, his zest was for discovering what could be done with humble stuff almost to the point where one could regret the eventual production line in monumental bronzes.—Guardian

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FRIDAY, OCTOBER 7 , 2011

Musee d’Orsay’s ‘renaissance’ casts impressionism in spectacular new light T

he grandeur hits you as soon as you walk in. On the austere, slate-grey wall of the MusEe d’Orsay’s newly renovated impressionist gallery, Manet’s DEjeuner sur l’Herbe stops visitors in their tracks.

The plump female nude at the heart of the canvas, who so scandalised 19th-century opinion in the Paris Salon, is recognisable, but there is something splendidly different about its new presentation.

After Manet, there are the other crown jewels of impressionism: the Degas ballerinas, Monet’s poppies, Renoir’s Moulin Rouge dancers, CEzanne’s card players, and dozens more of the world’s best-known 19th-century French masterpieces. The colours leap out from the long, sombre walls.

The museum’s president, Guy CogEval, had spoken before its reopening of a “renaissance” of the MusEe d’Orsay and its worldrenowned collection, and promised to show the impressionists as we had never seen them before. The expert judgment, ahead of the public opening of the new-look museum on 20 October, is that he has been true to his word.

It has taken almost €8m (£7m) to create this new gallery - part of a two-year renovation of the museum costing €20m - in which clever use of colour and illumination shows the works in an entirely new light.

Gone are the cramped corridors, the dead ends, the white stone walls and floors and the glaring light from the massive glass canopy that forms a central avenue over the top-floor gallery in the Pavillon Amont, the west wing of the building.

The new, subdued walls and floors, along with artificial lighting, have created what CogEval describes as an “intimate”, almost homely, atmosphere in a gallery that he says is the “beating heart of the museum”.

“These paintings were, after all, intended to be hung on walls in homes, not in a museum,” he says.

With his gelled hair, slightly rumpled suit and unbridled enthusiasm, CogEval, 55, an art historian who took over as president of the MusEe d’Orsay in January 2008, has the appearance and air of an over-excited schoolboy. “Everyone said I couldn’t touch the museum when I arrived because it is a historic building and all that. But I have proved them wrong. I said we would do this, and we did,” he says, with undisguised glee. “The whole space has been transformed. It’s magnifique!”

The 19th-century painters, working in an era before the electric light bulb became widespread, would doubtless have appreciated the modern tricks of artificial light employed to show their work to extraordinary effect.

Developing artistic and scientific techniques to capture on canvas the way that light transformed landscapes and objects became an obsession among the impressionists. The focus was crucial to creating what they termed “optical realism”.

Claude Monet said of impressionism, the movement he founded and led: “Light is the principal person in the picture.” To that end, he strove over and over again to encapsulate the way that light danced over the Thames at Westminster, the cathedral at Rouen, the

water lilies on the pond at his home in Giverny, and the nearby haystacks - all at different times and in different weathers.

Curator Xavier Rey, one of the team hanging the impressionist works in the new fifthfloor gallery, said that before the renovations the paintings had been lit solely by sunlight.

“The new system of lighting has transformed everything. Now we have a combination of halogen and new-generation diode lights that reproduce the richness of sunlight, but directly light the paintings and reflect the colours and details. It really does mean the works are being seen in a new light, which was our intention.”

He added: “Hanging the works on

this grey.

“We also tried to make the best use of the natural light by filtering it and using fractured glass that captures and diffuses the sunlight.”

CogEval admits that he was not convinced at first that profound grey was the right colour for the gallery, having expressed an initial preference for green. “It was this I hesitated over most. We tried it out in a small space like an apartment to see how it looked with different shades and different lighting.

Now I see it is warm and elegant,” he said.

“The deep colour means the impressionists’ palette can be seen like never before.”

Since 2008 the MusEe d’Orsay has been gradually abandoning the concept, popu-

site the Tuileries Gardens, the museum was originally a railway station built by Victor Laloux for the OrlEans line and was inaugurated at the World’s Fair of 1900. At the station’s opening, painter Edouard Detaille said presciently: “The station is superb and looks like the Palais des Beaux Arts.” By 1939 it was already obsolete, its platforms too short for the new modern trains that appeared with the electrification of the railways.

Today its impressionist and post-impressionist collection boasts 34 Manets, 86 Monets, 43 by Degas, 56 CEzannes, 46 Sisleys, 81 Renoirs, 24 Van Goghs and 24 Gauguins, among others, that help to pull in around three million visitors a year.

The French museum’s renovation has brought the grandeur of its 19th-century masterpieces back to life Architect Dominique Brard, who also worked on the renovation, said it had taken months of long and hard negotiations to be allowed to change parts of the historic building. “It was complicated, very complicated. At times we were negotiating over small points.

It took six to eight months of negotiations with the historic monuments people, but we got there in the end,” he told the Observer.

“In the end, our role is to show the works of art at their very best, and this is what I believe we have done.”

On the way out, one of the museum’s team of curators described how re-hanging the masterpieces had been “extremely exciting and emotional. It was as if we were seeing these paintings for the first time,” she said. “It was extraordinarily moving. We were all blown away.”—Guardian coloured walls is also closer to the way the impressionist paintings would have been displayed in their time.”

As for the impressionists, the devil was in the detail and colour; Parisian architect JeanMichel Wilmotte said his team had experimented with various shades of grey before coming up with the right one.

“It took three or four goes,” said Wilmotte.

“The grey paint, which is a specially made mix, changes colour depending on the light sometimes it is green-grey, sometimes redgrey. It is a very special grey. It doesn’t have a name, but if pushed to give it one I would say gris vivant [living grey] because it changes with the light. The light gives a kind of visual comfort and the painting stands out against

larised by the Museum of Modern Art in New York, of hanging paintings on white walls.

“Outside 20th-century and contemporary art, white kills all paintings,” said CogEval. “When you place an academic or impressionist painting on a white background, the light from the white creates an indeterminate halo around the work, preventing the sometimes subtle contrasts and details being revealed.”

The opening of the new galleries - including a chain of renovated rooms housing postimpressionist works by Van Gogh, Gauguin, Cross, Seurat, the Douanier Rousseau and a stunning new cafE designed by Brazilian brothers Humberto and Fernando Campana will mark the MusEe d’Orsay’s 25th birthday.

Built on the left bank of the Seine, oppo-

Comics

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FRIDAY, OCTOBER 7, 2011

To Yester

Word Sleuth Solution

Yesterday’s Solution

ACROSS

1. Free from risk or danger.

5. An island in Indonesia south of Borneo.

9. Being precisely fitting and right.

13. A series of steps to be carried out or goals to be accomplished.

14. An open vessel with a handle and a spout for pouring.

15. South American armadillo with three bands of bony plates.

16. The sense organ for hearing and equilibrium.

17. Being or occurring at an advanced period of time or after a usual or expected time.

18. Pleasant or pleasing or agreeable in nature or appearance.

19. In an ill-natured manner.

22. Any member of Athapaskan tribes that migrated to the southwestern desert (from Arizona to Texas and south into Mexico).

24. South American wood sorrel cultivated for its edible tubers.

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

27. Type genus of the Muridae.

30. The blood group whose red cells carry both the A and B antigens.

31. Contrary to your interests or welfare.

36. An ascocarp having the spore-bearing layer of cells (the hymenium) on a broad disklike receptacle.

38. (Greek mythology) The father of Odysseus.

39. A collection of objects laid on top of each other.

41. Of or relating to a member of the Buddhist people inhabiting the Mekong river in Laos and Thailand.

42. A unit of dry measure used in Egypt.

44. A Russian river.

46. United States film maker (1897-1991).

49. A light touch or stroke.

52. Mature female of mammals of which the male is called `buck'.

53. German mathematician who created the Klein bottle (1849-1925).

57. The sixth month of the civil year.

59. Wild or domesticated South American cud-chewing animal related to camels but smaller and lacking a hump.

62. 100 pyas equal 1 kyat.

63. A Chadic language spoken south of Lake Chad.

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

65. An ugly evil-looking old woman.

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

67. Small terrestrial lizard of warm regions of the Old World.

68. A constellation in the southern hemisphere near Telescopium and Norma.

DOWN 1. A detailed description of design criteria for a piece of work.

2. (botany) Of or relating to the axil.

3. A card game in which players bet against the dealer on the cards he will draw from a dealing box.

4. Half the width of an em.

5. A loose cloak with a hood.

6. Distant in either space or time.

7. A doctor who practices veterinary medicine.

8. A particular geographical region of indefinite boundary (usually serving some special purpose or distinguished by its people or culture or geography).

9. Someone who controls resources and expenditures.

10. Surpassing the ordinary especially in size or scale.

11. (used of count nouns) Every one considered individually.

12. A tall perennial woody plant having a main trunk and branches form-

ing a distinct elevated crown.

20. Conforming to truth.

21. A fraudulent business scheme.

23. Covered with a firm surface.

25. West Indian tree having racemes of fragrant white flowers and yielding a durable timber and resinous juice.

28. A person who makes use of a thing.

29. Any of a number of fishes of the family Carangidae.

32. The longer of the two telegraphic signals used in Morse code.

33. The elapsed time it takes for a signal to travel from Earth to a spacecraft (or other body) and back to the starting point.

34. A space reserved for sitting (as in a theater or on a train or airplane).

35. A program under which employees regularly accumulate shares and may ultimately assume control of the company.

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

40. The front limb of a quadruped.

41. A doctor who practices veterinary medicine.

43. Having undesirable or negative qualities.

45. A lipoprotein that transports cholesterol in the blood.

47. Music performed for dancing the polka.

48. Jordan's port.

50. (Babylonian) God of storms and wind.

51. A small cake leavened with yeast.

54. An ancient Hebrew unit of dry measure equal to about a bushel.

55. The eighth month of the civil year.

56. Kamarupan languages spoken in northeastern India and western Burma.

58. The most common computer memory which can be used by programs to perform necessary tasks while the computer is on.

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

61. A member of a Mayan people of southwestern Guatemala.

Yesterday’s Solution

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FRIDAY, OCTOBER 7, 2011

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n a slum on the edge of the Peruvian capital the young cooks bustle about in a gleaming new kitchen, stirring up dishes seasoned with social mobility and national pride. Here worldfamous chef Gaston Acurio-who recently opened a posh new ceviche joint on Madison Avenue in Manhattan-aims to bring the gourmet delights of his native Peru back to its own people. “The real power of the kitchen has not yet been used. The power to feed, to welcome, yes. But the power to transform (the country) socially has not yet been released,” said 43-year-old Acurio. “We live the paradox of a country with wonderful food, but where hunger persists. How can we justify this as chefs?”

His answer is the Pachacutec Institute, established in 2007 in Ventanilla, a dusty slum on the edge of the desert that still has no running water 20 years after it was built and is home to some 100,000 families. Popularly known as “Gaston’s school,” the institute offers a two-year cooking program to disadvantaged Peruvians of all walks of life, graduating 50 professionally-trained chefs each year. For a nominal fee of 100 soles ($35) a month they receive lessons from chefs from Acurio’s restaurants, the kind of training that would cost 10 times as much in Lima’s booming cooking academies.

Acurio, who also was the Spanish voice for the cartoon rat and star of Disney’s animated “Ratatouille,” about a rodent who becomes a chef, now runs some 35 restaurants around the world.

His cuisine has gained recognition for its diversity and his fusion of Andean, Hispanic and Asian tastes. “At the end of the day, our task as Peruvian chefs is not to invent a rare recipe for caviar... but to promote our culture, to generate opportunities in a country that has so much inequality,” Acurio said. “Coming here has changed my life,” said Dalia Godoy, a student at Pachacutec. “We don’t just learn how to cook, we learn all sorts of other things, and values, because here we do it all.”

Young people, who once dreamed of becoming football stars, are now setting their sights on turning into famous chefs, and some 500 people apply to the institute every year. But headmaster Rocio Heredia says the institute is not looking for the next generation of television chefs like Acurio. “The goal is to find a youngster who was raised in a household with absent parents, who had to cook to feed his siblings.” In addition to teaching how to prepare traditional Andean and Amazon dishes, the school also seeks to instill values in the students, which partly reflects the funding it gets from a Catholic trust.

“The message is comprehensive: that the food begins with the planted seed, the small farmer without which we in the kitchen are nothing. That we need to protect and know our products, to pass on what we have learned,” Bruno Donaire, a student, said as a teacher inspected his potato cake stuffed with crab and avocado. The students have also benefited from Acurio’s contacts in the industry: last month the famed Catalan chef Ferran Adria, of El Bulli, paid a visit. Adria was in Peru for a documentary on the growing international popularity of Peruvian cuisine, which he called an “amazing phenomenon” that had an impact on the psyche of the country. Acurio believes that around these bubbling pots, “Peru has regained her emotional independence... At last we believe in something that is ours and of which we are proud.”—AFP

Students attend a class at the Pachacutec Cooking Institute, northern outskirts of Lima on September 23, 2011. — AFP

Swedish poet and author Tomas Transtroemer poses next to his wife Monica in his house in Stockholm yesterday after winning the Nobel Prize in literature 2011. — AFP

S

wedish poet Tomas Transtroemer, who sets moral goals with unexpected yet simple imagery, won the 2011 Nobel Literature Prize yesterday. Transtroemer, 80, was honored “because, through his condensed, translucent images, he gives us fresh access to reality,” the Swedish Academy’s jury said. His poetry is filled with imagination and emotion, but is also riddled with the unexpected, making his work at times both disorienting and refreshing.

He has been called a master of mysticism, who often presents a dream-like consciousness in which time slows to allow for dissection of the relationship between the inner self and the surrounding world.

“Most of Transtroemer’s poetry collections are characterized by economy, concreteness and poignant metaphors. In his latest collections ... Transtroemer has shifted towards an even smaller format and a higher degree of concentration,” it added. The permanent secretary of the Swedish Academy, Peter Englund, told Swedish television that Transtroemer had been nominated for the prize every year since 1993. Death, history and nature are common themes in the Swede’s poetry. “It’s about death and history and memory, watching us, creating us, and that makes us important because human beings are sort of the prison where all these great entities meet,” Englund told the nobelprize.org website. “It makes us important, so you can never feel small after reading the poetry of Transtroemer,” he added.

“He has quite a small production really, you could fit it into a not-too-large pocket book, all of it. So he has a very fast and very well contained production.

He is not a prolific author,” Englund said.

Transtroemer’s reputation in the English-speaking world owes much to his friendship with American poet Robert Bly, who has translated much of his work into English, one of 60 languages in which his poems have appeared. His work is rich in metaphors and imagery, painting simple pictures from everyday life and nature. His introspective style, described by Publishers Weekly as “mystical, versatile and sad”, is in contrast with Transtroemer’s life, which shows a constant, active commitment to working for a better world-and not just by writing poems.

In his parallel careers as psychologist and poet, he also worked with the disabled, convicts and drug addicts while, at the same time, producing a large body of poetic work. After publishing 10 volumes of poetry, Transtroemer suffered a stroke in 1990 which affected his ability to talk. His wife Monica told Swedish news agency TT he was surprised to win the prestigious accolade. “He did not think he

would get to experience this,” she said, adding that a swarm of reporters-who have year after year gathered outside the couple’s apartment building in anticipation of a Nobel announcement-was at their home.

“He also says he is comfortable with all these people who are coming to congratulate him and take pictures,” she said. Transtroemer has sold thousands of volumes in his native country, and his work has been translated into more than 60 languages.

His books of poetry include “The Great Enigma: New Collected Poems” (New Directions, 2006), “The HalfFinished Heaven” (2001); “New Collected Poems” (1997); “For the Living and the Dead” (1995); “Baltics” (1975); “Windows and Stones” (1972), an International Poetry Forum Selection and a runnerup for the National Book Award for translation; “The Half-Finished Heaven” (2001).

Transtroemer, the seventh Swede to win the prestigious prize, will receive the 10 million Swedish kronor ($1.48 million, 1.08 million euros) award at a gala ceremony in Stockholm on December 10, the anniversary of the 1896 death of the prize creator, Swedish industrialist Alfred Nobel. Last year, the honor went to Spanish-Peruvian author Mario Vargas Llosa. — AFP

Henrik Lundin, employee at the Akademiebokhadeln book store in central Stockholm, organizes books by 2011 Nobel literature laureate Tomas Transtroemer on a table . — AFP

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People attend the ceremony of the 16th Busan International Film Festival at the at the Busan Cinema Center yesterday. — AFP

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sia’s largest film festival welcomed a parade of stars to a stunning new $140 million home yesterday, tipped to become the heart of an exciting new era for cinema in the region. “Today, here at the architectural masterpiece that is the Busan Cinema Centre, the 16th Busan International Film Festival is about to spread its wings,” said Busan’s Mayor Hur Nam-sik opening the nine-day event. The centre’s massive LED-covered roof-the showpiece of the 30,000 square-metre complex-lit up as fireworks decorated the night sky. But the biggest roar of the evening was reserved the Korean stars of the festival’s opening film “Always”-So Ji-sub and Han Hyo-joo.

An online sale of public tickets for the world premiere of their romance about an out-of-luck boxer (So) and a young woman who is going blind (Han), sold out in seven seconds, according to festival organizers. The film’s director Song Ilgon praised the centre, which welcomed 4,000 guests to its vast outdoor screen, as a “landmark” for the region’s cinema.

“Busan has long played an important role in Korean cinema and in Asian cinema and it now has a building of significance that reflects that role. This is a landmark for cinema,” he said.

Workers had toiled all night to ensure the complex was ready for its debut and scaffolding was still coming down just hours before the stars were due to arrive. Chinese director and producer Tsui Hark was on hand to collect the Asian Filmmaker of the Year Award for a career spanning three decades that has included credits from the gangster classic “A Better Tomorrow” and the ground-breaking fantasy “Zu Warriors”.

Among those to take to red carpet were Korean idols Song Hye-kyo and Ahn Sung-ki.

International A-listers in town for the nine-day include veteran French actress Isabelle Huppertwho took to the stage alongside former festival

director Kim Dong-ho, who had put the plans for the cinema centre into place before retiring last year. Huppert will be joined by French director Luc Besson and Malaysia’s Michelle Yeoh, star of Besson’s latest film, “The Lady”, on the life of Myanmar activist Aung San Suu Kyi. Also coming to South Korea’s second city is one of Hollywood’s rising stars, Logan Lerman, promoting the 3D feature “The Three Musketeers”. He will be joined by Taiwanese heart-throb Takeshi Kaneshiro and China’s Tang Wei, here to promote the Peter Chan-directed blockbuster “Wu Xia”. Director Song, whose opening film “Always” is a romance between an out-of-luck boxer (So) and a young woman who is going blind (Han), said he was “honored and thrilled” to play his part at the new venue. Festival director Lee Yong-kwan earlier said he was happy that South Korea and the world could see what his team had been working on for the past three years.

“Our new centre is a place for films and a place for people,” he said. “We are confident it will serve more than the festival but become the home of cinema in Asia.” BIFF has lined up 307 films to be screened over nine days, with 135 either world or international premieres, meaning they are screening outside their home nations for the first time. The Busan festival’s major award, New Currents, offers two $30,000 prizes for first or second time Asian filmmakers and has attracted a final field of 13 productions, representing 11 countries.

Finalists include a Sri Lanka production that looks at life in a drought-plagued village (“August Drizzle”) and a Chinese drama set against the backdrop of the search for missing rock climbers (“Lost in the Mountain”). BIFF has this year raised the prize money for its secondary Flash Forward award for first or second time European filmmakers to $30,000 from $20,000 in an effort to boost

ties between Asian and European filmmaking communities. A jury headed by Australian director Gillian Armstrong will judge the 10 contestants. Europe is extensively represented at this year’s festival, with 80 films screening and a large delegation of filmmakers expected for the Asian Film Market. The festival runs until October 14,

when the winners of the New Currents and Flash Forward awards will be announced. Last year’s edition of the festival attracted 200,000 people-a record for the event.—AFP

Jessie J dominates UK’s MOBO music awards B

ritish singer Jessie J won four MOBO awards on Wednesday, dominating the prizes that celebrate music of black origin. The 23-year-old, who is white, scooped the Best UK Act, Best Album (“Who You Are”), Best Newcomer and Best Song (“Do it Like a Dude”) categories. She only failed to make it five wins from five nominations at the awards ceremony in Glasgow, Scotland, when Tinchy Stryder and Dappy won the best video prize with the song “Spaceship.”

Tinie Tempah won the Best Hip Hop/Grime category, while Adele was named Best R&B/Soul Act. Rihanna fought off competition from the likes of Beyonce and Bruno Mars to win the Best International Act Award. All winners were voted for by fans via mobo.com and media partner outlets. * * * *

Following is the full list of winners: Best UK Act - Jessie J Best Newcomer - Jessie J Best Hip Hop/Grime Act - Tinie Tempah Best Video - Tinchy Stryder and

* * * * * * * * * *

Dappy/Spaceship Best International Act - Rihanna Best Song - Jessie J/Do It Like a Dude Best Album - Jessie J/Who You Are Best Reggae - Alborosie Best Jazz Act - Kairos 4tet Best African Act - Wizkid Best Gospel Act - Triple O Best R&B/Soul Act - Adele Outsanding Contribution to Music- Boyz II Men BeMOBO Award - Youth Music—Reuters

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harlie Chaplin’s 1931 romantic comedy about a tramp and a blind girl is the inspiration behind the opening movie for Asia’s top film festival, a South Korean director said yesterday.

Speaking ahead of the opening ceremony of the Busan International Film Festival, South Korean director Song Il-gon said his movie “Always” is a love story between two weary souls in a desolate city just as Chaplin’s “City Lights” was 80 years ago.

While “City Lights” is a silent black-and-white film about a vagabond and a flower girl, “Always” paints in colors an enduring romantic relationship between a boxer and a telephone operator. Both movies present a blind girl who eventually regains her sight through the sacrifice of her lover.

So Ji-sub, the South Korean actor who plays the boxer in “Always,” said Song and he both learned during filming how love is born out of seemingly impossible relationships. “We tried to deliver the warmth and honesty of such love,” the 34-year-old actor said after a screening of the movie for hundreds of journalists gathered in Busan. Han Hyojoo, So’s 25-year-old co-star, said she felt both honored and burdened by the fact that her film is kicking off the nine-day festival. She told reporters that to smile as she embraced the life of a blind girl was one of the most difficult parts of her acting.

Han and So are two of the stars who will add to the glamour of this year’s festival in Busan, a port city about four hours’ drive southeast of Seoul.

Originally named the Pusan International Film Festival, the event changed the spelling of its name this year to match a change in the spelling of the city’s name. The change also helps avoid confusion with PIFF, a film festival in Pyongyang, North Korea.

Another notable change is in the leadership. After

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being spearheaded for 15 years by film enthusiast and government official Kim Dong-ho, the Busan festival is now led by his protege, Lee Yong-kwan.

Kim stepped down last year amid health worries.

South Korean culture critic Ko Hee-kyung said this year’s edition will be a test for organizers as they adapt to the new leadership. “Film festivals tend to face a make-or-break point after their charismatic leaders resign,” she said. Yet organizers are confident this year’s festival will be as successful as its predecessors. A key factor is a newly opened $156 million multiplex theater that will screen more than 300 films from 70 countries. A red

t’s official. Justin Bieber is getting under the mistletoe with Mariah Carey. Bieber, 17, has finally revealed to his fans on Twitter that he will be collaborating with the Grammy-winning singer on his upcoming Christmas album, “Under the Mistletoe.” In a video message posted by Bieber on his Twitter page on Tuesday, Carey announced the collaboration, confirming that the pair will be doing a duet of Carey’s 1994 fes-

carpet was laid yesterday afternoon in front of the huge theater to greet film icons from around the world. Internationally acclaimed directors including France’s Luc Besson, Japan’s Shunji Iwai and Thailand’s Apichatpong Weerasethakul are set to arrive along with stars like Japan’s Joe Odagiri and France’s Isabelle Huppert, organizers say.—AP

tive hit single, “All I want for Christmas is you.”

“I think a lot of you are already very surprised by this, and you’re going to be even more surprised when you hear it,” said Carey in the message. Carey, 41, is the latest singer to join a high-calibre list of artists who are collaborating with Bieber on his “Under the Mistletoe” album. They include Bieber’s mentor Usher, R&B group Boys II Men, rapper Busta Rhymes and coun-

Egyptian actors dressed as a Muslim cleric and a Coptic priest take part in a performance inspired by the Egyptian revolution during the opening ceremony of the 27th annual Alexandria International Film Festival for Mediterranean Countries in the Egyptian coastal city late on October 5, 2011. — AFP

Giant frescos representing English comic actor, film director and composer Charlie Chaplin are displayed on the two 40 meter high Gilament towers yesterday in Vevey. — AFP

try group The Band Perry. The first single from Bieber’s Christmas album, “Mistletoe,” will be released on Oct 18, with the full album due for release on Nov 1.—Reuters

Lebanese actress Carmen Lebbos holds her honorary award.

Egyptian actor Yahya Al-Fakhrani waves after receiving a lifetime achievement award.

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FRIDAY, OCTOBER 7, 2011

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he ninth and final day of Paris’ grueling ready-to-wear marathon was reminiscent of Sergio Leone’s classic 1966 spaghetti western, with good, bad and downright ugly displays. With an average of 11 shows on the calendar daily, every day is, of course, a mixed bag. But because many top fashion editors tend to cut out early, there are fewer top-tier labels on the last day and more emerging designers who don’t have the deep pockets of the majors, which makes for an uneven experience. Two shows Wednesday made it into the good category: Louis Vuitton - which won a pre-emptive round of pre-show applause for its set, a life-size spinning merry-goround - and Elie Saab, the unstoppable red carpet steamroller who continued to churn out his signature ravishing, highwattage gowns, this time in saturated jewel tones.

Most of the rest was bad, as designers of little means tried to imitate the slick, hyper-produced style of the luxury supernovas’ shows, with sometimes snicker-producing results. Amid all the cash-strapped pretentiousness, Agnes B.’s earnest and unself-conscious display came as a breath of fresh air. The French high street retailer has been churning out the workaday basics for decades, and she sees fashion shows not as make-or-break trials by fire but rather as an opportunity to have fun and promote young and up-and-coming artists.

Sure, the clothes that came down her catwalk weren’t particularly noteworthy - just the kinds of cute printed summer dresses or tie-front cardigans that you might throw on to go buy milk or walk the dog. But there’s something touching about a show where a puppet-maker and his clever dinosaur marionette take a bow, or the designer herself gets on the P.A. system mid-show to instruct guests on where they can buy the music.

The ugly was Miu Miu. The clothes were so frumpy and the styling so actively unattractive there was no way it was an accident, a collection that somehow went pear-shaped despite the designer’s best efforts. Miuccia Prada, the critical darling who’s also behind Milan-based supernova Prada, is too smart for that.

It actually felt like she was thumbing her nose at the fashion establishment, daring them not to like clothes that were trying their best to make themselves as undesirable as possible.

Paris is known as the most creative of the fashion capitals, and there are usually scads of brilliant shows here. This season was a bit of disappointment, with just a handful of collections that had people buzzing. Dries Van Noten was a winner with his sheath dresses in colorblocked silk printed with photo and etchings. Givenchy got top marks for its tuned skirt suits, as did the frothy dresses with a dark side at Alexander McQueen.

The saga of former Dior designer John Galliano’s fall from grace continued to captivate fashion insiders. The extravagant designer was dismissed from Dior last March after a video

showing him praising Hitler went viral on the internet. His successor has yet be named, and speculation over who it might be continued to dominate the small talk benchmates make as they wait - sometimes interminably - for shows to start.

Trade publication Women’s Wear Daily reported in August that Marc Jacobs had been tapped for the plum Dior post, but weeks have dragged on with no announcement, prompting some to think the negotiations have stalled. Asked about the report in a backstage scrum at Vuitton, where he’s been creative director since 1997, Jacobs demurred and reminded journalists that it was a Vuitton show and he was there to talk about Vuitton. Much of the fashion crowd flew the coop after that show, with many heading straight from the venue to the airport.

They’ll be back in January, for the fall-winter 2012-13 menswear displays, followed immediately by the spring-summer 2012 haute couture shows, where a handful of wildly wealthy women are presented made-to-measure garments with prices approximating those of a luxury car.

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FRIDAY, OCTOBER 7, 2011

MIU MIU In an industry built on beauty, it takes guts to field anything as boldly ugly as the Miu Miu collection. Make no mistake, this was not ugliness by accident, as sometimes happens when collections go awry. This was ugliness on purpose - haughty, defiant ugliness that almost felt as if it were spoiling for fight. This was a collection that looked you straight in the eye, raised its chin and asked, “Taxi Driver”-style, “Are you looking at me?”

The high-waisted skirts, with a pouffy, sculptural shape that was spot on-trend were fine. But patchwork coats were the size and shape of pup tents, and cropped shirts with jutting panels at the bust were downright dowdy.

Strange little shrugs that fit low over the models’ shoulders like lumpy velvet curtains felt as if they’d been dreamed up for the express purpose of concealing any appealing curves.

The cast of normally sparkling top models were practically unrecognizable: Wet on top, their hair was plastered to the scalp and forehead but hung in dry tangles in the back, as it the two parts of their heads were living in distinct weather patterns. Flesh-colored lipstick hid their lips, and the rest of their faces were bare, save for angry strips of fuchsia on their lids.

It’s hard to imagine anyone but Miuccia Prada, the Italian designer whose challenging, intellectual collections consistently win critical adulation, daring any such styling or any such clothes, for that matter. You had to admire her gumption. In a sector where anything goes in the quest for desirability, her collection refused to make even the slightest effort. And there was something admirable about clothes that cared so little about what people thought of them.

Models wear creations

by Lebanese fashion designer Elie Saab for his spring-summer 2012 ready-to-wear collection presented Wednesday, Oct 5, 2011 in Paris.

— AP

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ELIE SAAB What would the red carpet be without him?

The Lebanese designer is such a reliable purveyor of the dramatic, va-va-voom gowns that - with their curve-hugging shapes and generous sprinkling of sequins - are the bread and butter of black tie events, it’s become nearly impossible to imagine one without him. Critics lambast Saab as boring, saying his work remains static. That’s true in a way, but it’s also beside the point, as Saab has never claimed to be fashion-forward.

He’s successful because his gowns tap a wellspring of timeless, classic glamour that makes women feel beautiful and sexy. Celebrities and civilians alike choose Saab for when they need to look like a million dollars simply because he does make them look like a million dollars, season after season. The same cannot be said, however, for other more fashion-forward labels.

So it was no surprise that for spring-summer, Saab stuck to staples like belted sheath dresses for day and sequin-covered gowns with long fluttering skirts for the evening. All that changed, really, was the color palette: mustardy yellow, or a vibrant emerald that looked like it was straight out of Oz or a rich shade halfway between aubergine and midnight blue. The colors were beautiful and so were the dresses. Unsurprisingly, there were no surprises from Saab, and that’s exactly the way his clients like it.—AP

Models wear creations by Italian fashion designer Miuccia Prada for Miu Miu’s springsummer 2012 ready-to-wear collection.

—AFP photos

Stars

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 7, 2011

Aries (March 21-April 19)

You may decide that it is time to take your work more seriously than usual. A lot of energy goes into getting things scheduled and organized. You are favored today. You should see an overall improvement in your finances because of all the extra work with which you have become involved. Consider asking for a raise.

Good luck and positive actions are in the forecast. Fate sends opportunity your way. New information can change your outlook, but you must be on the lookout for it. A closure can be placed on a personal matter today.

Taurus (April 20-May 20)

Mix-ups may occur over appointments today. Trivial matters have a way of escalating before you know it—look at what is underneath it all. Remember, it takes a brave and considerate person to say “I am sorry” when you must delay some transaction for a reason. ` So much can be transpiring on so many levels at this time.

You may find yourself in the role of peacemaker although you could be in the middle of solving your own turmoil. Before going home this evening, pick up some lavender or lavender scent potpourri at a florist or plant store.

Gemini (May 21-June 20) You reap the rewards of your hard work this week—even though it may only be the good feeling that comes when you know you have done your best. This is a gratifying day. Hand-eye coordination is important—play those computer games or video games and do not feel so guilty. Balance is important, of course, and this may be a good thing to check out right now. This is the best time to join that club or group activity. The energy of a group activity that has the same interests as you do can boost your morale, add to your friendship list and give yourself opportunities to network. Someone near you needs the benefit of the doubt for now.

Cancer (June 21-July 22) This could be a challenging day. However, there are wonderful opportunities to move up the corporate ladder and speaking up for your own self is a wise decision. Promote yourself by submitting a proposal to help you advance. This is truly a time to accomplish much. Your management expertise is in high focus and higher-ups are aware of your hard work. You may hesitate in requesting help for some sort of research project but it is important that you are able to allocate and encourage others to help you progress. You are able to be productive and disciplined in your work. You may appear very at-ease and loose this evening. After a tough day at work you are ready for play.

Leo (July 23-August 22)

You will be pleased at the progress you have made today—just take a look! This is a satisfying day. Achieving wholeness is the focal point of all areas of your life and this includes the physical as well as the professional, emotional and spiritual. You are ready to achieve a balance in your life. This may not, however, be a good time to make decisions about money. You may want to begin a vacation at this time. If you are not vacationing, you may want to plan some sort of fun outing this evening or for tomorrow evening. Perhaps you can get away from the city lights so you can view the sky with a loved one.

Virgo (August 23-September 22)

If needed, a loan can be obtained today. This is also a time to shed illusions—fast. New information can change your outlook and your life.

You may be experiencing a bit of a crunch as your career direction squares off against your more personal interests. This may be a real test for you. There are opportunities for success; watch. You may find yourself more than a little acquisitive and your current appreciation for just about everything may lead you to overspend; careful. Staying in the role of observer can be much more effective when dealing with family conflicts just now. You may be right in thinking others are not ready for your input just yet.

COUNTRY CODES Libra (September 23-October 22)

Any form of professional advice can be successfully obtained today and tomorrow. Your timing should be perfect and those around you should find you most spontaneous. Learning about people and understanding the difficult personality is an accomplishment you enjoy. You are determined to complete any required tasks and to help others with any unfinished work. You feel a love of order and you appreciate responsibilities and duty. The opportunity to interact with other people while you work is something that you also enjoy, although many people may not have your same enthusiasm.

Scorpio (October 23-November 21)

Taking care of business is a major theme where your goals are concerned. You avoid the trap of new-is-always-better and you set out to complete transactions in the most accurate and fast way as possible.

You may feel more confident than ever; co-workers watch and learn and higher-ups are proud to have you on the team. This evening, you may want to take a look at some new and exciting recipes that will help you on that diet you have either just started or will be starting soon. Meeting the challenge of improving your overall fitness can be more enjoyable if you have a goal.

Sagittarius (November 22-December 21)

You could have difficulty getting your ideas across to others today.

You may want to take the back seat and watch the developing outcome. You may have doubts about those who talk too much and seem long on ideas. Cooperative ventures are more advisable toward the end of this month. There could be things you would not enjoy putting up with if you push situations too fast for now. Working conditions improve considerably today and tomorrow. Travel, publishing, teaching and education are strong interests and offer excellent opportunities for growth in many areas of your life.

Capricorn (December 22-January 19)

Radical and inventive ideas hold the key to realizing your ambitions and advancing your status—a shakeup is in the works. Perhaps this is a time to think and study—you have a real appreciation for creative thinking. You may find yourself enjoying a long conversation, writing a letter or making a special phone call. Your expectations are high. It is tempting to over obligate your time or energy—keep a balance in all your affairs. Your primary influence at this time involves the need to clarify your priorities. You may find that your friends have a great need for your time and efforts this afternoon.

Aquarius (January 20- February 18) You are a good worker, always thinking and caring for things. You are naturally service-oriented and enjoy taking care of the needs of others. You are very discriminating and can sort out the good apples from the bad. A career in one of the service or health occupations is possible—you may find yourself automatically taking care of the needs of others. Your occupation may involve health, food and all attempts to restore, salvage and make the best out of things. You never forsake your ideals when it comes to relationships of any kind. Your imagination is at its best when you are being social or relating to others. You have a real vision of what is involved in the making of a good marriage.

Pisces (February 19-March 20) This is a high-cycle day with lots of desire to compete with yourself and others. You may try and beat an invisible record of some sort.

Learning to manage change—much of it arising from social or technological developments—is vitally important now. Don’t be caught sleeping at the switch, thinking that things will remain the same.

Things will not remain the same, and if you do not prepare yourself to deal with change, you could find the rug pulled out from under you!

Now is a time to gather and exchange information that prepares you to stay on top of things. Others value you for your ability to make practical decisions concerning group issues.

Afghanistan 0093 Albania 00355 Algeria 00213 Andorra 00376 Angola 00244 Anguilla 001264 Antiga 001268 Argentina 0054 Armenia 00374 Australia 0061 Austria 0043 Bahamas 001242 Bahrain 00973 Bangladesh 00880 Barbados 001246 Belarus 00375 Belgium 0032 Belize 00501 Benin 00229 Bermuda 001441 Bhutan 00975 Bolivia 00591 Bosnia 00387 Botswana 00267 Brazil 0055 Brunei 00673 Bulgaria 00359 Burkina 00226 Burundi 00257 Cambodia 00855 Cameroon 00237 Canada 001 Cape Verde 00238 Cayman Islands 001345 Central African Republic 00236 Chad 00235 Chile 0056 China 0086 Colombia 0057 Comoros 00269 Congo 00242 Cook Islands 00682 Costa Rica 00506 Croatia 00385 Cuba 0053 Cyprus 00357 Cyprus (Northern) 0090392 Czech Republic 00420 Denmark 0045 Diego Garcia 00246 Djibouti 00253 Dominica 001767 Dominican Republic 001809 Ecuador 00593 Egypt 0020 El Salvador 00503 England (UK) 0044 Equatorial Guinea 00240 Eritrea 00291 Estonia 00372 Ethiopia 00251 Falkland Islands 00500 Faroe Islands 00298 Fiji 00679 Finland 00358 France 0033 French Guiana 00594 French Polynesia 00689 Gabon 00241 Gambia 00220 Georgia 00995 Germany 0049 Ghana 00233 Gibraltar 00350 Greece 0030 Greenland 00299 Grenada 001473 Guadeloupe 00590 Guam 001671 Guatemala 00502 Guinea 00224 Guyana 00592 Haiti 00509 Holland (Netherlands)0031 Honduras 00504 Hong Kong 00852 Hungary 0036 Ibiza (Spain) 0034 Iceland 00354 India 0091 Indian Ocean 00873 Indonesia 0062 Iran 0098 Iraq 00964 Ireland 00353 Italy 0039 Ivory Coast 00225 Jamaica 001876 Japan 0081 Jordan 00962 Kazakhstan 007 Kenya 00254 Kiribati 00686

Kuwait 00965 Kyrgyzstan 00996 Laos 00856 Latvia 00371 Lebanon 00961 Liberia 00231 Libya 00218 Lithuania 00370 Luxembourg 00352 Macau 00853 Macedonia 00389 Madagascar 00261 Majorca 0034 Malawi 00265 Malaysia 0060 Maldives 00960 Mali 00223 Malta 00356 Marshall Islands 00692 Martinique 00596 Mauritania 00222 Mauritius 00230 Mayotte 00269 Mexico 0052 Micronesia 00691 Moldova 00373 Monaco 00377 Mongolia 00976 Montserrat 001664 Morocco 00212 Mozambique 00258 Myanmar (Burma) 0095 Namibia 00264 Nepal 00977 Netherlands (Holland)0031 Netherlands Antilles 00599 New Caledonia 00687 New Zealand 0064 Nicaragua 00505 Nigar 00227 Nigeria 00234 Niue 00683 Norfolk Island 00672 Northern Ireland (UK)0044 North Korea 00850 Norway 0047 Oman 00968 Pakistan 0092 Palau 00680 Panama 00507 Papua New Guinea 00675 Paraguay 00595 Peru 0051 Philippines 0063 Poland 0048 Portugal 00351 Puerto Rico 001787 Qatar 00974 Romania 0040 Russian Federation 007 Rwanda 00250 Saint Helena 00290 Saint Kitts 001869 Saint Lucia 001758 Saint Pierre 00508 Saint Vincent 001784 Samoa US 00684 Samoa West 00685 San Marino 00378 Sao Tone 00239 Saudi Arabia 00966 Scotland (UK) 0044 Senegal 00221 Seychelles 00284 Sierra Leone 00232 Singapore 0065 Slovakia 00421 Slovenia 00386 Solomon Islands 00677 Somalia 00252 South Africa 0027 South Korea 0082 Spain 0034 Sri Lanka 0094 Sudan 00249 Suriname 00597 Swaziland 00268 Sweden 0046 Switzerland 0041 Syria 00963 Taiwan 00886 Tanzania 00255 Thailand 0066 Toga 00228 Tonga 00676 Tokelau 00690 Trinidad 001868 Tunisia 00216 Turkey 0090 Tuvalu 00688 Uganda 00256 Ukraine 00380 United Arab Emirates00976

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KDA submits mass memorandum to Raghavan MP

A

mass memorandum to restore direct flight services between Kuwait and Kozhikode was submitted to M K Raghavan, M P by Kozhikode District Association on the occasion of the reception given to him on 30th Sept 2011 at Jawaharat Al Salah School, Riggae.

‘Karunyam’ a social welfare scheme that is being introduced by the Association to help the poorer section of the society was inaugurated by the MP by accepting the first contri-

bution from Bakker Thikkodi. As a token of honor, a memento was present to the MP in the meeting.

Rishi Jacob made the welcome speech.

Malayil Moosakoya, Sharafudheen Kanneth and Varghese Puthukkulangara offered felicitations. Patron of the Association Ashraf Aydeed, Honorary Members Ibrahimkutty P V, Zubair Parakkadavu and Baburaj. V V (First Kuwaiti General Trading Co), Santhakumar M (Treasurer), Muhammad Rafi N ( Auditor),

Sreeja Santhakumar (President-Mahilavedi), Asma K Abdulla ( Secretary- Mahilavedi) were present in the meeting.

The meeting attended by a large number of Kozhikode expatriates was also notable by the presence of prominent personalities in Kuwait that include A M Hassan (Manorama), Chacko Georgekutty, Samkutty George, Afsal Khan and Siraj Eranhikkal.

The program was compered by Abdulla Kollarath (Media Secretary) and Anas

Puthiyottil proposed the vote of thanks.

Hassankoya.K, Muneer Marackan, Shaji K V, Najeeb P V, Madhusoodnanan V V, Aboobakkar K, Ranjith P, Sreenesh Sreenivasan, Raju S Kandy, Jayaprakash P, Biju PV, Ramakrishnan K, Manaf, Siraj, Sreenivasan, Narayananan T, Thaha KV, Zakeer Hussain, Shyjith K, Basheer Ahammed, Padmarajan C, Moideenkoya and Kareem provided the leadership in organizing the function in an excellent manner.

National Forum celebrates Onam, anniversary National Forum Kuwait celebrated Onam and 08th Anniversary on Friday, September 30, 2011, at the Indian Community School Auditorium (Sr. Girls), Salmiya.

Announcements 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. 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 e-mail: laifkuwait@yahoo.co.uk, www.facebook.com/L.A.I.F.CHURCH. 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 Alva23726164, Suma Bhatt- 97834578 Salmiya & Hawally: Swarna Shetty99006934, Kripa Gatty- 66044194 Kuwait City, Jahra, Sharq: Rekha Sachu65044521,97862115 Farwaniya, Abbassiya, Shuwaikh & Khaitan: Sathyanarayana- 66585077 Sanath Shetty- 67712409.

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 : ● Memory tools to Understand and Learn Better ● Tools and Techniques to empower your mind ● Activity, fun, games and worksheet based assignments ● Practical Experiments ● Mind Gymnastics ● Application 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

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Embassy

‘Colors of Kuwait’ celebrates 150th episode

Information

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airali TV, the India’s leading regional TV channel (Kerala) in association with Mastervisiontv Kuwait is celebrating Onam festival of contemporary live musical event and 150th episode of “Colors of Kuwait” today, 7th October 2011 t celebration, at Integrated Indian School Auditorium Abbasiya from 6.00pm.

This year’s festival will be inaugurated by Indian Ambassador Satish C Mehta.

Regi Bhaskaran, The event Mastervision where more than 150 artists will present 100s of varieties of colorful programs will provide the most comprehensive survey of hidden talents left ever unseen in our community. The Festival also presents fascinating form of South Indian dancers performed by some of the most talented and active professional dancers, celebrating and promoting this emerging culture. Organized in association with Kairali TV and Mastervision, this is the first Mega show of the acclaimed Indian artists to take place in the State of Kuwait. Taking India as the canvas, they explore the rich diversity of contemporary India as a multi-lingual, multi-cultured and multi-religious society.

The premier stage show will not only entertain the viewers but also reflect an international Mass submission in association with Kairali TV and will be shown on the TV Screen round the world. The latest technology of visual media will be used to capture the program, editing and airing the program.

BEC T10 Cricket tournament

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he BEC T10 Tennis Ball Cricket Tournament will be organized & played from 7th October to 11th November, 2011. The Tournament being organized by RED N BLACK CRICKET CLUB and sponsored by BEC EXCHANGE will be played out in Abu Halifa cricket grounds. For registration and other queries please mail at mail@rednblack.org or call 66820148/ 66130940/ 66841653.

K N Balagopal MP visits Indian Ambassador

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ember of Indian Parliament, K N Balagopal the chief guest who arrived at Kuwait to attend the Onamfest of Kerala Art Lovers Association(KALA, Kuwait) met with His Excellency Sathish C.Mehtha , the Indian Ambassador of Kuwait and discussed various issues faced by the Indians in Kuwait. He requested the ambassador in showing more attention and concern towards the issues faced by lakhs of Indians residing in Kuwait in which Keralites also form a major part. Kala Kuwait members and MP put forth issues

such as problems faced by house maids, people who land up in Kuwait cheated by recruitment agencies and also the difficulties faced by people for certificate attestation due to lack of embassy officials . “Issues that should be brought to the notice of Indian Government will be forwarded directly to the parliament” said Balagopal MP. Kala-Kuwait president Sam Pynumood, Vice president K Vinod, Joint Secretary Saji Thomas Mathew, Thomas Mathew Kadavil, T V Hikmath were also present with Balagopal MP during the visit.

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

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EMBASSY OF BRITAIN The Visa Application Centre (VAC) will be closed on the same dates above. The opening hours of the Visa Application Centre are 0930 - 1630 Application forms remain available online from the UKBAs’ website: www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk or from the Visa Application Centre’s website: www.vfs-ukkw.com. And also, from the UK Visa Application Centre located at: 4B, First Floor, Al Banwan Building (Burgan Bank Branch Office Building), Al Qibla area, opposite Central Bank of Kuwait, Kuwait City. For any further inquiries, please contact the Visa Application Centre: Website: www.vfs-uk-kw.com E-mail:info@vfs-uk-kw.com Telephone:22971170.

The Consular Section will also be closed on the same dates. For information on the British Embassy services, visit the British Embassy website: www.ukinkuwait.fco.gov.uk ■■■■■■■

Kuwait Times sponsors

‘Most Beautiful Egyptian Child’ contest

By Sherif Ismail

T

he ‘Bawabat AlMasreyeen’ (Egyptians Gate) Facebook page in Kuwait launched a course in operating the Photoshop program which deals with editing pictures and preparing designs.

There is 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, Toqa Mustafa, superwiser of compitetion says the top three winners will grace the Kuwait Times office to be awarded for their prizes 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. Photo album available on website: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.281930285159021.761 91.191213697564014&type=3

EMBASSY OF CANADA The Embassy of Canada is located at Villa 24, AlMutawakel St., Block 4 in Da’aiyah. Please visit our website at www.Kuwait.gc.ca.

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

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

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

To ensure that the most recent version of the Temporary Resident Visa application form is being utilized, applicants should refer to the CIC website. As of January 15, 2011, forms are to be filled in electronically.

The Embassy of Canada is open from 07:30 to 15:30 Sunday through Thursday.

Consular Services for Canadian Citizens are provided from 09:00 until 12:00 on Sunday through Wednesday.

The forms are available on the internet at: http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/pdf/kits/forms/IMM5257E. PDF. A guide explaining the process can be found here: http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/pdf/kits/guides/5256E.PDF.

TV Listings FRIDAY, OCTOBER 7, 2011

00:45 01:40 02:35 03:30 04:25 05:20 06:10 07:00 07:25 07:50 08:40 09:10 10:05 11:00 11:55 12:50 13:45 14:40 15:30 16:00 16:30 17:25 18:20 19:15 20:10 21:05 22:00 22:55 23:50

Cats 101 Mutant Planet Swarm Chasers Untamed & Uncut I Shouldn’t Be Alive Cats 101 New Breed Vets With Steve Irwin Monkey Life The Really Wild Show Baby Planet Breed All About It Must Love Cats Cats 101 Animal Cops Houston Michaela’s Animal Road Trip World Wild Vet Mutant Planet Weird Creatures With Nick Baker Monkey Life The Really Wild Show Penguin Safari Cats 101 My Cat From Hell Weird Creatures With Nick Baker Cats 101 Mutant Planet Whale Wars Untamed & Uncut Monster Bug Wars

00:25 True Dare Kiss 01:20 The Weakest Link 02:10 Incredible Journeys With Steve Leonard 03:00 Eastenders 03:30 Doctors 04:00 Keeping Up Appearances 04:30 Balamory 04:50 Gigglebiz 05:05 Me Too 05:25 Tellytales 05:35 Tellytales 05:45 Poetry Pie 05:50 Balamory 06:10 Gigglebiz 06:25 Me Too 06:45 Tellytales 06:55 Poetry Pie 07:00 Balamory 07:20 Gigglebiz 07:35 Me Too 07:55 Charlie And Lola 08:10 Buzz & Tell 08:15 Buzz & Tell 08:20 Balamory 08:40 Gigg lebiz 08:55 Me Too 09:15 Charlie And Lola 09:25 Buzz & Tell 09:30 Buzz & Tell 09:40 Keeping Up Appearances 10:40 The Weakest Link 11:25 Life On Air 12:20 Doctors 12:50 Eastenders 13:20 Incredible Journeys With Steve Leonard 14:10 Keeping Up Appearances 15:40 Life On Air 16:30 The Weakest Link 17:15 Doctors 17:45 Eastenders 18:15 Incredible Journeys With Steve Leonard 19:10 Life On Air 20:00 The Weakest Link 20:45 Doctors 21:20 Robin Hood 2 2:05 True Dare Kiss 23:00 After You’ve Gone 23:30 Him And Her

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

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

The Naked Chef Come Dine With Me What Not To Wear Antiques Roadshow Masterchef Australia The Naked Chef Come Dine With Me What Not To Wear Daily Cooks Challenge Raymond Blanc’s Kitchen Secrets The Hairy Bikers Ride Again Rhodes Across Italy James Martin’s Brittany Come Dine With Me James Martin’s Brittany Antiques Roadshow Bargain Hunt Daily Cooks Challenge Bargain Hunt Antiques Roadshow

Ben 10: Ultimate Alien Generator Rex Star Wars: The Clone Wars Hero 108 Bakugan: New Vestroia Total Drama Island Adventure Time Billy And Mandy Ben 10 Bakugan Battle Brawlers The Secret Saturdays Samurai Jack 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 Eco Solutions 07:00 World Report 07:30 Backstory 08:00 World Report 09:00 World Report 10:00 World Sport 10:30 The Best Of Backstory 11:00 World Business Today 11:45 CNN Marketplace Middle East 12:00 American Morning: Wake-Up Call 12:30 The Best Of Backst ory 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 World Report 19:45 CNN Marketplace Middle East 20:00 International Desk 20:30 The CNN Freedom Project 21:00 Quest Means Business 21:45 CNN Marketplace Africa 22:00 Piers Morgan Tonight 23:00 Connect The World With Becky Anderson

AgAinst the Ropes on osn ACtion hD 16:15 17:10 18:00 18:25 18:50 19:35 20:00 20:55 22:40 23:25

Antiques Roadshow Come Dine With Me Raymond Blanc’s Kitchen Secrets The Hairy Bikers Ride Again Rhodes Across Italy James Martin’s Brittany Come Dine With Me Antiques Roadshow Bargain Hunt Masterchef Australia

00:00 00:30 00:45 01:00 01:30 01:45 02:00 02:30 02:45 03:00 03:30 03:45 04:00 04:30 04:45 05:00 05:30 05:45 06:00 06:30 07:00 07:30 07:45 08:30 08:45 09:30 09:45 10:00 10:30 10:45

BBC World News World Business Report Sport Today BBC World News America Asia Business Report Sport Today BBC World News Asia Business Report Sport Today Newsday Asia Business Report Sport Today Newsday Asia Business Report Sport Today Newsday Asia Business Report Sport Today Newsday Peschardt’s Business People BBC World News World Business Report BBC World News World Business Report BBC World News World Business Report Sport Today BBC World News World Business Report Sport Today

11:00 BBC World News 11:30 Peschardt’s Business People 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 16:30 Our World 17:00 Impact 17:30 World Business Report 17:45 Sport Today 18:00 World Have Your Say 19:00 The Hub With Nik Gowing 19:30 BBC World News 19:40 Weekend World 20:00 The Hub With Nik Gowing 20:30 World Business Report 20:45 Sport Today 21:00 World News Today With Zeinab Badawi 21:30 World Have Your Say Extra 21:40 Weekend World 22:00 BBC World News 22:30 Middle East Business Report 23:00 BBC World News America 23:30 The Bottom Line

00:05 00:30 00:55 01:20 01:45 02:10

Robotboy - Elements Squirrel Boy George Of The Jungle Cramp Twins Chop Socky Chooks Best Ed

02:35 03:00 03:25 03:50 04:15 04:40 05:05 05:30 05:55 06:20 06:45 07:00 07:04 07:12 07:25 07:50 08:15 08:40 09:05 Mandy 09:30 09:55 10:20 10:35 11:00 11:25 11:50 12:15 12:40 13:05 13:30 13:50 14:15 14:40 15:05 15:30 15:55 Mandy 16:25 16:50 17:15 17:40 18:05 18:30

My Gym Partner’s A Monkey Ben 10: Ultimate Alien Generator Rex Adventure Time Flapjack Chowder Powerpuff Girls Ed, Edd n Eddy I Am Weasel Squirrel Boy Cow & Chicken Eliot Kid Cow & Chicken Eliot Kid Angelo Rules Best Ed Flapjack My Gym Partner’s A Monkey The Grim Adventures Of Billy & Courage The Cowardly Dog Cow & Chicken I Am Weasel Adventure Time Ben 10 Bakugan Battle Brawlers The Secret Saturdays Samurai Jack Ben 10: Alien Force Codename Kids Skunk Fu! My Gym Partner’s A Monkey Flapjack Ed, Edd n Eddy Camp Lazlo Chowder The Grim Adventures Of Billy & Cow & Chicken Courage The Cowardly Dog I Am Weasel George Of The Jungle Casper’s Scare School Scooby-Doo! Mystery Incorporated

00:05 The Tech Show 00:30 Kings of Construction 01:20 Stunt Junkies 01:45 Invisible Worlds 02:35 Brainiac 03:25 The Gadget Show 04:15 How Stuff’s Made 04:45 Kings of Construction 05:40 One Step Beyond 06:10 Ecopolis 07:00 Scrapheap Challenge 07:55 Through the Wormhole with Morgan Freeman 08:50 The Tech Show 09:15 Weird Connections 09:40 The Gadget Show 10:35 Ecopolis 11:30 Sci-Fi Science 11:55 How Stuff’s Made 12:25 Invisible Worlds 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 Scrapheap Challenge 17:00 Brainiac 17:50 Sci-Fi Science 18:15 The Tech Show 18:40 Future Weapons 19:30 Space Pioneer 20:20 The Future of...

21:10 The Gadget Show 22:00 Future Weapons 22:50 Space Pioneer 23:40 The Gadget Show

00:00 00:25 01:15 02:00 02:50 03:35 04:25 05:15 06:00 06:20 06:45 07:05 07:30 07:55

Kim Possible Fairly Odd Parents Stitch Replacements Emperor’s New School Stitch Replacements Fairly Odd Parents Emperor’s New School The Suite Life Of Zack And Cody Phineas And Ferb Wizards Of Waverly Place Suite Life On Deck Good Luck Charlie

08:20 08:35 09:00 10:50 11:35 12:25 12:45 13:10 13:30 13:55 14:55 15:20 15:45 16:10 16:35 17:00 17:25 17:50 18 :15 19:35 21:00 21:15 21:35 22:00 22:25 22:50 23:15 23:35

Fish Hooks Suite Life On Deck Lemonade Mouth 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 Cody Wizards Of Waverly Place Good Luck Charlie Fish Hooks Wizards Of Waverly Place Harriet The Spy Phineas And Ferb Sonny With A Chance Good Luck Charlie Shake It Up The Suite Life Of Zack And Cody Sonny With A Chance Wizards Of Waverly Place Jonas

00:25 00:55 01:25 03:15 04:10 05:05 06:00 07:50 08:20 09:15 10:15 12:05 13:05 14:05 14:35 15:30 16:25 16:55 17:55 18:55 19:55 21:25 22:25 23:25

Kendra Extreme Close-Up 40 Smokin’ On Set Hookups 25 Most Stylish Sexiest Extreme Hollywood THS Behind The Scenes E! News The Dance Scene THS E! News Bridalplasty Keeping Up With The Kardashians Giuliana & Bill E!es Behind The Scenes Keeping Up With The Kardashians E! News E!es Kourtney & Kim Take New York Giuliana & Bill E! News Keeping Up With The Kardashians

00:30 01:15 02:05 02:50 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 22:25 22:50 23:15 23:40

Ghost Lab A Haunting Cuff Me If You Can Forensic Justice Dr G: Medical Examiner A Haunting Ghost Lab Mystery Diagnosis Murder Shift Forensic Detectives Mystery Diagnosis Real Emergency Calls Street Patrol Fugitive Strike Force FBI Files Murder Shift On The Case With Paula Zahn Extreme Forensics Mystery Diagnosis Street Patrol Real Emergency Calls Fugitive Strike Force FBI Files Forensic Detectives Murder Shift Real Emergency Calls Mystery Diagnosis Street Patrol On The Case With Paula Zahn Extreme Forensics Stalked: Someone’s Watching I Was Murdered Deadly Women: Face To Face Who On Earth Did I Marry?

Dr G: Medical Examiner

00:00 01:00 01:30 02:00 02:30 03:00 04:00 05:00 06:00 07:00 07:30 08:00 08:30

Meet The Natives David Rocco’s Dolce Vita Bondi Rescue Bondi Rescue: Bali Travel Madness City Chase: Argentina Adventure Wanted Ultimate Traveller Meet The Natives David Rocco’s Dolce Vita Bondi Rescue Bondi Rescue: Bali Travel Madness

TV Listings FRIDAY, OCTOBER 7, 2011

09:00 City Chase: Argentina 10:00 Adventure Wanted 11:00 Ultimate Traveller 12:00 Meet The Natives 13:00 Wild Rides 14:00 Treks In A Wild World 14:30 Amazing Adventures of A Nobody UK 15:00 Amazing Adventures of A Nobody USA 15:30 Amazing Adventures Of A Nobody: Europe 16:00 Extreme Tourist Afghanistan 17:00 Meet The Amish 18:00 Departures 19:00 Wild Rides 20:00 Treks In A Wild World 20:30 Amazing Adventures of A Nobody UK 21:00 Am azing Adventures of A Nobody USA 21:30 Amazing Adventures Of A Nobody: Europe 22:00 Extreme Tourist Afghanistan 23:00 Meet The Amish

01:30 03:45 06:00 08:30 10:30 12:00 14:00 16:00 18:00 20:00 22:30

Bram Stoker’s Dracula-18 Alive-PG15 Independence Day-PG15 The Karate Kid II-PG Fast Lane-PG15 Against The Ropes-PG15 The Karate Kid II-PG Echelon Conspiracy-PG15 Against The Ropes-PG15 Inglourious Basterds-18 Outpost-18

01:00 02:45 05:00 07:00 09:00 11:00 13:00 15:00 16:45 18:45 21:00 23:15

Order Of Chaos-R Takers-PG15 Planet 51-PG The Open Road-PG15 Citizen Jane-PG Fly Me To The Moon-PG My Bollywood Bride-PG15 Don’t Fade Away-PG15 5 Dollars A Day-PG15 The A-Team-PG15 Mammoth-PG15 Slipstream-PG15

00:30 01:00 01:30 02:00 02:30 03:00 03:30 04:00 04:30 05:30 06:00 06:30 07:00 08:00 08:30 09:00 09:30 10:00 10:30 11:00 11:30 12:30 13:00 13:30 14:00 14:30 15:00 15:30 16:00 16:30 17:00 18:00 18:30 19:00 19:30 20:00 21:00 21:30 22:00 22:30 23:00 23:30

The Daily Show With Jon Stewart The Colbert Report Neighbors From Hell Funny Or Die Presents Entourage Friends Friends Two And A Half Men The Tonight Show With Jay Leno Will And Grace Coach Weird Science Late Night With Jimmy Fallon Two And A Half Men Friends Will And Grace Wilfred Outsourced Coach Weird Science T he Tonight Show With Jay Leno Two And A Half Men Friends Will And Grace Coach Wilfred Outsourced The Daily Show With Jon Stewart The Colbert Report Weird Science Late Night With Jimmy Fallon Mad Love The Office Outsourced Modern Family The Tonight Show With Jay Leno The Daily Show With Jon Stewart The Colbert Report Family Guy Entourage Neighbors From Hell The Tonight Show With Jay Leno

00:00 01:30 02:00 03:00 04:00 05:00 07:00 08:00 08:30

The X Factor (US) Look-A-Like Treme Bones One Tree Hill Good Morning America The Good Guys Emmerdale Turn Back Your Body Clock

09:00 10:00 11:00 12:00 13:30 14:00 16:00 17:00 18:00 19:00 20:00 21:30 22:00 23:00

The Ellen DeGeneres Show The Martha Stewart Show The View The X Factor (US) Look-A-Like Live Good Morning America One Tree Hill The Ellen DeGeneres Show Tower Prep Glee The X Factor (US) Look-A-Like Survivor: South Pacific Friday Night Lights

00:00 01:00 02:00 03:00 05:00 06:00 07:00 07:30 08:00 09:00 10:00 12:00 12:30 14:00 15:00 16:00 16:30 18:00 19:00 20:00 22:00 23:00

Psych Treme No Ordinary Family The X Factor (US) Bones Psych According To Jim According To Jim Body Of Proof Bones The X Factor (US) According To Jim According To Jim Body Of Proof Psych According To Jim According To Jim Hawthorne Glee The X Factor (US) Survivor: South Pacific Friday Night Lights

01:00 03:00 05:00 07:00 09:00 11:00

Tracker-PG15 Zombieland-18 The Collector-18 Bangkok Adrenaline-PG15 I, Robot-PG15 Phone Booth-PG15

13:00 14:45 16:45 18:45 21:15 23:00

Ong Bak 2-PG15 I, Robot-PG15 8 Mile-PG15 Public Enemies-18 The Final-18 Medium Raw-PG15

00:00 All About Steve-PG15 02:00 When In Rome-PG15 04:00 12 Men Of Christmas-PG15 05:45 Valentine’s Day-PG15 08:00 Ghosts Of Girlfriends Past-PG15 10:00 Leave It To Beaver-PG 12:00 Cloudy With A Chance Of Meatballs-PG 14:00 Babe: Pig In The City-FAM 16:00 All About Steve-PG15 17:45 Julie And Julia-PG15 20:00 Road Trip: Beer Pong-18 22:00 Team America: World Police-18

00:15 02:30 04:15 07:00 09:00 11:00 13:00 15:00 17:00 19:00 19:15 21:15 23:15

Legends Of The Fall-18 Sex And Lies In Sin City-18 A Prophet-18 Rudy-PG Hachiko: A Dog’s Story-PG15 My Sister’s Keeper-PG15 Rudy-PG Hachiko: A Dog’s Story-PG15 Guarding Tess-PG Conversation-U City Of Life-PG15 Blue Valentine-18 Double Cross-18

00:30 Boogie Nights-18 03:00 Hachiko: A Dog’s Story-PG15 05:00 One Hot Summer-PG15 07:00 Freestyle (2010)-PG15 09:00 Where The Wild Things Are-PG 11:00 Prince Of Persia: The Sands Of Time-PG15

13:00 Cats & Dogs-PG 15:00 Adam-PG15 17:00 Where The Wild Things Are-PG 19:00 The Nail: The Story Of Joey Nardone-18 21:00 Scott Pilgrim vs. The World-PG15 23:00 Funny People-18

00:00 Barney’s Great Adventure-FAM 02:00 Delgo-FAM 04:00 The Archies In Jugman-FAM 06:00 Barney’s Great Adventure-FAM 08:00 Last Of The Mohicans-PG 10:00 A Venetian Rascal Goes To America-PG15 12:00 The Three Musketeers-FAM 13:45 Tooth Fairy-PG 16:00 Like Mike-PG 18:00 A Venetian Rascal Goes To America-PG15 20:00 The Last Airbender-PG 22:00 Last Of The Mohicans-PG

01:00 The Kid-18 03:15 Inception-PG15 06:00 Sounds Like Teen Spirit-PG15 08:00 Phoebe In Wonderland-PG 10:15 Frequently Asked Questions About Time Travel-PG15 12:00 Sounds Like Teen Spirit-PG15 14:00 Winning Time-PG15 15:45 Phoebe In Wonderland-PG 18:00 The Other Side Of The Tracks-PG15 20:00 Scott Pilgrim vs. The World-PG15 22:00 The Dry Land-18

00:00 01:00 05:30 07:00 08:00 09:00

SlipStream on oSn Cinema

The Ultimate Fighter PGA European Tour Trans World Sport WWE NXT WWE Vintage Collection Rugby World Cup

11:15 13:30 14:30 15:30 19:30 20:00 22:00 23:00

Rugby World Cup WWE NXT RWC Weekly Highlights Live PGA European Tour RWC Matchday Highlights WWE SmackDown WWE Bottom Line The Ultimate Fighter

01:00 01:30 02:00 05:30 06:30 07:00 11:00 14:30 15:00 17:30 18:30 19:00 19:30 20:30 21:00

Scottish Premier League Highlights Total Rugby Premier League Snooker Trans World Sport The Challenge Series Golf Darts Premier League Snooker Futbol Mundial NRL Premiership AFL Highlights Scottish Premier League Highlights Futbol Mundial RWC Highlights Total Rugby Live Darts Grand Prix

01:00 05:30 06:30 07:00 08:00 12:30 13:00 15:00 15:30 19:30 20:00 21:00 21:30 23:30

European PGA Tour Ladies European Tour Highlights Total Rugby Golfing World European PGA Tour ICC Cricket World European Challenge Cup European Tour Weekly Live European PGA Tour ICC Cricket World Trans World Sports SPL Highlights Live Euro 2012 Qualifier Futbol Mundial

01:40 Cat On A Hot Tin Roof 03:25 The Time Machine-FAM 05:05 The Hucksters-PG 07:00 Each Dawn I Die-PG 08:30 The Four Horsemen Of The Apocalypse-PG 11:00 Gone With The Wind-PG 14:35 The Happy Years-FAM 16:25 Ziegfeld Follies-FAM 18:25 It Happened At The World’s FairFAM 20:10 Easter Parade-FAM 22:00 Pink Floyd—The Wall 23:35 Pennies From Heaven

00:00 01:00 02:00 03:00 04:00 05:00 06:00 07:00 08:00 09:00 10:00 11:00 12:00 13:00 14:00 15:00 16:00 17:00 18:00 19:00 20:00 21:00 22:00 23:00

Investigating History Ice Road Truckers Ax Men Ax Men Deep Sea Salvage Deep Sea Detectives Investigating History Ice Road Truckers Ax Men Ax Men Deep Sea Salvage Deep Sea Detectives Investigating History Ice Road Truckers Ax Men Ax Men Deep Sea Salvage Deep Sea Detectives Investigating History Ice Road Truckers Mummy Forensics Ancients Behaving Badly Clash of the Gods Battles B.C.

00:00 01:00 01:55 02:25 03:20 04:15 05:10 05:35 06:05 07:00 07:30 08:00 08:30 09:00 09:25

Jerseylicious Videofashion Daily Videofashion News How Do I Look?

Whose Wedding Is It Anyway?

Whose Wedding Is It Anyway?

Homes With Style Area Clean House Big Boutique Big Boutique Videofashion News Videofashion News Open House Open House

09:55 How Do I Look?

10:50 Whose Wedding Is It Anyway?

11:50 Clean House: Search For The Messiest...

12:50 Clean House 13:45 Videofashion Daily 14:45 How Do I Look?

15:40 Ruby 16:35 Jerseylicious 17:30 Top 10 17:55 Top 10 18:25 Big Rich Texas 19:25 Open House 20:20 Clean House 21:15 Glamour’s 25 Biggest Do’s And Don’ts 22:10 Clean House 23:05 How Do I Look?

00:00 01:00 02:00 03:00 04:00 05:00 06:00 07:00 08:00 09:00 11:00 12:00 13:00 13:30 14:00 15:00 16:00 17:00 18:00 18:30 19:00 20:00 21:00 22:00 23:00

Secrets of Bangkok People of the Sea Short History of Convict Australia Planet Sports Globe Trekker Secrets of Bangkok Distant Shores Globe Trekker Intrepid Journeys Food Tripper Distant Shores Globe Trekker Opening Soon Hollywood and Vines People of the Sea Planet Sports Globe Trekker Distant Shores Opening Soon Hollywood and Vines Globe Trekker Intrepid Journeys Secrets of Bangkok Planet Food Globe Trekker

00:20 00:45 01:10 01:35 02:00 02:25 02:50 03:00 03:25 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 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

Droopy: Master Detective The Flintstones Johnny Bravo Duck Dodgers King Arthur’s Disasters The Scooby Doo Show Popeye Classics Tom & Jerry Popeye 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 Scrappy-Doo Dastardly 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

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Information

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 7, 2011

DIAL 161 FOR AIRPORT INFORMATION In case you are not travelling, your proper cancellation of bookings will help other passengers to use seats Airlines CLX RJA JZR THY ETH UAE ETD DHX FDB GFA QTR MIX THY KAC UAE JZR JZR BAW KAC KAC KAC KAC FDB KAC KAC KAC KAC UAE QTR ABY IRA ETD GFA MEA RBG JZR IYE MSR JZR KAC KAC MSR UAL RJA FDB OMA QTR KAC KAC KAC JZR QTR JZR JZR BBC MLR ETD UAE GFA SVA RBG JZR ABY FDB ALK

Flt 732 642 267 772 620 853 305 370 67 211 138 302 770 544 4910 503 555 157 416 206 284 302 53 332 678 352 362 855 132 125 619 301 213 404 3555 165 825 623 561 618 672 610 982 640 57 645 140 546 552 788 257 134 201 535 43 403 303 857 215 510 3557 239 127 63 227

Arrival Flights on Friday 7/10/2011 Route LUXEMBOURG/DOHA AMMAN BEIRUT ISTANBUL ADDIS ABABA DUBAI ABU DHABI BAHRAIN DUBAI BAHRAIN DOHA DUBAI ISTANBUL CAIRO BAHRAIN LUXOR ALEXANDRIA LONDON JAKARTA/KUALA LUMPUR I SLAMABAD DHAKA MUMBAI DUBAI TRIVANDRUM MUSCAT/DUBAI COCHIN COLOMBO DUBAI DOHA SHARJAH LAR ABU DHABI BAHRAIN BEIRUT ALEXANDRIA DUBAI SANAA SOHAG SOHAG DOHA DUBAI CAIRO WASHINGTON DC DUL LES AMMAN DUBAI MUSCAT DOHA ALEXANDRIA DAMASCUS JEDDAH BEIRUT DOHA DAMASCUS CAIRO DHAKA COLOMBO/DUBAI ABU DHABI DUBAI BAHRAIN RIYADH SOHAG AMMAN SHARJAH DUBAI COLOMBO/DUBAI

Time 0:01 0:05 0:35 1:15 1:45 2:25 2:55 2:55 3:10 3:15 3:20 3:30 4:10 4:40 5:00 5:15 6:10 6:30 6:35 7:15 7:40 7:50 7:55 7:55 8:00 8:05 8:20 8:25 9:00 9:10 9:20 9:30 9:35 10:55 11:05 11:10 12:05 12:10 12:25 12:55 13:15 13:20 13:30 13:35 13:50 14:00 14:15 14:30 14:35 14:50 15:10 15:15 15:45 15:50 16:30 16:40 16:50 16:55 17:15 17:20 17:35 17:35 17:40 17:55 18:00

JZR KAC KAC KAC JZR KAC KAC KAC KAC KAC AIC JAI KAC FDB JZR OMA VOS MEA KAC SVA DHX GFA FCX QTR UAL UAE JZR JZR MSR DLH SAI JZR KLM JZR

177 165 502 542 213 744 614 102 774 674 975 572 562 61 787 647 81 402 786 506 372 217 304 136 981 859 135 185 612 636 441 539 447 481

Airlines AXB DLH AIC PIA CLX THY ETH UAE FDB DHX ETD QTR THY JZR MIX JZR RJA UAE GFA KAC BAW FDB JZR KAC KAC KAC KAC JZR UAE KAC

Flt 390 637 982 206 791 773 621 854 68 371 306 139 771 560 303 164 643 4910 212 545 156 54 534 787 177 671 551 256 856 617

DUBAI PARIS/ROME BEIRUT CAIRO DEIREZZOR/ALEPPO DAMMAM BAHRAIN NEW YORK/LONDON RIYADH DUBAI CHENNAI/GOA MUMBAI AMMAN DUBAI RIYADH MUSCAT BAGHDAD BEIRUT JEDDAH JEDDAH BAHRAIN BAHRAIN RIYADH DOHA BAHRAIN DUBAI BAHRAIN DUBAI CAIRO FRANKFURT LAHORE CAIRO AMSTERDAM/BAHRAIN SABIHA Departure Flights on Friday 7/10/2011 Route MANGALORE/KOZHIKODE FRANKFURT AHMEDABAD/CHENNAI LAHORE LUXEMBOURG ISTANBUL ADDIS ABABA DUBAI DUBAI BAHRAIN ABU DHABI DOHA ISTANBUL SOHAG KANDAHAR DUBAI AMMAN SHARJAH BAHRAIN ALEXANDRIA LONDON DUBAI CAIRO JEDDAH FRANKFURT/GENEVA DUBAI DAMASCUS BEIRUT DUBAI DOHA

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

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

ABY QTR KAC ETD GFA IRA JZR RBG MEA KAC JZR JZR KAC KAC IYE MSR JZR MSR RJA FDB UAL KAC OMA KAC KAC JZR KAC QTR KAC KAC JZR JZR ETD MLR QTR BBC UAE GFA RBG ABY JZR SVA FDB ALK JZR KAC KAC JAI FDB JZR KAC KAC OMA MEA SVA DHX GFA KAC QTR KAC KAC FCX JZR JZR UAE UAL KAC MSR S AI

12 6 133 117 302 214 618 200 3558 405 541 212 238 103 501 825 624 176 611 641 58 982 561 646 78 5 673 480 773 141 613 743 786 538 304 404 135 XXXX 858 216 3556 128 184 511 64 228 134 283 361 571 62 528 343 351 648 403 507 373 218 381 137 301 205 102 502 554 860 981 411 613 442

SHARJAH DOHA NEW YORK ABU DHABI BAHRAIN LAR DAMASCUS SOHAG BEIRUT CAIRO DEIREZZOR/ALEPPO AMMAN LONDON BEIRUT DOHA/SANAA SOHAG DUBAI CAIRO AMMAN DUBAI BAHRAIN AMMAN MUSCAT JEDDAH DUBAI SABIHA RIYADH DOHA BAHRAIN DAMMAM RIYADH CAIRO ABU DHABI DUBAI/COLOMBO DOHA DHAKA DUBAI BAHRAIN ALEXANDRIA SHARJAH DUBAI RIYADH DUBAI DUBAI/COLOMBO BAHRAIN DHAKA COLOMBO MUMBAI DUBAI ASSIUT CHENNAI COCHIN MUSCAT BEIRUT JEDDAH BAHRAIN BAHRAIN DELHI DOHA MUMBAI ISLAMABAD DUBAI LUXOR ALEXANDRIA DUBAI WASHINGTON DC DULLES BANGKOK/MANILA CAIRO LAHORE

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

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Mechanical Engineering graduate, with immaculate English

12-year-old girl is butterfly expert

K

aleela Thompson was only 4 years old when her mother bought her a butterfly habitat so she could watch how a caterpillar changes into a butterfly.

Personally, Kaleela was in her own state of transformation. As a toddler, she experienced developmental difficulties, and needed speech, occupational and physical therapy. Her grandparents gave her books, and she would read outside to caterpillars and butterflies in her garden.

"Kaleela knew that it did not matter to her butterflies if her speech was not perfect," says her mother, Cecilia Thompson.

"She just loved to read to them."

Today, Kaleela, 12, has overcome those developmental delays and butterflies are still an all-important part of her life in southeastern Virginia.

She's written her first book about butterflies, and is working on a second nature-related book. She travels to do book signings at events like the Virginia Festival of the Book in Charlottesville, Va., and frequently does educational programs to teach others about the benefits and beauty of gardening for butterflies. She's designing a website for her "My Home, My History, Our World" business, and will use it to promote her Facebook page, Kid Gardeners club and blog talk radio program. In March 2012, she is one of 12 authors of children's books invited to the state conference of the Virginia Association for Early Childhood Education.

Even though she's watched hundreds, maybe thousands, of eggs become caterpillars and then

Kaleela Thompson, 12, of Hampton, Virginia, is a butterfly’s best friend. Her garden features host plants where butterflies can lay eggs that eventually turns into colorful caterpillars. Kaleela has also written a book about swallowtails, hoping to inspire other young people to appreciate and embrace the beauty and benefits of butterflies. — MCT chrysalises before emerging as butterflies, Kaleela never tires of the topic.

"Look, see those eggs," she says, pointing to dozens of monarch eggs on the leaves of milkweed planted in the courtyard at her home in Hampton, Va. "Aren't they amazing?"

A poised young woman, Kaleela is soft spoken yet very vocal about her goals in life. A student at Hunter Andrews Middle School in Hampton, Va., she wants to be an entomologist, and have her own butterfly observatories that will hold tropical and native species.

"That's why I'm happy that McDonald Garden Center built me a temporary butterfly house," she says

of garden center near her home.

"The butterfly house is like my butterfly lab because I can observe how they pupate, mate and lay eggs.

I can find the right host plant for the caterpillars and the nectar plant for the butterflies _ and observe how they pollinate.

"Because I'm breeding monarchs, I hope to track the generations of monarchs."

Kaleela's book, "Oh Where Oh Where is my Swallowtail?" is designed to be a child's first reader. Virginia Beach, Va., artist Trevor Lucas illustrated the 24-page, full-color book, which features Kaleela searching for her best backyard friend, the eastern tiger swallowtail. As she explores her garden, the reader is invited to come

along, answering questions about where the butterfly may be. Along the way, the reader meets other friendly garden creatures and learns interesting facts about the tiger swallowtail, which is Virginia's state insect.

A bookmark tucked into a sleeve at the front of the book is used to find and say basic words and name primary colors. A CD tucked into another pocket is used for read-along activities. The back of the book features a glossary about animals spotlighted in the story.

The book, $10.95, is sold through Barnes and Noble, Hampton History Museum in Hampton, Children's Museum of Virginia in Portsmouth, Va., and Children at Play Museum in the Outer Banks, N.C. The butterfly

conservatory in Key West, Fla., has asked to carry it, too. Online, the book can be purchased from the publisher Eggleston Services at egglestonservices.org/butterfly. Based in Norfolk, Va., Eggleston Services provides job training and employment services to people with disabilities.

At home, Kaleela maintains a butterfly garden, mostly host plants _ several species of milkweed, herbs such as fennel and a planter of pipevine _ where butterflies can lay eggs and caterpillars can feed.

"We had a butterfly sitter for when we went on vacation and the day before we left, five pipevine swallowtails were emerging," says her mother, laughing.

"It was quite interesting making sure they were taken care of before we left."

That's how life operates at the Thompson household _ the butterflies come first.

Kaleela has no trouble convincing her mother, or father, Jeffrey, to take her anywhere, anytime in the name of butterfly science. When it's time to travel, Kaleela grabs her butterfly kit, which is a foam box filled with a small net, tweezers, magnifying glass, cotton balls, sugar water mixings and safety pins. Mom is in charge of gathering the other essentials like bottled water, insect repellent, sunscreen and a protective hat because their trips often take them to hot, buggy places like the Great Dismal Swamp.

When Kaleela has questions that relate to raising butterflies or running a small business, she reaches out to experts in the field. Many have become mentors and friends. — MCT

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FRIDAY, OCTOBER 7, 2011

D-backs send NLDS to Game 5 PHOENIX: The Arizona Diamondbacks came home and created a new way to celebrate big hits. Now that “The Snake” has started rolling, there may be no stopping it.

Changing the complexion of the NL division series with a powerful display, the Diamondbacks hit another grand slam among their team-record four homers to beat the Milwaukee Brewers 10-6 Wednesday night and force Game 5.

Outgunned by Milwaukee’s “Beast Mode” in the series’ first two games, the Diamondbacks came up with “The Snake” after returning to the desert in an 0-2 hole.

The brainchild of catcher Miguel Montero, the hand gesture - a cupped right hand that makes a striking motion - has taken over the series as Arizona has bashed its way toward what may be its greatest comeback in a season filled with them.

“We’re not going to give up, even when we’re down 2-0,” said Chris Young, who drove in three runs. “In the clubhouse, we still believed we could do it. At the time our goal was to get back to Milwaukee. We’ve reached that, so it’s a toss-up now. We’re going to be ready to go.”

A day after rolling over the Brewers 8-1, the Diamondbacks struck quickly and often in Game 4, scoring five runs in the first inning off Randy Wolf.

Ryan Roberts had the big blow with a grand slam, making the Diamondbacks the second team - with the 1977 Dodgers - to hit grand slams in consecutive playoff games.

Young added the first of his two homers in the next at-bat, Aaron Hill had a solo shot and Arizona had 13 hits to send the series back to Milwaukee for the decisive game Friday. It will be a rematch of Game 1 between 21-game winner Ian Kennedy of the Diamondbacks and fellow right-hander Yovani Gallardo.

“This team is resilient,” Brewers manager Ron Roenicke said. “We’re going to play hard and I expect this team to have a real good game on Friday.” Written off by many after being outscored 13-5 in the first two games, baseball’s best rally team - 48 comeback wins during the regular season - has put itself in position to become just the eighth team overall to win a best-of-five series after trailing 0-2.

Pinch hitter Collin Cowgill added a two-run single and Arizona’s bullpen held on after a less-thancrisp outing by starter Joe Saunders to put the

tough-to-keep-down Diamondbacks in position to make history. “We know we’re capable of scoring runs, so that was outstanding,” Diamondbacks

PHOENIX: As Milwaukee Brewers’ George Kottaras (bottom, looks on) Arizona Diamondbacks’ Chris Young (top left) high-fives teammate Paul Goldschmidt (right) after Young’s two-run home run, his second of the night, during the seventh inning in Game 4 of baseball’s National League division series. —AP manager Kirk Gibson said. “But to keep things in perspective, we haven’t accomplished anything yet. We didn’t come here to win two games and not win the series. We have to stay levelheaded about it.”

Of the four opening-round playoff series, three are going to Game 5. Detroit visits the New York Yankees on Thursday night and St. Louis is at Philadelphia on Friday night. The only other time a trio of division matchups went the distance was 2001, the year Arizona won the World Series.

Milwaukee didn’t expect to be in this position after winning the first two games handily. After two desert duds, the Brewers head back home

hoping to regain momentum and close out their first postseason series since making it to the 1982 World Series.

“If you want to get to the World Series you’ve got to play great baseball and unfortunately we didn’t do that the last couple of games,” Brewers third baseman Jerry Hairston Jr. said. “We go home - we do love playing at home.”

The NL West-champion Diamondbacks punctuated their worst-to-first finish with grand slams in their final two home games of the regular season, then kept slamming ‘em at Chase Field in the playoffs. Paul Goldschmidt was the star in Game 3, becoming the third rookie ever to hit a grand slam in the playoffs. He had the crowd buzzing when he strode to the plate against Wolf with the bases loaded in the first inning. He couldn’t come through - Wolf struck him out looking.

Roberts sure did, though, lining his second grand slam in four home games over the wall in left. The shot had the crowd roaring and got his teammates out of the dugout doing “The Snake.”

Roberts’ drive made Arizona the first team in major league history to hit grand slams in four straight home games (regular and postseason), according to STATS LLC and the SABR home run log. “In that situation, I just wanted to get on base, not try do anything too much,” Roberts said. “Just see a pitch in that I could drive and put a pretty good swing on it.”

Young followed with a shot to give the Diamondbacks back-to-back homers for the first time in their postseason history, then celebrated with a snake strike after putting Arizona up 5-1.

Wolf, 0-2 with a 6.08 ERA in two starts against Arizona during the regular season, lasted just two more innings after allowing seven runs on eight hits. “My command was horrible today,” Wolf said.

“The curveball I couldn’t throw for strikes at all, so that put me in a corner. I think every hitter I got behind in the count. When you do that, it’s hard to be successful.” Hard for his team, too.

Cowgill pushed Arizona up 7-3 with a two-run single in the third, Hill hit his solo homer in the sixth and Young lifted a two-run shot in the seventh.

Carlos Gomez hit a two-run homer off David Hernandez in the eighth to cut Arizona’s lead to 10-6, but it was too late for the Brewers - thanks to “The Snake.” — AP

Lynx shatter Dream MINNEAPOLIS: Seimone Augustus, her left knee sore and looking exhausted from an all-around effort, lifted the Minnesota Lynx to the brink of their first WNBA title. She’s not ready to relax just yet.

There’s still some work to do.

Augustus scored 36 points to lead Minnesota’s second-half surge, and the Lynx beat the Atlanta Dream 101-95 in Game 2 of the league championship series on Wednesday night. “The legacy isn’t complete until you’re holding the trophy,” Augustus said. Jessica Adair added 13 points in 18 minutes in a reserve role for the Lynx, who took a commanding 20 lead in the best-of-five matchup by overcoming 38 points by the Dream’s Angel McCoughtry, who broke her own record for a WNBA finals game set last year.

Game 3 is set for Friday night in Atlanta.

McCoughtry had 24 points in the first half, but she shot just 2 for 13 after halftime and shook her head in disgust afterward at what the Dream complained was an unfair discrepancy - 33-23, Atlanta - in the foul calls by officials Sue Blauch, Lamont Simpson and Kurt Walker. “Let us battle out. Let us scratch and

claw to the end. It’s entertainment. That’s what people want to see,” McCoughtry said, a scowl on her face. Coach Marynell Meadors was just as outspoken.

“I just really don’t understand a lot of the things being called,” she said. With veteran center Taj McWilliams-Franklin on the bench with a sprained right knee suffered late in the third quarter, WNBA Rookie of the Year Maya Moore sitting for most of the game in foul trouble and fellow All-Star Rebekkah Brunson having a quiet game, Augustus took over.

Hearing “MVP” chants as she swished her free throws down the stretch, the sixth-year forward who has suffered through her share of losing and injuries - finished 11 for 14 from the floor and 13 for 16 at the line to help the Lynx fight back from a pair of 10-point holes in the second quarter. “As they say, ‘Mone was in the zone,” Lynx coach Cheryl Reeve said. The Lynx took a 77-76 lead early in the fourth, their first edge since 20-19, and used a 10-0 spurt to turn an 85-81 deficit with five minutes to go into a comfortable lead in the closing minutes. — AP

MINNEAPOLIS: Atlanta Dream guard Angel McCoughtry (35) drives down the court against Minnesota Lynx forward Taj McWilliamsFranklin (8) in the first half of Game 2 of the WNBA Finals basketball series. —AP

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FRIDAY, OCTOBER 7, 2011

T20 Champions League semis promise fireworks BANGALORE: Organizers expect a boost in crowd interest after the Bangalore Royal Challengers won a gripping match to become the second Indian team to reach the semifinals of the Champions League Twenty20 tournament.

The unheralded Arun Karthik smashed a six off the final ball to clinch victory for Bangalore over the South Australia Redbacks on Wednesday and keep Indian interest alive.

Enthusiasm has been lacking at many matches as Indian fans remain disillusioned after their team’s recent disastrous tour of England.

Bangalore plays 2009 champion New South Wales in the first semifinal Friday while the Mumbai Indians meet qualifier Somerset Saturday at Chennai.

The winners will meet in the final Sunday.

The third edition of the Champions League, featuring top domestic Twenty20 teams from around the world, has struggled to garner interest in the country as it immediately followed India’s disappointing tour of England where the side failed to win even one match.

Several Indian stars, including Sachin Tendulkar, were forced to skip the Champions League after suffering injuries during the England tour and some have blamed excessive cricket, especial-

ly the six-week IPL that began only days after the national team’s successful World Cup campaign as the reason for player fatigue. Mumbai was worst hit by injuries and the organizers of the Champions

League gave it special permission to field five foreign players as against the stipulated four as Tendulkar, Munaf Patel and Rohit Sharma were among the nine Indians who suffered injuries in

England.

New South Wales qualified as the top team from Group A with three victories and one de feat, while Mumbai joined it as the second team from the group after

BANGALORE: Royal Challengers Bangalore players and support staff celebrate their win over South Australia in the Champions League Twenty20 cricket match. Arun Karthik hit six on the last ball to win the game by two wickets. —AP

Pakistan captain ‘agreed to score no runs’ — court LONDON: Former Pakistan cricket captain Salman Butt agreed to score no runs in an over during a crucial game against England as part of a betting scam, a court heard yesterday.

Butt, 26, was allegedly taped confirming that he would deliberately bat out a maiden over on the final day of last year’s Oval Test match, which was a chance for his side to win their first game of the series. His London-based sports agent, Mazhar Majeed, 36, discussed the arrangement with the cricketer by phone while agreeing a deal with an undercover journalist posing as a rich Indian businessman who had paid 10,000 pounds ($15,400) to fix part of the match, Southwark Crown Court heard.

The Press Association reported that Majeed assured the journalist, Mazher Mahmood, of the News of the World, that Butt would score no runs in his first full over at the Oval the next day, Aug. 21 last year. When the journalist pointed out that a maiden over could happen ordinarily, the agent rang the cricketer on speaker phone to prove he was involved in the fixing scam, the court heard. Their alleged conversation, which was recorded by the reporter, was read to the jury. Majeed allegedly said: “You know the maiden we were doing in the first over?” Butt allegedly replied: “Yeah.” Majeed: “You know the third over you face? Do one more maiden.” Butt: “No, leave it, OK.” Majeed: “You don’t want to do the third over?” Butt: “Nai, yaar.” (“No, mate.”) Prosecutor Aftab Jafferjee said: “If not party to this corrupt agreement, you might expect Butt to say something to the effect of ‘What are you talking about?’” Butt and fast bowler Mohammad Asif deny conspiracy to cheat and conspiracy to accept corrupt payments between Aug. 15 and 29 last year.

On the opening day of the trial on Wednesday, Jafferjee told the jury: “This case reveals a depressing tale of rampant corruption at the heart of international cricket, with the key players being members of the Pakistan cricket team.” The activity, he said, was underpinned by the betting industry in the Asian sub-continent, where gambling on cricket matches alone had a turnover of $40-50 billion a year.The trial is expected to last a month. —Reuters

opening its campaign with a thrilling three-wicket victory with one delivery remaining over defending champion and favorite Chennai Super Kings.

Chennai, the reigning IPL champion, finished last in the group after registering just one victory, over Cape Cobras from South Africa. It was also at the receiving end of a David Warner blitz, with the opener’s 69-ball 135 putting New South Wales through to the semifinals.

Somerset, which qualified through a pre-event competition, topped Group B with five points while Bangalore edged out Kolkata Knight Riders and South African side Warriors on better run rate after all three finished with four points each.

The tournament has witnessed several close matches, but the most exciting by far was Wednesday’s high-scoring battle between Bangalore and Redbacks. Daniel Harris struck 108 not out and Callum Ferguson hit 70 to guide Redbacks to a strong 214-2.

Tillakaratne Dilshan and Virat Kohli give Bangalore a strong start lashing 74 and 70 respectively before fast bowler Shaun Tait put the brakes on the home team with a five-wicket haul.

Karthik, however, helped pull off the two-wicket victory after 14 runs were needed from the last over, bowled by Daniel Christian. —AP

Vettel wants to win F1 title in style SUZUKA: Sebastian Vettel has vowed to win his second Formula One title in style even though he need finish only 10th in Sunday’s Japanese Grand Prix to clinch his second successive championship.

The winner of nine of 14 races so far this season told reporters he intended to kick off his celebrations on the podium at Suzuka, rather than simply bank the solitary point he needs from the final five races.

“We want to do it in the right way,” said Red Bull’s 24-year-old German, winner from pole position at the Hondaowned circuit for the past two years.

“I think if you have the ability, the package overall, to do well around here, you have to enjoy it and you have to make sure that if the chance is there to finish on the podium you finish on the podium,” he added.

“Yes, there would be reason to celebrate, even if w e finish 10th, but it wouldn’t be the same. “So we try to race as usual and we try to get the best out of ourselves.”

The only driver who can prevent Vettel from becoming the sport’s youngest double champion on Sunday is McLaren’s Jenson Button and to do that he will have to win at Suzuka while the reigning champion fails to score for the first time in 17 races going back to last October.

Button did not think t hat was remotely likely but still enjoyed the pretence that he remained a threat to Vettel’s dreams.

Vettel, sitting next to the 2009 world

champion in a news conference, had pointed out that there was “still a chance for Jenson to win the title and for me not to”.

Refusing to count any chickens or take anything for granted, the German stuck to his familiar mantra of keeping

He also laughingly suggested that if anyone wanted to do him a favour, they could maybe push Button down the stairs on the way out. Button gazed around the room and doubted any of those present shared Vettel’s apparent concern.

SUZUKA: Red Bull driver Sebastian Vettel (right) chats with Sauber driver Kamui Kobayashi during a press conference ahead of Sunday’s Japanese Formula One Grand Prix. —AP his feet on the ground, taking each race at a time.

“The moment you decide to fly, sooner or later there’s a moment when you will come down as well,” Vettel warned.

“You have to, nothing flies for ever.”

“I think it’s great, going into this race, Sebastian thinking that I have a chance of winning the title,” he grinned. “He’s probably the only person here (who does)...or the only person that’s saying so. “It’s all but over.” —Reuters

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Stars yet to shine at Rugby World Cup WELLINGTON: Bearded Canadians, an outspoken Samoan, jubilant Tongans and the quarrelsome French. The seventh Rugby World Cup has produced color and characters but, after 40 of its 48 matches, has yet to find a genuine, standout star.

It may be that in World Cups stardom is bestowed in retrospect, that when the winner of the tournament is known the influence of one player over all others will be more clearly recognized. Through the tournament’s pool stages, when rugby’s lowerranked teams mixed it with the major powers, it may have been inevitable that players came to prominence for reasons other than their influence on the tournament’s outcome.

The appeal of the exotic, the underdog and the controversial brought several players to temporary prominence: Adam Kleeberger and the Canadian “Beardos,” the prolific Samoan tweeter Eliota FuimaonoSapolu, Georgian flanker Mamuaka Gorgodze, aka “Gorgodzilla.”

In most cases their fame was transient. This tournament may rely on its pressure-filled sudden-death rounds to furnish a figure that shines above all others. Still, there is evidence that at past World Cups players of exceptional ability have imposed themselves on public attention at an earlier stage. It took only one match at the 1995 World Cup for one name to imprint itself indelibly on the history of rugby. Even now, it looms larger than most. A previously unknown 20year-old scored two tries in New Zealand’s 49-13 win over Ireland and a buzz began that increased in volume throughout the tournament. When the giant winger scored four tries in a

45-29 semifinal win over England, running over rather than around England’s Mike Catt, a legend was born. The player’s name was Jonah Lomu.

From Michael Jones, the All Blacks flanker who scored the first try of the first World Cup in 1987, to Jonny Wilkinson, the England flyhalf who lasered the winning dropped goal between the posts in extra time in the 2003 final against Australia, the World Cup has left legends. For many other

WELLINGTON: Canada’s Adam Kleeberger leaves the field injured during the Rugby World Cup match against the New Zealand All Blacks in this file photo. —AP leading players, the World Cup has been part of their careers but has not defined them. There have been some who have been among the leading players of their generation but who, for many reasons and not least

because of injury, have not sealed their place in history with a World Cup victory or even a career-defining performance at the sport’s marquee tournament. Among those may be counted New Zealand’s Dan Carter, who has proved himself the best flyhalf of this era but whose tournament has already been ended by injury and who will likely not, at 29, have another chance to excel at a World Cup. Carter was a young and almost unnoted player at the 2003 World Cup in Australia and, though his reputation was established by the 2007 tournament in France, New Zealand’s exit in the quarterfinals left him no chance to establish himself as the star of the tournament.

This World Cup, at home and with Carter now established as the world’s leading pointscorer in tests, might have been the definitive moment of his career but a groin injury suffered during a routine goalkicking practice has destroyed that possibility.

All Blacks coach Graham Henry made it clear that injury had deprived Carter of his chance to shine on rugby’s biggest stage. “He’s been a world class player for a long time, probably one of the greatest players ever produced by this country,” Henry said.

“This was going to be his pinnacle, the Rugby World Cup. It’s devastating that he can’t be involved in that. “It’s a tragic situation for a highly talented young sportsman. This was his scene a World Cup in New Zealand. It was going to be his big occasion.” South African utility back Frans Steyn came into the tournament with recognition but was not widely seen as a potential star before making a forceful claim to attention. — AP

Oosthuizen eyes strong finish SAN MARTIN: Former British Open champion Louis Oosthuizen never thought he would play in the PGA Tour’s Fall Series but those plans swiftly changed after a disappointing 2011 campaign in the United States.

The 28-year-old South African failed to qualify for the elite FedExCup playoffs and has had to add two more PGA Tour events to his schedule for the minimum total of 15 required to maintain his card for next season.

“It’s been a very disappointing year,” Oosthuizen told Reuters at CordeValle Golf Club on Wednesday while preparing for this week’s Frys.com Open, the second of four events in the Fall Series.

“The minute I felt like I was playing nicely, I had a few injuries and then whenever I’ve felt like playing pretty decent golf, I just couldn’t get on a run. Hopefully I can finish strong and next year will be better.

“After this (the next two Fall Series events), I am heading to China (and Asia) to play quite a few European Tour events over there so I’ve still got a lot of tournaments left for my 2011 season.”

Oosthuizen, who clinched his first major title with a crushing seven-shot victory in last year’s British Open at St. Andrews, has struggled for consistency this season.

Although he won his second European Tour title at the Africa Open in January, he has posted only one top 10 in 13 starts on the PGA Tour-a tie for ninth at the US Open in June. “My form has been pretty rough,” Oosthuizen said. “I

struggled with a little back injury at the Canadian Open but I think my main problem has been more mental than anything else. “Plus, this year is the first time that I have played both tours and I’ve found it difficult sometimes with the travelling backwards and forwards,” he added, referring to the PGA and European tours.

“Hopefully next year will be a bit easier, knowing which events to play.” Asked what he would specifically change in his tournament schedule for next year, Oosthuizen replied: “Not that much really, probably try and play a few more stretches over here in the States.

“I need to play three or four weeks in a row and not just come over here for just one or two events. Once I get that right in my schedule, it should help a lot.”

Oosthuizen, who will tee off in later yesterday’s Thursday’s opening round with Americans Tiger Woods and Patrick Cantlay, was given a timely boost by his fifth place in the European Tour’s Alfred Dunhill Links Championship in Scotland last week. “It was nice to play St. Andrews again,” he said. “I played with my brother, which was good, and it brought back a lot of good memories from the British Open. I like the course, the history-everything about St. Andrews. “Actually I didn’t play that well over the weekend. I left so many birdies out there on the course and I struggled with the putter a bit. But, all in all, I’m quite happy with that performance. I’m really looking forward to this week.”—Reuters

SAN MARTIN: Tiger Woods tees off as rain clouds set in during the pro-am at the Frys.com Open golf tournament. —AP

Full fitness gives Tiger reason to smile SAN MARTIN: Tiger Woods had a noticeable bounce in his step after competing in the Frys.com Open pro-am on Wednesday, and has targeted victory this week in his first PGA Tour event in nearly two months.

Though Woods has struggled for form for most of this year while battling leg injuries and working on the fourth swing change of his professional career, he said he no longer had any limits on his practice time after regaining full fitness.

“I’m happy with how everything has progressed from tee to green,” the former world number one told reporters on Wednesday at CordeValle Golf Club. “I’ve had a chance to practise and work on everything.

“That’s something that I hadn’t been able to do for a while, so I have to say I’m very pleased with every facet of my game. “My comfort’s coming back, being able to hit shots and go out and play 36 holes a day. That’s something I hadn’t done because I just hadn’t had the time.” Asked how he would measure success this week in his first tournament since the PGA Championship in August, he replied: “Getting a ‘W’ (a win).”

Woods, whose world ranking has slipped to 51st, has played only six rounds of golf on the PGA Tour since the Masters in April when he tied for fourth place.

He was forced to pull out of the Quail Hollow Championship in May because of mild strains to his left knee and left Achilles’ tendon and those same injuries led to his withdrawal from the Players the following week. Woods returned to the US circuit for the WGCBridgestone Invitational in August, tying for 37th, but then missed the cut at the PGA Championship, the final major of the year, and failed to qualify for the FedExCup playoffs.

“It’s always easy to come back from a layoff when you already know what to do,” the 14-times major champion said. “That’s very simple. I’ve done it before and I’ve done it a bunch of times. “But I’m implementing a new golf swing, and in order to do that, you have to get the reps (repetitions) in, and I hadn’t gotten the reps in. “I have to hit thousands of balls to do that and to where it feels natural. I’ve done that now.”

Comfortably the best player of his generation, Woods has not won a tournament since the 2009 Australian Masters and there has been widespread speculation about his likely form at CordeValle this week. For the first time in his career, he will be competing in one of the PGA Tour’s Fall Series events, which generally attract only the journeymen on the US circuit.

Asked if it felt a little strange competing in the Frys.com Open after challenging for a major title in his previous tour start, Woods replied: “If you think about it, I haven’t really played a whole lot in the last couple years. “So just getting out here and competing, it’s fun because I just haven’t done it a whole lot.” He is scheduled to tee off in late yesterday’s opening round in the company of 2010 British Open champion Louis Oosthuizen and US amateur Patrick Cantlay.

Woods gave an early indication of his possible form at CordeValle by firing a course-record 62 in practice at The Medalist in Florida last week. — Reuters

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FRIDAY, OCTOBER 7, 2011

Keatings aims to make up for lost time

BEIJING: France’s Jo-Wilfried Tsonga returns the ball to Zhang Ze of China during their singles tennis match of the China Open tennis tournament. —AP

Tsonga, Wozniacki storm into quarters BEIJING: Hard-hitting top seed Jo-Wilfried Tsonga showed no mercy yesterday as he demolished home hope Zhang Ze 6-3, 6-4 to march into the quarter-finals of the China Open in Beijing. The Frenchman, who won his sixth career title last month in Metz, will next face former world number one Juan Carlos Ferrero of Spain, who saw off compatriot Marcel Granollers 6-4, 6-4.

Tsonga, the world number seven, won in 76 minutes, firing eight aces and breaking his opponent’s serve three times as the gap in experience and quality showed.

“What can I say?” said Tsonga. “On paper I was better than him, but on the court it’s all the time different. It was not easy today and I’m happy to win, even if I was supposed to.” Ferrero, who has slipped to 84 in the world rankings, took his career record over Granollers to 5-0. “It will be tough for me because hard court is his (Tsonga’s) favorite surface. His serve is big, forehand is big-he’s always difficult to beat,” said the Spaniard.

Croatian Marin Cilic stopped Italian Fabio Fognini 6-2, 6-7 (1/7), 6-3, while South Africa’s Kevin Anderson defeated Spaniard Albert Montanes 7-6 (7/3), 7-6 (7/4) in a tight affair. In the women’s draw, there was bitter disappointment for the second seed Victoria Azarenka, forced to pull out with a foot injury and handing a walkover win into the quarter-finals to Russian 13th seed Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova. “It’s disappointing to have to withdraw.

I’d been hoping that my foot would be OK, but it has been bothering me since Tokyo,” said the Belarussian.

“I’m not sure about the recovery time yet, but I’ll continue to consult with my doctor. I expect to be back for Luxembourg (from October 17).”

There was a routine victory for top seed Caroline Wozniacki against Kaia Kanepi of Estonia, 6-3, 7-6 (7/3).

The 11th seed Agnieszka Radwanska stepped up her bid for a second straight Asian trophy after winning in Tokyo last week, putting out Swede Sofia Arvidsson 6-4, 6-2.

Radwanska, winner of two titles this season, remains in the hunt for a year-end final s place at the WTA Championships in Istanbul. But the Pole admitted that burnout at this stage of the season remains a danger.

“It’s always tough, especially now in the end of the year. Everybody’s pretty tired and some of us are still fighting for the championships. Everybody wants to play everything, we’re playing a lot. “The season is 10 months, which is really long. It’s hard to be in shape.” She next plays former number one Ana Ivanovic, the French Open winner three years ago. Romanian Monica Niculescu, who earlier accounted for China’s French Open winner Li Na, came back from a set down to beat France’s Virginie Razzano 46, 6-1, 6-2. — AFP

TOKYO: Britain’s best male gymnast might be its most overlooked these days. Daniel Keatings, the 2009 world silver medalist, has been largely out of view the last 18 months, recovering from a torn cruciate ligament in his knee. His British teammates, meanwhile, have been piling up the medals and achievements, including a seventhplace finish at last year’s worlds that was their best ever.

“It was hard not being able to train, just having to sit back. And it was hard also watching the GB team do so well,” Keatings said yesterday. “It’s the best results we’ve ever had, and I’ve had to sit back and watch that. But it made me more hungry to get back in the gym and work even harder to get myself back in the team.

“I have to say, I’m better than what I was two years ago,” he added. “Hopefully I can do a good job here and prove to everyone that I’m back.” The world championships, the main qualifier for next year’s London Olympics, begin Friday with women’s qualifying. The men’s competition starts Sunday, and Britain’s qualifying session is Monday.

Britain has gone from barely being an afterthought a few years ago to having an outside shot at a medal at the world championships, and the 21-year-old Keatings has played a huge role in the rise. He led the junior team to the gold medal at the 2008 Europeans, Britain’s first title at a

major competition, and won the all-around.

The next year, he won Britain’s first all-around medal at a world championships, delighting the home crowd when he took silver at the O2 Arena, the Olympic venue.

“Amazing,” Keatings said, smiling at the memory. “In front of the home crowd, where the Olympics are going to be as well, same arena. So it was great to have experienced that and done so well. It keeps me positive and motivated going toward the Olympics.”

And Keatings needed every positive thought he could muster during his recovery.

He had achieved another first for Britain at the 2010 European championships, winning pommel horse for the country’s first gold medal at a major championships. But two days later, he hyperextended his leg during training and blew out his ACL. “I knew there was something seriously wrong because there was excruciating pain,” Keatings said. “I was very disappointed, upset. Two days before, I’d become European champion on pommel horse. So going from such a high to such a low was hard to deal with. But there was a great team behind me. A great medical team put me on a great rehab program, which is what got me back to where I’m at now.”—AP

Nadal, Murray advance TOKYO: Defending champion and top seed Rafael Nadal survived an early scare as he and second seed Andy Murray rolled into the quarterfinals of the Japan Open yesterday in Tokyo.

David Ferrer, the third seed from Spain, also advanced, but not before dropping a set to Australia’s spirited qualifier Matthew Ebden.

Nadal, who was playing his first singles tournament since losing the US Open final last month, admitted the big-serving Milos Raonic had caused him some headaches in the 7-5, 6-3 victory. The Canadian, 20, forced down eight aces to leave Nadal stumped early on.

“At the beginning of the set I didn’t have one chance to return his serve. I lost the first two games on his serve without winning one point,” said Nadal.

“But I felt I started to return his serve more, so I felt I was closer to break than at the beginning.”

In the quarter-finals on Friday, Nadal will take on Santiago Giraldo of Colombia, a 6-4, 7-6 (7/4) winner over Dmitry Tursunov of Russia.

Briton Murray, winner at the Thailand Open last weekend, joined Nadal as he showed far too much in brushing aside American Alex Bogomolov Jr, 6-1, 6-2.

Murray next takes on David Nalbandian of Argentina, who defeated Ivan Dodig of Croatia 7-6 (7/2), 6-2. Earlier in the day, the 2007 champion Ferrer came from behind to beat Ebden 4-6, 6-2, 6-2 to set up a quarter-final meeting against Radek Stepanek of the Czech Republic.

“Always when I play him (Stepanek) it has been close matches because he is a very good player.

He serves and volleys unbelievably. I need to play very consistent to return very well to win tomorrow,” Ferrer said. —AFP

TOKYO: Rafael Nadal of Spain returns the ball to Milos Raonic of Canada during their second round of the Japan Open tennis tournament. —AP

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FRIDAY, OCTOBER 7, 2011

Capello promises win-only mindset against Montenegro

FLORENCE: Italy’s Sebastian Giovinco (left) Riccardo Montolivo (center) and Andrea Pirlo warm up during a training session ahead of today’s Euro 2012 soccer match against Serbia. —AP

Serbia plot to ambush Italy BELGRADE: Serbia will be fired up to beat Italy in their Euro 2012 Group C qualifier today after losing the reverse fixture in Genoa by a 3-0 walkover because of crowd trouble, says winger Milos Krasic. The Italians, who have sealed a berth in next year’s finals with two games to spare, were awarded the win after Serbian fans caused a riot and forced the game in the Luigi Ferraris stadium to be abandoned after six minutes last October.

“We lost more or less without kicking a ball and that will give us the extra motivation to prove our worth and show that we can beat a team of Italy’s stature,” Juventus winger Krasic told a news conference on Tuesday. “It’s been a while since we beat a team of that quality at home so we are looking forward to what should be a great match played in a good atmosphere. “Although they have already qualified, the Italians will not come here to just go through the motions because they are a world-class team and take every game seriously.

“Five of my Juventus team mates are in the squad and Andrea Pirlo will be a constant threat because he pulls the strings in midfield for club and country.

Serbia’s Chelsea defender Branislav Ivanovic added on Wednesday: “We have to be very cautious although a win would seal a play-off berth for us, because Italy are so good at scoring against the run of play.” Italy have 22 points from eight matches ahead of the Serbia game and their final group match at home to Northern Ireland in Pescara on Oct. 11.

Serbia have 14 from eight and a win against either Italy or last-match opponents Slovenia would allow them to finish second, meaning they would at least clinch one of the eight play-off berths. Estonia have 13 from nine and are also eyeing a runners-up finish, while Slovenia, who have 11 from nine, need to beat the Serbians and hope other results go their way.

The winners of Europe’s nine qualifying groups and the best second-placed team will qualify automatically for next year’s finals in Poland and Ukraine while the other eight runners-up enter two-leg playoffs for the remaining four berths.

Although Italy are likely to receive a feverish reception from Serbian fans, their coach Cesare Prandelli said they had no fear of playing in the cauldron of Red Star Belgrade’s Marakana stadium whose capacity is 55,000.

“We don’t have any fears about the game in Belgrade and there will be no sort of problems with their fans,” Prandelli told reporters earlier this week.

“Serbia need a win and we have already qualified. Let’s not speculate on the result, but I expect a good performance,” he said. Serbian Football Association (FSS) president Tomislav Karadzic warned the home fans that UEFA would not tolerate any misbehavior today. “UEFA have qualified the fixture as a high-risk one and the body will certainly show zero tolerance for any kind of trouble, but I am convinced that we will have a good atmosphere and represent our country in the best possible way,” he said. Serbia coach Vladimir Petrovic is pondering whether to change his preferred 4-2-3-1 formation into a more adventurous 4-4-2, with Marko Pantelic and Milan Jovanovic up front to be backed by wingers Krasic and Zoran Tosic. Prandelli, who has picked a strong squad, is likely to field Antonio Cassano in attack with Sebastian Giovinco in a deeper role behind him. Mario Balotelli and Giampaolo Pazzini are among the strikers ruled out through injury.—Reuters

LONDON: England are tantalisingly close to sealing a place at Euro 2012 and intend to clear the last hurdle in Montenegro today by going all out for victory despite needing just a point in their final Group G qualifier in Podgorica.

Fabio Capello’s unbeaten side need only avoid defeat to join the 2012 party in Ukraine and Poland but an untimely slipup in the tiny Balkan state would leave England relying on help from Switzerland next week.

Until Montenegro lost to Wales last month they were England’s equals in the group and while that defeat has left them looking at a playoff instead, two wins in their last two games would topple Capello’s men from first place via a better head-to-head record. Capello, still tarnished by England’s shambolic World Cup failure last year, said he would on Friday adopt the same attacking policy that has been rewarded with a 100 percent away record in Euro 2012 qualifying.

The Italian has selected five strikers in his squad with Wayne Rooney likely to be partnered up front by Darren Bent, Andy Carroll or even Manchester United’s in-form youngster Danny Welbeck.

“We are going for a win, not for a draw,” Capello told the FA’s website (www.thefa.com). “If you play for a draw it is a big mistake because you are playing to defend the result.

“When you do that you make some silly mistakes. You need to play the same style as all the other away games.”

Montenegro, in their first campaign as an independent nation, are guaranteed at least a playoff should they beat England and third-placed Switzerland fail to defeat Wales.

The Montenegrins have already drawn 0-0 at Wembley and had Milan Jovanovic’s effort gone in rather than rattling the crossbar that day, they could have been in the driving seat for the return in Podgorica.

Montenegro conceded plenty of possession at Wembley but were superbly disciplined and dangerous on the break.

Goalkeeper Mladen Bozovic said a similar level of performance would have to be reached if they were to have a chance of sending England home empty-handed.

“We were under no pressure to get a result at Wembley, we were beaming with confidence ahead of the 0-0 draw after winning our opening three games, but it’s a very different situation now,” he told Montenegrin media.

“We have to deliver now because we are in contention for a playoff berth and we need to perform well against England

LONDON: England manager Fabio Capello makes a point to his team in this file photo. —AP and in our final match in Switzerland.

“With a bit of luck we can score and then anything can happen. England are a great team full of world class players but we are hoping they will underestimate us,” Bozovic added.

“We have nothing to fear. We are aware it will probably go down to the wire, meaning that our final group match in Switzerland will be decisive.”—Reuters

Russia looking to qualify with victory in Slovakia ZILINA: Russia’s dependable away form will get another test today when the team visits Slovakia in a European Championship qualifying match. Four teams can still finish at the top of Group B, though Russia has a two-point cushion over Ireland going into the final two matches.

Russia, which has not lost a qualifying match away from home so far in the group, will guarantee itself the top spot with victory at Slovakia today. “We are favorites because we are at the top of the group now, but the most important is that we are still No. 1 in the group on Tuesday,” Russia coach Dick Advocaat said.

“We are the team which has everything in its own hands and all other teams cannot say that.”

Any slip-up by the Russians could let in Ireland, which visits Andorra today. Armenia and Slovakia retain hopes if they can close with wins.

Advocaat is without striker Alexander Kerzhakov for today’s match against Slovakia and Monday’s home game against Andorra after injuring his ankle in a Russian league match on Saturday.

“We have good players who can replace him. So, it’s not a big prob-

lem,” Advocaat said. Rubin Kazan forward Vladimir Dyadyun has received a first call-up as replacement for Kerzhakov, while winger Aleksandr Samedov is also a newcomer in the squad.

Russia still has plenty of firepower up front, with Arsenal forward Andrey Arshavin joined by Roman Pavlyuchenko and Pavel Pogrebnyak. Advocaat said his players were confident they could reverse the loss to Slovakia in Moscow. “They (Slovakia) will have to take more risk then they did in our home game.

That means that we will have more opportunities up front there,” the Russia coach said. “Slovakia is a good team and we have a good feeling about going to play there and showing what we can do.” Slovakia coach Vladimir Weiss said his team can still qualify despite being in fourth with 14 points.

“We have to win both games and hope for a little help from the other teams,” Weiss said. “But I believe in the power of the team. The game against Russia is a big challenge, but we were able to win in Moscow, so why not again in Zilina?”—AP

Wayne Rooney’s father held in betting probe LONDON: The father of Manchester United and England striker Wayne Rooney was among nine men men arrested on Thursday over betting irregularities in a Scottish Premier League match, police sources said.

Wayne Rooney senior, 48, was detained at his home in Liverpool along with another seven people arrested in the city.

It is believed that Rooney’s uncle Richie, 54, was also detained. Steve Jennings, a 26-yearold central midfielder with Scottish Premier League club Motherwell, was arrested at his home in Glasgow.

The arrests were carried out by Merseyside Police in a joint operation with gambling authorities. The investigation relates to a match between Motherwell and Hearts on December 14 last year, police said.

Jennings had already been booked during the match and was sent off for using foul and abusive language towards the referee.

Scottish Football Association Chief Executive Stewart Regan said: “While the investigation involves several other individuals (outside) Scotland, it is important to stress that the evidence gathered throughout this thorough period of investigation has involved only one Scottish match. “Motherwell FC are aware of the situation and will issue a response in due course.”—AFP

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Estonia eye historic Euro 2012 berth TALLINN: Minnows Estonia aim to join the big fish of football by securing the Baltic nation’s first-ever European Championships qualification, though their fate lies only partly in their hands.

Standing a suprise third in Group C, manager Tarmo Ruutli’s squad will take to the pitch in Belfast today knowing they have a chance to make history.

A win against fifth-placed Northern Ireland-out of the running after being thrashed 4-1 in Tallinn last month-would put Estonia within shot of the Euro 2012 play-offs. The victorious Blueshirts would leapfrog second-placed Serbia. But they would have a nail-biting wait for the result of the Serbs’ match with alreadyqualified Italy the same night.

If Serbia lose that, Estonia will have to sweat it out until the final whistle of their rivals’ game with fourth-placed Slovenia

on Tuesday. Whatever the outcome, Estonia are proud to have got this close.

“Even if the other results do not go in our favor, a third place is still a great achievement,” Estonian football association spokesman Mihkel Uiboleht told AFP. “It is more than we could ever have hoped for.”

Despite the cautious mood, the minnows are proud of having bounded up world football governing body FIFA’s rankings from an all-time low of 137th in 2008 to their current 58th, their peak.

FIFA classed them as best mover of September 2011 as they jumped 28 notches. In their Euro 2012 campaign they have lost to Italy creditably 2-1 and beaten Serbia 3-1 and Slovenia 2-1 — although they were also defeated 2-0 by the weakest side in the group Faroe Islands. In March they recorded arguably

their biggest ever result, beating 2010 World Cup semifinalists Uruguay 2-0 in Tallinn. In a nation of 1.3 million where cross-country skiers are the big sporting names, football has long been a poor cousin.

The Estonian league draws Europe’s lowest average crowds — 188 in the 2009-2010 season, research showed, compared with over 34,000 in England.

But long-term efforts by the football association are bearing fruit. “Nothing has changed suddenly. It is a reflection of the hard work that has been put in over the past 15 years,” said Uiboleht, noting that player numbers tripled over that period to 57,000.

“We also have 35 players abroad, in 10 different countries, and they are not just making up the numbers in squads but receiving regular game time. Two

years ago it was only a handful,” he added. They include Estonia forward Tarmo Kink, at English Championship side Middlesborough. Estonia only returned to international football in 1992 after the end of five decades of Soviet rule. The legacy of that era remains, because the Kremlin sent in waves of Russian-speakers to try to tilt the ethnic balance. They form more than a quarter of the population, and community relations have sometimes been rocky since independence.

Football helps bridge divides, with nine Russian-named players in the 23man squad called up for the Northern Ireland game. Midfielder Konstantin Vassiljev-who plays his club football for Amkar Perm in Russia-is Estonia’s top marksman in the Euro 2012 qualifiers with three goals in eight games.—AFP

Torres hopes to play for Spain against Czechs

Shay Given stops a ball in this file photo.

Given wants last hurrah for Ireland’s old guard LA VELLA: Republic of Ireland goalkeeper Shay Given insists a place at Euro 2012 would be the perfect finale to the international careers of his country’s ageing stars.

It is crunch time for Given, 35, and the rest of Ireland’s old guard as Giovanni Trapattoni’s team head into their final two Euro qualifiers against Andorra and Armenia lying in second place in Group B. Ireland face Andorra in the shadow of the Pyrenees on Friday and then host Armenia on Tuesday with a guaranteed place in next year’s final up for grabs.

Leaders Russia have a two-point advantage over Ireland, while Slovakia and Armenia are only a further point back. The Russians will win the group if they defeat Slovakia on Friday and Ireland do not beat Andorra.

However, Russia lost 1-0 to Slovakia in Moscow in their previous meeting and a repeat in Zilina would blow the race for first place wide open. It is first place that Ireland really want as the likes of Given, Kevin Kilbane, Damien Duff and Robbie Keane — all veterans from the last major finals the Irish reached the 2002 World Cup going out to Spain on penalties in the second round contemplate the end of their international careers.

“You can call us senior or getting old or whatever, but we know we haven’t got many years left to qualify, so hopefully we can do it before we retire from international football,” Aston Villa star Given said. “We are running out of opportunities to do that, so hopefully this will be our time.

“It’s too early to say when my last one is, but I know there are not many left, to be honest, so hopefully we can do it this time.”

A controversial play-off defeat against France-inspired by Theirry Henry’s infamous handball in Paris-denied Ireland a trip to the 2010 World Cup in South Africa and Given knows he may be subjected to another taste of the play-off lottery.

“I’m keen to avoid it but we would take it as well because it was a tough group that we were drawn in,” he said.

“But we have got to just keep focused on Friday and if it comes to a play-off after that or whatever, then we have got to deal with that as well. “But hopefully if it does come to a play-off, they don’t seed it this time like the last time.”—AFP

PRAGUE: With a ticket for the 2012 European Championship already secured, defending champion Spain can afford to focus on striker Fernando Torres to help him rediscover his firepower in a qualifying match at the Czech Republic.

Spain has qualified for next year’s tournament in Poland and Ukraine with a perfect record of six victories from six games and is leading Group I with 18 points.

The Czech Republic is fighting with Scotland for a playoff spot. The Czechs have 10 points, two more than Scotland, which plays at Liechtenstein on Saturday before traveling to Spain for the final qualifier on Tuesday. The Czechs finish their campaign at Lithuania the same day.

The game could give Torres a chance to break a yearlong scoring drought with the national team. His last goals for Spain came on Sept. 3 last year when he scored a double in a 4-0 win over Liechtenstein in the opening Euro 2012 qualifier.

Spain coach Vicente Del Bosque has made it clear that Torres will need to show improvement soon. “In the case of Torres, he changed clubs and he’s been on a not very positive run,” Del Bosque said. “We still believe in him, but there are others that are pressing hard for their shot, so we have to be fair.”

Del Bosque sat Torres in the stands for the first time during Spain’s 6-0 rout of Liechtenstein last month, but Torres’ recent improvement at Chelsea may earn him minutes.

Another striker, Alvaro Negredo of Sevilla, has left the team as doctors fear he could re-injure his left thigh muscle if he plays. Del Bosque will not replace him. Spain are also without injured midfielders Andres Iniesta and Cesc Fabregas.

Czech Republic coach Michal Bilek

PRAGUE: Spain’s Iker Casillas (right) and head coach Vicente del Bosque (left) attend a press conference prior the Euro 2012 Group I qualifying soccer match in Prague. Czech Repubic faces Spain today. —AP

has selection worries in midfield because Jaroslav Plasil of Bordeaux, who scored the only goal for the Czechs in a 2-1 loss to Spain in March, is suspended. His replacement, Marek Matejovsky of Sparta Prague, has a groin problem.

Captain Tomas Rosicky was not available for Arsenal’s 2-1 loss at Tottenham on Sunday after his partner Radka Kocurova lost their unborn baby five months into her pregnancy but the playmaker has joined the Czech squad this week and is expected to play.

To advance to the playoffs, a point from the match against Spain would be precious but the Czechs, who have been struggling since the previous 2008 European Championship, know it is a difficult task to achieve against the world and European champions.

“We know who we face,” defender Michal Kadlec said. “We can hardly pay a stronger o pponent at the moment. They have qualified but we can’t expect them to travel here to lose.”

Goalkeeper Petr Cech said to play in front of the home crowd can make a difference. “I hope that our fans will come to support us,” the Chelsea player said. “We will need that.”

Cech returned to the squad after missing a 2-2 away draw against Scotland in the previous Sept. 3 qualifier after injuring a knee ligament in training with Chelsea.

If Scotland wins both its remaining matches, the Czechs would need four points from their last two games to advance because they had better results head to head with Scotland.—AP

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BEIJING: Denmark’s Caroline Wozniacki serves to Kaia Kanepi of Estonia during their women’s singles match of the China Open tennis tournament. —AP

Tsonga, Wozniacki storm into quarters

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