8th Oct

IO N IPT SC R SU B

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 8, 2011

THULQADA 10, 1432 AH

No: 15233

Bahraini Shiite protester shot dead

150 Fils

8

Nobel honors African, Arab women for peace Yemeni dedicates prize to Arab Spring activists

Max 40º Min 26º

A combination of three recent photos shows (from left) Yemen’s Arab Spring activist Tawakkul Karman, Liberian President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf and Liberian ìpeace warriorî Leymah Gbowee, who won the 2011 Nobel Peace Prize yesterday. — AFP OSLO: Liberian President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, compatriot “peace warrior” Leymah Gbowee and Yemen’s Arab Spring activist Tawakkul Karman won the Nobel Peace Prize yesterday in a nod to women’s empowerment. The three will share the 2011 award “for their non-violent struggle for the safety of women and for women’s rights to full participation in peacebuilding work,” Norwegian Nobel Committee president Thorbjoern Jagland said.

The Nobel jury’s choice can be seen as a celebration of women’s growing empowerment globally and especially in deeply conservative and tribal countries like Yemen or warscarred nations like Liberia where women are easily victimised.

It is also a recognition of the winds of liberation and change still sweeping through the Middle East and North Africa, pushed forward by courageous activists, many of whom are women.

Sirleaf, 72, made history when she became Africa’s first elected woman president in 2005, taking over after 14 years of civil war that left 250,000 dead. She dedicated her Nobel to “all Liberian people,” but her rival in next Tuesday’s presidential elections called the timing of the award provocative and unacceptable. Sirleaf’s rise to power may never have happened without the efforts of activist and social worker Gbowee, 39. She led Liberia’s women to defy feared warlords and their use of child soldiers and rape as “a toy of war”, inspiring a large group of Christian and Muslim women to wage a sex strike in 2002, refusing to sleep with their husbands until the violence ended.

“This is a Nobel for African women - that’s how I would call it,” Gbowee told AFP by phone from New York. “It’s for women

in general, but specifically for African women. African women in this world, women in general, there is this recognition now that we have our say,” she said. “There is no way that anyone can minimise our role anymore.”

The third laureate, Tawakkul Karman, is a 32-year-old Yemeni journalist and activist who has braved several stints in prison in her struggle for women’s rights, press freedoms and the release of political prisoners in her country. Karman, youngest Peace Prize winner ever, dedicated her prize to “all the activists of the Arab Spring” - a reference to the protesters who took to the streets across the Arab world demanding democracy. She told AFP her prize was “a victory for the Yemeni revolution and the peaceful character of this revolution”. Karman, the first Arab woman to receive the honour, has become a leading figure in the uprising against Yemen’s veteran leader Ali Abdullah Saleh.

She has not left Sanaa’s Change Square - the focal point of demonstrations for four months for fear of being hunted by gunmen loyal to the embattled president.

The one note of controversy following the awards was struck

by Sirleaf’s rival in next Tuesday’s Liberian presidential elections, Winston Tubman, after observers said the Nobel could tip the polls in her favour after a tough campaign. “Madam Sirleaf does not deserve a Nobel peace prize award because she committed violence in this country. This award is unacceptable and undeserving,” said Tubman.

The Nobel Committee stressed though that Sirleaf deserved the honour for her contribution “to securing peace in Liberia, to promoting economic and social development,

and to strengthening the position of women”. And Jagland brushed off criticism the prize could interfere with Liberia’s elections, stressing his committee “decides based on what appears important to us and not on domestic political considerations”.

Yesterday’s prize announcement was otherwise widely met with enthusiasm. “Woooooooo hoooooo!” was the reaction of South Africa’s Desmond Tutu, who won the prize in 1984, upon hearing Sirleaf had won, adding she “deserves it many times over. She’s brought stability to a place that was going to hell”. United Nations chief Ban Ki-moon hailed the choice.

“This is wonderful news,” he said, adding “This is a testament ot the power of women’s leadership ... (and) the vital role that women play in the advancement of peace and security, development, and human rights.”

German Chancellor Angela Merkel, who has been called the world’s most powerful woman, said the prize was a “wise decision”, and Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch celebrated the focus on woman and their empowerment. The 2011 laureates bring the number of women winners to just 15 in the 110-year history of the Nobel Peace Prize, and they are the first women to take the top honour since recently deceased Kenyan ecologist Wangari Maathai won in 2004.

Maathai, Sirleaf and Gbowee are the only African women ever to win the Peace Prize. Yesterday’s laureates will receive their awards, each consisting of a diploma, a gold medal and a third of the 10 million Swedish kronor ($1.48 million) prize money, at a ceremony in Oslo on Dec 10. — AFP

A

y

e niv rsar n

Years

LOCAL SATURDAY, OCTOBER 8, 2011

KUWAIT: British Ambassador Frank Baker cutting the ceremonial ribbon with BBF officials. — Photos by Joseph Shagra

Hundreds attend BBF business expo

By Ben Garcia KUWAIT: The British Business Forum (BBF) held its 16th annual ‘Introduction to Kuwait Exhibition’ yesterday at the Hilton Hotel in Mangaf. The exhibition which lasted from 11am to 9pm was attended by hundreds of prospective clients and visitors from across Kuwait.

The primary objective of the event was to introduce and help British businesses to reach out to both local and expatriate communities and create and enhance contacts.

Yesterday’s exhibition featured a wide variety of activities, including a musical performances, a raffle draw and handouts of various freebies for visitors.

British Ambassador to Kuwait Frank Baker inaugurated the event at 2pm, lauding the longstanding commercial and economic ties between Kuwait and the UK in his opening speech.

“Equally important is the presence of so many British expatriates who have all chosen to make their home in Kuwait,” he said. “The strength of the various British societies, institutions and businesses here is proof of our strength and continuous ties.” The ambassador also praised the exhibition, calling the many activities on offer “surprisingly impressive.”

In his speech at the event opening,

BBF Chairman Paul McKay welcomed visitors, encouraging them to support all 70 participating companies. “We strongly believe that the more you put into something the more you get out, so we encourage you to get involved,” he

on annual membership fees, and also from local hotels, restaurants and other businesses, as well as numerous other special offers. He also announced the upcoming business excellence awards ceremony, which is set to take place ear-

said.

Arthur Barber, the BBF’s Vice Chairman noted that this year’s exhibition offers wide-ranging benefits to members, including certain discounts

ly next year, explaining that the award is “given to outstanding British business in Kuwait.” The BBF, a non-profit organization, was created to foster British business interests overseas and win more

KUWAIT: Baker distributing certificates to exhibitors.

business for the United Kingdom.

This year’s exhibitors included: Top to Toe, the National Bank of Kuwait, the International Clinic, Alghanim Travels, Agapanthus, the Kuwait Writers Workshop, KSPATH, Canadians in Kuwait, the Kuwait Irish Society, TQ Logistics Services, Kuwait Mantas Dive Club, Kuwait Caledonians, the Aware Center, the Kuwait Offshore Sailing Association, the British Ladies Society, the British Embassy, the British Council, The Homestead, the Crowne Plaza Hotel, Dar Al-Athar Al-Islamiyah, Baloonyland, the Animal Care Center, Kaizen Center, British Guides in Foreign Countries, Protecting Animal Welfare Society, Expat Express Kuwait, London Limo, Wataniya Telecom, Burgan Bank, KES Band, Gulf Bank, Gulf Net, British Academy of International Arts, Inchcape Shipping, Center for Continuing Education, Kuwait National English School, BD Wealth Management, BMI, Equity and Bond Associates, St Paul Anglican Church, Kuwait English School, Gulf Insurance, Little Gym, Kuwait Times, Maidan Clinic, Saracens, Hilton Hotel Kuwait, Global Freight, DeVere Group, Holiday Inn Salmiya, Movenpick AlBida’a Resort, BLS Tea Garden and Entertainment by BAIA. Please visit www.bbfkuwait.com for more information.

A

y

e niv rsar n

Years

LOCAL SATURDAY, OCTOBER 8, 2011

KUWAIT: Baker touring the venue with McKay

Ambassador Frank Baker

A

y

e niv rsar n

Years

LOCAL

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 8, 2011

Kuwait speaker affirms strong ties with Albania TIRANA: Visiting Speaker of Kuwait’s National Assembly Jassem Al-Khorafi yesterday affirmed strong ties bounding Kuwait with Albania at various levels. Speaking at a joint news conference with his Albanian counterpart, Jozefina Topalli, following talks held at the parliament building, the speaker said the discussions dealt with various issues concerning the two sides.

Al-Khorafi noted that Albania stood alongside Kuwait during the aggression by forces of the ousted Iraqi regime of Saddam Hussein in 1990, affirming that the Kuwaiti leadership and people would remain grateful for the Albanians for supporting the just national cause.

“This stance toward the Kuwaiti just cause signaled the closeness of the bilateral ties and the bonds of friendship bounding the two countries, a friendship based on mutual respect,” the speaker stated. He also expressed appreciation for the warm

hospitality, accorded to him and the accompanying delegation, and invited his Albanian counterpart to visit Kuwait. For her part, Topalli labeled the ties with Kuwait as solid and excellent, vowing that she would

seek, at her forecast visit to Kuwait, to enhance these ties further and try to broaden the scope of mutual cooperation between the two countries. Elaborating at the news conference, the chief Albanian legislator

TIRANA: National Assembly Speaker Jassem Al-Khorafi pictured with his Albanian counterpart, Jozefina Topalli, yesterday.

indicated at the special relationship bounding HH the Prime Minister of Kuwait, Sheikh Nasser AlMohammad Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber AlSabah, with his Albanian counterpart, Sali Berisha.

Praising Kuwait Fund for Arab Economic Development (KFAED), she noted that the fund had given the nation $8 million as a loan for funding infrastructural projects in the country’s six governorates. The Kuwaiti fund had also presented $12 million to finance a project for water desalination, in addition to $13 million for a main road project.

Kuwaiti and Albanian lawmakers attended the meeting between AlKhorafi and Topalli.

The Kuwaiti delegation, including MPs Ali Al-Omair, Muhammad Hayef Al-Mutairi and Faisal Al-Duwaisan, arrived in Tirana on Thursday starting a three-day official mission. The legislators’ regional mission includes Kosovo. — KUNA

Iraqi technical report approves Mubarak Al-Kabeer Port project Attempt to quell public concern

KUWAIT: Mubarak Al-Kabeer Port will not limit navigation in the shared waters of Kuwait and Iraq or have a negative impact on the environment in the area, according to the report prepared by the Iraqi technical team which visited Kuwait last August. In the report which the Iraqi parliament recently received from the government, the technical team explains that work on the port which Kuwait is constructing on the east of Boubyan Island, will be carried out in three stages, with the Kuwaiti government deciding against a proposed fourth stage which could have had a negative impact on navigation in the Khor Abdullah, the narrow strip of water separating the Kuwaiti and Iraqi coasts.

The report also showed that none of the three stages of work on the port will involve the construction of any breakwaters, which had been a matter of concern to some in Iraq, according to an article in local daily Al-Qabas yesterday, which gave details of the report’s contents.

The team also included a number

of detailed diagrams and illustrations in the report showing that the port will not adversely affect the surrounding environment or trade at Iraq’s planned harbor facilities. The report also indicates that almost 1,200 meters of water lie between the tip of the largest of Mubarak Al-Kabeer Port’s wharfs and the furthest edge of the Khor Al-Abdullah channel, thus disproving claims that the port might have impeded maritime navigation for vessels travelling to or from Iraqi ports. The Iraqi team also agreed with their Kuwaiti counterparts to study the option of reducing the acuteness of the angle at the lip of the Iraqi waterway so as to ensure smooth navigation for vessels.

The first phase of work on the port, which is currently underway, includes the construction of four docks, with the second to feature the building of 12 more docks and the third phase still in the planning stage, the report explained. While the findings of the Iraqi team’s report have yet to be officially publicly released, several unofficial statements had been issued by

officials who took part in the visit in August to the effect that the results were positive in an attempt to quell public concern in Iraq over the possible adverse consequences that the Kuwaiti port might have on Iraq. A number of Iraqi MPs have voiced strong opposition to the Mubarak AlKabeer Port project in recent months, describing it as a major threat to the Iraqi economy and insisting that the Iraqi government must act to stop work on it. The MPs also suggested that the Kuwaiti Port could negatively affect trade and maritime activities at the major Fao Port facility planned for southeast Iraq.

Meanwhile, the Kuwaiti Ambassador to Iraq Ali Al-Momen said on Thursday that he plans to return to Baghdad in the near future.

Rejecting claims that the delay in his return to Iraq was connected to the tensions over Mubarak Al-Kabeer Port, Ambassador Al-Momen asserted that the setback had been caused by holdups in construction work on the new Kuwaiti Embassy in the Iraqi capital. —Al-Qabas, Al-Watan

Martyrs’ children entitled to citizenship KUWAIT: The children of bedoon (stateless) martyrs whose names are registered at the state’s Martyrs Bureau, are entitled to Kuwaiti citizenship, according to the Martyrs’ Bureau.

The bureau reportedly recently notified the Ministry of Interior and the body established to resolve the situation facing Kuwait’s bedoon population, the Central System for Resolving the Status of Illegal Residents (CSRSIR) that it has put forward the names of a number of bedoon individuals whose fathers were killed whilst fighting for Kuwait during the Iraqi invasion and occupation of 1990-91 in order to request that they be granted citizenship.

Speaking to local daily Al-Rai on condition of anonymity,

a senior Martyrs’ Bureau official said that the bureau had previously contacted the CSRSIR on a number of occasions concerning these individuals and was awaiting action from the government body.

“The chairman of the [CSRSIR] Saleh Al-Fadhala promised to prepare a file including the names of the children of bedoon martyrs to submit to the cabinet for approval,” the official asserted.

The Martyrs’ Bureau is not empowered to make decisions on granting citizenship, the official pointed out, indicating that it can only propose the naturalization of some bedoon individuals based on the service performed by their deceased fathers for Kuwait. — Al-Rai

KUWAIT: Firefighters in action after a fire broke out in an electrical equipment warehouse in Ardiya yesterday.

Ardiya warehouse blaze

By Hanan Al-Saadoun KUWAIT: Fire engines rushed to the scene of a blaze that broke out at a warehouse in the Ardiya industrial estate yesterday. Firefighters from Ardiya, Jleeb Al-Shuyoukh, Salmiya, Medina and the Technical Rescue and Operations Centers worked closely to tackle the massive blaze, managing to put it out within 90 minutes. No injuries were reported in the incident. The operation was supervised by the Deputy Director General of the Kuwait Fire Service’s Directorate’s Firefighting and Human Resources Development Department, Brigadier Yousef Al-Ansari.

In other news, Minister of State for Municipal Affairs Dr. Fadhil Safar yesterday issued instructions to municipality officials across Kuwait to impose the strictest punishments against all those who trade in goods that “endanger consumers’ lives.” Dr. Safar, who is also the Minister of Public Works, said that Kuwait Municipality is keen to protect all the country’s residents, Kuwaiti and expatriate, from being exposed to foodstuffs unfit for human consumption and will continue with its operations to penalize all those involved in offences of this nature: “We will work with all our effort, in cooperation with officials and inspectors to keep Kuwait safe from rotten food,” he stated.

The minister was speaking as officials in Ahmadi governorate announced that recent inspections of food outlets in Mangaf resulted in 29 health and safety citations being issued and three shop owners being served with orders to destroy foodstuffs felt to be unfit for consumption. Fahad Dughaim Al-Otaibi, the director of the Ahmadi governorate municipality division, said that the unannounced inspection operations will continue, warning that all those responsible for violations of municipal law will be penalized.

A

y

e niv rsar n

Years

LOCAL

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 8, 2011

Two more MPs’ accounts referred for investigation KUWAIT: Two local banks have apparently notified the Public Prosecution Service of possibly suspicious transactions involving MPs’ accounts on Wednesday and Thursday of this week. According to one banking insider, the banks in question, the National Bank of Kuwait (NBK) and Kuwait Finance House, had not previously referred any of their account holders for investigation. The latest development in the furor over the alleged payment of multimillion dinar ‘backhanders’ to a number of MPs came as Central Bank of Kuwait (CB) officials investigating the allegations continue to collect data.

Speaking on condition of anonymity, the banking insider suggested that more accounts are expected to be referred to the PPS in the near future as part of the wide-ranging investigation. Once all the data has been gathered by the CBK’s financial investigations unit, it will be submitted to the Attorney General. The insider was unable to confirm, however, whether or not the unit would offer legal advice or opinions on any suspicions of money laundering activities. On a related issue, the parlia-

mentary legislative committee is expected to discuss the draft anticorruption legislation during its meeting tomorrow. The committee recently received the bill from the cabinet, explained committee chairman MP Hussein Al-Huraiti.

Speaking after a meeting with Acting Parliamentary Speaker MP Adnan Al-Abdulsamad on Thursday, the Minister of Public Works Dr. Fadhil Safar revealed that the bill includes the stipulation requiring wealth disclosure by all legislative and executive lawmakers called for by MPs. Meanwhile, MP Shuwaib Al-Muwaizri revealed that he has given permission to the ministers of foreign affairs and justice and to the Attorney General and Parliamentary Speaker to comb his and his family members’ bank accounts in and outside Kuwait, to clear him of any suspicion over involvement in illegal transactions. On the same issue, MP Dr Aseel Al-Awadhi indicated that the moderate National Action Bloc (NAB), of which she is a member, has yet to determine its stance on the grilling motion proposed by the Development and Reform Bloc (DRB) and Popular Action Bloc (PAB) against the Prime

Minister His Highness Sheikh Nasser Al-Mohammed Al-Sabah over the multimillion dinar bribe allegations. Al-Awadhi said that the NAB members will meet on Monday to discuss the issue, and plans to announce its final decision during a public seminar to be held on Wednesday.

The NAB’s stance is considered pivotal to the anti-government lobby’s chances of success in presenting a grilling motion, as well as in successfully passing any possible no-confidence vote against the premier.

MP Maasouma Al-Mubarak, meanwhile, admitted that MPs are aware that “interpellations will not stop until the Cabinet and its Prime Minister Sheikh Nasser Al-Mohammed are ousted,” further voicing hope that investigations into the corruption and bribes allegations would continue, even if this took place. Another MP, Dr. Walid AlTabtabaie of the DRB, said that a public protest rally taking place on October 19 would take the form of a silent sit-in “to ensure that everyone in attendance is featured in the demonstration instead of only those who make speeches.” —Al-Qabas, Al-Rai

Demands for change of govt growing louder in Kuwait ‘It’s about real democracy’ KUWAIT: Meshal Al-Zaidi says he was drawn into Kuwait’s protest movement by political ideals, not the economic grievances that helped spur revolts in poorer Arab countries. “My friend drives a Porsche Cayenne, another a Porsche Panamera, you’ll see the best cars at Kuwaiti protests,” said Al-Zaidi, a 25-year-old who runs a public relations firm and attends rallies seeking the ouster of HH the Prime Minister Sheikh Nasser AlMohammed Al-Sabah. “It’s not about money, it’s not about oil, it’s about real democracy.”

Demands for a change of government are growing louder in Kuwait, where per-capita gross domestic product was about $39,000 last year and the authorities started food and cash handouts in February as Egyptian protesters were driving Hosni Mubarak from office. That’s a warning signal for other Gulf rulers who are also betting on accelerated spending to appease calls for democracy spreading through the Arab world.

Kuwait has gone further down the road toward representative government than peers in the six-member Gulf Cooperation Council, while posting slower economic growth. Its $110 billion development plan is lagging as opposition lawmakers, with more powers to block policy than direct it, charge the government with corruption. The main stock index has fallen 15 percent in the past year, double the drop on Bloomberg’s Persian Gulf benchmark.

“The next several months or couple of years in all the Gulf monarchies are going to be less politically stable than at any other point in their history,” said Christopher Davidson, who specializes in the study of the Arabian Gulf at Durham University in the UK. In Kuwait’s case, “parliamentary activity is far more advanced than the others,

and its ability to hold up economic development is unprecedented in the Gulf.” Kuwait created the Gulf’s first elected parliament half a century ago, and expanded the franchise to include women in 2005. It ranked as the third most democratic Arab state, behind Lebanon and Iraq and above the other five GCC countries, in the Economist Intelligence Unit’s 2010 Democracy Index. Economic growth, though, has been the GCC’s slowest over the past five years, according to International Monetary Fund data. Gross domestic product expanded an average of 2.6 percent a year, compared with 4.2 percent in the United Arab Emirates, 5.7 percent in Bahrain and 18 percent in Qatar.

Kuwait’s assembly has no say in the formation of the Cabinet, traditionally headed by a senior member of the ruling Al-Sabah family. It can demand the right to question ministers, and lawmakers are using that power to harry Sheikh Nasser, the ruling Amir’s nephew. Demonstrations calling for the premier to quit began in March, and the biggest on Sept 21 drew several thousand in a country where Kuwaitis make up only one-third of the 3.6 million population. Opposition lawmakers such as Musallam Al-Barrak and Jamaan Al-Harbash regularly speak at the rallies. Youth groups including Al-Zaidi’s ‘September 16’ cite inspiration from the Arab Spring and demand a constitutional monarchy and elected government.

“The continuation of Sheikh Nasser’s government is an insult to the Kuwaiti people,” Al-Harbash told a crowd of thousands at a meeting in front of parliament in Kuwait City. The protesters, mostly wearing traditional Arab robes, formed a circle around a central platform where fans were placed to cool them down.

Sheikh Nasser has survived three

confidence votes in parliament since his appointment in 2006 and been forced to form seven separate administrations. The opposition is threatening a renewed drive to unseat Sheikh Nasser after the assembly reconvenes on Oct. 25, this time over a corruption scandal that was a trigger for last month’s protest.

Eleven lawmakers received unexplained payments of KD31 million to their bank accounts, Al-Barrak said in an Oct 4 phone interview. Al-Barrak said the country’s two biggest banks, National Bank of Kuwait and Kuwait Finance House, revealed the transfers, and there may be other “suspicious accounts” still to be disclosed.

National Bank and Kuwait Finance declined to comment.

Sheikh Nasser “will be toppled” if the issue comes to a parliament vote, Al-Barrak said. “This is a matter of dignity for the Kuwaiti nation.”

The government has drafted an anti-corruption bill that it says will be submitted to parliament this week.

The measure will “ help put an end to this controversial file and to the accusations” of graft, Oil Minister Mohammad al-Busairy said this week.

Political ructions are holding back Kuwait’s investment plans. The AlZour refinery, a $14 billion project with planned capacity of 615,000 barrels a day, was due to be operating next year. Construction hasn’t started and Kuwait National Petroleum Co. said last month it’s still awaiting final approval. Governments across the Persian Gulf are opening pursestrings in response to public demands for higher living standards spurred by the revolts in Tunisia and Egypt.

Among the six GCC countries only Bahrain, where 35 people were killed as security forces cracked down on protesters, and Oman experienced violence. — Bloomberg news

KUWAIT: The National Guards emergency exercise drill in progress yesterday.

National Guards hold fire rescue drill KUWAIT: The National Guard emergency medical, fire and rescue units held an emergency exercise drill yesterday.

The drill was held in order to assess the ability of these units in dealing with emergency situations.

The exercise included a mock fire, along with mock casualties affected with heart attacks, suffocation, broken bones and burns of varied degrees. After receiving a distress call, the units quickly headed to the location of the exercises and carried out the necessary procedures like carrying the injured and calling for the evacuation of the premises.

Director of the National Guard’s medical affairs Lt Col Abdulrashid Abdulrahman, after the conclusion of the drill, praised the readiness and efficiency of the staff in handling the situation. He also called on the units to continue their observation of the latest methods used in training.

The event was attended by Maj Jemhan Rashid, Maj Saad Salem and several officers, doctors, firefighters and rescue workers in the force. — KUNA

A

y

e niv rsar n

Years

LOCAL SATURDAY, OCTOBER 8, 2011

Kuwaiti youth dies of drug overdose in Nugra Car crash in Amghara

By Hanan Al-Saadoun KUWAIT: A 23-year-old Kuwaiti man was rushed to Mubarak Hospital in a critical condition after he was found unconscious at his family’s home in Nugra following a drug overdose. Paramedics and police rushed to the scene after family members discovered the young man unconscious, initially telling emergency service hotline operators that he was dead. Paramedics discovered that the man was alive but in a critical condition. Drug paraphernalia was found at the scene and an investigation is underway into the incident.

Road accidents A Kuwaiti man in his thirties died in a car crash in Amghara yesterday. Although emergency services personnel rushed to the accident location, the man was pronounced dead at the scene. The body was removed for autopsy and an investigation is underway to determine the cause of the accident. In a separate incident, an American man was rushed to Jahra Hospital with multiple injuries following a car accident on Salmi Road.

Uniform sale Police are searching for a suspect who escaped after police caught him illegally selling military uniforms at the Friday market. The police officers from Farwaniya were conducting a routine check at the

market when they found the uniforms on sale there. The hunt continues for the Asian stall owner, who fled when he saw the police officers approaching.

Drug bust A Kuwaiti man was arrested after police conducting a routine stop-and-search operation in Ahmadi discovered a quantity of hashish in his possession. He was referred to the General Department of Drug Control (GDDC) for further action.

Explosive discovery Bomb squad officers safely deactivated a landmine in Mutlaa after it was spotted half-buried in sand in a deserted area there.

Police and bomb squad personnel rushed to the scene after a sharp-eyed Kuwaiti resident of the area reported spotting the explosive device, which was safely defused.

The object is believed to date back to the Iraqi invasion and occupation of 1990-91.

Fake cops A hunt is underway for two Arab men who posed as plainclothes police officers to rob an Asian man in Jleeb Al-Shuyoukh.

The man told officers at the local police station that the two men stopped him and told him they were detectives, demanding to see his identification. When he took out his wallet which contained KD60 in cash, however, they snatched it, along with his cell phone, before fleeing the scene.

Couple caught for indecent act in elevator KUWAIT: A middle-aged Kuwaiti man pleaded with security guards at a local mall to set him free after he was caught in a compromising position with a niqab-clad woman in an elevator there. The man initially lashed out at the guards on being apprehended, and professed outrage at the claim that he and the woman in question had been getting amorous in the elevator. When the guards confronted him with CCTV footage showing him and the woman in an X-rated clinch, however, the man quickly changed his tune, pleading with them not to report him to the police, saying that any scandal could damage his reputation and get him into hot water with his two wives.

The guards apparently eventually took pity on the man and agreed to release him after he promised not to get frisky at the mall in the future. No mention was made of any action against the woman involved.

Fraudster thieves A gang of three men, including the sons of one former and one serving Ministry of Interior serviceman, have been arrested for carrying out a series of muggings in Kabad.

Police reportedly caught the men following an undercover operation launched after a spate of robberies in which they claimed to be plainclothes detectives, asking people for their ID before robbing them and driving away in a black SUV. Police caught them red-handed whilst they were using their standard technique to attempt to rob a pedestrian near the area Co-op. On arresting

them, officers found that one of them is the son of a retired MoI colonel, whilst another is the son of a serving secretary to a senior MoI official. The third man is a bedoon (stateless) resident. Speaking on condition of anonymity, a security insider indicated that the secretary had attempted to intervene to have his son sent to hospital rather than prison. All three are being held at Andalus police station and face multiple charges.

Temperamental worker A female Ministry of Information employee was arrested after apparently attempting to break into a superior’s office. The incident took place less than a week after the employee flew into a temper in the same ministry official’s office, wrecking furniture and equipment there. A couple of days after her release from police custody following the earlier incident, the woman attempted to break down the locked door of the same official’s office, with police who arrived shortly afterwards having to restrain her before taking her into custody.

Marital abduction A Kuwaiti man was released from custody shortly after being detained on charges of abduction in what subsequently turned out to be a domestic dispute. Police rushed to the scene of the incident in Salmiya after a passerby reported seeing a male motorist force a female driver to pull over before forcing her to get into his own vehicle and driving away. — Al-Rai, Al-Anba

Kuwait affirms keenness on following up ‘Forum for Future’ recommendations PARIS: Kuwait’s proposal to host headquarters of a permanent secretariat of the “Forum for the Future” was intended to document its works and follow up on implementation of its recommendations, said an official of the Kuwaiti Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Nasser Al-Hain, an advisor at the ministry, said yesterday, following a preparatory meeting of senior officials of the 8th forum, co-chaired by Kuwait and France.

The meeting that concluded late on Thursday was held as a prelude to the ministerial-level meeting, due in Kuwait on Nov 1. The senior advisor said, upon instructions of the Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Dr. Mohammad Sabah Al-Salem Al-Sabah, he expressed the desire during the meeting to host the secretariat to follow up on the achievements that have been accomplished during the forum.

He affirmed necessity of adopting a certain work mechanism to avert time-wasting repeat of the tasks.

As to his assessment of the forum, in the shadow of its joint chairmanship by Kuwait

and Paris, Al-Hain indicated that the three latest workshops of the forum were much more successful than the previous gatherings at this level.

He described as constructive and practical the recommendations of the workshops, setting practical bases for cooperation among the society three basic components; the social community, businesses and governments.

Al-Hain affirmed necessity of continuing and promoting the dialogue among the diverse segments of societies, particularly in shadow of the current events in the Middle East. Also upon guidelines of the foreign minister, Al-Hain said that he had been assigned to follow up on the forum, where he sought to elevate the level of such dialogue.

During the meeting on Thursday, AlHain called for encouraging the NGOs and business sector to play balanced roles in the political and socio-economic development plans beside the government roles in communities of the Broader Middle East and North Africa (BMENA) region and the G-8 countries. — KUNA

GCC ministers approve holding overseas cultural events ABU DHABI: The ministers of culture of Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) member states approved during their 17th session here on Thursday a package of resolutions including one to hold cultural weeks in a number of European Union (EU) member states, Turkey and China.

The one-day meeting, chaired by UAE Minister Culture, Youth and Community Development Abdelrahman bin Muhammad Al-Uwais in the presence of GCC Secretary General Abdullatif AlZayyani, gathered Kuwaiti acting Minister of Information and Chairman of the National Council for Culture, Arts and Letters (NCCAL) Salem Al-Uthayna and NCCAL’s Secretary-General Ali Hussein AlYouha as well as representatives of other GCC members.

The planned cultural events, approved yesterday, includes organizing a festival for the Kuwaiti musical arts between Nov 15 and 19, 2011, a forum on Saudi visual

arts between Oct 9 and 19, 2011, and a film festival in Qatar in late December.

The ministers agreed to pursue the implementation of the joint GCC cultural strategy for 2012-2016.

They approved the recommendations of the last meeting of the undersecretaries of the GCC ministries of culture including the suggestion on holding joint cultural events in Turkey and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) members. They also adopted a draft on the executive mechanism for cultural and artistic exchanges among the GCC and the ASEAN member states. They probed proposals to strengthen the cultural ties with the EU in the light of the GCC Secretariat contacts with the European side. The proposals include working together for publishing books and holding a GCC formative art galleries, cultural symposiums and cultural weeks in European cities between 2012 and 2016. — KUNA

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 8, 2011

Gunmen kill Kurdish opposition figure in Syria

8

Panetta defends NATO’s Libya mission

9

Experts deny Taj Mahal ‘collapse’ claims

13

SIRTE: Libyan fighters of the National Transitional Council (NTC) flash the V for victory sign at an outpost on the outskirts of Sirte on Thursday as Gaddafi diehards fought pitched battles with combatants loyal to Libya’s new rulers for control of the ousted despot’s birthplace. —AFP

Libyan fighters assault main Gaddafi base in Sirte Final offensive to crush resistance: Commanders SIRTE: Revolutionary fighters yesterday assaulted a convention center in the heart of Sirte that forces loyal to Muammar Gaddafi turned into their main base, in what commanders said was a final offensive to crush resistance in the holdout city after weeks of siege. The forces of Libya’s new rulers were pushing into the Mediterranean coastal city from the west, east and south in heavy fighting, trying to squeeze Gaddafi loyalists into a smaller and smaller perimeter. The two sides battered each other with rockets, mortar shells and tank fire, as Gaddafi snipers fired down on fighters advancing through housing complexes. Yesterday’s push marks the largest new assault on the city for weeks.

Smoke drifted over the skyline and explosions thundered throughout the city, as long lines of residents fleeing by car formed at revolutionary forces’ checkpoints. Fighters entering through the western gate quickly

advanced to within just a mile (two kilometers) of the city center but faced heavy resistance from a loyalist force of roughly 800 men, according to one commander’s estimate. “We started the attack at 6 am today. The first group hit the outskirts of Sirte.

We were fired on by Gaddafi snipers.

We had many soldiers wounded,” said commander Altaib Aleroebi of the exrebels’ West Mountain Brigade, which led the attack on the western front.

At least 12 revolutionary fighters were killed and 195 were wounded, doctors said. Ambulances sped down Sirte’s main avenue to a field hospital set up in an abandoned villa five miles (eight kilometers) from the center.

Doctors said a senior commander, Ali Saeh of the Free Libya Brigade, was injured, shot twice by a sniper as he led fighters through loyalist forces in a residential area.

“We are receiving many gunshot wounds, mostly to the head, neck and chest from sniper fire. We have

received many injured today,” Dr Ahmed Mohammed Tantoun said yesterday, adding he expects many more injured fighters to arrive through the day as fighting intensifies.

Sirte, Gaddafi ‘s home city, is considered the most crucial of the areas that remain in the hands of supporters of the former Libyan leader, more than a month after revolutionaries swept into Tripoli and ousted him from power. Leaders of the interim government have said that once Sirte falls they can start a timetable for elections. Sirte is key to the physical unity of the country, since it lies roughly in the center of the coastal plain where the majority of Libya’s 6.5 million people live, blocking the easiest routes between east and west.

Gaddafi loyalists, however, still control another major city, Bani Walid, in the central mountains, and Sabha deep in the deserts of the south.

Revolutionary fighters have been

besieging Sirte for three weeks, facing grueling resistance as they inched their way in, let residents flee and simultaneously moved to encircle the city before the final assault. Gaddafi ‘s loyalists have been barricaded in the Ouagadougou Center, a grandiose conference hall that Gaddafi built in the city to host international summits.

From there they have been able to dominate the defense of surrounding residential areas.

As the attack continued, civilians fled the besieged city, which is suffering shortages of food and other essentials. Former rebel fighters checked the contents of their bags and cars.

“We had to go today ... there is nothing left, no food, no gasoline,” said Sirte resident Ahmed Mohammed.

UN envoy Ian Martin appealed to both sides to respect human rights and look ahead to national reconciliation. He urged the forces of Libya’s new leaders not to take revenge on those accused of war crimes, saying

they should be detained and brought to justice. “This will lay the foundation for national reconciliation and the future unity of the people of Libya,” he said.

Deputy defense minister in the transitional government, Fawzi Bukatif, told The Associated Press yesterday that revolutionary forces were poised to enter the city from all fronts in what he called a final attack on Sirte. Revolutionary fighters launched an assault on the convention center in the morning yesterday, said Aleroebi, who commanded fighters who led the attack. Backed by rocket and tank fire, they pushed into the city, facing heavy machine gun and sniper fire, he said. The fighters drove loyalists back from a wall near the Ouagadougou Center, he said. Fighting was also going on around a Gaddafi palace complex and Green Square, the public plaza at the center of Sirte, between the convention center and the sea, commanders said.—AP

INTERNATIONAL

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 8, 2011

Gunmen kill Kurdish opposition figure in Syria Security forces open fire, at least 8 dead

GAZA CITY: Palestinian Muslim worshippers attend Friday prayer next to the Red Cross building in Gaza City as they call for the release of Palestinian prisoners from Israeli jails and support of inmates in hunger strike yesterday in Gaza City. Hundreds of Palestinians in Israeli jails have joined a hunger strike to protest against worsening prison conditions, the Palestinian minister for prisoner affairs said. —AFP

Israeli forces state to change ‘Jewish’ classification JERUSALEM: In its troubled peace talks with the Palestinians, Israel has demanded that it should be recognized as a Jewish state, but there is deep domestic division on what that means.

Yoram Kaniuk, a rambunctious 81-year-old author, was hailed by Israeli secularists this week for winning a court victory that compelled the state to stop listing Judaism as his “religion” while keeping “Jewish” as his “ethnicity”. He is the first Israeli Jew to have done so.

Israel defines itself as a “Jewish and democratic” state. Kaniuk’s legal triumph comes at a time when society is increasingly polarised between those who say the state’s Jewish character must be strengthened and opponents who say this comes at the expense of civil rights and liberties. “I feel great relief,” said Kaniuk, one of Israel’s best-known writers. “I was sick and tired of an extremist right-wing religious establishment taking over our lives.

We are a secular majority and we just give in to it. I hope (my) court ruling will change this,” he told Reuters.

Kaniuk’s wife is Christian, and because Orthodox rabbinical law identifies only those born to a Jewish mother as Jews, the couple’s daughters are classified as “without religion”. It was seeing his grandson also classified as without religion that prompted him to mount his protest against the influence of the religious establishment. “I was never a practising Jew and I don’t believe in God,” he said. “When the Jews were scattered across the world, religion bound us together, but we don’t need this any more.”

Tensions in the Holy Land run high on issues of citizenship, ethnicity and faith. All three categories are used in the census to classify Israelis, the majority of whom are listed as “Jewish” under both religion and ethnicity. Kaniuk and his supporters from within the Jewish secular majority demand a clear separation of religion and state, and say they suffer religious coercion. Public transport on the Jewish Sabbath is at best scarce, rabbis have powers in family matters and the state only recognizes rabbinical marriages for Jews who wed within its borders. Those who want a civil service must marry abroad.

Yael Katz-Mastbaum, the lawyer who advocated Kaniuk’s case, said that since the Tel Aviv court issued its ruling last week she had been flooded with dozens of queries by Israelis asking her to help them follow in Kaniuk’s footsteps. “These aren’t young people acting on a whim, but older people who have thought this through after years of feeling stifled by the religious establishment,” Katz-Mastbaum said.

She said the ruling might mean Jewish couples who both changed their classification to non-religious could wed in a civil ceremony. Amos Amir, 76, a retired air force general, hired KatzMastbaum after he heard of Kaniuk’s win. “What once was moderate, sane and dignified Judaism has been overrun by an extremist, even racist, Judaism that is damaging an entire religion and stealing the state away,” he said. Mickey Gitzin, director of Be Free Israel movement that advocates freedom from religion, said he too has been contacted by dozens of Israelis looking to change their status to “without religion”, following Kaniuk’s case.

“This is mostly symbolic. It has few practical implications but it is still a meaningful step,” he said.— Reuters

BEIRUT: Syrian activists say masked gunmen have shot dead a prominent Kurdish opposition figure in northeastern Syria. A spokesman for the Local Coordination Committees, Omar Idilbi, says Mashaal Tammo was killed yesterday by gunmen who raided a home in the predominantly Kurdish city of Kamishli. Tammo is a well known activist who headed a political party called the Kurdish Future Current.

Idilbi says Tammo’s son was wounded in the attack. The London-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights confirmed Tammo’s assassination. His killing took place on a day of violence throughout Syria. Security forces opened fire on protesters in several parts of the country, killing at least eight people and wounding scores.

Syrian security forces opened fire at protesters in several parts of the country yesterday, killing at least eight people and wounding scores, while a leading opposition figure was beaten up by pro-government gunmen and rushed to a hospital in Damascus, activist said. The developments came as tens of thousands marched in the streets of several Syrian cities, towns and villages, calling for the downfall of President Bashar Assad’s regime. The London-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said at least four people were killed and 25 were wounded in the central city of Homs, Syria’s third largest city. It also reported intense shooting in the eastern city of Deir El-Zour near the border with Iraq, and the Damascus suburb of Douma. In Douma, the Observatory said at least three people were killed and several were wounded, while five were wounded in the northern town of Maaret AlNuman.

Syria-based rights activist Mustafa Osso said one person was also killed in the town of Zabadani near the border with Lebanon.

Meanwhile, Riad Seif, a former lawmaker who became a leading opposition figure and outspoken critic of Assad’s regime, was beaten up outside a mosque in the

central Damascus suburb of Midan, according to two Syria-based activists. Osso and Omar Idilbi, a spokesman for the activist group Local Coordination Committees, said Seif, who suffers from cancer and had been detained earlier this year, was rushed to hospital after the beating but that the extent of his injuries was not immediately known. The Local Coordination Committees also reported heavy shooting in the village of Jassem in the southern

protests after Muslim prayers yesterday in support of the broad-based National Council, which was founded in Istanbul earlier this week. The council brings together figures from inside and outside Syria in an attempt to unify the deeply fragmented dissident movement. Earlier yesterday, Syrian troops cordoned off mosques to prevent protests after midday prayers in the central town Of Rastan, which the military recaptured last week from forces made up

TRIPOLI: Anti-Syrian regime protesters of Islamic group supporters, protest after the Friday prayer to show their support to the Syrian protesters who demonstrate against the Syrian President Bashar Assad, in the northern city of Tripoli, Lebanon yesterday.—AP province of Daraa, where the uprising against Assad’s regime began seven months ago. Since mid-March, the Syrian government crackdown has left at least 2,900 people dead, including members of security forces, according to the UN’s human rights office. The figure rose by at least 200 since the beginning of September.

The Syrian opposition had called for

of army defectors. Scores of security agents were deployed around the Rastan mosques, according to Osso and the Local Coordination Committees. Assad’s troops battled defectors in Rastan for five days before retaking the town. The fighting was the most dramatic illustration on the ground so far of the increasing militarization of the uprising. The Syrian government denies any defections.— AP

Bahraini Shiite protester shot dead DUBAI: Bahraini security forces have shot dead a 16-year-old Shiite protester in a demonstration in western Manama, the Al-Wefaq opposition group said yesterday Ahmed Jaber Al-Qatan was hit Thursday night by bird shot used by anti-riot police in the Sunni-ruled kingdom where the Shiite majority led protests that were quashed in mid-March. “The martyrdom of young Jaber falls under the systematic oppression of those demanding democracy in Bahrain,” said the largest Shiite opposition group.

Thousands of mourners took part yesterday afternoon in the funeral of Qatan in the Shiite village of Shakurah, west of Manama, according to footage posted online by AlWefaq. Yesterday, the interior ministry confirmed the death, saying the youth died of a cardiac arrest.

“Doctors were unable to resuscitate the young man and attributed the cause of death to cardiac arrest,” it said. The public prosecution ordered the body transferred to Salmaniya Medical Complex for an autopsy and full investigation.

Another ministry statement later said the coroner of the public prosecution found that the youth had died after being hit by a bird shot, in contrast to the doctors’ report. The ministry acknowledged police fired tear gas and sound grenades at around 20 youths who had blocked the road in Abu Saiba district on Thursday evening, set fire to garbage bins and attacked security forces when they intervened. “When police arrived on the scene, they were attacked with Molotov cocktails and rocks. Police responded with tear gas and sound grenades to

disperse the crowd,” it said.

Bahraini security forces quelled a month-long protest in mid-March, driving demonstrators out of Manama’s Pearl Square, the focal point of protests inspired by the Arab Spring. Authorities cracked down on Shiite villages, arrested hundreds, and scores were dismissed from their jobs. Hundreds are being tried by a special security court, and dozens more have received lengthy jail sentence, while at least five were sentenced to death.

Despite the crackdown, Shiite protesters were soon back on the street, holding regular demonstrations in their villages, and clashing with security forces. Authorities say 24 people, including four policemen were killed in the month-long unrest.— AFP

INTERNATIONAL

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 8, 2011

Putin: $13bn for military industries upgrade MOSCOW: Russia’s Prime Minister Vladimir Putin said yesterday that the government will spend over $13 billion in the next three years on revamping the nation’s aging defense plants. Putin told yesterday’s government meeting that 1,700 weapons factories need to be radically modernized in what he described as a “colossal work.” Putin said the government will earmark 400 billion rubles ($13.7 billon or euro10.2 billion) for modernization of military industries over the next three years, adding that the upgrade is essential for fulfilling an ambitious program of new weapons purchases.

“If we want to have weapons that answer the demands of today’s com-

bat, ... we need to revamp the military industrial complex,” he said. Russia plans to spend the total of 20 trillion rubles (about $620 billion or euro460 billion) on new weapons by 2020.

Putin said in Thursday’s speech to investors that the weapons modernization program doesn’t mean that Russia wants to engage in militarization, arguing that the country must replace old Soviet-built weapons that are approaching the end of their service lifetime.

Russia’s arms makers have faced harsh government criticism for failing to meet weapons orders. Analysts blame corruption, aging equipment and broken links between subcontractors. The pitiful state of Russian

UK opposition promotes young lawmakers to top team LONDON: Britain’s main opposition party promoted a host of new and mostly young lawmakers into senior roles yesterday in an overhaul of its senior team of legislators. Labor Party leader Ed Miliband said he was promoting “a new generation” of talent to take on Britain’s governing coalition of the Conservative Party and smaller Liberal Democrats.

Notable appointments were ex-lawyer Chuka Umunna to handle the party’s business brief and ex-economist Rachel Reeves to the No 2 job in Labor’s Treasury unit. Both are 32.

They were elected to Parliament last year and were joined by fellow new legislators Liz Kendall, Michael Dugher, Margaret Curran and Stephen Twigg - previously a minister under Tony Blair who lost his House of Commons seat in 2005, but returned in the May 2010 election.

“My decision to appoint half a dozen members of the 2010 intake shows the talent that Labor has and the way in which this new generation can join us in taking Labor’s agenda forward,” Miliband said. Miliband, 41, was appointed as successor to Brown last year, narrowly beating his then better-known brother, ex-Foreign Secretary David Miliband - who has not joined his sibling’s inner circle.

The changes follow a revision to Labor Party rules, which had previously meant Miliband could only chose from legislators elected in a ballot of the party’s members of the House of Commons. Tabloid phone-hacking campaigner Tom Watson, a minister under former Prime Minister Gordon Brown who has since devoted his time to exposing malpractice in the media, will be asked by Miliband to switch targets from Rupert Murdoch to Prime Minister David Cameron. He was named Labour’s deputy chairman with responsibility for coordinating campaigns. — AP

Berlusconi: Being PM is ‘a burden’ ROME: Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi told supporters yesterday that being prime minister was “a burden” but that he had to stay on for the sake of Italy’s financial stability.

“Being in government, especially during a global crisis like this one, is a great personal sacrifice for me and for the whole government,” he said in a video message, while claiming that there was “no alternative” to his rule.

“It is a burden that personally I would be glad to be rid of, were it not for the fact that a government crisis is the last thing that Italy needs now,” he added. “Instead of worrying about my post, the opposition should worry more about Italy’s interests. Our country at this time of global crisis-and let’s remember, this is an unprecedentedly grave and deep crisis-needs political stability.” “Unfortunately for the left, there is no alternative to our government,” he continued, adding that Italy’s centre-left opposition was “incapable of governing” because it was too rooted in communist ideologya common refrain for the tycoon. — AFP

arms industries has been named as the main reason behind a string of test failures that have dogged the development of Russia’s latest ballistic missile, the Bulava, which is intended for the latest generation of Russia’s nuclear submarines. It has remained unclear when the missile could enter service.

The development of Russia’s first stealth fighter, intended to match the latest US design, has also dragged on slowly. The Sukhoi T-50 made its maiden flight in January 2010, about two decades after the US F-22 Raptor, which it closely resembles. The new Russian fighter still lacks new engines and state-of-the art equipment, and its serial production is only expected

to begin in 2015 at the most optimistic forecast.

The Defense Ministry also has harshly criticized Russian arms makers for hiking prices and failing to explain reasons behind the increase. Military officials said that some of the weapons offered by the nation’s arms industries are a slightly revamped versions of the old Soviet designs. Facing a crisis of its defense industries, the Defense Ministry went shopping abroad for weapons. Earlier this year, Russia has signed a euro1 billion contract to buy two French warships. The country also has bought Israeli drones, Italian armored vehicles, French military electronics and other gear.— AP

Panetta defends NATO’s Libya mission ‘Critics have really been proven wrong’ NAVAL AIR STATION SIGONELLA: US Defense Secretary Leon Panetta yesterday assailed people who have questioned the wisdom of the joint US NATO campaign against Libya’s Muammar Gaddafi, saying “the critics have really been proven wrong.”

Completing an overseas trip, the defense secretary fiercely defended the Libyan operation as he got a new assessment from US and NATO commanders on what steps are necessary to bring the mission to an end.

“I have to tell you that at the time that this mission (was) embarked on, there were a lot of critics about whether it was the right mission, at the right time with the right force, whether NATO could do the job,” Panetta told a group of international troops at a naval base in Sicily, where allies have launched thousands of air missions for the Libya operation. “There were an awful lot of question about the mission overall,” Panetta noted. Among those critics were members of the US Congress, a spate of global leaders and Panetta’s predecessor, Robert Gates, who left the Pentagon job at the end of June. Over the past several days, Panetta and other NATO leaders reviewed the Libya mission, and many declared it a success as it supported the revolutionary forces in their successful campaign to oust Gaddafi.

And he said the allies agreed to continue the bombing mission in Libya as long as serious fighting and threats to the population continue. Speaking to reporters at a meeting of NATO defense ministers in Brussels, Panetta said the officials agreed that ending the combat mission in Libya will depend on whether forces loyal to Gaddafi are still able to attack civilians and whether the opposition forces are able to provide security for the country as it moves to democracy.

He laid out four general areas that commanders will review as they assess the mission - such as the ongoing violence in Sirte and how much control Gaddafi appears to have over his loyal-

NAPLES: Defense Secretary Leon Panetta walks to a briefing on operations in Libya with Adm. Samuel Locklear, commander of U.S. Naval Forces in Europe and Africa, yesterday at the US Naval Base in Naples, Italy. —AP ists, but did not specify what those situations must look like in order to end the NATO assault.

In fact, NATO’s top military commander, US Navy Adm. James Stavridis, said there will be no designated set of conditions that will signal the end of the operation. “We’re not trying to establish a discreet set of specific metrics in each case,” Stavridis said. “It’s rather a sense of the situation.” Military commanders presented their views on the mission to Panetta during his stop in Naples, Italy.

The people doing the briefings included Lt Gen Charles Bouchard, the commander of NATO’s Libya operation.

Panetta also was expected to get an assessment of how well the opposition forces are doing in Sirte, and how long it may be before commanders believe that the Libyans are secure enough that the combat mission can be ended. NATO ministers meeting in Brussels on Thursday said the bombing campaign in

Libya will continue until armed resistance to the new pro-Western regime ceases. But there are differing views among the members, as well as some of the commanders. US Gen. Carter Ham, commander of US Africa Command, said last week that he believes the combat mission has largely accomplished its goals and is near an end.

While Panetta spoke at the Sigonella base, fighter jets took off, as well as an armed Air Force Predator drone. Behind him was one of three sophisticated Global Hawk surveillance drones that have provided high-altitude eyes over the mission.

Earlier in the day, Panetta spoke to about 250 US troops at the Navy base Naples, and answered their questions on an array of topics. During the session, he made it clear the US rejects efforts by the Iraqis to make troops subject to local prosecution if they remain in Iraq after the end of the year. —AP

INTERNATIONAL

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 8, 2011

Four guilty of lesbian killing in South Africa CAPE TOWN: Four men were convicted yesterday of murdering a lesbian in Cape Town, in a case that dragged on for five years and heightened concerns about “corrective rape” targeting gay women. The four men stoned, kicked and stabbed to death 19-year-old Zoliswa Nkonyana just metres

(yards) from her home in 2006, the Khayelitsha Regional Court found.

She had lived openly as a lesbian.

Magistrate Raadiyah Wathen acquitted three others because there was no evidence that linked them to the killing, though they were present when it occurred.

Wathen last month set free two oth-

Sudan will leave Abyei when UN fully deploys UNITED NATIONS: Sudan will withdraw all its troops from the disputed Abyei region at the same time that the United Nations fully deploys its 4,200-strong force, the country’s UN ambassador said Thursday.

The UN Security Council in late June authorized the force from Ethiopia to deploy for six months in oil-rich Abyei, which lies between Sudan and newly independent South Sudan and is claimed by both. The UN action followed violence in Abyei that forced some 110,000 people to flee and a June agreement between the north and south to demilitarize the region and allow UN peacekeepers to deploy. One of the key pieces of unfinished business from the 2005 peace deal that ended more than two decades of civil war and led to the south’s independence in July is the future of Abyei. A referendum on its future was supposed to be held before independence but the two sides have been unable to agree on terms. Ali Osman said Sudan’s President Omar al-Bashir and South Sudan’s President Salva Kiir plan to meet today in Kharoum, hopefully “to solve all remaining problems.”

The new UN peacekeeping chief, Herve Ladsous, told the council that neither Sudan nor South Sudan has withdrawn their forces from Abyei as promised. Their failure to withdraw threatens to escalate tensions between nomadic Misseriya herders who will soon start their annual migration through Abyei and displaced farmers returning to plant their crops, he said. Sudan’s UN Ambassador Daffa-Alla Elhag Ali Osman told the council that his country’s soldiers “will be pulled out.” “However, the withdrawal ... should be organized in concurrence with the completion of the deployment of the Ethiopian forces to avoid a security vacuum,” he said. Ali Osman said about 1,800 Ethiopians are already on the ground in Abyei, and the government is committed to facilitate the deployment of the rest of the force. South Sudan’s acting UN ambassador, David Buom Choat, insisted that forces from the south have pulled out.

He urged the council to set a deadline for the withdrawal of northern Sudanese forces “and to hold whoever violates the deadline accountable.” Choat said the south is ready to continue “serious negotiations” with the north on all outstanding issues and “seeks a lasting peace in Abyei.”—AP

Three ex-governor arrested on fraud charges in Nigeria ABUJA: Nigeria’s anti-corruption agency said it has arrested three former state governors on allegations of abuse of office and fraud totaling 101 billion naira ($615 million). State governors are among the most powerful politicians in Nigeria, wielding influence over national policy and in some cases controlling budgets larger than small African nations. International agencies often rate Nigeria as one of the most corrupt countries in the world and corruption is cited by analysts as one of the biggest brakes on growth in sub-Saharan Africa’s second-largest economy. The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission said it arrested on Thursday former governors Gbenga Daniels of Ogun State, Adebayo Ala-Akala of Oyo state and Aliyu Akwe Doma of Nassarawa State on allegations of “abuse of office and fraud”.

“Yes they have been arrested and they are being interrogated,” an EFCC spokesman told Reuters. — Reuters

ers in a case that was postponed more than 30 times because defense lawyers were changed or failed to arrive at court. South Africa is the only African country that allows same-sex marriage, but violence against openly gay people is common.

Lesbians are targeted for attacks

known as “corrective rape”, by men trying to “cure” their homosexuality.

Big groups are said to take part in the crime, but only a few are convicted. Two years ago a man was sentenced to life in prison for the murder of a lesbian activist and football player who had been gang-raped and robbed.— AFP

S Africa’s Tutu fetes 80th birthday amid controversy Bono on hand, Dalai Lama shut out

JOHANNESBURG: South African peace icon Archbishop Desmond Tutu celebrated his 80th birthday yesterday in the church where he preached against apartheid, just a few days after saying the former liberation movement now in government was in some ways even worse. Tutu, who won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1984 for speaking out against white minority rule, has remained one of the world’s most celebrated figures and is widely seen as South Africa’s moral compass. Rock stars, politicians and parishioners packed St Georges Cathedral in Cape Town for a service to celebrate the man who sits on a panel of global statesmen. A day earlier, the diminutive Tutu filled separate birthday ceremonies with his enormous laughter and took to the stage with an African dance troupe. “There is only one rock star in this room, and it’s Archbishop Desmond Tutu,” said U2 front man Bono, one of the celebrities joining the cleric for the three-day celebrations.

While birthday wishes have been streaming in, the festivities have been marred by a row with the ANC over its failure to grant the Dalai Lama a visa to attend the celebrations on Tutu’s invitation. Tutu regularly criticizes the African National Congress, in power since the end of apartheid in 1994, but his outburst this week was one of the harshest ever and prompted widespread concern in the ruling party.

He said the ANC’s failure to allow fellow Nobel Laureate, the Dalai Lama, into the country amounted to pandering to major trade partner China and accused the party of conduct worse than that of South Africa’s former white-minority rulers. Tutu said the action from President Jacob Zuma’s government, which had the visa application for weeks but failed to make a decision, was “a national disgrace”.

Tutu said Zuma did not represent him and warned that one day people would pray for the demise of the ANC. “The Arch”, as he is affectionately known, thanked Deputy President Kgalema Motlanthe for attending the church celebrations yesterday.

Motlanthe was in Beijing a week ago where he shared toasts Chinese leaders, who have called the Dalai Lama a dangerous separatist, and won pledges for $2.5 billion in investment in South Africa.

“Thank you for coming, despite some of the hiccups we have had,”

CAPE TOWN: South African Deputy-President, Kgalema Motlanthe (R) and Nobel Peace Prize Laureate, Archbishop Desmond Tutu, embrace after a church service to celebrate Tutu’s 80th Birthday yesterday at St George’s Cathedral, in Cape Town. —AFP Tutu said. In what may be seen as a show of anger by Zuma, the president said in a birthday greeting that Tutu was admired by “thousands” in a country with a population of nearly 50 million. Tutu’s rebuke sparked soulsearching, with many ANC supporters and newspapers saying the visa flap was symbolic of the failings of the party that helped end apartheid but was now failing to live up to the ideals of the movement it had been. “He has the gravitas, like no other leader, to say things and be heard,” said Susan Booysen, political analyst at Wits University. Tutu, who retired about a year ago from most public duties, has remained a prominent figure and is still seen as a voice of integrity. In his last major appearance, when South Africa hosted the soccer World Cup in 2010, he danced on stage with pop music luminaries Black Eyed Peas before the opening match. Under apartheid, his position in the church gave him a prominent national platform from which to criticize the apartheid system and call for equal

rights and education.

His use of this platform incurred the wrath of the white minority government, which tried to prevent him travelling by revoking his passport. This move was reversed after intense international criticism. In 1984 he was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. Two years later, he became the first black Archbishop of Cape Town.

Pressure on the government was mounting and talks with the ANC led to the release from prison in 1990 of Nelson Mandela and the dismantling of apartheid laws. Following national elections in 1994, the new President Mandela appointed Tutu as head of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, the body charged with examining the human rights abuses of the apartheid years. Tutu, who retired more than a decade ago from his post as the Anglican archbishop of Cape Town, has established a peace foundation and advised political leaders.

“Tutu has a special place in the heart of South Africans and still has enormous influence in the civil society,” said Nic

A

y

e niv rsar n

INTERNATIONAL

Years

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 8, 2011

US prez honors Afghan war dead, 10 years on US ‘responsibly ending’ wars: Obama

CHARLESTON: Republican presidential candidate former Massachusetts Gov Mitt Romney greets volunteers who work aboard the USS Yorktown as he makes a stop to speak to supporters on the floating maritime museum, Thursday.—AP

Century of American dominance ahead: Romney CHARLESTON: Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney said yesterday government leaders reach for a century of American dominance, outlining proposals to strengthen the military while rejecting multilateral institutions like the United Nations when necessary. On the 10th anniversary of the war in Afghanistan, the former Massachusetts governor also promised a full review with military commanders but he offered no clear direction for the conflict that is growing increasingly unpopular, even among conservatives. And he condemned the isolationist policies supported by some tea party activists.

“This is America’s moment. We should embrace the challenge, not shrink from it, not crawl into an isolationist shell, not wave the white flag of surrender, nor give in to those who assert America’s moment has passed.

That is utter nonsense,” Romney told cadets and others at the The Citadel, South Carolina’s military college. Romney’s first foreign policy speech as a candidate amounted to a show of force of sorts as he tries to position himself as the clear GOP frontrunner in the White House race. Some Republicans remain reluctant to support him but Romney has resumed his place atop national polling following Texas Gov Rick Perry’s recent stumbles and New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie’s decision not to run.

The hawkish policies Romney outlined yesterday may draw criticism from the libertarian wing of his party but are designed to confront

what may be the former businessman’s most glaring weakness. While he served as a Mormon missionary in France more than four decades ago, he has only limited foreign policy experience. As he says in nearly every campaign stop, he has spent most of his life in the business world.

Aides insist this is an asset that allows for a thoughtful, business-like approach in shaping a proactive and aggressive foreign policy. To that end, he took a forceful tone in his remarks before 400 people gathered at The Citadel’s Mark Clark Hall, a three-story building named for the U.S. general who liberated Rome in World War II. “This century must be an American century. In an American century, America has the strongest economy and the strongest military in the world,” Romney said. “God did not create this country to be a nation of followers.

America is not destined to be one of several equally balanced global powers. America must lead the world, or someone else will.” He offered few specifics on Afghanistan, but vowed to conduct a full review in his first 100 days in office to determine “the presence necessary to secure our gains and successfully complete our mission.” That’s among seven other priorities for the first 100 days that include rebuilding the Navy fleet, ordering aircraft carriers into the eastern Mediterranean and Persian Gulf to help pressure Iran, and deploying of a national ballisticmissile defense system. —AP

WASHINGTON: US President Barack Obama yesterday honored all those killed since US warplanes launched a campaign to oust the Taliban in Afghanistan 10 years ago, and saluted those who have served in the US military. Obama said in a statement the United States was “responsibly ending” the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq “from a position of strength” and promised to provide veterans with healthcare and job opportunities.

The president also said the United States was “closer than ever to defeating Al-Qaeda and its murderous network” after the killing of 9/11 mastermind Osama bin Laden and “delivering justice” to other Al-Qaeda figures.

“Ten years ago today, in response to the 9/11 terrorist attacks, our nation went to war against Al-Qaeda and its Taliban protectors in Afghanistan,” Obama said, calling it a “decade of sacrifice.”

He saluted “the more than half a million men and women who have served bravely in Afghanistan to keep our country safe, including our resilient wounded warriors who carry

the scars of war, seen and unseen.” “We honor the memory of the nearly 1,800 American patriots, and many coalition and Afghan partners, who have made the ultimate sacrifice in Afghanistan for our shared security and freedom,” the US president added.

Obama also thanked the diplomats, law enforcement officers and homeland security officials who have served since the war in Afghanistan began in the wake of the September 11, 2001 terror strikes on New York and Washington.

“Thanks to the extraordinary service of these Americans, our citizens are safer and our nation is more secure,” he said. Obama said the United States was “responsibly ending today’s wars from a position of strength” though he warned that “enormous challenges” remained in Afghanistan. “In Afghanistan and beyond, we have shown that the United States is not and never will be at war with Islam and that we are a partner with those who seek justice, dignity and opportunity,” he said.—AFP

Knox’s dad invites Sollecito to visit family ROME: Amanda Knox’s former boyfriend, who was acquitted along with her of the murder of a British student, has been invited to visit the American’s family in Seattle, a lawyer for the young man said yesterday.

Luca Maori, who defended Raffaele Sollecito in the appeals trial, told The Associated Press in Rome in a telephone interview that Curt Knox, father of 24-yearold Amanda, invited Sollecito and his family to come to the US city, and that his client would eventually take up the offer.

“But now, Raffaele needs to get back on his feet and resume a normal life,” Maori said. “He’s afraid to go out” of his family home in southern Italy. Sollecito, now 27, had just begun dating Knox, a former University of Washington student, in Perugia in fall 2007 when the woman’s roommate, Meredith Kercher, was stabbed to death. The three were all students in the Umbrian university town. Like Knox, Sollecito steadfastly denied all wrongdoing. Until a Perugia appeals court acquitted him Monday night, he had been serving a 25-year sentence meted out in 2009 by a lower court. Knox had been serving a 26year sentence until the acquittal set her

free. Sollecito will probably go to Seattle, Knox’s home town, “by the end of the year,” Maori said. When asked if he might go for the Christmas holidays, the lawyer indicated it was too soon for detailed plans.

“Raffaele is still quite shaken,” Maori said. Sollecito spends his time “reading. He doesn’t watch TV.” Besides receiving old friends, Sollecito is “eating a lot of fish,” Maori said. The Sollecito family home is near the Adriatic Sea in Puglia, the southeastern region renowned for fresh fish. “In jail, he just got canned tuna,” the lawyer said. The day after the acquittals, Knox flew with her family back to Seattle. Unlike Knox, whose imprisonment drew heavy media coverage, Sollecito’s plight was largely ignored by the press. Even the Italian media focused more on her than him. During the trial, prosecutors depicted him as a “dog on a leash,” helplessly influenced by Knox, whom he had been dating only six days when they became the main suspects in the murder. During their two trials, Sollecito would often look over to Knox as if trying to catch her eye, and the two sometimes exchanged smiles.— AP

Hertz suspends Muslim shuttle drivers in Seattle SEATAC: Rental car company Hertz indefinitely suspended 34 Somali Muslim shuttle drivers at SeattleTacoma International Airport for praying on company time, and the workers’ union is trying to put them back in the driver’s seat after what it calls a sudden policy change. The drivers are required to clock out, under the terms of a settlement two years ago with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, Hertz spokesman Rich Broome said.

“We felt it was reasonable for our Muslim employees who need to pray a

couple times during the workday to clock in and clock out,” Broome said. It’s not about pay - break time is paid time but to ensure workers were staying within the 10-minute time slots, which has been a problem, he said. Muslim workers who clocked out were not suspended.

Drivers told The Seattle Times it was a change in policy that Hertz began enforcing last week. Hertz shuttle driver Zainab Aweis said she was not aware the rules had changed until she arrived at work Sept. 30 and managers told her

and other women who were about to pray that several other employees had been sent home that day for praying.

“He said, ‘If you guys pray, you go home,’” Aweis recalled. “I said, ‘Is that a new rule?’ And he said, ‘Yes.’” The workers prayed anyway, she said. “I like the job,” Aweis said. “But if I can’t pray, I don’t see the benefit.”

Teamsters Local 117, which represents the workers, is trying to get them back on the job and has filed an unfairlabor-practices complaint with the National Labor Relations Board against

Hertz for failing to notify the union in advance of what it called a policy change.

The union represents nearly 80 Hertz drivers who earn between $9.15 and $9.95 an hour. They receive no health benefits, vacation or sick leave. About 70 percent of them are Muslims.

Observant Muslims pray five times a day. On Wednesday, a few dozen people from labor and faith organizations protested outside the Hertz counter at the airport, waving signs saying, “Respect me, Respect my religion.”— AP

A

y

e niv rsar n

Years

INTERNATIONAL SATURDAY, OCTOBER 8, 2011

First of ‘Cuban 5’ spy ring out of US prison FLORIDA: One of the so-called “Cuban Five,” convicted of spying in the US for the communist Castro government, walked out of federal prison yesterday, the first of the group to complete sentences imposed a decade ago.

Rene Gonzalez, 55, served about 13 years of a 15-year sentence, with time off for good behavior and including time behind bars awaiting and during trial.

His attorney, Phil Horowitz, told The Associated Press he picked up Gonzalez at the prison around 5:30 a.m. EDT. Now Gonzalez, a Chicago native who has dual American and Cuban citizenship, must serve three years’ probation in the US , unless his attorney can persuade a Miami federal judge to let him return to Cuba. Horowitz said for now Gonzalez wants to remain out of the limelight at an undisclosed location “anywhere from Puerto Rico to Hawaii.” Horowitz said Gonzalez is declining interview requests

and that he has some concern for his safety.

“He’s been in prison for 13 years. I think it’s time to give him some peace,” he said. “I do believe he needs some time to decompress.” Gonzalez and the other four Cubans were convicted in 2001 of being part of a spy ring known as the “Wasp Network” that sought to infiltrate and report back on South Florida US military installations, Cuban exile groups and politicians opposed to the government of Fidel and Raul Castro.

One of the five was convicted of murder conspiracy for the 1996 shootdown

by Cuban fighter jets of planes flown by the “Brothers to the Rescue” operation, which dropped pro-democracy leaflets in Cuba and helped migrants trying to reach the US. Gonzalez, a pilot, flew with the group on some earlier missions as part of his intelligence cover as a pur-

New clashes in Chile after students break off talks SANTIAGO: Fresh clashes broke out Thursday in the Chilean capital a day after student leaders broke off talks with the government over education reforms in the latest development in a five-month protest movement. At least 30 people were hurt, including 25 police officers, as security forces used tear gas and water cannons to break up an unauthorized demonstration of several thousand students. Santiago municipal official Cecilia Perez said 132 people were arrested, many of them minors, for “public disorder, destruction of property and assault on police.”

The clashes occurred in several parts of the city around makeshift barricades set up by demonstrators that included flaming tires. City officials had authorized a march, the 37th since the start of the movement, but it was for a route on the western end of the capital, and protesters decided to take a different route. At the central Plaza Italia, police tried to break up a crowd marching toward Avenida Alameda. As police fired tear gas and opened up water cannons, the students scattered, AFP journalists said. Each side blamed the other for the latest incidents. “The government is to blame, because it opposes everything,” said Camila Vallejo of the Confech student federation. “We wanted permission to demonstrate (in downtown), they refuse. We ask for free education, they refuse that, too.” Santiago Mayor Pablo Zalaquett said the student demonstrators “are going too far” after five months of demonstrations.

Student leaders broke off talks on Wednesday, accusing the government of failing to do enough to maintain funding to guarantee free, public education. The student groups want free public education through university-level studies. At the moment, only about 40 percent of students qualify for free education based on parents’ income. Classes have been on hold in many schools and universities during the long-running demonstrations, which routinely draw tens of thousands of students into the streets, representing the largest protest movement in Chile since General Augusto Pinochet’s military dictatorship ended in 1990.—AFP

Houses on Caribbean islands will be seized, says Chavez CARACAS: Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez announced Thursday that his government will expropriate homes on the Caribbean resort islands of Los Roques, saying the structures were built on plots bought in shadowy business deals. Chavez has nationalized hundreds of privately owned companies since taking office in 1999, but this is the first time he has targeted private homes for expropriation. Chavez offered no details regarding the planned seizures of private homes and quaint inns, known in Spanish as “posadas.”—AP

ported anti-Castro militant, according to court documents. The Cuban government hails the men as heroes, and they and their supporters have long insisted they were only in the US to detect and prevent violent attacks against their country, mainly by Miami-based exile groups. They also complained that Miami was a patently unfair location for the trial, which took place following the controversial decision by the US to send Elian Gonzalez back to his father in Cuba. The young Cuban boy had been found on an inner tube off Fort Lauderdale, one of three survivors of a boat that sank as those onboard tried to defect to the US. His mother was among those who drowned. At his December 2001 sentencing, Rene Gonzalez was unapologetic, saying the men “were convicted for having committed the crime of being men of honor.” “I have no reason to be remorseful,” he said. Jose

Basulto, who heads Brothers to the Rescue, called Gonzalez a “traitor” who should renounce his US citizenship and go back to Cuba. “If anything were to happen to him, I know we will immediately be blamed,” Basulto said. “Let him go to Cuba, and if anything happens to him, let it be there.”

The three-year probation term began the moment Gonzalez left the federal prison in Marianna, in Florida’s Panhandle. US District Judge Joan Lenard in Miami preliminarily refused to modify probation to allow him to return to Cuba, but said he could request the change again. Horowitz said he will do so in the near future. Gonzalez has a wife and two daughters in Cuba; his wife was also implicated in the spy network and was deported after the men’s arrests. She cannot legally return to the US and the couple has not seen each other for over a decade.— AP

‘Zeta Killers’ kill 32 more in Mexico Marines arrest eight drug gang members MEXICO CITY: A relatively new drug gang is responsible for killing at least 67 people whose bodies were found over the course of a couple of weeks in the Gulf coast state of Veracruz, Mexican authorities said yesterday. Marines arrested eight members of the Jalisco New Generation drug gang Thursday, navy spokesman Jose Luis Vergara told a news conference. The suspects later led authorities to 32 bodies left in three houses in Veracruz, a port city that carries the state’s name.

Vergara said the gang is also responsible for dumping 35 bound, tortured bodies on a busy boulevard in a suburb of Veracruz on Sept 20. The navy appeared eager to dampen speculation that the New Generation gang, believed to be allied with Mexico’s Sinaloa drug cartel, is some sort of paramilitary group aimed at eliminating the hyperviolent Zetas cartel.

New Generation members have dubbed themselves “Mata Zetas,” or “Zetas Killers,” and many of their victims appear to be from that cartel.

Authorities would have ample reason to want to eliminate the Zetas, who have been blamed for the kidnap-murders of three marines so far this year in Veracruz. Vergara insisted no paramilitaries were involved.”We stress that this is just another organized crime gang that opposes the Zetas, with whom they are fighting for control of illicit income and criminal activities in Veracruz,” he said.

Marines also arrested 12 alleged Zetas on Thursday, including Aquiles Amaranto Cruz Hurtano, allegedly the group’s new operations leader in Veracruz, Vergara said. He said the suspects “presumably were assigned to kill relatives of their enemies” and carry out other criminal activities. All 20 of the detainees were paraded before the

MEXICO CITY: Alleged members of the New Generation gang, which dubbed itself “Mata Zetas,” or “Zetas Killers,” left, and alleged members of the Zetas cartel, right, are presented to the press by the marines in Mexico City yesterday.—AFP news media yesterday before being turned over to federal prosecutors pending charges. While some appeared hardened and weathered, a few appeared to be in their teens.

Sinaloa and the Zetas have emerged as Mexico’s dominant drug cartels and appear locked in a nationwide battle for territory. The New Generation gang emerged in the western state of Jalisco in 2010, following the death of Sinaloa capo Ignacio “Nacho” Coronel that same year. In recent months, the “Mata Zetas” have released videos in which armed, masked men claim to be fighting to free Veracruz from the Zetas’ reign of killings, kidnappings and extortion - even though the Sinaloa cartel is implicated in many of the same activi-

ties. Despite the propaganda videos which had led some local news media to begin calling the gang “paramilitaries” - Vergara stressed that “no criminal propaganda will force the government to step back from its efforts against criminals.”

The arrests capped a flurry of rumors on social networks Thursday that multiple bodies had been found in Veracruz.

The state government first said it had no information on the killings, then later confirmed them.

The navy said that when marines reached the first of the three safe house, where 20 bodies were found, state police officers were already there.

Marines found 11 bodies at the second house and one at a third.—AP

A

y

e niv rsar n

Years

international

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 8, 2011

Pakistan: Obama pressure on militants hurts Afghanistan Anti-American sentiment runs deep

AGRA: In this photograph taken on December 4, 2010, tourists visit the Taj Mahal in Agra.

Archeologists overseeing the upkeep of the Taj Mahal have denied yesterday a press report that said the iconic structure could collapse in as little as two years because of its weakened foundations. —AFP

Experts deny Taj Mahal ‘collapse’ claims AGRA: Archeologists overseeing the upkeep of the Taj Mahal denied yesterday a press report that said the iconic structure could collapse in as little as two years because of its weakened foundations. The white marble mausoleum, known as the “monument of love” after it was built by a former Mughal emperor as a tribute to his dead wife, attracts four million tourists a year to the northern Indian town of Agra.

It stands on the banks of the depleted and polluted river Yamuna, which provides moisture to wooden structures that hold up the onion-shaped dome and its four minarets. Earlier this week, Britain’s Daily Mail newspaper quoted Agra’s elected parliamentarian Ramshankar Katheria as saying the Taj would “cave in between two and five years” if conservation efforts were not launched. The Archeological Survey of India (ASI), which began a major facelift for the Taj Mahal in 2007, dismissed the dire predictions for the 358-year-old monument.

“We have been having regular tests conducted and agencies including Survey of India have never pointed out such threats to the survival of the Taj Mahal,” ASI’s chief archeologist in Agra, ID Dwivedi, told AFP. Katheria denied forecasting a collapse within five years but he told AFP that he had conveyed his fears for the future of the Taj to Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and President Pratibha Patil more than once.

“I am demanding a high-level enquiry to analyse the severe threat posed to the wooden structures in the foundation of the Taj,” the MP said. He warned that the supporting timber was turning brittle because the level of Yamuna was declining due to the over-extraction of water by residents and businesses. “The timber in the plinth of the Taj would soon corrode and termites could set in unless it quickly finds a source of moisture,” Katheria said in an interview.

“The acrid dust from the dry riverbed is also dulling the domes of the Taj and the government must build a barrage across Yamuna to keep its water levels high,” Katheria, who belongs to the main opposition BJP party, added. The Taj, a popular backdrop to photos of tourists in India, was built by Mughal emperor Shah Jahan as a tomb for his beloved empress, Mumtaz Mahal, who died while giving birth to their 14th child in 1631.

India’s Supreme Court in 1996 declared a 10,400-square-kilometre (4,015-square mile) area as a protected zone for the Taj Trapezium Zone after industries were found to be contributing to the monument’s yellowing. It ordered 292 coal-based factories to switch to natural gas or relocate outside the zone by April 30, 1997. Conventional vehicles have also been banned within a 500metre radius of the building.— AFP

ISLAMABAD: President Barack Obama’s warning to Islamabad over suspected ties to militants will only fuel anti-Americanism and make it harder for Pakistan to support US efforts to stabilize Afghanistan, a senior senator said yesterday. Pakistan is seen as critical to bringing peace to neighboring Afghanistan, but the United States has failed to persuade it to go after militant groups it says cross the border to attack Western forces in Afghanistan.

“This is not helping either the United States, Afghanistan or Pakistan,” Salim Saifullah, chairman of the Senate Foreign Affairs Committee, told Reuters. “There will be pressure on the (Pakistan) government to get out of this war,” he said, referring to the US war on militancy. Obama warned Pakistan on Thursday that its ties with “unsavory characters” had put relations with the United States at risk, as he ratcheted up pressure on Islamabad to cut links with militants mounting attacks in Afghanistan.

His comments are likely to deepen a crisis in the strategic alliance between the United States and Pakistan. Obama accused Pakistan’s leaders of “hedging their bets” on Afghanistan’s future, but stopped short of threatening to cut off US aid, despite calls from lawmakers for a tougher line over accusations that Pakistani intelligence supported strikes on US targets in Afghanistan. Pakistan says it has sacrificed more than any other nation that joined America’s global “war on terror” after the Sept 11, 2001 attacks on the United States, losing 10,000 soldiers and security forces, and 30,000 civilians.

But its performance against militants operating from its unruly tribal northwest border region is a frequent source of tension between Washington and Islamabad.

Pakistan is often accused of playing a double game, vowing to help the United States fight some militant groups while using others as proxies in Afghanistan.

Ties were heavily damaged after US spe-

cial forces launched a secret raid that killed Osama bin Laden in Pakistan in May, which Islamabad saw as a violation of its sovereignty.

On Thursday, a Pakistani commission said a Pakistani doctor accused of running a vaccination program that helped the CIA track down bin Laden should be tried for high treason, which is punishable by death. Relations deteriorated further after the top US military official accused Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) spy agency of supporting a Sept. 13 attack by the Taleban -allied Haqqani militant group on the US embassy in Kabul.

Saifullah said Washington’s public criticism of Pakistan would only encourage militant groups. “War in Afghanistan is passing through a critical phase, evolutionary phase,” he said. “At this stage, muddying water is not appropriate. This is exactly what the militants want. They are playing to their tune. This is adding strength to them.” Some analysts agree with his assessment. “This will create more tension and what the Americans want is not likely to happen in the near future,” said political analyst Hasan Askari Rizvi.

The United States has long called for a military offensive against the Haqqani network, which it says is based in North Waziristan, a global hub for militants on the Afghan border. Pakistan sees the Haqqani network-perhaps the most feared insurgents in Afghanistan-as a counterweight to the growing influence of rival India there, analysts say. Pakistan denies links to the group, which says it no longer operates from sanctuaries in North Waziristan. Obama made clear that future US -Pakistani relations would depend heavily on whether Islamabad complies with Washington’s demands to sever connections with insurgents.

Mahmud Ali Durrani, a former Pakistani ambassador to Washington, wondered if the two sides could ever repair ties. “There are too many issues, and too much mis-

trust to call this a strategic relationship,” he said. But public demands from Washington will make Islamabad more reluctant to take action because caving in after constant pressure could be political suicide in a country where anti-American sentiment runs high, and the government is unpopular.

Many Pakistanis believe they have been dragged into a war against militancy that only serves American interests. That sentiment is growing because of an escalation of USdrone aircraft missile strikes against militants in Pakistan under the Obama administration. “Are we owned by the United States? If so, please make our terms of servitude clear, Mr. Obama, so we can just get on with it,” said Mishayl Naek, a bank employee in the city of Karachi, in reaction to the US president’s demands of Pakistan.

For Asad Ali Bangash, 45, Obama’s comments were proof of what he has feared all along. “America wants an excuse to invade Pakistan. There are difficult times ahead for Pakistan, because America has decided that Pakistan has to be eliminated because it is a fort of Islam,” said Bangash, who runs a medical supply business. Obama wants to stabilise Afghanistan as US forces are drawn down with the goal of ending their combat mission by 2014. Instead of public confrontation, Obama should work more closely with Pakistan to help Afghanistan, said Saifullah. “This is no time for this kind of (allegation) when they are pulling out,” he said. “They should be seriously working on the endgame.”

Even if Pakistan wanted to eliminate the Haqqanis, an assault could be risky. The group, which says it has more than 10,000 fighters, spent years forming alliances with various militant groups seeking to topple the US -backed government. The Haqqanis’ ties with powerful tribes are another concern. Intelligence officials say Pakistan fears an assault would provoke a larger tribal uprising in North Waziristan.—Reuters

ISLAMABAD: Supporters of Mumtaz Qadri, a police guard who confessed to killing Punjab governor, gather during a protest in Islamabad yesterday. Hundreds of people staged rallies across Pakistan demanding release of a police commando convicted for killing a provincial governor who wanted to reform tough blasphemy laws. An anti-terrorism court on October 1, sentenced Qadri to death who has filed an appeal on Thursday in the high court challenging the verdict. —AFP

A

y

e niv rsar n

Years

international

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 8, 2011

Manila’s airport found to be structurally flawed MANILA: A senior Philippine official said yesterday that studies have found structural flaws in a 9-year-old Manila airport terminal that suffered a partial ceiling collapse in 2006. Two engineering companies and one engineers’ association that examined Ninoy Aquino International Airport’s Terminal 3 found flaws of varying degrees of seriousness, said Transportation and Communication Secretary Manuel Roxas II. He said one study found only slight defects that can easily be fixed, another said it’s more serious and the third believes it’s “very serious.” The terminal was largely completed in 2002 but not opened until 2008 because of a legal fight between the government and the terminal consortium led by Germany’s Fraport AG. Asked what the

defects were, Roxas said: “Part of it isdesign, part of it is the execution.” He did not elaborate.

A government attempt to open the showcase terminal in 2006 was marred when part of a ceiling collapsed. No one was injured. Takenaka Corp, a Japanese company that was subcontracted by the consortium to build the terminal, maintains it has no defect. Roxas said the government “has taken every precaution” to ensure passenger safety but that the measures are only “stop gap in nature and our objective is still to fix the structural flaws.” The government will have the terminal subjected to stress tests using computer simulation and other procedures to determine the extent of the defects.

“Structural defect means it can fall on

your head, so we have to resolve that,” Roxas said. “Isn’t it that the most responsible thing to do now is to find out which of these (assessments) is correct rather than just mindlessly react?” The marble-and-glass terminal was embroiled in controversy from the beginning. The government has been locked in a legal battle with Philippine International Air Terminals Co Inc., the German-led consortium that was to operate the terminal for 25 years, after canceling its contract in 2002.

The government took over the facility but its opening was repeatedly delayed over the years as Fraport sued the Philippine government for expropriation without compensation. The Philippines has won international arbitration cases in Washington and

Singapore. Terminal operations have not been fully computerized including baggage handling because of ongoing talks with Takenaka to turn over the software for the system and to repair defects.

Roxas said Takenaka’s claim that the terminal has no defects carries some weight because the company “it is not a fly-by-night entity.” Takenaka has built major airports in Japan and was a contractor for Singapore’s Changi Airport, he said. The terminal can handle 10 million passengers annually. Last year, the airport was used by 9.6 million passengers - 8.1 million domestic and 1.5 million international. Local budget airlines Cebu Pacific, PAL Express and Air Philippines plus Japan’s All Nippon Airways currently operate at the terminal.—AP

China says 12 punished for Shanghai crash SHANGHAI: A subway crash in Shanghai that injured nearly 300 people resulted from negligence, inadequate training and faulty installation of backup power systems, the city’s safety agency said. It announced penalties for a dozen subway employees. Three train operators were removed from their posts, the Shanghai Administration of Work Safety said Thursday, while nine other subway system managers and workers were also punished for the crash of one subway train into another on Sept 27. A loss of power on the subway line during repairs caused the signal system to fail and dispatchers then issued faulty orders that caused one train to rear end another as it sat still on the tracks in an area near the city’s scenic Yuyuan Garden.

The affected line - Line 10 - operated by Shanghai Shentong Metro Group, is one of Shanghai’s newest and most modern. The subway crash was a shock for Shanghai, a city of 23 million that had its entire transport infrastructure - roads, airports, ports, tunnels and subways - upgraded ahead of the city’s 2010 World Expo. It occurred just two months after two bullet trains in east China’s Zhejiang Province crashed, killing 40 people and injuring 177. The July 23 accident exposed festering resentments over the huge costs of the country’s massive buildup of its rail system, especially its high-speed lines.

The report said Shanghai Shentong’s first mistake was in authorizing repair work at a station without having a backup plan in case it disrupted the power supply. The repair work caused a loss of power to the station that led the signaling system to fail. Several managers were held responsible for negligent management or failure to provide adequate training to subway operators. The report also cited problems with installation of backup power from uninterrupted power supply - UPS equipment, which should have kicked in to prevent any lengthy power outages.

With the power out, subway operators then chose to direct trains on Line 10 via phone instead of electronic signals and ordered a train to stop in a tunnel between two stations. About half an hour later, another train started out from one of the stations and headed toward the halted train at a speed of up to 54 kilometers per hour (34 mph), until the driver saw the stationary train and immediately tried to brake. It crashed into the stationary train at a speed of 35 kph (22 mph).

Although the train was crowded at the mid-afternoon time of the crash, the relatively slow speed helped to reduce injuries, most of which were light and not life-threatening, according to city officials. High-tech automatic train protection systems are designed to improve safety while allowing more trains to travel within shorter intervals. Normally such systems prevent crashes by controlling train speeds and signaling the presence of any other trains on the line. The supplier of the signaling system for the line - a joint venture between a local company and France’s Alstom SA - denied earlier claims by the subway operator that its equipment malfunctioned, saying the crash had nothing to do with its system. The three employees who were removed from their posts were Zhu Limin, vice director of Shentong Group’s dispatching department, and Tang Zhihua and Kuo Kang, respectively the chief and vice manager of Line 10’s dispatching center.—AP

PHNOM PENH: Cambodian Muslims head for a flooded mosque by a wooden boat at Doung village, some 18 kilometers (11 miles) north of Phnom Penh, Cambodia yesterday.—AP

Thai battle to keep floods from Bangkok Rising waters leave 252 dead BANGKOK: Thailand stepped up efforts yesterday to protect Bangkok and key industrial areas from the worst floods in decades, with homes, roads and factories already inundated just north of the capital.

Many residents ignored the government’s appeal to evacuate to safe areas, preferring to stay and guard homes submerged by the rising waters, which have left 252 people dead.

The authorities raced to put up flood walls alongside canals and rivers on Bangkok’s northern outskirts as huge amounts of muddy water flow down river after more than two months of unusually heavy monsoon rains. “Nothing could be worse than the current situation, but the most important thing is to prevent flooding in Bangkok and two industrial estates” north of the city, said Science and

Technology Minister Plodprasop Suraswadi. A key test for the authorities is expected in mid-October when large amounts of run-off water reaches the lowlying capital and high tides make it harder for the floods to flow out to sea. “Every canal in Bangkok is already at full capacity.

If more rain comes it’s likely that Bangkok will be inundated,” Bangkok governor Sukhumbhand Paribatra said on Thai television. He said the city was preparing emergency stocks of food and drinking water, and setting up evacuation centres at schools.

The floods-several metres deep in places-have damaged the homes or livelihoods of millions of people, particularly farmers, according to the government.

The military has been deployed to help victims and army camps are being opened

to evacuees. Japanese car giant Honda has suspended production temporarily after its parts factories was inundated in Ayutthaya, the ancient capital just north of Bangkok. According to economists at the University of Thai Chamber of Commerce, the damage amounts to 104 billion baht (3.4 billion dollars) in terms of the impact on buildings, crops, livestock, industry, tourism and trade. It said the impact could knock about one percent off the country’s annual economic output. While the government sounded optimistic that it could prevent Bangkok from becoming flooded, independent experts appeared less confident. “Certainly Bangkok will be flooded.

We have to assess the situation after each storm,” said Royal Chitradon, director of Thai Integrated Water Resource Management.—AFP

Business BoJ holds steady but warns of eurozone risks

20

Samsung expects Q3 profit of $3.52bn

19

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 8, 2011

Bad bet costs Qatar $1bn in gas tanker refits

16

Germany, France split on bank aid before summit

17

LONDOB: A Lloyds Banking Group sign is pictured outside a branch in central London yesterday.

Moody’s yesterday downgraded its credit ratings for a dozen British banks. — AFP

Moody’s cuts credit ratings of UK banks RBS, Lloyds shares fall by more than 3% LONDON: The credit rating of two top UK banks were cut yesterday due to the likelihood of less state support in a future crisis, as Britain sought to reassure investors its banks were well capitalised and able to cope with a European debt crisis.

Ratings agency Moody’s cut its rating on Royal Bank of Scotland by two notches, downgraded Lloyds by one notch, and cut its ratings on Santander UK , Co-Operative Bank, Nationwide Building Society and seven other smaller British building societies. Banks had been on review for possible downgrade as part of a trend where state support for lenders is being reduced, and reforms proposed last month by Britain’s Independent Commission on Banking (ICB) were also expected to have a negative impact.

The ICB proposed ring-fencing the retail arms of top British banks from their riskier investment banking units, and said British banks should hold more capital. “The market’s central expectation around the ICB impact had been for a 2notch downgrade across the board, so it’s better than expected,” said Gareth Hunt, analyst at Investec. But concern is growing that banks may need more capital as part of a wider European move to shore up the industry to tackle a debt crisis and restore investor confidence. The

European Union plans to present a plan for member state to coordinate a bank recapitalisation. UK finance minister George Osborne said Britain’s banks remained well-capitalised and in better shape than many of their European rivals, who face bigger losses on holdings of peripheral euro zone debt.

“I am confident that British banks are well capitalised, they are liquid, they aren’t experiencing the kind of problems that some of the banks in the euro zone are experiencing at the moment,” Osborne told the BBC. RBS, 83 percent owned by the government, said it remained one of Europe’s most strongly capitalised banks, responding to a Financial Times report citing concerns in government circles that it might need more state aid.

RBS’s capital position came under strain under a “stress test” of lenders in the summer, raising fears it would need at least 5 billion pounds ($7.7 billion) more in a widespread recapitalisation. But analysts said its solvency was stronger than showed in the test, which included historical toxic losses shown by the bank and ignored a big reduction in its balance sheet. “Compared to their European peers the UK banks are well positioned from a capital perspective,” Elisabeth Rudman, senior vice president at Moody’s, told Reuters after the down-

grade. “But the environment they are operating in is still very tough and there’s an awful lot of uncertainty out there in the euro zone.”

Standard and Poor’s yesterday downgraded the core banks of Franco-Belgian financial group Dexia by one notch, citing difficulties in securing wholesale funding and the need for increased collateral. UK banks have raised over $120 billion in the last three years, forced by the government to raise low capital levels. In the same time German banks have raised about $40 billion, Italian banks have raised $29 billion and French banks-seen as most in need of fresh funds-have raised $22 billion, according to Reuters data.

British gilt futures fell, underperforming Bunds after the credit rating downgrade added to worries another bailout could be needed.

RBS shares closed down 3 percent at 23.62 pence while Lloyds fell 3.4 percent, with both stocks underperforming a 0.2 percent rise in Britain’s benchmark FTSE 100 index . RBS shares remain some 50 percent below the 49.9 pence level at which the UK taxpayer acquired its stake in the bank.

However, Evolution Securities analyst Ian Gordon kept a “buy” rating on RBS shares, saying he did not think the Scottish bank needed to raise more capital. “With a core tier 1 ratio of 11.1 percent, a shrinking balance sheet and con-

tained vulnerability to ‘left-field’ events, RBS has no need to raise capital,” said Gordon.

Moody’s move reduced the uplift that RBS and Lloyds receive from state support to three notches, in line with UK rival Barclays and international peers like Bank of America . It did not reflect a deterioration in the financial strength of banks or the government, Moody’s said.

It did not change its rating on Barclays or HSBC . Lloyds said the downgrade would only have a “minimal” impact on its funding costs.

Moody’s said authorities did not yet have all the necessary tools to allow an orderly resolution of the largest, most complex banks, and proposals to reform the industry put forward by the Independent Commission on Banking (ICB) would take time.

“The implementation is still a long way off, but the trend is towards trying to lower the possibility of government support into banks, but we see that as taking time to unfold,” Rudman said. Moody’s said the UK government is likely to continue to provide some level of support to systemically important financial institutions, but is more likely now to allow smaller institutions to fail if they become troubled. “What’s really interesting is the polarity between the downgrade to small institutions and the lack of downgrade to the big institutions. — Reuters

BUSINESS SATURDAY, OCTOBER 8, 2011

Libyan oil export flow a trickle LONDON/TRIPOLI: Libya’s prized light, sweet oil is trickling slowly onto the global spot market but demand from domestic refiners, production glitches and an internal struggle for control of the sector means it is unlikely to gush until deep into 2012.

Oil production resumed in early September and since then a flurry of field restarts has surprised many analysts who have been pessimistic about recovery prospects.

The National Oil Corporation(NOC) estimated Libya is pumping 350,000 barrels per day (bpd) and reiterated that full pre-war production was possible within 15 months.

But very little of this has leaked onto the spot market. Just just two cargoes were exported in September, or a little over 2 percent of pre-war levels and many think the leap above the 1 mln bpd output hump could still be difficult. “The ramp-up stage (of oil production) is where quick decisionmaking will be needed most and where the recovery could be derailed from the very

good pace at which is has initially picked up,” said Samuel Ciszuk, senior analyst at IHS Global Insight.

“We said from the beginning the main challenge might be the ramp-up, rather than the re-start so most of that is still to be seen.” Wood Mackenzie’s upstream analyst for north Africa Ross Cassidy said it could take three years to restore full pre-war output. Most industry sources and analysts peg current oil production at between 200,000-300,000 bpd and say that this could at least double by year-end, but Libyan oil officials are prioritising filling tanks for refineries, not exports, in order to produce the fuels badly-needed to restore order. Reuters calculations show that 130,000 barrels per day of refining capacity is now onstream - a figure that will likely rise to 230,000 bpd once the Zawiyah refinery reaches full output and could rise to 300,000 bpd by year-end if the Ras Lanuf plant restarts.

“Some of the oil is going to internal

refiners so it will still be a while before we see a real push on exports,” said Olivier Jakob, analyst at Petromatrix. Traders browsing the marketplace for Libyan oil are dubious about availability.

Exports are expected to be more brisk in October as processing accelerates at some fields and others pump first oil but trading and shipping sources said so far only two or three of a total five cargoes are thought to be available for export. Libya was also a regional exporter of products like fuel oil, jet fuel and naphtha but so far barrels processed domestically have been used to meet local demand.

“I think we need to take the Libyan figures with a pinch of salt,” said an oil trader involved with one of the early Libyan transactions. He added that traders have been confronted with confusion over the quality of crude oil and many have complained that they have not been invited to official tenders. Others may be reluctant to lift cargoes from Libyan waters which some still

classify as a warzone for insurance purposes. This means that the market will be starved of Libya’s exports for many months, although higher oil processing at local refineries may still weigh on oil prices since it will cut demand for fuel imports.

Oil prices near $105 a barrel are now only slightly above the level in early February, before the Libyan revolt. Tripoli is abuzz with talk of visiting envoys from companies like Royal Dutch Shell and Eni but workers are returning very slowly due to confusion over counterparties as well as safety and logistical concerns.

“Reaching 1.6 million barrels per day is going to be difficult because of the safety issues, the exodus of foreign workers, the breakdown of supply lines and widespread looting of oil field compounds. From the Sirte Basin you could get bottlenecks because of damage to terminals like Es Sider,” said Ross Cassidy at Wood Mackenzie, referring to the country’s main export terminal.—Reuters

Bad bet costs Qatar $1bn in gas tanker refits LNG market to tighten as ships go in dry dock

LOS ANGELES: Protesters march on downtown banks on October 6, 2011 in Los Angeles, California. — AFP

OIB bank says in talks on merger with HSBC Oman DUBAI: Oman International Bank is at the early stage of talks on a merger with British bank HSBC Holdings’ operations in Oman, OIB’s chairman said yesterday. “OIB is in early stage negotiations about a merger of its business with HSBC’s Oman operations. We are not discussing buying HSBC’s business in Oman,” said Ali Juma. “If the negotiations proceed to an agreement, it will lead to a merger.”

An OIB official had earlier described the talks as an acquisition by OIB of HSBC Oman, as the British lender looks to streamline its Middle East presence. Both HSBC and OIB had earlier issued statements saying the two parties were in talks about “merging their operations” in Oman without providing additional details.

HSBC is reviewing its Middle Eastern operations, with the United Arab Emirates becoming a regional hub and other countries having their operations reduced. The reorganisation is affecting Oman, as well as Bahrain, Jordan, Lebanon, Qatar and the UAE. HSBC has operated in Oman since 1948 and the head of its securities business was quoted by Omani media this week as saying the British lender had a long-term commitment to Oman and the Middle East. Oman opened its doors to Islamic banking and let conventional lenders run sharia-compliant operations in May. The country witnessed protests against government earlier in the year, inspired by a wave of popular uprisings that toppled the leaders of Egypt and Tunisia and roiled much of the Middle East. — Reuters

LONDON/NEW YORK: Qatar made a billion dollar error when it built its liquefied natural gas shipping fleet in the last decade, and now consumers may have to pay for the misstep. The world’s biggest LNG producer is about to approve the overhaul of 45 of its largest tankers from 2012 to 2015 to burn natural gas after the decision to run them on petroleum fuel backfired when oil prices rose, senior industry sources said.

The retrofit will exacerbate a shortage of ships able to carry LNG and could stifle short-term trade at a time that demand is rising due to increased buying by Japan and other countries following the shutdown of nuclear power plants since the March Fukushima disaster.

Qatar is nearing the end of a year-long consultation on the $1 billion upgrade involving shipowners, shareholders and engine manufacturers, which was prompted by an unexpected fall in natural gas prices versus oil in recent years, according to people present at the ongoing discussions.

“Qatar wants to make a decision as soon as they can. These ships are coming around to their first scheduled five-year service,” a shipping source said.

Retrofitting is expected to begin in mid2012. Qatar Petroleum and ship owner Qatar Gas Transport Co (Nakilat) were unavailable for comment.

Some experts say the cost could be as high as $1.4 billion, assuming each retrofit costs $30 million. Exact costs will be established at a meeting between counterparties at the end of the month, the sources said. Top energy executives at Qatar Petroleum want upgrades to coincide with the mandatory five-year servicing of its fleet, which starts next year and lasts until 2015, to minimise disruption to trade.

But experts say upgrade work will nearly double the planned lay-up time of tankers to 45 days, and some estimate the overrun to be between two to three

months.

Plans to carry out upgrades in a threeyear window mean that between two and four ships will be idled simultaneously, depending on the duration of the work.

The LNG market is already experiencing a shipping shortage. High demand in Asia this year has drawn Atlantic Basin cargoes east and lengthened shipping times, pushing charter rates to records above $100,000 a day, up from $30,000 18 months ago.

Further shortages are expected to push rates higher, which could be passed on to utility companies in Japan and other major importing countries. “The problem with the LNG market is liquidity. There are only five tankers available for next year (that are not already tied up in contracts). So if suddenly Qatar takes three or four of those (to replace tankers in maintenance), then rates will go up,” one broker said. On the advice of partner Exxon Mobil, Qatar decided to order tankers powered by heavy fuel oil in 2004, instead of natural

gas which has turned out to be considerably cheaper, multiple sources said. Exxon is a partner in a number of LNG-producing projects in Qatar.

At the time, US gas prices were seen rising to $10 per million British thermal units (mmBtu) amid dwindling domestic supplies and rising demand, while fuel oil was considered a cheaper bet. But the subsequent burst of shale gas development in the United States-once expected to be a major gas importer-has pushed prices there below $4 per mmBtu. Meanwhile, oil and bunker fuel prices have shot higher.

Upgrades will allow engines to switch between burning gas and bunker fuel.

“Exxon took a punt that LNG was going to be more expensive than oil. When this project started, the United States was going to import gas and LNG prices were going to rocket, but then it discovered all this gas and that changed,” the ship broker source said. Exxon Mobil declined to comment. — Reuters

TOKYO: Customers queue up to order Apple’s new smartphone iPhone 4S at a Tokyo electric shop yesterday as Japan’s mobile carriers Softbank and KDDI started to accept orders. — AFP

BUSINESS SATURDAY, OCTOBER 8, 2011

S&P maintains Dexia investment grade rating PARIS: Standard & Poor’s cut its rating of troubled cross-border European bank Dexia by one notch yesterday to A-, maintaining it at investment grade despite efforts underway to bail it out.

“The downgrades reflect our view that tensions on the interbank market have constrained Dexia’s access to wholesale funding markets,” S&P said in a statement. France and Belgium stepped in Tuesday to guarantee the financing of Dexia and signalled they intend split up the bank, making it the first European bank to be dragged down by the eurozone debt crisis.

Dexia, which had to rescued in 2008 due to the global financial crisis, is a major lender to French municipalities and has retail operations in Belgium and Luxembourg.

The bank has relied heavily on money market funding for its operations but such financing has become

scarcer and more expensive for eurozone banks due to concerns over their sovereign debt exposure.

S&P said the downgrade also reflects “our belief that the group faces increased cash collateral requirements on hedges, which we believe increases the difficulty Dexia will face in reducing the short-term wholesale funding gap to below 80 billion euros by end-2011.” S&P kept Dexia on watch for further ratings actions “once we have more information about what the restructuring means for Dexia’s operating banks and more details about accompanying support that the French and Belgian governments could provide.”

It said the A- rating reflected the high level of support Dexia was likely to receive from the French and Belgian governments, which own 52 percent of the bank through direct and indirect holdings. An extraordinary meeting of Dexia’s board, on

which the French and Belgian governments are represented, is set for Saturday to discuss further steps.

Trading in Dexia’s shares was suspended on Thursday until Monday at the request of the Belgian securities regulator due to their extreme volatility amid developments regarding the bank’s restructuring. Dexia’s shares plunged by 37 percent at one point on Tuesday before France and Belgium stepped in. Luxembourg officials confirmed on Thursday that talks were well advanced on selling Dexia’s local unit, Dexia BIL, to a foreign investor and should be wrapped up by the end of the month. Fitch ratings agency said yesterday it had put Dexia BIL on watch for a downgrade over the possible sale, noting that its current A+ rating is based heavily on the prospect of support from the governments of France, Belgium and Luxembourg.

Belgian finance minister Didier

Reynders indicated yesterday that his government is aiming to up Belgium’s stake in Dexia. “In the negotiations with our French partners, we are going to find ourselves putting up great guarantees, but also strengthening our position within Dexia bank in Belgium,” Reynders told reporters after a cabinet meeting. He did not spell out what exactly he meant by the government’s “position,” but said it would “take account of the state’s concerns as a shareholder, but also those of the regions and other Belgian shareholders.”

Reynders said it was too early to identify a preferred solution, after suggestions Belgium would look to nationalise the parts of the bank not broken off and sold. The French government is looking at having a French government fund and a staterun postal bank take over the outstanding loans to local government authorities in the country. — AFP

Germany, France split on bank aid before summit France wants to tap EFSF for its banks

GENEVA: In this March 5, 2002 file photo, Mazda Motor Corp. President Mark Fields poses next to the new flagship Mazda RX-8, Mazda will stop producing the vehicles with its signature rotary engines in June 2012 because of poor sales. — AP

Mazda to stop making rotary-engine vehicles TOKYO: Mazda will stop making cars with its signature rotary engines after a 45-year production run that included powering the first and only Japanese car to win the 24-hour Le Mans endurance race. Poor sales and the high costs of meeting modern emissions standards have made rotary engines uneconomical to produce.

Mazda Motor Corp. said yesterday that the latest edition of the Mazda RX-8 will go on sale Nov. 24, targeting sales of 1,000 vehicles, but will end production in June 2012. The Japanese automaker, based in Hiroshima, introduced its first rotary engine car in 1967 and is the only automaker in the world that makes rotary engine vehicles. Such engines have fewer moving parts and are quieter than comparable piston engines but are more expensive to manufacture and consume more fuel.

The RX-8 is the only model in Mazda’s lineup with the rotary engine. Mazda’s decision underlines how consumer tastes have changed to preferring green vehicles over sporty ones. Mazda spokeswoman Michiko Terashima said research and development on the rotary engine will continue, leaving open the possibility that it could make a comeback. But production is now not making sense when considering the costs of meeting safety and emissions standards for new vehicles, she said. Mazda sold only 2,896 RX-8 cars last year, with 1,245 of them in North America and 963 in Japan. Cumulative sales of Mazda vehicles with rotary engines total about 1.995 million as of the end of August, according to Mazda, which also makes the Miata sportscar.

Mazda Chief Executive and President Takashi Yamanouchi recalled the victory of Mazda’s rotary engine at Le Mans 20 years ago, and called the rotary engine “iconic.” — Reuters

BERLIN/PARIS: Germany and France are split ahead of crucial summit talks tomorrow over how to strengthen shaky European banks and fight financial market contagion to prepare for a possible Greek default.

Under strong US and market pressure, Chancellor Angela Merkel and President Nicolas Sarkozy will try to bridge sharp differences on how to use the euro zone’s financial firepower to counter a sovereign debt crisis that threatens the global economic recovery. A German source said Paris wanted to tap the euro zone’s 440 billion rescue fund to recapitalise its own banks, which have the largest exposure to peripheral euro zone debt, while Berlin insisted the fund should be used only as a last resort when no national funds are available. After meeting Dutch premier Mark Rutte, Merkel confirmed the German position was that the European Financial Stability Facility was a backstop to be used “only if that country is unable to cope on its own”.

Merkel said struggling banks should set look first to the markets, then their national government, and only in the last instance the EFSF, and with reforms as a strict condition.

“This will definitely be discussed at the next summit,” she said, referring to an EU leaders meeting on Oct. 17/18 for which she and Sarkozy will attempt to set the agenda. There was no immediate comment from Paris, where the government and the Bank of France, which regulates French lenders, had dismissed any need for recapitalisation until this week. A senior EU diplomat said the dispute surfaced in a tough discussion among euro zone officials this week over whether the

EFSF could be used for banks on a “precautionary” basis or only “ultima ratio” (as a last resort).

The Brussels diplomat said France’s approach was dictated by its determination to limit any risk to its AAA credit rating. France has the highest debtto-GDP ratio of any of the six triple-A countries in the euro zone at 86.2 percent. “The bottom line for France is the AAA, and that’s why the are pushing to do it (recapitalisation) through the EFSF,” he said. If France, the second largest guarantor of the rescue fund after Germany, were to lose its

be injected. The chief executive of Societe Generale told Reuters Insider TV the main problem for banks was not one of capital but liquidity as interbank lending dries up.

“The main issue is a crisis of confidence in the sovereign ... What is important is to deal with the Greek issue as quickly as possible and then rebuild confidence in the capacity of each bank in Europe to reduce its debt,” Frederic Oudea said at his offices at SocGen’s Paris headquarters. “My view is ... the potential recapitalisation will not sort out the issue of confidence

BERLIN: German Chancellor Angela Merkel (R) and Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte give a press conference yesterday at the Chancellery in Berlin, after their working lunch. Their talks focused on the eurozone crisis as Merkel said on the day before that European banks should be recapitalised as quickly as possible. —AFP top-notch rating, the whole edifice of financial support for Greece, Portugal and Ireland would crumble.

Many major European bank continue to insist they need no more capital although the International Monetary Fund says up to 200 billion euros must

in the sovereign debt.” Some banks are clearly in need, however. France and Belgian are arguing over whose taxpayers should pay to salvage crossborder municipal lender Dexia , which came close to collapse this week and is to be broken up. — Reuters

BUSINESS

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 8, 2011

US affluent classes dwarf China and India LONDON: The United States has 10 times more affluent households than China or India, research shows, undermining arguments the global economy can be sustained by consumption in emerging markets.

A survey of affluent households around the world-defined as having wealth of more than $100,000 — by research firm TNS found 80 percent of such people live in Western countries. While the number of

affluent households in China and India is 3 million each, the US has more than 31 million, the survey shows.

The results challenge hopes that the boom economies of Asia can supplant an ailing U.S. as the world’s consumer of last resort, and keep global growth ticking over.

Reg van Steen, a director of business and finance at TNS, said researchers had to drop the wealth threshold to $40,000 for Brazil to

make it possible to find a large-enough sample. “What really surprises is China has surpassed Germany, France and the UK when it comes to the number of affluent. (But) it will take some time before we really see a shift from West to East,” he said. The number of households with more than $100,000 in liquid assets stands at 2.9 million in the UK, 2.5 million in Germany and 2.7 million in France, the survey of 12,000 people in 24 countries

found. The study also highlights the tiny proportion of overall population taken up by the affluent middle classes in China and India compared with developed countries.

The incidence of affluence in the U.S. is 27 percent, the study shows, 20 percent in Canada and 11 percent in the UK, while the proportion in China is 0.75 percent. India’s affluent make up 1.25 percent of the country’s population.—Reuters

Euro chiefs race to prop up banks EC calls for ‘coordinated action’ by 27 EU nations

WASHINGTON: An anti-corporate protester holds up candles during a vigil as a part of the “Occupy DC” protest against corporations at Freedom Plaza in Washington, DC, Thursday. — AFP

Stocks turn lower as US jobs data loom LONDON: Investors were cautious yesterday ahead of US jobs figures, with stocks down slightly after enjoying a couple of bumper days on hopes of a Europe-wide plan to fix the banking sector. After a week of wild gyrations stemming from Europe’s debt crisis, investors are turning their attention to the US government’s jobs report for September - the payrolls data often set the market tone for a week or two after their release. Following last month’s unexpectedly flat outcome and a raft of better than anticipated economic data, hopes are that the US economy generated around 60,000 jobs during September, though some in the markets think it could be double that. That’s still low and not enough to get the unemployment rate down from the 9.1 percent level.

“Modest job gains will do little to alleviate concerns about the pace of recovery, however, with the risk of recession remaining all too real,” said Mitul Kotecha, an analyst at Credit Agricole. Those concerns have dominated European trading following two big days of gains. Earlier, Asian shares advanced following the previous day’s continuing advance.

Germany’s DAX was down 0.2 percent at 5,631 while the CAC-40 in France fell 0.5 percent to 3,062. The FTSE 100 index of leading British shares was 0.4 percent lower at 5,272, with Lloyds Banking Group PLC and Royal Bank of Scotland PLC underperforming in the wake of a downgrade of their credit ratings from Moody’s.

Wall Street was poised for a modestly lower opening, too Dow futures fell 0.3 percent to 11,015 while the broader Standard & Poor’s 500 futures fell the same rate to 1,154.

Trading in currency markets was also subdued ahead of the figures, with the euro unchanged at $1.3426 and the dollar flat at 76.77 yen. Beyond the US figures, investors will continue to digest developments in Europe’s debt crisis. Over the past couple of days, there have been mounting hopes that European policymakers are preparing a plan to shore up the banking sector in the event of a Greek debt default.

Thursday’s decisions by the Bank of England to launch new monetary stimulus and a big liquidity operation from the European Central Bank have also helped support investor sentiment. “Hopes that European politicians have a good understanding on the potential need to recapitalise the banking system has been key support to risk appetite in recent sessions,” said Jane Foley, an analyst at Rabobank International.

“The very nature of the political process is slow, however, suggesting that once again there is room for disappointment and volatility in the markets.” — Reuters

BERLIN: Facing renewed calls by US President Barack Obama for swift action to tackle its debt crisis, eurozone leaders raced yesterday to stave off a credit crunch with talks in Berlin and Athens.

Efforts now seem focused on reassuring investors that Europe’s banks are safe, to dispel fears of a possible replay of the 2008 collapse of US investment bank Lehman Brothers which almost took the global financial system down with it.

However, a split has reportedly emerged between the eurozone’s two top economies over how best to use a beefed up rescue fund, just days before the French and German leaders again huddle in Berlin. Stopping short of an interest rate cut, the European Central Bank announced new measures Thursday to provide cash-strapped banks with liquidity, cheering markets with news it would beef up “non-standard” action to help out lenders.

For its part, the European Commission called for “coordinated action” by the 27 European Union nations to recapitalise banks, but German Chancellor Angela Merkel said “...the first step is for banks to recapitalise themselves.” She said there would be “far greater damage” if banks needed to be rescued by governments, after talks in Berlin late Thursday with the heads of the International Monetary Fund, the World Bank and the OECD. Pressure nevertheless increased further when Obama, mired by a stagnant US recovery and high unemployment, issued a stark warning, saying Europe must “act fast” to avoid global debt contagion. Merkel, whose country is Europe’s paymaster and biggest economy, was set to continue a flurry of international meetings, holding a working lunch Friday with Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte.

Asian markets extended the previous day’s gains yesterday as dealers were cheered by the ECB’s plans to protect the region’s lenders from the sovereign debt crisis. France’s Jean-Claude Trichet, bowing out as president of the Frankfurt-based ECB after eight years, said the bank would continue to assist lenders although he also urged them to bolster their balance sheets.

The debt crisis that began in Greece,

ATHENS: Greek Prime Minister George Papandreou (L) speaks with German Minister of Economics and Technology and Vice Chancellor Philipp Rosler before their meeting at the premier’s office in Athens, yesterday. — AFP snaring Ireland and Portugal on the way and now threatening Italy and Spain, is putting at risk the whole euro project as banks exposed to sovereign debt find it impossible to raise funding. Moody’s downgraded its ratings for a dozen British banks, including state-owned Royal Bank of Scotland and Lloyds TSB, due to the removal of government financial support. On Thursday, shares in Franco-Belgian lender Dexia were suspended as the two countries scrambled to put together a rescue package for the bank, the first European bank to be dragged down by the eurozone debt crisis and which also had to be bailed out in 2008.

Official data in Frankfurt showed overnight deposits at the ECB by eurozone banks hit a fresh 2011 peak Thursday for the fifth day running, a signal banks are reluctant to lend to one another. Splits have emerged between France and Germany over how best to use a eurozone beefed-up bailout fund to tackle the debt crisis, a German newspaper reported yesterday. Two days before Merkel meets French President Nicolas Sarkozy here, the eurozone’s top two economies are divided on how the 440-billion-euro ($592 billion) war chest should be deployed, the business daily Handelsblatt said.

Paris wants the fund to have unlimited power to buy up the bonds of struggling countries, such as Greece, whereas Germany wants to impose restrictions, said Handelsblatt, citing unnamed EU diplomats in Brussels.

There are also divisions over using the fund to bail out distressed banks.

France wants to use the fund to recapitalise lenders exposed to shaky bonds, whereas Germany believes the banks must dig into their own pockets first.

EU leaders decided in July to boost the effective lending capacity and the scope of the bailout fund, known as the European Financial Stability Facility (EFSF) but are still grappling over how exactly it will function.

The Netherlands became the 15th eurozone country to ratify new powers for the rescue fund-approval by all 17 eurozone nations is needed-leaving Malta and Slovakia, where a junior coalition partner has vowed to block it. On a 24-hour visit to Athens heading up a 70strong delegation of business leaders, German Economy Minister and Vice Chancellor Philipp Roesler called on corporate Germany to invest in Greece, while also urging the Greeks to continue with reforms. Talk by Roesler last month of an “orderly default” for Greece provoked a frenzy on the markets. — AFP

A

y

e niv rsar n

Years

BUSINESS SATURDAY, OCTOBER 8, 2011

Malaysia PM offers handouts in pre-election budget KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysian premier Najib Razak offered cash handouts to the poor and civil servants as he unveiled a budget designed to appeal to an electorate increasingly worried about making ends meet. Najib, who is widely expected to call snap polls within months, also outlined a range of tax incentives in finance, tourism and other areas aimed at spurring domestic demand to ward off a feared export slowdown.

The prime minister told parliament the cash handouts would include a one-off payment of 500 ringgit ($158) to lower-income families and bonuses for the country’s 1.3 million civil servants equal to half their monthly salaries. He called the 1.8 billion ringgit in payments to the poor “an unprecedented measure” to help lower-income segments of society cope with rising world prices of food, fuels and other essentials.

The budget is likely the last before Najib calls pivotal parliamentary elections. A once-insignificant opposition scored unprecedented gains in 2008 polls that saw the long-ruling Barisan Nasional coalition lose its two-thirds parliamentary majority for the first time, and Najib has battled lately to win back voters.

“In an environment of global uncertainties, the strong support of the people is mandatory for us to become developed and prosper as a nation,” he told

parliament. With inflation around two-year highs of 3.3 percent in August cost-of-living concerns loom large with voters and Najib zeroed in on those fears.

KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia Prime Minister Najib Razak speaks as he presides over the 2012 national budget unveiling at parliament in Kuala Lumpur yesterday. — AFP His budget said the government would “maintain” a subsidies programme on key commodities that it had previously moved to scale back in a deficit-reduction drive. The cuts in subsidies on fuel and sugar caused prices of those items to spike and had a

Asian shares surge on ECB bank plans Investors regain some confidence HONG KONG: Asian markets extended the previous day’s gains yesterday as dealers were cheered

by European Central Bank plans to protect the region’s lenders from the sovereign debt crisis.

Tokyo closed 0.98 percent higher, adding 83.60 points, to 8,605.62, Sydney ended 2.29 percent, or 93 points, to 4,162.9 and Seoul surged 2.89 percent, or 49.45 points, to 4,009.26. Hong Kong ended 3.11 percent, or 534.73 points, higher at 17,707.01, while Indian shares gained 2.79 percent, or 440.13 points, to 16,232.54, snapping four days of losses.

Shanghai was closed for a public holiday. Wall Street provided a good lead, the Dow closing 1.68 percent up, the S&P 500 1.83 percent higher and the tech-heavy Nasdaq growing 1.88 percent.

Investors regained some of their confidence after the ECB held interest rates and announced measures to bolster under-pressure eurozone banks.

The ECB opened two longerterm new lines of credit for banks and pledged to buy up to 40 billion euros of bank bonds as it looked to soothe jittery financial markets.

The move took the edge off recent concerns that the crisis in Greece could spread to other economies and lead to another global downturn. European Commission head Jose Manuel Barroso also gave markets a lift when he said efforts were under way for coordinated action by the 27 European Union states to recapitalise banks. Also Thursday, Britain’s central bank, the Bank of England, said it would inject 75 billion pounds into the stalled economy to stimulate

growth. However, observers remained wary. “With moves to inject capital into European banks, there are signs of a brighter outlook for progress, although a full resolution is still far off,” said Hiroichi Nishi, general manager at SMBC Nikko Securities in Tokyo.

Alvin Cheung, associate director of Prudential Brokerage, said: “I don’t think the rebound will last long. All the fundamentals haven’t changed. The euro debt crisis remains unresolved and the US economy hasn’t got any better.”

Global markets have been sent spinning in recent weeks as European leaders seem unable to agree how to help Greece avoid a default or how to protect lenders with exposure to Athens. The announcements boosted the euro in New York, jumping about one cent against the dollar.

The unit edged slightly higher in early European trade. It bought $1.3438, against $1.3433 in New York late Thursday. The European common currency was at 103.04 yen compared with 103.03 yen.

The dollar was at 76.65 yen, from 76.69 yen. With the ECB’s bank plan easing eurozone tension, dealers turned to the United States, where the government is due later Friday to release key jobs data that will give an indication to the health of the economy there.

BNZ FX Strategist Mike Burrowes told Dow Jones Newswires: “We are now shifting our attention to the US economy, which we have kind of forgotten about.” In Seoul, shares in Samsung Electronics jumped after it tipped a 13.6 percent year-onyear fall in operating profit, which

was better than the 31 percent decline many had expected. The South Korean giant’s shares ended 0.6 percent higher.

European stock markets opened mainly flat yesterday, with London’s benchmark FTSE 100 index edging up 0.02 percent to 5,293.56 points. Frankfurt’s DAX 30 dipped 0.04 percent to 5,647.66 points and in Paris the CAC 40 slid 0.10 percent to 3,072.39 points.

Oil slipped in Asia, with New York’s main contract, light sweet crude for November delivery, down 16 cents to $82.04 a barrel. Brent North Sea crude for November was down 10 cents to $104.85. By 1045 GMT gold was at $1,653.97 an ounce, up from $1,652.00 at 1000 GMT on Thursday.

In other markets: Taiwan’s weighted index rose 79.96 points, or 1.12 percent, to 7,211.96. Hon Hai Precision, parent company of Foxconn, gained 1.43 percent to end at Tw$71.0 while Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co edged up 0.14 percent to Tw$69.1.

Singapore’s Straits Times Index closed up 37.18 points, or 1.43 percent, to 2,640.30. Auto distributor Jardine Cycle and Carriage gained 4.35 percent to Sg$41.72 and SingTel lost 1.57 percent to Sg$3.14.Kuala Lumpur shares gained 0.46 percent, rising 6.36 points to end at 1400.05. Budget carrier AirAsia inched up 0.33 percent to 3.06 ringgit, while utility Tenaga Nasional added 3.07 percent to 5.38. UEM Land Holdings fell 1.13 percent to 1.75 ringgit.

Manila jumped 3.05 percent, or 118.26 points, to 4,009.26. — AFP

knock-on effect on costs of transport and other essential commodities that had already risen along with surging world prices. The inflation fears have been compounded by concern that the export sector the economy’s driving force-could be hit by the credit crisis in Europe and lingering US economic problems.

Economic growth has slowed from 7.2 percent in 2010 to 4.0 percent in the second quarter of this year.

Najib’s budget maintains its earlier rough estimates of 5.0-5.5 percent growth for full-year 2011 and 5.0-6.0 percent in 2012. Independent analysts have previously said both forecasts were optimistic.

The budget acknowledged Southeast Asia’s thirdlargest economy faces increased challenges due to the external environment, and forecast export growth of 6.8 percent in 2011 and 6.0 percent next year. Growth had surged by 15.6 percent in 2010. Despite the government handouts and tax breaks, the budget forecasts a 4.7 percent budget deficit in 2012, down from the 5.4 percent target for 2011. The ruling coalition has governed Muslim-majority Malaysia since independence in 1957, but an opposition alliance has capitalised on concerns over corruption, economic worries, and authoritarian rule. Last month, Najib promised to scrap draconian laws often criticised as tools of repression in a gesture widely seen as aimed at voters. — AFP

Samsung expects Q3 profit of $3.52bn SEOUL: Samsung Electronics said yesterday it expects third-quarter operating profit of about 4.2 trillion won ($3.52 billion), a 13.6 percent fall year-on-year amid weak demand for flat panels and computer chips.

But the South Korean firm’s forecast exceeded market expectations. Brisk sales of its flagship smartphones were thought to have supported the bottom line.

Samsung Electronics was publishing its earnings estimates before official results later this month. It tipped revenue of about 41 trillion won in July-September, a 1.9 percent rise from the third quarter of 2010.

For the second quarter of this year, the company reported an operating profit of 3.75 trillion won

SEOUL: A South Korean man walks past advertising for the Samsung Electronics mobile phone Galaxy S II LTE in Seoul yesterday. — AFP

on sales of 39.44 trillion. Samsung Electronics is the world’s largest maker of flat panels, memory chips and flat-screen televisions and the second-largest mobile phone maker.

It did not give an explanation for yesterday’s estimates or a net profit forecast. Analysts said falling global demand for personal computers and televisions hit Samsung’s chip and liquid crystal display business. But they said the company would benefit from strong demand for non-memory chips and advanced flat displays, mainly driven by brisk sales of mobile devices, as well as the won’s recent fall against the dollar.

The core memory chip business is under pressure because of a global oversupply that has pulled down prices. Kwon Oh-Hyun, head of the company’s components division, said last month the chip industry was unlikely to recover this year given global economic uncertainties.

But the Korean firm is pressing US technology giant Apple hard in the lucrative smartphone business.

Apple shipped 20.3 million smartphones worldwide in the second quarter compared to Samsung’s 19.6 million. Samsung is expected to have passed Apple in the third quarter after pushing sales of its flagship Galaxy S II model unveiled in April.

The iPhone’s growth may have levelled off as consumers awaited the new model announced this week. Samsung probably shipped 28.5 million smartphones in the third quarter, Daewoo Securities analyst James Song told Yonhap news agency. Song estimated that the firm’s mobile communications division posted a record-high operating profit of at least 2 trillion won during the quarter. — AFP

A

y

e niv rsar n

Years

business SATURDAY, OCTOBER 8, 2011

Sony to buy Ericsson out of phone venture TOKYO: In a push to enhance its smartphone business, Japan’s Sony is nearing a deal to buy out Swedish telecom firm Ericsson’s stake in their mobile phone joint venture, according to the Wall Street Journal.

By wresting full control of the 50-50 partnership, Sony aims to integrate its smartphone operation with its tablet, hand-held game console and personal computer businesses to save on costs and better synchronise development of mobile devices, the paper quoted people familiar with the matter as saying.

Sony shares tumbled 3.12 percent to

1,424 yen Friday morning, despite the benchmark index rising one percent in morning trade. “Sony had not been able to carve out its presence globally (in smartphones) with Ericsson,” said Okasan Securities strategist Hideyuki Ishiguro.

“Even if it gets full control of the venture, the competitive landscape of the smartphone industry already seems mapped out,” he told Dow Jones Newswires. Sony is pushing for a deal as competitors such as Apple of the United States and Samsung Electronics of South Korea forge ahead with closely

Deflating China’s housing bubble BEIJING: As housing bubbles go, China’s looks relatively benign. Unlike in the United States, Chinese home buyers typically put down at least 40 percent of the purchase price.

That means they don’t have to worry about a modest decline wiping out all their equity, and banks have little reason to fear an influx of “jingle mail” from defaulting homeowners returning the keys.Household debt amounts to less than 20 percent of China’s gross domestic product, according to the International Monetary Fund, one fifth of the US ratio. “In the United States, housing was a borrowing vehicle for households. In China, it’s a savings vehicle,” said Stephen Green, an economist with Standard Chartered in Hong Kong.

This is a vital distinction. It was leverage that turned the U.S. housing slump into a global financial crisis. That suggests even if China’s housing market suffers a similar slide, the economic consequences would be far less severe. That doesn’t mean it would be painless.

There are a couple of trouble spots. China’s new home sales have fallen sharply in some cities, putting property developers in greater danger of default. Local governments counting on land sales to help repay $1.5 trillion in loans may find the money flow slows, saddling banks with bad debts.

But Beijing appears to be ready, willing and able to limit the economic fallout. Over the past 18 months, China has clamped down on property speculators to try to cool prices.

If it stays on that course, China could become one of the few countries to successfully deflate a property bubble before it bursts. If there is a global recession, all bets are off.

Nationwide data suggests China’s housing affordability is not that much different from Britain’s and only marginally worse than that of the United States, where house prices have fallen precipitously over the past five years.

But in major cities such as Beijing and Shanghai, it is off the charts. IMF figures show that a 70 square meter home in Beijing costs about 20 times the average annual household disposable income, quadruple the national ratio and almost seven times higher than in the United States.

Beijing, Shanghai and Hangzhou look worse than even notoriously pricey Tokyo on the affordability scale. A People’s Bank of China survey in mid-September showed 76 percent of urban residents saw property prices as too high, and 38 percent expected them to keep rising this year. Both readings were higher than in the PBOC’s mid-June poll.

For China, expensive housing may pose a bigger threat to social stability than financial. When the average city resident is priced out of the property market, the risk of unrest rises, and that sounds alarms in the ruling Communist Party. That helps explain why Beijing was quick to try to stamp out speculation while other countries have left it up to market forces to squeeze out the excess-sometimes with catastrophic economic consequences, as the United States can attest.

In July, China extended the list of cities where it limits the number of homes a family can buy. There are now 40 cities with such restrictions in place, including Beijing and Shanghai. In January, it raised the minimum down-payment for second homes to 60 percent from 50 percent.

Compare that with the United States, where at the height of the housing boom speculators could buy with no money down. Some even obtained mortgages for more than the purchase price. — Reuters

coupled strategies for smartphones and tablet computers, the journal said.

Analysts say the move would help accelerate Sony’s efforts to push its vast library of content through its game consoles, smartphones and tablet computers amid competition from Apple’s iTunes and App store. Sony Ericsson was created in 2001 and is now the world’s sixth-largest cellphone manufacturer with a global workforce of 7,600.

Sony in Tokyo declined to comment on the report. The joint venture’s two parent companies have held regular

discussions over the years about Sony Ericsson’s ownership structure, the journal quoted its sources as saying.

One of them said the talks were ongoing and could break apart at any time, it said. The amount Sony would pay Ericsson remained unclear because of the complexity of a possible transaction that could involve Ericsson’s mobile-technology patent portfolio, it said. But analysts estimated that Ericsson’s stake in the venture could be valued at between 1.0-1.25 billion euros or roughly $1.3-1.7 billion, it said. — AFP

BoJ holds steady but warns of eurozone risks ‘Japan’s economic activity picking up’ TOKYO: The Bank of Japan yesterday left monetary policy unchanged but warned against the risks posed to the nation’s fragile recovery by an uncertain global economy and the impact of the eurozone debt crisis.

The central bank said its board voted unanimously to keep its key rate unchanged between zero and 0.1 percent as it continued with earlier measures to help Japan recover from the March disasters and three quarters of contraction.

It also maintained its 50 trillion yen ($650 billion) scheme to buy securities and boost liquidity to help shore up confidence amid worries over the strong yen and a deteriorating global economy. The BoJ also extended by six months a 1.0 trillion yen loan programme for financial institutions in areas affected by the March 11 earthquake, up to the end of April 2012, in a bid to support rebuilding efforts.

“Japan’s economic activity has continued picking up,” the BoJ said in a statement, a more optimistic view of a recession-hit economy that saw output tumble in the aftermath of the March disasters. Japan’s manufacturers have staged a rebound since the March earthquake and tsunami that left around 20,000 dead or missing, sparked the worst nuclear crisis since Chernobyl 25 years ago and heavily disrupted Japanese industry.

But concerns have grown that those efforts could be undermined by a strong yen, which erodes exporters’ profits, makes Japanese goods more costly to sell overseas and has prompted fears more firms will shift production abroad. “Production and exports have continued to increase, although their paces have moderated,” the BoJ said.

Output rose by less than forecast in August. The BoJ warned the pace of overseas growth “is expected to slow for the time being” and the consequences of sovereign debt problems in Europe and economic weakness in the United States “continue to warrant attention.” At a press conference after the decision, BoJ governor Masaaki Shirakawa said: “Given uncertainties surrounding overseas economies and

ensuing instability in foreign exchange and financial markets, it is necessary to pay particular attention to downside risks on the Japanese economy.”

He added that risk aversion among jittery investors has seen the yen

this week struck a fresh 10-year high against the beleaguered euro.

Japan has unveiled a plan to make $100 billion available to help companies make the most of the unit’s strength and acquire assets overseas,

TOKYO: Bank of Japan Governor Masaaki Shirakawa speaks to the press at the bank headquarters in Tokyo yesterday. — AFP bought as “a safe-haven currency”.

Many economists expect the BoJ to mull further easing steps by expanding its asset-buying programme in coming months if the yen surges to a fresh record high against the dollar and Europe’s debt crisis deepens.

In August the BoJ expanded its scheme to buy securities and boost liquidity to 50 trillion yen amid worries over the strong yen, in tandem with a government market intervention in a bid to weaken the unit. But the yen nevertheless hit a post-war high of 75.95 against the dollar that month, and

while boosting its oversight of foreign exchange markets against speculative moves. The Bank of Japan’s closely watched Tankan survey showed that sentiment among the country’s major manufacturers turned positive in September as firms continued their recovery from the impact of the country’s March disasters.

But while the reading returned to positive levels for the first time since the earthquake, tsunami and the beginning of the subsequent nuclear crisis, it remained cautiously below pre-disaster figures.— AFP

A

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 8, 2011

y

e niv rsar n

Years

Marilyn Monroe costumes up for auction www.kuwaittimes.net

Rosie returns to TV talk on Oprah’s network PAGE 27

Page 25

This file picture shows a seven-yearold Philippine Eagle (Pithecopaga jefferyi) named Binay displaying its feathers at the Philippine Eagle Center (PEC) on the outskirts of Davao City, in the southern island of Mindanao. — AFP

A

y

e niv rsar n

Years

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 8, 2011

T

he stunning 53-year-old actress admits she would consider having a little nip-and-tuck if she felt she needed it but has blasted people who go too far claiming they make her “uncomfortable”. She told America’s Elle magazine: “I’m all for a little something here and there - fine. It doesn’t matter to me if people have plastic surgery or they don’t, or if they do Botox. But when people don’t look like themselves anymore, that’s when you kind of go, ‘Oooh,’ and it’s kind of sad. It’s uncomfortable for us, but if they’re happy with what they see in the mirror, does it matter?” However, Michelle’s opinion is in direct contrast to a number of Hollywood stars who have recently blasted the entertainment industry’s obsession with youth.

Emma Watson said: “I do worry about the expectation to look a certain way. I find LA quite scary because of that - all those young people having plastic surgery. But the thing is, I don’t want to look like everyone else. “I don’t have perfect teeth, I’m not stick thin. I want to be the person who feels great in her body and can say that she loves it and doesn’t want to change anything.” While Dame Helen Mirren has said: “The only thing I don’t like on young people is plastic surgery. “The purity of youthful beauty is so fantastic to me that it’s horrific when young girls get fake things.”

DiCaprio

in love with Australian model

T

T

he 36-year-old actor - who announced his split from Blake Lively this week after five months of dating - has been cozying up to Alyce, 21, for the past few weeks while shooting ‘The Great Gatsby’ in Sydney. A source told Australia’s Daily Telegraph newspaper: “It’s been going on about two weeks. He texts her when he wants to see her and they hang out a few times a week. They’ve mostly been meeting up during the week. He does other things on weekends. “She’s been going to his hotel to visit but he is too smart to be seen with her in public.” Although former ‘Australia’s Next Top Model’ contestant Alyce denied romancing the actor, she did describe him as a “lovely, lovely guy” and confirmed the pair have been hanging out together. She said: “We have a lot of mutual friends and he seems really nice.

We’re just friends.’ “ Leonardo and Blake’s split came as a surprise after friends of the actor revealed he was smitten with the actress saying they had “never seen him like this with a girl”. Another friend added: “‘I bet they get engaged in six months.”

he band’s frontman wants his kids - daughter Apple, seven, and son Moses, five, with wife Gwyneth Paltrow - to be “proud” of his musical achievements, but he doesn’t force his family to listen to his songs. He told the USA Today newspaper: “My children made me focused on not wasting time on anything I don’t think is worth wasting time on. “So that’s affected my editing process. You don’t want to spend months and months doing something and have it turn out terrible.

You want your kids to be proud, basically. So it gives you extra drive.”

Meanwhile, Coldplay have announced they will be streaming a live show - directed by award-winning filmmaker Anton Corbijn - from the Plaza de Toros de Las Ventas arena in Madrid, Spain, as part of the ‘American Express Unstaged’ livestream music series. Chris said: “Anton Corbijn has been a big hero to us for a long, long time so we’re thrilled to be beaming this concert out to the world through his cinematic lens. “We can’t wait to share this experience with him and with all of our fans watching ‘American Express Unstaged’ around the world. It’s going to be special.”

A

y

e niv rsar n

Years

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 8, 2011

Anna Faris

gets a gun for her birthday

T

he actress loves that her spouse Chris Pratt is a real man’s man who likes hunting and he surprised her when she turned 34 with her own firearm. She revealed: “When we started dating he was really charming and he took care of me. We both grew up in the same area there’s something really wonderful about that.

And he’s a dude. He likes to hunt and fish, and wear camouflage. He got me a gun for birthday. I like that he’s a man. It’s hard to find in Hollywood!” Anna and Chris - who married in July 2009 - first met on the set of ‘Take Me Home

Tonight’ and the blonde beauty admits she wasn’t the only girl vying for his attention before she eventually made a move on him. The Hollywood star - who appears in her new movie ‘What’s Your Number?’ with her 32-year-old husband - said: “We met doing a movie called ‘Take Me Home Tonight’. He was sleeping with a bunch of other girls on set, and we were friends, but I liked him. After a while it was like, ‘You know I’d like to date you.’ And so we’ve been together ever since then - we just don’t talk about the other girls!”

T

he Oscar-winning actor - who graduated from the college in 1997 gave the huge sum and a further $225,000 to the establishment to help form a theatre professorship and undergraduate scholarship scheme for theatre majors. In a statement, he said: “I wanted to create the Denzel Washington Endowed Scholarship and Chair in Theatre at Fordham in order to offer the next generation of students positive influences ... Show me a successful individual, and I’ll show you someone who has had positive influences in his or her life.” Actress Phylicia Rashad - who is best known for playing Clair Huxtable on sitcom ‘The Cosby Show’ - has joined the college faculty as the first Denzel Washington Chair in Theatre. The school - which is ranked among the top 60 universities in the US - will subsequently bring in new guest lecturers from the theatre discipline each autumn.

University executive Roger Milici Jr. has praised Denzel for his generous contribution to the school, saying: “His international reputation and star power will certainly bring greater interest to Fordham programs and greater support for our mission.” Since graduating the 56-yearold actor has gone on to have an incredible career in Hollywood. He is a two-time Academy Award winner, scooping the Best Supporting Actor prize for ‘Glory’ in 1989, and the highly coveted Best Actor Oscar in 2001 for his role in ‘Training Day’, and has starred in several acclaimed movies including ‘Philadelphia’, ‘American Gangster’ and ‘Man on Fire’.

T

he 36-year-old soccer star earned a £4.5 million salary from his club Los Angeles Galaxy and another £12 million from his worldwide sponsorship deals, which include partnerships with Sharpie marker pens, clothing brand Armani and sportswear brand Adidas. Accounts from his Footwork Productions company disclosed the earnings, although in total he is expected to have made even more from his other firm Brand Beckham, with deals with endorsements with his wife Victoria.

David - who has four children with Victoria, sons Brooklyn, 12, Romeo, nine, Cruz, six and two month old daughter Harper - is coming to the end of his contract with Los Angeles Galaxy next month, and has said his family will help him decide whether to move to

Kelly Rowland

‘embarrassed’ to call off wedding

T

he former Destiny’s Child singer broke off her engagement to NFL footballer Roy Williams in 2005 when she was 24, and while she knows it was the right thing to do at the time it was a very hard decision to make. She told Britain’s Cosmopolitan magazine: “I was too young for marriage. I remember my sister B [Beyonce Knowles] asked me one question, she said, ‘Well, you know what you want now, don’t you?’ and I was like, ‘Yes.’ “It was so hard and embarrassing because everyone knew. I’d posed for the front cover of a magazine in my wedding dress and it was on sale! But sometimes you fall down and you learn from it.”

— Bangshowbiz

another club. London club Tottenham Hotspur want to sign the former England captain but Victoria is reportedly keen for the family to stay in California, where they moved in 2007, rather than return to their native England A source previously said: “Victoria has told David she has never felt happier and that they now have the perfect family. “She wants Harper to grow up in a place where she can have the amazing childhood the boys have had. “Where they live now, they can play on the beach at the weekend, swim outdoors every day and have a great lifestyle growing up in the sunshine.” However, David - who has played for English team Manchester United, Real Madrid in Spain and AC Milan in Italy - is said to not want to rule out offers from European clubs, which also includes interest from French side Paris Saint-Germain.

A

y

e niv rsar n

Years

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 8, 2011

A

n exhibition at a new London gallery examines what its owner believes is a long overlooked subject — 20th century painter Francis Bacon’s debt to 17th century Dutch artist Rembrandt. It was Rembrandt’s Spanish contemporary Diego Velazquez who is most closely associated with Bacon in the minds of most art lovers, due to the Irish-born painter’s famous series of interpretations of the 1650 portrait of Pope Innocent X. While the relationship between Bacon and Rembrandt is less obvious, gallery owner Pilar Ordovas believes it was nonetheless crucial to the way the modern artist worked.

“There have not been any exhibitions, any publications, nothing dedicated to the importance of Rembrandt in Bacon’s work,” she told Reuters at her new Ordovas gallery in central London. “I really felt that it had been overlooked,” added the former Christie’s executive who helped negotiate some of the biggest art sales in recent years before leaving for a twoyear stint at the Gagosian gallery in London.

“He (Bacon) really looked at Rembrandt, and what he loved about late Rembrandt was the use and the application of paint, how incredibly loose it is and how almost abstracted, but at the same time full of meaning.” The exhibition, “Irrational Marks: Bacon, Rembrandt” opened yesterday at the new space in an exclusive area of the city.

It takes up two of the gallery’s white-walled rooms and features several Bacon self-portraits, photographs, a video of Bacon in which he discusses Rembrandt, and, perhaps most impressively, the Dutch master’s “Self-Portrait with Beret” from 1659. The painting, on loan from the Musee Granet in Aix-en-Provence, France, was the same work Bacon returned to several times to admire, and also appears in the background of a photograph of Bacon taken by Irving Penn.

That photograph, given by the artist to his influential friend, manager and confidante Valerie Beston, was what gave Ordovas the idea for the exhibition in the first place. “If you wanted to do anything Bacon-related-write a book, do an exhibition or buy a painting-you needed to speak to Ms Beston,” Ordovas explained.

“She was a really, really crucial part of his life and he left her one of perhaps his most important self-portraits.” Ordovas handled Beston’s estate in 2006, and at the subsequent auction at Christie’s a Bacon self-portrait went for 5.2 million pounds. “Bacon ... made several trips to go and see this (Rembrandt) painting.

He never admitted to having seen the Velazquez portrait ... he always said that he didn’t want to be disappointed by it.”

Although Bacon often worked from photographs, Ordovas added that she, like others, suspected he may have seen the original Pope Innocent work despite denying it. “The influence of Rembrandt on Bacon’s painting is not a literal reference,” she explained.

“It’s not like with Velazquez ... to which he dedicates the series. The main influence from Rembrandt’s work is the way that he uses the paint, the looseness of the paint.” — Reuters

Visitors are reflected on Brancusi’s sculpture “La Negresse Blonde” during the presentation of the Guggenheim Bilbao Museum’s latest exhibition “Brancusi-Serra” yesterday in the northern Spanish Basque city of Bilbao. — AFP

C

hristie’s will display some of the prize lots coming up for sale in New York at an exhibition in London including a Degas sculpture valued at up to $35 million and a Lichtenstein picture worth as much as $45 million. The prices underline the belief among auction houses and some sellers that high-quality works which rarely come to market will continue to fetch top prices despite broader concerns over the global economy. Edgar Degas’ “Petite danseuse de quatorze ans” is one of the world’s most recognizable sculptures, and the version to be offered by Christie’s in New York on Nov 1 is one of only 10 still in private hands.

It is expected to fetch $25-35 million, within striking distance of the Degas auction record

which stands at $37 million, set at Sotheby’s in 2008, for a pastel dancer picture. Roy Lichtenstein’s 1961 “I Can See the Whole Room! ... and There’s Nobody in It!” has been valued at $35-45 million, and Christie’s said it was regarded as “an essential cornerstone in the history of Pop Art.” It too could set a new artist record when it goes under the hammer in New York on Nov 8, potentially topping the $42.6 million bid for Lichtenstein’s “Ohhh ... Alright ...” (1964) at Christie’s in 2010.

According to the auction house, “I Can See the Whole Room!...” fetched $2.1 million when it was last sold in 1988 and it was last seen in public in 1985. The two works, plus others by Andy Warhol and Gerhard Richter which will all be

I

A shopper attempts to photograph a 3D animation projected onto a screen below the dome of the historic Queen Victoria Building (QVB) in Sydney on October 6, 2011. The show entitled ‘Here Comes The Sun’ depicts the beauty of nature using 3D projection mapping technology. — AFP

offered by Christie’s in New York next month, go on show at the auctioneer’s newly renovated show rooms in central London.

Running from Oct 9-14, the exhibition is partly designed to catch the eye of collectors in London for the Frieze Art Fair which opens on Oct 13. The annual event held in a giant marquee in Regent’s Park has become a magnet for the contemporary art world, and Christie’s, rival Sotheby’s and other auction houses hold a series of sales in London to coincide. Galleries also put on shows, including a major retrospective of Richter’s works at Tate Modern which opened earlier this week. — Reuters

taly’s Arte Povera modern art movement is the subject of a new retrospective at the MAXXI museum in Rome that opened yesterday, featuring works by Jannis Kounellis, Giuseppe Penone and Gilberto Zorio. “These three artists’ research stems from the same reflections on materials and natural elements,” MAXXI director Anna Mattirolo said at a presentation of the show. “The movement remains a key point of reference for young generations of Italian artists,” she said. Arte Povera-a radical movement that challenged the status quo-was started in the 1960s during a period of social upheaval in Italy.

A large installation from 1988 by Kounellis entitled “Nameless” greets visitors to the museum-a metal structure against a wall decorated with empty coffee sacks and a burning kerosene lamp that fills the space with a pungent odor.

Giuseppe Penone’s “Sap Sculptures”, which combine leather, wood, resin and Carrara marble in a blend of natural elements, can be found on the first floor. The walls are covered in leather patches reminiscent of tree bark and the veined marble floor wraps around a wooden totem covered in resin representing sap.—AFP

A

y

e niv rsar n

Years

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 8, 2011

Beatlemania revived ahead of auction A

n original drawing by John Lennon is part of the more than 120 lots of Beatles memorabilia that will be auctioned in Argentina by South America’s largest collector of the Fab Four. Lennon’s sketch starts at a bidding price of 100,000 pesos ($22,535) and features stick figures of Lennon and his wife, Yoko Ono. In a corner of the picture, an inscription reads:”1+1=John+Yoko. ‘Tis simple math guys.”

The trove that will be auctioned on Oct 13 by Banco Ciudad is owned by Argentine Raul Blisniuk, who entered the Guinness Book of Records in 1998 as South America’s greatest collector of Beatles mementos.

It also features pristine black-and-white photographs, a bass autographed by Paul McCartney, signed checks, LP’s and even real dollar bills with pictures of the world’s most influential rock group placed over George Washington’s face. “My passion for The Beatles comes from childhood ... I grew up with Beatlemania and I’m a Beatles fanatic,” said Blisniuk, who began collecting photos of the group’s records at age 13.

“I came from a poor family so my dad couldn’t afford the records, but over time, I started saving newspaper clippings,

magazines, and my collection grew,” he said. At an event to present the items in Buenos Aires Tuesday, members of a Beatles tribute band called Danger Four arrived in a London black cab wearing dark suits and sporting Beatles hairstyles.

They played some of the group’s best-known tunes to commemorate the Beatles’ last live performance: an impromptu concert on Jan 30, 1969 on the roof of their Apple headquarters before surprised Londoners on their lunch break. Danger Four performed instead on the top of the Banco Ciudad building in downtown Buenos Aires.

Below, screaming fans in 1960s garb, played by actors, and curious onlookers snapping pictures with cell phone cameras clogged traffic. “The Beatles are energy and that’s why we know they’re always attention-grabbers. They’re unique and I don’t think there will be anyone like them again,” said Blisniuk. “I’ve always said that the most important things in my life are my family, and then, the Beatles,” he said. — Reuters French artist Mr Brainwash, real name Thierry Guetta poses in front of his artwork ‘The Beatles’, before the opening of his exhibition in London. — AP

Marilyn Monroe costumes up for auction

A

selection of Marilyn Monroe’s costumes from films such as “Gentlemen Prefer Blondes” and “Bus Stop” are going up for sale in December, following sales of $22.8 million from an auction held earlier this year in Beverly Hills. The Debbie Reynolds Collection auction in June far exceeded its initial estimates, and earned a place in the Guinness World Records after selling Monroe’s iconic white “Subway Dress” for $5.52 million, making it the world’s most expensive dress.

Fans and collectors of Monroe will have another chance of owning costumes worn by the late actress, priced between $150,000 and $300,000 at the Debbie Reynolds Collection Part II auction. Monroe’s provocatively sexy costumes were known for pushing the barrier set by strict film censorship codes. The December auction will feature Monroe’s saucy showgirl leotard from the Oscar-nominated 1956 film “Bus Stop,” designed by William Travilla, auctioneers Profile in History said on Tuesday.

The screen legend’s gowns from “Gentlemen Prefer Blondes,” the 1953 thriller “Niagara,” and the 1960 Oscar-nominated comedy “Let’s Make Love,” will also be up for auction. Reynolds, 79, began amassing the impressive collection when she was a young actress under contract at MGM. When the studio auctioned off everything except its real estate in 1970, she turned a pastime into what she called an “obsession.” But her dream of displaying her beloved

P

In this 1946 image, a photo of Norma Jean Dougherty, who eventually changed her name to Marilyn Monroe, is shown. — AP costumes in a museum was dashed several times and she was forced to sell them to pay back creditors. Monroe’s four costumes will be auctioned in Beverly Hills as part of the Debbie Reynolds Collection Part II on December 3. — Reuters

Icelandic artist Erro (born Gudmundur Gudmundsson) poses behind the catalogue of the exhibition “Erro.

Portrait and Landscape” on October 5, 2011 at the Kunsthalle Schirn museum in Frankfurt/M, western Germany. — AFP

ororo, South Korea’s friendly blue cartoon penguin beloved by children worldwide, has become the subject of a paternity suit in the land of his birth. Ocon Animation Studio said it has brought a case in a local court against its partner Iconix Entertainment, accusing Iconix of taking credit for creating the animated character. The adventures of Pororo, who sports aviator goggles and a flying helmet and dreams of being able to fly, have now been sold in 110 countries and spawned a tidal wave of merchandise in South Korea. “Pororo’s creator is Ocon, not Iconix,” Ocon said in a statement. “Iconix deprived Ocon and animators of recognition by marketing Pororo as its own creation and being the sole recipient of a government prize,” it said. Iconix denied Ocon’s accusations.

“We have never made statements to imply we are the real creators.

Pororo’s co-production has always been made clear in media interviews,” Choi Jong-Il, head of Iconix, told Yonhap news agency. “It’s true Ocon designed and digitalized it, but story and post-production were done by Iconix. It’s absurd to claim who’s the ‘real creator’ over co-produced works.” Pororo helped Iconix earn 27 billion won ($25 million) in sales last year. The penguin is also owned by broadcaster EBS and internet service provider SK Broadband. — AFP

In this file picture, South Korean animator Choi Jong-Il poses with a doll of cartoon character Pororo the little Pinguin at his office in Seoul.

— AFP

A

y

e niv rsar n

Years

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 8, 2011

D

own through the centuries, a Cuban dance which harks back to the elegance of European royal courts has survived among Latin America’s tropical, pulsating rhythms with help from fans in Mexico. The danzon, a slow-moving swing, arrived in Mexico at the end of the 19th century, two decades after emerging in Cuba, and took off in the Gulf Coast state of Veracruz, which has long been influenced by the Caribbean island. It later began to flourish in Mexico City with the arrival of Cuban musicians who filled dance halls in the l940s and l950s, providing welcome relief from the struggles of city life.

While Danzon barely exists now in Cuba, Mexican fans still gather in parks in Veracruz, parts of the southeast and the capital, converting them into open air dance halls, as well as in yearly festivals across the country. Musical groups, known as danzoneras, play every weekend in La Ciudadela-a tree-lined square in the center of Mexico City-as couples gently step in time to their rhythm, with stiffly gracious movements.

Danzon’s main fans are older people who remember when it was still in fashion, enjoying both the music and a chance to get together with friends. Miguel and Silvia Salinas, who have been married for 36 years, dance every weekend.

“Fortunately, danzon has given life to our generation-a generation one might call forgotten. It has given us energy again,” said Miguel, wearing a panama hat and flowery green shirt.

Unlike other Cuban rhythms, the danzon is defined by delicate moves, with small steps that experts compare to “dancing on a brick.” The steps begin slowly to a three-beat rhythm; the dancers then stop, receiving applause as the women fan themselves; the dance then picks up as the music gathers pace and the dancers elegantly perform more complicated steps.

For many older people, often neglected by family and with little money to spare, danzon gives them an opportunity to go out into their communities and socialize. “Danzon doesn’t demand sudden movements or much physical activity, which makes it ideal for the older adult population,” said seasoned dancer Rosalinda Aceituno Rios, wearing a black sequined shirt. —AFP

This image released by ABC, Chaz Bono (left) and his partner Lacey Schwimmer perform on the celebrity dance competition series, “Dancing with the Stars,” in Los Angeles. — AP photos

K

ristin Cavallari is heading off into the hills. The reality starlet was dismissed from “Dancing With the Stars” Tuesday. ”I’m a little surprised, to be honest,” the former star of MTV’s “The Hills” said after learning her fate. “But I’ve had such a great time and it’s been an awesome experience, so it is what it is.”

She and professional partner Mark Ballas earned their highest scores of the season Monday, collecting 24 points for their sassy samba and tying for third place, but fans failed to keep them in the contest.

Judges’ scores are combined with viewer votes to determine which celebrity is ousted each week. Basketball star Ron Artest, now known as Metta World Peace, and Italian actress Elisabetta Canalis were eliminated on previous episodes. Chaz Bono, who landed in last place Monday, escaped elimination thanks to viewer

A

A group of the elderly people dance “danzon” at the Ciudadela Square in Mexico City. — AFP

n attorney for Michael Jackson’s inhouse doctor challenged a crime scene investigator Thursday and suggested she conducted a shoddy examination of the bedroom where the “Thriller” singer stopped breathing in 2009. Jurors in the involuntary manslaughter trial of Dr Conrad Murray also heard from a toxicologist, who said he found the anesthetic propofol in Jackson’s blood, liver, urine and stomach. The sedative lorazepam and other medications were also found in his body.

Authorities have ruled that Jackson died of acute propofol intoxication, combined with the sedative lorazepam. But the day’s most confrontational exchange came during the testimony of coroner’s investigator Elissa Fleak. Murray’s attorney, Ed Chernoff, mounted the defense team’s most forceful challenge since the trial began in Los Angeles Sept 27. Murray has admitted to giving Jackson propofol through an intravenous injection as a

Nancy Grace (right) and her partner Tristan Macmanus perform.

votes. “I wish I could thank each & every one of you personally for your votes,” he wrote on Twitter Tuesday. “You are the reason (professional partner) Lacey Schwimmer and I ARE DANCING AGAIN next week!!” Cher said Monday she would cheer on her son from the audience should he remain on the show another week. Also returning to dance again next week will be Ricki Lake, Hope Solo, J.R. Martinez, Rob Kardashian, Nancy Grace, Chynna Phillips, Carson Kressley and David Arquette. Tuesday’s results show also included performances by Mary J. Blige, Estelle and a surprise appearance

by Chubby Checker, who sang his 50year-old hit, “The Twist.” — AP JR Martinez (right) and his partner Karina Smirnoff perform.

sleep aid on June 25, 2009. His attorneys say Jackson gave himself an extra, fatal dose of the drug once Murray was out of the room.

Fleak combed through Jackson’s bedroom with police after the singer’s death.

“Would you agree with me that you made a substantial number of mistakes in your investigation?” Chernoff asked her. Fleak denied that suggestion, but acknowledged her original hand-written notes were destroyed when they were transferred into an official report. “I do that in all my cases,” she added. Chernoff questioned Fleak on her assertion that a bottle of propofol was found inside an IV bag.

Investigators found the propofol bottle and IV bag stashed inside a shopping bag in a closet area four days after Jackson’s death, Fleak said. Prosecutors and defense attorneys agree Murray’s fingerprint was on the propofol bottle. They also stated that Jackson’s fingerprints could not be found on vials of propofol and other drugs

retrieved from the bedroom and nearby.

Fleak admitted her original notes did not mention finding the propofol bottle inside the IV bag, and that the first time she placed that in her notes was earlier this year.

But she denied suggestions by Chernoff she had changed her findings to make them fit in with another witness. “I’ve never talked to prosecutors about another witness,” she said. In one of the odder moments, prosecutors Thursday also showed jurors a photo of a toy doll, that appeared to be made of porcelain or plastic, and was found on the bed where Jackson was found lying lifeless. — Reuters

A

y

e niv rsar n

Years

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 8, 2011

Rosie returns to TV talk on Oprah’s network

I

t took Oprah Winfrey to lure Rosie O’Donnell back to TV talk. Nearly a decade after she left her successful daily daytime show to take care of her children, O’Donnell’s “The Rosie Show” premieres Monday on the Oprah Winfrey Network. O’Donnell made the decision after Winfrey visited her home for what became a four-hour meeting. “I said I would want to carry the torch of what she had done so well,” O’Donnell said in an interview as she sat in her office at Harpo Studios in Chicago, pictures of pets and children on the shelves behind her desk. O’Donnell tapes in the same space where Winfrey taped “The Oprah Winfrey Show” before it ended in May after 25 years. They chatted about O’Donnell’s life and why she wanted to go back to television, O’Donnell said.

“At the end she said, ‘Let’s do this.’ I said, ‘Let’s do this.’ I feel sort of a responsibility to reach for her standard of excellence,” O’Donnell said about Winfrey. The two women have lots in common: Both have had self-named magazines; both say they would be teachers if they weren’t in entertainment; both shared the Daytime Emmy for Best Talk show Host in 1998; and now both will share the same cable network and audience. It seems a good fit for O’Donnell, a 49-year-old mother of four whose show-starting monologues joke about menopause, weight gain and depression. She promises longer, indepth chats with a single celebrity after little or no preinterviewing by her staff for the hourlong show. “We have to evolve it in a way that’s authentic,” said O’Donnell, who is friends with mega-celebrities such as Madonna and Tom Cruise. She said her endearing, fanlike curiosity about the famous has changed over the years.

Rosie O’Donnell waves to the audience during a taping of her show in Chicago, Thursday, Oct 6, 2011. — AP “At almost 50 my interest in celebrity is how it affects our culture,” she said. O’Donnell will take questions from the audience. There may be a musical guest and each show has a game show segment, O’Donnell’s heart still broken after losing “The Price Is Right” hosting job to Drew Carey. “At the end of every show we’re having our own ‘Price Is Right,’” O’Donnell tells

her studio audience during a taping before a large lighted game called “Flash-O-Matic” descends from the rafters. The show has signature Rosie-style charm. She walks around the set during commercial breaks to chat with her audience. There are giveaways and a colorful burst of confetti to finish everything off.

Winfrey has been lending her celebrity to promote O’Donnell. The pair appears together in preview spots and Internet videos, and O’Donnell joined Winfrey on the cover of O magazine. It’s the talk-show queen’s efforts to bolster her struggling namesake station.

O’Donnell calls OWN’s January debut a soft launch and said she considers this Monday’s premieres of “The Rosie Show” followed by Winfrey’s “Oprah’s Lifeclass” the network’s hard launch. O’Donnell is on at 7 pm EDT (2300 GMT) leading into Winfrey’s prime-time program at 8 pm EDT (0000 GMT). “Oprah’s Lifeclass” will have Winfrey share her feelings about old segments from “The Oprah Winfrey Show.”

There is a certain amount of pressure to build OWN’s audience, said Bill Carroll, a television syndication expert with Katz Television Group in New York. “Rosie has to come on and be a little wiser, a little older, but certainly has to be the upbeat Rosie because she’s on Oprah’s network,” Carroll said. “It needs to be fun and it needs to be some celebrity and it needs to be empowering. If you can put those together ... then you’ll have a show that attracts the Oprah/Rosie audience.”

Many viewers’ more recent memories of O’Donnell aren’t from her 1990s show, but from dust ups with other celebrities. She argued with Tom Selleck about gun control and Donald

Trump about Miss USA. When O’Donnell was on “The View” in 2007 she and Elisabeth Hasselbeck had a confrontation about the Iraq war.

That’s not what she’s going for this time around, O’Donnell said. “It’s not a political show,” O’Donnell said. “It’s not an antagonistic show. I do have a strong political voice and in some ways that will come out but that’s not the entree.” Winfrey has called O’Donnell a “great competitor” turned “partner and friend.” The new sign outside Harpo Studios reads: “The Rosie Show and the former home of The Oprah Winfrey Show.” “I’m not a boss,” Winfrey said when the sign was unveiled last month. “We’re partners. We collaborate on everything. You don’t tell Rosie what to do.” O’Donnell talks about Winfrey with a sense of awe, saying she’s watched Winfrey for half of her life. “I believe in her,” O’Donnell said. “I believe in who she is. I believe in her message and I have for 25 years.”

Winfrey only offered two pieces of advice, O’Donnell said: to be herself and not to resist anything. “Luckily my age is on my side for this,” O’Donnell said. “I think I have a much better understanding of who I am, what I’m doing and why.” A native New Yorker, O’Donnell has made a home for herself on Chicago’s North Side and has been sampling the city’s culture. She’s tried Chicago-style pizza and taken a tour of the Grant Park area around Buckingham Fountain. She calls Chicago “epically beautiful,” although she’s worried about the winters. “I feel like I’m getting ready for the frozen tundra,” she said. — AP

Jilted Tareq Salahi to auction wedding ring

T

areq Salahi, the dumped husband of “Real Housewives” star Michaele Salahi, is seeking emotional closure by auctioning off some of his personal life Salahi said on Thursday he was putting up for sale 37 items belonging to himself and his estranged wife after she ran off with Journey guitarist Neal Schon last month. “Tareq decided to sell these items to get rid of them and help calm his anger management issues,” Tareq’s spokeswoman Anouska De Georgioua told Reuters. “It’ll also help bring closure to his relationship with Michaele.”

The items include Tareq’s platinum Tiffany wedding ring, selected sculpture works, assorted underwear and a selection of hotel bathrobes. An undisclosed portion of the proceeds will be going to a number of different charities, distributed by FilmOn’s Charitable Trust. The publicity-hungry couple famously snuck past White House security and into a state dinner in 2009, earning them headlines worldwide. Michaele later appeared on the “Real Housewives of D.C.” reality TV show.

The auction is the latest installment of the Salahi saga.

Last month, Tareq alerted authorities that his wife had been abducted, only to discover that Michaele had run away and was involved in an affair with Schon. Tareq has since filed for divorce. When asked if Tareq was worried that the auction may be viewed as a way of making money from the scandal, De Georgioua said, “No. He just wants to move on and close this chapter of his life.” The auction will be held at the 9021GO showroom in Beverly Hills on Oct 8. — Reuters

French actress Isabelle Huppert poses during the Busan International Film Festival at Busan Cinema Center in Busan, South Korea yesterday. Huppert said curiosity has pulled her to Asia and helped her discover the region’s innovative talents.

The letters read, ‘Busan International Film Festival.’ — AP

English guitarist Eric Clapton performs onstage on October 6, 2011 in Porto Alegre, southern Brazil. — AFP

Aussie band loses appeal on

‘Down Under’ ruling

A

ustralian rockers Men at Work yesterday lost their final court bid to prove they did not steal the distinctive flute riff of their 1980s hit “Down Under” from a children’s campfire song. The High Court of Australia denied the band’s bid to appeal a federal court judge’s earlier ruling that the group had copied the signature flute melody of “Down Under” from the song “Kookaburra Sits in the Old Gum Tree.” “Kookaburra,” a song about Australia’s famous bird of the same name, was written more than 70 years ago by Australian teacher Marion Sinclair for a Girl Guides competition. The song went on to become a favorite around campfires from New Zealand to Canada. The wildly popular “Down Under” remains an unofficial

anthem for Australia.

Sinclair died in 1988, but publishing company Larrikin Music - which now holds the copyright for “Kookaburra” - filed a copyright lawsuit in 2009. Last year, Federal Court Justice Peter Jacobson ruled that the “Down Under” flute riff replicated a substantial part of Sinclair’s song. The judge later ordered Men at Work’s recording company, EMI Songs Australia, and “Down Under” songwriters Colin Hay and Ron Strykert to pay 5 percent of royalties earned from the song since 2002 and from its future earnings. The court didn’t specify what the 5 percent penalty translates to in dollars. Larrikin wasn’t able to seek royalties earned before 2002 because of a statute of limitations.

Lawyers for Men at Work’s recording companies maintained the band hadn’t copied anything, and vowed to fight the ruling. But Friday’s decision from the High Court ends the band’s chance to appeal. Mark Bamford, a lawyer for EMI, called the High Court’s decision disappointing. A lawyer for Larrikin did not immediately respond to a request seeking comment. “Down Under” and the album it was on, “Business As Usual,” reached No 1 on the Australian, American and British charts in early 1983.

That year, Men at Work won the Grammy Award for Best New Artist. — AP

A

y

e niv rsar n

Years

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 8, 2011

P

aris Fashion Week ended like it started with a positive and relaxed spirit and a skillful bow by Lebanese designer Elie Saab with a glamorous 1970s collection for next summer inspired by the American TV series Charlie’s Angels. The poplin mustard and orange dresses, with floating bows around the neck, thin beltline and wide sleeves, appeared tailor-made for Farrah Fawcett, Kate Jackson and Jaclyn Smith on a mission in a high society cocktail party. Models ambled down the catwalk to soft, lounge music wearing ample, shimmering dresses that waved around with each step.

Faithful to his slightly provocative style, some of Saab’s dresses had plunging neck lines, nude backs and a few were slit high up to show the models’ thin sporty legs. Striking pieces included sequined dresses in lapis lazuli blue or emerald green nipped at mid-calf with long trains to create a mermaid-like silhouette. Saab said the collection paid homage to the TV series but also more generally to the 1970s which was for him a happy, care-free period during which

women were liberated and proud.

“I have a lot of memories from the 1970s as a child,” Saab told Reuters after the show. “Back then, women were cool, relaxed and self-confident.” Saab, who launched his first perfume two months ago, is favored by pop singers such as Beyonce and Christina Aguilera, Middle Eastern women and wives of Russian oligarchs, fashion experts say. Created in the late 1990s, the label has an important couture business on top of its ready-to-wear sales and is now aiming to open outlets in China and Brazil, its director said.

“We are in an aggressive growth mode, so whatever is happening with the economy, people will buy our clothes,” Elie Saab Managing Director Chucri Cavalcanti told Reuters. The brand sells in shops in Paris, Beirut, London and Dubai as well in some 45 multi-brand stores around the world.

Upbeat and relaxed mood Ending a month-long marathon of fashion shows which started in New York, fashion critics said the mood on the catwalk was upbeat and

Models present creations by Malaysian designer Sharifah Kirana on the first day of the Fashion Week in Karachi.

— AFP photos

relaxed - in contrast with the gloomy media headlines they read in the papers while waiting for the show to begin. “I find this spring/summer season to be much lighter and uplifting than the others,” said Linda Fargo, senior vicepresident in charge of fashion at Bergdorf Goodman. “Some of the clothes literally seem to float.”

At Hermes, the trend expressed itself with wide, long white, ochre and orange tunics while at Stella McCartney, the theme was a chic pyjama party with loose-fitting pant suits and shorts, with flat sandals or nude shoes. At Valentino, specialist in extra-high stilettos, models this time strutted in flat sandals as they presented delicate candy pink Chantilly-lace dresses. Inspired by the aquatic world, Karl Lagerfeld at Chanel produced a relatively easy-to-wear collection ornamented with pearls, seashells and printed waves in Paris’ cavernous Grand Palais, transformed into a giant seabed for the occasion.

Chanel, Valentino but also Lanvin and Christian Dior made much use of feather-light,

flowing materials such as organza, tulle and silk to make dresses look weightless.

“Transparencies, with ultra-light and sheer fabrications, were prevalent, lending a romantic mood to the season,” said Colleen Sherin, Senior Fashion Director at Saks Fifth Avenue. Sea colors such as coral and turquoise dominated the palette at brands such as Emanuel Ungaro, Christian Dior and Chanel.

But there were also surprising touches of autumn colors such as ochre, light purple and Celadon green at brands such as Yves Saint Laurent, Balenciaga and Haider Ackermann.

Overall, fashion critics said Paris Fashion Week was so infused with positive energy, it was hard to believe a global crisis was brewing. “As much as media is painting a picture of unrest, it is not influencing customers yet,” said Ken Downing, Fashion Director at Neiman Marcus. — Reuters

A

y

e niv rsar n

Years

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 8, 2011

A

young fashion designer from the German city of Hanover is revolutionizing high fashion by designing clothes with a staple she can find in her fridge- milk. Anke Domaske, 28, has developed a fabric called QMilch made from high concentrations of the milk protein casein-the first man-made fibre produced entirely without chemicals. “It feels like silk and it doesn’t smell-you can wash it just like anything else,” Domaske told Reuters. Made from all natural materials, the QMilch fabric is ecological but also has many health benefits, said Domaske, who also said the amino acids in the

protein are antibacterial, anti-ageing and can help regulate both blood circulation and body temperature.

Domaske’s fashion label Mademoiselle Chi Chi-a favorite among the likes of Mischa Barton and Ashlee Simpson-has now started weaving the milk fibre into its collection. Currently the MCC clothes-which feature flowing wrap dresses with edgy cuts and bright patterns-are made from a combination of various fibers, including QMilch. But Domaske plans to design a collection made entirely from the milk fiber. Milk fabric has been around since the 1930s but was

always produced in unecological ways that used a lot of chemicals. Unlike earlier prototypes, QMilch is made almost entirely from casein.

“We have developed an all-natural fibre consisting of a very high concentration of casein, with a few other natural ingredients-and in only two years,” the former microbiology student Domaske said. The casein is extracted from dried milk powder and then heated up in a type of meat-mincing machine with other natural ingredients. The fiber comes out in strands and is then spun into yarn on a spinning machine.

Domaske said it would take about 6 liters of milk

to produce an entire dress, which costs about 150 euros($199) to 200 euros.

Luckily, for that kind of money, the clothes don’t come with an expiry date-during the heating process, the molecules bind in such a way that the protein won’t decompose. Due to its anti-bacterial qualities, the milk fiber can also be used in medicine and makeup. Even some auto companies have looked into using the fiber for car upholstery. — Reuters

A

y

e niv rsar n

Years

technology

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 8, 2011

Cook has big shoes to fill at Jobs-less Apple SAN FRANCISCO: The death of Apple visionary Steve Jobs has left huge shoes to fill, with successor Tim Cook inheriting a company with fabulous products but also facing unrelenting assault from agile competitors. Analysts said that for the short term, new chief executive Cook has inherited a strong, highly profitable company and has the skills to keep it going.

But whether he has the ability to match Jobs’s acumen at picking winners in the consumer electronics market over the long term-Jobs’ genius that turned Apple into the world’s most valuable firm at one point-will be a question held over his head for years to come. “Steve is too big a personality and too amazing of a businessman for him not to be missed,” Gartner analyst Van Baker said, just hours before Jobs’ death was announced.

“But the wheels aren’t going to come off; a lot of Steve’s qualities are embedded in the Apple culture.” “While Mr Jobs’ passion, creativity, and keen eye for consumer preference will be missed, we believe Jobs and Apple’s executive team have built an unparalleled talent base and corporate culture that sets the table for future success and innovation,” said Michael Walkley at broker Cannacord Genuity.

The company’s share price fell slightly on Thursday, closing down 0.23 percent at $377.37. But the seesaw trading during the day, down one percent, then up 1.7 percent, then back down again, testified to investor nervousness over the way forward under Cook. Brokers said Jobs’ departure was already anticipated.

Visibly weaker in appearance earlier this year after a lengthy fight with pancreatic cancer, he finally resigned as chief executive in August, leaving Cook as his hand-picked successor.

His legacy is huge. Company management experts have long identified Jobs with a rare skill of choosing the products and product attributes that consumers will want. The list of his successes includes Mac computers, iPods, iPhones, iPads, and the operating systems behind them that, while not as widespread as rival Microsoft’s, are revered in high-performance devices and considered worth the premium price. —AFP

HONG KONG: A woman takes pictures of stickers with written messages, paying tribute to Apple cofounder Steve Jobs, on the Apple store glass window in Hong Kong yesterday.—AFP

Apple’s board needs to step up to new era Independent chair would help corp governance

CHENGDU: A man places an iPad displaying a picture of Steve Jobs around candles forming the logo of Apple Inc., the company he co-founded, in Chengdu in southwestern China’s Sichuan province, on Thursday.—AP

Steve Jobs biography pushed up for release The release date for a Steve Jobs biography has been pushed up to Oct. 24 in the wake of the Apple co-founder’s death on Wednesday, according to a spokesman for publishing house Simon & Schuster. The book was originally planned for release on Nov 21. The authorized biography “Steve Jobs”, written by Walter Isaacson, the former managing editor of Time magazine and current chief executive of the Aspen Institute, is currently the No 1 bestseller on Amazon’s customer purchase list.

Meanwhile, Bluewater Productions said it was rushing out a special edition e-book of its forthcoming comic book on Jobs. The 32-page comic titled “Steve Jobs: Founder of Apple” can be purchased on the NOOK and Kindle reading devices from Thursday. The print edition comic-book is due for release at the end of October, with a portion of the profits from both issues going to the American Cancer Society. Jobs, the charismatic co-founder and former chief executive of Apple Inc died on Wednesday in Palo Alto, California at the age of 56. He is considered to be among the greatest American chief executives of his generation.—Reuters

SAN FRANCISCO/NEW YORK: The death of Apple Inc’s strong-willed cofounder and Chairman Steve Jobs has put the secretive company’s small board at crossroads. Business as usual, or time for a change? The first signs of the future will be whether they choose an independent chairman and expand the number of directors. Apple directors include heavy hitters, but they were seen offering advice to the chief executive rather than overseeing Jobs, who was known for persuading people to see things his way.

“The old message was “trust Steve,” the new message has to be ‘trust the team.’ ... It’s no longer the cult of personality.” said Jim Post, a professor of corporate governance at Boston University School of Management who called for an independent chairman.

“The board needs to be expanded. They need to bring on additional independent talent ..., people who were not living in Steve’s shadow,” he said. Apple’s time frame for finding a new chairmanand even whether it is seeking one-is unclear. A spokesman declined to comment. Previously, Apple had no chairman but only co-lead directors.

Apple’s board has long been criticized for its lack of disclosure, particularly about leadership succession as Jobs’ battled illnesses whose details were not made public. Jobs had also been reported to keep the board in the dark at times. Even in his efforts to praise Jobs, Google Chairman Eric Schmidt and former Apple board member showed how complicated working with Jobs could be in an interview on CNBC Thursday. “I remember meeting with him with a bunch of people on some technical matters, on which I was an expert,” Schmidt said.

“He convinced me that I was com-

pletely wrong. We spent a whole hour trying to figure out why,” said Schmidt.

“He sees us and runs back out to continue to argue to make sure we see how right he is. That’s the passion he had about being right and being excellent.”

Apple Chief Executive Tim Cook, who is a likely candidate for chairman, arguably has enough to do for now. “(Cook’s) got too much on his plate now” to be chairman as well, said Jefferies & Co analyst Peter Misek.

Apple’s board, with just seven current members, is one of the smallest and most opaque in the industry. Most of Apple’s peers have boards that have 10 directors.

“Much like Disney, Apple’s founder was the brand. He was their Mickey Mouse, he was their Betty Crocker,” said

corporate governance expert Nell Minow of GovernanceMetrics International.

“They have to replace him in five different ways.” A bigger board would mean more experience and diversity. A new, independent chairman also could help the company retain investor support, examine decisions and help Apple keep its edge in the hyper-competitive electronics business.

“Having a lead on the board is important and that person should be different to the lead of the company (the CEO),” analyst Colin Gillis of BGC Partners said. “It creates tension but it’s a healthy tension.” “They need somebody who’s going to stir the pot,” said Jeffrey Sonnenfeld, Professor at the Yale School of Management.— Reuters

Apple’s new iPhone available for pre-order SAN FRANCISCO: Apple Inc. is taking pre-orders for its new iPhone 4S starting yesterday, allowing fans who can’t wait to snag the company’s latest gadget a chance to order it in advance and receive it when it goes on sale in a week. The iPhone 4S has a faster processor, a better camera and a voice-activated personal assistant service called Siri. It also runs the latest version of Apple’s iOS mobile software, iOS 5, as well as its new iCloud content syncing service.

The new phone, officially on sale Oct 14, comes in black or white and will be available from three wireless providers: AT&T Inc., Verizon Wireless and, for the first time, Sprint Nextel Corp. It will cost $199 for a 16 gigabyte-version, $299 for 32 GB and $399 for 64 GB - all with a two-year service contract requirement.

Apple introduced the smartphone during a media event at the company’s Cupertino headquarters on Tuesday - a day before co-founder Steve Jobs died.

Apple announced Jobs’ death late Wednesday without stating a specific cause. He had battled cancer in 2004 and underwent a liver transplant in 2009 after taking a leave of absence for unspecified health problems. He took another leave of absence in January - his third since his health problems began - and resigned in August. Jobs became Apple’s chairman and handed the CEO job over to his hand-picked successor, Tim Cook.—AP

technology

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 8, 2011

Hong Kong student’s Apple tribute is Internet hit Logo causes worldwide Internet sensation

MANILA: A picture shows messages written in mourning of the death of Apple co-founder and chairman Steve Jobs outside an Apple store in Manila yesterday. —AFP

Steve Jobs, music industry transformer NEW YORK: Steve Jobs, the late co-founder of Apple who pioneered personal computers, is also recognized as the man who revolutionized the music industry by dragging it into the digital world. The visionary behind the Mac, the iPhone and the iPad also brought the iPod portable media player into the world, as well as the online store iTunes.

When Apple launched the iPod in 2001, MP3-formatted music had been available for several years, and manufacturers like SanDisk and Sony were selling digital music players. But Sony “seemed to keep putting these barriers” up to protect its Sony Music, such as limiting the formats that could be played, said James McQuivey, an analyst at Forrester Research. Meanwhile, “Apple was focused on letting the users get as much out of it as possible,” he added.

Two years later, the iTunes music store, supported by the iPod’s success, became the first to offer legal music downloads on a mass-market scale, selling individual songs for 99 cents, undercutting the market price for CDs. That came out of tough negotiations with music distributors, who did not take kindly to the draconian conditions of single prices on single recordings.

“The Apple music biz took over the music business because it was so customer-centric,” McQuivey said. Eight years later, the music world, from artists to the recording industry, were pouring in tributes to Jobs, 56, who died Wednesday after a long battle with pancreatic cancer. The Recording Industry Association of America praised Jobs in particular for countering music piracy and peer-to-peer file sharing, which deprived labels of any revenue. “With the introduction of the iTunes software and other platforms, Steve and Apple made it once again easy and accepted to pay for music,” RIAA chairman and chief executive Cary Sherman said. “He was a true visionary who forever transformed how fans access and enjoy music.”

According to RIAA numbers, the explosive growth in digital music has doubled the volume of music sales and slashed CD sales by more than a third between 2003 and 2010. But digital music, including all its platforms, including iTunes, subscriber services and advertising-paid offers, continues to be less lucrative than CDs. Digital sales channels accounted for 29 percent of global music industry revenues in 2010, the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry said earlier in the year.

The trend is upward; the digital share was 25 percent in 2009, according to the federation.—AFP

HONG KONG: A Hong Kong design student said yesterday he was overwhelmed and felt “unreal” after his sombre logo in tribute to Apple founder Steve Jobs caused a worldwide Internet sensation. The design, featuring Jobs’s silhouette incorporated into the bite of a white Apple logo on a black background, has gone viral on the Internet since news of his death.

“I feel so unreal,” Jonathan Mak, a second year graphic design student at Hong Kong Polytechnic University, told AFP, after he was inundated with tens of thousands of emails and messages on his Twitter account. “You don’t get to 180 thousands notes without feeling slightly insane,” the 19-year-old posted on another microblogging site Tumblr yesterday, referring to the messages he has received.

Mak said newspapers in the United States and Germany have contacted him about buying the copyright to use his logo and had received job offers. “I am flattered by the attention but I would like to focus on my study before taking on any full-time job,” said the bespectacled student, adding that he was trying to cope with his new-found fame.

“I’m quite busy now actually as I’m trying to finish a school project.” When asked about whether he would be targeting commercial opportunities, Mak said he was considering contacting Apple on copyright issues because his design is based on Apple’s own logo. Some merchandisers have reportedly used his logo for commemorative memorabilia for Jobs such as t-shirts and caps that are being sold on the Internet.

“I will consider using any proceeds I make from the copyright for cancer research, as suggested by some people to me on the Internet,” he said. Jobs died at 56 of pancreatic cancer.

Mak said he first came up with the design after Jobs announced his resignation in late August, but the logo received little attention at the time. The teenager said the Apple founder had inspired him in his design. “He was a minimalist, which is the way I would like to emphasize in my design-fewer elements but a powerful message.” “Steve Jobs strongly believed in his own ideas and continued with his beliefs no matter how people criticized him. He was courageous,” said Mak— AFP

HONG KONG: Jonathan Mak, a student at the Polytechnic University, poses with his laptop showing his self-designed sombre logo in tribute of Apple founder Steve Jobs in Hong Kong yesterday.—AFP

Wozniak recalls a friend in Jobs SAN FRANCISCO: When Steve Wozniak cofounded Apple with Steve Jobs in a Silicon Valley garage in 1976, he couldn’t have known the incredible footprint that Jobs would leave on the consumer electronics landscape. The two built and marketed the first personal computer to generate color graphics, the Apple II. Jobs would go on to become the showman and the mastermind behind revolutionary products such as the iPod, iPhone and iPad. Although the two didn’t stay as close through the decades, they remained in touch. Wozniak was among millions mourning Jobs’ death on Wednesday at 56. “We’ve lost something we won’t get back,” Wozniak said in a phone interview with The Associated Press. “The way I see it, though, the way people love products he put so much into creating means he brought a lot of life to the world.” Wozniak wiped away tears in a separate AP video interview.

Jobs “gets a reputation for being a strong leader and for being brash. But to me he was always so kind, such a good friend,” he said.

Wozniak, five years older than Jobs, first met him when Jobs was still in high school. Early on, the two experimented with technology in a mischievous way: by building so-called “blue boxes” that emits tones at the right frequencies to trick phones into allowing users to make free calls anywhere in the world.

The two were also active in the Homebrew Computer Club, a group of computer hobbyists, where Wozniak’s home-

made computer drew attention from other enthusiasts. That computer piqued Jobs’ interest as something with potential far beyond the geeky hobbyists of the time. The pair started Apple Computer Inc. in the garage of Jobs’ parents in 1976 (a rarelymentioned third co-founder, Ronald Wayne, left shortly after its creation). According to Wozniak, Jobs suggested the name after visiting an “apple orchard” that Wozniak said was actually a commune.

Wozniak and Jobs both left Apple in 1985. In Jobs’ case, it followed a clash with then-CEO John Sculley. Jobs resigned his post as chairman of the board and left Apple after being pushed out of his role leading the Macintosh team. Jobs returned in 1997 as interim CEO after Apple, then in dire financial dire straits, bought Next, a computer company he started. This was the start of Apple’s amazing upswing, which continues today with the popularity of products such as the iPhone and the iPad. In recent years, they weren’t as close Jobs declined to write the forward for Wozniak’s autobiography, iWoz, which was released in 2006. Wozniak said he last saw Jobs about three months ago, shortly after Jobs briefly emerged from a medical leave to unveil the company’s latest iOS mobile software and its iCloud content syncing service.

Wozniak said Jobs looked ill and sounded weak at the time. Jobs, whose cause of death wasn’t revealed by Apple or his family, had battled cancer in 2004 and underwent a

liver transplant in 2009 after taking a leave of absence for unspecified health problems. He took another leave in January - his third since his health problems began - and officially resigned as CEO in August. Jobs became Apple’s chairman and handed the helm to his hand-picked successor, Tim Cook.

His death was followed by an outpouring of grief around the world from Apple fans and competitors, as well as heads of state. In a sign of how pervasive the gadgets he spearheaded have become, much of the mourning was done on Apple gadgets: People held up pictures of candles on their iPads, reviewed his life on Macintosh computers and tapped out tributes on iPhones.

Wozniak, 61, said Jobs was a good husband and father and a great businessman who had an eye for details. He said Jobs was a good marketer and understood the benefits of technology.

When it came to Apple’s products, “while everyone else was fumbling around trying to find the formula, he had the better instincts,” he said. According to Wozniak, Jobs told him around the time he left Apple in 1985 that he had a feeling he would die before the age of 40. Because of that, “a lot of his life was focused on trying to get things done quickly,” Wozniak said. “I think what made Apple products special was very much one person, but he left a legacy,” he said. Because of this, Wozniak hopes the company can continue to be successful despite Jobs’ — AP

TV listings

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 8, 2011

00:45 01:40 02:35 03:30 04:25 05:20 06:10 07:00 07:25 08:15 08:40 09:10 10:05 10:30 11:00 11:55 12:50 Irwin 16:30 Irwin 17:25 18:20 19:15 20:10 21:05 The...

22:00 22:55 23:50

Cats 101 Mutant Planet Whale Wars Untamed & Uncut Monster Bug Wars Cats 101 World Wild Vet Meerkat Manor Michaela’s Animal Road Trip Breed All About It The Really Wild Show Growing Up...

Natural Born Hunters Jeff Corwin Unleashed Crocodile Hunter Cats 101 New Breed Vets With Steve New Breed Vets With Steve Swarm Chasers Big Five Challenge Bad Dog Cats 101 Jaws Comes Home: Return Of Into The Lion’s Den Your Worst Animal Nightmares Untamed & Uncut

00:00 2 Pints Of Lager And A Packet Of Crisps 01:00 True Dare Kiss 01:50 Robin Hood 02:35 Him And Her 03:05 Doctors 03:30 Keeping Up Appearances 04:30 Balamory 04:50 Gigglebiz 05:05 Me Too 05:25 Charlie And Lola 05:40 Buzz & Tell 05:50 Balamory 06:10 Gigglebiz 06:25 Me Too 06:45 Charlie And Lola 06:55 Buzz & Tell 07:05 Balamory 07:25 Gigglebiz 07:40 Me Too 08:00 Charlie And Lola 08:10 Buzz & Tell 08:20 Balamory 08:40 Gigglebiz 08:55 Me Too 09:15 Charlie And Lola 09:30 Buzz & Tell 09:45 Keeping Up Appearances 10:45 Ray Mears’ Northern Wilderness 11:35 Robin Hood 12:20 Eastenders 14:20 After You’ve Gone 14:55 The Weakest Link 15:40 Ray Mears’ Northern Wilderness 16:30 Robin Hood 17:15 The Weakest Link 18:00 After You’ve Gone 18:30 Holby City 19:20 Holby City 20:10 Robin Hood 20:55 As Time Goes By 21:25 One Foot In The Grave 22:00 The Royle Family 22:30 Blackadder II 23:30 Him And Her

00:35 01:25 02:15 03:05 04:00 04:50 05:15 06:05 06:50 07:15 08:05 09:00 09:55 10:40 11:25 15:55 16:45 17:40 20:15 21:05 21:55 22:45 23:30

Gok’s Fashion Fix Gok’s Fashion Fix What Not To Wear Antiques Roadshow Antiques Roadshow Masterchef Australia Masterchef Australia Gok’s Fashion Fix Cash In The Attic USA Antiques Roadshow Antiques Roadshow Antiques Roadshow Bargain Hunt Bargain Hunt Daily Cooks Challenge Antiques Roadshow Antiques Roadshow Antiques Roadshow What Not To Wear What Not To Wear Gok’s Fashion Fix Gok’s Fashion Fix Antiques Roadshow

BLOOD AND BONE OSN ACTION HD

00:00 00:30 00:40 01:00 01:30 02:00 02:30 03:00 03:10 03:30 04:30 05:00 05:10 05:30 06:00 06:30 07:00 08:30 09:00 09:30 10:00 10:10 10:30 11:00 11:10 11:30 12:00 13:10 13:30 14:00 14:30 15:00 15:10 15:30 16:00 16:15 16:30 17:00 17:30 18:00 18:10

BBC World News Sport Today Weekend World BBC World News America Our World BBC World News Horizons BBC World News Weekend World BBC World News World Challenge 2011 BBC World News World Features Horizons BBC World News Fast Track BBC World News Middle East Business Report BBC World News Click BBC World News Weekend World BBC World News BBC World News World Features World Challenge 2011 BBC World News The Health Show Newsnight BBC World News Our World BBC World News Weekend World BBC World News BBC World News Sport Today Fast Track BBC World News Dateline London BBC World News World Features

18:30 19:00 19:30 20:00 21:15 21:30 22:00 23:10 23:30

Horizons BBC World News Final Score BBC World News Sport Today Fast Track BBC World News The Health Show Dateline London

00:05 Robotboy - Elements 00:30 Squirrel Boy 00:55 George Of The Jungle 01:20 Cramp Twins 01:45 Chop Socky Chooks 02:10 Best Ed 02:35 My Gym Partner’s A Monkey 03:00 Ben 10: Ultimate Alien 03:25 Generator Rex 03:50 Adventure Time 04:15 Flapjack 04:40 Chowder 05:05 Powerpuff Girls 05:30 Ed, Edd n Eddy 05:55 I Am Weasel 06:20 Squirrel Boy 06:45 Cow & Chicken 07:00 The Life & Times Of Juniper Lee 07:04 Cow & Chicken 07:25 Powerpuff Girls 07:50 Cartoon Network Dance Club 08:05 Angelo Rules 08:30 Chowder 08:55 The Grim Adventures Of Billy & Mandy 09:20 Adventure Time 09:45 Gumball 09:55 Cow And Chicken 10:05 Scooby-Doo! Mystery Incorporated 10:27 Scooby-Doo! Mystery Incorporated

10:55 Ben 10: Ultimate Alien 11:20 Generator Rex 11:45 Batman: The Brave And The Bold 12:10 Bakugan: Gundalian Invaders 12:35 Hero 108 13:00 Fantastic Four: World’s Greatest Heroes 13:25 Robotboy - Elements 13:50 I Am Weasel 14:15 Best Ed 14:40 Chowder 15:05 The Marvelous Misadventures Of Flapjack 15:30 Courage The Cowardly Dog 15:55 Cow & Chicken 16:20 Adventure Time 16:45 Codename: Kids Next Door 17:10 Batman: The Brave And The Bold 17:35 Bakugan: Gundalian Invaders 18:00 Ben 10: Ultimate Alien 18:25 Flapjack 18:50 My Gym Partner’s A Monkey 19:15 Adventure Time 19:40 The Grim Adventures Of Billy & Mandy 20:05 Chowder 20:30 Courage The Cowardly Dog 20:55 Cow & Chicken 21:20 Best Ed 21:45 I Am Weasel 22:00 Ben 10 22:25 Bakugan Battle Brawlers 22:50 The Secret Saturdays 23:15 Samurai Jack 23:40 Megas XLR

00:00 00:30 01:00 02:00

Backstory World Sport The Situation Room World Report

03:00 03:45 04:00 05:00 06:00 06:30 07:00 07:30 08:00 08:15 08:30 09:00 09:15 09:30 10:00 10:30 11:00 11:30 12:00 12:30 13:00 13:30 14:00 15:00 15:30 16:00 16:30 17:00 17:30 18:00 18:30 19:00 19:30 20:00 20:30 21:00 21:30 22:00 23:00 23:30

World Business Today CNN Marketplace Africa Piers Morgan Tonight Anderson Cooper 360 World Sport Inside Africa World Report Backstory World Report CNN Marketplace Africa Eco Solutions World Report CNN Marketplace Middle East Living Golf World Sport Inside The Middle East World View African Voices Inside Africa Eco Solutions World Report World Sport Piers Morgan Tonight World Report Inside The Middle East News Special World View International Desk African Voices Living Golf World Sport Talk Asia Inside Africa International Desk Eco Solutions World Report Inside The Middle East Piers Morgan Tonight News Special World View

00:15 00:40 01:35 02:30 03:25 04:20 05:15 05:40 06:05 07:00 07:50 08:15 08:45 Junior 09:40 10:30 11:25 12:20 12:45 15:05 17:20 18:15 19:10 20:05 21:00 21:55 22:50 23:45

Swamp Brothers Extreme Fishing The Future Of...

Dirty Jobs Ultimate Survival Mythbusters How Do They Do It? How Stuff’s Made Dirty Jobs Wheeler Dealers Wheeler Dealers Wheeler Dealers American Chopper: Senior vs Nextworld Science Of The Movies Mythbusters How Do They Do It? Auction Kings Border Security Mythbusters Extreme Fishing Alone In The Wild Ultimate Survival Dual Survival Deadliest Catch Deadliest Catch Deadliest Catch

00:05 The Tech Show 00:30 Kings of Construction 01:20 Stunt Junkies 01:45 Future Weapons 02:35 Brainiac 03:25 The Gadget Show 03:50 The Gadget Show 04:15 How Stuff’s Made 04:45 Kings of Construction 05:40 One Step Beyond 06:10 The Future of...

07:00 Race to Mars 07:55 Head Rush 07:58 Sci-Fi Science 08:25 Weird Connections 08:55 Are We Alone?

10:35 Engineering Ground Zero 11:25 FutureCar 12:15 FutureCar 13:05 FutureCar 13:55 FutureCar 14:45 Head Rush 14:48 Sci-Fi Science 15:15 Weird Connections 15:45 Bang Goes the Theory 16:10 The Gadget Show 16:35 The Gadget Show 17:00 Engineering Ground Zero 17:50 Human Body: Ultimate Machine 18:40 Da Vinci’s Machines 19:30 Prototype This 20:20 Race to Mars 21:10 Through the Wormhole with

Morgan Freeman 22:00 Da Vinci’s Machines 22:50 Prototype This 23:40 Bang Goes the Theory

00:25 Kendra 00:55 Behind The Scenes 01:25 E!es 02:20 E!es 03:15 25 Most Stylish 04:10 Sexiest 05:05 Extreme Hollywood 06:00 20 Acts Of Love Gone Wrong 07:50 Behind The Scenes 08:20 E! News 09:15 Kourtney & Kim Take New York 09:45 Kourtney & Kim Take New York 10:15 Khloe And Lamar 10:40 Khloe And Lamar 11:10 Bridalplasty 12:05 E! News 13:05 Giuliana & Bill 14:05 E!es 15:00 Holly’s World 15:30 E!es 15:55 Khloe And Lamar 16:25 Khloe And Lamar 16:55 Extreme Close-Up 17:25 Fashion Police 17:55 E! News 18:55 Keeping Up With The Kardashians 19:25 Keeping Up With The Kardashians 19:55 Keeping Up With The Kardashians 20:25 Keeping Up With The Kardashians 20:55 The Soup 21:25 THS 22:25 E! News 23:25 Chelsea Lately 23:55 The Soup

00:30 Ghost Lab 01:15 A Haunting 02:05 Stalked: Someone’s Watching 02:30 I Was Murdered 02:50 Deadly Women: Face To Face 03:15 Who On Earth Did I Marry?

03:40 Dr G: Medical Examiner 04:25 A Haunting 05:15 Ghost Lab 06:10 Mystery Diagnosis 07:00 Forensic Detectives 07:45 Murder Shift 08:35 Mystery ER 09:20 Real Emergency Calls 09:45 Real Emergency Calls 10:05 Disappeared 10:50 FBI Files 11:40 Murder Shift 12:25 True Crime With Aphrodite Jones 13:15 The Will: Family Secrets Revealed 14:00 Mystery ER 14:50 Real Emergency Calls 15:15 Real Emergency Calls 15:35 Disappeared 16:20 Forensic Detectives 17:10 Murder Shift 18:00 FBI Files 18:45 Real Emergency Calls 19:10 Mystery ER 19:55 Street Patrol 20:20 True Crime With Aphrodite Jones 21:10 The Will: Family Secrets Revealed 22:00 The Haunted 22:50 Ghost Lab 23:40 A Haunting

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

TV listings

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 8, 2011 08:30 Amazing Adventures of A Nobody UK 09:00 Amazing Adventures of A Nobody USA 09:30 Amazing Adventures Of A Nobody: Europe 10:00 Extreme Tourist Afghanistan 11:00 Meet The Amish 12:00 Departures 13:00 Food Lover’s Guide To The Planet 13:30 Pressure Cook 14:00 A World Apart 15:00 Lonely Planet: Roads Less Travelled 16:00 Don’t Tell My Mother 17:00 Long Way Down 18:00 Racing To America 19:00 Food Lover’s Guide To The Planet 19:30 Pressure Cook 20:00 A World Apart 21:00 Lonely Planet: Roads Less Travelled 22:00 Don’t Tell My Mother 23:00 Long Way Down

00:00 02:00 04:30 06:00 08:00 10:00 11:45 14:00 15:45 18:00 20:15 22:00

01:00 03:00 05:00 07:00 09:00 10:45 13:00 15:00 16:45 19:00 21:00 23:00

Medium Raw-PG15 Inglourious Basterds-18 Outpost-18 Against The Ropes-PG15 Dick Tracy-PG15 Echelon Conspiracy-PG15 Spiderman 2-PG15 Dick Tracy-PG15 What Lies Beneath-PG15 Spiderman 2-PG15 Blood And Bone-18 Tupac: Resurrection-18

Camp Hope-PG15 Fly Me To The Moon-PG 5 Dollars A Day-PG15 Don’t Fade Away-PG15 Fly Me To The Moon-PG The A-Team-PG15 Parlez-Moi De LA Pluie-PG15 The Sunset Limited-PG15 The Brothers Bloom-PG15 The Spy Next Door-PG Clash Of The Titans-PG15 Synecdoche, New York-18

00:30 The Daily Show With Jon Stewart 01:00 The Colbert Report 01:30 Neighbors From Hell 02:00 Family Guy 02:30 Entourage 03:00 Mad Love 03:30 The Office 04:00 Two And A Half Men 04:30 The Tonight Show With Jay Leno 05:30 Will And Grace 06:00 Coach 06:30 Weird Science 07:00 Late Night With Jimmy Fallon 08:00 Two And A Half Men 08:30 Mad Love 09:00 Will And Grace 09:30 Modern Family 10:00 Outsourced 10:30 Coach 11:00 Weird Science 11:30 The Tonight Show With Jay Leno 12:30 Two And A Half Men 13:00 The Office 13:30 Malcolm In The Middle 14:00 Coach 14:30 Modern Family 15:00 Outsourced 15:30 The Daily Show With Jon Stewart 16:00 The Colbert Report 16:30 Weird Science 17:00 Late Night With Jimmy Fallon 18:00 Melissa And Joey 18:30 Mr. Sunshine 19:00 Outsourced 19:30 How I Met Your Mother 20:00 The Tonight Show With Jay Leno 21:00 The Daily Show With Jon Stewart 21:30 The Colbert Report 22:00 Saturday Night Live 23:00 Neighbors From Hell 23:30 The Tonight Show With Jay Leno

00:00 01:00 02:30 03:00 04:00 05:00 07:00 08:00 09:00 10:00 11:00 12:00 13:30 14:00 15:00 16:00 17:00 18:00 18:30 19:00 20:00 21:00 22:00 23:00

00:00 01:00 02:00 03:00 05:00 06:00 07:00 07:30 08:00 09:00 10:00 12:00 14:00 15:00 16:00 16:30 18:00

The Good Guys The X Factor (US) Look-A-Like Glee One Tree Hill Good Morning America The Good Guys Tower Prep The Ellen DeGeneres Show Friday Night Lights The View The X Factor (US) Look-A-Like Survivor: South Pacific Live Good Morning America One Tree Hill The Ellen DeGeneres Show Emmerdale Coronation Street C.S.I. C.S.I. New York C.S.I. Miami Scoundrels The Good Guys

No Ordinary Family Psych Friday Night Lights The X Factor (US) Glee Survivor: South Pacific According To Jim According To Jim Hawthorne Friday Night Lights The X Factor (US) Glee Hawthorne Psych According To Jim Coronation Street White Collar

19:00 20:00 21:00 22:00 23:00

C.S.I. C.S.I. New York C.S.I. Miami Any Human Heart Terriers

01:00 03:30 05:15 07:15 09:00 11:15 13:15 PG15 15:30 17:45 19:30 21:15 23:15

Public Enemies-18 The Final-18 Medium Raw-PG15 Ong Bak 2-PG15 The Karate Kid I-PG15 8 Mile-PG15 The Hunt For Red OctoberThe Karate Kid I-PG15 The Bannen Way-PG15 Juice-18 Tupac: Resurrection-18 The Final Destination-18

00:00 Love Happens-PG15 02:00 Julie And Julia-PG15 04:15 Leave It To Beaver-PG 06:00 Cloudy With A Chance Of Meatballs-PG 08:00 Babe: Pig In The City-FAM 10:00 The Open Road-PG15 12:00 I Love You Beth Cooper-PG15 14:00 Checking Out-PG15 16:00 Love Happens-PG15 18:00 Four Last Songs-PG15 20:00 Stan Helsing-18 22:00 Palo Alto-18

01:00 03:15 05:15 07:15 09:00

Thunderheart-18 Blue Valentine-18 City Of Life-PG15 Guarding Tess-PG Free Style (2008)-PG15

11:00 13:00 14:45 16:45 19:00 21:00 23:00

City Of Life-PG15 Guarding Tess-PG End Of The Spear-PG15 Capitalism: A Love Story-PG15 Flying By-PG15 Enid-PG15 Game Of Four-PG15

01:30 Chasing Papi-PG 03:00 Prince Of Persia: The Sands Of Time-PG15 05:00 Cats & Dogs-PG 07:00 Adam-PG15 09:00 You Again-PG15 10:45 Paper Man-PG15 12:45 Good Hair-PG15 14:30 Avatar-PG 17:15 You Again-PG15 19:00 Crazy On The Outside-PG15 21:00 Mercy-18 23:00 All Good Things-18

00:00 The Three Musketeers-FAM 02:00 The Last Airbender-PG 04:00 Last Of The Mohicans-PG 06:00 A Venetian Rascal Goes To America-PG15 08:00 Dinosaur Island-PG 10:00 The Adventures Of Rocky And Bullwinkle-FAM 12:00 Like Mike-PG 14:00 A Simple Wish-FAM 16:00 Legend Of Sleeping Beauty-PG 17:45 The Adventures Of Rocky And Bullwinkle-FAM 20:00 Ulysses-PG 22:00 A Simple Wish-FAM

04:00 Whip It-PG15 06:00 Nanny Mcphee And The Big

THE A-TEAM ON OSN CINEMA

Bang-PG 08:00 Flicka 2-PG15 10:00 My Dog Tulip-PG15 12:00 Accidents Happen-PG15 14:00 Long Weekend-PG15 16:00 Flicka 2-PG15 18:00 The Lightkeepers-PG15 20:00 The Hurt Locker-18 22:15 A Fork In The Road-PG15

00:00 01:00 02:00 03:00 04:00 05:00 06:00 07:00 08:00 10:00 10:30 12:30 13:30 14:00 16:00 17:00 18:00 20:00 20:30 22:30 23:45

WWE Tough Enough RWC Weekly Highlights Trans World Sport WWE Bottom Line The Ultimate Fighter UFC 136 Countdown RWC Weekly Highlights Live RWC Matchday Live Rugby World Cup Live RWC Matchday Live Rugby World Cup Live RWC Matchday Total Rugby WWE SmackDown WWE Tough Enough RWC Matchday Rugby World Cup RWC Matchday Rugby World Cup RWC Matchday Rugby World Cup

01:00 03:00 06:30 07:00 08:00 10:00 10:30 12:30 13:30 15:30 16:00 17:00 18:00 20:00 20:30 22:30 23:30

Euro 2012 Qulaifiers Premier League Snooker Total Rugby Live RWC Matchday Live Rugby World Cup 2011 Live RWC Matchday Live Rugby World Cup 2011 Live RWC Matchday Euro 2012 Qulaifiers RWC Matchday Trans World Sport RWC Matchday Rugby World Cup 2011 RWC Matchday Rugby World Cup 2011 RWC Matchday Super League

00:00 00:30 02:30 07:00 11:00 13:00 13:30 14:30 15:00 15:30 19:30 22:00

SPL Highlights Pro 12 Celtic League European PGA Tour Darts Grand Prix Euro 2012 Qualifier Futbol Mundial AFL Highlights European Tour Weekly Live European PGA Tour Futbol Mundial Live Super League Darts Grand Prix

00:00 01:00 03:00 04:00 05:00 06:00 07:00 09:00 10:00 11:00 12:00 13:00 14:00 14:30 15:30 16:00 18:00 20:00 20:30 22:30 23:30

WWE Tough Enough WWE Smackdown WWE Bottom Line UFC The Ultimate Fighter UFC 136 Countdown UFC Unleashed WWE SmackDown WWE Tough Enough WWE Bottom Line WWE NXT WWE Vintage Collection V8 Supercars Championship V8 Supercars Extra Speedway FIM World Total Rugby Live Currie Cup Live Currie Cup RWC Matchday Highlights Live Euro 2012 Qualifiers UFC 136 Countdown WWE Tough Enough

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

Investigating History Ice Road Truckers Mummy Forensics Ancients Behaving Badly Clash of the Gods Battles B.C. Investigating History Ice Road Truckers Mummy Forensics Ancients Behaving Badly Clash of the Gods Battles B.C. Investigating History Ice Road Truckers

14:00 15:00 16:00 17:00 18:00 19:00 20:00 21:00 22:00

Mummy Forensics Ancients Behaving Badly Clash of the Gods Battles B.C. Investigating History Modern Marvels Modern Marvels Inside the Body of Henry VIII The Plague

01:00 01:55 02:25 03:20 04:15 05:10 05:35 06:05 07:00 07:30 08:00 09:00 09:55 10:50 11:50 12:50 13:45 14:15 14:45 15:40 16:35 17:30 19:25 20:20 20:45 21:15 21:40 22:10 23:05 23:30

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 Daily Ruby Ruby Ruby Ruby Videofashion Daily Videofashion News Videofashion News Big Rich Texas Big Rich Texas Jerseylicious How Do I Look?

Videofashion Daily Open House Open House Fashion Police Clean House Comes Clean Kimora: Life In The Fab Lane Top 10 Top 10

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 07:00 07:02 07:25 07:50 08:15 08:40 08:55 09:20 09:45 10:10 10:35 11:00 11:30 11:55 12:20 12:45 13:05 13:30 13:50 14:15 14:40 15:05 15:30 15:55 16:20 16:45 17:10 17:35 17:55 18:20 18:30 20:00 20:30 20:50 21:05 21:40 22:05 22:30 23:00 23:10 23:35

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 Paddington Bear Tom & Jerry Scooby Doo Where Are You! Tom & Jerry Looney Tunes Pink Panther & Pals Puppy In My Pocket Help! It’s The Hair Bear Bunch Yogi’s Treasure Hunt The Garfield Show Pink Panther And Pals Looney Tunes The Scooby Doo Show Tom & Jerry Top Cat Popeye New Yogi Bear Show Tex Avery The Addams Family Droopy & Dripple The Flintstones The Garfield Show Duck Dodgers Wacky Races Scooby-Doo And Scrappy-Doo Dastardly And Muttley The Jetsons Wacky Races Scooby Doo Where Are You! Popeye Classics Scooby Goes Hollywood Top Cat Dastardly And Muttley Tom & Jerry Wacky Races The Scooby Doo Show Tom & Jerry Johnny Bravo Dexters Laboratory The Garfield Show Scooby Doo Where Are You!

WHAT’S ON SATURDAY, OCTOBER 8, 2011

Bangladesh ambassador hosts dinner

S

yed Shahed Reza, Ambassador of Bangladesh hosted a dinner in his residence on Tuesday, October 4, 2011 for visiting government officials from Bangladesh. Seven officers from the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources, Bangladesh Petroleum Corporation, Eastern Refinery and various petroleum companies visited Kuwait for training offered by Kuwait Petroleum Corporation. The ambassador and other officers of the embassy are seen with the visiting high level officers.

Gandhi Jayanti celebrations at ILOA

S

tudents of ILOA put up a spectacular assembly in association with Gandhi Jayanti celebrations on the very morning of October 2, 2011. It was an auspicious moment to relish panoply of anomalous talents.

Peace, taken as the apt theme for the day the enthusiastic children emerged victorious in proving that non-violence plays a vital role in contemporary life. With this weapon only Gandhiji helped our country to attain freedom from the British rule.

Children attired in pure white were explicit symbols of peace. Gandhiji’s life and philosophies which were the indications of the service, peace and unity to all the human kind were also highlighted through a wonderful fusion of power points. It was a visual treat which briefed Gandhiji as a

noble soul.

They saluted Gandhiji through their well planned speeches. The choir group enthralled the audience with their melodious voice by singing Gandhiji’s favourite song. It was a short but sweet programme organized by the zealous children to remember the father of our nation on the very auspicious day.

Success of a program is never achieved in isolation and it was not just a team work but a team that worked. The vibrant team proved that first time initiatives can be culminated into best practices.

Principal Sharma appreciated the efforts of both the teacher and the students for an admirable display of a scintillating assembly befitting the day’s significance.

Careers day at ESF

I

n our commitment to offering Year 11 and 6th form students the best possibilities for a bright future, The English School Fahaheel regularly invites foreign and local universities to speak to students about further studies. This year ESF was proud to host some of the best Canadian universities at the

Lloyd Webber Theatre. Students had an opportunity to speak to representatives about their career choices. Earlier representatives from New York University visited ESF. Many more visits are planned for this academic year.

A

y

e niv rsar n

Years

WHAT’S ON SATURDAY, OCTOBER 8, 2011

Kuwait Times for ‘Most Beautiful Egyptian Child’ contest

By Sherif Ismail

T

he ‘Bawabat Al-Masreyeen’ (Egyptians Gate) Facebook page in Kuwait launched a course in operating the Photoshop program which deals with editing pictures and preparing designs.

There was also a contest for the picture of the most beautiful child among Egyptian community children in Kuwait. The contest started on the 29th of September. The results will be announced on Saturday, October 15 wherein, the top three winners will grace the Kuwait Times office to be awarded of their prices which include free lunch/dinner date at Swiss-Belhotel and a luxury wristwatch (First Prize), free lunch/dinner at Swiss-Belhotel and a food processor(Second Prize); free lunch/dinner at Swiss-Belhotel plus a coffeemaker (Third Prize).

It is worth mentioning that the Gate began dealing with the community’s problems two weeks ago, as it presents them to concerned officials, and the most important problem is that of Egypt Air so far. http://www.facebook.com/egykwt

Maharashtra Mandal celebrates Family Day

M

aharashtra Mandal Kuwait organized a ‘Family Day’ celebration for its members, at the Indian Community School, Khaitan, on Friday, September 16, 2011. The day-long ‘Family Day’ event was a joyous occasion for members and their families as they participated enthusiastically in all the interesting and fun events organized for different age groups. While the little ones enjoyed parading about donned in fancy dresses, the older kids revealed their skills in singing,

playing instruments and dancing in the talent show. The adult members of the family were not left behind, as they got to exhibit their talent in cooking and extempore competitions.

The gathering was also blessed with the presence of quite a few elderly grandparents, who joined in the celebrations by displaying their skills in various events. The well-attended, fullday function concluded with the ever popular Antakshari, where stiff competition prevailed as seventeen teams compet-

ed to win the title. The ‘Family Day’ event, which was sponsored by Al-Mulla Exchange, was part of the series of wholesome family events regularly organized by Maharashtra Mandal Kuwait for its members.

A

y

e niv rsar n

Years

health & science

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 8, 2011

Unpaid AIDS workers in Nepal ‘turn to prostitution’ KATHMANDU: Desperate AIDS charity workers in Nepal are turning to prostitution to pay bills and buy food because government bureacracy has denied them their wages, campaigners claimed yesterday. Gay rights and AIDS charity the Blue Diamond Society said it had been unable to pay its outreach workers, who receive as little as 3,000 rupees ($38) a month, for 12 weeks.

“There are about 400 outreach and peer educators in Nepal and some are living with HIV,” said the group’s leader, Nepalese lawmaker

Sunil Babu Pant. “Their main job is to educate people into safer sex, distribute condoms, provide HIV and sexuality counselling etcetera.”

“We don’t have exact details, but many have turned to sex work to survive,” he said. Pant said many of his employees might even be failing to use condoms in border areas where free contraception is no longer available.

The World Policy Institute thinktank said on its blog this week that non-governmental organisations (NGOs) battling HIV/AIDS in Nepal

were being denied $10 million in aid currently being held by the government.

The money has been in limbo since 2009 when Nepal announced it would stop funding HIV/AIDS education programmes, saying that infection rates were slowing down. After pressure from the World Bank, the deeply impoverished Himalayan country agreed to reverse its decision, but problems with contract negotiations and other bureaucratic delays have meant the money has still not been released.

“While stories of stagnant bureaucracy in Nepal’s fledgling democratic government are not new, the consequences this time will put those increasingly dependent on NGO support at great risk,” said Kyle Knight, author of the World Policy Institute blog post.

About one percent of the adult population of Nepal is estimated to be HIV positive, according to the Joint United Nations Program on HIV/AIDS. No one was immediately available for comment from the health ministry. — AFP

Pancreatic cancer declining Among most deadly

PRAGUE: Kangal fish, also called Doctor fish, nibble the feet of a customer yesterday at a Thai medical center at Wenceslav square in Prague. — AFP

Taking dietary supplements? It may be too much: Study NEW YORK: People who take dietary supplements to boost their intake of minerals may actually be getting too much of a good thing-and even risk serious problems.

According to a US study published in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, people who take dietary supplements also tend to get more nutrients from their food than those who don’t take supplements-suggesting that vitamins may be taken by the people who need them least.

In some cases, supplement users may actually be overloading on minerals, such as iron, that can cause potentially serious health problems, researchers said. “People need to choose supplements to help meet, but not exceed, the recommended daily intake levels,” said Regan Bailey, a nutrition research at the National Institutes of Health, who led the study. Bailey and her colleagues used dietary surveys to assess mineral intake among 8,860 men and women who participated in a major government health survey between 2003 and 2006. Men and women who reported using dietary supplements containing eight important minerals-calcium, iron, magnesium, zinc, phosphorus, copper, potassium and selenium-were much less likely to be getting inadequate amounts of those minerals from the foods they ate than were people who said they didn’t take supplements, the study found.

The link was strongest for women, who are more likely than men to take supplements. Supplement users, in turn, tended to eat better and live healthier lifestyles than nonusers, Bailey noted.

The NIH team also found that calcium intake often fell below recommended levels, even among professed supplement users. Roughly a quarter of supplement users, and 71 percent of nonusers, did not receive the recommended daily amount of calcium — 800 to 1,000 milligrams a day for men over age 51 and 1,000 to 1,200 mg per day for women of the same age. Calcium is necessary for the healthy formation of bone. Older people were much more likely to fall short of their daily calcium requirements-but also to exceed them. —Reuters

SAN FRANCISCO: Pancreatic cancer is notoriously lethal - there are almost as many deaths from it each year as there are new cases. The deaths this week of Apple founder Steve Jobs and Nobelist Ralph Steinman bring unusual attention to this less-well-known type of cancer that has actually been declining despite no big advances in treatment or finding it early.

A decline in smoking, one of the top risk factors for the disease, may be behind the drop in cases.

Jobs lived more than seven years after being diagnosed with a neuroendocrine tumor - a less common, slower-growing and more treatable type of pancreatic cancer than the kind that killed Steinman a week ago and actor Patrick Swayze two years ago.

The Apple chief kept details of his illness behind a firewall and declared he was cured after cancer surgery in 2004. However, five years later, gaunt and having lost a lot of weight, Jobs had a liver transplant. Experts said it was likely because his cancer had returned or spread.

A liver transplant sometimes can cure the type of cancer that Jobs had.

But if it comes back, “it’s usually in one to two years,” said Dr. Michael Pishvaian of Georgetown University’s Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer

Center. In January, Jobs announced his third and final leave of absence. He resigned in August and died on Wednesday. Part of what makes pancreatic cancer so deadly is that the pancreas is as vital as the heart. You can live with just part of a liver or a colon, or only one kidney or lung. But the pancreas is a fish-shaped organ that makes digestive enzymes and insulin and other hormones that enable the body to make energy from food. In the United States, pancreatic cancer is the fourth leading cause of cancer deaths. About 44,030 people will be diagnosed with it and about 37,660 people will die of it this year in the US, the American Cancer Society estimates.

Possible symptoms are fatigue, back pain, abdominal pain, unexplained weight loss, loss of appetite, jaundice and nausea, according to the Lustgarten Foundation, a private group that finances research on the disease. This cancer often is not found until it is advanced or has spread, and overall survival is dismal: 20 percent after one year and only 4 percent after five years. However, with a neuroendocrine tumor like the one Jobs had, “people can live a longer time; median survival is five to eight years,” said Dr. Alan Venook, a pancreatic cancer

specialist at the University of California, San Francisco.

The lifetime risk of developing pancreatic cancer is about 1 in 71, according to the cancer society. Men and blacks account for more cases than women and whites, possibly because of differences in smoking rates.

Smokers have two to three times more risk of developing the disease.

Use of smokeless tobacco also raises the risk. Obese people, those who don’t exercise much and diabetics also have more risk for pancreatic cancer. Alcohol use might play a role: Most studies haven’t tied it to pancreatic cancer, but heavy drinking can lead to diabetes and liver and pancreas problems that pose a cancer risk, the cancer society says.

The best hope for a patient is that the tumor is operable. That was the case in February 2009, when US Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg had a small, early-stage pancreatic tumor removed at New York’s Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center.

On the horizon are immune system treatments - research that Steinman, the Nobel recipient from Rockefeller University in New York, was studying in the lab and trying on his own pancreatic cancer. — AP

Pollutants tied to kid’s asthma risk AMSTERDAM: A mother’s exposure to airborne pollutants at work during her pregnancy may increase the likelihood that her unborn child will later develop asthma, a Danish study said. The review of registry data on 45,658 sevenyear-old children and their mothers found that 18.6 percent of children of mothers who were exposed to low-molecular-weight particles at work during pregnancy developed asthma, compared to 16.1 percent of the general population.

“This is the first large-scale study which has shown an association between maternal exposures during work and asthma in children,” said study leader Berit Christensen, at the School of Public Health in Denmark, in a statement. For the study, which was presented at the European Respiratory Society’s recent annual congress in Amsterdam, Christensen and colleagues used mothers’ job titles to estimate their exposure to workplace pollutants, with categories for either low- or high-molecular-weight particles, mixed, farmers, “unclassifiable” and students, as well as a reference group of office workers for comparison.

After adjusting for age, body mass index, allergy and

hypersensitivities, smoking, medication and pets, there was a slightly higher risk-about 11 percent-for asthma in children when their pregnant mothers were exposed to particles of both low molecular weight and high molecular weight.

The researchers found no asthma associations in the other exposure groups. Experts greeted the results warily.

“Results like these should always be interpreted with caution since they may be caused by confounding from other lifestyle factors that are not easily adjusted for,” said Klaus Bonnelykke, of the Danish Pediatric Asthma Center, who was not involved in the research.

“However, thee is increasing evidence that the prenatal period may be a critical period affecting the offspring’s risk for later development of asthma and other (allergic) diseases,” he told Reuters Health by email.

Christensen agreed that more work is needed. “Whilst a link has been found, our results at this stage are modest and further research is needed into specific chemicals and substances to determine those that could be most harmful,” Christensen added. — Reuters

A

y

e niv rsar n

Years

health & science

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 8, 2011

Healthy men don’t need prostate screening WASHINGTON: A US government panel has found that routine screening for prostate cancer does not help save the lives of healthy men and often triggers the need for more tests and treatments, US media said yesterday. The US Preventive Services Task Force’s draft recommendations, due to be made public next week, are likely to face a pushback from advocates of the PSA blood test as

well as from drugmakers and doctors who benefit from the now-lucrative screening industry.

Based on the results of five clinical trials, the recommendation to avoid a prostatespecific antigen (PSA) test - which measures the level of the protein in the blood - applies to healthy men of all ages, The New York Times reported. But it could have an espe-

senses' harmony ... with life

cially dramatic impact on the care for men aged 50 and older, who are routinely administered the PSA test. “If any benefit does exist, it is very small after 10 years,” the task force said, citing two major trials in Europe and the United States on the value of PSA testing.

The task force also found no evidence that other forms of screening, such as an ultrasound or digital rectal exam or ultrasound,

A Al-Seef Hospital V Visiting Doctors Program

are effective. It did not examine whether testing was beneficial to men who have already been treated for the disease or who show suspicious symptoms. A million men, who had had the PSA test and would otherwise not have been treated, got surgery, radiation therapy or a combination of both between 1986 and 2005, the task force said, according to the Times. — AFP

17 th - 2 th 4 Oct

David D avid W W.. Kennedy Kennedy,, M.D.

. 2011

D DfcZYggcf cZ Chc`Ufmb[c`c[m DfcZYggcf cZ Chc`Ufmb[c`c[m Ib]jYfg]hm cZ Ib]jYfg]hm cZ DYbbgm`jUb]U Z DYbbgm`jUb]U D]cbYYf ]b 9bXcgWcd]W G]big Gif[Yfm UbX a]b]aU``m ]bjUg]jY gif[Yfm Zcf g]big UbX g_i`` VUgY hiacfg D D]cbYYf ]b 9bXcgWcd]W G]big Gif[Yfm UbX a]b]aU``m ]bjUg]jY gif[Yfm Zcf g]big UbX g_i`` VUgY hiacfg FYW]d]Ybh cZ IG ÅD\mg]W]Ub cZ h\Y MYUfÆ UkUfX &$%$ F FYW]d]Ybh cZ IG ÅD\mg]W]Ub cZ h\Y MYUfÆ Uk kUfX &$%$ FYW]d]Ybh cZ h\Y 5aYf]WUb 5WUXYam cZ Chc`Ufmb[c`c[m DfUWh]h]cbYf 9lWY``YbWY 5kUfX F FYW]d]Ybh cZ h\Y 5aYf]WUb 5WUXYam cZ Chcc`Ufmb[c`c[m DfUWh]h]cbYf 9lWY``YbWY 5kUfX = = =bhY =bhYfbUh]cbU``m fYWc[b]nYX Zcf YldYfh]gY ]b bUh]cbU`` YWc[b] YX Zc Y Y h]gY ]b g]big UbX g_i`` g]b g UbX g_ `` VUgY gif[Yf VUgY g [Y m =bhYfbUh]cbU``m fYWc[b]nYX Zcf YldYfh]gY ]b g]big UbX g_i`` VUgY gif[Yfm DUgh DfYg]XYbh cZ h\Y 5aYf]WUb 5WUXYam cZ Chc`Ufmb[c`c[m!<YUX UbX BYW_ Gif[Yfm D DUgh DfYg]XYbh cZ h\Y 5aYf]WUb 5WUXYam cZ Chc`Ufmb[c`c[m!<YUX UbX BYW_ Gif[Yfm 5aYf]WUb F\]bc`c[]W GcW]Yhm UbX =bhYfbUh]cbU` F\]bc`c[]W GcW]Yhm Gc cW]Yhm UbX =bhYfbUh]cbU` F\]bc`c[]W GcW]Yhmm

For Reser Reservation vattion and Further inquires:

60014054

To advertise adverttise on this page pleasse contact us: please

248 8 33 199 ads@kuwaittimes.net ads@k kuwaittimes.net

CLASSIFIEDS CHANGE OF NAME I, HAZEEM MOHAMMAD ZAID S/O MOHAMMAD ZAID holder of Indian Passport No: Z1842542 hereby change my name to HAZEM MOHAMMAD ZIAD SHOASHAH. (C 3674) 8-10-2011 I, Shina Kurian holder of Indian Passport No. E8470284 here by change my name to SHYNA KURIAN. Hence forth all my dealings and documents will be known by my new name.

(C 3669)

SITUATION VACANT Manager (Asian) in Maiden Hawally looking for a maid on part time duty. Please call 97263962 for details.

(C 3673) 5-10-2011

MATRIMONIAL Orthodox, Jacobite well settled parents invite proposals for their daughter 25 years, 168cm, fair, M.B.A employed in a private firm in Kuwait from parents of professionally qualified boys. Email: sushirishta@gmail.com (C 3672)

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 8, 2011

information SATURDAY, OCTOBER 8, 2011

DIAL 161 FOR AIRPORT INFORMATION In case you are not travelling, your proper cancellation of bookings will help other passengers to use seats Airlines THY ETH PIA UAE DHX ETD MSR FDB GFA QTR JZR THY JZR JZR KAC BAW KAC FCX KAC KAC KAC FDB KAC KAC KAC KAC UAE QTR ABY ETD GFA MHK JZR QTR MSR IRC JZR IRM KAC MSR KNE UAL RJA MSR FDB KAC JZR SWT QTR SWT KAC SVA KAC KNE VOS JZR CLX QTR JZR KAC AFR IRC ETD KAC UAE SYR KAC GFA SVA JZR JZR ABY

Arrival Flights on Sunday 8/10/2011 Flt Route 772 ISTANBUL 622 ADDIS ABABA 239 SIALKOT 853 DUBAI 370 BAHRAIN 305 ABU DHABI 614 CAIRO 67 DUBAI 211 BAHRAIN 138 DOHA 529 ASSIUT 770 ISTANBUL 503 LUXOR 555 ALEXANDRIA 412 MANILA/BANGKOK 157 LONDON 416 JAKARTA/KUALA LUMPUR 201 BAHRAIN 206 ISLAMABAD 382 DELHI 302 MUMBAI 53 DUBAI 352 COCHIN 284 DHAKA 344 CHENNAI 362 COLOMBO 855 DUBAI 132 DOHA 125 SHARJAH 301 ABU DHABI 213 BAHRAIN 711 BAGHDAD/NAJAF 165 DUBAI 6130 DOHA 623 SOHAG 6807 SHIRAZ 201 DAMASCUS 5066 MASHAD 672 DUBAI 610 CAIRO 703 MEDINAH 982 WASHINGTON DC DULLES 640 AMMAN 621 ASSIUT 57 DUBAI 786 JEDDAH 357 MASHAD 93 DUBAI/KANDAHAR 140 DOHA 93 DUBAI/KANDAHAR 562 AMMAN 500 JEDDAH 552 DAMASCUS 745 JEDDAH 77 NAJAF 257 BEIRUT 792 LUXEMBOURG 134 DOHA 535 CAIRO 118 NEW YORK 6706 PARIS 6791 MASHAD 303 ABU DHABI 154 ISTANBUL 857 DUBAI 341 DAMASCUS 178 GENEVA/FRANKFURT 215 BAHRAIN 510 RIYADH 777 JEDDAH 239 AMMAN 127 SHARJAH

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

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

550 3553 63 227 177 227 104 502 542 618 607 774 674 458 572 975 61 179 647 402 789 788 618 372 445 859 217 136 614 981 135 606 513 185 612 636 393 539 637 976 447 773 622 240

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

Airlines UAE FDB DHX ETD MSR QTR THY JZR GFA JZR KAC JZR BAW FDB JZR KAC KAC KAC JZR KAC UAE ABY KAC KAC QTR ETD GFA

Departure Flights on Saturday 8/10/2011 Flt Route 854 DUBAI 68 DUBAI 371 BAHRAIN 306 ABU DHABI 615 CAIRO 139 DOHA 771 ISTANBUL 164 DUBAI 212 BAHRAIN 200 DAMASCUS 785 JEDDAH 356 MASHAD 156 LONDON 54 DUBAI 534 CAIRO 153 ISTANBUL 671 DUBAI 551 DAMASCUS 256 BEIRUT 561 AMMAN 856 DUBAI 126 SHARJAH 101 LONDON/NEW YORK 549 SOHAG/SHARM EL SHEIKH 133 DOHA 302 ABU DHABI 214 BAHRAIN

17:50 17:50 17:55 18:00 18:00 18:00 18:35 18:45 18:50 18:55 19:05 19:25 19:25 19:35 19:35 19:55 20:00 20:10 20:10 20:15 20:25 20:25 20:55 21:00 21:05 21:15 21:25 21:35 22:00 22:00 22:10 22:15 22:20 22:35 22:50 23:00 23:15 23:30 00:40 00:50 00:55 02:15 02:30 03:30

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

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

165 541 776 78 776 541 238 712 501 6131 624 6808 176 702 5065 611 641 58 622 982 673 787 746 617 178 505 773 512 141 538 792 82 304 6792 135 6706 342 858 216 128 184 266 3554 511 64 613 134 228 283 411 604 571 62 331 528 351 648 790 403 457 619 543 373 445 860 218 102 381 137 301 205 502 554 607 981 613

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

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

11:45 12:00 12:00 12:00 12:00 12:00 12:10 12:20 13:00 13:05 13:10 13:35 13:40 14:10 14:15 14:20 14:30 14:35 14:40 14:45 15:10 15:20 15:30 15:35 16:00 16:00 16:05 16:05 16:15 16:40 16:45 17:00 17:35 17:40 17:45 18:00 18:00 18:05 18:15 18:20 18:25 18:30 18:30 18:35 18:40 19:00 19:10 19:10 19:30 19:35 20:05 20:35 20:40 21:00 21:00 21:05 21:10 21:10 21:15 21:20 21:55 21:55 22:00 22:05 22:25 22:30 22:30 22:30 22:35 22:45 22:55 23:05 23:10 23:15 23:40 23:50

To Yester

Word Sleuth Solution

Yesterday始s Solution

C R O S S W O R D

4 6 2

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 8, 2011

ACROSS 1. (of securities) Not quoted on a stock exchange.

4. A bachelor's degree in architecture.

10. Alsatian artist and poet who was cofounder of Dadaism in Zurich.

13. The syllable naming the fifth (dominant) note of any musical scale in solmization.

14. Something done (usually as opposed to something said).

15. Primitive predaceous North American fish covered with hard scales and having long jaws with needle-like teeth.

16. (Irish) Mother of the ancient Irish gods.

17. English monk and scholar (672-735).

19. An oral cephalosporin (trade names Keflex and Keflin and Keftab) commonly prescribe for mild to moderately severe infections of the skin or ears or throat or lungs or urinary tract.

21. A metric unit of weight equal to one thousandth of a kilogram.

22. A woman hired to suckle a child of someone else.

23. A particular geographical region of indefinite boundary (usually serving some special purpose or distinguished by its people or culture or geography).

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

27. A soft silvery metallic element of the alkali earth group.

29. A long projecting or anterior elongation of an animal's head.

31. (linguistics) Relating to the dative case.

38. Hormone secreted by the posterior pituitary gland (trade name Pitressin) and also by nerve endings in the hypothalamus.

39. Aromatic bulb used as seasoning.

41. Realistic Norwegian author who wrote plays on social and political themes (1828-1906).

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

45. A Mid-Atlantic state.

46. Relating to or characteristic of or occurring on the sea or ships.

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

49. An angular shape characterized by sharp turns in alternating directions.

52. A large fleet.

57. Any plant of the genus Reseda.

59. The cry made by sheep.

60. A genus of Indriidae.

63. Using speech rather than writing.

64. The rate at which heat is produced by an individual in a resting state.

65. English theoretical physicist who applied relativity theory to quantum mechanics and predicted the existence of antimatter and the positron (19021984).

66. An informal term for a father.

67. Take in solid food.

68. A city in southern Turkey on the Seyhan River.

69. The act of scanning.

DOWN 1. Port city on southern Honshu on Osaka Bay. 2. A solution containing chemicals that can change the color of a photographic print.

3. Soreness and warmth caused by friction.

4. A small cake leavened with yeast.

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

6. Goddess of criminal rashness and its punishment.

7. A long narrow natural elevation or striation.

8. A raised framework around a hatchway on a ship to keep water out.

9. A colorless explosive liquid that is volatile and poisonous and foul-smelling.

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

11. The seventh month of the Moslem calendar.

12. Capital and largest city of the Czech Republic.

18. Informal terms for a mother.

20. A sock with a separation for the big toe.

24. A rare heavy polyvalent metallic element that resembles manganese chemically and is used in some alloys.

25. Burst or split open, as of flowers and seeds when releasing pollen or seeds.

28. The eleventh month of the civil year.

30. A very young child (birth to 1 year) who has not yet begun to walk or talk.

32. A sweetened beverage of diluted fruit juice.

33. A bachelor's degree in theology.

34. (Akkadian) God of wisdom.

35. A city in northwestern Syria.

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

37. An associate degree in nursing.

40. An artificial language that is a revision and simplification of Esperanto.

42. Bourbon with bitters and Pernod and sugar served with lemon peel.

43. The seventh month of the Moslem calendar.

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

48. Any plant of the genus Erica.

50. (Babylonian) A demigod or first man.

51. A mountain peak in the Andes in Argentina (21,654 feet high).

53. Avatar of Vishnu.

54. An area in a town where a public mercantile establishment is set up.

55. An informal term for a father.

56. (often followed by `for') Ardently or excessively desirous.

58. Piece of solid food for dipping in a liquid.

59. Informal terms for a mother.

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

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

Yesterday始s Solution

SPORTS

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 8, 2011

McIlroy shares the lead at Korea Open

TAIPEI: Khor Kheng Hwai of Malaysia is seen during the second round of the Yeangder Tournament Players Championship at the Linkou International Golf Club yesterday. — AFP

Khor finds form to share lead in Taiwan TAIPEI: Malaysia’s Khor Kheng Hwai served notice of his talent on Friday, carding a four-under-par 68 to take a share of the second round lead at the Yeangder Tournament Players Championship.

Taiwan’s Chan Shih-chang had a closing eagle on the 18th hole to thank for a share of the lead with Khor after he posted a twoday total of five-under-par 139 at the $300,000 Asian Tour event.

Thailand’s Chapchai Nirat signed for a 71 for a tied-third place alongside Lu Wen-teh and Lin Keng-chi of Taiwan on matching 140s at the Linkou International Golf Club.

Defending champion Thaworn Wiratchant of Thailand got his campaign back on track after he carded a 68 to stay two shots behind the leaders in equal sixth alongside Taiwan’s Chen Haosen, Chiang Chen-chih and Mars Pucay of the Philippines. Khor, who suffered from leg cramps during his round, hopes he can finally fulfill his true potential after another solid round where his only blemish was a bogey on the par-four second. “I’m pleasantly surprised with how I’ve played the last two rounds as I’ve been struggling with my game the whole year. But when I came out to play during the practice rounds, I started hitting the ball very well and it surprised me as well,” said Khor.

The 26-year-old Malaysian turned professional in 2008 but has often relied on his country exemption status to earn playing opportunities on the Asian Tour. Chan, who started the day in tied-32 after an opening 72, made his quick move up the leaderboard with three birdies in his opening four holes. After reaching the turn in 33, he traded two bogeys against two birdies in his next five holes. A magical eagle-three on the par-five 18th then brought him back to the top for a share of the lead with Khor.

“Overall I’m happy with how I’ve played today. The eagle on the 18th was especially sweet as it’s always nice to see your name right at the top of the leaderboard,” said Chan. — AFP

Saltman brings home the bacon MADRID: Briton Elliot Saltman hammed it up in style in yesterday’s Madrid Masters second round as he captured a hole-inone, remarkably his third of the year. Saltman’s ace came at El Encin’s 204-yard third hole and it earned the 29-year-old Scot his weight in Iberico ham. Weighing in at 240 lbs, Saltman can look forward to dining out on his prize, worth more than €8,000 ($10,722), for some weeks. “This is going to last me until next Christmas, never mind this one,” Saltman told Reuters. “I’ve been trying to lose some weight but I’m glad now I’ve not lost that much.” While Saltman’s hole-in-one with a seven-iron failed to get him past the cut, his playing-partner, England’s Lee Slattery, held an early one-stroke lead over the field on an 11under-par 133. “It’s great to be on top but I hope Elliot’s going to send me some ham when we get home,” the leader said.

Saltman’s stroke of fortune follows his rare achievement in June when he claimed two aces in the same week at Celtic Manor in the Wales Open.

In May he came within an inch of another hole-in-one, which would have won him a car, at the Majorca Open. It has not been all smiles for Saltman this year. He served a three-month ban at the start of the season after being found guilty of putting irregularities in last year’s Russian Challenge event. — Reuters

SEOUL: World number three Rory McIlroy remained in the hunt to win his first title since the US Open triumph in June as he took a share of the five-way lead at the halfway stage of the Korea Open yesterday. The mop-haired Northern Irishman was tied for a three-shot lead with Korea’s defending champion Y E Yang, his compatriot Mo Joong-kyung, Australia’s Bronson La’Cassie and American Rickie Fowler after the second round. McIlroy, who finished third at the tournament in 2009, followed up his opening round 68 with a twounder 69 at the Woo Jeong Hills Country Club.

McIlroy, who followed back-to-back

third-place finishes at the European Masters and Dutch Open with a runner-up spot at last week’s Dunhill Links Championship, believes he is well poised to end the wait. “It was a good round. I felt it could have been lower, but I played solid golf and holed some nice putts,” the 22year old said after hitting five birdies and three bogeys in the day. “It’s a good start to the tournament and I have put myself in a good position going into the weekend.” Korean Mo set the course on fire with five birdies and an eagle for a fiveunder 66 that gave him a share of the overnight lead at a two-day total of 137.

“I’ve been hitting the ball well lately and

the putter came round this week, so I am pretty comfortable with my game,” Mo said. “I’ve been having a pretty good year and winning a Korea Open is every Korean’s dream. It would be nice, but there are two days to go.”

Yang, the first Asian born man to win a major at the 2009 US PGA Championship, carded a round of one-under 70 to remain in the hunt for a third Korea Open title. “In the morning it was very cold, so on the front nine I did not play well and I was not able to record a lot of birdies,” he told reporters. “But on the back nine I felt better, although I regret not being able to score better.” — Reuters

Another ordinary start for Woods Cantlay has fun taming the Tiger SAN MARTIN, California: Coming off a rare birdie, Tiger Woods was trying to keep at least a little momentum on his side with a 4-foot par putt on the 16th hole. When it caught the left edge of the cup and dipped out, he froze. The ball rolled 360 degrees along the rim before it plopped back in, and Woods wasn’t sure what to think. The way his return to golf went Thursday in the Frys.com Open, he half-expected it to stay out. Despite finding six bunkers, losing a ball in the hazard, hitting only half of his fairways and half of his greens, Woods had few complaints about his first competition in seven weeks.

Except for his putter. “Not happy,” he said after walking off the 18th green with a 2-over 73. Texas Open winner Brendan Steele shot a 31 on the back nine for a 4under 67, putting him in a four-way tie for the lead with Garrett Willis, Briny Baird and Matt Bettencourt. With a chill in the air, clouds creeping down off the foothills and occasional bursts of showers, low scores were at a premium. Only 36 players in the 132-man field managed to break par. One of them came from Woods’ group - UCLA sophomore Patrick Cantlay, who outplayed Woods, especially on the greens, and had a 2-under 69.

For Woods, it was his sixth consecutive round in which he failed to break par, and in a tie for 86th, he was in danger of missing consecutive cuts for the first time in his 15-year career. “That’s probably one of the worst putting rounds I’ve ever had,” Woods said. “I can’t putt the ball any worse than I did today.” Woods headed to the practice green at CordeValle in the chill of late afternoon, trying to find something. This is his final PGA Tour event of the year, and a chance to quiet the critics of Fred Couples’ decision to make him a captain’s pick for the Presidents Cup team, a move that left out PGA champion Keegan Bradley.

That was the last thing on Woods’ mind. “I’m just playing to get competitive and win a golf tournament,” Woods said.

“It’s not about validation. It’s about going out there and playing. And right now, I’m six back. I need to put together a good round tomorrow and gradually piece my way back into the tournament.” Woods

had not played since the PGA Championship on Aug 12, when he missed the cut for only the third time in a major and finished out of the top 100 for the first time in a major.

Seven weeks later, not much changed.

A birdie on the opening hole to raise hopes that the former No. 1 player - now at No. 51 - might be on his way back. That lasted all of one hole, when he hit three straight shots out of the sand on his way to a bogey, then dropped another shot by

Championship at least gave him time to practice, to nail down the major work in his swing change with coach Sean Foley, and to play 36 holes a day at home in Florida.

Being back on the PGA Tour was different, even if it looked the same. He attributed it all on his putter, and trying to make adjustments during the round didn’t help.

“My stroke got worse because I was trying to do it, and then I started losing confidence in it because I wasn’t hitting my

SAN MARTIN, California: Patrick Cantlay (left) walks by the 15th green as Tiger Woods looks on during the first round of the Frys.com Open at the CordeValle Golf Club on Thursday. — AFP missing a 3-foot par putt. The next two holes were pars, but hardly inspiring. He pulled a tee shot, looking at his hand to suggest it slipped off the club in a light rain. And on the fifth hole, he popped up a fairway metal - the divot on the tee looked like it belonged to a 5-iron - that left him 70 yards behind Louis Oosthuizen.

Even so, Woods said he was generally pleased except for one club in the bag.

And it’s the one club that has haunted him dating to the 2009 PGA Championship, where he lost a four-shot lead on the weekend to Y E Yang at Hazeltine. Woods said the time off since the PGA

line,” he said. “So it was just a downward spiraling. The rest of the game was not too bad. I hit some bad shots, yes. But also I hit some really good ones. And very pleased at the shots I was hitting most of the day. But I got nothing out of the round on the greens. And whatever momentum I could have gotten by hitting good shots ... you know, I just missed putts.”

Along with that 3-foot par putt he missed on No. 3, Woods missed a simple 6foot birdie putt on the ninth that would have put him back at even par at the turn, and a 4-foot birdie putt on the 11th. —AP

SPORTS SATURDAY, OCTOBER 8, 2011

Flyers deny Bruins

Falcons seek revenge as Packers return

BOSTON: Jaromir Jagr returned to the NHL after three years in Russia and recorded his 1,600th career point on Thursday, leading the Philadelphia Flyers to a 2-1 victory over Boston and spoiling the Bruins’ Stanley Cup banner-raising celebration on day one of the new season. Claude Giroux and Jakub Voracek scored 47 seconds apart in the final minute of the first period for the Flyers, who overhauled their roster for this season after being swept out of the playoffs by Boston in the second round. The Bruins went on to win their first Stanley Cup title since 1972. Brad Marchand scored for Boston. Ilya Bryzgalov made 22 saves in his first game for the Flyers since signing a nine-year, $51 million contract. Reigning Vezina Trophy and Conn Smythe Trophy winner Tim Thomas stopped 27 shots for Boston.

Maple Leafs 2, Canadiens 0 In Toronto, James Reimer made 32 saves to start the season with a shutout, leading Toronto over Montreal. Matthew Lombardi scored in his first game in almost a year while Dion Phaneuf had the other goal for the Maple Leafs, who also began last season by beating the Candiens. Toronto was bailed out on several occasions by Reimer. He made a nice early stop on a low shot from Max Pacioretty and turned aside P.K. Subban’s one-timer, getting a fortunate break when the rebound was swept off the post and out.

Penguins 4, Canucks 3, SO In Vancouver, Kris Letang and Evgeni Malkin scored in the shootout and Pittsburgh overcame blowing a two-goal lead, edging Vancouver. Letang, who also had two assists, beat Roberto Luongo with a backhand deke in the shootout and, after Marc-Andre Fleury stopped two Canuck shooters, Malkin sealed it with a strong move to the forehand that stranded Luongo.

Pittsburgh’s Matt Cooke scored twice and James Neal also netted. Fleury finished with 33 saves through overtime as the Penguins played without captain Sidney Crosby, who continues his long recovery from concussion. Maxim Lapierre, Keith Ballard and Daniel Sedin scored for the Canucks, and Luongo had 25 saves. — AP

Preview

TORONTO: Maple Leafs’ Colby Armstrong (top) collides with Montreal Canadiens goaltender Carey Price during the third period of an NHL hockey game on Thursday. — AP

NHL results/standings NHL results and standings on Thursday. Philadelphia 2, BOSTON 1; TORONTO 2, Montreal 0; Pittsburgh 4, VANCOUVER 3 (SO). (SO) denotes shootout win EASTERN CONFERENCE ATLANTIC DIVISION W L OTL GF GA PTS Pittsburgh 1 0 0 4 3 Philadelphia 1 0 0 2 1 NY Rangers 0 0 0 0 0 NY Islanders 0 0 0 0 0 New Jersey 0 0 0 0 0 NORTHEAST DIVISION Toronto 1 0 0 2 0 Ottawa 0 0 0 0 0 Buffalo 0 0 0 0 0 Boston 0 1 0 1 2 Montreal 0 1 0 0 2 SOUTHEAST DIVISION Winnipeg 0 0 0 0 0 Washington 0 0 0 0 0 Tampa Bay 0 0 0 0 0 Florida 0 0 0 0 0 Carolina 0 0 0 0 0

2 2 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

WESTERN CONFERENCE CENTRAL DIVISION St. Louis 0 0 0 0 0 0 Nashville 0 0 0 0 0 0 Detroit 0 0 0 0 0 0 Columbus 0 0 0 0 0 0 Chicago 0 0 0 0 0 0 NORTHWEST DIVISION Vancouver 0 0 1 3 4 1 Minnesota 0 0 0 0 0 0 Edmonton 0 0 0 0 0 0 Colorado 0 0 0 0 0 0 Calgary 0 0 0 0 0 0 PACIFIC DIVISION San Jose 0 0 0 0 0 0 Phoenix 0 0 0 0 0 0 Los Angeles 0 0 0 0 0 0 Dallas 0 0 0 0 0 0 Anaheim 0 0 0 0 0 0 Note: Overtime losses (OTL) are worth one point in the standings and are not included in the loss column (L)

Tigers edge Yankees NEW YORK: Don Kelly and Delmon Young homered in the first inning and Detroit’s pitchers made the lead stand up Thursday as the Tigers edged the New York Yankees 3-2 to advance in the Major League Baseball playoffs. The Tigers won the best-of-five American League first-round series three games to two to make it to the American League championship series against the Texas Rangers. Detroit closing pitcher Jose Valverde shut down the Yankees in the ninth inning as the Tigers eliminated the Yankees in the first round for the second time in six seasons.

Detroit’s Victor Martinez drove in a run with a single off CC Sabathia - the Yankees ace making an unprecedented appearance as a reliever - to give Detroit a 3-0 lead in the top of the fifth inning. Detroit starting pitcher Doug Fister, who stranded six Yankees base runners in the second through fourth innings, then surrendered Robinson Cano’s solo home run in the bottom of the fifth as the Yankees narrowed the gap to 3-1.

The tension mounted as the Yankees edged closer in the seventh inning when Tigers relief pitcher Joaquin Benoit walked Mark Teixeira with the bases loaded to let the Yankees close to 3-2.

Benoit then struck out Nick Swisher with a fastball to preserve the lead. With two outs in the bottom of the eighth, New York’s Brett Gardner singled. Yankees star Derek Jeter then lofted a ball that Kelly caught just at the right-field wall for an out to end the inning.

NEW YORK: New York Yankees’ Nick Swisher watches a home run by Detroit Tigers’ Don Kelly land in the stands in the first inning in Game 5 of baseball’s American League division series Thursday. — AP “It was a gutsy win, especially with all the opportunities they had,” Kelly said. He and Young had homered on the sixth and seventh pitches from Yankees starting pitcher Ivan Nova, the rookie who got the win for New York in game one of the series. — AFP

NEW YORK: The Atlanta Falcons have revenge and Aaron Rodgers on their mind when they face the Super Bowl champion Green Bay Packers on Sunday in a rematch of last season’s NFC divisional playoff game. Packers quarterback Rodgers had the game of his life in last January’s playoff meeting against the NFC’s top-seeded Falcons and, ominously for Atlanta, he returns in top form. The Packers are one of two teams still undefeated in the 2011 campaign and Rodgers, named most valuable player of last season’s Super Bowl, has already amassed 1,325 passing yards.

In the 48-21 playoff win over Atlanta in the Georgia Dome last season, Rodgers went 31-of-36 for 366 yards, threw three touchdowns and ran in for another score as the Packers ended the Falcons’ Super Bowl dreams. Atlanta head coach Mike Smith knows that his team cannot afford to give Rodgers time and space to exploit in the way he did, with his superb footwork, last season. “It’s going to be important for us this week to try to be disruptive and not let (Rodgers) get comfortable in terms of his pocket presence ... something that we learned is that he can really make some plays with his feet,” said Smith. “He was able to have a presence to get away from pressure and get the ball down the field. You watch this guy operate, and I don’t know if there’s a quarterback in the NFL right now that’s playing more efficiently.”

Atlanta strengthened well in the offseason after a 13-3 record in the 2010 campaign but will be somewhat disappointed to only be 2-2 at this stage.

Nonetheless, last week’s 30-28 win at Seattle will have given Smith’s team a timely boost in confidence ahead of the visit from the champion Packers. “We came out last week and executed really well,” said quarterback Matt Ryan, “We were good on third downs and we put ourselves in good third down situations.

We were able to extend those drives. I think that was what was the difference in our start last week.”

Ryan knows that Atlanta cannot afford to turn the ball over like that did in such a costly fashion during their playoff loss to Green Bay when they had four turnovers.

“One of things that we didn’t do well last year was ball security. We turned the football over a couple of times, me specifically, especially in the first half and we put ourselves in a tough spot,” said Ryan. “It comes down to us protecting the football a little bit better than we did last year and that’ll help us run the football.”

Other Week Five matchups include an AFC East divisional encounter where the New York Jets visit Tom Brady and the New England Patriots - always a game with a little extra spice and another repeat from last year’s playoffs. The Jets won that game 28-21 but New England have the top overall offense in the league and Brady leads the league with 1,553 passing yards. The undefeated Detroit Lions host the Chicago Bears (2-2) on Monday. —Reuters

A

y

e niv rsar n

Years

SPORTS SATURDAY, OCTOBER 8, 2011

Preview

World Cup set for knockout thrills and spills AUCKLAND: The World Cup enters the quarter-final stage this weekend with three of the four matches too close to call in what is shaping up as the most unpredictable of all the tournament’s seven editions. Ireland’s shock pool win over Australia has led to a situation where a north against south final is guaranteed in Auckland on October 23. But who those finalists will be remains uncertain ahead of a raft of intriguing last eight clashes.

Today sees Ireland up against Wales in Wellington while a hard-nosed England are wary of what lies ahead when they face a so far misfiring France, who lost two pool matches yet made it through, in Auckland. The southern hemisphere will be centre stage tomorrow with reigning champions South Africa playing bogey side Australia in Wellington and New Zealand facing Argentina at Auckland’s Eden Park. “Samoa could be feeling a little disappointed but probably the right eight are left,” said All Blacks coach Graham Henry, bidding to lead New Zealand to a first World Cup title since they staged and won the inaugural edition in 1987.

“France are a bit lucky and you never know what’s going to happen with them.

They could come out of the blocks on the weekend and be very difficult. There’s a lot of passion between them and the English which is great. The Irish-Welsh game, I think, will be a beauty,” added the

AUCKLAND: New Zealand All Black captain Richie McCaw (center) speaks to teammates Victor Vito (L), Colin Slade (right) and coach Graham Henry (sitting) during training yesterday. — AFP former Wales coach before turning to his attention to the South Africa-Australia match, with the All Blacks eyeing a semifinal against one of their Tri-Nations rivals.

“The Springbok-Australia game, well I hope they knock 25 bells out of each other, that would be great and they all come off buggered. They’re two very good sides and there will be some great rugby

over the weekend.”

New Zealand are widely anticipated to be too strong for an Argentina team still searching for a first win over the All Blacks. But with star playmaker Dan Carter (groin) out of the tournament and influential captain Richie McCaw nursing a foot injury, a New Zealand team where the likes of Zac Guildford, Israel Dagg and

Richard Kahui have all been ruled out of Saturday’s match through injury could yet suffer further damage against the traditionally physical Pumas, third at the 2007 World Cup in France.

Ireland have never got to the semifinals of any World Cup while you have to go back to 1987 for Wales’s last appearance in the final four. This is a shot at glory for both sides but whereas it may be a last chance for an ageing Ireland ‘golden generation’ led by inspirational captain Brian O’Driscoll, a Wales team where skipper Sam Warburton has only just turned 23 appear to have plenty of good days ahead of them. “The big thing for our group of lads is to maybe do something to separate ourselves from Irish teams that have gone before,” said lock Donncha O’Callaghan.

France were dire in defeat by Tonga last weekend but cautious England manager Martin Johnson said: “It’s situation normal, isn’t it? Who knows what to expect from the French? It makes them very dangerous.” Australia have had the edge over South Africa, the only other team to have won the World Cup twice, in recent times with five wins in their last six Tests. But Springbok star Bryan Habana said: “Anything can happen in this competition. So yes, they’ve got the edge over us at the moment but in a knockout game that means nothing.” — AFP

Top four seeds all reach Japan semis

BEIJING: Caroline Wozniacki of Denmark (right) walks past Flavia Pennetta of Italy during their singles quarterfinal match of the China Open tennis tournament yesterday. — AP

Wozniacki dumped out by Pennetta BEIJING: Italian Flavia Pennetta stunned world number one Caroline Wozniacki with a fierce 3-6, 6-0, 7-6 (7/2) comeback in the quarter-finals of the China Open yesterday. The Dane looked to be in control before Pennetta began a fightback, winning the second set to nil, and dominating a third set tie-break. Pennetta, the world number 26, had lost all five of their previous meetings. Wozniacki has claimed six WTA trophies this season but - despite her world ranking - is still searching for her first grand slam crown.

Poland’s Agnieszka Radwanska, the 11th seed and a winner last week in Tokyo, reached the final four after Serbian Ana Ivanovic retired with a back injury while trailing 6-3, 3-2. “I’ve been struggling with my back since actually beginning of last week in Tokyo,” former world number one Ivanovic said. “I’ve been doing lots of treatments on it, but it hasn’t been really getting much better. “I surprised myself that I got to this stage at all.” Giant-killing Romanian qualifier Monica Niculescu fought back from a set down against former champion Maria Kirilenko to reach the semi-finals and keep her dream run alive. Niculescu, the world number 57 who knocked out French Open champion Li Na in the first round, recovered from a slow start to win 3-6, 6-3, 6-4. “I’m really confident. I played four rounds at the US Open. I had a little break afterwards, I’m feeling fit and expecting a lot from myself,” she said. —AFP

TOKYO: Defending champion Rafael Nadal fought off a spirited challenge from Colombia’s Santiago Giraldo yesterday as the top four seeds including Andy Murray safely reached the semi-finals of the Japan Open. Former world number one Nadal, playing his first ATP tournament since losing in the US Open final last month, struggled to break Giraldo’s serve in the first set and needed a tie-break to set him up for a 7-6 (8/6), 6-3 win. Giraldo fell two games behind in the second set, taking only one point, but rallied in the third to break the 25-year-old Spaniard’s serve and make it 1-2.

Nadal took the following decisive game, knocking the Colombian’s resolve. “For me, the mistake was in the third game of the second set at 30-0. That was the moment. After a very tough first set, I had a chance to play more relaxed, more aggressive, but I lost that game,” said Nadal. “He is a very aggressive player. He can hit a winner from every place,” said Nadal, adding that his own forehand would have to improve in the semi-finals.

Today, Nadal will take on American number one Mardy Fish after the fourth seed defeated Bernard Tomic of Australia 6-7 (5/7), 6-4, 6-1. “I just had to hang in there and fight as hard as I could and try to take advantage of any opportunity I had there late in the second set,” said Fish, ranked eighth in the world. “I think it was 4-4 and I am pretty sure he was up 40-0 with a serve and I came back to win that game... and that was sort of a turning point,” he added. Looking forward to his meeting with Nadal, Fish said it is “always a pleasure” to play the Spaniard. “He is one of my good friends out here.

Hopefully it will be fun.”

Second seed Murray, fresh from winning the Thailand Open last weekend, breezed past David Nalbandian of Argentina 6-4, 7-5 in just less than 100 minutes. Nalbandian double-faulted twice at deuce to lose the fifth game of the first set and never recovered. Briton Murray will play third seed and 2007 champion David Ferrer of Spain, winner over Radek Stepanek of the Czech Republic, 6-2, 7-6 (7/3). — AFP

TOKYO: Rafael Nadal of Spain reacts during his quarterfinal match against Santiago Giraldo of Colombia in the Japan Open tennis tournament yesterday. — AP

A

y

e niv rsar n

Years

sports SATURDAY, OCTOBER 8, 2011

Bahrain to host long-delayed GCC Games DUBAI: Bahrain is preparing to host the GCC Games knowing the inaugural event featuring a half-dozen Gulf nations presents something of a test to the kingdom’s embattled monarchy following yearlong protests. The 12-day competition starts Tuesday following a six-month delay and amid a backdrop of ongoing street clashes and questions over Bahrain’s sweeping crackdowns on political opposition. The games are the first major sporting event held in Bahrain since protests began in February, which led Formula One to abandon its annual grand prix race in March. And Bahrain is eager to show that life is returning to normal in the island nation and that it can ensure the safety of the 1,500 athletes.

But protests by the Shiite majority continue as opposition groups claim a 17-year old was killed by police gunfire on Thursday, while anger continues over special security court trials of hundreds of people, including dozens of athletes detained in the crackdown. Ruling family member

Sheikh Ahmed bin Hamad Al-Khalifa, who is general secretary of the Bahrain Olympic Committee, dismissed fears that protesters could disrupt the games as a torch relay began touring the country on Friday as athletes arrived from Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates.

“The message here is a message of love, of welcoming,” Al Khalifa told The Associated Press. “Even though there are these things you mentioned, they are at a minimum level nowadays. They are concentrated in some villages.” Security is expected to be tight around the 10 sports - with only table tennis featuring women - to deter demonstrators who, inspired by uprisings in Tunisia and Egypt, took to the streets in February demanding more liberties from the 200-year-old Sunni dynasty. The regime cracked down with at least 35 people killed and thousands detained.

National dynamics are the biggest hurdle in the Gulf kingdom as the Shiite majority remains defiant over a myriad of con-

cerns against the kingdom’s Sunni monarchy. “I think hosting the GCC Games is a calculated risk by the regime,” said Christopher Davidson, who studies Gulf affairs at Britain’s Durham University. “Reeling from the blow of not hosting the F1 Grand Prix, the government needs to restore some credibility within the region. If the event is held it may give the impression to the international community that Bahrain is ‘back to normal,’” Davidson wrote in an email.

“There is of course a possible backlash if the opposition do not merely boycott the event, but also stage fresh demonstrations and protests.”

Rights groups insist until rights abuses stop, Bahrain shouldn’t get the games especially since the sporting community were among those groups heavily punished for taking part in the anti-government protests. More than 150 athletes, coaches and referees were jailed and as many as 60 are awaiting trial, according to Bahrain Center for Human Rights spokesman Said

Yousif. Former national table tennis champion Anwar Maki said his Shiite background has kept him from competing.

“My only crime is being Shiite and the government doesn’t want to accept the fact Shiite exist in every sector and profession,” said Maki, a father of two who is among 56 athletes who will go on trial on Nov 29.

“They want to end my sports career but they have no right to do so. I still love being a player and still can play no matter what I went through.”

Al-Khalifa acknowledged trials are pending but insists most athletes have had bans lifted and that many who took part in the protests can compete. F1 has already agreed to return in 2012. “After the lifting of (the) ban by their clubs, many players went back to training and the decision to be on national team goes back to only one person, the coach,” Al Khalifa said. “In our situation, we have a lot of players back on national teams and they will take part in the GCC games.” — AP

Button outshines Vettel in practice HYDERABAD: England cricketer Kevin Pietersen throws his bat in the air after missing a shot during a net practice session at The Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium yesterday. — AFP

No DRS in England tour of India: ICC MUMBAI: The controversial Decision Review System (DRS) will not be used during the forthcoming limited-overs series between India and England due to the unavailability of infra-red cameras, the International Cricket Council (ICC) said yesterday. The developers and suppliers of Hot Spot have decided not to make their infra-red cameras available for the five ODIs and a lone Twenty20 match in India, the ICC said in a statement. The Indian cricket board (BCCI) has been a strong opponent of the use of ball tracking technology in DRS but agreed to the ICC’s proposal of a modified version of the technology which allows teams to challenge umpire decisions.

The modified version of DRS, minus the ball tracking technology, was used during India’s recent tour of England and requires mandatory use of infra-red cameras.

However, the BCCI’s newly elected president N Srinivasan said last month that the board does not wish to use the DRS even in its minimum form after the Hot Spot technology drew flak for inconsistent results during the tour. “At the time, we were under the impression that Hot Spot was very good. It is not necessary for me to dwell on the accuracy of Hot Spot, it was there for everybody to see,” Srinivasan said.

“The BCCI will, at the next ICC meeting, raise the issue.

We want to revisit it because we feel that Hot Spot is insufficient. We do not wish to use the DRS in its present form, even in its minimum standard.” — Reuters

SUZUKA, Japan: Jenson Button showed he will make Sebastian Vettel sweat for his second world championship as the Briton topped the timesheets in both practice sessions at the Japanese Grand Prix yesterday.

The 31-year-old McLaren driver, after leading morning practice, set his benchmark time of 1min 31.901secs with 31 minutes remaining in the 90-minute afternoon session at a sunny but windy Suzuka. Button, the 2009 world champion, is 124 points adrift of Red Bull’s Vettel, meaning he has to win all five remaining races - and needs Vettel to finish no better than 11th in every race - to deny the German back-to-back titles.

Vettel, who crashed out in the final stages of the morning session, was third in afternoon practice, 0.194secs off top spot. He needs only one point to seal the world driver’s crown. The 24-year-old said the crash was a timely reminder to retain focus. “I think it was not really a big mistake. Maybe at that moment I was not 100 percent awake, and mistakes around here can be quite costly,” said Vettel. “I went off and tried to slow the car down as much as possible, but didn’t make it and hit the wall slightly. I had a good reminder not to start thinking about something else.”

The German said his afternoon session was slightly compromised by the shunt, but was happy with narrowing the gap to Button. Button said despite heading the timesheets, McLaren still needed to search for more pace in Japan. “I’m pretty happy with today, but we need to improve a lot more to really feel confident that we could really challenge the Red Bulls,” he said. “I don’t think we’re the quickest still - on long runs, we still have a bit of work to do to challenge the Red Bulls - but we have a good base,” he said.

Button feels Red Bull - and particularly Vettel - still hold the edge with heavy fuel in the cars. Splitting the only two men in mathematical contention for the title was Spaniard Fernando Alonso, who finished 0.174secs behind Button’s session-best time for Ferrari.

Australian Mark Webber was fourth for Red Bull, while Alonso’s Ferrari teammate, Brazilian Felipe Massa, was fifth. German pair and Mercedes team-mates Michael Schumacher and Nico Rosberg were sixth and seventh ahead of Briton Lewis Hamilton, who finished a disappointing 1.344secs behind team-mate Button for McLaren.

with 30 minutes remaining.

Maldonado’s woes capped off a disastrous Friday for Williams after Brazilian Rubens Barrichello crashed at the same corner earlier in the session. The 39-year-old veteran, who is yet to be confirmed by the British team for next year, dropped his left rear wheel onto the grass under braking

SUZUKA, Japan: Red Bull driver Sebastian Vettel of Germany steers his car during a practice session on the Suzuka Circuit at the Japanese Formula One Grand Prix yesterday. — AP Russian Vitaly Petrov (Renault) and Swiss Sebastien Buemi (Toro Rosso) rounded out the top 10.

Two-time world champion Alonso led for much of the first half of the later session before team-mate Massa jumped to top spot after 43 minutes on the softer Pirelli tyre.

Alonso quickly deposed the Brazilian by three-tenths of a second on the softer tyre before Button took over at the top with his session-best lap. Vettel’s best chance of edging ahead of the McLaren driver was thwarted by yellow flags at Turn 8 after the Williams of Venezuelan rookie Pastor Maldonado ground to a halt with an engine problem

and ended up in the barriers. Barrichello, who won the Japanese Grand Prix in 2003 for Ferrari, finished the session in a lowly 18th place.

Barrichello’s compatriot Bruno Senna was one of the few other drivers to have an offtrack excursion in the 90-minute session. The Renault driver spun at Turn One after 30 minutes and ended up in the gravel trap, but was pushed back onto the track by circuit marshals. Local Japanese favourite Kamui Kobayashi survived a couple of lurid moments, including one where he was sideways through the 300km/h Turn 16, to post the 16th-fastest time for Sauber. — AFP

A

y

e niv rsar n

Years

sports SATURDAY, OCTOBER 8, 2011

B’lore enter final BANGALORE: Chris Gayle hammered a 41-ball 92 to power Royal Challengers Bangalore to a six-wicket victory over New South Wales Blues in the Twenty20 Champions League semi-final yesterday. The left-handed opener smashed eight sixes and as many fours in a superb display of power-hitting while Virat Kohli made a brisk 84 not out as Bangalore achieved a challenging 204-run target with nine balls to spare. The pair also upstaged New South Wales opener David Warner, who cracked an unbeaten 123 off 68 balls to become the first batsman to hit successive Twenty20 centuries. Left-handed Warner, who scored an unbeaten 135 in his previous match against Chennai Super Kings on Tuesday, hit 11 sixes and six fours in his rapidfire knock. But Gayle put Bangalore on course for victory with a 141-run stand for the second wicket off just 11 overs with Kohli, who hit three sixes and 10 fours in his 49-ball knock. Seamer Pat Cummins was the most successful bowler with 4-45 off four overs.

Warner and Daniel Smith (62) earlier added 146 for the second wicket to help New South Wales cross the 200-mark after the early dismissal of opener Shane Watson. Smith, who reached his halfcentury with a pulled six off seamer Raju Bhatkal, fell in the 18th over after hitting three sixes and seven fours in his 42-ball knock.

Sri Lanka’s part-time spinner Tillakaratne Dilshan was the most impressive bowler, conceding just 10 runs in four overs after opening the attack. Bangalore will now clash with the winners of today’s semi-final between English county Somerset and Mumbai Indians. — AFP

Romania women lead qualifying at worlds TOKYO: Romania took an early lead in women’s qualifying at the world gymnastics championships in Tokyo yesterday, with Athens Olympics triple gold medallist Catalina Ponor on dazzling form for her comeback. Romania, who won the women’s world title seven times before 2001 and the Olympic gold three times, were in the first qualifying group, which performed on the opening day of the 10-day championships.

Other leading contenders, including last year’s champions Russia, the United States and China, are due to perform today in the

second group.

The eight top-scoring teams from the qualifying round will not only advance to the women’s team finals on Tuesday but also be assured of berths at next year’s London Olympics. Romania, who finished fourth last year, collected 227.228 points with Australia second on 221.846 and Canada third on 215.328. The 24-year-old Ponor posted the highest score on the balance beam, a 15.0.

She won the gold medal in the event when Romania retained the women’s Olympic team title at the 2004 Athens Games.

Ponor, who made her comeback this year after retiring in the run-up to the 2008 Beijing Olympics, ranked 71st in the individual all-around standings in the first group as she performed on only three of the four apparatus. Her 17-year-old teammate Raluca Haidu, ninth all-around last year, led the table with 56.465 points from the four events. Australia’s Lauren Mitchell trailed in second spot on 56.324 and Celine van Gerner of the Netherlands third on 55.465.

The Romanian team refused to talk to reporters after their performances.

Olympic chief cool over Bryant switch ROME: Italian Olympic Committee (Coni) president Gianni Petrucci has poured cold water on Bologna’s attempts to sign global superstar Kobe Bryant on a short-term contract. The Italian side are in negotiations to try to bring the Los Angeles Lakers shooting guard to Bologna during the current NBA lock-out.

Bologna are struggling to find the resources to fund a move for Bryant who is proving much more costly than they had at first anticipated. And Petrucci is wary about the Italian team overcommitting themselves just for a publicity stunt as Bryant’s stay is unlikely to be of a sufficient duration for him to have much influence on their title chances.

“I respect (Bologna president Claudio) Sabatini but I don’t believe that Italian basketball will be enriched by the presence of a phenomenon,” Petrucci told SkySport 24. “I don’t want to create any more problems for basketball, they already have enough.

“I’m not saying I’m against it (the move for Bryant) but you understand my point of view. Right now sporting federations need certain rules, they need tranquility, everyone must have limits.”

While Bologna had proposed a $3-million deal to Bryant to play in nine or 10 matches, current reports in the Italian press suggest the 33-year-old American only wants to make himself available for one match, while expecting $2-million in return.

That would make it almost impossible for Bologna to generate the funds necessary to pay for the move. —AFP

TOKYO: Romanian Elena Amelia Racea performs on the vault during women’s qualification at the world gymnastics championships yesterday. — AFP

Coe calls for life ban for drugs cheats LONDON: London 2012 chairman Lord Coe yesterday called for a zero tolerance policy towards drugs cheats a day after US 400m Olympic champion LaShawn Merritt’s ban against competing in next year’s Games was overturned. Merritt won a case in the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) after challenging the International Olympic Committee’s (IOC) controversial rule which states that anyone banned for doping for sixth months or more should miss the next Olympics. “I am unreconstructed on this - I would have a life ban,” said Coe. Merritt, 25, was banned for 21 months in Oct 2010 after testing positive for the anabolic steroid DHEA in three tests between October 2009 and Jan 2010. His lawyer claimed the drug had been contained in an over-the-counter penis enlargement product and that Merritt had therefore consumed it inadvertently.

British Culture Secretary Jeremy Hunt also argued that a strong anti-drugs message needs to be sent. “There should be no compromise when it comes to drugs in sport. We are working very, very hard to make sure that next year is a clean Olympics. Drugs have been a curse in sport for far too long and we are moving in the right direction. There needs to be no compromise and we need to send out a signal loud and clear that there is no compromise.”

Hundreds of athletes with doping bans are now eligible for London after CAS declared the IOC ruling was “invalid and unenforceable”. The US anti-doping agency USADA lists 33 athletes who would have been prevented from taking part by the IOC but can now do so, including Merritt. British athletes, including cyclist David Millar and sprinter Dwain Chambers, may take hope of potentially

being part of Team GB next year after having both served bans for drugs in the past.

Denis Oswald, chairman of the IOC’s co-ordination commission of inspectors, was in London yesterday to check the progress of preparations for the 2012 Games and he insisted his organisation “respected the right” of each National Olympic Committee (NOC) to decide independently what behaviour is appropriate for athletes. “The autonomy of each National Olympic Committee is to establish their own policy on the eligibility of their athletes,” Oswald said. “It is not just about doping, it could be about gambling.

This is something for the BOA (British Olympic Association) to determine. It is in the Olympic Charter that the NOC has the right to establish the rules of eligibility of the athletes. We fully understand that the BOA has that rule and has had it for a number of years. It has been challenged

but it stands and we respect the right of the BOA.” Oswald and his inspectors were making the ninth and penultimate check-up before the Games begin in July 2012.

Meetings and presentations have been held all week to update the inspectors.

Oswald admitted progress had been made since the last inspection six months ago in a range of areas including ticket sales, cultural events, volunteer recruitment and the 17 sport test events which have been completed over the summer. However, he claimed transport, given the huge demands that will be made on the old network system, remains an area that needs ongoing attention. “I can say that at this stage a lot of progress has been made and a lot of additional information has been given. This is a situation we will have to follow very cautiously until the end,” he said. —AFP

A

y

e niv rsar n

Years

SPORTS SATURDAY, OCTOBER 8, 2011

Germany beat Turkey for ninth win ISTANBUL: Germany beat Turkey 3-1 yesterday to maintain their perfect Euro 2012 qualifying record with nine wins from nine games and dent their opponents’ chances of qualifying.

Mario Gomez fired in from inside the box after a fine solo effort on 35 minutes with Thomas Mueller doubling their lead midway through the second half before Hakan Balta’s goal 12 minutes from time gave the hosts some brief hope.

Bastian Schweinsteiger, however, sent keeper Volkan Demirel the wrong way, converting an 86th minute penalty and securing the win for his team. Already qualified for next year’s tournament, Germany are eager to become the first team from their country to win all qualifiers for a major tournament. They top Group A on 27 points with their last game next week against Belgium. Turkey are on 14 and are hoping Germany will set their record against Belgium to give them a chance of a second-place playoff spot.

Denmark 4- Cyprus 1 Denmark demolished Cyprus 4-1 in their Euro 2012 Group H match yesterday, grabbing all four goals in the first 22 minutes against a flat-footed home side. Denmark moved top of the group on 16 points three ahead of Portugal who kicked off later and Norway. Cyprus’s nightmare started in the seventh minute with a fluke goal by Lars Jacobsen when the ball was deflected onto him after an attempted clearance by a Cypriot defender. Four minutes later Dennis Rommedahl found himself completely unmarked in the box and made it 2-0. With a

Cypriot defence in shambles, the visitors had no problem packing in another two goals within two minutes with Michael Krohn-Dehli, and then Rommedahl bagging his second goal of the night. Cyprus’s Andreas Avraam scored their only goal just before halftime.

Netherlands 1-Moldova 0 Klaas-Jan Huntelaar struck five minutes before the break as Netherlands scraped past Moldova 1-0 in a Euro 2012 Group E qualifier yesterday. The Dutch, already through to next year’s finals, struggled to break down Moldova’s tight defence and when they did find a way through goalkeeper Stanislav Namasco kept out Huntelaar, Robin van Persie and Dirk Kuyt. The group leaders finally netted in the 40th minute when Mark van Bommel released Kuyt down the right and he set up Huntelaar for his 11th goal in this qualifying campaign. Van Persie had the best opportunity of the second half when he hit the bar from 16 metres. Netherlands, with a perfect 27 points from nine games, are certain to finish top. They end the campaign against Sweden, in second spot with 21 points, on Tuesday. Moldova have six points from nine matches.

Romania 2-Belarus 2 Romania’s hopes of qualifying for Euro 2012 vanished when they were twice pegged back in a 2-2 draw at home to Belarus in Group D yesterday. Adrian Mutu opened the scoring from close range in the 19th minute but the visitors equalised on the stroke of halftime

ISTANBUL: Germany’s striker Lukas Podolski vie for the ball with Turkey’s defender Gokhan Gonul (right) and Turkey’s defender Sabri Sarioglu during the UEFA Euro 2012 qualifying match yesterday at the Turkish Telekom Arena. — AFP when the hosts lost possession in their half and Sergei Kornilenko took advantage to score.

Mutu grabbed his second goal when he converted a 51st-minute penalty, only to see Belarus level again through Stanislav Dragun with eight minutes to go. “We must not com-

plain. We need to get back to work for the next qualifying campaign,” Mutu told state television TVR1. Romania have 13 points with one game to go. Belarus have finished their campaign and have the same number of points.— Agencies

Armenia edge closer to first major finals YEREVAN: Armenia, who have never played in the finals of a major championship, crushed 10-man Macedonia 4-1 in a Euro 2012 qualifier yesterday to keep alive their hopes of going through from Group B. First-half goals

by Brazilian-born Marcos Pizzelli and Henrik Mkhitaryan set the hosts up for a third consecutive victory which took them level on 17 points with leaders Russia who visit Slovakia later in the day. Macedonia’s misery was compounded when captain Velice Sumulikoski was sent off for a second booking in the 53rd minute. Armenia wasted several chances after the interval before Gevorg Ghazaryan made it 3-0 midway through the second half. Vance Sikov pulled one goal back for Macedonia with a late header before substitute Artur Sarkisov rounded keeper Martin Bogatinov to slot Armenia’s fourth in added time.

Austria 4- Azerbaijan 1 Austria playmaker Andreas Ivanschitz celebrated his international return after a twoand-a-half year absence with the opening goal in a 4-1 Euro 2012 qualifying win away to 10-man Azerbaijan yesterday. Marc Janko added two goals to help Austria to their first away win for five years in a game between two sides who were already out of the running for a place in Poland and Ukraine next year. Ivanschitz was recalled for the Group A match by caretaker Austria coach Willi Ruttensteiner after Didi Constantini, who never once selected him in over two years at the helm, resigned last month. Azerbaijan defender Sasa Yunisoglu was sent off in the 27th minute for denying Janko a clear scoring chance and Austria went ahead five minutes later when Ivanschitz slotted the ball home

from the edge of the penalty area. Janko scored twice in 10 minutes after halftime and, although Vugar Nadirov pulled one back, Austria substitute Zlatko Junuzovic added a fourth in stoppage time.

Sweden 2-Finland 1 Sweden clinched a top-two position in Euro 2012 Group E qualifying after a smashand-grab 2-1 victory over neighbours Finland yesterday. Hungary, in third place, cannot now catch the Swedes who have a better head-to-head record. An early goal by Sebastian Larsson put the visitors in front but a young Finnish side pressed hard in the pouring Helsinki rain and controlled the first half without threatening keeper Andreas Isaksson’s goal. The home team fell further behind in the 52nd minute when Martin Olsson struck. Joona Toivio pulled one back for Finland, who were routed 5-0 by Sweden earlier in the competition, after 73 minutes.

Talismanic striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic was shown a yellow card and will miss the last game of the campaign against group leaders Netherlands on Tuesday.

Latvia 2- Malta 0 Latvia did the double over Malta yesterday, beating the Group F minnows 2-0 in their penultimate Euro 2012 qualifier and their last at home. A goal in each half by Aleksejs Visnakovs and Artjoms Rudnevs were enough for Latvia to see off Malta and increase their tally to 11 points though neither team can qualify. Malta remain stuck on one point at the foot of the table. Latvia held the initiative from the outset but their early efforts were easily repelled by the Malta defence.

YEREVAN: Armenia’s Yura Movsisyan (left) and Macedonia’s Goran Popov fight for the ball during their Euro 2012 qualifying match yesterday. — AP Visnakovs, Latvia’s most effective player in the opening half, fired wide on 11 minutes but in the 33rd minute put his side ahead. Maris Verpakovskis made the opening down the right before releasing Visnakovs who sped into the area and hammered his shot home.

Latvia came close to a second goal late in the first half but Verpakovskis’s swerving effort flashed against the crossbar after the FC Baku striker had been set up by Rudnevs.

Goalkeeper Andrew Hogg denied Latvia a second goal as he produced a top-notch save to palm Verpakovskis’s close-range drive over the bar 10 minutes from time but the hosts wrapped up the points three minutes later.

Bosnia 5-Luxembourg 0 Bosnia-Hercegovina defeated Luxembourg 5-0 in their Euro 2012 qualifier yesterday and secured at least second place in Group D and the play-off place that goes with it. Whether the Bosnians can secure automatic qualification will be known on Tuesday in their match against France - who have a one-point advantage - in Paris that will decide who will finish on top. Any doubt about the winner of Friday’s match was removed in the first half. Edin Dezko opened the scoring in the 12th minute followed by Zvjezdan Misimovic, who scored twice, and Miralem Pjanic for 4-0. Haris Medunjanin made it 5-0 in the 51st minute. — Agencies

A

y

e niv rsar n

Years

SPORTS SATURDAY, OCTOBER 8, 2011

Spain keep perfect record PRAGUE: Reigning world and European champions Spain kept their perfect record in the Euro 2012 qualifying Group I after easing past the Czech Republic 2-0 yesterday with first-half goals from Juan Mata and Xabi Alonso. Spanish coach Vicente Del Bosque started with three strikers - Mata, David Silva and Fernando Torres. The tactic paid off six minutes into the game as Xavi set up Mata for a left footer from inside the box that curved past helpless Czech keeper Petr Cech, Mata’s Chelsea teammate. In the 23rd minute, Silva found an unmarked Xabi Alonso who scored a comfortable second goal for Spain from near the penalty spot with a low shot. Czech sweeper Tomas Sivok failed to convert a close-range header just after halftime - a swansong for the toothless hosts who moreover lost midfielder Tomas Hubschman, sent off for a foul on Xabi Alonso.

Italy 1- Serbia 1 Serbia’s hopes of securing a place in the Euro 2012 play-offs suffered a blow despite a 1-1 draw with Italy in qualifying Group C at the Marakana stadium yesterday. Claudio Marchisio gave the visitors a first minute lead but a goal from Branislav Ivanovic restored parity before half-time. Manchester City full-back Aleksandar Kolarov burst forward inside the first 30 seconds and let fly from distance with Italy goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon spilling the shot and needing Giorgio Chiellini to hack clear the loose ball. However, within another 30-seconds, Buffon had punted a long ball upfield and with Serbia’s defence getting caught short and finding itself in a muddle, Giuseppe Rossi turned on a sixpence and slipped in Marchisio, breaking from deep, to take one touch and then prod home with his second

beyond Bojan Jorgacevic. When the equaliser came it was down in no small part to good fortune. Former Manchester United winger Zoran Tosic let fly from outside the area after Milos Krasic’s corner was only half cleared and while the shot wasn’t heading on target, it hit the grounded Ivanovic and

from Aaron Ramsey and Gareth Bale secured a 2-0 win over the 10-man visitors as the Liberty Stadium yesterday. The turning point came when Switzerland’s former Tottenham defender Reto Ziegler was shown a straight red card in the 54th minute for a studs-up tackle on Chris Gunter. A foul on Gunter by

PRAGUE: Spain’s goalkeeper Iker Casillas (right) is congratulated by his Czech counterpart Petr Cech after the Euro 2012 group I qualifying football match at the Generali Arena yesterday. — AFP wrong-footed Buffon.

Wales 2- Switzerland 0 Wales ended Switzerland’s hopes of snatching a Euro 2012 play-off place as goals

Timm Klose six minutes later allowed Arsenal midfielder Ramsey to slot his fifth international goal from the penalty spot. Tottenham winger Bale then made the win safe as he raced on to a Steve Morison pass to beat

Diego Benaglio for his first Wales goal since the sides met in Basle a year ago. Dutch referee Bjorn Kuipers then showed Ziegler a straight red card after the left-back had lunged into an aggressive challenge on Gunter. Klose’s clumsy challenge on Gunter saw Kuipers point to the spot in the 60th minute and Ramsey’s low effort could not be kept out by Benaglio. Wales sealed victory in the 71st minute as Morison passed between two flat-footed defenders to find Bale in space and the winger raced in on goal to shoot left-footed past Benaglio.

Estonia 2-N Ireland 1 Estonia shattered Northern Ireland’s hopes of a Euro 2012 play-off place as the visitors came from behind to win 2-1 in Belfast yesterday. Nigel Worthington’s prospects of holding onto his job as Northern Ireland manager suffered a significant blow as Estonia ended the hosts’ slim chance of finishing second behind Italy in Group C. Underpressure Worthington saw his side leave Windsor Park with nothing as Konstantin Vassiljev’s double turned the game around after captain Steven Davis’s first-half opener.

Northern Ireland had taken the lead in the 22nd minute when Kyle Lafferty broke down the right and drilled a low pass across the sixyard box. Estonia goalkeeper Sergei Pareiko spilled it and Davis beat two defenders to the ball to bundle home. But with 13 minutes remaining Craig Cathcart was penalised for impeding Vassiljev as he cut into the area.

Vassiljev took the penalty himself and calmly drilled home the equaliser. Vassiljev sealed Northern Ireland’s fate in the 84th minute he scored from long-range, with the home players furious after a linesman was seen to raise his flag in the build-up only to go unheeded by the referee. — Agencies

France down Albania to close on Euro 2012 PARIS: France made light of a glut of injury problems to outclass Albania 3-0 at Stade de France yesterday and close to within a point of a place at Euro 2012. Goals from Florent Malouda and Loic Remy gave the hosts a 2-0 half-time lead, before Anthony Reveillere put the seal on a comfortable night’s work with his first international goal in the 67th minute.

With Albania’s defence content to sit back, Yohan Cabaye shot narrowly wide from long range before Malouda settled the home fans’ nerves in the 11th minute with the opening goal. Remy got free down the right and when his low cross found Malouda in space at the back post, the Chelsea man steered a firsttime shot inside the left-hand post via a deflection off defender Armend Dallku. The second goal arrived seven minutes before half-time and Nasri was the architect, somehow stumbling through a succession of challenges before finding Remy, who cut in from the right and beat Ujkani at his near post.

France lost Patrice Evra and Cabaye to injury for the second half but their replacements combined for the third goal, with Marvin Martin supplying a measured through-ball for Reveillere to score from a difficult angle.

Russia 1- Slovakia 0 Russia virtually assured their passage to Euro 2012 with a 1-0 win in their penultimate qualifier against Slovakia yesterday. CSKA Moscow midfielder Alan Dzagoev got the

decisive goal in a result that moved Russia up to 20 points to retain the summit in Group B. In the 23rd minute Russia created the first serious chance through their skipper Andrei Arshavin, who dribbled into the area surrounded by three Slovak defenders. However, his close-range attempt was confidently denied by Mucha. The hosts replied positively and also created their own scoring opportunity in the 37th minute forcing Russian ‘keeper Vyacheslav Malafeyev to perform a diving save to clear Marek Hamsik’s pass into the box onto uncovered Miroslav Stoch. But in the 70th minute Dzagoev finally had Russian supporters on their feet firing the ball into the net past helpless Mucha with a 36-m shot with the ball taking a slight ricochet.

Greece 2- Croatia 0 Second-half goals from Georgios Samaras and Thoefanis Gekas sealed a 2-0 win for Greece in a Euro 2012 qualifying group F showdown with Croatia that was earlier marred by serious crowd trouble. The game at the Karaiskakis stadium - home of Greek champions Olympiakos had been disrupted by trouble in the stands early on, with English referee Howard Webb opting to take the players off the pitch with less than three minutes played as riot police confronted supporters in the away section of the ground. Flares and seats were thrown from the section containing Croatia fans, and reinforcements of riot

SAINT DENIS: France’s squad celebrate their 3-0 win while Albania’s Ahmed Januzi walks past during a Euro 2012 Group D qualifying match at Stade de France stadium yesterday. — AP police were sent in before the game restarted six minutes later. A point would have done the visitors nicely, but Greece eventually found a way through inside the final 20 minutes when Celtic striker Samaras volleyed home from 12 yards after Croatia failed to clear a corner. Eintracht Frankfurt’s Gekas then made sure of the win 11 minutes from the end as he rose unmarked to head a corner past Stipe Pletikosa in the Croatia goal.

Belgium 4-Kazakhstan 1 Belgium kept alive its hopes of reaching the qualifying playoffs for the 2012 European Championship with a comfortable 4-1 win

over Kazakhstan yesterday. The result, coupled with Turkey’s 3-1 loss to Group A winner Germany, put Belgium in second place ahead of its final game against Germany. Turkey, which is a point behind, is expected to beat Azerbaijan in Tuesday’s games. Belgium was 20 ahead by halftime after a penalty by Timmy Simons and a goal from Eden Hazard. Vincent Kompany made it 3-0 shortly after the break before Kazakhstan went down to 10 men when Nurtus Kurgulin was sent off in the 59th.

Substitute Marvin Ogunjimi completed the scoring for the hosts in the 85th. Kazakhstan grabbed a late consolation through Kairat Nurdauletov’s penalty. — Agencies

A

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 8, 2011

y

e niv rsar n

Sports Years

Bahrain set to host long-delayed GCC Games

44

PODGORICA, Montenegro: England’s Wayne Rooney is given a red card during the Euro 2012 group G qualifying football match versus Montenegro yesterday. — AFP

England reach Euro 2012 PODGORICA, Montenegro: Wayne Rooney was sent off as England secured qualification for Euro 2012 after Montenegro fought back from two goals down to snatch a 2-2 draw here yesterday. A last-minute equaliser from substitute Andrija Delibasic grabbed a share of the points for Montenegro after England had taken the lead with goals from Ashley Young and Darren Bent. The Montenegro fightback was not enough to prevent Fabio Capello’s men from earning the point they needed to secure qualification for next year’s finals in Poland and Ukraine, however.

But England’s night was so nearly ruined by Rooney’s 73rd minute moment of madness, the Manchester United striker sent off for aiming a needless and petulant kick at Montenegro defender Miodrag Dzudovic. Rooney’s dismissal capped a miserable week following the arrest on Thursday of his father and uncle in connection with a football betting scam. Montenegro’s fans meanwhile celebrated wildly at the final whistle after a result which guarantees them a place in the play-offs.

England had looked in complete control early on, producing a clinical display of finishing to surge into a 2-0 lead that drew the sting out of the contest. England had signalled their attacking intent after only two minutes, debutant right

back Phil Jones bursting into the box and whipping in a cross which was deflected behind for a corner. The visitors did not have to wait long before going ahead on 11 minutes. Rooney released Theo Walcott on the right flank and curled a cross to the far post where the unmarked Young stooped to head in for 1-0.

The outcome looked as good as settled in the 31st minute with another swift England attack. Parker retrieved the ball in midfield and fed Rooney, who slipped in Young down the left hand side. The Manchester United forward had time and space to go it alone but unselfishly crossed to the unmarked Bent for the simplest of tap-ins to make it 2-0 and silence the crowd. It looked as if England were home and dry but on the stroke of half-time Montenegro produced a goal which hauled them back into the contest.

Fatos Beqiraj found space on the right hand side and crossed into the area for Elsad Zverotic, who chested down and unleashed a low shot that deflected off Gary Cahill’s boot beyond the dive of Joe Hart.

England’s hopes of a serene finish were dashed on 73 minutes when Rooney was dismissed. Sensing England’s vulnerability, Montenegro launched wave after wave of attacks, and England had another penalty scare when Jovetic went over in the box only to be

booked for diving. But on full-time, Stefan Savic curled in a cross from the right and Delibasic was on hand to nod home to spark pandemonium.

Ireland 2-Andorra 0 Republic of Ireland remain in pole position for a Euro 2012 play-off place after cruising to a 2-0 win over Andorra yesterday but their chances of winning Group B are fading fast.

Giovanni Trapattoni’s side were never in danger of an embarrassing defeat against the parttimers from Andorra after racing into a two-goal lead in the first 20 minutes thanks to strikes from Kevin Doyle and Aiden McGeady.

Trapattoni didn’t have to wait long for the first goal as Ireland’s pressure told in the seventh minute when John O’Shea headed a corner down for Wolves striker Doyle to hook in from close-range. Ireland were overwhelming Andorra with wave after wave of attacks and it was no surprise when the visitors notched a second goal in the 20th minute. This time it was a lack of concentration that let Andorra down as Glenn Whelan opted to pass to McGeady rather than shoot from a free-kick. The move caught Andorra’s defence day-dreaming and McGeady had time and space to fire home via a deflection off Lima.

Portugal 5-Iceland 3 Manchester United starlet Nani hit a brace of goals yesterday as Portugal stayed right in the hunt for a place at the Euro 2012 finals with a 53 home win over Iceland. Nani conjured his moments of magic twice inside the opening quarter following well-worked routines from corners, though poor defending also played its part in Iceland’s downfall. And when veteran Helder Postiga made it 3-0 seconds before the interval, turning in an initial effort from Bruno Alves, it seemed the Portuguese would romp to victory. But centre back Hallgrimur Jonasson pulled one back after Bruno Alves failed to cut out a loose ball and then had Portuguese hearts in their mouths as he promptly made the hosts pay for a second defensive lapse to make it 3-2 with 22 minutes left on the clock. The Portuguese quickly snapped out of their torpor and Joao Moutinho, a local favourite with Porto, stormed forward to restore the two-goal advantage on 81 minutes. Malaga midfielder Eliseu set him up and Moutinho finished with aplomb inside the box. And having put the Icelanders back in their box, Paulo Bento’s side made the points safe when Eliseu netted a fifth at the death. There was still time for Gylfi Sigurdsson to net a third for the visitors from the penalty spot in time added on. —Agencies