1 Aug

RI PT IO N BS C SU THE LEADING INDEPENDENT DAILY IN THE ARABIAN GULF

40 PAGES

SUNDAY, AUGUST 1, 2010

At least 100 hurt in Bangladesh clashes over wages

SHAABAN 20, 1431 AH

Indian forces kill sixth protester in two days in Kashmir

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Germany mourns Love Parade victims

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150 FILS

Fresh allegations slam Delhi C’wealth Games

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900 dead in Asia floods

in the news Quakes strike Iran TEHRAN: A 5.8 magnitude earthquake struck southern Iran yesterday, reports said without providing details on any casualties, a day after a weaker quake injured over 270 people in the country’s northeast. The latest temblor rattled the southern province of Kerman at 11:22 am (0652 GMT), the website of state television reported, citing the geophysics department of Tehran university.

It disrupted communications, but there were no immediate reports of casualties. Fars news agency said the epicentre was in the town of Negar in southwest Kerman. On Friday, a 5.7 magnitude quake rattled northeastern Khorasan Razavi province, leaving at least 274 people injured, ILNA news agency reported, adding only 12 victims were hospitalised. Iranian TV footage showed parts of buildings reduced to rubble and homes strewn with shattered glass and other debris.

Communications were also temporarily disrupted.

Death toll in Pakistan surges past 800 PESHAWAR: Floods sweeping Asia have killed more than 900 people, officials said yesterday, washing away thousands of homes and destroying infrastructure in some of the worst scenes in living memory. Heavy monsoon rains exacted the heaviest toll in northwest Pakistan, with 800 confirmed dead and the regional capital Peshawar cut off, while the deluge killed another 65 people in mountainous areas across the border in Afghanistan. Floods devastating northeast China have killed at least 37 people and destroyed 25,000 homes, with the authorities racing to intercept vessels that broke their moorings and retrieve barrels full of explosive chemicals headed for a dam.

The worst floods in living memory destroyed homes and swathes of farmland in northwest Pakistan and Pakistani Kashmir, with the main highway to China reportedly cut and the military deployed to help isolated communities.

Continued on Page 14

Douri releases recording BAGHDAD: A website linked to Saddam Hussein’s now-outlawed Baath party has posted an audio recording purportedly from a former top deputy of the late Iraqi dictator claiming the party was “leading the fight to liberate” Iraq. Izzat Ibrahim Al-Douri, the highest-ranking at-large member of Saddam’s regime, is believed to be playing a key role in financing Sunni insurgents. He has a $10 million bounty on his head. In the recording posted yesterday, Al-Douri said repeated attempts

by Iraq’s post-Saddam governments to root out senior Baath party loyalists from public life were “doomed to failure”. The authenticity of the recording could not immediately be verified. If real, it would be evidence that AlDouri remains alive more than seven years after he went into hiding in the immediate aftermath of the fall of Saddam’s regime.

Woman pleads to see kids LONDON: An Iranian woman sentenced to death by stoning for adultery in Iran pleaded to be allowed to hug her children, in a letter attributed to her released by human rights activists in London yesterday. Sakineh Mohammadi-Ashtiani, a 43-year-old mother of two, was given the sentence after being found guilty. “I’m Sakineh MohammadiAshtiani. From Tabriz Prison I thank all those who are thinking of me,” said the letter, translated from Farsi into English and released by the International Committee against Stoning. The message was relayed in a telephone conversation, a committee spokeswoman told AFP, without going into further details. “I am now quiet and sad because a part of my heart is frozen,” it said.

“The day I was flogged in front of (my son) Sajjad, I was crushed and my dignity and heart were broken. The day I was given the stoning sentence, it was as if I fell into a deep hole and I lost consciousness. Many nights, before sleeping, I think to myself how can anybody be prepared to throw stones at me; to aim at my face and hands? Why? I’m afraid of dying. Help me stay alive and hug my children.”

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HEBRON: A Palestinian boy argues with Israeli border police during a demonstration against the settlement of Karmi Tsor near Beit Omar village outside this northern West Bank town yesterday. — AFP (See Page 14)

Political detainee sues govt RIYADH: More than three years after he was arrested on vague allegations, Saudi political detainee Suliman Al-Reshoudi who has yet to be tried or even charged with a crime is now taking on the system.

Although his situation is not unusual for political prisoners in Saudi

Arabia, the former judge is suing the security police and interior ministry to either charge him or release him. It is a remarkable challenge and the first case of its kind in the kingdom.

The lawsuit, filed by activists on his behalf and led by a lawyer who

cannot meet his client, is based on a little-tested legal code which offers protection to detainees for the first time. It did not exist when Reshoudi was jailed along with dozens of others for pro-reform activities, but now has become Continued on Page 14

Jewish group opposes Ground Zero mosque US church plans Quran burning NEW YORK/MIAMI: The leading Jewish civil rights group in the US has come out against the planned mosque and Islamic community center near the World Trade Center’s Ground Zero terror attack site, saying the location is “counterproductive to the healing process”.

The Anti-Defamation League said it rejects any opposition to the center based on bigotry and

RHINEBECK, New York: Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and former US President Bill Clinton attend Chelsea Clinton and Marc Mezvinsky’s pre-wedding dinner at the Beekman Arms Inn on Friday. — AFP

acknowledged that the group behind the plan, the Cordoba Initiative, has the legal right to build at the site.

But the ADL said “some legitimate questions have been raised” about funding and possible ties with “groups whose ideologies stand in contradiction to our shared values”.

“Ultimately this is not a question of rights, but a question of

what is right,” the ADL said in a statement. “In our judgment, building an Islamic center in the shadow of the World Trade Center will cause some victims more pain - unnecessarily - and that is not right.” The mosque and community center would be located two blocks from the lower Manhattan site of the Sept 11, 2001, attacks.

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Out of pilots, Philippine airline grounds flights

Chelsea tying the knot in lavish, secretive wedding RHINEBECK, New York: After an intensely secretive build-up, Chelsea Clinton and her Wall Street banker beau were tying the knot yesterday at a lavish bash outside the quaint town of Rhinebeck, rural New York. A carnival atmosphere took over Rhinebeck in the final hours before what US tabloids hyped as “wedding of the century”, or even of the “millennium”.

Throngs of well-wishers and celebrity watchers gathered in the sunshine at Rhinebeck’s main crossroads for a glimpse of A-list guests staying at the Beekman Arms inn before heading to the exclusive party at a mansion outside town. The bride’s parents - former Democratic president Bill Clinton and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton - arrived on the eve of the wedding. Other guests were expected to include the likes of TV chat show queen Oprah Winfrey.

“This is exciting. There’s so much trouble in the world but this Saturday everything stops just for this wedding,” said Anne McConnell, who’d Continued on Page 14

MOHIB BHANDA, Pakistan: Flood-affected families gather on higher ground after fleeing their homes in this area in Nowshera district yesterday. — AFP

BINT JBEIL, Lebanon: Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Hamad AlThani (left) and his wife Sheikha Moza, accompanied by Lebanese President Michel Suleiman (right), Prime Minister Saad Hariri (back center) and speaker Nabih Berri (second right), tour reconstruction efforts in this southern Lebanese town yesterday. — AFP

Qatar emir tours towns he funded in Lebanon BEIRUT: The ruler of Qatar yesterday toured south Lebanese border towns that his energy-rich Gulf country helped rebuild after the 2006 Israeli bombardment, marking the first such trip by a visiting Arab leader.

Thousands of people lined the streets in the area, bedecked with signs reading “Thank you, Qatar,” in a tribute to the emir. Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al-

Thani’s tour of the overwhelmingly Shiite Muslim border area - a stronghold of Lebanon’s militant Hezbollah is a major boost to the group, which fought Israel in a bitter, monthlong war in 2006.

Although the visit has been scheduled for some time, it comes as Hezbollah is under pressure because Continued on Page 14

MANILA: Good morning, passengers, and welcome aboard. We’re expecting clear skies today, but we’re out of pilots. National air carrier Philippine Airlines had to cancel at least five flights yesterday - one to Hong Kong, the others to domestic destinations - after several Airbus A320 pilots decamped for jobs abroad. Brain drain the decamping of professionals, including teachers and nurses, for better jobs abroad - has long plagued the impoverished Southeast Asian nation. About 10 percent of the population of 94 million works abroad, sending home the money that provides the bloodline for the economy.

PAL spokesman Jonathan Gesmundo went on TV and radio stations to apologize to the public for the cancellations, which he said were caused by the sudden departure of nearly dozen pilots for better-paying jobs overseas.

He said the pilots did not inform the management, but that this was not a group action. “In the past few days, pilots had not been reporting for duty.

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MANILA: Philippine Airlines (PAL) pilots walk at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) yesterday. — AFP

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NATIONAL Will present discount rates remain?

‘Price wars’ in Kuwait as Ramadan approaches

By Nisreen Zahreddine KUWAIT: As Ramadan approaches, most people shop for groceries more frequently than usual. Promotions on goods are being held at markets and co-operative sociDuring last Ramadan, prices soared instead of lowering. Several promotions were held in co-operative societies and malls. However, people have been complaining about price rise along with price disparity observed at many co-operative societies .

Khaled, after checking the prices of groceries in a co-operative society said that prices are high and the discounts are available only on goods that are sold in bulk and is not applicable on new goods that arrive.

In his opinion, discounts are profitable to

eties. The question, however, is this: Are these measures practical or meant only for advertising purposes? Only customers can tell if these promotions are genuine in their intent or done only for the sake of advertising and marketing

consumers during the period before Ramadan. He does not expect any discounts on Ramadan-special goods and believes that prices may be increased during the period.

On the other hand, Anwar said that he had compared prices between a few cooperative societies and noticed a profitable margin. He added that Ramadan goods will be offered at substantially discounted rates.

He says that this is obvious from the ‘price war’ that has been going on between cooperative societies these days as Ramadan is in the corner. Ruba said that she buys all

the necessary household goods during the beginning of every month. She points out that there is a goods are at sale at discounted rates this month.

There are ten more days till Ramadan and noone knows if it may continue until Ramadan. She said that her previous experiences were not very encouraging.

She believes that as co-operative society shareholders and owners need to reap in more profits and raise prices, it is only natural that they would want to maintain this result.

Dual citizen surrenders Kuwaiti nationality KUWAIT: A Saudi poet, who had obtained Kuwaiti citizenship seven years ago, surrendered his Kuwaiti nationality recently as an affirmation of his commitment towards Saudi roots, “since Saudi Arabia honors its legacy and would never cancel the citizenship of any citizen.”

In a recent statement made

to the media, now former citizen Khalid Al-Marreekhi spoke harshly against Kuwait. He said, “ [Kuwaiti] citizenship is not divine that it grants people free passage to Heaven,” adding that his step aims to “send a message across to Kuwaiti authorities,” who he claimed differentiate between citizens and dual citizens by placing

pressure on the latter, reported Al-Rai. “Kuwait is a relatively new nation when compared to Saudi Arabia that is home to several loyal people who came from neighboring countries,” AlMarreekhi added. At the same time he addressed the bedoons (stateless residents) issue by stating that “several of them

became martyrs trying to defend Kuwait.” “Loyalty is not gauged by one’s identity but through true allegiance.”

Al-Marreekhi further withheld from revealing more ‘unpleasant details’ as a mark of respect to the relationship he shares with the country’s Deputy Prime Minister Sheikh Ahmad Al-Fahad Al-Sabah.

Railway project to be postponed till November

By A. Saleh KUWAIT: The Ministry of Communications (MoC) has asked for an extension to the time-limit placed to prepare a dossier on the proposed railway project till next November, officials said. He noted that the project will be discussed as part of those that have been proposed for the current year.

Officials also noted that the ministry had asked a legal technical committee to review and study the project, the prices quoted and the companies that are capable of executing it according to international standards.

This is in addition to studying a report filed by the Environment Public Authority (EPA) as per the Cabinet’s instructions.

Furthermore, officials highlighted that some interested international companies had requested that the bidding for the project’s tender be postponed so that it is held after conducting necessary pilot studies.

Kuwaiti-Russian Committee to hold its third session in Moscow MOSCOW: The Joint KuwaitiRussian Governmental Committee for Trade, Economic, Technical and Technological Cooperation would hold its third session in Moscow next Monday to mull the ways of strengthening bilateral cooperation in various fields.

The committee’s third session would consider means of promoting cooperation between the two countries in economic, trade, oil, investment, tourist and cultural fields as well as the domains of the new and renewable sources of energy, the uses of nuclear energy for peaceful purposes, scientific and technological research and development of water, agricultural and health sources.

The Kuwaiti side will be led by the Minister of Oil and Minister of Information Sheikh Ahmad Abdullah Al-Ahmad AlSabah, while the Russian side will be led by the Minister of Energy Sergey Shmatko during the committee’s meetings.

The Kuwaiti side includes ambassador of the State of Kuwait to Moscow Nasser AlMezayen, Director the Economic Department at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs ambassador Ali Al-Khalid AlSabah, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Commerce and Industry Rashid Al-Tabtabaei, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Finance Khalifa Hamada and Director General of the Kuwait Institute for Scientific Research (KISR) Dr. Naji Al-Mutairi.

Further, the visiting Kuwaiti delegation which will take part in the committee’s meetings includes Assistant Undersecretary of the Economic Affairs at the Ministry of Oil Nawal AlFazie’a, Vice Managing Director for the Chairman’s Bureau Affairs at the Kuwait Petroleum Corporation (KPC) Suhail Al-Mutairi.

It also includes Director of the Cultural Department of the National Council for Culture, Arts and Letters Sahal AlHamaad as well as Lieut.

Colonel. Meshaal Al-Otaibi from the Ministry of Defense and Sahib Al-Mousawi from the Ministry of Oil. The joint Kuwaiti-Russian committee was set up in 1996 and held its first session in Moscow in August 2002, while its second meeting which convened in November 2006 in Kuwait led to the formation of three subcommittees.

These subcommittees are one in the field of oil and gas, a second committee in the field of economic, trade, technical, financial and investment cooperation and a third one in the domain of scientific and technological cooperation. — KUNA

Gulf Bank gets ready for Ramadan activities KUWAIT: Gulf Bank announced yesterday that it will launch a wide range of exciting activities during the holy month of Ramadan, which aims to shed light on the true Ramadan spirit.

This year, Gulf Bank will arrange Iftar banquets for over 2000 needy people as well as sponsoring Iftar meals at mosques around Kuwait. The Bank will be supporting the ‘Eqra wa Ertaqi’ project, an initiative that aims to develop and increase awareness in reading the Holy Quran. The project includes reading competitions as well as classes for people to memorize the Holy Quran. The project also aims at republishing and restoring old Holy Quran books.

Additionally, Gulf Bank will be organizing a Ramadan ghabqa for special needs children as well as the Autism Center.

Following its annual hospital visit initiative across Kuwait, Gulf Bank will celebrate the joyful mood of Girgi’an with patients through a planned program of fun filled activities including face painting, hair braiding, henna, as well as an opportunity to meet Gulf Bank’s famous Nassour character, and other cartoon characters.

The hospital visits include: Ibn Sina, Jahra, Farwaniya, Sheikha Badriyah, Zain, NBK Hospital, Al Razi and Al Amiri. In addition, children with special needs will be further treated with exciting activities at the Al-Kharafi Activity Kids Center.

Sunday, August 1, 2010

‘Mercy upon mankind’

By Muhammad Ismail Al-Ansari General Manager Islam Presentation Committee slam Presentation Committee is one of the Committees that is affiliated to Al-Najat Benevolent Society. The Committee was founded in 1933 AH corresponding 1978 AD, when the Committee started as a small room by an idea from some enthusiastic Muslim young people were jealous and eager to help their beloved religion “Islam”. As they found very suitable circumstances for “Da’wah” missionary work. These youth began to apply the idea by educating expatriates of different nationalities. They started with teaching Arabic and how to pronounce it so as to be able to teach them the principles of Islam, its values and corners.

This was limited to Fridays because this was the laborer’s weekend. Thus, the Committee was called “Friday Schools”.

Therefore, the Committee started from this point; after the small room, it became a flat in Al-Awqaf building; then, it developed and expanded till its head office became in AlMulla Saleh Mosque in Fahed Al-Salem street.

Now the Committee has fifteen branches in different parts of Kuwait and its performing its role, thanks God, in the “Da’wah” missionary activities by sponsoring preachers (Shiyoukh) who speak different languages, now they are more than 75 preachers.

When we look at the size of the achievement that was accomplished with the help of our God (Subhanahu Wa ta’ala) then with the efforts exerted by this blessed Committee, now when we are in the year 2009. We look at the numbers of people who converted to Islam since the date of the Committee’s foundation; the number is more than 50 thousand man and woman who became rightly guided from of different nationalities of the world.

The Committee also present many social services such as educate communities of various nationalities giving Friday’s preach in different foreign languages. Organizing the project of “preparing breakfast for the fasting in Ramadhan annually”. In that project more than 100 thousand meals are prepared for the fasting. The Committee undertakes to spread the Islamic awareness amongst different communities and those who became rightly guided recently, this service is presented in many different languages. Lectures for non-Muslims are held to explain Islam in a way that is simple and clear to be understood. Some entertainment and recreation activities are held for non-Muslims, Arabic lessons for expatriates who do not speak Arabic are given in the Committee’s numerous branches, printing and providing different means for “Da’wah” missionary activities such as books, tapes, bulletins for both Muslims and non-Muslims in many foreign languages.

So, we ask God to help us always to guide people to the right way.

Our slogan The aim of Islam is to save humanity from straying from the right path, and guide them to the right path; from misery to happiness; from the darkness of ignorance to the light of knowledge. With Islam mercy prevails the whole universe. Together, hand in hand, we can cooperate and do our best to share what God (Allah) gave us with other human beings who may convert from the darkness of atheism to the light of Islam. For the sake of God, His messenger and His religion and to satisfy our Lord Allah (Subhanahu Wa ta’la) with your valuable help the message will be delivered.

Our Method in “Da’wah”: Allah, all praise is due to Him, says: “You should preach the righteous path of Allah with the due wisdom and good sayings”.

And our Messenger (PBUH) saying: “If Allah helped you to guide one man to the right way, i.e. Islam is better than the most precious things in life”.

Our goals: 1- Islam presentation to non-Muslims.

2- Taking care of the new Muslims.

3- Teaching Arabic to those who do not speak Arabic.

4- Spreading Islamic awareness amongst expatriate Muslim communities and taking care of them.

Our mission: Presenting Islam to non-Muslims and other Muslim communities with decent civilized method using technology and trying to educate and qualify those Muslims to present Islam in their countries properly.

Our vision: We would like to be a pioneer Committee in the field of presenting Islam. Our blessed Committee aims to take care of those who became rightly guided by Islam and other Muslim expatriates both locally and internationally.

Our values: Partnership - Wisdom - Development familiarity - Distinctness.

Our aims: • To expand the missionary activities to present Islam locally and internationally.

• Training and qualifying a distinguished generation of preachers from those who became rightly guided by Islam and other Muslim communities.

• To adopt distinguished financial, admin and training systems.

• Qualifying Kuwaiti youth to work in “Da’wah” missionary field.

Missionary methods: 1- Direct Presentation • Missionary programs • Field visits.

• Entertainment trips.

• Symposium and lectures • Meetings and interviews 2- Preachers, speaking different languages (74 preachers).

3 The Missionary methods: a) Written: bulletins, books, Qura’n, gift bags, journals. b) Audible: Friday speeches, lectures, science classes seminars, interviews, radio programs, auditory and cassette editions in many different languages. c) Visuals: TV programs transmit some visual editions, lectures, symposiums.

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d) Websites: every preacher has his own website in his own mother tongue to communicate with others in their own language.

Managing Missionary Affairs Missionary Affairs, is the management that undertakes to serve other departments to reach their goals and achievements. This department presents Islam to non-Muslims and take care of those who became rightly guided by Islam recently as well as coordinates between Muslim communities in our country.

Also, it supervises the educational classes in the Committee. The management is divided into four departments: 1- Missionary and Guidance Department: To present Islam to non-Muslims using different means; audible and visual. The department provides these materials and means for the missionary activities with all types in addition to employing preachers and taking care of them.

2- Department of new Muslims: To carry out the procedures of Islam declaration and follows the new Muslims and take care of them from the day of their conversion to Islam. As well as educate them and provide social services necessary to make them part of the Muslim community, especially Muslims of their nationalities, speaking their languages.

This department provides the management with the numbers of new Muslims every year.

3- Communities Department: To take care of Muslim communities, undertakes to educate laborers and servants, supervises Mosques affiliated to the Committee and Friday speeches. The department develops and educate preachers from Muslim and non-Muslim communities to help them educate people in their countries religiously and administratively. The department also holds sports and entertainment festivals and competitions as well as trips for children of Muslim expatriates.

4- Educational classes department: To educate new Muslims and teach them Islamic sciences and Arabic language for those who do not speak Arabic of various nationalities. The department organizes courses and competitions in Qura’n for the new Muslims and other Muslim Communities.

Our achievements 1. 50 thousand people declared their conversion to Islam in the Committee since 1399 AH/1978 AD. 2. 3727 people declared their conversion to Islam in 1430 AH/2009 AD. 3. Organizing 18 pilgrimage journeys to those who became rightly guided by Islam recently, each journey included more than 150 pilgrims.

4. Organzing 28 Umrah journeys for those who became rightly guided by Islam recently.

Each journey included more than 200 Muslims.

5. Distribution of 1,000,000 copies of missionary bulletins in different languages.

6. Distribution of 400,000 books of IPC editions every year.

7. Distribution of 100,000 cassette tapes in different languages every year.

8. 2000 students who studied Arabic language are graduated every year.

9. 2000 new Muslims are been taken care of every year through a program called “Taking care of new Muslims”.

10. Organizing Qura’n competitions 7 times a year each time about 500 people participate in these competitions.

11. “Medical Tent” project is held 4 times to examine poor laborers in Amghara, Khaitan, Jleeb and Ahmadi where a lot of laborers live (1000 people every time).

12. Inaugurate Salwa branch, 15 branches till now.

Mortmains: The value of a mortmain (Waqf) share is KD 250.

1. Mortmain for Islam Presentation.

2. Mortmain for printing the holly Qura’n and Islamic sciences.

3. Mortmain for taking care of those who became rightly guided by Islam.

4. Mortmain for sponsoring preachers.

5. Mortmain for pilgrimage of newly Muslims.

6. Mortmain for Omra of newly Muslims.

7. Mortmain for Islamic libraries.

8. Mortmain for Islam Presentation centers.

Projects: 1. Islam Presentation House 2. Teach me how to be a true Muslim “to take care of newly Muslims” 3. Sponsoring preachers 4. Pilgrimage 5. Gift bag project 6. Preparing breakfast for the fasting Good news for benevolent people You benevolent people, people of Islam, people of Qura’n, people of charity and donation, our message to you from IPC to serve Islam, our religion, is to participate in one of our projects or activities as this is not limited to certain people, everyone should do something to help. Our Prophet (PBUH) told us to report even if only one verse to other people. So, a true Muslim has to serve Islam with his money, science and efforts to gain great rewards from God. “If Allah helped you to guide one man to the right way (Islam) is better than the most precious things in life”.

At the end of this bulletin, we have good news, though we live now in hardships and ordeals, our blessed Committee expect the better for benevolent people, as here in Kuwait more than 47 thousand people converted to Islam and they are of many different nationalities, Thanks God, All praise is due to Him.

Sunday, August 1, 2010

NATIONAL

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‘Road Behavior,’ a new book that addresses road woes

‘Traffic jams help reduce number of accidents’

By Ahmad Saeid KUWAIT: A new book will be released shortly to address the numerous problems that occur on roads in Kuwait, an NGO official said. It will also detail many aspects of the negative behavior exhibited by drivers on Kuwaiti roads. The NGO representative said that the average number of “We witness this everywhere in Kuwait, be it in the way people decide to neglect the bridge and cross the highways by foot, or in the way people overlook important regular maintenance to be done for their cars, or even in the way they handle their kids in the car,” he said.

Butaiban explained that some drivers place their young children on their laps while driving, which ultimately accords the child the role of airbag in case accidents occur, “We have seen examples of that in other countries, where people have survived but lost their children because they seated children on their laps while driving. If one wants to protect his children, he should seat them in the back seat, not in front of him,” he noted.

The NGO representative added that among the other negative behaviors that cause accidents in Kuwait is ‘accident watching’. “In the book named ‘Road Behavior’ that we plan to publish in the upcoming few weeks we address this rather important issue; sometimes a minor accident happens. When cars start slowing down to ‘watch the accident,’ more serious accidents take place,” Butaiban said. He noted that on one occasion, an accident in which material damages not exceeding KD100 took place.

When one man slowed down to watch it, he was hit by the car that was in queue behind him

people that die in road accidents amount to one person every day, and that the number of accidents taking place in the country has reduced during the last few years due to the increase in traffic jams that limit speed. Adel Butaiban, Secretary of Kuwait Society for Traffic Safety said that among the most important factors that cause accidents is a lack of awareness.

KUWAIT: One of the car accidents in Kuwait yesterday. —Photo by Fouad Al-Shaikh and he lost his life. “The first accident is nothing compared to the one that was caused by watching it. Is it really worth risking death to watch two cars caught up in accident?” he asked. The Kuwait Society for Traffic Safety was established in 1982, and it works in cooperation with the Ministry of

Interior’s Traffic Department.

Among the numerous activities held, it organizes regular visits to schools to increase awareness among young students about road hazards. “We need to start with the young generation.

This is because for some adults, it is a bit too late to learn,” said Butaiban.

According to him, the best way to help adults comply with traffic laws is by making it more attractive for them to do so, “If you build one bridge, six-meters high, at a distance of every one kilometer and expect people to walk all the way to it, and climb it to cross the road you will be mistaking,” he said. He

explained, “Rather than doing so, we shade these bridges by air-conditioning them, and introduce escalators so that people do not feel lazy to go up. This way, you will attract more people to comply with the law. It has to be attractive, otherwise people will simply not do it,” he concluded.

Ahmad Al-Jouan

Abdulwahab Al-Othman

Ahmad Marafi

Fahad Al-Subaiei

Agility employees refurbish home at Kuwait Orphanage

KUWAIT: On the occasion of the 83rd anniversary of the founding of the People’s Liberation Army, Senior Colonel and Mrs Zheng Jin Lai, Defence Attache of the Chinese Embassy in Kuwait held a reception at Al-Andalaus Ballroom, Crowne Plaza Hotel recently. — Photos by Joseph Shagra

kuwait digest

NA committee meetings

By Dr Mohammad Al-Muqatea

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n this column, I would like to address the irresponsible act of holding parliamentary committee meetings despite the lack of quorum. In the past couple of years, the national gazette has featured the names of several MPs, members of a number of National Assembly committees including those from the economic affairs, financial, women’s and others, who failed to attend the meetings held by committees.

It is no secret that the Parliament is currently facing a series cases that demonstrate a lack of respect to its internal regulations and the integrity of its committees’ work. Instead of suspending a committee meeting due to a lack of quorum and taking punitive actions against absent MPs (including suspending membership at the committee or even the Parliament).

We find that an illegal practice has been flourishing in which a committee meeting is held as part of a sub-committee in case of lack of quorum. This case has allowed committees’

works to proceed with work even if attendance is unsatisfactory.

It is considered a violation of law and the parliamentary concept of serving as public representatives. This is not to mention the fact that no actions are taken against an absent MP. Furthermore, several cases had occurred in which a single member would go proceed with the work of his committee, notifying that other members would follow suit as soon as they arrive. However, two other members would eventually arrive, and the meeting will be held by a sub-committee.

Another illegal practice, is when meeting is held as part of a regular parliament session.

Despite the fact that the parliament’s regulations stipulate that all the committees’ work should be put on hold while sessions are in progress, it would be illegal for an MP to leave a running session to attend a committee meeting that is held at the same time.

So, all Cabinet and parliament members who claim to be protecting the law and Constitution, should act against this illegal practice. — Al-Qabas

Kuwait The KUWAIT: Orphanage officially opened the refurbished Infant Nursery at their premises in Shuwaikh recently. Over 80 Agility employees spent a total of 750 hours during their spare time to refurbish the Infant Nursery at the Kuwait Orphanage. These employees worked hard for five months to provide a comfortable home for the children that will live there.

The work involved general cleaning, scraping off old paint from the walls and fresh paint, electrical fittings and fixtures, carpentry and plumbing. All the work was done by Agility employees with a little assistance from external contractors. The outside of the house was also attended to with painting, tiling and landscaping of a play garden. The house, unoccupied for years, was turned into a cheerful and comfortable living space with all the basic amenities. Speaking at the formal handover ceremony, Dr Manahi Al Azmi, Supervisor Employee and Guest Affairs, representing Bader Al Awadi, Director of the Kuwait Orphanage, expressed his appreciation towards Agility employees for providing a well equipped and comfortable atmosphere to accommodate the children in without expecting any rewards in return. As a sign of appreciation, all the employees that worked on the refurbishment received plaques and certificates of recognition for their contributions to the project.

Kuwaiti students in US praise NBK’s support KUWAIT: Coordinators of the National Association of Kuwait Students - United States of America branch, recently expressed their appreciation for the support provided by the National Bank of Kuwait (NBK), by organizing a workshop that featured lectures that were delivered by NBK executive officials.

Head of the Students’ Committee in the association, University of South California student Ahmad AlJouan asserted the significant impact that NBK’s support has had on the develop-

ment and success of students by providing them with useful practical experience.

He also acknowledged the recent workshop which traced NBK’s prestigious history.

Meanwhile, the association’s Vice President, University of Tampa student Abduwahab Al-Othman highlighted the NBK’s pioneering role that supports Kuwaiti society, mainly in terms of developing human resources and helping college students in the process of determining their future

options. The Head of the Media Committee, Colorado West University student, Ahmad Marafi, said that the NBK’s continuous support serves as a great incentive that encourages the association in many ways.

Likewise, Head of the Cultural Committee, University of Denver student Fahad Al-Subaiei stated that the NBK’s patronage for the association’s annual convention is a prime example of their commitment to support Kuwait’s young generations. In addition, the association’s treasurer, Bentley

Mohammad Al-Kafly University student Mohammad Al-Kafly hoped that the ‘distinguished’ relationship shared between the association and the NBK would continue, noting that the NBK is considered a major contributor to the annual convention.

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NATIONAL

Sunday, August 1, 2010

Indian found dead in Mangaf

Citizen charged with drug, alcohol trading

By Hanan Al-Saadoun KUWAIT: A 60-year-old citizen was referred to the Public Prosecutor's Office in connection with trading in drugs and selling spurious liquor. The arrest was made under the behest of Director of General Department of Drug Control(GDDC) Lt Gen Sheikh Ahmad Al-Khalifa Al-Sabah. The items that were seized from his possession include 200 drug pills, some liquor and tools, and a flasher used by Ministry of Interior officials. He would masquerade as a security man, and has robbed many Asians in this manner. Security officials revealed that they had received information about the man, who has already been convicted in two previous drug-related cases. Police investigated into the man's activities and obtained a warrant to raid his house in Sabah Al- Salem. He was arrested along with his brother, who is also a fugitive.

Car accidents A car accident took place along the road linking Ardiya and Sabah Al-Nasser. An 18year-old citizen sustained injuries to his right arm. He was referred to Farwaniya hospital. A car accident took place along Fahaheel road, after the Sabah Al-Salem bridge. A 28year-old Indian expat suffered injuries. Also, a 25-year-old citizen suffered wounds to his knee. Both were admitted to the Adan hospital.

KUWAIT: Representative of His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, Deputy Minister of Amiri Diwan Affairs Sheikh Ali Jarrah Al-Sabah left here yesterday for the Republic of Benin to represent His Highness in ceremonies marking the fiftieth anniversary of the independence of the Republic of Benin, in the capital Porto-Novo.

kuwait digest

Poor residents of Ferdous area!

By Marzouq Al-Heet

W

hen a tenant from Ferdous told me about the sufferings they experience in the area, I thought that he was exaggerating and could not take him seriously until I assessed the situation myself. Narrow alleyways were dotted with grocery outlets that sold subsidized rice, sugar and milk.

Other stores offered plumbing and electrical services and were all run by Asians who also sold pornographic CDs and spurious liquor. Some grocery stores were partitioned, with beds placed behind to be

used for 'take-away' prostitution.

Some tenants told me that grocers mainly bought the merchandise from domestic helpers who steal from their sponsors' homes and sell them at cheap rates. These are in turn sold at high rates to customers.

"This is nothing compared to the situation where only bachelors live," some of residents told me. The area had become a safe haven for illegal residents and outlaws. The neighborhood posed a threat for their daughters and sons.

These anti-social elements have formed networks of their own and keep a watch

out on all those who enter and exit the place and warn others when police are close.

What makes the situation worse is the use of homes as brothels. At least 23 prostitutes were arrested a month ago when the neighbors reported seeing them.

The question is this: 'Where is the Ministry of Interior? Where is the Municipality? Where are Mohammed AlBader demolition teams? Where are the MPs? It appears as if they have all bowed out from their roles even though many of the area's residents had repeatedly asked for help. —Al-Watan

Toddler injured A two-year-old Filipino toddler fell from a ride at one of gaming arcades located at one of the commercial centers in the capital. The girl fractured her right arm and was referred to the Amiri hospital for treatment.

Freak accidents A 22-year-old Egyptian woman fell from one of the rides at a water themed park in the capital and fractured her right hand. She was admitted to the Amiri hospital. In another incident, a 63-year-old Palestinian woman fell from a jet ski and sprained her right foot in Failaka island. She was airlifted to Adan hospital.

Hit and run cases A 28-year-old Indian expat was run over by a speeding car at Mirqab, opposite to the Safat post office. He suffered multiple injuries and was admitted to the Amiri hospital. Also, a 22-year-

KUWAIT: The man who was arrested in connection with trading in drugs and selling spurious liquor yesterday. — Photo by Hanan Al-Saadoun old Afghan man was hit by a vehicle while attempting to cross the road between Jaber Al-Ali and Al-Oqaila. He sustained fatal injuries and was rushed to Adan hospital. In a similar case, a pedestrian was rushed to Farwaniya hospital in a critical condition, after being run over by a car along the Sixth

Ring Road. The man sustained serious head injuries. The driver at the helm of the vehicle is still at large. An investigation has been launched into the case.

Body found A 40-year-old Indian expat's body was found hanged in an apartment at Mangaf. The

Youngster s hurt in street fight in Sharq

KUWAIT: The Kuwaiti diving team recently finished the third phase of the waste removal operations at the coral reefs located in the Qarouh Island south of the country, which featured the removal of an estimated five to ten tons of waste from the island's seabed. "This operation requires to be carried out in several phases due to high currents as well as density of coral reefs", said the team's marine operations supervisor Waleed Al-Shatti.

KUWAIT: Citizens who reside at homes that are surrounded by abandoned housing units have requested the Public Authority for Housing Welfare (PAHW) officials to intervene and investigate the reasons that prompted owners to leave them. These have become "breeding grounds for garbage and violations," they said.

According to a recent survey carried out by Al-Rai, there are at least 2,000 abandoned houses that are strewn across several residential areas in the country. There are fully constructed homes as well as those that are halfbuilt. These units were abandoned by owners who were granted a KD 70,000 loan from the Savings and Credit Bank to build homes after receiving permission from the PAHW. During tours carried out at areas where these homes are located, citizens criticized the PAHW for failing to summon the owners of the abandoned units and question them about the reasons behind their actions "at a time in which the country has been unable to provide citizens with housing welfare." They further indicated that this practice wastes an approximate KD 140 million in the form of public funds - which were paid as loans to construct these buildings.

One neighbor of a three-storied abandoned building in Al-Adan said that a house was abandoned some 13 years ago. He noted that several juveniles conduct suspicious acts here. Meanwhile, another Adan resident stood pointed toward a building which, according to him, was abandoned 17 years ago. He said that the building has become "a safe haven for prostitution, drug abuse and a dumping ground for stolen items."

Street fight A fight broke out between a number of men at Al-Nadi street, Farwaniya. A 28-year-old fractured his nose and was admitted to the nearest hospital.

in the news PAAAFR dossier KUWAIT: The Public Authority for Agricultural Affairs and Fish Resources (PAAAFR) has drafted a dossier containing a list of violations such as illegal sub-letting were detected, said officials. The Minister of Municipal Affairs, Dr Fadhel Safar will inform the Cabinet about releasing some rented barns from beneficiaries and referring them to Public Prosecution Office.

Furthermore, officials explained that the violations included faulty electricity wiring, and the construction of unauthorized swimming pools and wells.

KUWAIT: Two youngsters were injured after clashing with seven hooligans who harassed their female relatives.

Female members of a Jahra family noticed that that they are being followed in Sharq by a number of reckless men who were at the helm of five vehicles.

A young man who had accompanied the women placed a phone call to his older brother, who then instructed him to drive on until he reached a roundabout located in Al-Waha.

The irate brother had already gathered a number of his family members and was waiting to launch an attack on the men. In a fight that ensued, two family members sustained injuries, reported Al-Rai. Jahra police reported to the scene after receiving an emergency call.

However, the harassers had already fled the scene even before police arrived.

The injured youngsters were admitted to the Jahra hos-

Citizens complain about 2,000 'ghost houses'

corpse was referred to a medical examiner to perform an autopsy.

Sheikha condolences KUWAIT: The Amiri Diwan, on behalf of His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad AlJaber Al-Sabah and Al-Sabah family, extended gratitude to the citizens and residents who expressed condolences on demise of Sheikha Badria Saud Al-Mohammad Al-Sabah, widow of the late Sheikh Fahad AlSalem Al-Sabah. The diwan invoked His Almighty to bestow his mercy upon the soul of the deceased. The Amiri Diwan mourned on Wednesday the passing away of Sheikha Badria, who was laid to rest on Thursday. She was 85.

NBK distributes Ramadan Imsakiyya to its clients KUWAIT: As part of fulfilling its ongoing corporate social responsibilities and on the occasion of the holy month of Ramadan, National Bank of Kuwait (NBK) has recently distributed Ramadan Imsakiyya to all NBK clients through its branch network and diwaniyas.

NBK Public Relations Deputy Manager Abdul Mohsen Al-Rushaid said that distributing Ramadan Imsakiyya to NBK customers comes as a part of the Bank's involvement in community affairs and its commitment to supporting noble and worthwhile causes in Kuwait.

"The most important initia-

tive within NBK Ramadan Social Program is hosting Al Watani fast-breaking banquets which has become tradition observed annually within the "Do Good Deeds in Ramadan" philanthropic drive initiated by NBK 17 years ago", Al-Rushaid added.

It is interesting to note that NBK Ramadan Social Program also includes several visits by NBK's Public Relations personnel to NBK Children Hospital, the houses of elders, orphans and special needs people as well as the family nursery and the distribution of Gerge'an throughout NBK's branch network.

Abdul Mohsen Rushaid

Al-

Praise for Sheikh Salman KUWAIT: His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah has addressed a cable to Sheikh Salman Sabah Al-Salem Al-Humoud Al-Sabah, the Chairman of the Kuwaiti Shooting Federation and the Asian Shooting Federation, congratulating him on his election as Vice Chairman of the International Sport Shooting Federation. His Highness the Amir wished Sheikh Salman further such promotions for service of the dear homeland.

Identical cables were addressed to Sheikh Salman by HH the Crown Prince Sheikh Nawaf AlAhmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah and HH Prime Minister Sheikh Nasser Al-Mohammad AlAhmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah.

Sheikh Salman became the new vice president of the ISSF at the ISSF General Assembly's board member elections, held in the German city of Munich on Thursday, attended by the delegations of 140 global shooting bodies. He won with a total 238 votes, 21 votes ahead of his closest rival, President of the Italian Clay Shooting Federation Luciano Rossi.

NATIONAL

Sunday, August 1, 2010

5 ‘Treasury of the World’ exhibition in Malaysia

Kuwait helps protect Islamic art heritage KUALA LUMPUR: Director General of Kuwait’s Dar Al-Athar Al-Islamiyyah (Islamic Antiquities House) Sheikha Hussa Sabah Al-Salem Al-Sabah delivered a lecture here yesterday at the Malaysian Islamic Arts Museum on the “Treasury of the World” exhibition.

KUALA LUMPUR: Sheikha Hussa Sabah Al-Salem Al-Sabah pictured with officials at the Malaysian Islamic Arts Museum yesterday.

IKEA continues training students KUWAIT: IKEA Kuwait - the globally renowned Swedish home furnishings chain reiterated its commitment with the Government’s Manpower Restructuring Program and Lothan Youth Achievement Center by continuing to work with the second and third batch of promising students. The students are working at the Store as part of IKEA Kuwait’s annual Summer Work program. This is the sixth year the Program is being held.

“The first batch of students completed their Summer Work program successfully at the store. The students were shown different aspects of what makes IKEA a successful business not just in Kuwait, but all over the world,” said Emile Shaar, IKEA Store Manager.

The Summer Work program which began in mid June will conclude by the beginning of August 2010. This year the program has been revamped and new elements have been introduced. The Summer Work program will run for 4 weeks to enhance the skills of the students and foster the development of a stronger work relation between Managers and the trainees. The training program will familiarize trainees with various functions Communications and Interior

Design, Sales, and Customer Service.

“At IKEA it is our commitment to work with MGRP and Bayt Loythan. IKEA would always like to give back to the community it works in, and through our summer work program we are confident that we will enable Kuwaiti youth to learn hands-on skills making them better prepared to embark on their professional careers,” he added For the first time this year,

as part of the revamped Summer Work Program, IKEA will be announcing the Best Summer Trainee. The best trainee will be selected over the period of the Summer Work Program that is currently ongoing at the store. Towards the end of the program the trainees will receive a monetary award and certificate upon successful completion of the program.

It is interesting to note that, IKEA Kuwait today has part time coworkers who once start-

ed out as summer trainees at the store in previous years.

IKEA Kuwait is a socially responsible organization and caters for the benefit of the community in which it operates and supporting Government’s Manpower Restructuring Program, LOYAC Talent Development Programs and many other community development initiatives is a testimony of the gratitude to the people of Kuwait for their trust in IKEA since over 25 years.

Sheikha Hussa pointed out during the lecture the dimensions behind holding such exhibition, its role in highlighting the world heritage and the deepseated history of this exhibition through the various displayed artefacts. The lecture was attended by director general of the Malaysian Islamic Arts Museum Sayed Muhammed Al-Bukhari, acting Charge d’Affaires at the Kuwait embassy in Malaysia Hamad Al-Haziem, representative of Arab and foreign diplomatic corps as well as a host of academics, heritage experts and media people.

Sheikha Hussa said in a statement following her lecture, “we are too happy as the world tour of this exhibition came to its end in a Muslim friendly country like Malaysia due to the deepseated ties binding the two countries and the Malaysian and Kuwaiti peoples.”

She added that “Treasury of the World” exhibition kicked off its tour in Europe, then moved to the US followed by the Russian Federation, then visited Singapore and crowned its long world journey with Malaysia, expecting for the exhibition to see a high turnout during the month of Ramadan.

Sheikha Hussa said that she knew from Malaysian officials that the Islamic Arts Museum in Kuala Lumpur sees a high turnout from all over the world, especially during Ramadan, noting that this means the biggest possible number of visitors

PAHW addresses ‘double allowances’ controversy KUWAIT: The Public Authority for Housing Welfare (PAHW) is continuing with its efforts to avoid incidents where public sector employees are paid double the amount in rent allowance than designated.

It has released new regulations which instruct that detailed payroll reports be furnished to ensure that an employee does not receive rent allowances twice.

According to the Head of the PAHW’s Department of Rent Allowances, Yousuf Al-Kandari, public firms have already been instructed to provide the authority with lists of personnel who already are entitled to receive allowances, asserting that according to the rule passed by the Parliament, the practice of seeking these reports are not considered illegal, reported Al-Rai.

Unlicensed building KUWAIT: The Kuwaiti Handicrafts Association’s headquarters building has been built on state property in Al-Jahra and operates without a license, while it ‘steals’ electricity from a nearby power transformer, a Kuwait Municipality official said.

According to its records, no proof exists about any kind of licenses being issued to the 15year-old building, further indicating that even if the Ministry of Electricity and Water (MEW) does approve it, the building’s validity is questionable as it was constructed in an illegal manner, reported Al-Rai.

KUALA LUMPUR: Sheikha Hussa Sabah AlSalem Al-Sabah addressing the meeting. would see the exhibition— which is held within the museum’s parameters—and enjoy the aesthetic values of its artefacts.

The aesthetic values displayed in the “Treasury of the World” exhibition emanate from the firm belief of the ancient

Muslim craftsmen who inscribed the “Chair” Quranic verse in a splendid calligraphy on a piece of emerald to show their veneration for the words of the Quran, Sheikha Hussa said, noting that there are other artefacts that embody significant

meanings in such era of the Islamic Mongolian history in India.

She also made clear that IAH holds its exhibition for the second time in Malaysia following its first exhibition titled “Carpets” that was held (AprilJuly) in 1999 on the occasion of opening the Islamic Museum and won great admiration for displaying the Islamic carpets handicrafts.

Sheikha Hussa expressed her hope for relocating the Islamic Antiquities House to the Kuwait National Museum in what helps display a collection of the Malaysian Islamic Arts Museum as well as collections from other world museums to make Kuwaiti people get acquainted with the creative arts of the various Islamic civilizations.

Malaysian King Al-Wathiqu Billah Tuanku Mizan Zainal Abidin inaugurated here Friday Kuwait’s Treasure of the World Exhibition in the presence of HH the Amir of Kuwait’s Envoy, Minister of Information and Minister of Oil Sheikh Ahmad Al-Abdullah Al-Sabah.

The opening ceremony was also attended by Malaysian Minister of Information Rais Tatim, Sheikha Hussa Sabah AlSalem Al-Sabah, Kuwaiti Ambassador to Malaysia Monther Al-Issa, Chairman of Bukhari Institution Sayed Mukhtar Bukhari and several senior other Malaysian officials and Kuwaiti diplomats. — KUNA

NATIONAL

6

Sunday, August 1, 2010

Drunk driver in police net

Bedoon youth held for murder attempt KUWAIT: A bedoon (stateless) man in his early thirties recently ran over a diwaniya in his vehicle, located outside their home in Umm Al-Haiman. His father-in-law and two other people, at whom the attacks were aimed at escaped

Driver arrested A citizen whose vehicle collided into another while driving under the influence of alcohol was arrested recently, reported Al-Watan. Police took the 24year-old into custody shortly after his car rammed into another vehicle that was parked outside a take-away restaurant in Al-Ferdous.

Prank call

Brunei Crown Prince to visit Kuwait KUALA LUMPUR: Scheduled visit by Crown Prince of Brunei Darussalam AlMuhtadee Billah to Kuwait today is aimed at boosting the brotherly and friendly relations between the sultanate and the Gulf state, the Kuwaiti Ambassador to Brunei said yesterday.

Ghassan Mohammad Al-Duwaisan, in a telephone statement, said the crown prince plans to get acquainted, personally, with his Kuwaiti counterpart, His Highness Sheikh Nawaf Al-Ahmad AlJaber Al-Sabah, for cementing the brotherly and friendly relations with His Highness, and exploring the developments in the political, economic and social sectors in Kuwait, achieved under leadership of HH the Amir, Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah.

Al-Muhtadee Billa and his accompanying delegation are scheduled to hold talks with senior Kuwaiti leaders on means of cementing the bilateral relations and visiting landmark economic, scientific and cultural sites in the Gulf

state, said Al-Duwaisan in the interview with the Kuwaiti news agency.

Elaborating, the diplomat indicated that the Kuwaiti diplomatic mission has been implementing the state policy of openness, sparing no effort for the improvement of the relations with Brunei, namely at the economic level.

The Kuwaiti diplomats are guided by the “wide policy of His Highness the Amir, the sheikh of the diplomats, a policy that is based on serving economic and common interests of Kuwait and other states,” Al-Duwaisan said, alluding to Sheikh Sabah’s service as the foreign minister of the country for many years in the past.

Sheikh Sabah had toured Asian countries, affirming the state’s keenness on exploring new opportunities for investments and trade namely with crude and oil derivatives.

Al-Duwaisan indicated in particular a visit paid by HH the Prime Minister Sheikh Nasser Al-Mohammad Al-Ahmad

Al-Jaber Al-Sabah to Brunei where he inaugurated the building of the Kuwaiti embassy in September 2009. The Sultan of Brunei visited Kuwait in April 2009, signing accords and memoranda of understanding for cooperation in the economic and investments domains.

The ambassador noted that Brunei has recently adopted a new policy of openness in its external relations with the aim of diversifying its resources of income and minimizing dependence on oil and gas, indicating that the officials in this country are seeking to study the income diversification policies, adopted in Kuwait and the other GCC countries.

An official declaration in Kuwait earlier today confirmed that the crown prince of Brunei would fly to the Gulf country, accompanied by a delegation of officials, on Sunday, on four-day official visit, during which he will hold talks with the political leadership on means of bolstering bilateral relations and cooperation. —KUNA

The Jahra police are currently investigating into a prank call case where a caller had placed an emergency call claiming that a house had caught fire in Taima. Police reported to the scene immediately along with firefighters and paramedics and learnt that the incident was fabricated, reported Al-Watan. The caller could not be reached as he had switched off his cell phone.

body was referred to the coroner.

police. He was referred to higher authorities.

Child saved Paramedics saved a 6-year-old Jordanian child, after performing Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) shortly after she had stopped breathing and lost consciousness, reported AlWatan. She suffered from cardiac arrest while playing at a swimming pool near the Kuwait Towers. She was admitted to the Amiri hospital.

Illicit relationship A citizen in Bayan caught his maid in a compromising position with a stranger in her room. He quickly informed police about the incident after locking the room from outside, reported Al-Rai. Hawally police reached the scene and arrested the couple. During interrogation, it was revealed that the man was employed as a driver with another Kuwaiti household.

Drug abuse The Mubarak Al-Kabeer police recently arrested a young motorist along the Fahaheel highway. He reportedly drove under the influence of drugs.

At least 60 drug pills were seized from his possession, reported Al-Watan. He was referred to higher authorities.

Drug trade

Heart attack

Abortion pills

Police arrested an expatriate in connection with possession of hashish.

Upon sighting the police at a security checkpoint in Khaitan, the man tried to break into a run, reported Al-Rai. However, he was referred to the General Department of Drug Control (GDDC).

A female citizen in her fifties succumbed to heart attack at her Jaber AlAli home. Paramedics who responded to an emergency call rushed to her place, and found the woman in an unconscious state, reported Al-Watan. Despite their efforts to revive her by performing a Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), the woman was pronounced dead. Her

A taxi driver was arrested in Salmiya, after being caught with possession of illegal abortion pills. The man was arrested after being lured into a trap set by undercover agents. Investigations were held into his illegal actions in trading the banned substance, reported AlWatan. Following his arrest, the suspect surrendered 12 strips of the pills to

Police arrested a gang of three Asian men that carried out several thefts. The attacks were mostly targeted at compatriots in Al-Salhiya. The arrest took place in Jleeb Al-Shuyoukh, reported AlRai. The suspects admitted to their involvement in 13 cases.

Thieves nabbed

No govt funding for low-cost homes KUWAIT: The low cost homes project may not be listed among those that the Cabinet has been considering for reschedule following the implementation of funding law, according to officials from the Parliament’s Housing Affairs Committee.

The project will not be accorded government funding as a tender has already been floated and awarded to a company, prior to it being stalled. In

TEC holds children’s club closing ceremony KUWAIT: The Touristic Enterprises Company (TEC) recently held a closing ceremony that marked the end of the third annual children’s interactive club.

The event was sponsored by Zain.

Several entertaining programs were held as part of the ceremony, like a cartoon character show, as well as other events in which club members had participated.

The ceremony was attended by TEC Acting Managing Director Omad AlRashid, Deputy Managing Director for Entertainment Affairs, Adel Al-Fahad, Head of the Legal Affairs Department, Melhem Al-Melhem, and Acting head of

unscathed, reported Anba. The father-in-law filed a case against his attacker. Police arrested the youth and during investigations, it was revealed that relations between the assaulter and his father-in-law had soured recently.

Public Relations Department Saqr AlBadr, in addition to representatives from the Boubyan Bank.

The club’s supervisor Mohammad Al-Ramzi thanked the TEC officials for the efforts made to turn this year’s event successful for the third consecutive year. This year’s club activities also include trips made to several facilities such as the Scientific Club, the Future Kid Entertainment Company and the Americana food company. The club members were awarded certificates and gifts, before participants toured a handicrafts exhibition fair that was in conjunction with the ceremony.

response, the said company had taken legal action against the Cabinet reported, Al-Qabas.

On a separate note, a parliament member recently urged all members to adopt a unified stance in order to draw up a charter of conduct that protects nationalist sentiments, asserting on the importance of safeguarding patriotism during the process of discussing draft laws in the Parliament.

MP Mohammad Al-Huwailah further indicated that the Parliament should ‘conduct a thorough study’ of the amendments suggested by the Cabinet on the audio-visual law which will be discussed during the start of the new term.

This approach is being taken with the aim of drafting a law that can protect national unity without infringing upon freedoms.

Sunday, August 1, 2010

INTERNATIONAL

7

Obama warns Abbas against failure to resume direct talks 16-point letter had a ‘carrot-and-stick approach’ RAMALLAH: US President Barack Obama has warned Palestinian leader Mahmud Abbas that failure to resume direct peace talks with Israel could undermine US-Palestinian ties, Palestinian officials said yesterday. Obama

NEW YORK: Lauren Wendle of Tarrytown, New York, observes a moment of reflection, during a demonstration against the detainment of three US citizens being held in Iran outside the Iranian mission to the United Nations on July, 30, 2010 in New York City. — AFP

Obama urges Iran to ‘release’ 3 US hikers WASHINGTON: President Barack Obama called on Iran Friday to “immediately release” three American hikers being held by the Islamic republic, saying they had never worked for the US government and committed “absolutely no crime.”

Obama, ahead of the one-year anniversary yesterday of the hikers’ arrest, said the trio were “simply open-minded and adventurous young people who represent the best of America, and of the human spirit.”

The hikers-Shane Bauer, 27, Sarah Shourd, 31, and Josh Fattal, 27 — have “never had any quarrel with the government of Iran, and have great respect for the Iranian people,” the US president said.

“I call on the Iranian government to immediately release Sarah, Shane and Josh,” he said, adding that their “unjust detention has nothing to do with the issues that continue to divide the United States and the international community from the Iranian government.”

Iranian authorities detained the group near the Iraq border during what the trio said was a hiking holiday in the Kurdish mountains of northern Iraq.

Earlier Friday US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and the mothers of the hikers also renewed appeals for the trio’s release.

“Their release by Iran is long overdue and their continued detention is unjustifiable,” Clinton said in a statement. “We urge Iran to take action in the case of the three hikers... We call on Iran to do the right thing and allow these three Americans to return home to their families,” she said.

In New York about 50 people, including the group’s mothers, demonstrated outside the Iranian mission to the United Nations carrying placards that said “Shame on you Iran” and “One year is enough-let them go.”

“I have an innocent child with two innocent friends languishing in prison. It’s time for them to come home,” said Laura Fattal, mother of

Yemen president accuses rebels of rejecting peace SANAA: Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh yesterday accused the northern Shiite rebels of rejecting a February truce, through repeated acts of aggression.

“In their latest acts of aggression, the Huthi rebels attacked the MP Saghir Bin Abdel Aziz in his home and army units,” Saleh said in a speech reported by the state news agency Saba.

“The state has abstained from all military action, while knowing that the rebels are pursuing other plans, as advocates of war who do not want peace.”

“We will, however, insist on implementing the six provisions (of the truce) and on returning to peace,” he said, adding that he hoped to see Qatar “convince the rebels to apply the points of the ceasefire.”

The army and the rebels, who are known as Huthis, have been fighting off and on since 2004. In February both sides agreed to a truce that ended a six-month round of fighting.

Earlier in July Qatar’s ruler Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa AlThani visited Yemen, and said Doha was prepared to help safeguard the country’s unity and consolidate the truce, an offer welcomed by the rebels.

Meanwhile yesterday Yemen’s security commission, which is responsible for ensuring compliance with the ceasefire agreement, accused the rebels of repeated violations.

These have included “killing and wounding numerous citizens, kidnapping others, cutting off roads, dynamiting houses and looting property,” a spokesman for the commission was quoted as saying by Saba. — AFP

Josh.

She said that after 12 months “the mental and psychological stress on my child and their two friends is terrible.”

Obama in his statement said he wanted to “particularly acknowledge the suffering and advocacy of Sarah, Shane and Josh’s families,” adding he had spoken with their mothers.

“The Iranian government’s gesture of allowing these mothers to visit their children was welcome, but I cannot imagine how painful it was for these three courageous women to return home without their children,” Obama said.

Cindy Hickey, mother of Shane Bauer, meanwhile in New York denounced the “political” and “unjust” detention, while Nora Shourd, mother of Sarah, said: “We want to bring them home.”

Shourd said the fact the three had not been able to see their lawyer was “an outrage also from a legal point of view.”

Amnesty International urged the US citizens’ release, with the rights group’s Middle East director Malcolm Smart saying it appeared “clear that the Iranian authorities do not have substantial grounds to prosecute these three individuals.

“We fear that they may be held on account of their nationality,” he said. “If so, they should be released immediately and allowed to leave Iran.” Amnesty said that otherwise the three Americans should be “charged with recognizably criminal offences and be tried according to international standards for a fair trial.” Iranian officials have alleged that the three planned to carry out “acts of espionage” in the Islamic republic, prompting denials from the US government and their families. In the US Senate, meanwhile, lawmakers introduced a symbolic resolution marking one year since the hikers were detained and calling on Iran to “immediately and unconditionally release” them on humanitarian grounds. — AFP

“In the letter, President Barack Obama warned president Mahmud Abbas that his refusal to enter into direct negotiations with Israel next month will have consequences for AmericanPalestinian relations,” the official said.

The 16-point letter had a “carrot-and-stick approach,” he added.

Obama stressed “it is high time to resume direct negotiations with Israel” and told Abbas that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu “is ready to resume direct negotiations.”

The letter warned that “Obama will absolutely not accept the rejection of his recommendation to move to direct negotiations and that there will be consequences for such a rejection in the form of a lack of trust in president Abbas and the Palestinian side,” the official said.

Obama pledged that his administration would work to extend a partial Israeli moratorium on Jewish settlements due to expire in September if Abbas resumes direct negotiations, he added.

“But in case of a refusal its assistance on that issue will be very limited,” he said, quoting from the letter in Arabic.

Chief Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erakat confirmed to AFP that Abbas received a letter from the US president on July 16.

“The president received on July 16 a letter from Obama in which he calls on the Palestinians to enter into direct negotiations and that these negotiations will lead to the creation of an independent Palestinian state,” Erakat said. In the letter Obama “assured Abbas that the US administration will strive to put an end to (Jewish) settlements if direct peace talks go underway but that its role would be less if this does not happen,” Erakat said. The revelation comes after the Arab League agreed in principle on Thursday to the resumption of direct Palestinian-Israeli peace talks, stressing however that Abbas had the final word on whey they should start.

The Palestinian official who declined to be named said Obama expects direct peace talks to begin at the onset of August and to address thorny issues such as borders and Israeli-annexed east Jerusalem.

Abbas, who is holding US-brokered indirect talks with Israel, has conditioned going into faceto-face talks with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on a raft of demands rejected by Israel. —AFP

made the warning in a letter to Abbas but also pledged to rally Arab, European and Russian support for the Palestinians if direct negotiations resume, a Palestinian official told AFP speaking on condition of anonymity.

BAGHDAD: Iraqi soldiers are deployed while reopening al-Jumhuri street by Shorja market in the center of Baghdad yesterday.—AFP

Ex-militia chief blames US for Iraq govt delays BAGHDAD: Washington is holding up the formation of a new Iraqi government by insisting the two main election winners form a coalition, allowing Iraq’s neighbours to meddle in its affairs, a top Shi’ite politician told Reuters.

Hadi al-Amiri, a parliamentarian who heads the Badr Organisation, the former armed wing of the Supreme Islamic Iraqi Council’s (ISCI), said the United States was pressuring Iraqi leaders to form a government of the two main electoral blocs led by Prime Minister Nuri alMaliki and former Premier Iyad Allawi.

He said Washington wanted to exclude others, including the Badr group, which won 11 seats in parliament.

“The Americans think that the best coalition is between Maliki and Allawi ... and in this way they exclude (people who they view as) extremists such as the Sadrists, Badrists and others,” Amiri told Reuters in an interview on Friday.

“The insistence of the Americans on their project is what is delaying forming the government,” he said at the ISCI’s compound in Baghdad, which is guarded by uniformed Badr guards.

“Today, it’s the Americans who are stand-

ing against (Iraq’s government formation) project, not the Saudis, not the Syrians and not the Iranians. Regional interference comes when there is persistence by the Americans.”

Iraqi political parties have been deadlocked since an election on March 7 which produced no outright winner.

Shi’ite, Sunni and Kurdish factions have been negotiating to form a parliamentary majority but they are unable to agree on who will hold the highest offices.

US President Barack Obama pressed Iraqi leaders last week to end the post-election deadlock and form a government soon since the reduction of US troops in Iraq was running ahead of schedule.

Talks forming a coalition have failed to make progress because of discord among the main Shi’ite coalition, made up of Maliki’s State of Law bloc (SOL) and the Iraqi National Alliance (INA), about Maliki’s desire for a second term.

Together the merged Shi’ite coalition has 159 seats in the new 325-seat parliament, four short of a majority.

Amiri’s ISCI and the Sadrist political movement-followers of anti-American cleric

Moqtada al-Sadr-are the INA’s two main factions. Sadrists are known to oppose Maliki after he sent the Iraqi army to crush their Mehdi Army militia in 2008.

Allawi’s Sunni-backed secular bloc, which won the most votes, has been unable to entice others into its camp. Both Maliki and Allawi want the job of prime minister, which remains the main stumbling block in the negotiations.

Amiri, 56, whose powerful group fought Sunni dictator Saddam Hussein from exile in Iran, said the only way to end the stalemate was to stop foreign intervention and choose a new candidate for a prime minister.

“The solution today is to bring someone who there is no stance against, meaning another person who is not Maliki and who is not Allawi,” he said.

“Today, bringing either one will divide the street. Bringing Allawi will make 159 Shi’ites against him in parliament, and bringing Maliki will make 100 Sunnis in parliament against him.” Amiri said there was “a unified position” inside the INA not to back Maliki for another term and the INA had asked Maliki’s State of Law to nominate another candidate from its bloc. — Reuters

INTERNATIONAL

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Sunday, August 1, 2010

UN tells Darfur peace force to focus on security UNITED NATIONS: The UN Security Council extended the stay of peacekeepers in Sudan’s western Darfur region by another year on Friday, telling the force to focus primarily on protecting civilians and aid deliveries.

The 15-nation council unanimously approved the extension in a resolution that also condemned a recent surge of violence in Darfur and called on Khartoum to stop hindering the work of the joint African Union/UN peacekeeping force, or UNAMID.

The force, which stands at about 21,700 troops and police, has been struggling for three years with the Darfur crisis, which erupted when mostly non-Arab rebels took up arms in early 2003, accusing Khartoum of neglect.

The government responded by mobilizing mostly Arab militias accused of a campaign of rape, murder and looting that created one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises. UN officials say up to 300,000 have died, while Khartoum says 10,000.

Extending UNAMID’s mandate until July 31, 2011, the Security Council called on it to give priority to protection of civilians and ensuring “safe, timely and unhindered humanitarian access” to an estimated 2 million refugees.

It instructed UN officials in Sudan to develop a “comprehensive strategy” to achieve those targets.

Western diplomats said the force should put those goals ahead of reconstruction projects or a direct role in attempts to negotiate a political

settlement, which they said UNAMID had been straying into and which Sudan’s government favored.

Peace talks between Khartoum and Darfur rebels are going on in Qatar, but have made little progress in the absence of the two main rebel groups.

The renewal of UNAMID’s mandate came as violence has risen in Darfur, a region the size of France.

Eight people were reported killed and dozens injured this week at fighting in refugee camps between supporters and opponents of peace talks.

UNAMID reported earlier this month that 221 people had died in tribal fighting and other violence in Darfur in June after nearly 600 deaths in May. UNAMID has lost 27 troops and police since it first deployed.

The council resolution called on all parties to the conflict in Darfur to immediately end the violence and commit themselves to a “sustained and permanent ceasefire.”

After closed-door consultations on Friday, council members condemned the killings in the camps, council

president Joy Ogwu of Nigeria said in a statement to reporters. “UNAMID is expected to shed light on the events,” she said.

The resolution also urged all parties to let UNAMID do its work and called on Khartoum to carry out promises to the United Nations on flight and equipment clearances and remove all obstacles to the use of the force’s aircraft.

In a report this month, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon accused both Khartoum and rebel

groups of restricting access to areas where there had been fighting. Sudan’s UN Ambassador Abdalmahmoud Abdalhaleem said his government had placed “no restrictions whatsoever” on UNAMID. Aid group Oxfam agreed with the Security Council that UNAMID should focus on security and stay out of reconstruction. “Mixing the work of blue helmets (peacekeepers) with aid groups will confuse Darfuris,” El Fateh Osman, Oxfam’s country director in Sudan, said in a statement. —Reuters

‘It burned down in just one minute, we only had time to save the children’

Thousands fight forest fires in Russia heatwave MOSCOW: Hundreds of thousands of firefighters, including army troops, yesterday battled forest fires raging across central Russia in a heatwave that has killed more than 30 people. Around 238,000 firefighters were tackling the fires in 14 regions,

along with 226 aircraft, the emergency ministry said yesterday. More than 2,000 troops have been sent in to back up firefighters in the drought-ridden regions, a defence ministry spokeswoman told ITAR-TASS news agency yesterday.

President Dmitry Medvedev called the fires “a natural disaster,” in televised comments to Defence Minister Anatoly Serdyukov yesterday, speaking in the Black Sea resort of Sochi.

“Unfortunately the forces of the emergency ministry, its regional capabilities, are not sufficient because this is really a natural disaster that happens probably only once every 30 or 40 years,” Medvedev said.

Serdyukov said that defence ministry firefighting units were working flat out but admitted that the armed forces were struggling to secure their own military bases. “Some of our own installations are also in quite a difficult situation,” Serdyukov said.

“Unfortunately we were fighting fires yesterday and the day before.” The emergency ministry however said it had the situation under control.

“Despite the unpromising weather forecast, the task force we have created and preventive measures we have taken, as well as the active use of emergency ministry aircraft allow us to control the situation,” it said in a statement.

Finance minister Alexei Kudrin said the cost of rebuilding and compensating victims could be higher than the 5 billion rubles VORONEZH: Local residents try to find remains of their belongings in front of their burnt house at the edge (165 million dollars) pledged by of Voronezh, central Russia, yesterday. Hundreds of thousands of firefighters, including army troops, battle Prime Minister Vladimir Putin forest fires raging across central Russia in the worst heatwave for decades, destroying houses and killing more on Friday, the ITAR-TASS news agency reported. than 30 people. —AFP “So far the damage is estimated at five billion rubles. This will be sent to concrete regions to provide housing, financial compensation for the victims’ loss of property,” Kudrin said. “But government introduction of multi-party rigged in favour of the ruling ZANZIBAR: Zanzibar held a autonomous probably the costs will be highparty. referendum yesterday aimed with its own president, politics in 1992. er.”

Karume and CUF leader The CCM has won all at forming a coalition after constitution, flag and national Three more bodies were subsequent elections in Seif Sharif Hamad said when upcoming polls in a bid to anthem. found yesterday in burnt-out Rivalry between the main 1995, 2000 and 2005, they cast their ballot neutralise the blood and houses in the Nizhny Novgorod hatred that have blighted the CCM and CUF parties has sparking protests by the yesterday morning that they region, the regional emergency Tanzanian islands’ politics been bitter and at times opposition, which repeatedly were confident the “yes” ministry told the Interfax news bloody since the re- charged that results were vote would win the day. for decades. agency, raising the number of Some 400,000 voters The referendum got under deaths reported to 31, including were called to polling way peacefully on the semithree firemen. stations around the Zanzibar autonomous territory’s two The emergency ministry did islands and some started islands of Unguja and Pemba, not give a toll for the whole of queuing early to seize what and the principle of a national Russia. In the village of Maslovka they saw as an opportunity to unity government following outside Vorenzh, 600 kilometres LOS ANGELES: Lawyers for two Armenian men have bury the blood-stained October 31 polls was (370 miles) southeast of Moscow, political hatchet. expected to be widely sued Turkey and two of its major banks, claiming they and in one of the hardest hit areas, a “I am happy. I have voted endorsed. others were victims of genocide and seeking what could resident stood outside the for peace, stability and unity.

“Voting has started in a amount to hundreds of millions of dollars in damages. remains of her charred home.

Voting means peace,” peaceful environment and we “It burned down in just one The lawsuit, filed on Thursday in US District Court in Khadija Hassan, who woke expect it will end minute, we only had time to save California, names the Republic of Turkey, The Central up at dawn to be first in line peacefully,” said Aziz Juma, the children,” said the woman.

Bank of the Republic of Turkey and T.C. Ziraat Bankasi as at her polling station in Stone police spokesman for the Only five of Maslovka’s 150 defendants.

Town, told AFP after casting Zanzibari capital of Stone homes had been spared by the The suit seeks class action status on behalf of all her ballot.

Town. fire, which arrived swiftly and Armenians and Turkish citizens “who were deprived of No incident had been The referendum seeks silently, villagers said. their citizenship, brutally deported, (and) had their propreported shortly before approval for an amendment Authorities had promised polling stations were due to to the constitution that would erty seized” by the Turkish government. quick compensation of 100,000 close but turn-out looked low create two vice-president Los Angeles attorney Brian Kabateck, who filed the rubles, and Putin pledged that all across Stone Town, with positions to be split between suit on behalf of L.A. resident Garbis Daoyan and Queens, homes would be rebuilt by the many voters apparently the parties that come first end of October.

New York resident Hrayr Turabian, said he believes this staying home due to the and second in parliamentary “Why does the government is the first lawsuit dealing with the Armenian genocide “yes” vote’s almost certain polls. behave like that,” asked a resithat names the Turkish government as a defendant. victory.

Ministries would be dent in Maslovka, saying that The Armenian genocide refers to the death and disZanzibar is home to allocated on a proportional fields in the area had burned for placement of many people who lived in the Ottoman around 1.2 million people and basis. several days without any action Empire before and after World War I. is known around the world as “Vote ‘yes’ in the being taken. In the Moscow Turkey accepts that many Armenians were killed by an idyllic travel destination referendum so that we region, a television report with spices, palm-fringed remain united. We need to Ottoman forces, but denies the number was as high as the showed residents of the village of beaches and a rich history work together and heal 1.5 million some researchers believe died. The governMokhovoye, where six people that inspired famous writers. hatred caused by ment has long denied the idea that genocide occurred. died in fires and several others But at least 30 people unnecessary political were missing, searching through The US government has never formally called the were killed in January 2001 conflicts after every general ashes of their houses. events a genocide, but just this past March, a U.S. conduring clashes between election,” Zanzibar President “I had a good insulated gressional panel voted to label it genocide in a non-bindpolice and CUF supporters Amani Karume told a garage, a banya, a cellar. What ing resolution.

That act caused the Turkish government and almost every other gathering this week. can I say? It has all burnt down,” to recall its ambassador. election has been marred by Zanzibar declared a middle-aged male resident told Kabateck said he has successfully sued companies violence, tarnishing the independence on January 12, NTV television, as thick white such as New York Life Insurance Co. and France’s AXA in archipelago’s image and 1964 after a bloody smoke hung over a wasteland of slowing foreign aid. revolution that ended several the past, getting nearly $40 million in damages for vicburnt tree stumps and brick founTallying was expected to centuries of rule by Arab tims’ heirs. dations. Temperatures were start immediately after the sultans.

He said the suit was filed now for reasons that include forecast to hit 40 degrees Celsius end of polling and Three months later, it (104 degrees Fahrenheit) in the the documentation of original land deeds establishing provisional results were due merged with mainland next few days in several central ownership of property in Turkey. And he said it was filed to be announced by the Tanganyika to form the Russian regions, with the emerin southern California due to the large numbers of Zanzibar Electoral United Republic of Tanzania, gency ministry warning of an Armenians who live in the area. —Reuters Commission today. —AFP but maintained a semi“extreme risk” of more forest fires. —AFP

AFRAGOLA: Rescuers save Imma Mauriello, a 10-year-old girl trapped in the rubbles after an appartment building collapsed. The authorities have confirmed three deaths after initially reported that five people had died in the collapse in Afragola, near Naples, southern Italy yesterday. —AFP

3 dead as building collapses in Italy ROME: An apartment building collapsed early yesterday in southern Italy, killing three people in their sleep, police said.

Police said the building fell apart after 1 am in Afragola, a small town near Naples.

The victims include a married couple and an elderly woman, said the deputy chief of Naples police, Paolo Iodice. Contradicting earlier statements, police said the woman’s granddaughter, a

10-year-old girl, was still alive under the rubble and that rescuers were trying to pull her out.

Iodice said the girl was conscious and was talking to rescuers.

The couple were caught in their bed, their bodies found hugging each other, the ANSA news agency said. The cause of the collapse was not immediately known. It was not clear if more people were missing. —AP

Zanzibar votes on ‘peace government’

Turkey sued in California over Armenian genocide

JUBA: Southern Sudanese gather at the grave of their first president John Garang on Friday in memory of those killed in a 22-year long war with the north. The south is expected in January to vote in a referendum set up under the 2005 peace deal, which promised it the chance to choose independence or to remain in a united Sudan. —AFP

Violence forces MSF to suspend aid in South Sudan JUBA: Violence in south Sudan has forced the aid agency Doctors Without Borders (MSF) to suspend its work in the Gumuruk area of troubled Jonglei state, the organisation said yesterday.

Three separate security incidents this month, including attacks by armed men, forced MSF to suspend medical aid in the remote healthcare clinic, a statement read.

“Attacks on our staff and clinics prevent us from providing essential medical aid,” said Rob Mulder, who heads the MSF mission in southern Sudan.

“These incidents are totally unacceptable as they stop us from accessing patients and put our staff at risk,” he said.

The clinic serves a population of more than 30,000 people, and was providing treatment to more than 160 malnourished children, Mulder said.

In addition, there were up to 20 new cases of severely malnourished children each week.

On July 1, an armed group entered the clinic, stealing boxes of special food used to treat severely malnourished children, followed by another robbery three days later, MSF said.

Then on July 27, four MSF staff members were violently robbed by armed men while travelling by boat to Gumuruk.

The remote site is only accessible by plane or boat

during the current rainy season.

South Sudan is still recovering from decades of war with the north during which about two million people were killed in a conflict fuelled by religion, ethnicity, ideology and resources including oil.

The south is expected in January to vote in a referendum set up under a 2005 peace deal, which promised it the chance to choose independence or to remain part of a united Sudan.

Clashes between rival ethnic groups in south Sudan erupt frequently-often sparked by cattle rustling and disputes over natural resources, while others are retaliation for previous attacks. —AFP

INTERNATIONAL

Sunday, August 1, 2010

9

Venezuela sends troops to Colombian border: Chavez ‘We’ve deployed military units, but quietly because we don’t want to upset anybody.’

CARACAS: President Hugo Chavez said Friday that Venezuela has deployed military units and troops to the Colombian border, because outgoing President Alvaro Uribe is “capable of anything,” as a row escalates betw een the tw o. Chavez broke off diplomatic relations w ith Colombia on J uly 22, one w eek after Uribe accused Venezuela of harboring 1,500 leftist Colombian rebels in its territory, a charge Chavez has strongly denied.

ELOY: Immigrants sit in their housing cell in the women’s wing of the detention facility for illegal immigrants on July 30, 2010 in Eloy, Arizona. Most immigrants at the center are awaiting deportation or removal and return to their home countries, while some are interned at the facility while their immigration cases are being reviewed. — AFP

Arizona law is least concern for Mexicans crossing border NOGALES: Neither US Border Patrol agents nor drug traffickers deterred Mario Guerrero from attempting, with his pregnant wife and young son, to cross illegally from Mexico to Arizona, where a new immigration law also awaited them.

They stopped on Friday in the vast, scorching desert for a rest with five others before tackling the most dangerous part of their journey.

“The zone that you’re preparing to cross is under careful observation. It’s a known route and many people are stopped here,” warned Enrique Enriquez, a member of the Beta Group which brings aid to migrants along the 2,000mile (3,200-kilometer) MexicoUS border.

The migrants made a temporary shelter under plastic sheets on their last stop, near scattered bags, clothes and bottles left behind by people who made the journey before them.

Human traffickers told them to wear only dark clothes and leave behind any accessory which could reflect light and alert the US Border Patrol.

They aimed to reach a spot with the code name “W25”another canyon eight hours’ walk away, where more guides were due to be waiting.

Mario and Oralia Guerrero, in their thirties, said they were aware of many dangers ahead.

They heard that an old man recently died from a scorpion sting, and numerous stories of frightening encounters with drug traffickers.

The border is a hotspot in Mexico’s spiraling drug violence, in which some 25,000 people have died in the past three and a half years.

A deployment of 1,200 National Guard troops to the US side of the border is due to start Sunday to help the Mexican government’s crackdown on smuggling and drug trafficking.

Six aircraft have also been ordered to the border to join a fleet of helicopters, planes and drones already monitoring the region.

On the ground, the migrants said they had also heard about the controversial new Arizona immigration law which went into effect on Thursday, stripped of powers for police to spot check the legal status of suspects but spreading fear through immigrant communities.

The row over the law has thrust the United States’ estimated 11 million illegal immigrants once more into the spotlight, after a series of failed legislative attempts to bring them out of the shadows.

“It’s bad for us and unfair,” Oralia Guerrero said.

“Mexicans work the hardest and we’re valued the least.”

And many are still determined to cross their northern border to try to better their lives.

Guerrero, a construction worker, hoped to return to New Jersey, and where his son first went to school.

The family returned to central Mexico to deal with a family

HAVANA: Former Cuban President Fidel Castro (R) during a meeting with Young Communists on July 30, 2010 at the Convention Palace in Havana. — AFP

Fidel Castro says US mistreating spies HAVANA: Former Cuban leader Fidel Castro on Friday stepped up criticism of the United States over its treatment of five Cuban agents imprisoned for more than a decade for spying and said one of them was in a cell so small it amounted to torture.

Castro, who for 49 years headed a government criticized by human rights groups for holding political prisoners in bad conditions, said Cuba would never torture captured spies.

Castro, 83, spoke to a group of young Communist Party members in his latest of a series of appearances since recently emerging from four years of seclusion after falling ill in 2006.

A videotape of his presentation was shown on national television. In his previous two appearances, he wore a green military shirt, but he was back in civilian

clothes on Friday.“They are people who have suffered for 12 years. The sufferings of these people don’t count, they’re not worth anything?” Castro said of the imprisoned agents, known in Cuba as the “Five Heroes.”

The case has long been a point of contention between the United States and Cuba, which demands their release and says they were trying to prevent “terrorist” attacks by exile extremists.The five men were arrested in 1998 and convicted in a Miami court in 2001 of 26 counts of spying. They received sentences ranging from 15 years to life in prison.

U.S. prosecutors have said the men were part of a Cuban espionage ring that spied on the Cuban exile community in Florida and sought to penetrate US military facilities. —Reuters

problem a year and a half ago but they could not earn as much money there and they were no longer used to their homeland.

“Our life in the United States was very different. Our

son really enjoyed it,” said Oralia Guerrero, sobbing slightly. She said she wanted to try the journey again before giving birth or that she would have to put it off for years. — AFP

“We’ve deployed military units, air force, infantry, but quietly because we don’t want to upset anybody, the population,” Chavez told state-run VTV television in a telephone interview.

The leftist leader did not say how many troops and exactly what military ordnance was involved in the move.

“Uribe is capable of anything in these last days” before he leaves office on August 7, said Chavez, who had also threatened to cut off oil supplies to the United States if it backed an attack by Colombia, its chief ally in the region.

Last Sunday the president cancelled a trip to Cuba, claiming the risk of a Colombian attack had never been greater.

The Colombian Air Force on Friday said it would set up an air base in Yopal, in eastern Casanares department, to keep an eye over the border area with Venezuela and take

on Colombian rebel forces in the region.

The air base will also be tasked with protecting crude oil installations in the region and also with “fighting the different drug trafficking groups in that part of the Colombian territory,” the air force statement said.

Uribe and Chavez have often been at loggerheads in the past. In November, Chavez broke off diplomatic relations over a USColombian military base agreement he said was a threat to regional stability.

Chavez also did some sabrerattling at the time.

In their latest tussle, Colombia took its accusations to the Washington-based Organization of American States (OAS) on July 22, while Venezuela earlier this week went before a foreign ministers’ meeting of regional body Unasur, the Union of South American Nations, which called for a presidential summit to try to resolve the

crisis.

Venezuelan Foreign Minister Nicolas Maduro on Tuesday said there was a possibility things could be patched up between Caracas and Bogota when Colombian president-elect Juan Manuel Santos takes over from Uribe next week.

“If the new Colombian government fully rectifies (its position) and adopts a posture of absolute respect for Venezuela’s government and our country, we are sure we can build a new path,” Maduro said.

But just a day earlier another top Venezuelan official, Electricity Minister Ali Rodriguez had stoked the rising tensions with Colombia, warning that his government does “not fear war if it is imposed on us.”

Rodriquez said Bogota’s accusations that Venezuela is harboring Colombian guerrilla leaders were a “foul, vulgar and offensive pretext to attack Venezuela.”

Uribe on Friday defended his decision last week to have the OAS take up accusations that Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) and National Liberation Army guerrillas were using bases in Venezuela to stage their antigovernment attacks on Bogota.

“You have to be daring to denounce terrorists on the international level.

You must be daring and respectful of the international community, but honest in laying out our claims,” Uribe said.

“It has been a difficult step, one that crates problems, diplomatic frictions, but it’s necessary,” the outgoing president added.

Uribe leaves after eight years in office with an 80 percent approval rating chiefly for his crackdown on the FARC, which has roughly halved its fighting strength to some 7,000 combatants, according to official figures.

— AFP

INTERNATIONAL

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Sunday, August 1, 2010

Philippines to mark momentous death of Corazon Aquino MANILA: The Philippines will today mark one year since the death of democracy heroine Corazon Aquino, a momentous event that is still being felt as it propelled her son to the presidency.

The massive outpouring of sympathy after Aquino died from colon cancer at 76 prompted her son, Benigno, who was then an undistinguished legislator, to run for the nation’s top job and ultimately win elections in a landslide.

“We have felt the impact of her death. The entire nation united to vote

for President Noynoy Aquino,” said current Vice President Jejomar Binay, a longtime supporter of Corazon Aquino who was popularly known by her nickname, Cory.

Interior Secretary Jesse Robredo, another follower of the late president, said her trademark characteristics of honesty and simplicity were guiding the new administration in its infancy.

“She is a large part of our history, not just for what she did for us but for where she is leading us. Her example and legacy are what we are continuing today,” Robredo said.

Today’s anniversary will be marked with a mass and tribute at a Catholic school where Aquino’s wake was held last year, and thousands of people lined up in the hot sun for hours to pay their last respects to her.

A giant television screen will be set up so more supporters can witness the ceremony, dubbed: “Her Legacy, Our Promise”.

It will include a short programme on her life and a speech by her son, who took office on June 30 replacing the highly unpopular Gloria Arroyo.

Cory Aquino had no political ambi-

tions and was happy just to play housewife for Senator Benigno “Ninoy” Aquino-father and namesake of the new president.

But when then-president Ferdinand Marcos declared martial law in 1972, he cracked down on all opposition figures including Ninoy Aquino.

This culminated in Ninoy Aquino’s assassination by Marcos troops in 1983.

In the wake of the killing, the fragmented opposition finally united behind the widow of the martyred Ninoy and she reluctantly agreed to

lead them.

She ran for president against Marcos in the 1986 elections, campaigning to end his one-man rule and the widespread corruption of his regime.

Rampant election cheating by Marcos forces triggered a popular revolt that toppled him from power and installed the housewife as president.

During her six years in office, Aquino restored democracy and earned a reputation for personal honesty and modesty.

“There is genuine affection by the

people for her. Among all the past presidents... Cory is best remembered. She was a housewife who had the courage to stand up to Marcos,” said business leader Alberto Fenix.

Her death changed the political landscape, said Prospero de Vera, political analyst at the state-run University of the Philippines.

“It was a major turning point in the viability of a Noynoy candidacy,” he told AFP, referring to the current president by his nickname.

After her death, surveys found skyrocketing support for Noynoy Aquino

to run for president. Before that, he was not even considered a contender.

While Noynoy Aquino may owe much of his presidency to his mother, de Vera said the widespread reverence for her would not protect him if he stumbled as leader.

“People are slowly differentiating between Cory and Noynoy as the current administration begins its term,” de Vera said.

“Even if Corazon Aquino remains popular, if Noynoy Aquino does not deliver, you will see a decline in the ratings of the new president.” —AFP

Authorities continuing rescue efforts

China says coal mine blast leaves 17 dead BEIJING: Seventeen people have been killed in a coal mine blast in northern China, the government said yesterday, in the second major industrial accident to hit the country this week. The early morning explosion destroyed

more than 10 dormitories at the Liugou coal mine near Linfen city in the northern province of Shanxi, the State Administration of Work Safety said on its website.

Seventeen people were killed and another 68 were injuredseven of them seriously-in the blast, the administration said.

The injured were taken to hospital for treatment.

A local coal mine safety official told AFP that 60 workers had been slightly hurt in the explosion, with six suffering serious injuries.

Local authorities were continuing rescue efforts to reach any workers who may be still trapped inside the sleeping quarters, the work safety bureau said.

It was not known how many miners were inside at the time of the blast, another local official told AFP, adding that an investigation into the cause of the accident was under way.

The official Xinhua news agency said preliminary findings showed the blast may have been caused by explosives illegally stored in a dormitory and that a suspect had been detained by police, who have launched an investigation.

AFP’s calls to the coal mine’s owners, Yangquan Coal Industry (Group) Co. Ltd, went unanCANBERRA: In a file picture taken on July 25, 2010 Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard (L) and conserv- swered.

But a senior official at ative opposition leader Tony Abbott (R) shake hands before the leaders’ debate at the National Press Club in Yangquan Coal Industry told Canberra. Australia’s conservative opposition lead by Abbott has taken an election-winning lead over Gillard’s Xinhua that the number of dead embattled Labor party just weeks ahead of an election, a poll showed yesterday. —AFP and injured could rise further.

On Wednesday, 13 people were killed by a powerful chemical pipeline explosion that rocked a city in eastern China.

More than 300 others were injured in the blast, which occurred on the grounds of an abandoned plastics factory in Nanjing, capital of Jiangsu province, as workers were demolishing the facility.

The new Nielsen poll shows opposed decisions to boost the government, The Sydney SYDNEY: Australian Prime China’s vast coal mining Minister Julia Gillard is heading two-thirds of voters still expect state pension and paid paterni- Morning Herald said. industry is notoriously accidentRudd, who is recontesting for a shock defeat at elections Gillard to win, despite many ty leave. prone due to lax regulation, cor“It encompassed the dark- his parliamentary seat on on August 21, a new opinion shifting to opposition leader ruption and inefficiency as mines poll showed yesterday, as gov- Tony Abbott, but it will still est two days of the campaign August 21, has denied he or his rush to meet soaring demand. ernment infighting and damag- come as a shock for Labor for the government which were camp is behind the recent cabiChina relies on coal-generating cabinet leaks threatened to which is struggling to heal the dominated by damaging cabinet net leaks and has reaffirmed his ed power for about 70 percent of leaks against Ms Gillard, for support for Gillard’s campaign. wounds of Rudd’s dumping. derail her campaign. its electricity needs.

But the damaging leaks Abbott yesterday dismissed which Mr Rudd was blamed,” But Gillard, who is still A total of 2,631 miners were expected to win by most other the latest poll results and said The Sydney Morning Herald against her continued yesterkilled in China last year, accordopinion polls and political he remained “very much the said under a front-page head- day. ing to official figures, but indeThe Australian newspaper, line “Abbott seizes the lead. experts, vowed to keep on bat- underdog” in the election. pendent labour groups say the If the August 21 election quoting unnamed sources, said The new poll, conducted tling to keep the top job. actual figure could be much high“Let’s be very clear about over two days this week, fol- were to mirror the latest poll Gillard as deputy prime miniser as many accidents are covered this, we’re in a fight,” she told lowed leaks of cabinet discus- results, the opposition would ter had skipped national-securiup to avoid costly mine shutreporters while campaigning in sions to newspapers which said win an additional 28 seats in ty meetings and instead sent a downs.

Perth. “I am going to keep they showed Gillard, the then the lower House of parliament, junior staffer, her former bodyIn other accidents this month, fighting every day of this elec- deputy prime minister, had 11 more than it needs to form a guard, to stand in for her at the 13 workers were killed in a floodcabinet-level discussions. tion campaign.” ed coal mine in the northwestern Yesterday, Gillard confirmed Defeat for Gillard would Gansu province. that the bodyguard had attendsink her plans to slap a 30 perIn a separate incident, police ed some meetings but said it cent tax on iron ore and coal detained a coal mine owner after was “offensive” to suggest she mines, to introduce carbon28 workers died in a blaze at his did not take security matters trading and to build a $33 bilcolliery in Shaanxi province, in seriously. lion-plus broadband network. the country’s northwest.

The story, which Gillard had The latest Nielsen poll BEIJING: The death toll from floods sweeping through northeastThe workers died after elecearlier declined to comment on, reversed a solid lead Gillard’s ern China has risen to 37, state media said yesterday, as authoritrical cables caught fire on July 17 citing cabinet confidentiality, Labor party held in the same ties raced to intercept 12 heavy vessels hurtling down a major at the Xiaonangou coal mine in followed similar reports this poll a week ago. Australia’s waterway. Torrential rains in Jilin province have left a further 35 Hancheng city. month that Rudd had also first female prime minister people missing as more than 364,000 people were evacuated from In March, a flood at the huge, skipped the same meetings, took over barely five weeks ago waterlogged areas, the official Xinhua news agency reported. unfinished Wangjialing mine in highlighting bad blood between from unpopular predecessor The weather bureau has predicted more heavy rain for the the industry’s northern heartland the Gillard and Rudd camps.

Kevin Rudd, who was dumped central and eastern parts of the hard-hit province, with experts of Shanxi left 153 workers Rudd is currently in hospiby his own MPs. warning of further flooding and landslides. Water, electricity and trapped underground. A total of tal to have his gall bladder Support for Labor had dived telecommunication services were cut in parts of the province, 115 were recovered alive, in removed and has promised to six percentage points to 48 perwhile train services in the town of Kouqian were suspended after what was seen as a rare successreturn to the campaign for cent, according to the poll, pubthe railway station was surrounded by flood waters, previous ful rescue.

Gillard and the Labor party lished yesterday in The Sydney reports said.

Despite numerous pledges when he is well enough. His Morning Herald and The Age More than 95,000 buildings have been damaged in the floods, after that accident and other big wife said on Saturday he was newspapers. with 25,000 destroyed, Xinhua said. Floodwater up to three mining disasters, there is virtualrecovering well from the It gave the conservative metres (10 feet) deep in some places submerged factories and ly no let-up in the regular reports operation. opposition an election-winning houses, reports said earlier this week, before the waters receded of deadly mishaps.

Opposition leader Abbott 52 percent, after minor parties to about one metre.

Zhao Tiechui, head of the was back on the campaign trail are eliminated under Elsewhere in Jilin, hundreds of soldiers and many boats were State Administration of Coal on Saturday, promising to boost Australia’s system of transfermobilised to stop 12 heavy vessels being swept down the Songhua Mine Safety, said in February spending for the families of able voting.

River towards a major dam, Xinhua said. that China would need at least 10 defence personnel in an appearOpinion polls have been The vessels, weighing up to 12 tonnes each, broke their mooryears to “fundamentally ance in the northern city of erratic but, on balance, they ings early Saturday and were heading towards the Fengman dam. improve” safety and reduce the Darwin. Labor cabinet minister have favoured Gillard. The Further downstream, hundreds of workers continued to retrieve frequency of disasters.

Craig Emerson told ABC radio Reuters Poll Trend, a statisti3,000 barrels full of explosive chemicals that were washed by flood As part of efforts to increase yesterday the government still cal analysis that aims to smooth waters into the Songhua River. safety standards, the central govhad three weeks to appeal to out the volatility of differing Water supplies to the nearby city of Jilin were temporarily cut ernment has levied heavy fines voters before polling day but poll results, shows Gillard winafter the incident on Wednesday, leaving 4.3 million people depenand implemented region-wide conceded the election would be ning a slightly increased majordent on bottled water. —AFP mining shut-downs following close. —Reuters ity. serious accidents. —AFP

Australian PM vows to fight after poll predicts defeat

Floods kill 37 in China’s northeast

MANILA: In a file picture Filipinos flash the L sign with their fingers for “Laban” (fight), the slogan of late former Philippine president Corazon Aquino, and hold up a magazine showing her portrait during her funeral procession in Manila. The Philippines will today mark one year since the death of democracy heroine Corazon Aquino, a momentous event that is still being felt as it propelled her son to the presidency. — AFP

Malaysian court clears Muslim of church attack KUALA LUMPUR: A Malaysian court has cleared a Muslim man accused of firebombing a church, reports said yesterday, one of a spate of attacks on places of worship that escalated ethnic tensions.

Eleven churches were attacked with Molotov cocktails, stones and paint in violence earlier this year in Muslim-majority Malaysia, triggered by a ruling that overturned a ban on non-Muslims using “Allah” as a translation for “God”.

Dispatch rider Azuwan Shah Ahmad and two brothers are the first to face the courts in connection with the attacks.

They were charged over the firebombing of a church in a southern suburb of Kuala Lumpur on January 7.

“There is insufficient evidence to link Azuwan Shah Ahmad, 23, to the offence,” Sessions Court judge S.M. Komathy Suppiah said in acquitting him on Friday, according to the Star newspaper.

Witnesses reportedly told the court that

Azuwan was only present at a gathering before the attack, but did not go to the church. Azuwan’s lawyer could not be reached for comment.

The judge ruled that brothers Raja Mohamad Faizal Raja Ibrahim and Raja Mohamad Idzham should enter a defence after deciding prosecutors had established a case against them.

If convicted, the pair face up to 20 years in jail.

Religion and language are sensitive issues in multi-racial Malaysia, which experienced deadly race riots in 1969.

The government argues that the use of the word “Allah” by Christians, who make up nine percent of the population, could cause confusion and encourage religious conversion, which is illegal for Malaysian Muslims.

The row is one of a string of religious disputes that have erupted in recent years, straining relations between Malays and minorities who fear the country is being “Islamised”. —AFP

YANGON: In a file picture taken on July 29, 2010 North Korean foreign minister Pak Ui Chun (C) visits the Shwedagon pagoda in Yangon. North Korea’s foreign minister met his Myanmar counterpart during a trip to the country, Pyongyang media reported yesterday, in a visit likely to be watched by Western nations fearful the two regimes could be co-operating on nuclear weapons. —AFP

N Korea FM meets Myanmar FM amid nuclear worries SEOUL: North Korea’s foreign minister met his Myanmar counterpart during a trip to the country, Pyongyang media reported yesterday, in a visit likely to be watched by Western nations fearful the two regimes could be co-operating on nuclear weapons.

The Korean Central News Agency said a delegation led by Pak Ui Chun met with U Nyan Win and officials on Friday in the administrative capital Naypyidaw. “At the talks the two sides exchanged views on the issue of developing the friendly relations between the two countries and regional and international issues of mutual concern,” KCNA said.

The brief report provided no details on the substance of the discussions.

Pak arrived on Thursday in Yangon, an official in Myanmar said.

His visit is expected to conclude today.

Myanmar severed ties with Pyongyang in 1983 following a failed assassination bid by North Korean agents on South Korea’s then-president Chun DooHwan during a visit to the Southeast Asian nation.

The attempt left 21 people dead.

But the two countries branded “outposts of

tyranny” by the United States have been rebuilding relations in recent years, resuming diplomatic ties in 2007. US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton last week expressed worries about military ties between North Korea and Myanmar, formerly known as Burma.

“We know that a ship from North Korea recently delivered military equipment to Burma and we continue to be concerned by the reports that Burma may be seeking assistance from North Korea with regard to a nuclear programme,” she said during a visit to Hanoi.

In June the ruling junta denied allegations-in a documentary produced by the Norwegian-based news group Democratic Voice of Burma — that Myanmar had begun an atomic weapons programme with Pyongyang’s help.

The documentary cited a senior army defector and years of “top secret material”. It showed thousands of photos and testimony from defectors that it said revealed the junta’s nuclear ambitions and a secret network of underground tunnels, allegedly built with North Korean assistance. —AFP

INTERNATIONAL

Sunday, August 1, 2010

11

Another protester killed

Police fire on protesters defying Kashmir curfew SRINAGAR: Another protester was killed yesterday in revolt-hit Indian Kashmir, bringing to six the number of young men shot dead by security forces in two days as fresh violence shook the region. The latest casualties marked the deadliest 48 hours in the Muslim-majority Himalayan territory

KABUL: In this handout picture taken on July 28, Afghan Air Force personnel use a helicopter to evacuate residents from a flooded area in Laghman Province, east of Kabul. Some 2342 residents have been evacuated from flood affected areas by airforce personnel as heavy seasonal monsoon rains sweep the Central Asian nation along with neighbouring Pakistan. — AFP

Flash floods kill 65 in Afghanistan KABUL: Flash floods in Afghanistan have killed at least 65 people and affected more than 1,000 families, the national disaster authority chief told AFP yesterday.

Rescue teams in the northeast of the country are still struggling to reach areas cut off by flooded roads and the threat of insurgent attacks, said Abdul Matin Edrok, head of the Afghanistan National Disaster Management Authority.

"Initial information sent by our provincal offices shows that nearly 70 people have been killed and tens injured. We estimate more than 1,000 families have been affected but these figures may rise," he said.

Most of those affected were in northeast

Kapisa province, where 31 people died, he said.

Others were killed in the eastern provinces of Nangarhar, Laghman, Kunar and Logar, central Ghazni province and northern Parwan.

Edrok said food and medical aid was being distributed using some Afghan and NATO coalition helicopters, and that the rains causing the floods had now ended.

In neighbouring Pakistan, at least 408 people have been killed and 600,000 people affected by the worst floods in living memory, as monsoon rains triggered flash floods and landslides.

Military operations are under way to help those living across the Afghan border in the impoverished remote mountain belt. — AFP

The latest casualty, a 30year-old man, was killed when security forces opened fire at rock-throwing protesters in northern Baramulla town, a police officer said, asking not to be named.

Earlier, a young man was killed in the neighbouring Naidkhai village when "security forces opened fire as a group of protesters tried to attack a police camp," he said.

The deaths brought to six the number of people killed in clashes with security forces since Friday in the northern district of Baramulla, known as a hotbed of separatist sentiment.

Several other demonstrators were injured, one of them seriously, in yesterday's firing incident in Naidkhai village, the officer told AFP. The latest round of police firing happened in northern Kashmir as authorities struggled to subdue protesters defying a strict curfew that was imposed on all major towns in the Kashmir valley yesterday.

Each death has sparked a new cycle of violence despite appeals for calm from state Chief Minister Omar Abdullah and Indian Home Minister P. Chidambaram.

In Sopore, protesters set fire to a railway station, smashing windows and breaking furniture, and hurling stones, another police officer said.

Security forces fired shots to disperse the protesters, injuring four people, the officer said, asking not to be named.

In neighbouring Kreeri town, demonstrators torched a counter-insurgency police camp and threw stones at a security patrol, prompting security

since June 11, when the turmoil first erupted after a 17-year-old student was killed by a police tear-gas shell. So far, Indian security forces have been accused of killing 23 Kashmiri civilians—many of them in their teens or 20sin less than two months.

SRINAGAR: Relatives and paramedics carry Ghulshan Aara, an injured Kashmiri woman, outside a hospital in Srinagar yesterday. Gulshan was wounded when Indian police fired on Kashmiri demonstrators in Kreeri village of north Kashmir, killing one person, people accompanying Gulshan said.

Another protester was killed in revolt-hit Indian Kashmir, bringing to five the number of young men shot dead by security forces in two days as fresh violence shook the region.— AFP forces to fire in self-defence, injuring two women and one man, he said.

"The condition of one injured woman is critical," the officer told AFP. In Pampore, demonstrators set ablaze two Indian Air Force vehicles but police fired tear gas and warning shots and were

able to rescue the occupants, police said.

Srinagar, Indian Kashmir's summer capital, which was also under curfew, looked deserted as troops armed with rifles and batons patrolled the streets.

In some parts of Srinagar, protesters and riot police clashed, police said.

Police and paramilitary forces were also deployed in strength in other large towns in a bid to keep a lid on demonstrations, the spokesman said.

The two-decade-old insurgency against New Delhi's rule in Kashmir has claimed tens of thousands of lives, though the recent unrest is the worst for

two years.

Nuclear-armed India and Pakistan each hold Kashmir in part but claim it in full.

Separatist politicians and Islamic militants reject Indian rule in Kashmir and want to merge with Muslim-majority Pakistan or carve out an independent state. — AFP

Pakistan spy scraps UK talks after PM's comments

MUMBAI: Indian pedestrians walk through a flooded street during a heavy downpour in Mumbai yesterday. The monsoon season, which runs from June to September, accounts for about 80 percent of India's annual rainfall. — AFP

US, India sign nuclear reprocessing pact WASHINGTON: The United States and India signed an agreement yesterday enabling the Asian power to reprocess American nuclear material, a key requirement under their landmark atomic energy pact.

So far, Washington has reprocessing deals only with European Union members and Japan. The arrangement with India reflects President Barack Obama's "strong commitment to building successfully on the landmark US-India Civil Nuclear Cooperation Initiative and is a prerequisite for US nuclear fuel suppliers to conduct business with India," a statement from the State Department said.

The reprocessing agreement was signed in Washington

by US Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs Bill Burns and Indian envoy to the US Meera Shankar.

The United States and India signed their nuclear agreement in 2008, part of the deepening relationship between the world's two largest democracies. But US companies have yet to benefit from the agreement because of lingering technicalities. In the meantime, Russian and French rivals have been making headway in India's growing market.

India is to reprocess the US spent nuclear fuel at a new facility to be established under International Atomic Energy Agency safeguards, the statement said. Arrangements under the pact signed Friday "will facilitate participation by US firms in India's expanding civil

nuclear energy sector," it said.

The civil nuclear agreement has opened significant new commercial opportunities for the United States across India's multi-billion-dollar nuclear energy market. They include the designation of two nuclear reactor park sites for US technology in the states of Andhra

Pradesh and Gujarat, the statement said.

"Increased civil nuclear trade with India will create thousands of new jobs for the US economy while helping India to meet its rising energy needs in an environmentally responsible way by reducing the growth of carbon emissions." — AFP

LONDON: A diplomatic spat with implications for international counterterrorism escalated yesterday after Pakistan's spy chief canceled a visit to London following comments by the British leader suggesting Pakistan exports terrorism.

A trip to Britain by President Asif Ali Zardari is still scheduled, but relations between the two countries have been strained by Prime Minister David Cameron's blunt comments during a visit to Pakistan's nuclear rival, India. Cameron, who took office in May, said Pakistan must not be allowed to "promote the export of terror whether to India, whether to Afghanistan or to anywhere else in the world."

Cameron later conceded that Pakistan had made moves against terror organizations, but said "it still needs to take further steps."

The remarks outraged Pakistani officials.

Wajid Shamsul Hasan, Pakistan's

ambassador to Britain, called the comments "an immature reaction from an immature politician."

A senior Pakistani intelligence official confirmed that Saturday Inter-Services Intelligence chief Lt. Gen. Ahmed Shujaa Pasha had called off a trip planned for next week, when he had been due to discuss security cooperation with British intelligence bosses. The official spoke on condition of anonymity in line with his agency's policy.

Yesterday about a dozen protesters from the Islamist group Shababe Milli burned an effigy of Cameron in the city of Karachi.

The demonstrators chanted "Down with Cameron!" and "God is great!" outside the Karachi Press Club. "Cameronthe loose mouth," a placard read.

Pakistan insists that it has done more than any other country to combat terrorism, sending the army to fight Taleban

and al-Qaeda-linked militants within its borders and cooperating closely with Western intelligence agencies.

But its spy agency has long been accused of secretly aiding Afghanistan's Taliban and other Islamic militants.

Pakistan's military-run spy agency operates largely beyond civilian control. But the official said the decision to scrap the spy delegation's visit was backed by the Pakistani government.

Britain's Foreign Office declined to comment on Pasha's canceled trip, saying it did not discuss intelligence matters.

It said Zardari's visit was still scheduled to go ahead next week. The Pakistani leader is

due to stay with Cameron at his country retreat, Chequers.

Shahbaz Sharif, chief minister of Pakistan's Punjab province and a leading opposition politician, called on Zardari to cancel the trip, saying the money saved should go to help victims of devastating floods.

"This money should instead be spent on the flood-affected areas," he said.

Former British Foreign Secretary David Miliband accused Cameron of alienating an important ally.

"Britain needs good relations with Pakistan, and Pakistan good relations with Britain," said Miliband, foreignaffairs spokesman for the opposition Labour Party.

"The prime minister's comments this week told only part of the story and that has enraged people in Pakistan. It is vital he shows that he understands the need not just for Pakistan to tackle terrorism but that he will support them in doing so and understand the losses they have suffered," Miliband said.

Britain and the United States regard Pakistan as a key nation in the fight against terrorism. Britain's former prime minister, Gordon Brown, said that 75 percent of terror plots under investigation in Britain were linked to Pakistan.

Britain is home to about 1 million people of Pakistani origin. —AP

OPINION

12

Sunday, August 1, 2010

THE LEADING INDEPENDENT DAILY IN THE ARABIAN GULF ESTABLISHED 1961

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issues

Dangerous illusions

By Dr James J Zogby

A

fter a century in which tragedy has been heaped upon tragedy across the Middle East, it is distressing to see how many dangerous illusions still shape the behavior of so many of the region's principal players. This truth was brought home by a recent report, "A Third Lebanon War", issued by the influential Council on Foreign Relations (CFR).

The author of the report, former Ambassador to Egypt and Israel, Dan Kurtzer, after methodically assessing factors on all sides, advises US policy makers to prepare for the possibility of war in the next 12 to 18 months between Israel and Hezbollah forces in Lebanon.

(Kurtzer wrote his piece well before rumors that an international tribunal may be indicting members of Hezbollah for the assassination of Rafiq Hariri. And while this has generated a new set of concerns with the focus now on Lebanon's internal stability instead of war with Israel, the CFR piece remains useful for its analysis and the dangers it examines.)

The developments that prompt Kurtzer's assessment are twofold: Israel's growing concerns with the quantity and quality of weapons alleged to have been amassed by Hezbollah in violation of UN Security Council Res. 1701, and the heightened war-like rhetoric on both sides. Kurtzer sees it as unlikely that Hezbollah would launch hostilities, and suggests that the more likely scenarios are that Israel would either try to lure the Lebanese militia into a war or take it upon itself to attack Hezbollah positions in Lebanon in an effort to "degrade" the group's military "capabilities".

Kurtzer cautions that no good would come of this renewed conflict. Lebanon would again pay a bitter price. Israel, already experiencing some degree of international isolation, would see its standing further compromised and such an adventure would most likely not result in dislodging or weakening Hezbollah. And the US would witness severe setbacks to its three major policy objectives in the Middle East: "slowing or stopping Iran's nuclear program, withdrawing combat forces from Iraq, and helping Middle East peace talks succeed".

While Kurtzer suggests measures the US might take to discourage an Israeli attack or, after hostilities begin, to limit them, he acknowledges that the combination of partisan politics and the work of the Israel lobby would likely restrain the Administration from taking too aggressive a stance to pressure Israel or more

actively engage Iran and Syria, or to open a dialogue with Hezbollah - all with an eye toward easing regional tensions.

In the end, Kurtzer concludes that while the US "should work to avert another war in Lebanon, its capacity to do so is limited". He, therefore, concludes that the Administration's best options are to prepare for a worst case scenario. Among these options are: "upgrading US intelligence collection and US Israeli intelligence cooperation"; "publicly restate US support for Israel's right to self-defense and concerns about Hezbollah's rearmament"; "increase diplomatic pressure on Syria"; and "prepare for possible postwar diplomatic initiatives".

After reading the CFR report, several questions came to mind, focusing on the dangerous illusions that appear to guide behavior of all involved in this bizarre "dance of death". If no good will come of a third Lebanon war, as Kurtzer rightly notes, then why are we, once again, at the brink of conflict? At what point do Israel's military planners realize that one more war will bring them no closer to regional peace and acceptance than any of the past wars? If Hezbollah is truly concerned with the rights, safety, security and prosperity of its people, then why does it persist in this dangerous game of rearming and brinkmanship? If the US has so much to lose, then why will it allow partisan politics and a lobby to limit its ability to protect its national interests by actively working to restrain one bully or opening a dialogue with another?

Can Dan Kurtzer, whose thoughtful and disturbing analysis has so correctly identified the costs, futility and dangers of renewed conflict, really believe that the recommendations he proposes at the end will do anything but encourage the war planners to proceed on their fools' errand? And can anyone really believe that at the end of yet another devastating round of hostilities the region will be anymore receptive to a productive "diplomatic initiative" than it has been after past conflicts or it is today?

That another war will create peace; that more arms that only provoke your dangerous better-armed and unrestrained neighbor will make you secure; that bad policy made under the duress of domestic politics will produce anything other than bad results - these are the dangerous illusions under which all have been laboring for decades, and apparently still are.

NOTE: Dr James J Zogby is the President of the Arab American Institute.

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

Sukuk lose shine for traditional Gulf issuers

By Shaheen Pasha and Rachna Uppal

T

he lure of Islamic bonds appears to be wearing off for conventional borrowers in the Gulf, even as the global industry grows, with highprofile defaults and rising costs souring their appeal. On a global scale, Malaysia continues to dominate the Islamic finance market, which is based on financial principles from the Holy Quran, and has led sukuk issues so far this year. A Reuters poll in July estimates global sukuk sales at $23-25 billion, similar to 2009, but down from earlier estimates.

"Dealing with sukuk defaults, standardising sharia interpretation, and increasing sukuk liquidity, we believe, are at the root of issues that could curb future growth," said Mohamed Damak, analyst for Standard & Poors in a recent report. "It is the solutions to these issues -likely in our view to be neither easy nor quick - that we believe will shape the direction the market takes."

In the Middle East, Dubai has sought to establish itself as a global rival to Kuala Lumpur for the estimated and growing $1 trillion of Islamic finance business.

After a lacklustre start to bond issuances from the region, hit from November by Dubai's debt crisis and global credit market volatility, international bond sales from the region have begun to pick up again, with sovereign, quasi-sovereign and corporate issuance.

According to SDC, a Thomson Reuters database, the Middle East has issued 15 international bonds for a total of $15.2 billion so far this year, $5.5 billion of it in July alone.

But in that time only Saudi real estate firm Dar al Arkan has issued an international sukuk. No conventional borrowers have sold sukuk this year, and those in the pipeline, such as that of

Qatar Islamic Bank, have not been able to come to market.

"There are likely to be various reasons for borrowers having held back from issuing sukuk, such as debates over sukuk structures, documentation issues," said Chavan Bhogaita, head of credit research at National Bank of Abu Dhabi (NBAD). Islamic finance had been seen as a hot market in the region, and foreign investors saw sukuk as a way to tap into abundant liquidity in the Middle East. International demand was high, particularly from European and US hedge funds, for perceived highquality issues, such as the Dubai government's $2.5 billion sukuk sale in October.

But the near-default in December of the dollar-denominated sukuk from Dubai property developer Nakheel sounded alarm bells. Kuwait's International Investment Group has defaulted on two sukuk payments this year, and The Investment Dar, which owns half of British carmaker Aston Martin, defaulted on a sukuk in May last year. The effect has been not just reputational damage to the industry but also a stronger focus on structuring, costs, compliance, and the legal ramifications of default.

Islamic bankers say a number of mandated sukuk issuances are now being pulled from the market in the region, or are in the process of being restructured as conventional bonds.

Sukuk structures are usually more expensive due to the costs associated with sharia board approval, extra legal fees, and fees associated with the often complex structures. While Islamic institutions accept the extra costs, other issuers need a good reason to opt for what is typically a longer, more expensive process.

"The dedicated pool of investors

does bring depth, but remains comparatively rarefied in terms of number," said Simon Putt, head of regional debt capital markets at BNP Paribas. "The prevailing sentiment is that conventional bond issuance ticks all the right boxes in terms of size, maturity, cost and investor diversity." Moreover,

costs have actually gone up in the wake of the financial crisis due to extra compliance procedures after a growing perception among Islamic investors that previous sukuk had not adhered to the strictest standards. In some jurisdictions, such as the UAE, there are also additional fees related to

the transfer of land. "A number of clients I've spoken to say that they will do Islamic if it's cheaper or if they can get a greater pool of liquidity," said one Gulf-based Islamic banker. "But they just aren't seeing an overriding commercial reason to do a sukuk if they don't have to." — Reuters

Dagestan most violent in Caucasus

By Amie Ferris-Rotman

R

ussia's Dagestan region has overtaken its neighbours as the epicentre of violence in the mainly Muslim North Caucasus, where the Kremlin is struggling to contain an Islamist insurgency. Twin suicide bombs on the Moscow metro in March killed 40 and turned the global spotlight on Dagestan. Authorities blamed the attacks on two women from the Caspian Sea region, which has 2.5 million people and is Russia's most ethnically diverse. A decade after separatists were defeated in Dagestan's neighbour Chechnya in the second of two devastating wars, the Muslim regions of the North Caucasus are plagued by violence.

Analysts say the region's proximity to Sochi, site of the 2014 Winter Olympics, poses a major headache for the Kremlin. Bombings and shoot-outs have rocked Dagestan this year, killing dozens of policemen, civilians, imams, investigators and village heads. In January-June, Dagestan saw 79 attacks by Islamist insurgents, compared to 61 in the same period of 2009, according to a report on Wednesday by terrorism experts at the U.S. Monterey Institute for International Studies. This year's attacks killed 52 members of the security forces.

At least 172 rebels were killed across the North Caucasus as a whole and scores of civilians and state agents.

Nadira Isaeva, editor of Dagestani paper Chernovik, said official corruption drove youths to extremism. "When everything is being sold and bought the state no longer exists as an operator. People look for an alternative fate," she told Reuters in an interview. "In this way the population simply Islamises itself because this religion has its own laws and guidance and regulates society on its own," she added.

The tiny impoverished region of Ingushetia had the most

bloodshed last year, with suicide bombs aimed at police and an attack on the Kremlin-backed leader Yunus-Bek Yevkurov that left him fighting for his life. Many insurgents, fuelled by the ideology of global jihad, want to carve out a separate sharia-based state. The revival of Islam following the break-up of the Soviet Union almost 20 years ago has brought sharia law to the region, revered by both rebels and ordinary citizens alike and some say this overlap could be dangerous. The Kremlin is watching uneasily as central power yields to Islamic ideas in the region.

The Dagestani branch of the insurgency said last month it was gaining ground because of the sympathies of the general population. "With the active support of local Muslims, the power is transferring (to us)," it said in a statement on its site jamaatshariat.com. Another Dagestani paper, popular weekly Novoe Delo, has started a section to keep track of the death count in what it calls "the undeclared war".

Analysts said the March metro bombs were the first in the Russian heartland to be carried out by Dagestanis rather than Chechens, indicating a shift in the insurgency.

Christopher Swift, a specialist on Islamic militancy at the University of Cambridge, said the heightened rebel activity in Dagestan could be connected to a feeling of let-down by Russia. Dagestan is home to more than 40 language groups.

"The Dagestanis looked to Moscow to help resolve their internal differences," Swift told Reuters in an interview. But Moscow has become distrusted. "If the Kremlin wants to govern there effectively, it must first win back the trust of the local population. They will not be able to defeat the insurgency until they do," he said. The US study said the formerly quiet region of Kabardino-Balkaria, where a hydroelectric station was blown up by suspected Islamist militants last week, saw violence more than triple in Jan-June, from 12 to 38 attacks. — Reuters

Syria, Saudi buy time as Lebanon tensions rise

By Natacha Yazbeck

A

landmark visit by Syrian and Saudi leaders may have helped to ease tensions in Lebanon, but did little to address the crux of the problem in the long-run, analysts said yesterday. The Shiite militant group Hezbollah continues to warn against its implication in the 2005 murder of former prime minister Rafiq Hariri, however, sparking fears of yet another conflict in the tiny Mediterranean country.

"This is essentially a Saudi blessing for a return to Syrian domination of Lebanon," said Beirut-based journalist Michael Young. "I think it will calm domestic tensions for a time," Young told AFP. "But I also think that the Syrian objective is to build on this so that they can return to a situation that more or less existed before their withdrawal in 2005."

Assad and King Abdullah were in Lebanon on Friday for an hours-long visit, their first since 2002, which was swiftly followed by Qatar's emir.

Assad's visit was particularly controversial as his country was widely accused of the bombing that killed Hariri and 22 others on Feb 14, 2005 in Beirut. Damascus has consistently denied the accusations but nonetheless pulled its troops from Lebanon after the murder, following a 29-year presence.

The visit came with tensions rising after reports of an impending indictment by the UN-backed Special

Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad (left) gestures as he sits alongside Saudi Arabia's King Abdullah (center) and Lebanese President Michel Sleiman prior to their meeting at the Presidential Palace in Baabda, east of Beirut, on Friday. — AFP Tribunal for Lebanon (STL) against Hezbollah members for the assassination of Hariri, father of current Prime Minister Saad Hariri. Ties between Saudi Arabia, which is close to the Sunni Muslim Hariri family, and Syria deteriorated in 2005 but have rekindled in recent years, with Saad Hariri himself visiting Damascus several times since taking office in November.

Analysts say the joint Syrian-Saudi

visit was a clear message that Syria, along with Iran a major backer of Hezbollah, still holds sway in Lebanon with Saudi Arabia's blessing. "The main message of the joint visit is that the Saudis are legitimising a new role for Syria in Lebanon because there are certain problems that do not lend themselves to peaceful resolution," said Hilal Khashan, a political science professor at the American University of

Beirut. "The Saudis made it very clear that they may talk to the Americans and postpone the tribunal indictments, but they cannot do away with it because it is in the hands of the international community," Khashan told AFP. Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah this month revealed the UN tribunal probing Hariri's killing was poised to indict members of his party, slamming the STL as an Israeli project. His

deputy Naim Qassem on Friday said Hezbollah had the right to defend itself through all available means, and Nasrallah is expected to address the issue again next week.

Hezbollah MP Ali Fayyad yesterday told AFP the militant party maintained the hope the Lebanese would "act responsibly" in the decisive weeks to come. "We call on everyone to deal with the dangers facing Lebanon with the utmost seriousness," he said in response to a question on whether Hezbollah's stance against the tribunal was a warning of potential conflict. "We hope this (summit) will help contribute to a terminal solution to the dilemma Lebanon is facing as temporary solutions only postpone the dangers," Fayyad said.

Nasrallah's statements have sparked fears of a repeat of the deadly events of May 2008, when 100 people were killed in clashes that erupted when the government announced - and then repealed - a crackdown on Hezbollah. But Young, who is skeptical that the STL will find and try the masterminds behind the Hariri murder, downplayed the likelihood of violence.

"I think if there is one thing that came out of the meeting yesterday it is that there is a Syrian-Saudi agreement to avoid violence in Lebanon, which would be primarily be between Hezbollah and Hariri - in other words between the Shiites and the Sunnis," he said. — AFP

ANALYSIS

Sunday, August 1, 2010

13

Before the CIA, there was the Pond

By Randy Herschaft and Cristian Salazar

I

t was a night in early November during the infancy of the Cold War when the anti-communist dissidents were hustled through a garden and across a gully to a vehicle on a dark, deserted road in Budapest. They hid in four large crates for their perilous journey. Four roadblocks stood between them and freedom.

What Zoltan Pfeiffer, a top political figure opposed to Soviet occupation, his wife and 5-year-old daughter did not know as they were whisked out of Hungary in 1947 was that their driver, James McCargar, was a covert agent for one of America's most secretive espionage agencies, known simply as the Pond.

Created during World War II as a purely US operation free of the perceived taint of European allies, the Pond existed for 13 years and was shrouded in secrecy for more than 50 years. It used sources that ranged from Nazi officials to Stalinists and, at one point, a French serial killer. It operated under the cover of multinational corporations, including American Express, Chase National Bank and Philips, the Dutch-based electronic giant. One of its top agents was a female American journalist.

Now the world can finally get a deeper look at the long-hidden roots of American espionage as tens of thousands of once-secret documents found in locked safes and filing cabinets in a barn near Culpeper, Virginia, in 2001 have finally become public after a long security review by the Central Intelligence Agency. The papers, which the Pond's leader tried to keep secret long after the organization was dissolved, were placed in the National Archives in College Park, Maryland, in 2008 but only opened to the public in April. Those records plus documents obtained by AP in the past two years from the FBI, CIA and other agencies under the Freedom of Information Act portray a sophisticated organization obsessed with secrecy that operated a network of 40 chief agents and more than 600 sources in 32 countries. The AP has also interviewed former officials, family members, historians and archivists. The Pond, designed to be relatively small and operate out of the limelight, appeared to score some definite successes, but rivals questioned its sources and ultimately, it became discredited because its pugnacious leader was too cozy with Sen Joseph McCarthy and other radical anticommunists.

The documents also highlight issues still relevant today: the rivalry among US intelligence agencies that have grown to number 16, the government's questionable use of off-the-books operations with

budgets hidden from congressional oversight, and the reliance on contractors to undertake sensitive national security work. Created by US military intelligence as a counterweight to the Office of Strategic Services, the forerunner of the CIA, it functioned as a semiautonomous agency for the State Department after World War II and ended its days as a contractor for the CIA with links to J Edgar Hoover's FBI. The organization counted among its exploits an attempt to negotiate the surrender of Germany with Hermann Goering, one of Adolf Hitler's top military leaders, more than six months before the war ended; an effort to enlist mobster Charles "Lucky" Luciano in a plot to assassinate Italian dictator Benito Mussolini; identifying the location of the German heavy water plants doing atomic research in Norway; and providing advance information on Russia's first atomic bomb explosion.

There were other tangible successes, such as planting a high-level mole in the Soviet secret police and, in a major operation code-named "Empire State," the Pond paid a group of dissidents behind the Iron Curtain with CIA funds to obtain cryptographic systems to break coded messages from Moscow.

But it was Pfeiffer's successful escape that was among the most high-profile operations, garnering headlines, although the Pond's role was kept secret for years.

McCargar, a State Department official who secretly was the Pond's agent in Budapest, had been ordered to find a way to get Pfeiffer and his family out of the country. The Hungarian was the leader of a small but increasingly popular anti-communist party that had made gains in August elections, and he had begun to get death threats. McCargar coordinated the escape with the help of fellow State Department employee Edmund Price, also identified in the papers as working for the Pond. But it was McCargar, armed with a pistol, who drove them from Budapest, past four road blocks. At one, a Russian guard asked to see what was in the four crates. McCargar bribed him with cigarettes.

They arrived in Vienna, a hotbed of international intrigue, where the US shared control with their allies, the French and the British, as well as the Soviets. Against this politically fraught backdrop, Pfeiffer and his family were taken to an airfield and spirited away to Frankfurt and on to New York. They arrived in the US on Nov 12 as heroes of the anti-communist opposition.

One of the escapees, Pfeiffer's daughter, Madeline, told the AP she remembered sitting between her mother's legs in one crate and that she was given sleep-

ing pills to keep her quiet. "It is strange to realize that I have lived though this, and that my parents lived through this," said Madeline Pfeiffer, 67, now living in San Francisco. On the 50th anniversary of their flight from Hungary, she said she sent McCargar a bottle of cognac - what he and her parents drank after escaping.

Two other dissidents were taken out with them.

The head of the Pond was Col John V Grombach, a radio producer, businessman and ex-Olympic boxer who kept a small black poodle under his desk. He attended West Point, but didn't graduate with his class because he had too many demerits, according to a US Army document. His nickname was "Frenchy", because his father was a Frenchman, who worked in the French Consulate in New Orleans.

The War Department had tapped Grombach to create the secret intelligence branch in 1942 as a foundation for a permanent spy service.

Grombach said the main objectives were security and secrecy, unlike the OSS, which he said had been infiltrated by allies and subversives. It was first known as the Special Service Branch, then as the Special Service Section and finally as the Coverage and Indoctrination Branch.

To the few even aware of its existence, the intelligence network was known by its arcane name, the Pond. Its leaders referred to the G-2 military intelligence agency as the "Lake," the CIA, which was formed later, was the "Bay," and the State Department was the "Zoo." Grombach's organization engaged in cryptography, political espionage and covert operations. It had clandestine officers in Budapest, London, Lisbon, Madrid, Stockholm, Bombay, Istanbul and elsewhere.

Grombach directed his far-flung operations from an office at the Steinway Hall building in New York, where he worked under the cover of a public relations consultant for Philips. His combative charact e r

h a d earned him a reputation as an opportunist who would "cut the throat of anyone standing in his way," according to a document in his Army intelligence dossier.

In defining the Pond's role, Grombach maintained that the covert network sought indirect intelligence from people holding regular jobs in both hostile countries and allied nations - not unlike the Russian spies uncovered in June in the US while living in suburbia and working

Sectarian violence tears at Pakistan's heartland

By Zeeshan Haider

I

slamist groups are stepping up sectarian attacks in Punjab, Pakistan's largest and wealthiest province, trying to further destabilise the US ally already battling Al-Qaeda and the Taleban, analysts say. Over the past two months, Sunni Muslims militants affiliated with both Islamist militant groups have increased their attacks on adherents of opposing schools of Islam in Punjab, as their strongholds in the northwest have come under intensified military offensives.

In May attacks that killed more than 80 people, militants targeted two Lahore mosques of the Ahmadi sect, who consider themselves Muslims but whom Pakistan has declared nonMuslims. A month later, militants attacked Data Darbar, the Sufi shrine for Pakistan's most popular Muslim saint, killing 42 people. And in mid-July, a suicide bomber attacked a Shi'ite mosque in the city of Sargodha, wounding 15 people. Analysts say the Punjab strikes share a common strategy Radical Sunni groups are try-

ing to provoke Pakistan's various sects to hit back in an attempt to inflame civil unrest, and ultimately destablise a government already under pressure from the United States and other countries to crack down on militants that often spread their violence outside Pakistan.

Punjab has traditionally been the powerbase of Pakistan's ruling establishment. The nucleararmed South Asian country is considered vital to US efforts to stabilise Afghanistan, so any instability in Punjab - and thus in Pakistan - is a cause for great concern for the United States.

Instability could also impact military operations against militants in the northwest provinces bordering Afghanistan. "The sectarian militant groups are now becoming more active in Punjab," said security and political analyst Hasan-Askari Rizvi.

"These groups now want to create social unrest by fanning sectarian violence in the country. It seems to be an attempt by militants to divert attention from operations in the northwest by opening a new front for the government to tackle. These militants want to demoralise people

through such attacks and build up pressure on the government to stop operations on their strongholds in the northwest," he added.

Sectarian violence in not new to Pakistan, particularly in Punjab, which has been a hotbed of hostility between Sunni and Shiite militants for decades. In the 1990s, hundreds were killed in Sunni-Shiite sectarian violence there. These incidents decreased after the US-led war in Afghanistan, as militant groups focused their attention on fighting Western forces across the border and, later, the Pakistani military in the northwest. Punjabi militant groups, some of which have been fighting Indian troops in the disputed region of Kashmir, have splintered and forged ties with AlQaeda over the years, officials say.

But among many Pakistanis, these groups command some respect as "freedom fighters" for Kashmir. This is why critics say the government of Punjab, run by the party of former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, is reluctant to mount a crackdown on hardline groups for fear of losing political sup-

A relative carries the body of a Pakistani girl killed in a suicide bomb attack at a hospital in the small town of Pabbi on July 26, 2010. – AFP

port from its conservative powerbase. However, the attack on Data Darbar sent shockwaves through adherents of Sufism - a mystical tradition within Islam - commonly known as Barelvis in Pakistan.

Pakistanis are pre-dominantly Sunni Muslims and many of them are Barelvis.

The austere Taleban are also Sunnis but reject Sufism and tend to belong to the Deobandi school of Sunni Islam. Shiites account for about 20 percent of Pakistan's 170 million population with Christians, Hindus and other religious groups making up the rest. Barelvis have been holding anti-Taleban rallies across the country since the Data Darbar attack and plan to stage a major rally in Lahore on Aug 8 to press the government to intensify a crackdown on sectarian militants.

"These militants wanted to create chaos and civil war in the country by attacking the shrine of Data Ganj Bakhsh," Sahibzada Fazal Karim, a leading Barelvi cleric, told Reuters. "I foresee a bloody revolution if these terrorists are not stopped with force... We fully support offensives against these Taliban terrorists." Deobandi clerics also denounced the attack, saying they had nothing to do with it, and called for an "indiscriminate" crackdown on all militant groups. "Barelvis, Deobandis, Shiite, Sunnis, all are involved in violence against each other.

We all have been slitting each other's throat," said Tahir Mehmood Ashrafi, a former government adviser and a Deobandi cleric. "There is no exception." The Punjab Law Minister Rana Sanaullah, who is responsible for security in the province, said police had rounded up around 200 men suspected of having links with banned groups. They are hunting for another 200 believed to have gone into hiding. However, the security official said that none of the suspects detained had yet been linked to any of the attacks and would eventually be released. — Reuters

at newspapers or universities. The Pond, he wrote in a declassified document put in the National Archives, had a mission "to collect important secret intelligence via many international companies, societies, religious organizations and business and professional men who were willing to cooperate with the US but who would not work with the OSS because it was necessarily integrated with British and French Intelligence and infiltrated by Communists and Russians."

On April 15, 1953, Grombach wrote that the idea behind his network was to use "observers" who would build longterm relationships and produce far more valuable information than spies who bought secrets.

"Information was to be rarely, if ever, bought, and there were to be no paid professional operators; as it later turned out some of the personnel not only paid their own expenses but actually advanced money for the organization's purposes."

T h e CIA, for its part, didn't think much of the Pond. It concluded that the organization was uncooperative, especially since the outfit refused to divulge its sources, complicating efforts to evaluate their reports. In an Aug 1952 letter giving notice that the CIA intended to terminate the contract, agency chief Gen Walter Bedell Smith wrote that "our analysis of the reports provided by this organization has convinced us that its unevaluated product is not worth the cost". It took until 1955 to completely unwind the relationship.

Mark Stout, a former intelligence officer and historian for the International Spy Museum in Washington, analyzed the newly released papers and said it isn't clear how important the Pond was to US

intelligence-gathering as a whole. "But they were making some real contributions," he said. Matthew Aid, an intelligence historian and author of "The Secret Sentry: The Untold History of the National Security Agency" who has reviewed some of the collection, said there was no evidence the Pond's reports made their way to decision-makers. "I'm still not convinced that Grombach's organization was a worthwhile endeavor in World War II and even less so when it went off the books," he said.

What it may have lacked in quality and influence, however, the Pond certainly made up with chutzpah. One of the outfit's most unusual informers was a French serial killer named Marcel Petiot, Grombach wrote in a 1980 book. The Secret Intelligence Branch, as he referred to the Pond, began receiving reports from Petiot during the war. He was a physician in Paris who regularly treated refugees, businessmen and Gestapo agents, but he also had a predilection for killing mostly wealthy Jews and burning their bodies in a basement furnace in his soundproofed house.

He was convicted of 26 murders and guillotined in 1946.

Nevertheless, Grombach considered him a valuable informer because of his contacts. One cable discovered among the newly released papers appears to confirm the Pond was tracking Petiot's whereabouts. In the undated memo, the writer says Petiot was drawn by a Gestapo agent "into a trap to be arrested by the Germans". Petiot was briefly arrested in 1943 by the Gestapo.

Such sources were often feeding their reports to top operatives - often businessmen or members of opposition groups. But there were also journalists in the spy ring. Ruth Fischer, code-named "Alice Miller", was considered a key Pond agent for eight years, working under her cover as a correspondent, including for the North American Newspaper Alliance.

She had been a leader of Germany's prewar Communist Party and was valuable to the Pond in the early years of the Cold War, pooling intelligence from Stalinists, Marxists and socialists in Europe, Africa and China, according to the newly released documents.

But it was the help from businesses in wartime that was essential to penetrating Axis territories. The Philips companies, including their US division, gave the Pond money, contacts, radio technology and supported Grombach's business cover in New York. Philips spokesman Arent Jan Hesselink said the company had business contacts with Grombach between 1937 and 1970. He added that they could not "rule out that there was contact between Philips and Grombach with the intention

of furthering central US intelligence during the war".

The Pond laid the groundwork and devised a detailed postwar plan to integrate its activities into the US Rubber Co.'s business operations in 93 countries.

It is unknown if the plan was ever carried out. The Pond also worked with the American Express Co, Remington Rand, Inc and Chase National Bank, according to documents at the National Archives.

American Express spokeswoman Caitlin Lowie said a search of company archives revealed no evidence of a relationship with Grombach's organization.

Representatives of the other companies or their successors did not respond to requests for comment.

The Pond directed its resources for domestic political ends, as well. In the 1950s, Grombach began furnishing names to McCarthy on supposed security risks in the US intelligence community.

By then, the Pond was a CIA contractor, existing as a quasi-private company, and the agency's leadership was enraged by Grombach's actions. It wasn't long before the Pond's contract was terminated and the organization largely ceased to exist.

The CIA withheld thousands of pages from the National Archives collection of Grombach papers, including eight rolls of documents on microfilm; the National Security Agency kept back devices used to send coded messages. The CIA also declined a Freedom of Information Act request by the AP detailing its relationship to the Pond, which the AP has appealed.

Grombach wrote to the Hoover Institution Archives at Stanford University, dated June 10, 1977, indicating most of his classified papers would go to the American Security Council Foundation, an anti-communist group that works on national security policy.

Grombach died in 1982. Henry A. Fischer, the council's executive director, said safes at the 276-hectare Longea Estate - site of the council's former Freedom Studies Center - were mistakenly removed by contractors hired to transfer the contents of its Boston, Virginia, library. He said he had been told by staff of the error when FBI agents were called to examine them.

"I have no idea what they were going to do with them." FBI historian John Fox said only one safe was removed from the property by the contractors and drilled open, its contents turned over to the CIA, which informed the bureau about the discovery in December 2001. Fox said the FBI recovered four other safes from the council and took them to Quantico to be opened. After an investigation, Fox said the remaining documents were transferred to the CIA. — AP

NEWS

14

Sunday, August 1, 2010

Chelsea tying the knot in lavish, secretive wedding Continued from Page 1 secured a strategically placed bench opposite the Beekman in hopes of seeing members of the Clinton family. “It’s just a shame it’s not on TV,” she said. “This should be live on TV like Princess Diana’s wedding.” There was no chance McConnell’s prayers would be answered.

Chelsea, 30, and Marc Mezvinsky, 32, prepared their nuptials in the kind of secrecy usually reserved for state affairs. The wedding itself was taking place in the highsecurity seclusion of Astor Courts, an estate just outside Rhinebeck. Authorities declared a no-fly zone there to prevent paparazzi photos and police were blocking cars from approaching the site.

Right up until the last week the location was not confirmed and even in the hours up to the ceremony it remained unknown which designer made Chelsea’s dress or which guests were invited. Yet another mystery was whether a minister, rabbi - or both - would preside, since Chelsea is a Methodist and Mezvinsky is Jewish. The news blackout fed a media frenzy, with news teams from Japan to Israel flooding Rhinebeck.

Reports from gossip websites such as TMZ and tabloids like New York’s Daily News painted an extraordinarily lavish occasion likely to cost three to five million dollars. That included renting Astor Courts, which was commissioned a century ago by John Jacob Astor IV, who died on the Titanic. Chelsea is believed to have ordered

a dress from top designer Vera Wang, while just the air-conditioned tents erected for the day are estimated to cost $600,000, with the floral arrangements only slightly less. Although guests were given strict instructions not to disclose invitations, they were reported to include Winfrey, Hollywood mogul Steven Spielberg and possibly also former British prime minister John Major. President Barack Obama won’t be there - he says he wasn’t actually invited and that in any case two presidents would be one too many at a wedding. Joining in the news blackout, staff at the Beekman Arms refuse to respond journalists’ questions about guests after having reportedly signed confidentiality agreements.

That left locals to gossip on street corners or the local diner, Pete’s Famous Restaurant, and to cheer at the sight of a humorous couple parading around town in Bill and Hillary rubber masks. Or for $25, they could just buy the T shirt - a white number inscribed “The Wedding, Rhinebeck, NY”, with a picture of two interlocking rings.

Donna Vena drove 80 km to Rhinebeck from her home of Mount Kisco, New York, in the hopes of spotting a celebrity. “Why not?” she asked yesterday morning, a camera slung over her shoulder. “Big story.

Maybe see Oprah.” Nearby, two young women passed out slices of pizza with “I do” written in pepperoni. Hundreds of people gathered outside the hotel where many of the guests are staying were rewarded Friday night when the Clintons exited a van

arm-in-arm outside the Beekman Arms Hotel.

Shortly before 11 pm, the former first lady, wearing a long green dress, waved to the cheering crowd waiting behind metal barricades and quickly went into the hotel.

She left with the former president about a half-hour later. Earlier Friday, Bill Clinton made an appearance around lunchtime, popping out of a car and walking a few blocks, greeting people on his way to a restaurant.

Looking fit and relaxed in blue jeans and a black knit shirt, he gave easy answers to questions shouted by well-wishers and reporters.

The former president’s half-brother, Roger Clinton, was spotted early yesterday afternoon with his son Tyler, picking up food at the same restaurant. When asked by reporters if he was excited, Roger Clinton said, “Yes, very excited” as they slipped into a waiting SUV. Chelsea Clinton and Mezvinsky were friends as teenagers in Washington, and both attended Stanford University. They now live in New York, where Mezvinsky works at G3 Capital, a Manhattan hedge fund.

Mezvinsky worked previously at Goldman Sachs as an investment banker. Clinton completed her master’s degree in public health earlier this year at the Mailman School of Public Health at Columbia University. Mezvinsky is a son of former US Reps Marjorie Margolies-Mezvinsky of Pennsylvania and Ed Mezvinsky of Iowa, longtime friends of the Clintons. His parents are divorced. — Agencies

Qatar emir tours towns he funded in Lebanon CORTINA D’AMPEZZO, Italy: Iran’s Farzaneh Navab Rad (right) is challenged by Italy’s Federica Carlet during the women’s rugby sevens tournament “Cortina Seven’ Friday. The Iranian women’s national rugby sevens team played for the first time in Europe. Rugby sevens is now recognised as an Olympic sport and will make its debut in the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro. Italy beat Iran 10-0. — AP

Israel air strike kills Hamas commander GAZA: An Israeli air strike has killed a Hamas military commander and rocketmaker in the Gaza Strip, the Islamist group that rules the Palestinian territory said yesterday. Issa Batran, whose caravan was hit by a missile, was the first Hamas commander killed in an Israeli air strike in Gaza since Israel wound up a three-week military offensive there in Jan 2009.

Hundreds of Hamas supporters attended his funeral.

The Israeli military said it launched air strikes against Hamas targets in Gaza after a rocket fired from the enclave exploded in the city of Ashkelon. The air strikes also hit a training camp used by Hamas and smuggling tunnels along Gaza’s southern border with Egypt.

Several people were wounded by debris, Palestinian medics said.

Hamas said Batran was a rocket-maker and the head of its military wing in the central Gaza Strip. “These new Zionist crimes will not pass without answer,” the

statement said. The militant group has a rocket arsenal of crude, homemade projectiles and longer-range rockets smuggled in through tunnels under the border with Egypt. Batran escaped an Israeli attack on his house in Jan 2009 during a devastating military offensive aimed at stopping daily rocket fire from Gaza into Israeli cities.

His wife and five sons were killed in the attack.

Israel carried out the air strikes on Friday after militants in Gaza fired a rocket into Ashkelon on Israel’s Mediterranean coast, blowing out the windows of an apartment block and damaging parked cars in a residential area. No one was injured by the blast, which police said was caused by a 122 mm, Chinese-made Grad rocket.

But the attack ended more than a year of calm for the Israeli city closest to Gaza. It was the most serious attack on Ashkelon, which has a population of 125,000 and lies on the coast about 12 km north of the Gaza Strip, since Israel ended a three-

week military offensive in Gaza in Jan 2009.

Aircraft also fired at least four missiles at buildings used by Hamas security forces in Gaza City, wounding eight people, several of them seriously, said Muawiya Hassanein, the head of Gaza emergency services. The site targeted used to house the offices of Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas before his Westernbacked Fatah party was ousted from Gaza by the Islamist Hamas in 2007. Fearing further strikes, Hamas ordered the evacuation of all its security offices, a security source told AFP. Warplanes also hit smuggling tunnels on the border with Egypt without causing casualties, witnesses said.

Also yesterday, two Palestinians were wounded by Israeli fire while searching for scrap material near the Gaza border fence, Hassanein said. The army said the two were in a no-go zone and that troops fired at their legs after they failed to heed warning shots. — Agencies

Out of pilots, Philippine airline grounds flights Continued from Page 1 This has caused problems for us,” Gesmundo said. PAL said in a statement it will be filing appropriate charges against the pilots “who chose not to report for work immediately after submitting resignation letters. Most of the pilots still owe PAL the cost of their avi-

ation school training, which run into millions of pesos per pilot.

“The indiscriminate resignation of the A320 pilots for flying jobs whose salaries PAL is unable to match, is in violation of their contracts with PAL as well as with pertinent government regulations that require resigning pilots to give PAL six months to train their

replacements,” it said. Gesmundo said the airline was adjusting its schedule and will probably bring in bigger aircraft to accommodate the stranded passengers.

The indebted flag carrier has said it would lay off some of its 8,000-strong work force because of financial losses in the third straight year. —AP

900 dead in Asia floods Continued from Page 1 The United Nations said almost a million people had been affected by the Pakistan flooding. Footage shot from helicopters showed people clinging to walls and rooftops as gushing waters rampaged through inundated villages.

Others walked barefoot through the water to seek safety, carrying their belongings and with children on their shoulders. “This is the worst ever flood in the province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in the country’s history,” provincial information minister Mian Iftikhar Hussain said.

“The death toll in floods and rain-related incidents has risen up to 800 across the province,” he said, with another 150 people missing.

Peshawar, the main city in the northwest, and the districts of Swat and Shangla were cut off from the rest of country as roads and highways were submerged, he said. An AFP reporter saw hundreds of people arriving in Peshawar, many of them without any belongings.

Muqaddir Khan, 25, who arrived with nine other family members, told AFP that he had lost everything in the deluge. “I laboured hard in Saudi Arabia for three years and set up a small shop which was swept away by flood in minutes. I have lost everything,” Khan said. Razia Bibi, 48, said she and her family spent the night awake as water kept rising. “My house is now gone under water and I could escape with a few belongings,” Bibi told AFP. The European Commission said it had given Pakistan euro 30 million ($39-million) in humanitarian aid to help the most needy, including those hit by flooding.

“Pakistan has been hit by terrible floods and more rain is forecast. Our thoughts are with those affected by them,” said Humanitarian Aid Commissioner Kristalina Georgieva. Pakistan’s weather

bureau said an “unprecedented” 312 mm of rain had fallen in 36 hours in the northwest but predicted only scattered showers during coming days.

Over 30,000 Pakistani army troops engaged in rescue and relief work had evacuated 19,000 trapped people by yesterday night, said army spokesman Maj Gen Athar Abbas. “The level of devastation is so widespread, so large,” he said.

“It is quite possible that in many areas there is damage, deaths, which may not have been reported.” In the Nowshera area, scores of men, women and children sat on roofs in hopes of air or boat rescues. Many had little more than the clothes on their backs. “There are very bad conditions,” said Amjad Ali, a rescue worker in the area. “They have no water, no food.”

A doctor treating evacuees at a small relief camp in Nowshera said some had diarrhea and others had marks appearing on their skin, causing itching. Children and the elderly seemed to have the most problems, Mehmood Jaa said. “Due to the floodwater, they now have pain in their bodies and they are suffering from fever and cough,” Jaa told AP. In the town of Charsadda, Nabi Gul, who estimated he was around 70, looked at a pile of rubble where his house once stood. “I built this house with my life’s earnings and hard work, and the river has washed it away,” he said in a trembling voice. “Now I wonder, will I be able to rebuild it? And in this time, when there are such great price hikes?” Another resident of Charsadda complained of what he considered a lackluster government response. “Nobody has offered us for help. We have got no help,” said Awal Sher, 60. “Everything is destroyed.

Inside, outside - everything is broken.”

Rescue teams across the border in Afghanistan struggled to reach areas cut

off by flooded roads and the threat of insurgent attacks, said Abdul Matin Edrok, head of the Afghanistan National Disaster Management Authority. “Initial information sent by our provincial offices shows that nearly 70 people have been killed and tens injured. We estimate more than 1,000 families have been affected but these figures may rise,” he said. Most of those affected were in northeast Kapisa province, where 31 people died, he said.

Edrok said food and medical aid was being distributed using some Afghan and NATO coalition helicopters, and that the rains causing the floods had now ended.

But authorities in northeastern China predicted more heavy rain for central and eastern parts of the hard-hit Jilin province, where at least 35 people are missing and more than 364,000 people have been evacuated. Water, electricity and telecommunication services were cut in parts of the province, while train services in the town of Kouqian were suspended after the railway station was surrounded by floodwaters, previous reports said. More than 95,000 buildings have been damaged in the floods, with 25,000 destroyed, Xinhua news agency reported.

Elsewhere in Jilin, hundreds of soldiers and boats were mobilised to stop 12 vessels being swept down the Songhua River towards a major dam, Xinhua said. The vessels, weighing up to 12 tonnes each, broke their moorings early yesterday and were heading towards the Fengman dam.

Further downstream, hundreds of workers continued to retrieve 3,000 barrels full of explosive chemicals that were washed by flood waters into the Songhua River.

The barrels are being swept down the river at a faster pace than before, after the Fengman dam floodgates were opened Friday afternoon, and experts are worried the barrels could explode if they hit a dam further downstream. — Agencies

Continued from Page 1 of expectations that some of its members will be indicted by a UN tribunal investigating the 2005 assassination of former Prime Minister Rafiq Hariri. Hezbollah dismisses the tribunal as an “Israeli project” and has vowed not to hand over any indicted members. There are also concerns that new strife could break out in Lebanon over the indictments.

Sheikh Hamad traveled by helicopter yesterday with President Michel Suleiman and Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri to the area, which borders Israel, and were met there by Prime Minister Saad Hariri, who is also making his first trip as premier to the region. Hezbollah”s commander in south Lebanon, Sheikh Nabil Kaouk, and other Hezbollah officials were at hand to welcome

the emir. “I am happy to be here, in this area that was rebuilt after it was destroyed,” Sheikh Hamad said in the town of Bint Jbeil, which Israeli bombings reduced to rubble in the 2006 war. “I thank the mujahideen who sacrificed their lives” to defend Lebanon, he added in a reference to Hezbollah fighters.

“Lebanon is still facing many challenges, primarily the choice of its citizens to maintain the nationalism and Arabism of Lebanon,” said the emir. Lebanon is “a nation that is home to people of all confessions, both Muslim and Christian,” he noted. Qatar spent millions of dollars to help finance the reconstruction of houses in four border towns, including Bint Jbeil.

Hezbollah lawmaker Hassan Fadlallah told reporters the emir’s visit was “a strong political message” of support for Lebanon and the people of the south. A close US ally,

Qatar also enjoys the trust of Iran- and Syria-backed Hezbollah. When sectarian tensions between the Shiite group and Premier Hariri’s supporters erupted into street battles in May 2008, Qatar played a key role in ending the crisis by brokering a deal on a national unity government.

The deal was signed by rival Lebanese factions in Doha, Qatar. Sheikh Hamad arrived in Lebanon Friday, on the heels of an unprecedented joint visit to Lebanon by Syrian President Bashar Assad and Saudi King Abdullah in efforts to try to defuse political tensions over the Hariri tribunal.

During his visit to the south yesterday, Sheikh Hamad inaugurated a hospital in Bint Jbeil and a nearby mosque and church. He also visited the notorious Khiam prison, a former detention center that was run by Israel’s Lebanese militia allies. — Agencies

Jewish group opposes Ground Zero mosque Continued from Page 1 SoHo Properties, a partner in the effort, purchased the property for nearly $5 million. Early plans call for a 13-storey, $100 million Islamic center, of which the mosque would be a part. The director of the Cordoba Initiative, Imam Feisal Abdul Rauf, was in Malaysia, where the group has offices, on Friday and could not be reached.

His wife, Daisy Khan, who is a partner in the project, said the center will be a space for moderate Muslim voices. She noted Cordoba had previously worked with the ADL to fight prejudice against Jews and Muslims. “We believe it will be a place where the counter-momentum against extremism will begin,” Khan said Friday.

“We are committed to peace.”

Based in New York, Cordoba aims to improve relations between Islam and the West by hosting leadership conferences for young American Muslims, and organizing programs on Arab-Jewish relations, building civil society in the Muslim world and empowering Muslim women. Sharif ElGamal, the CEO of SoHo Properties, has said the project’s backers were committed to transparency and would work with the attorney general’s watchdog Charities Bureau. The planned center has been renamed Park51 to reflect the broad scope of its programs, modeled on the YMCA or Jewish Community Center of Manhattan.

A city community board voted overwhelmingly last spring to back the project even as it sparked emotional protest from some local residents and relatives of victims of the Sept 11 attacks. New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg supports the mosque’s construction. Disagreement over the project has become a national issue, drawing opposition from former US House Speaker Newt Gingrich and former Alaskan Gov Sarah Palin, among others.

The ADL, one of the most prominent groups in American Jewish life, is known for its advocacy of religious freedom and interfaith harmony. Its position on the mosque was met with shock and condemnation by several groups. Jeremy Ben-Ami, head of J Street, the dovish, pro-Israel group, said he would hope ADL would be at the forefront in defending the freedom of a religious minority, “rather than casting aspersions on its funders and giving in to the fearmongerers”.

The Rev Welton Gaddy, head of the Interfaith Alliance, a Washington advocacy group, said he read the ADL statement “with a great deal of sorrow”. “As an organization that for nearly 100 years has helped set the standard for fighting defamation and securing justice and fair treatment for all, it is disappointing to see the ADL arrived at this conclusion,” Gaddy said.

The Council on American-Islamic Relations urged ADL to retract its statement. Abraham Foxman, national director of the ADL, defended his position. In a phone interview, he compared the idea of a mosque near ground zero to the Roman Catholic Carmelite nuns who had a convent at the Auschwitz death camp. In 1993, Pope John Paul II responded to Jewish protests by ordering the nuns to move. “We’re saying if your purpose is to heal differences, it’s the wrong place,” Foxman said of the mosque. “Don’t do it. The symbolism is wrong.”

Separately, a Florida church said it plans to publicly burn copies of the Holy Quran on the ninth anniversary of the Sept 11 terrorist attacks, prompting threats from Islamic groups and warnings the move will trigger a rise in hate crimes. The Dove World Outreach Center of Gainesville, Florida said on its Facebook page it will hold an “International Burn a Koran Day” on Sept 11, asking other religious groups to

join in standing “against the evil of Islam.

Islam is of the devil!”

“Islam and sharia law was responsible for 9/11,” pastor Terry Jones told AFP. “We will burn Qurans because we think it’s time for Christians, for churches, for politicians to stand up and say no; Islam and sharia law is not welcome in the US,” the organizer of the burning action added. “We’ve got many death threats from jihad groups, but we cannot react by fear and we cannot compromise our beliefs. Somebody must stand up,” Jones added.

Reactions to the Quran burning announcement were swift. Members of the Al-Falluja jihadist forum have threatened to “spill rivers of your (American) blood” and “a war the likes of which you have never seen before”. Mainstream Muslim groups also denounced the move and lamented the sentiments promoted by the Gainesville.

“Unfortunately in (Florida) and nationwide, Islamophobia are actually on the rise,” Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) spokesman Ramsey Kilic told AFP. “I’m more afraid of those who have antiMuslim sentiments and may think this is a legitimate action and may want to attack a mosque or attack a Muslim on the street,” he added. However, Kilic said, “we are not taking any action to avoid this... we don’t want to give attention to this, because that’s what they want.”

The Dove church’s Facebook site, since the announcement, is rife with threatening messages and corresponding anti-Islam rants. Besides the Quran burning ceremony, the Dove World Outreach Center also plans an anti-homosexual event Aug 2 outside Gainesville’s City Hall. The “No Homo Mayor Protest” targets the city’s first openly gay mayor, Craig Lowe. The website also has for sale “Islam is of The Devil” T-shirts and books by pastor Jones. — Agencies

Political detainee sues govt Continued from Page 1 a test of the Saudi government’s avowal to improve its judicial system and boost human rights. “We are defending Reshoudi as a model for others in prison,” said Mohammed Al-Qahtani, a member of the small Saudi Civil and Political Rights Association (ACPRA) which has organised his defence.

In six hearings since December, the interior ministry which has historically exercised a strong influence over the justice system has failed to have the suit thrown out. Reshoudi’s lawyer, Abdulaziz Al-Wahabi, sees that as a measure of success even if his client remains in jail without charge. Moreover, despite what one supporter called a “menacing heavy police presence” at the last hearing, the judge allowed Saudi human rights observers to attend. “This is the first case of people publicly challenging the interior ministry in their own courts,” said Qahtani, an economist in a government think-tank.

The challenge could impact thousands of people held for years in Saudi prisons without ever being formally charged, the majority of them suspected of involvement with banned radical Islamist groups like Al-Qaeda. Reshoudi, 73, was arrested on Feb 2, 2007 while meeting in Jeddah

with several activists advocating democratic and social reforms in the conservative Muslim monarchy. Altogether nine activists were rounded up, seven of whom remain in jail without charge while the other two were released for health issues.

Reshoudi himself was probably detained because he was preparing to sue on behalf of others who had been arrested but never charged or tried, according to Qahtani. His lawsuit, filed on Aug 16, 2009, is the first real test of the 2002 code’s protection for detainees, which requires that a detainee be released after six months if proceedings have not begun. It also gives detainees the right to consult a lawyer, says they are to be interrogated by the justice ministry’s prosecutions department, and bans torture. Lawyer and client have not been permitted to speak directly. They communicate through Reshoudi’s second wife, Umm Ammar, a 39-year-old Syrian.

Allowed to visit and speak to him regularly on the telephone, Umm Ammar alleges her husband has been subjected to “severe physical and psychological tortures”, at times kept in solitary confinement and shackled to a bed frame.

“Reshoudi says the prison is like Guantanamo,” Umm Ammar says.

When he and the others were arrested

in 2007, the interior ministry made a statement accusing them of unspecified involvement with Iraqis and Gazans, said Wahabi, implying they had ties to Islamists. In fact, Wahabi said, some of them had joined an officially-sanctioned mission to Iraq to help children and some had met openly with Palestinian activists from Gaza visiting Saudi Arabia.

Since the suit was filed, the interior ministry has jumped from tactic to tactic to have it dismissed, sometimes not showing up in court, and never addressing the key issues raised, Reshoudi’s side alleges. Closely controlled by the government, Saudi media do not mention the case. In January, the interior ministry moved Reshoudi and others to a Riyadh prison and told the court they would be tried in the highly secret, interior ministry-controlled Special Criminal Court.

The SCC was set up two years ago to try suspects linked to the 2003-2006 AlQaeda campaign of deadly attacks inside Saudi Arabia. Reshoudi has yet to be taken to the special court. An interior ministry spokesman would only comment that the case “is being looked at by the court, but it hasn’t started hearings yet”.

ACPRA and Umm Ammar have petitioned King Abdullah for Reshoudi’s release or to be tried based on the law. But there has been no response so far. — AFP

SPORTS

Sunday, August 1, 2010

15

Vettel takes fourth pole in a row Ferrari fill second row BUDAPEST: Germany’s Sebastian Vettel stormed to his fourth successive pole position yesterday in a Red Bull sweep of the Hungarian Grand Prix front row with Australian Mark Webber. Vettel’s seventh pole of the season was also Red Bull’s 11th in 12 races and they looked utterly dominant at the twisty Hungaroring, a slow circuit where overtaking is difficult and grid position crucial. “It’s good to be on pole,” grinned Vettel, his understatement as glaring as his supremacy. “I think we have been there a couple of times this year. I’m confident for tomorrow that we have a very good chance to win.”

The gap between the 23-yearold and Webber was a cavernous 0.419 seconds and the Australian could only congratulate his team mate, who bizarrely described the tricky circuit as “like a woman alongside you that doesn’t behave well.” “We weren’t quick enough today,” said Webber, referring to himself and looking deflated at the prospect of following his teammate around on Sunday. “We could have done better of course so we deserve to be second.

“It’s going to be an interesting start and then after that we know with these regulations the race can be interesting in terms of trying to stay awake,” he added.

“Let’s see how the start goes and then after that we will try and stay awake.” Ferrari filled the second row, with Fernando Alonso lining up alongside Brazilian Felipe Massa-qualifying without incident after suffering life-threatening head injuries at the track a year ago.

DOMINANT AND UNTOUCHABLE Alonso, winner at the previous German Grand Prix in a cloud of controversy over Ferrari’s use of banned ‘team orders’, was a hefty 1.2 seconds slower than Vettel and said third was the best he could have hoped for. The Spaniard, like Webber, was also none too hopeful of beating Vettel and described the Red Bulls’ performance so far as ‘dominant and untouchable’. “We know the track is difficult to overtake on,” he said. “The start, the first corner, first lap will be 60 or 70 percent of the final result.”

McLaren’s championship leader Lewis Hamilton qualified in fifth place while world champion team mate Jenson Button, second overall and 14 points behind his fellow-Briton, qualified a disappointing 11th. “Your target is always pole, but the Red Bulls are impossible to beat, they are 1.7 seconds ahead,” Hamilton told television reporters. “For Jenson and me, we just look at the onboard footage and laugh. I don’t know what they (Red Bull) are doing but it’s incredible.”

Renault’s Russian rookie Vitaly Petrov outqualified Polish team mate Robert Kubica for the first time this season, the two lining up seventh and eighth. Seven-times world champion Michael Schumacher failed to make the top 10 for the fourth time in the last five races for Mercedes while team mate and fellow-German Nico Rosberg will start sixth. Spain’s Pedro de la Rosa, who had his career best result in Hungary when he finished second to Button in 2006, lines up ninth with German Nico Hulkenberg 10th for Williams. —Reuters

Vitaly Petrov delight at out-qualifying Kubica BUDAPEST: Vitaly Petrov was delighted to have finally out-qualified his Renault team-mate Robert Kubica ahead of today’s Hungarian Grand Prix. Petrov, the first Russian Formula One driver in history, qualified in seventh position for the Hungaroring race, and for the first time ahead of his Polish team-mate. The 25-year-old rookie said he was very happy with his performance and hopes to profit from starting on the clean side of the grid. “I think we did a good job today (Saturday) and I’m very happy to reach Q3 and to be starting seventh ahead of Robert because you first goal is always to be ahead of your teammate,” said Petrov.

“We knew that the car would be quite good here and I have been very happy with the balance during the whole weekend, but the guys in front are still very strong so we know that we need to keep pushing to catch them. “For the race tomorrow, overtaking will be very difficult, and the only real chance is at the start. —AFP

BUDAPEST: Red Bull’s German driver Sebastian Vettel drives at the Hungaroring circuit yesterday in Budapest, during the qualifying session of the Formula One Hungarian Grand Prix. —AFP

Struggling Button blames poor grip BUDAPEST: Jenson Button blamed poor grip for his disappointing show in qualifying for today’s Hungarian Grand Prix. The 30-yearold McLaren driver failed to make it to the final session yesterday and will start from 11th place on the grid. The defending drivers’ champion struggled throughout the session and was lapping almost two seconds slower than the high-flying Red Bulls in Q2.

Button, 30, who won at the Hungaroring in

2006, admitted he was disappointed and claimed that a lack of grip hampered his performance. “In practice the car was working really well, but in qualifying I just couldn’t find a balance,” he said. “We changed the car a little bit, but it didn’t help a lot. I was happy with the car this morning, but this afternoon there was just no grip. It wasn’t a great session and I’m not really happy.” Button suggested on Thursday that if McLaren were to retain their

championship lead, a podium finish was vital, and was left crossing his fingers that fresh tyres and a good start will help him finish in a better position today.

“I’m on the clean side at least, and I’ve got two new sets of tyres for the race as well,” he said. “Hopefully we can fight from there.” His Mclaren team-mate and fellow Briton Lewis Hamilton managed to qualify in fifth, but admitted that there was no chance of matching

the Red Bulls’ times. He said: “Well, your target is always pole, but the Red Bulls are impossible to beat - they are 1.7secs ahead.”

Hamilton, champion in 2008, said all he could do was laugh when he saw how much quicker the Red Bull car is than his McLaren.

“It’s a second in the middle sector and half a second in the final sector,” he said. “For Jenson and me, we just look at the onboard footage and laugh. “I don’t know what they are

doing, but it’s incredible.” Hamilton added that he was targeting a podium finish. “It was possible I could get close to (Felipe) Massa, but I don’t think I could have beaten him today. I pulled every inch out of the car and I’m happy with the job I did. We’ve got to work hard but it’s a good position to start tomorrow. It’s a long haul down to Turn One so anything’s possible. Fourth or third would be spectacular.” —AFP

MINI to join World Rally Championship from 2011 KUWAIT: MINI is making a comeback on the international rally circuit. From 2011, the brand will compete at selected rounds of the FIA World Rally Championship (WRC) and will go on to contest the entire season from 2012 onwards. This involvement is planned for several years. The car charged with this task is the MINI Countryman WRC, which is being developed by Prodrive, in close cooperation with MINI, and is based on the production model.

The powerful heart of the racing car is a 1.6-litre, four-cylinder turbo-charged engine from BMW Motorsport. The car complies with the new Super2000 regulations put in place by the International Automobile Federation (FIA), which stipulate the use of turbo engines with 1,600 cc displacement and four-wheel drive combined with an increased emphasis on road relevant technologies. The result is a significant 25 per cent reduction in overall costs.

The first test drive for the MINI Countryman WRC, which will also be available to customer teams, is planned for autumn 2010. This decision sees MINI continue its success story in the world of rallying. In the 1960s, the MINI Cooper S caused a sensation with victories at the legendary Monte Carlo Rally. The company also tasted success on many occasions in the European Rally Championship.

Having already demonstrated the sporty character of its models in many countries in the MINI CHALLENGE, the brand is now taking its presence in motorsport to a new level with the commitment to the WRC. Ian Robertson, member of the Board of Management of BMW AG, responsible for Sales and Marketing, says: “I am delighted MINI will be represented on one of the most popular stages in international motorsport. The success enjoyed on the rally circuit has made a vital contribution to the image of the brand. MINI customers have always shown great interest in motorsport. I am convinced we will add a few more chapters to our success story in rallying.

The MINI Countryman provides an excellent basis, from which to create a competitive racing car for the world championship. In Prodrive, we have a strong

and experienced partner. We will work hard together over the coming months to ensure we get the project on track right from the word go.”“This is a very exciting new motorsport program,” said Prodrive Chairman, David Richards. “During the 1960s MINI captured the imagination of the world when the tiny car took on the might of V8 powered Fords and won what was then one of the toughest motorsport events, the 4000km Monte Carlo rally.

I believe our new MINI will become a firm favorite of the latest generation of rally fans, just as it is adored by its millions of owners across the world. We already have a significant number of confirmed customer orders for the new MINI rally car with the first deliveries scheduled for the start of the 2011 season.” Prodrive has been working on developing the MINI Countryman WRC since early 2009. The company was formed in 1984 by Richards, who won the World Rally Championship as co-driver to Ari Vatanen (FI) three years earlier.

Based in Banbury (GB), Prodrive has developed into a leading independent company in the motorsport and automobile sector under Richards’ guidance, and today employs over 500 staff. Prodrive’s many successes currently include six overall victories in the World Rally Championship,

five titles in the British Touring Car Championship and three class victories at the Le Mans 24 Hours (FR).

BMW was present when the World Rally Championship made its debut back in 1973. Achim Warmbold (DE) and Jean Todt (FR) tasted victory in their BMW 2002 at the Alpenfahrt Rally in Austria.

However, MINI’s tradition in this discipline stretches back even further: Pat Moss (GB) clinched the first victory with the MINI 850 at the 1959 Mini Miglia National Rally. MINI ultimately enjoyed its finest hours at the Monte Carlo Rally in 1964, 1965 and 1967: the MINI Cooper S celebrated three overall victories at the most iconic rallying event in the world.

Paddy Hopkirk (IR, 1964), Timo M (FI, 1965) and Rauno Aaltonen (FI, 1967) joined the list of winners at this prestigious event. In 1965, “Rally Professor” Aaltonen also won the European Rally Championship. Tony Ambrose (GB) and Timo finished second and third to round off an excellent overall result for the MINI Cooper S. In addition, MINI drivers also enjoyed many individual wins at renowned rallies throughout Europe. The last BMW World Rally Championship victory was achieved in 1987 in Corsica by Bernard Beguin (FR) driving a BMW M3 which was built and run by Prodrive.From 2011, over

40 years down the line, the MINI Countryman WRC will be charged with adding further chapters to this success story.

It bridges the gap between the classic MINI concept and a contemporary Sports Activity Vehicle. The brand’s first model to feature four doors and a wide-opening tailgate, it offers more space - which can be used in a wide variety of ways - to go with its raised seating position and optimized ride comfort. Plus, the “go-kart” feeling for which MINI is a byword has been preserved and takes on a new dimension with the optional MINI ALL4 all-wheel-drive system.

The MINI Countryman expresses the defining virtues of the brand in terms of design, premium quality, handling, efficiency and the scope for customization and does so in an absorbingly individual way. The next step down from the racing version is the MINI Cooper S Countryman. With its twin-scroll turbocharger and direct injection now complemented by fully variable valve management, the 1.6-litre four-cylinder petrol engine in the range-topping model offers by far the best balance between output and fuel consumption in its displacement class.

The engine generates an impressive 135 kW/184 bhp and allows the MINI Cooper S Countryman to accelerate from 0 to 100 km/h in 7.6 seconds.

Furthermore, the MINIMALISM concept sees wide-ranging technology designed to reduce fuel consumption and emissions such as Brake Energy Regeneration, the Auto Start/Stop function, Shift Point Display and the need-based operation of ancillary components - fitted as standard and in model-specific combinations.

The MINI Cooper S Countryman and MINI Cooper D Countryman can be ordered as an option with MINI ALL4 permanent all-wheel drive. Here, an electromagnetic centre differential positioned directly on the final drive varies the distribution of power seamlessly between the front and rear axles. In normal driving conditions up to 50 per cent of the drive is sent to the rear wheels, in extreme situations as much as 100 per cent. The result is a new, traction-led expression of the agile handling for which MINI is famed.

JYVASKYLA: Finnish Ford WRC pilot Jari-Matti Latvala drives during the Rally of Finland, the eighth leg of the 13-event 2010 world rally championship, in Jyvaskyla. —AFP

Latvala wins Rally of Finland JYVASKYLA: Jari-Matti Latvala claimed a local victory in the Rally of Finland yesterday, Ford’s Finnish driver holding off Citroen duo Sebastien Ogier and Sebastien Loeb. Latvala had led the standings from special stage seven to improve on his third place 12 months ago to compatriot Mikko Hirvonen. Hirvonen was on course for a repeat win only to crash out of contention after rolling his Ford in spectacular fashion after hitting a bump travelling at 150kmh in stage four on Friday.

Hirvonen, who turned 30 yesterday, escaped unscathed. Latvala’s win pushed him up to third place in the world rally championship drivers’ standings behind Loeb and Ogier, who picked up wins yesterday in stages 12, 17 and 19 to come in ten seconds behind Latvala.

Loeb had posted the quickest times in stages 13, 15 and 16 to climb up the

standings and demote Petter Solberg, who had been lying second overnight, to fourth.

“The first two specials were very tricky, and I preferred to lose a bit of time and stay on the road,” explained 2003 champion Solberg. Former Formula One world champion Kimi Raikkonen suffered a nightmare day, slipping from eighth overall to 31st after a double puncture on stage 12.

He lost 10 minutes after only succeeding in changing one of his tyres, and a further three minutes in the following stage. Back in eighth came four-time former world champion Juha Kankkunen who was competing for the first time in eight years. “This was a huge surprise, I had hoped to find this rhythm but I wasn’t certain of that. It’s true I quit this level of competition in 2002 but having said that I know this rally well, I remember each corner which I negotiated at the wheel of various cars.” —AFP

SPORTS

16

Sunday, August 1, 2010

Casado, Dominguez lift Spanish fans with medals BARCELONA: Barcelona’s Olympic Stadium finally came alive on day four of the European championships when Arturo Casado, Marta Dominguez and Manuel Olmedo claimed Spain’s first three medals.

Crowds had been relatively sparse on the Montjuic hill in the Catalan capital but Friday’s turnout of more than 35,000 in the 55,000-capacity arena was much more impressive and the noise levels rose accordingly.

Dominguez failed in her bid to add the European steeplechase crown to her world title, but still drew some of the loudest cheers of the week in taking silver.

The wiry 34-year-old with the trademark pink headband and running shoes was unable to overhaul Russian Yuliya Zarudneva on the final straight despite the roars of encouragement.

Casado later sent the local fans, clad in the red and yellow of the Spanish flag, into fresh raptures on a warm Mediterranean evening when he stormed to gold in the 1,500 meters, compatriot Manuel Olmedo clinching bronze. “I can’t believe it yet.

I’m the European championand at home!” a jubilant Casado told Spanish television.

“I couldn’t ask for more and not many things could be better than this,” he added. “I just listened to the crowd and looked straight ahead.

At no point did I want to look back.” The 27-year-old from Madrid, a bronze medalist at the European indoor championships in 2007, looked astonished when he crossed the finish line in first place and stretched his arms wide before embracing his team mates.

He and Olmedo ran an emotional lap of honor carrying a huge flag in the Spanish colors as spectators chanted “ole ole ole” and “ar-tu-ro artu-ro” before they began streaming away.

UNFORGETTABLE EXPERIENCE Russian Zarudneva, second behind Dominguez at the world championships in Berlin last year, set a championship record of 9:17.57 to take gold, with Dominguez running 9:17.74 and Lyubov Kharlamova, another Russian, well back in third (9:29.82).

After crossing herself at the start line, Dominguez quickly pulled away with Zarudneva from the rest of the field.

Many of the crowd were on their feet as the pair galloped around the final circuit of the light-blue track, but Dominguez fell back at the last water jump and was unable to close the gap on her rival before the line. “I felt unique, running here has been an unforgettable experience,” Dominguez told a news conference. “I would have liked to win but for me this is like a victory.”

Spanish teenager Eusebio Caceres also got the crowd going earlier in the day when he set a junior European long jump record of 8.27 meters in qualifying for Sunday’s final. “I didn’t come here to be a spectator,” the 18-year-old told reporters. “I gave it my all and fortunately it came off well.” — Reuters

Lithuania’s Balciunaite claims marathon gold BARCELONA: Lithuanian Zivile Balciunaite shrugged off the cloying Mediterranean heat to claim gold in the women’s marathon at the European championships in Barcelona yesterday. The unfancied 31year-old improved on her fourth-place finish at the 2006 edition, completing the course through the perpendicular streets of the Catalan capital in a season’s best time of 2:31.14. Russia’s Nailya Yulamanova was second in 2:32.15 ahead of Italian Anna Incerti in 2:32.48. With temperatures hovering around 27 degrees Celsius and the hot sun intermittently bursting through the clouds, Balciunaite was one of a pack of 11 runners leading the 43strong field at the 25 kilometer mark.

Wearing a white baseball cap and a green vest and black running shorts, she then pulled away from her rivals and waved happily to the crowds, signed autographs and posed for photographs after crossing the line. Still looking remarkably youthful at the age of 50, Merlene Ottey became the oldest athlete to compete at a European championships when she ran the final leg of the 4x100 meters heat for adopted country Slovenia earlier yesterday.

The team came in seventh, meaning the Jamaicaborn sprinter will not be appearing in today’s final.

The nine-times Olympic medalist was nonetheless delighted with her landmark effort. “On the anchor leg

NHL Krueger joins a staff that is led by head coach Tom Renney and includes assistants Kelly Buchberger and Steve Smith.

“Ralph possesses a vast array of hockey knowledge and certainly will be invaluable to our team,” Edmonton general manager Steve Tambellini said in a statement.

“We know that his moti-

ATHLETICS jump. Briton Ennis, 24, managed a leap of 6.43 meters to extend her points tally by 985 to 5,065, while Dobrynska’s jump of 6.56 gave her 1,027 points and a total of 4,997 with only the javelin and 800 meters to come.

“I’ve got to give it everything in the javelin and 800m,” Ennis told the BBC. “It’s definitely going to be tight, Dobrynska’s right there.” Britain’s hopes of a medal in the 4x100 meters relay were dashed when individual silver medalist Mark Lewis-Francis failed to collect the baton from Marlon Devonish and the team finished their heat a disappointing fifth. “This is my fault, I’ve let the guys down,” Lewis-Francis told the BBC. “Wow, it’s such a big blow,” he added. “I apologize sincerely to all the guys, I just cannot believe that happened.” — Reuters

Record-setting Ottey aims to run at worlds

BARCELONA: Spain’s Arturo Casado (right) and his compatriot Manuel Olmedo carry the official mascot Barni after winning first and third places respectively in the men’s 1500m final at the 2010 European Athletics Championships at the Olympic Stadium in Barcelona. — AFP

Oilers add Krueger to coaching staff EDMONTON: Ralph Krueger, who guided the Swiss national team for 13 years and three Olympics, joined the Edmonton Oilers as an assistant coach, the National Hockey League team said.

you have the fastest runners so it was a tough one for me,” she told reporters. She would now focus on qualifying for next year’s world championships in South Korea and possibly an appearance at the Olympic Games in London in 2012, she added.

BIG BLOW In the women’s heptathlon, world champion Jessica Ennis’s overnight lead of 110 points over Ukrainian Nataliya Dobrynska was trimmed to 68 after yesterday’s long

vational skills and positive outlook will be instrumental in the future success of our hockey club.”

During Krueger’s time in charge of the Swiss program the tiny alpine nation moved from 15th to 7th in the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) world rankings.

He guided Switzerland to a sixth-place finish at the 2006 Olympics and eighth place at the 2010 Vancouver Winter Games, losing to the United States in the quarter-finals.

The Winnipeg native played professional hockey in Germany from 1979-1989 and was a member of the German national team, playing in two world championships. — Reuters

BARCELONA: Veteran sprinter Merlene Ottey is already eyeing a spot at next year’s world championships in South Korea after becoming the oldest athlete to compete at a European championships yesterday. The Jamaican-born 50year-old, whose haul of nine Olympic medals is more than any other woman’s in track and field, has been competing for adopted country Slovenia since 2002 and was by far the biggest attraction at a muggy Olympic Stadium in Barcelona as she anchored their 4x100 meters relay team.

Although the team failed to qualify for today’s final, the remarkably youthful-looking Ottey was excited to have made history and even refused to rule out an appearance at the 2012 Olympic Games in London. “Yeah, it’s a great feeling,” she told reporters in the depths of the arena, spending almost an hour after the relay heat giving at least a dozen interviews. Clad in a pale blueand-white running vest and baby blue, skin-tight shorts, she added: “I find it a challenge and it’s a joy competing against people younger than me. “I guess it’s my genes. I try to push myself to the limit. This is how I get my adrenalin.”

SECOND SLOWER Ottey, who has become known as “the Queen of the Track”, won her first Olympic medal at the 1980 Moscow Olympics when she claimed bronze in the 200 meters and has won another 33 major medals in the three decades since. “There was zero pressure on me back then,” she recalled. “When I went there I was a nobody and nobody bothered me.” She said she planned to train in California or Florida to prepare a bid to qualify for the world championships and laughed when asked if she was aiming to compete in London.

These days she runs about a second slower than her personal best of 10.74 set in Milan in 1996. “I don’t see the end at the moment,” she said. “My goal now is to try to qualify for the world championships. As for the Olympics, ask me after the worlds.” Although obviously relishing the chance to compete in Barcelona, she said she was disappointed the Slovenians had failed to get through to the relay final. “I knew right away that we didn’t qualify so I was disappointed,” she said. “If one of the other teams had made a mistake we might have had a chance but it wasn’t to be.” — Reuters

‘Wrong’ Borlee brother wins European 400 title BARCELONA: A Borlee brother won the 400 meters title at the European championships on Friday although not the one everyone had expected. Belgian Kevin Borlee, who at the start of the week tipped his twin Jonathan to be a medal contender, stole the show-and the gold-from his sibling with victory in 45.08.

Britons Michael Bingham and Martyn Rooney finished second and third.

Jonathan, who had lowered his national record to 44.71 in the semis, finished in seventh but was quick to congratulate Kevin on the track with a brotherly hug. “I’m disappointed for myself. My legs didn’t respond today. I was a little bit tired but Kevin did the job so it’s really great,” Jonathon told reporters. “I told him he did a really good job. He ran a very good race. Condition-wise it wasn’t great.” Kevin went off

quickly and appeared to be paying the price when he faded on the final bend but the 22-year-old found a second wind and surged through the field, crossing the line with a grimace from the effort.

“I am disappointed for Jonathan, he deserved to be on the podium, said Kevin, five minutes younger than his brother. “Before the race I talked to Jonathan. He said the one who’s going to win the race is going to be focused on his own race, so it’s a little bit because of him that I won today,” he told a news conference. Athletics is a family affair for the Borlees. The twins, who plan to run in the 4x400 relay, are trained by their father Jacques, a former international 400 meters runner, and older sister Olivia finished sixth in her 200 semi at the Olympic stadium on Friday. — Reuters

BARCELONA: Belgium’s Kevin Borlee celebrates after winning the men’s 400m final at the 2010 European Athletics Championships at the Olympic Stadium in Barcelona. — AFP

SPORTS

Sunday, August 1, 2010

17

New Zealand punish Australia 49-28 MELBOURNE: New Zealand’s march to a fifth TriNations title in six years gained pace yesterday with an emphatic 49-28 win over Australia made easier by the Wallabies having 14 men for most of the second half. The All Blacks charged out of the

All Blacks notch up seven tries

Rugby blocks in the first half, notching up four tries and a 32-14 lead to secure a bonus point before the break. They added three tries in the second half to get their third win from three games in the Southern Hemisphere tournament.

Drew Mitchell started brightly with a try for the Wallabies after seven minutes but was sent off after earning his second yellow card two minutes after the break, leaving Australia unable to avoid their eighth straight loss to the All Blacks.

Fullback Mils Muliaina scored a try in each half for the All Blacks, while Dan Carter collected 19 points, including a try, four conversions and two penalties. The Wallabies scored two tries through Adam Ashley-Cooper and Rocky Elsom in an improved performance after half-time but were left ruing Mitchell’s indiscipline. “We didn’t have any consistent possession in the first half.

Obviously playing with less than 15 men for the greater part of the game compounded that,” Australia coach Robbie Deans told reporters. “We showed that with 15 men we can be competitive, but with 14 men we weren’t.”

Australia’s second-half rally provided a flattering scoreline for the comprehensive rout that followed Mitchell’s opportunistic firsthalf try. The winger smothered a clearing kick from Carter in the defensive 22, then pounced on the spilled ball to put the Wallabies 8-3 up. Carter hit back immediately, however, blocking Berrick Barnes’s clearing kick at the other end to collect the ball for his own try moments later.

Cory Jane consistently proved a menace out wide and, after receiving at midfield from a turnover, steamed down the right wing and placed a deft kick to allow Muliaina to cross for the All Blacks’ second.

SECOND YELLOW The All Blacks lost prop Owen Franks to a yellow card in the 24th minute but were unfazed and mounted wave after wave of ferocious drives.

Richie McCaw crossed for the All Blacks’ third after swooping on a loose ball in the lefthand corner, before Mitchell was sent off. Giteau put the Wallabies within eight points with his third penalty but Jane completed the first-half rout by sidestepping Richard Brown. Mitchell earned his second yellow card for timewasting after batting the ball out of an opponent’s hands.

Down to 14 men with their defense in disarray, Australia were unable to stop Muliaina scampering over the line five minutes later for his second try to put the All Blacks up 3714. Ashley-Cooper shimmied between two defenders at the 56th minute for the Wallabies’ second try, but winger Joe Rokocoko celebrated his comeback game with a try at the left-hand post minutes later. Elsom gave the Wallabies their third try with nine minutes left but replacement Corey Flynn touched down in the left corner at the last minute as the All Blacks celebrated their best winning streak over their opponents since the record nine-test streak from 1936 to 1947.

“I thought there was some scintillating rugby,” New Zealand coach Graham Henry told reporters, adding that the All Blacks were adjusting well to the new rule interpretation at the breakdown that has encouraged ball-retention and attacking rugby. “There were very few set pieces.

The game is becoming a game of the tackle and keeping people on their feet so they can attack or defend,” Henry said. “I think sides will get better as time goes on with the new interpretation of the rule, I think that’s only logical. So we haven’t got any feeling that we’re ahead by a lot. We have just got to keep on improving, I think we can keep on improving.” — Reuters

MELBOURNE: New Zealand All Blacks winger Joe Rokocoko (center) is tackled by Australian Wallabies players David Pocock (left) and Richard Brown (right) in their Tri-Nations and Bledisoe Cup rugby union Test match yesterday. The All Blacks won the match 49-28. — AFP

Leong, Siddikur tie for lead at Brunei Open BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN: Malaysia’s Ben Leong returned to his best form to take a share of the thirdround lead with overnight leader Siddikur of Bangladesh at the Brunei Open yesterday. Leong put himself in contention for a second Asian Tour title with a four-under-par 67 while Siddikur bogeyed the last hole for a 70.

The joint leaders are tied with a three-day total of 12-under-par 201 at the Empire Hotel and Country Club.

Former Brunei Open champion Lin Wen-tang of Chinese Taipei battled to a 66 to sit tied for third with South Africa’s Jbe Kruger and Australian Adam Blyth on a 202 total in the 300,000-dollar tournament. English duo Simon Griffiths and Nick Redfern,

runner-up at the King’s Cup in Thailand last year, are a stroke further back with India’s Anirban Lahiri on 203.

Golf Leong got off to a bright start with five birdies in his opening six holes

followed by a bogey on eight to make the turn in 31 before adding a bogey and a birdie on the back nine. The Malaysian, who endured a poor run after his victory at the Worldwide Holdings Selangor Masters in 2008, credited his recent surge to form after seeing his coach David Milne last week. “I putted amazingly on the front nine but the conditions started to get

American Overton leads Greenbrier by four shots CHARLESTON: American Jeff Overton fired an eight-under 62 to take a four-stroke lead after the second round of the six million dollar PGA Greenbrier Classic.

Overton shot the low round of the tournament with a bogey-free round on the Old White course. He was 14 under. Overton, who is winless in five season on the USPGA Tour, reached a total of 14-under 126. “To be honest, as soon as I hit my driver on the first hole and I hit a good wedge shot in there, I knew that I was gonna have a good round,” he said.

“I was very confident with the way I was swinging my driver, and I knew if I could continue just to put the ball in play and to keep balls in fairways, I knew I was gonna have a good shot at a low number today.” Fellow American Boo Weekley is second at 10-under after shooting a 63 on Friday.

Jimmy Walker (64) and double heart transplant recipient Erik Compton (68) were nine under. Compton, the first-round co-leader, is playing on a sponsor’s exemption. Aussie Aaron Baddeley (65), Briny Baird (65), Chris Stroud (63) and Charles Howell (67) were six strokes back at five under.

The 27-year-old Overton hit 15 of 18 greens and needed just 26 putts in his best round of the year. His previous low was a seven-under 63 at the Colonial. “I’m hitting it well,” he said.

“If I can continue to drive it well, drive it down the middle of the fairways, I feel like I’m pretty confident with my game.”

Starting on the back nine, Overton came to the par-four seventh needing to close with three birdies for a 59. His approach from 85 yards landed 18 feet from the pin and he rolled his putt to the right of the pin. He finished with three straight pars.

Overton is 12th in FedEx Cup points and could vault to No 2 with a win, depending on the finishes of two players higher than him in the field, Jim Furyk at No 5 and Matt Kuchar at No 7.

Furyk was at seven under in the Greenbrier Classic and Kuchar was two under.

Compton couldn’t grind out the birdies that dominated his first round. Carl Pettersson, last week’s Canadian Open winner who barely made the cut in that tournament, shot 64 Friday and was at five under, three strokes above the cut line. — AFP

really hot and the wind was blowing strongly,” said the 24-year-old.

“I have been seeing my coach a lot this year and met him last week in Singapore. Training with him has really helped my game and that’s one of the reasons I’m doing well,” said Leong, whose best finish last season was a tied 18th place in Taiwan.

Siddikur, 25, took a step closer to

becoming the first Bangladeshi to win on the Asian Tour.

He rued a cold putter but is determined to bounce back and secure a historic victory. “It was disappointing to bogey the last hole or I might have taken a one-stroke lead. Overall, I’m still happy to be in contention and looking forward to making a title push,” said Siddikur. — AFP

Querrey, Murray reach the last 4 Champion Querrey scrapes through against Schuettler LOS ANGELES: Second seed and champion Sam Querrey overcame an erratic serving display to reach the LA Open semi-finals with a nail-biting 62 3-6 7-6 victory over German veteran Rainer Schuettler on Friday. The American smashed two rackets in frustration and trailed 4-5 in the deciding set but twice broke the German as his opponent served for the match before clinching the tiebreak 7-4 at the LA Tennis Center.

Tennis

WEST VIRGINIA: Jeff Overton hits his tee shot on the third hole during the second round of the Greenbrier Classic on The Old White Course at the Greenbrier Resort in White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia. — AFP

Querrey will next meet sixth seed Janko Tipsarevic after the Serb upset third-seeded Cypriot Marcos Baghdatis 6-3 7-5. Top seed and British world number four Andy Murray survived two set points before booking his place in the semi-finals with a 7-6 6-1 win against Colombia’s Alejandro Falla in the late match. Seeking his first ATP title of the year and still showing signs of rust in his first tournament back since Wimbledon, Murray eased through the tiebreak 73 before crushing Falla in the second set.

In yesterday’s semi-finals, the Scot took on fourth-seeded Spaniard Feliciano Lopez, who beat American wildcard James Blake 3-6 7-6 6-4. “It feels good,” Murray said after wrapping up victory in one hour 37 minutes on the hardcourt surface. “It was a tricky match. Alejandro has been playing very well the last few months. “I played well but those were difficult conditions,” added Murray, who was a late wildcard entry after the withdrawal last week of second-ranked Novak Djokovic. “It was pretty cool tonight and I hit a lot of balls in the net.”

SORE JOINTS Murray repeatedly clutched his right leg late in the match but said it was just “a little sore” on the joints after switching from the grass to the US hardcourts. Querrey, who needed three sets to beat South African qualifier Kevin Anderson in the previous round, raced through his opening set but lost the first three games of the second before the German leveled the match.

Both players held serve in the third set until the ninth game when Schuettler hit a searing backhand service return winner to earn his seventh breakpoint, which he converted when Querrey netted a forehand. Serving for the match at 5-4, Schuettler failed to hold but he immediate-

ly broke back when a Querrey crosscourt backhand sailed wide. Schuettler again failed to serve out the match, a flicked forehand ending up in the net for Querrey to force a tiebreak, which the American dominated with his booming first serve before sealing victory when a Schuettler backhand sailed long.

“I kind of got lucky to get through,” the 22year-old American said after the topsy-turvy two hour, 20 minutes match. “I was pretty frustrated the whole time but I then did a great job of playing the 5-4 and 6-5 games. “My serve sucks right now,” he added after recording 14 aces and nine double faults in bright sunshine. “I just don’t have that consistency of the knee bend and fluid motion. It’s not as comfortable as it was at Queens and Wimbledon. “It’s getting better every day, though. When I needed it, I got it. I served well in that tiebreaker.” — Reuters

LOS ANGELES: Sam Querrey hits a serve to Rainer Schuettler of Germany during the Farmers Classic at the Los Angeles Tennis Center UCLA California. — AFP

18

SPORTS

Sunday, August 1, 2010

Chamakh shines as Arsenal draw with AC Milan LONDON: Arsenal new-boy Marouane Chamakh showed why Arsene Wenger spent nearly a year trying to sign him with a clinical finish in yesterday's 11 draw against AC Milan in the Emirates Cup. Gunners boss Wenger landed Chamakh on a free transfer from Bordeaux in May after a lengthy courtship and the early signs suggest the Morocco striker will prove to have been worth the wait.

Chamakh marked his first appearance at the Emirates Stadium with a man of the match display capped by a predatory first half strike. The Gunners were denied a winning start to their four-team pre-season tournament however as Alexandre Pato headed a late equalizer for Milan.

Wenger has spent most of the close-season attempting to stop Barcelona taking Cesc Fabregas back to the Nou Camp.

But, with Fabregas on holiday until next week, the focus switched to Chamakh and fellow new signing Laurent Koscielny.

Chamakh was the star turn as he led the Arsenal attack in the targetman role normally occupied by Robin van Persie, who is still resting after his efforts with Holland at the World Cup. His goal was richly deserved and Wenger now has to decide whether to play him alongside van Persie or alternate the pair.

Koscielny, a French centreback who cost 10 million pounds from Lorient, is ear-marked to replace William Gallas at the heart of Arsenal's defense and was steady enough alongside Thomas Vermaelen. Arsenal fans will also have been intrigued that Wenger selected

LONDON: Arsenal's Marouane Chamakh (left) vies with AC Milan's Alessandro Nesta during their Emirates Cup football match at Emirates Stadium in London yesterday. — AFP

Batista's job on line Argentina face Ireland, Spain in friendlies BUENOS AIRES: Interim coach Sergio Batista's future with the Argentina team will be on the line in upcoming friendlies against Ireland and World Cup champion Spain. Julio Grondona, president of the Argentina Football Association, hinted Friday that Batista could get the job permanently if Argentina wins both matches at Ireland on Aug 11 and at home against Spain on Sept 7.

Batista was named interim coach after the AFA last Tuesday declined to renew the contract to Diego Maradona. Batista has been Argentina's youth-team manager and led Argentina to the gold medal in the 2008 Olympics. Others being mentioned include Estudiantes coach Alejandro Sabella,

Claudio Borghi of Boca Junior and two who are out of work - Carlos Bianchi and Diego Simeone. Asked if winning both games might land Batista the job permanently, Grondona replied: "Could be."

Grondona said there was no rush to name the new coach. "The doors are open for everybody," he said. Grondona declined to comment more on Maradona. A day after his contract was not renewed, Maradona accused Grondona of lying to him, and said Carlos Bilardo - the Argentine national team director - had betrayed him.

Grondona said that Bilardo, who is set to hold a news conference next week, would not be talking more about Maradona's dismissal. "The less said about the topic, the

fewer chances to make mistakes," Grondona said.

Grondona announced that Argentina and Brazil have agreed to play two friendly matches annually, using only players based in the local leagues. Each country will get an annual home game. Although no specific details were announced about scheduling, it's been suggested that one match will be played this year, with two in 2011. The annual matches between the two powers should build excitement in the buildup to the 2014 World Cup in Brazil. Both countries were ousted in the quarterfinals in this year's tournament in South Africa.

Brazil has won the World Cup five times and Argentina has won twice. — AP

Lukasz Fabianski in goal ahead of Manuel Alumnia, suggesting the Spaniard's days as the Gunners' first-choice keeper may be over. Vermaelen, wearing the captain's armband in Fabregas's absence, almost put Arsenal in front early on with a glancing header that Christian Abbiati clawed to safety.

Koscielny was close to scoring an unfortunate own goal when his attempted block of a shot from former Arsenal midfielder Mathieu Flamini sent the ball cannoning onto the crossbar. But Arsenal always looked lively going forward and Chamakh put the Gunners ahead in the 36th minute.

Andrey Arshavin surged forward from midfield and held off Gennaro Gattuso before slipping a pass towards Chamakh, who timed his run perfectly to guide a low shot past Abbiati. It took a fine stop from Abbiati to stop Tomas Rosicky increasing Arsenal's lead just before halftime as the veteran keeper used his legs to keep out the Arsenal midfielder's snap-shot.

Chamakh threatened again in the second half with a burst down the left and a powerful shot that Abbiati blocked at the near-post.

Massimiliano Allegri's Milan, rebuilding after a disappointing effort in Serie A last season, have only just started their pre-season preparations and looked sluggish at times.

But the Italians, cheered on by their former player David Beckham, improved as the game went on and equalized in the 77th minute when Pato's glancing header found the far corner of Fabianski's goal. — AFP

Extras

Hurst wants Hammers in Olympic Stadium LONDON: West Ham legend Geoff Hurst insists the club must move to the Olympic Stadium if it wants to compete with the very best in the English Premier League.

Hurst, whose famous 1966 World Cup final hat-trick helped England beat West Germany 4-2, wants the Hammers to take over the 80,000-seater venue once the London 2012 Games are over.

The current plans will see the top tier lopped off to leave a 25,000-capacity athletics stadium, but the British sporting icon would love to see West Ham make the two-mile move across east London.

"All the clubs now have either got new grounds or been refurbished since the early 1990s," the former striker said. "To compete in the league it would be a good move to come here." London's bid for 2012 pledged that the stadium would retain its athletics capability after the Games.

Sebastian Coe, the organizing committee's chairman and a double Olympic 1,500 meters champion, is determined to keep that promise.

"You can understand Lord Coe's position and the organizing committee to leave a legacy of a running track," said Hurst.

"One or two people say you can lose the atmosphere but a lot of foreign clubs still play in a stadium where they've got running tracks. "Ideally, you would not want the running track but there may be an element of compromise if West Ham want to move out of the old stadium into the new stadium, and it may be the compromise they'll make."

Hurst also played cricket

for Essex in his youth and the county is interested in using the stadium for Twenty20 matches. "Speaking as a sportsman, not just a footballer, as long as it's used for sport after the Olympics and all the facilities are used, that would be a tremendous part of the legacy which we want to see," the 68-year-old said.

West Ham have been at their Upton Park home since 1904 and began a series of renovations in 1993 to take the allseater capacity to 35,300.

But they have never finished higher than fifth in the Premier League and have been relegated once. The Hammers and the local municipal authority have submitted a joint proposal for taking over the Olympic Stadium for football and community use.

Hurst does not want to see the chance pass by but said missing out would not be a disaster. "It would be a great shame to an extent but it wouldn't be the end of the world," said Hurst, who scored 180 goals in his 411 West Ham appearances between 1959 and 1972.

"We would still be in a good stadium, we've got a great, loyal support and if continue to fill it then there's still an opportunity, as I understand, to fill in the corners to make it up to 40,000." West Ham narrowly avoided relegation last season under Gianfranco Zola but Hurst is confident they can improve under new boss Avram Grant, the former Portsmouth manager. "My initial hope is that we do well and consolidate in the Premier League and improve on last season, that we sit comfortably this year and have a good season in the league." — AFP

Cahill hat-trick powers Everton LONDON: Australian international midfielder Tim Cahill scored a hat-trick as Premier League Everton defeated second-tier Championship newcomers Norwich City 4-2 yesterday in a preseason friendly. Former Everton goalkeeper John Ruddy gifted Cahill a sixth minute opener before the Australian added his second seven minutes before half-time. But Norwich leveled through Andrew Crofts and Andrew Surman in the second half.

South African star Steven Pienaar set-up Russian Diniyar Bilyaletdinov for Everton's third before Cahill completed his hattrick on 71 minutes.

Richardson extends Sunderland's deal LONDON: Sunderland's former Manchester United midfielder Kieran Richardson yesterday signed a new three-year contract which commits him to the Premier League club until 2013. The 25-year-old joined the club three years ago and has played 85 games for the Black Cats.

Mancini quits US tour BALTIMORE: Manchester City manager Roberto Mancini has flown back to Europe during his team's US tour because of a family illness. Mancini left Baltimore to fly to Italy on Friday, the English Premier League team said. Mancini's father lives in Italy.

"Clearly it's a difficult time for the boss with him having to go back for family reasons," said Brian Kidd, who will manage the team with David Platt in Mancini's absence. "It's all happened very suddenly." Manchester City completed its exhibition American tour yesterday against Inter Milan. Its next game is August 7 against Valencia in England. Manchester City opens its Premier League season August 14 against Tottenham.

Brazilian goalkeeper charged RIO DE JANEIRO: Bruno Souza, a Brazilian star goalkeeper suspected of having his ex-girlfriend killed, was on Friday formally charged with her murder, officials said. The footballer, who played for Rio de Janeiro's Flamengo team, was also charged with kidnapping, hiding a body, forming a criminal gang and corrupting minors, police in the state of Minas Gerais told a media conference. Even though the body of the alleged victim, 25-year-old Eliza Samudio, has not been found, police wrapping up an initial phase of their probe on Thursday determined that Souza masterminded her death. "Forensic police will prove that Eliza is dead," the officer in charge of the investigation, Edson Moreira, said. He added that inquiries were continuing to bolster evidence and attempt to find the body. Seven other people, including an expoliceman suspected of carrying out the premeditated murder on Souza's orders, have also been charged. Souza's wife was among them. Samudio disappeared last month after being taken to Souza's second residence near the southern city of Belo Horizonte. The woman, who had a four-month-old baby she claimed was fathered by Souza, was believed to have been demanding child support. The baby was found in the care of Souza's wife. Souza was suspended from Flamengo-Brazil's most popular club, which he once captained-when the allegations against him first surfaced. Photos of the goalkeeper published on Friday showed him with a shaved head. Reports said he had burned his hair to hinder a DNA examination.

Lennon hopes Lyon fightback will inspire Celtic

PRETORIA: Diego Maradona (right) talks to Argentina's under 20 coach Sergio Batista during a team training session at the University's High Performance Centre in Pretoria in this file photo. — AFP

LONDON: Celtic manager Neil Lennon hopes his side's gutsy fightback to earn a 2-2 draw against Lyon in the Emirates Cup will prove his players with the inspiration for a great escape in the Champions League. Lennon's team recovered from two goals down thanks to late strikes from Gary Hooper and Georgios Samaras in the pre-season tournament at Arsenal's Emirates Stadium today.

But the Scottish club need to overturn an even greater deficit when they face Braga in the Champions League third qualifying round second leg at Parkhead on Wednesday.

The Hoops trail 3-0 after being

thrashed in Portugal in midweek and Lennon said: "We've got to take a lot of positives from this performance, the chances we created, the way we pressed well.

"They know now they can play against top players and compete well. I know it was a pre-season game but it's a positive sign. "I think they will get confidence from the performance never mind the comeback. "We kept going with a lot of young kids out there. I was thrilled with them."

The only downside for Lennon was an injury to captain Scott Brown, who limped off after taking a knock on his foot, but the Celtic boss hopes his midfield dynamo will be back to face Braga. "Scott Brown got a

bang on the foot. We'll just have to see how it is on Sunday," he said.

Lyon coach Claude Puel was impressed with his side's fluent play but conceded the gloss had been taken off their performance by Celtic's late goals. "The last 10 minutes were a real shame because it ruined the good things we did before," he said. "We've learned a lot about our players. We showed great composure, passed he ball well and created lots of chances. "I enjoyed our second goal with the young players involved. It was encouraging but we will play a more experienced team against Milan today." Lyon had been in control of the match thanks to goals from Michel Bastos and Harry Novillo. — AFP

Sunday, August 1, 2010

19

SPORTS

Huge task for former African champions JOHANNESBURG: African Confederation Cup comeback specialists Enyimba of Nigeria must pull another rabbit out of the hat today to reach the group phase.

The team from south-east city Aba overcame two and three-goal deficits in previous rounds before suffering a 4-0 drubbing from Zambian bank club ZANACO in Lusaka two weeks ago in the first leg of a final-round qualifier.

That result leaves the ‘Peoples Elephant’ needing to score four unanswered goals just to force a penalty shoot-out and only one club has managed to wipe out such a deficit since the Cup was launched six years ago. Mount Cameroon trounced South Africa visitors Ajax Cape Town 5-0 in a 2008 qualifier after suffering a 5-1 first-leg loss on the southern tip of the continent.

Ajax assumed they were through after the first match and sent a weakened squad to central Africa - a mistake ZANACO coach and former Zambia striker Wedson Nyirenda is determined to avoid. “The squad has been warned about complacency after building a healthy lead at home. It is not going to be an easy game,” he stressed ahead of a clash between clubs appearing in the competition for the first time. “We are ready for any hostility Enyimba might put us through. I know what can happen in west Africa,” he said referring to the often poor treatment visiting football clubs receive in Nigeria.

SuperSport United of South Africa claimed they were fed a bread-only lunch before a Champions League game this year and more recently Al-Ahly of Egypt resorted to training in a hotel garden because of sub-standard facilities. Winners of back-toback African Champions League titles this decade, Enyimba received a few timely boosts this week by reaching the Nigerian FA Cup final and passing striker Junior Osagie fit.

Osagie and Kalu Uche shared the six goals that took the new Nigerian champions past Academica Soyo of Angola and Vita Club of the Democratic Republic of Congo with the latter tie settled by a shoot-out. “We erased the word ‘impossible’ for our dictionary a long time ago and this philosophy has helped us win many matches in Africa,” boasted Enyimba coach Felix Emordi. “My boys are responsible for the situation we find ourselves in, but I am happy that they have woken from their slumber,” said the man who guided the ‘Peoples Elephant’ to their second Champions League triumph.

SuperSport must defend a 2-1 advantage over FUS Rabat in Morocco with only 13 footballers, including third-choice goalkeeper Jacob Mokhasi, owing to a spate of injuries and domestic close-season transfers. Regular goalkeeper Emille Baron is recovering from an injury that kept him out of the World Cup and Uganda-born reserve Denis Onyango has switched to another South African Premiership club. The eight survivors after the fourth round are split into two groups with a sixround schedule kicking off midAugust in pursuit of a 660,000-dollar first prize. — AFP

Thierry Henry rules out France return PARIS: France’s highest scorer Thierry Henry will never consider playing for the team again even if new coach and former teammate Laurent Blanc asked him to. Henry, scorer of a record 51 goals in 12 years for Les Bleus, announced after the team’s World Cup debacle that he quit international football. In an interview in sports daily L’Equipe on Friday, the 32-year-old Henry was asked if he would return if Blanc asked him to help out during the 2012 European Championship qualifying campaign, which begins against Belarus on Sept 3.

“I won’t go. It’s finished,” Henry said. “I will not come back to the French team again.” Henry was part of the World Cup squad that went on strike at training in protest at striker Nicolas Anelka being thrown off the team for insulting coach Raymond Domenech. France failed to win a game for the second consecutive major tournament, going out in the group stage as it did at Euro 2008. Henry hardly played in South Africa and was benched by Domenech, who has since been replaced by Blanc.

“I’m not here to settle scores. The coach put me on the bench, he took the armband away from me and didn’t pick me. But I respect his decisions,” Henry said. “More than what’s been said, we weren’t good on the pitch. People can think what they like, that’s the most important thing.” Henry, who won the 1998 World Cup and Euro 2000 playing alongside Blanc, preferred not to talk about the fiasco in South Africa at length. “I always gave my all. Honestly, I can hold my head up very high. My conscience is clear,” he said. “I’m lucky enough to have won everything with the French team.”

The former Barcelona and Arsenal forward is raring to go with his new club, New York Red Bulls in the US, although he admits he is not match fit. “The fact that I love this city and that I have a lot of friends here also influenced my choice (to come),” he said. “The three months ahead will be quite strange in the sense that I’m at the end of my season and my teammates are right in the middle (of theirs). I am doing extra (training) sessions, but I am still far off in physical terms.”— AP

Kashima thrash Kobe to stay top in J-League Osaka blank Jubilo Iwata 3-0

HARRISON: Thierry Henry #14 of the New York Red Bulls plays the ball against Manchester City at Red Bull Arena in this file photo. — AFP

Ljungberg traded from Seattle to Chicago RENTON: The Seattle Sounders traded two-time Major League Soccer All-Star Freddie Ljungberg to the Chicago Fire on Friday for a conditional pick in either the 2011 or 2012 SuperDraft. The Sounders quietly announced they had parted with the fading 33-year-old Swedish midfielder in a team statement.

Ljungberg hadn’t practiced with the Sounders for weeks while he recuperated from an ankle injury on his own. His muted exit from Seattle for a draft choice is the opposite of his ballyhooed entrance to the city and the MLS in October 2008. That month, the former championship-winning player for Arsenal in England’s Premier League joined new MLS club Seattle in a glitzy announcement. His signing was seen as the latest coup for the upstart American league.

Ljungberg has been mostly a non-factor this season. He had a hand in three goals in 15 matches, while the Sounders struggled.

He hasn’t played since July 4, and his Seattle contract was set to expire in November. Ljungberg had been Seattle’s highest-paid player at $1.3 million this season. He irritated some teammates during preseason training by showing up late, saying he was waiting for the league’s labor dispute to be settled before joining the squad.

He also drew some criticism from Sounders coach Sigi Schmid earlier this season for spending too much time complaining to officials.

“Freddie is a tremendous individual and an exceptional player who contributed greatly to the huge success of Sounders FC, both on and off the field, in the past year and a half,” Sounders general manager Adrian Hanauer said in the statement. “Freddie, along with Kasey Keller, gave this club immediate stature in the world’s game, and we are grateful for his service. We wish him all the best in Chicago.”

The Sounders may see Ljungberg again soon. The Fire will visit Seattle on Aug 28.

“I want to start off by saying how proud I am to have been part of the most successful new franchise in MLS history, the Seattle Sounders FC,” Ljungberg was quoted as saying in the statement, referring to Seattle regularly drawing MLS crowds of 30,000plus since it began play. “I didn’t know exactly what to expect when I first came to Seattle but I have to say that how the city and the fans have embraced me has gone beyond my wildest dreams and for that I am forever grateful.

“I also want to thank my teammates who are absolutely great on and off the pitch. I have made some very close friends who I know I will be in contact with forever.” The Sounders added new midfielder Alvaro Fernandez to the active squad. The 24-yearold, who played for Uruguay at the recent World Cup, was acquired on Thursday. He has received his international transfer paperwork and is eligible to play for Seattle on Saturday night at San Jose. — AP

KASHIMA: Takuya Nozawa scored twice as Kashima Antlers defeated Vissel Kobe 3-0 to maintain top spot in the J-League yesterday.

Nozawa’s header in the eighth minute gave Vissel a 1-0 lead and he doubled it with a leftfooted drive from 14 meters in the 31st minute.

Marquinhos sealed the win with his sixth goal of the season in the 76th minute. Kashima has 34 points from 16 games, two clear of Nagoya Grampus, which beat Yokohama F Marinos 2-0 after goals from Australian striker Josh Kennedy and Danilson.

Kennedy put Nagoya ahead with his leagueleading 10th goal in the 36th, and Danilson added another midway through the second half.

Elsewhere, Cerezo Osaka coasted to a 3-0 win over Jubilo Iwata to move into fourth place courtesy of goals from Daisuke Takahashi, Takashi Inui and Adriano. Rafael scored the lone goal as lowly Omiya Ardija upset Urawa Reds 1-0. Former Asian club champions Urawa dropped to sixth place on 23 points. Kisho Yano and Isao Homma scored to lead fifth-place Albirex Niigata to a 2-1 win against FC Tokyo, extending their unbeaten streak to 10 matches.— AP

AEK Athens win Sydney pre-season tournament SYDNEY: AEK Athens captured the Sydney international pre-season tournament trophy with a 1-0 win over Glasgow Rangers here yesterday. Australian Nathan Burns claimed the winner in the 73rd minute for the Greek side to remain unbeaten with their third victory of the tournament. AEK Athens head home for their Greek season after also beating English Premier League side Blackburn Rovers 2-1 and hosts Sydney FC 5-3.

Burns netted with a powerful header leaping to head

home a cross from Nikos Karabelas. Athens’ win would have been even more comfortable had substitute Rafik Djebbour not been denied by two great saves from Rangers goalkeeper Alan McGregor in the later stages.

The Scottish champions also created chances with defender Steven Whittaker floating in two enticing crosses from the left that Kenny Miller just failed to meet. Lee McCullough also had a volleyed effort saved from a Steve Davis corner in the 36th minute, before

captain David Weir headed wide from a free kick.

Blackburn finished second in the tournament after their 2-1 win over Sydney FC later yesterday. Australian international Brett Emerton and Norwegian Morten Gamst Pedersen put Rovers 2-0 ahead before striker Alex Brosque scored Sydney’s only goal nine minutes from time. It was Sam Allardyce’s team’s best performance of the pre-season tournament after losing to AEK Athens and Rangers. — AFP

SYDNEY: Nathan Burns (center) from AEK Athens FC attempts an unsuccessful shot on goal past Rangers FC goalkeeper Alan McGregor (right) and teammate Steven Naismith, during the Sydney 2010 Festival of Football yesterday. AEK Athens won 1-0. — AFP

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France grab U19 crown CAEN: Chelsea winger Gael Kakuta set up Alexandre Lacazette for a late winning goal Friday as France rallied to beat Spain 2-1 to win the under-19 European Championship for the second time. With five minutes remaining, Kakuta took the ball and spun around in midfield, dribbling past the two central defenders with sudden changes of direction. Kakuta’s shot was saved by goalkeeper Alex, but he followed up and chipped the ball perfectly for Lacazette to head in at the far post. Spain, which has won the tournament four times, took the lead in the 18th minute through striker Rodrigo before Gilles Sunu equalized for the French in the 49th after being expertly set up by forward Yannis Tafer.

France coach Francis Smerecki said his players were desperate to make up for losing to Spain in the Euro under-17 final two years ago.

“I have known some of these players for four years, and they really deserve to be champions of Europe,” Smerecki said.

“They were really disappointed to lose the under-17 final two years ago. They really wanted to win tonight.”

Lacazette and Tafer play for Lyon and both came off the bench in the second half as Smerecki changed to a more attacking lineup.

“Once again we saw the importance of the substitute’s bench, because both players who came on did really well.

It’s the victory of a whole squad,” Smerecki said. “To stop this Spanish team, you have to stop them getting the ball to their feet. That’s what we managed to do after the break by being more aggressive.” Spain looked totally in control in the first half with France unable to create a good scoring chance. “At the start of the second half we told each other that we had nothing to lose,” France striker Cedric Bakambu said. “The fans got

New Delhi Commonwealth Games rocked by scandals Building quality certificates faked; costs ballooned

behind us, and that is pleasing.”

Spain’s coach Luis Milla said his players deserved more, but praised France for its resilience. “We were controlling the match ... but matches last 90 minutes and we weren’t able to stay with France in the second half,” he said. “At this level, you lose a match on small details. Once France equalized they had the upper hand.” Having kept out Sergio Canales’ earlier attempt, France goalkeeper Abdoulaye Diallo was beaten

by Rodrigo’s low strike from the left of the penalty area after he collected a pass from Daniel Pacheco.

Pacheco then hit a firm shot wide of the top left corner in the 34th as Spain dominated, with France unable to string passes together and giving the ball away cheaply by trying to play too quickly.

Moments before Sunu’s goal, Spain should have made it 2-0 in the 48th. Diallo failed to control defender Sebastien Faure’s back pass and Canales stole the ball, forcing Diallo to dive at his feet. But Spain was caught out a minute later when Diallo punted clear and Sunu beat defender Martin Montoya in the air and headed the ball down to Tafer, who had come on for Antoine Griezmann.

Collecting Sunu’s headed pass, Tafer then put Sunu clean through and Sunu - who was loaned out by Premier League club Arsenal to second-tier side Derby last season - coolly chipped the ball over Alex. Spain almost equalized shortly after when Marc Bartra burst through and his shot from a narrow angle was palmed away by Diallo. Alex made a great save to deny Tafer in the 80th, beating away his shot with his right hand after Bakambu’s pass released him down the left.

France previously won the tournament in 2005, while Spain’s wins were in ‘02, ‘04, ‘06 and ‘07.—AP

CAEN: Spanish forward Rodrigo (right) fights for the ball with French defender Sebastien Faure during the UEFA under 19 final match France versus Spain, at the d’Ornano stadium in Caen, northwestern France. — AFP

Gul’s all-round skills squeeze England Pakistan reduce England to 120-6 NOTTINGHAM: Umar Gul followed his exhilarating career-best innings to continue Pakistan’s fightback with the ball, taking three wickets to reduce England to 120 for six at tea on day three of the first test yesterday. England still had the upper hand in the match at Trent Bridge with a lead that was worth 292 runs at the interval, but Pakistan had staged an impressive comeback having begun the day in danger of being defeated inside three days.

Matt Prior was 13 not out at the break with Graeme Swann on 14, as England looked to extend their lead to a seemingly unreachable score for the Pakistanis. Gul, after his 65 not out in the morning session, had taken three for 20 after a destructive spell of three for seven in 21 balls. England slumped to 18 for two before lunch after captain Andrew Strauss (0) was caught in farcical circumstances when second slip Umar Akmal twice failed to hold on to his catch before his brother and wicketkeeper Kamran dived forward and got the ball.

Cook (12) flicked casually at an innocuous Asif delivery down the leg side and deflected an edge to keeper Akmal. Jonathan Trott (26) and Kevin Pietersen (22) then battled through tough batting conditions in the gloom, despite the presence of six floodlight towers, but the emergence of Gul saw off both batsmen. Pietersen, without a test century now in 21 innings, was caught off the inside after a flying catch from the wicketkeeper Akmal. His patchy glove-work in the match and in recent series meant an element of surprise surrounded the wicket.

However, the next ball demonstrated Akmal’s inconsistency when he dropped Paul Collingwood with an easier but still not simple catch diving to his right. Trott’s two-hour innings of grit ended unfortunately when a short Gul ball kept low and bowled him. That was 66 for four. Collingwood was unable to punish the tourists for their earlier lapse and was lbw to Gul for one in 19 balls. He discussed the potential of reviewing the wicket with Eoin Morgan but walked off, justifiably according to replays.

Morgan, whose first-innings 130 set up England’s dominance, was run out for 17 after a mixup with Prior. Earlier, number nine batsman Gul entertained the capacity crowd with his 46-ball innings that contained eight boundaries and four sixes. He took 18 runs off Steven Finn in the second over of the day, with three fours and a six pulled over square leg. He repeated that stroke twice more. Pakistan started the day needing eight runs to avoid the follow-on and they did that before being dismissed for 182.— Reuters

SCOREBOARD Scoreboard at tea on the third day of the first test between England and Pakistan at Trent Bridge, Nottingham yesterday.

England first innings (P. Collingwood 82, E. Morgan 130; Asif 5-77) Pakistan first innings (147-9 overnight) Imran Farhat b Anderson 19 Salman Butt c Prior b Anderson 1 Azhar Ali c Prior b Anderson 14 Umar Amin c Swann b Finn 2 Umar Akmal c Swann b Finn 4 Shoaib Malik c Strauss b Anderson 38 Kamran Akmal c Collingwood b Finn 0 Mohammad Aamer c Swann b Anderson 25 Umar Gul not out 65 Danish Kaneria b Broad 7 Mohammad Asif run out 0 Extras: (b-5, lb-2) 7 Total (all out; 54 overs) 182 Fall of wickets: 1-5 2-32 3-35 4-41 5-45 6-47 7-105 8-108 9-147 10-182 Bowling: Anderson 22-7-54-5, Broad 17-4-59-1, Finn 13-5-50-3,

Swann 2-1-12-0 England second innings A. Strauss c Kamran Akmal b Mohammad Aamer0 A. Cook c Kamran Akmal b Asif J. Trott b Gul K. Pietersen c Kamran Akmal b Gul P. Collingwood lbw b Gul E. Morgan run out M. Prior not out G. Swann not out Extras: (1-nb, 1-w, 4-b, 9-lb) 15 Total: (six wickets; 43 overs)120 Fall of wickets: 1-2 2-18 3-65 4-66 5-72 6-98 To bat: S.Broad, J.Anderson, S.Finn.

Bowling: Aamer 14-3-33-1, Asif 16-1-47-1, Gul 10-2-20-3, Kaneria 1-0-1-0.

12 26 22 1 17 13 14

Amin 2-0-6-0,

NOTTINGHAM: Stuart Broad of England (left) is caught out by Imran Farhat of Pakistan (right) for 24 runs on the third day of the first NPower Test match at Trent Bridge in Nottingham yesterday. — AFP

NEW DELHI: The New Delhi Commonwealth Games was rocked by fresh scandal with reports yesterday alleging that building quality certificates had been faked as costs for the 12day event ballooned. With barely two months to go before the Commonwealth Games start in October, the sporting extravaganza has been caught up in a flood of allegations of rampant corruption. “Fake certificates were routinely issued to pass substandard work and material,” an unnamed official of the Central Vigilance Commission, a government watchdog body, was quoted as saying by the Times of India.

Other certificates were “suspect,” the official said. “We have not yet been able to gauge the financial implication but it is certain to have led to very big gains for vendors and contractors,” he said. Troubles for the games’ organizers mounted yesterday as India’s cash-rich cricket board rejected their appeal for a grant of one billion rupees ($22 million) to offset cost over-runs, board said. “The committee expressed its inability to agree to the request of the Commonwealth Games to be the lead partner by donating one billion rupees,” the board said in a release.

The event involving 71 nations is already the costliest Commonwealth Games in history, with an infrastructure and organizing budget of two billion dollars, although unofficial estimates say the cost will be at least triple. Sports Minister MS Gill told parliament on Friday that the cost of organizing the event-dubbed the “Shame Games” by leading news magazine India Today-had risen 17.5 times since the bid was made in 2003. Indian media yesterday also reported a separate probe

by Indian revenue authorities into allegations of irregular payouts by games organizers to a Britain-based firm.

The Hindustan Times and other local media said the investigations were launched follow-

ing a request from British authorities. “Already fighting off countless controversies, the Delhi Commonwealth Games looks headed towards more embarrassment,” the mass-circulation Times of India said. The opposition is demanding a judicial probe into allegations of corruption in construction of the games and has raised fears poor building standards could affect the safety of athletes.

The Commonwealth Games Organizing Committee’s chairman, Suresh Kalmadi, at a crowded news conference late yesterday, denied there had been any wrongdoing in issuing building quality certificates. “I have been deeply pained at the baseless allegations of corruption. It is bad for the morale of the whole country,” he said, adding that allegations of shoddy construction had nothing to do with his committee. “We are not looking at tenders. My job is to organize the games,” he said.

“There is total transparency in the organizing committee.”

Opposition Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party leader Vijay Goel said that “forging and fudging of various quality and safety checks has widely thrown open the possibility of mishaps, blackouts and accidents.” The corruption charges come with Delhi looking like a giant construction site, with mounds of debris surrounding dug-up roads and walkways across the city as work goes on round-the-clock to get the capital ready for the games.

Monsoon rains drenching the city are making it even harder for work crews while the ground surrounding the complex being built to house athletes is still a sea of mud.

The games were seen as a chance to spotlight India’s emerging economic superpower status after the success of the 2008 Beijing Olympics. But there is widespread skepticism whether the infrastructure will be ready in time, with critics deriding the preparations as “shambolic.” —AFP

Pakistan’s captain Butt voices doubts over DRS NOTTINGHAM: Pakistan captain Salman Butt defended his side doing without the controversial Decision Review System (DRS), during a batting collapse in the first Test against England, by saying the technology on offer was “not a hundred percent”.

The tourists were in the midst of a slump that saw them decline to 47 for six on the second day at Trent Bridge here on Friday when Azhar Ali was given out caught behind for 14 in one of five wickets for James Anderson.

However, some replays indicated he had failed to make contact. Under DRS, both sides are allowed two unsuccessful challenges before they are barred from requesting a referral for the remainder of an innings. But, in order not to delay the game, they must make it clear within a matter of seconds of the umpire’s original verdict whether they wish to call on DRS. It appeared from a distance the inexperienced Ali, in only his third Test, decided against a referral that might have gone in his favor after consulting non-striker and fellow novice batsman Umar Akmal.

Butt, speaking after stumps, said that wasn’t the case and questioned the accuracy of both the Hawkeye ball-tracking system and the Hotspot device, akin to a thermal imaging camera, which is used to detect thin edges.

“This technology, Hawkeye is not 100 percent and neither is Hotspot. When the ball hits the sticker on the side (edge of the bat) it doesn’t leave a mark,” Butt told reporters.

A further complicating factor in this match is that spectators in the ground are seeing a replay on a giant screen at the same time as the third umpire is coming to his decision on the basis of looking at the same image. In previous series, fans at the game have often been kept in the dark.

“If the batsman knows he has hit the ball there’s no point taking a chance because if it’s up there on the big screen it’s pretty embarrassing,” opening batsman Butt added. “I think it was very honest of Azhar Ali, good sportsmanship. He edged it and he walked straight away.”

Butt said he’d been alerted to what he believed to be a deficiency in Hotspot during Pakistan’s 3-0 series loss in Australia earlier this year. “In January we played Australia in Hobart and it twice happened to Michael Clarke. We heard a big noise and the Snicko showed there was noise as well when the ball crossed the bat but there was nothing on the Hotspot.

“Every bat brand has a sidesticker (on the edge). It shows some time and it doesn’t show.

That means it’s something to do with the stickers, maybe.”

The Snicko device, which tries to detect whether a batsman has edged the ball on the basis of sound waves, is not being used as a decision-making tool in this four-Test series because officials say it takes too long to provide a definitive conclusion. But it was Hawkeye that was in Butt’s sights. “Hawkeye is not a hundred percent trustworthy,” the 25-year-old insisted. “Every meeting we have with the officials, they say it’s not a hundred percent.”

Anderson, who exploited the swing friendly conditions to finish with five wickets for 49 runs from 20 overs on Friday, said of DRS: “It’s trickier than it seems, and something we’re having to get used to.” Pakistan resumed on 147 for nine in reply to England’s first innings 354, a deficit of 207 runs yesterday.

But Umar Gul’s 30 not out took them to within just eight runs of avoiding the follow-on, albeit with only the one wicket standing, when bad light forced an early close on Friday. — AFP

Porsche launches new models for Panamera range

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Obama: Republicans holding small businesses ‘hostage’

NBK, Master Card get fashionable this season

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Dozens injured as garment workers clash with police Factories, vehicles attacked on 2nd day of Bangladesh protests DHAKA: Bangladeshi police fired rubber bullets yesterday in a bid to subdue garment workers who rioted for a second day in protest against low pay as unrest spread to areas outside Dhaka, police said. Workers fought pitched street battles with riot police in the manufacturing hub of Ashulia, north of Dhaka, as union officials rejected a government-backed pay hike as “insultingly low.” “Over 20,000 workers walked off the job and many clashed with police, hurling stones and rocks. We fired rubber bullets and tear gas to disperse them,” police inspector Nasir Ahmed told AFP. The unrest came as Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina told “workers to accept the pay hike and return to work,” threatening tough action against those who disobeyed her orders. “She has warned that no act of violence or sabotages will be tolerated in the key garment industry. The instigators will be brought to book,” her spokesman Mahbubul Haq Shakil said. Rioters also burnt tires, blocked a key road linking Dhaka with northern Bangladesh, attacked factories and forced police to run for cover, an AFP correspondent at the scene said.

The factories have announced a shutdown in response and “violence has ebbed but the situation is still tense,” Ahmed said. Police said at least seven lawenforcers including Ashulia’s police chief were injured in the violence-all hit by rocks thrown by protesters while the English-language newspaper the Daily Star put the injury toll at around 100. At least 10,000 workers also blockaded a key road in Narayanganj, south of Dhaka, a police constable said, adding the laborers were holding a peaceful protest amid a heavy police presence.

The protests come a day after violence erupted in a slew of locations across the Bangladeshi capital, prompting riot police to respond against the workers with baton charges and tear gas. The workers looted and ransacked factories, set vehicles afire and smashed shops and cars, leaving a trail of devastation. The protests are in response to the government’s announcement Tuesday that the minimum monthly wage for garment workers would rise by 80 percent to 3,000 taka (43 dollars) from 1,662 taka-the lowest industry salary worldwide. Most of the unions have spurned the offer, saying the workers need at least 5,000 taka a month to ensure a minimum standard of living in the face of surging food prices. They have threatened to keep up nationwide protests until the government meets their demands. Leading union leader Mosherafa Mish, who heads the Garment Workers Unity Forum and who has been at the forefront of efforts to win better wages and working conditions for employees, called the pay hike “insultingly low”.

“The government should not intimidate the workers. The protests are a normal and spontaneous reaction to the government’s sham wage hike. They are holding protests because that’s the only way their voices can be heard,” she said. She alleged police were seeking to intimidate union leaders with death threats, including against herself, and have raided some of their houses. Walid Hossain, a spokesman of Dhaka police, said at least two union leaders and 25 workers had been detained for their alleged role in Friday’s violence. He denied that authorities had made any death threats against union leaders. “This is complete rubbish,” he said. Garment is the main lever of Bangladesh economy, accounting for 80 percent of its annual exports. The country’s 4,500 garment factories employ some three million workers, around 40 percent of its industrial workforce. A host of global retailers import garments in bulk from Bangladesh, including Wal-Mart, Tesco, Zara, Marks & Spencer and Carrefour. — AFP

DHAKA: Bangladeshi police charge at a protestor with batons during clashes between garment workers and police. Thousands of Bangladeshi garment workers blocked highways, attacked factories and looted shops, police said, after rejecting the terms of a government wage hike. — AFP

UAE’s ADCB posts Q2 loss, Dubai World exposure weighs ABU DHABI: Abu Dhabi Commercial Bank (ADCB) said yesterday it had 6.6 billion dirhams ($1.8 billion) worth of exposure to indebted state conglomerate Dubai World and posted a second-quarter loss.

The lender reported a net loss of 531 million dirhams in the second quarter compared to a net profit of 295 million dirhams in the same period a year ago, missing analyst forecasts.

“The enforcement of provisions and impairments, especially those connected with ADCB’s exposure to Dubai World, resulted in reporting a net loss,” the

bank’s chairman, Eissa Al-Suwaidi, said in a statement. Analysts polled by Reuters had estimated an average second-quarter net profit of 163 million dirhams for ADCB, a 45 percent decline from the same period last year.

The bank has an exposure of 6.6 billion dirhams to Dubai World which is subject to the restructuring proposal that is currently being finalized, it said in the statement.

ADCB is one of two UAE banks on an informal seven-member coordinating committee negotiating Dubai World’s restructuring plan.

Net impairment allowances stood at 1.98 billion dirhams at the end of June 2010, the bank said. Its non-performing loans ratio was 5.4 percent, while the provision coverage ratio stood at 76.7 percent, excluding exposure to Dubai World.

In June, the bank sought to boost its deposits base by acquiring the UAE retail arm of British lender Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) for $100 million. The deal will give the bank 15 percent market share in the UAE credit card market, the CEO said at the time.

ADCB said loans grew 2.5 percent to

123.9 billion dirhams in the first half of 2010 compared to a year ago, while deposits reached 96.83 billion dirhams, up 12.2 percent. Operating income stood at 2.48 billion dirhams during the first half versus 2.32 billion dirhams a year ago, the statement said. In the first quarter of 2010, the bank posted a 36-percent decline in net profit to 225 million dirhams, but in record provisions dragged ADCB to a much wider fourth quarter loss than expected, highlighting the scale of the debt crisis among the regional companies to which it is exposed. — Reuters

US growth slows down, fuels recovery fears WASHINGTON: US economic growth slowed dramatically in the second quarter, the government said Friday, stoking fears that the recovery is losing steam and fueling a fierce political debate over how to respond. Gross domestic product (GDP) growth fell back sharply to 2.4 percent in the second quarter, the Commerce Department said, slamming the brakes on an already tepid rebound and painting a bleak picture of the road ahead.

“The post-recession rebound is history,” said Bart van Ark, chief economist for The Conference Board, a leading business research group.

In the first quarter, growth hit 3.7 percent, up substantially from the 2.7 percent previously reported by government. Amid weak consumer spending and a widening trade gap, few took solace from fresh data that appeared to confirm the US recession has ended and only marginally failed to meet analysts’ expectations of 2.5 percent growth. President Barack Obama admitted more work needs to be done, but stressed the economy was on the right path, pointing to four consecutive quarters of growth.

“Our economy is growing again instead of shrinking. And that’s a welcome sign compared to where we were,” he said in Detroit. “But we’ve got to keep on increasing that rate of growth and keep adding jobs so we can keep moving forward,” he said. Revisions to previous GDP data Friday showed the recession was much worse than previously thought, with negative growth reaching a whopping 6.8 percent in the final three months of 2008.

“The fourth quarter of 2008 and first quarter of 2009 had the worst two quarterly declines in 51 years,” said Beth Ann Bovino, a senior economist Standard & Poor’s. Detailed figures for the Aprilto-June period showed much of the slowdown came from businesses reining in inventory spending, which had grown rapidly in the wake of the financial crisis. Increased imports-which are subtracted from the GDP figure, as that money flows abroad-also played a strong role.

Americans bought more, but that spending was tilted toward foreign goods and services.

“Purchases by US residents of goods and services wherever produced-increased 5.1 percent in the second quarter, compared with an increase of 3.9 percent in the first,” the Commerce Department said. “Imports of goods and services increased 28.8 percent, compared with an increase of 11.2 percent,” in the first quarter, it said.

Friday’s data fueled a fierce debate about whether the government needs to again jump start the economy, and how best that could be done. Obama has clashed with Republicans over the need for government to help the ailing economy, making spending one of the most fiercely fought political battles in the US capital. Obama’s critics accuse the president of putting Americans’ future at risk by causing US debt to balloon through ineffective stimulus spending.

In Detroit, Obama touted a 64-billion-dollar bailout that kept the Motor City’s automakers afloat, promoting it as the type of “tough decision” needed to avoid economic depression. The White House claims one million auto jobs were saved by Obama’s actions, and GM and Chrysler have returned to profit.

Businesses offered a possible bright spot in the Commerce Department’s report, as their investment increased 17 percent in the second quarter, compared with an increase of 7.8 percent in the first. “Business investment was up substantially,” said Stephen Gallagher of Societe Generale, sounding a note of caution.

“Stronger profits are behind the business investment, but unfortunately, these profits are not sparking as much employment growth.”

According to economist Peter Morici, American consumers will have to start spending again if the recovery is to gain traction. “Unless spending picks up... once businesses stop piling up unsold goods, layoffs will outnumber hires, unemployment will rise with a vengeance, and the economy will head into a second dip.” — AFP

China invests $40bn Fuel stalemate in Greece as truckers reject compromise in Iran oil and gas TEHRAN: Iran’s main economic partner China has invested around 40 billion dollars in the Islamic republic’s oil and gas sector, a senior Iranian official said yesterday. Deputy Oil Minister Hossein Noqrehkar Shirazi also said that Tehran’s oil exports to China fell by 30 percent in the first six months of 2010 compared with the corresponding period last year.

“The volume (of Chinese investment) in upstream projects is 29 billion dollars,” Noqrehkar Shirazi told Mehr news agency, adding that Beijing had signed contracts worth another 10 billion dollars in petrochemicals, refineries and oil and gas pipeline projects. He said China has also put forward proposals to participate in building seven new refineries in Iran.

Iran, OPEC’s second largest oil exporter, has a dilapidated refining sector, forcing it to import petroleum products such as gasoline to meet domestic needs. Noqrehkar Shirazi said that Chinese imports of Iranian oil fell in the first half of the year. “Although Iran is still among top 10 oil exporters to China, it is the only country which in the first six months of 2010 has seen its exports to China falling,” he said.

“The volume of oil exports to China

in the first six months of this year decreased to less than 9.02 million tons or 66.12 million barrels. This shows a 30 percent decrease” over the first half of 2009, he added. In recent years, China has filled the gaps in Iran’s energy sector left by Western firms forced out by international sanctions.

In 2009, China became Iran’s premier trading partner, with bilateral trade worth 21.2 billion dollars against 14.4 billion dollars three years earlier.

Commercial ties between the two countries were almost non-existent 15 years ago, amounting to just 400 million dollars. According to official data, Western sanctions opened the way for Chinese companies, which last year directly supplied Iran with 13 percent (7.9 billion dollars) of its imports.

Iranian estimates also suggest that an equivalent amount was imported indirectly through the United Arab Emirates in 2009. China backed the fourth set of UN sanctions against Iran over its contested nuclear program, but Beijing has consistently urged the world powers to resolve the crisis diplomatically. On Friday, it also opposed the latest unilateral sanctions on Iran imposed by the European Union. — AFP

ATHENS: Greek authorities struggled to restore fuel supplies yesterday after failing to break a six-day trucker strike that has disrupted travel at the peak of the busy tourism season. Military trucks and petrol company vehicles were employed to alleviate the fuel shortage as over 30,000 lorry and tanker truck operators sat out a government requisition order to return to work on pain of prosecution. Officials said the situation was improving in the main cities of Athens and Thessaloniki, but shortages were still reported on many holiday islands and destinations in northern Greece where thousands of tourists are stranded.

“If the trucks are able to load at refineries during the weekend a measure of supply should be restored by Monday,” the chairman of Greek petrol station owners’ federation Michalis Kiousis told Flash Radio. Police units were escorting trucks to refineries to prevent interference from strikers, Net public television reported.

Five people including a police officer were injured on Thursday in a clash between striking truckers and riot police outside a refiner y near Thessaloniki, nor ther n Greece, the Athens News Agency reported.

Military trucks are resupplying critical sectors such as airports, electricity plants and hospitals, the government said. A broad range of businesses from tourism car rentals to fruit growers have been badly hit by the protest which began on Sunday against plans by the government to liberal-

ATHENS: Truck drivers holding Greek flags march to the Greek Parliament. Ignoring a civil mobilization order, Greek truckers said they would maintain a strike which has caused severe fuel shortages across the country. — AFP ize the tightly-controlled freight sector.

But authorities warn that the greatest damage has been caused to the vital tourism industry which accounts for nearly a fifth of the recession-hit Greek economy, with thousands of travelers stranded by the protest and booking cancellations mounting. “The period to August 15 is the heart of the tourism season and an entire week

has now been lost,” the head of the Greek trade association Vassilis Korkidis told Net television.

“Gas stations have dried up,” senior gas station unionist Dimitris Makryvelios told the broadcaster. “Nobody is going to risk travelling if the market is not stabilized.”

Reports poured in of foreign holidaymakers abandoning their immobilized rented cars

while motorists in northern Greece have tried to bypass the deadlock by seeking fuel in neighboring Bulgaria and Macedonia. The protest has also badly hit the peach industry, a staple Greek export, with over a dozen canneries shutting down for lack of fuel, the head of Greece’s cannery association said.

“The harvest and processing of peaches only lasts a few days and this is peak season for us,” association chairman Costas Apostolou told the Ta Nea newspaper.

“This is a disaster,” he added, noting that over 35 tonnes of peaches worth around 20 million euros had to be destroyed.The truckers on Friday decided to maintain their protest, ignoring warnings by the government that strikers who continue to defy the law would be prosecuted and that their operating licenses could be forfeit.

The truckers say that boosting competition in the freight sector by reducing new license charges is unfair to existing operators who have already paid high start-up fees running up to 300,000 euros (391,000 dollars). The plan is part of a reform program that the Athens government committed to in May in exchange for a 110-billioneuro (143-billion-dollar) loan package from the Inter national Monetar y Fund and European Union. Greece has suffered waves of strikes and protests over the unprecedented budget cuts and reforms the government had to agree to in order to tap the IMF-EU money it desperately needed to avert default on debts close to 300 billion euros.— AFP

BUSINESS

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Sunday, August 1, 2010

Al-Mazaya posts profits of KD2.6m for Q2 Al-Mazaya continues completion of projects in Kuwait, UAE, KSA: Al-Nafisi KUWAIT: Al-Mazaya Holding has announced its financial results for the second quarter and first half of 2010, posting a total profit of KD2,564,755 and earnings per share (EPS) amounting to 5.50 fils.

These results reflect Al-Mazaya Holding’s stable performance during this period. The announcement was made following a board meeting held at the company’s headquarters on Wednesday, July 28, 2010 which was chaired by Al-Mazaya Chairman Rashid Al-Nafisi.

Commenting on the company’s results, Al-Nafisi, said, “Al-Mazaya was able to reap balanced profits in second quarter and first half of 2010, thanks in large part to well thought-out plans and precautionary policies the company adopted for 2009 and 2010, keeping in mind the economic

climate as well as the recent developments in international markets.”

“Al-Mazaya’s total assets as of June 30, 2010 amounted to KD372,856,713, while shareholders’ equity came to KD129,574,942, and bank liabilities reached KD58,448,027, which represents 16 percent of total company assets and 45 percent of total shareholders’ equity,” he added.

According to Al-Nafisi, Al-Mazaya has been doing everything in its power to maintain stable profits for the second quarter of 2010, reaping operational profits of KD16,568,577 and other revenues of KD4,681,400, bringing the total revenues to KD21,249,977.

Al-Nafisi stressed that Al-Mazaya is working at full capacity and is continuing

to complete and deliver its projects oneby-one in Kuwait, the UAE. Speaking of the Kuwait projects, Al-Nafisi said AlMazaya has completed its revenue-generating Seven Zones project, located in the Al-Shuwaikh area, as well as its Clover Clinic project, which represents the company’s first foray into the healthcare market. Over 75 percent of units at Seven Zones and over 50 percent of units at Clover Clinic have been already leased, while the other units are expected to see higher demand during the coming period.

The company is also currently issuing the necessary licenses to provide electricity to its two towers at Kuwait Business Town before making them available for lease.

Al-Naifisi explained that things are also

going well for Al-Mazaya in the UAE, where it has delivered the 104-villa first phase of its Villa residential project in Dubailand, and is gearing up to deliver the second phase of the project soon after provision of DEWA services has been finalised. In addition, the company’s Business Avenue project at Jumeirah Lakes is 97 percent complete, and its QPoint development at Al-Liwan is also nearing completion.

Finally, Al-Mazaya owns three office towers in Al-Maather Street, Riyadh, KSA. These towers are classified as revenue-generating projects, and one has been completely leased, while the other two have been offered for lease.

Regarding the company’s expansion plans, Al-Nafisi said that Al-Mazaya has

its shareholders as its number one priorities, and is constantly examining new potential opportunities to reap more profits and to satisfy its shareholders. AlNafisi noted that Al-Mazaya is currently focusing on completing its ongoing projects in Kuwait and abroad, and on seeking the best investment opportunities to generate rewarding returns. He added that the company is preparing to receive profits from its projects in Kuwait and abroad, which will maximize shareholders’ interests, and that Al-Mazaya is developing a five-year plan to ensure balanced performance through completion of projects, entering new markets, and expanding into new projects with the aim of achieving the highest possible returns for shareholders.

Al-Mazaya Chairman Rashid Al-Nafisi

MARKAZ ANALYSIS

KSE price index continues to look up

Basem Bibi

Midas Furniture gets ISO 9001 certification KUWAIT: Midas Furniture, Kuwait’s leading regional furniture and accessories retailer, was recently granted the ISO 9001 certificate for quality management systems. ISO 9001 evaluates whether the internal quality management system is appropriate and effective in achieving customer satisfaction. Midas is one of the first companies in the furniture sector to receive such a prestigious recognition in Kuwait.

The Business Development Manager, Basem Bibi, expressed a great deal of pride in this achievement: “Midas’ outstanding credibility has been recognized at the highest level, and this is a glorious achievement.

Our focus has always been on maximizing efficiency on the internal side so that our team can operate harmoniously in an effective way to meet the needs and wants of the customer. Midas is constantly aiming for excellence, and we are proud that we have been able to reach new milestones that reflect that as we contin-

ue to implement our strategic regional expansion plan.”

The ISO 9001 certificate for quality is awarded only to companies that meet the requirements of this certificate. This includes going through several stages; preparation for implementation, documentation, implementation of the documented system, internal audit of the applied system and management review. The ISO 9001 certification for quality systems is considered to be a means to achieving comprehensive quality and increase the competitiveness of companies in addition to raising the level of required performance efficiency. It also provides a guide to the processes for review, self-evaluation and quality stability supervision, in addition to its primary objective of improving the company’s relationship with its customers.

Midas Furniture began operation in Kuwait in 1994 and quickly reached market leader status. After experiencing outstanding local suc-

cess, the management began to implement a carefullyplanned regional expansion strategy in the Jordan, UAE, Qatar and KSA markets.

During this time, Midas won the Super Brands 2009 title in recognition of its remarkable market foresight, powerful brand name and ability to build and sustain consumer trust over a long period of time.

This is in addition to providing the highest quality products at the best prices, with a timely cycle of product line renewal and a strong understanding of the market.

Midas showrooms are wellknown for their unique and highly creative displays.

Midas seeks out and employs the very best professionals in the sector, offering its customers a powerful package of added-value free services.

Finally, Midas chooses the world’s most attractive partners, enabling it to represent some of the brightest names in the furniture and accessories industry from the USA, Europe and East Asia.

KUWAIT: The KSE price index touched an intraweek high of 6,700 level before ended at 6,654 level, gain of 73 points or 1.1 percent and the KSE weighted index increased by 2 percent at 419 level compared to last week. The KSE price index continued to perform positive for the last four weeks with heavy volume. All the sectors indices ended positively and the top gainer was the Food index which rose 5.2 percent and other indices closed with gain of 1 percent to 1.5 percent ranges. The market sentiment was positive as 66 stocks showed a gain and 33 showed a loss. 24 stocks were unchanged and closed as the same price as previous week. Among the large caps stocks, the top gainers were AGLTY 13 percent, FOOD +12.7 percent, KIB +9.2 percent, NIND +7.3 percent, BOUBYAN 4 percent, BPCC +3.9 percent, NINV 3 percent, ZAIN +1.7 percent, NBK 1.7 percent, NMTC +1.1 percent, while KFH and KPROJ remained unchanged on weekly basis.

The most active stocks were Zain, KIB, Investors, GFH and Agility on value basis.

As per chart, the KSE market price index has downside support at 6,600level and upside resistance at 6,700 and if it crosses then it may go up to 6850 level, whereas the KSE Weighted index has downside support at 413 and resistance at 420 level.

Upside it may go up to 435 level if rally continues.

Saudi lenders push for loans clean-up Unlisted NCB ups provisions by 44% RIYADH: Three Saudi lenders have booked provisions for loan losses during the second quarter, as the Saudi banking sector pushes on with a clean-up loan portfolios hit by defaults of local firms. Samba Financial Group, the kingdom’s second-biggest lender by market value, booked 57.4 million Saudi riyals ($15.31 million) for loan losses during the second quarter, down from 97.9 million riyals a year earlier, bourse data showed yesterday.

Samba’s net profit fell 1.9 percent in second-quarter net profit due mainly to a decline in

income from lending.

The much-smaller Saudi Investment Bank meanwhile more than quadrupled these provisions compared to a year earlier to 300 million riyals. The lender reported an 88 percent fall in its net profit for the same period.

Samba was one of only a few Saudi banks that at the end of 2009 booked provisions higher than their non-performing loans.

Unlisted and stateowned National Commercial Bank (NCB), the kingdom’s biggest lender by assets, raised its provisions for loan loss by 44 percent during the second quar-

ter to 613 million riyals, according to financial statements published in Saudi newspapers.

NCB’s second-quarter profit rose 3.4 percent.

Saudi lenders had a difficult year in 2009 when profitability was eroded by provisions for non-performing loans. These provisions doubled compared to previous year to almost 11 billion riyals as a number of Saudi and regional firms ran into financial problems. Provisions for loan losses rose to 1.5 percent of total bank credit in 2009, up from 0.67 percent in 2008. Non-performing loans

surged to more than 3 percent of total bank credit in 2009, almost double their level in 2008.

Several Saudi banks saw lower profits during the first half of the year as credit growth struggled to recover after a lending spree during 2004-2008 period that was buoyed by a surge in the kingdom’s oil revenues. The growth of Saudi bank credit, especially to the private sector, was flat throughout much of 2009 due to the global slump and after defaults by local family firms. —Reuters

EXCHANGE RATES Commercial Bank of Kuwait US Dollar/KD GB Pound/KD Euro Swiss francs Canadian Dollar Australian DLR Indian rupees Sri Lanka Rupee UAE dirhams Bahraini dinars Jordanian dinar Saudi riyals Omani riyals Philippine peso Egyptian pounds US Dollar/KD GB Pound/KD Euro Swiss francs Canadian dollars Danish Kroner Swedish Kroner Australian dlr Hong Kong dlr Singapore dlr Japanese yen Indian Rs/KD Sri Lanka rupee Pakistan rupee Bangladesh taka UAE dirhams Bahraini dinars Jordanian dinar Saudi Riyal/KD Omani riyals Philippine Peso US Dollar Sterling pounds Swiss Francs Saudi Riyals

.2830000 .4450000 .3710000 .2690000 .2750000 .2540000 .0045000 .0020000 .0779370 .7593140 .4020000 .0750000 .7443750 .0045000 .0500000 CUSTOMER TRANSFER RATES .2871000 .4472810 .3730450 .2709990 .2770530 .0500620 .0393250 .2565530 .0369560 .2103530 .0032730 .0061740 .0025520 .0033670 .0041600 .0782050 .7619240 .4060380 .0765990 .7460880 .0062750 TRANSFER CHEQUES RATES .2892000 .4504390 .2729180 .0770870

Al-Muzaini Exchange Co. Japanese Yen Indian Rupees

ASIAN COUNTRIES 3.373 6.211

.2930000 .4540000 .3790000 .2780000 .2840000 .2630000 .0075000 .0035000 .0787200 .7669460 .4180000 .0790000 .7518560 .0072000 .0580000 .2892000 .4504390 .3756790 .2729180 .2790160 .0504170 .0396040 .2583650 .0372180 .2118430 .0032960 .0062170 .0025700 .0033910 .0041900 .0787040 .7667830 .4089140 .0770870 .7508460 .0063190

Pakistani Rupees Srilankan Rupees Nepali Rupees Singapore Dollar Hongkong Dollar Bangladesh Taka Philippine Peso Thai Baht Irani Riyal - Transfer Irani Riyal - Cash

3.379 2.556 3.891 212.400 37.124 4.155 6.341 8.958 0.296 0.310 GCC COUNTRIES Saudi Riyal 76.902 Qatari Riyal 79.228 Omani Riyal 749.140 Bahraini Dinar 765.860 UAE Dirham 78.522 ARAB COUNTRIES Egyptian Pound - Cash 53.700 Egyptian Pound 50.586 Yemen Riyal 1.231 Tunisian Dinar 199.330 Jordanian Dinar 407.190 Lebanese Lira 193.400 Syrian Lier 6.218 Morocco Dirham 34.313 EUROPEAN & AMERICAN COUNTRIES US Dollar Transfer 288.230 Euro 380.460 Sterling Pound 455.400 Canadian dollar 283.130 Turkish lire 191.390 Swiss Franc 279.830 Australian dollar 260.560 US Dollar Buying 287.025 GOLD 20 Gram 230.000 10 Gram 120.000 5 Gram 61.000

Euro Cash Hongkong dollar Indian rupees Indonesia Iranian tuman Iraqi dinar Japanese yen Jordanian dinar Lebanese pound Malaysian ringgit Morocco dirham Nepalese Rupees New Zealand dollar Nigeria Norwegian krone Omani Riyal Pakistani rupees Philippine peso Qatari riyal Saudi riyal Singapore dollar South Africa Sri Lankan rupees Sterling pound Swedish krona Swiss franc Syrian pound Thai bhat Tunisian dollar UAE dirham U.S. dollars Yemeni Riyal 10 Tola Sterling Pound US Dollar

SELL CASH 264.500 766.260 4.230 283.500 565.800 14.100 46.300 167.800 53.380

378.500 37.640 6.205

407.290 0.194 92.440 3.900 211.000 748.300 3.375 6.325 79.260 76.930 212.820 41.950 2.554 454.500

9.120 78.520 288.100

Dollarco Exchange Co. Ltd

Bahrain Exchange Company COUNTRY Australian dollar Bahraini dinar Bangladeshi taka Canadian dollar Cyprus pound Czek koruna Danish krone Deutsche Mark Egyptian pound

380.000 37.790 6.450 0.035 0.273 0.254 3.430 409.310 0.195 92.440 46.400 4.510 212.500 1.963 46.600 748.480 3.470 6.550 79.890 76.930 212.820 41.950 2.731 456.500 39.400 280.000 278.500 6.300 9.280 198.263 78.620 288.500 1.260 GOLD 1,270.490 TRAVELLER?S CHEQUE 454.500 288.100

SELL DRAFT 263.000 766.260 4.155 282.000

212.800 50.587

US Dollar Canadian Dollar Sterling Pound Euro Swiss Frank Cyprus Pound Bahrain Dinar UAE Dirhams Qatari Riyals Saudi Riyals Jordanian Dinar Egyptian Pound Indian Rupees Pakistani Rupees

288.150 280.799 450.263 377.664 274.314 706.271 762.697 78.432 79.127 76.809 406.617 50.574 6.160 3.372

Sri Lankan Rupees Bangladesh Taka Philippines Pesso Japanese Yen Thai Bhat Syrian Pound Nepalese Rupees

2.552 4.167 6.268 3.310 8.903 6.286 3.846

Kuwait Bahrain Intl Exchange Co. Currency

Rate per 1000 (Tran)

US Dollar Pak Rupees Indian Rupees Sri Lankan Rupees Bangladesh Taka Philippines Peso UAE Dirhams Saudi Riyals Bahraini Dinars Egyptian Pounds Pound Sterling Indonesian Rupiah Nepali rupee Yemeni Riyal Jordanian Dinars Syrian Pounds Euro Candaian Dollars

288.800 3.385 6.120 2.570 4.170 6.250 78.730 77.220 767.700 50.725 445.600 0.00003280 3.890 1.550 410.200 5.750 377.800 283.300

Al Mulla Exchange Currency US Dollar Euro Pound Sterling Canadian Dollar Japanese Yen Indian Rupee Egyptian Pound Sri Lankan Rupee Bangladesh Taka Philippines Peso Pakistan Rupee Bahraini Dinar UAE Dirham Saudi Riyal *Rates are subject to change

Transfer rate 287.750 378.150 453.950 281.800 3.380 6.197 50.550 2.554 4.148 6.315 3.369 765.950 78.400 76.850

BUSINESS

Sunday, August 1, 2010

23

Porsche launches new models for Panamera range KUWAIT: With the introduction of the Panamera and Panamera 4 Porsche Centre Kuwait adds two new models to its Gran Turismo range. Featuring the company’s allnew, fuel efficient 300-horsepower V6 engine, the Panamera transmits its power to the road via the rear wheels, while the Panamera 4 comes as standard with active all-wheel drive.

The Porsche-designed 3.6-liter, 90degree V6 engine with Direct Fuel Injection (DFI) is built on the same line as the normally aspirated and twin-turbocharged 4.8-liter V8 engines found in the Panamera S, 4S and Turbo. The new engine propels the Panamera and Panamera 4 from 0 to 100km/h in 6.3 and 6.1 seconds with its 7-speed Porsche-Doppelkupplungsgetriebe. In conjunction with the Sports Chrono Package Plus (including Launch Control), this V6 Gran Turismo outperforms the magic sixsecond limit in the Sport Plus mode, accelerating from a standstill to 100km/h in 5.9 seconds.

As a whole, these new models provide high levels of performance, agility and the same safety systems found in the V8 Panameras, yet they return even better fuel economy figures than the already efficient Panamera S, 4S and Turbo. Equipped with the PDK and featuring an Auto Start Stop function, both models consume significantly less than 10 liters of fuel on 100 kilometers.

Outstanding acceleration and a low fuel consumption values is not a contradiction, but rather the implementation of what best char-

acterizes Porsche: Intelligent Performance.

In this case Weissach’s engineers have focused on a lightweight design part with the wide spread of the gears of the 7-speed PDK, the continuously variable adjustment of the intake camshaft VarioCam Plus and an electrical system recuperation, which helps to charge the battery whenever the vehicle is decelerated.

In its ambience and features, the interior of both the Panamera and Panamera 4 offers the same elegance and sporting style already featured in the V8 models. The six-cylinder models come standard with comfort seats, four-zone climate control and Porsche Communication Management (PCM) incorporating a seven-inch color touchscreen. A vast variety of optional features guarantee the satisfaction of individual driving comfort.

“Just eight months after the successful regional launch of the V8-powered Panamera S, Panamera 4S and Panamera Turbo, these two new models combine the exclusivity, sportiness and individual comfort of the Porsche Panamera with particularly economic performance”, said Deesch Papke, Managing Director of Porsche Middle East and Africa.

Graeme Hunter, General Manager of Porsche Centre Kuwait, of Behbehani Motors, adds: “The V6 Panamera is the perfect entry-level version of Porsche’s Gran Turismo series. We are certain that our customers will enjoy this superior model with a sporty character, high comfort, everyday driving qualities and outstanding efficiency.”

Latest offerings provide high levels of performance, agility

Basic retail prices for the entire Panamera range in Kuwait Panamera

KD 29,500

Panamera 4S

KD 37,400

Panamera 4

KD 31,300

Panamera Turbo

KD 51,300

Panamera S

KD 35,500 For further information, please contact Porsche Centre Kuwait, Tel: +965 247 910 00 or visit the homepage www.porschekuwait.com.

Oxford Business Group launches country report

New Lulu Hypermarket a huge hit with consumers KUWAIT: EMKE Group, the multinational, multidimensional business conglomerate with interests in wide-ranging industries, including businesses that span all aspects of the retail supply chain and including popular supermarkets, department stores and hypermarkets under the Lulu brand, opened their largest Lulu Hypermarket in the country at Al-Qurain Commercial City on Wednesday, July 28.

The overwhelming response of customers on the opening day was an indicator of the immense popularity the brand enjoys among citizens and residents in the country.

The huge crowd that attended the inauguration and subsequently shopped at the Hypermarket was also a clear vindication of the management’s successful strategy of opening the country’s largest hypermarket in the upcoming suburb of Al-Qurain and Al-Qusoor.

It is expected that the new Lulu Hypermarket, which will cover the residential areas of Jaber Al-Ali, Mubarak AlKabeer, Al-Qurain, Al-Qusoor, Al-Ahmadi, Fahaheel, South Surra, Adan and Sabah Al-Salam, will attract huge footfall of not only the local populace but also shoppers from neighboring suburbs. Moreover, as it is located just off Route 40, along road 208, the hypermarket provides easy access from both Kuwait City and Fahaheel and aptly justifies the brand’s tagline of, “Lulu, where the world

comes to shop”.

Spread across three floors, the expansive 20,000 sq m of retail space at the Hypermarket offers an ultra-modern shopping ambience that integrates every conceivable need of shoppers under one roof. In addition to displaying panoply of international and regional brands, the Hypermarket provides a dedicated play-area for children, food court, money exchange and bank counters as well as a huge parking space that can accommodate in excess of 3,000 vehicles. With its well-stocked shelves, extensively laid out counters, wide aisles, banks of check-out counters on each of the floors, the new Hypermarket provides customers with a unique shopping experience.

Catering to over 320,000 customers everyday, the Lulu brand has grown to become the shopping center of choice among discerning customers looking for quality retailing.

This popularity is attested by over 79 retail stores spread across the region and by the fact that the brand enjoys 32 percent of the total retail market share in the GCC. The brand, which has a distinct competitive advantage when it comes to understanding the retail needs of customers, leverages this unique knowledge to operate under the successful corporate philosophy of providing customers with the “right products in the right place at the right time”.

US to dismiss charges against unit of Agility The United States Attorney’s office moved to dismiss the indictment against Holdings, an Agility subsidiary yesterday. While the prosecutors’ motives for seeking this dismissal at this time are unknown, this request for dismissal comes after motions filed by Holdings to discover the government’s evidence against it, including but not limited to the Price Negotiation Memorandum, a set of exculpatory materials that the government has worked tirelessly to conceal from the public for over 3 years.

As we have consistently maintained since the outset of this litigation, this case should never have been brought in the first place in a criminal court. This case is, at most, a civil contract dispute over the interpretation of

a contract drafted by the government. One thing that has always been crystal clear is that Agility has provided - and continues to provide - exceptional service to US troops and superior value to the US taxpayers, working for seven years in a warzone on the largest US military subsistence procurement contract in history. The food contract is one of nearly 130 US government contracts and tenders by Agility and its affiliated companies. We remain committed to attempting to resolve this civil contract dispute so that the distraction of litigation is removed and we can continue to focus on our business, including providing the excellent service to the troops that they have come to expect from us.

KUWAIT: Egypt’s bid to appeal to international investors by carving out cluster-zoned industrial developments is mapped out in a wide-ranging report just published by Oxford Business Group (OBG).

The Report: Egypt 2010 explores how the government plans to balance spending, aimed at tackling the effects of the global downturn, with reducing its budget deficit. It also provides comprehensive coverage of the steps Egypt has taken along the path of economic reform, analyzing the results of initiatives such as the introduction of Value Added Tax (VAT) and the liberalization of foreign trade.

The global publishing, research and consultancy firm’s report includes a detailed, sector-by-sector guide for investors, together with a wide range of interviews with the most prominent political, economic and business leaders, including Prime Minister Ahmed Nazif, Minister of Finance Youssef Boutros-Ghali and Minister of Investment Mahmoud Mohieldin.

High profile international personalities, such as Secretary-General of the Arab League Amr Moussa, President of the Bank of New York Mellon Corporation Gerald L Hassell and Chairman of the UK Atomic Energy Authority Lady Barbara Judge also give their views on Egypt’s economic development.

The Report: Egypt 2010 is pro-

duced in partnership with AmCham Egypt, CI Capital, Helmy, Hamza & Partners/Baker & McKenzie and Deloitte - Saleh, Barsoum & Abdel Aziz. The publication charts the resulting effect on the country’s financial services sector following the setting up of the Egyptian Financial Services Authority. It provides an insight into the extensive overhaul which the main stock index and exchange have undergone and considers the promising prospects for new listings and IPOs during the coming year after a quiet 2009.

With the government’s ambitious plans to boost growth by driving up investment, OBG’s new report includes comprehensive coverage of the ambitious expansion plans earmarked for Egypt’s industrial sector.

It looks in detail at the government’s strategy to push sector-specific cluster zones and analyses its plans to boost production and exports in petrochemicals.

As gas production moves centre stage in Egypt’s hydrocarbons industry, OBG’s new publication outlines the significant developments taking place in the in the energy sector.

The Report: Egypt 2010 considers the move to redirect profitable hydrocarbons to export markets, while also highlighting the opportunities set to emerge in renewable energies as the government explores initiatives such as solar thermal plants and wind farms.

With the country in the midst of a construction boom, The Report: Egypt 2010 puts the real estate sector under the microscope in a wideranging round table featuring the views of three high-profile players from the industry.

Samih Sawiris, Chairman and CEO of Orascom Development, Maher Maksoud, CEO and Managing Director of Sixth of October Development and Investment and Yasseen Mansour, Chairman and CEO of Palm Hills Developments air their opinions on a range of topical issues. Subjects on the table include the impact of high interest rates on mortgage lending, the challenges of bringing the private sector into the affordable housing market and future trends in property investment.

The Report: Egypt 2010 has been produced in partnership with the American Chamber of Commerce (AMCHAM). Contributions have also been made by Deloitte as OBG’s accountancy partner, Baker and McKenzie as its legal partner and CI Capital as partner for capital markets.

Robert Tashima, OBG’s Regional Editor, said that Egypt had shown considerable resilience to the challenges of the global downturn by continuing to attract investment and increasing non-oil exports. “The government’s ongoing strategy of fostering free trade agreements is facilitating exports, while reforms such as reducing corporate income

taxes and increasing banking supervision are attracting investors,” he said. “This multi-pronged approach bodes well for Egypt’s bid to boost growth and is explored in detail in our new report on the country’s economic activity and investment opportunities.”

Tashima also paid tribute to OBG’s partners, saying that their contribution had undoubtedly brought an added dimension to The Report: Egypt 2010. “Oxford Business Group values the high level of expertise and local knowledge which our partners have in their field,” he said. “As Egypt continues along the road of economic reform and industrial development, I am confident that these exciting developments have been captured in our new report thanks to the valuable input from our partners. By providing us with accurate and comprehensive data, they have enabled us to produce an unrivalled report which members of the international business community will find invaluable when they are making their investment decisions.” The Report: Egypt 2010 marks the culmination of more than six months of field research by a team of analysts from OBG, assessing trends and developments in all major sectors of the economy, including energy, industry, finance, banking, tourism, transport and real estate. It will be available in print form and online.

CBK introduces new prepaid card KUWAIT: The Commercial Bank of Kuwait launches its new prepaid card giving its customers total freedom in shopping without any strings attached. The new prepaid card allows customers to credit it as required and spend however they want. The Commercial Bank of Kuwait gave the card some added benefits not available on other cards in the market.

“Our new prepaid card allows the user to spend in any way preferred with the ability to shop at stores, online, overseas or simply just withdraw from any ATM around the World,” said Ali Al-Mudaiheem - General Manager, of the Retail Banking Division in The Commercial Bank of Kuwait. He also added “that no other prepaid card in Kuwait gives all these benefits to the customers, at once”.

The prepaid card from The Commercial Bank of Kuwait is a new addition to the portfolio of cards by CBK and should be added to everyone’s portfolio as many people may use it to control their spending, and also their children’s spending.

The Commercial Bank of Kuwait also gave an added value to the card for the first six weeks, giving their customers the exclusivity of receiving discounts on certain Apple products at Digits Stores around Kuwait - in Marina Mall, Al-Kout, Galleria, AUK and GUST universities.

“The exclusive offers for our prepaid card customers is truly astonishing and one that we all can benefit from.” CBK will also have a raffle and give away Apple products to the customers who shops in Digits during the campaign.

The partnership with Digits is very strategic and has a long- term agenda with the intention of satisfying customers. The campaign is running for four days every week (Wednesday to Saturday) and will last six weeks. Every week, a surprise Apple product will be offered at a special rate for CBK prepaid card holders.” When asked about the products, Al-Mudaiheem replied, “We do not wish to unveil the products but the surprise would be big as customers have never seen these products with the prices offered.”

Ali Al-Mudaiheem

BUSINESS

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Sunday, August 1, 2010

KSE’s sectors end in the green zone KUWAIT: Kuwait Stock Exchange (KSE) registered gains for the fourth consecutive week amid continuous increase in trading indicators. Last week’s average daily turnover grew by 5.46 percent, compared to previous week’s levels, to reach KD40.88 million, whereas trading volume average amounted to 422.02 million shares, at an increase of 39.76 percent. A number of factors provided support for the market and allowed it to record last week’s increases. One of which was the ongoing positive effect of government officials’ statements regarding forthcoming measures for supporting the local economy. In addition, good six months results that were so far announced for the banking sector were another support factor for KSE during last week. Accordingly, the market witnessed active purchase activities, especially in the first three trading sessions. Trading activity in the last two sessions of the week, on the other hand, was

BAYAN INVESTMENT WEEKLY REPORT subject to profit taking, which affected low priced stocks in the first place, causing the reduction of price index’s weekly gains, whereas purchases on blue-chips allowed the weighted index to register gains in all of the week’s sessions. By the end of the week, the price index closed at 6,654.9 points, up by 1.10 percent from the week before closing, whereas the weighted index registered a 1.97 percent weekly gain after closing at 419.24 points.

achieving 5.20 percent growth rate as its index closed at 4,824.1 points. Whereas, in the second place, the industry sector’s index closed at 5,454.1 points recording 1.55 percent increase. The banks sector came in third as its index achieved 1.16 percent growth, ending the week at 9,455.5 points. The services sector was the least growing as its index closed at 14,563.7 points with a 0.56 percent increase.

Sectors’ indices All of KSE’s sectors ended last week in the green zone. Last week’s highest gainer was the food sector,

Sectors’ activity The real estate sector dominated total trade volume during last week with 787.84 million shares

changing hands, representing 37.34 percent of the total market trading volume. The Investment sector was second in terms trading volume as the sector’s traded shares were 20.34 percent of last week’s total trading volume, with a total of 429.20 million shares. On the other hand, the services sector’s stocks where the highest traded in terms of value; with a turnover of KD48.16 million or 23.56 percent of last week’s total market trading value.

The investment sector took the second place as the sector’s last week turnover of KD37.62 million represented 18.40 percent of the total market trading value.

Market capitalization KSE total market capitalization grew by 1.93 percent during last week to reach KD31.13 billion, as all of KSE’s sectors recorded an increase in their respective market capitalization. The food sector headed the list as its total market capitalization reached KD786.09 million, increasing by 10.03 percent. The Industry sector was the second in terms of recorded growth with 4.27 percent increase after the total value of its listed companies reached KD2.75 billion. The third place was for the real estate sector, which total market capitalization reached KD1.73 billion by the end of the week, recording an increase of 2.63 percent.

The non-Kuwaiti companies sector was the least growing with 1.07 percent recorded growth after its market capitalization amounted to KD2.97 billion.

BUSINESS

Sunday, August 1, 2010

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Foreign investments, oil sector have been embezzled KUWAIT: By the end of July 2010, the first one-third of the current fiscal year 2010/2011 has passed with oil prices still cohesive. Kuwaiti oil average price for most of July was $70.4 per barrel, a drop by $1.7 per barrel below June’s average price at $72.1 per barrel. As such, Kuwaiti oil average price for the first one-third of the present fiscal year scored $75.5 per barrel, which is $32.5 per barrel (75.6 percent) over the budget’s hypothetical price of $43 per barrel. It is also up by $15.4 per barrel (25.6 percent) above the Kuwaiti oil average price for the same period of last fiscal year which scored $60.1 per barrel. Average price for July 2009 scored about $65.9 per barrel, which is also $6.8 (9.9 percent) higher than the Kuwaiti oil price average for the past fiscal year 2009/2010 which was $68.7 per barrel. As a reminder, July 2008 recorded the highest average for Kuwait’s oil price at $130.2 per barrel.

Kuwait is supposed to have received KD5.5 billion in oil revenues during the first one-third of the current fiscal year.

Assuming production and prices would continue at the present level -an unrealistic assumption on the price level at least- probable oil revenues would score about KD16.5 billion, which is KD7.9 billion higher than the estimated oil revenues for the budget at about KD8.6 billion. Adding KD1.1 billion from non-oil revenues, budget revenues would reach KD17.6 billion.

Comparing this figure with expenditure allocations, after adjustments, in the amount of KD16.130 billion, the result will be a positive hypothetical surplus by about KD1.3 billion for the entire fiscal year 2010/2011.

What we can confirm is a continued surplus though it is hypothetical calculation, and the oil price in the remaining part of the year determines the surplus volume.

Corruption fighting No one in Kuwait seems to object that corruption has become an epidemic phenomenon, starting with HH the Amir’s talk about corruption in the Municipality, passing through the statement of the DP for Economic Affairs and culminating in the last Cabinet meeting chaired by the First Deputy Prime Minister and the efforts of its committees to approve necessary legislation -like the financial declaration, informants’ protection, free information circulation, and code of ethics at civil servicewhich fulfils requirements of international agreements in this regard. Despite the paramount significance of having a flexible appropriate structure to counter corruption, it is just one step on a long path that warrants real revision and assessment of the two other branches of power, the quick and sound legal verdicts, the sacred execution of judgments, and the executive power’s care for the state’s assets. Countering corruption is a battle; on the other hand, corruptors have influence and have the means to make legislation void of any substance. Their con-

AL-SHALL WEEKLY ECONOMIC REPORT

frontation requires transforming corruption fighting into a solid community doctrine with solidarity among the three state’s powers, the civil society organizations (NGOs), and the media in rejecting it.

Currently, there are two cases about strong corruption confrontation. The first is when the USA managed to change the Swiss protectionist banking laws to disclose transfers for more than 4,000 accounts for American citizens in a Swiss bank where the US Government doubts they are evading paying taxes due to the American treasury.

The second is the US Government experience with the oil leak at the Gulf of Mexico and against the national company of its closest allies -UK- which compelled BP to allocate $20 billion and a total cost of about $32.2 billion to compensate the US Government and its citizens because there is suspicion of neglecting safety procedures to achieve higher profits.

For Kuwait, its foreign investments and its oil sector have been embezzled. Due to corruption, its infrastructure of roads has lagged and is being repaired at quarter of their age -like King Fahad Road, for instance- and Meshref sewage and drainage crisis, Umm Al-Haiman pollution, power failure problem and the spread of bribes, including public elections; all of which are punishable by existing legislation but no one paid any price. Therefore, it is not strange for the head of the judiciary authority to complain about the rise in the number of crimes by 68 percent in 2009 vis-vis 2008.

Infringement on public funds is placed on the top of the citizens crimes because aggression on the law is proportional to its weak status. The status is gained not only by more legislation but by the respect of the

state which is not integrated except by the three authorities’ performing their roles.

Unless people see a model for a senior corruptor being tried, indicted and imprisoned, they will not take the willingness to confront corruption seriously. Trying the American president for his behavior or for evading taxes and the South Korean President for corruption suspicion are role models; the law was fully applied.

NBK financial results - June 20, 2010 NBK announced the results of its operations for the half year ending June 30, 2010 which indicate the bank achieved net profits which scored, after deduction of the share of KFAS and Zakat, about KD145.9 million.

This profit level is higher than its previous level for the first half of 2009 which reached about KD126.8 million; an increase by KD19.1 million or 15.1 percent. The main reasons for the rise in the bank’s profits are due to a decrease in total provisions and in the impairment losses of investment securities which scored KD13 million in June 2010 (KD45.9 million in the end of the same period in 2009). The decrease in provisions reached KD32.9 million (71.6 percent) which is an improvement in the quality of revenues. The bank’s net fees and commissions rose by KD1.3 million to KD50.2 million in June 2010 (KD48.9 million for the same period 2009). Net profits from investments in securities dropped by 85.7 percent and scored KD1.5 million in June 2010 (KD10.2 million in June 2009). Net profits from trading in foreign currency declined by 35.7 percent and scored KD10.6 million in June 2010 (KD16.5 million in June 2009).

On the other hand, other administrative

expenses declined by 34.7 percent to KD 29.2 million in June 2010 (KD44.7 million in June 2009). Building and equipment depreciation provision went up by 23.6 percent and personnel expenses increased by 6.6 percent compared with the same period of last year. It is worth mentioning that the bank’s net interest income dropped by 7.1 percent (KD13.7 million) due to a drop in the gross interest revenues by 14.9 percent (about KD43.1 million), a drop which exceeds the drop in interests expenses which scored KD29.4 million (30.7 percent).

Net interest margin dropped slightly to 3.4 percent in the first half of 2010 (3.8 percent for the same period 2009). The bank’s financial statements indicate that its total assets declined by KD367.6 million (2.8 percent) to KD 12539.7 million (KD12907.3 million in the end of 2009). However, it went up by KD425.5 million, or by 3.5 percent, if compared with its total assets in June 2009.

As for amount of the clients’ loans and advances portfolio, which constitutes the largest component of the bank’s assets, dropped by 1.2 percent (KD 94.9 million), and reached about KD 7722.2 million (61.6 percent of the assets) vis-vis KD7817.1 million (60.6 percent of total assets) in December 2009. Clients’ loans and advances portfolio increased by 6.4 percent (KD463.1 million) compared to the same period in 2009 where it reached KD7259 million (59.9 percent of total assets). As for government assets (promissory and bonds), they increased by 18.6 percent to KD814.7 million (6.5 percent of total assets) vis-‡-vis KD687.2 million (5.3 percent of total assets) in the end of 2009. Those assets went higher by 18 percent compared with their value in the end of June 2009 when they scored

KD690.2 million (5.7 percent of total assets).

On the other hand, cash and short-term deposits item declined by about KD 500.1 million (30.8 percent) and reached about KD1122.1 million (8.9 percent of total assets) in June 2010 compared to KD1622.2 million (12.6 percent of total assets) in December 2009. Deposits’ amount dropped by 1 percent compared with June 2009 which equate to a decrease of KD11.8 million. As for profit indexes, return on average assets (ROA) went up to 2.3 percent (2.1 percent in 6/2009), return on capital (ROC) went up to 89.3 percent (85.3 percent for the same period 2009), while return on equities (ROE) dropped slightly to 15.7 percent (15.9 percent for the same period 2009). Earning Per Share (EPS) scored 45 fils (40 fils in the same period 2009), thus it achieved annual return on the market value per share by 7.7 percent. Price to earning multiplier (P/E) scored 13 times and price to the book value multiplier (P/B) scored 2 times.

Kuwait Stock Exchange performance - July 2010 KSE performance during July was more active than in June as reflected in the rise of all its main indexes, or trading volume and value and Al-Shall value index which scored on 29/07/2010 479.8 rising by 32.9 points (7.4 percent) vis-‡-vis 446.9 points at the end of June. Compared with the end of 2009, it rose by 40.2 point (9.1 percent). Value of traded stocks during July 2010 (20 working days) scored about KD 712.4 million ($2.5 billion), which is the second lowest trading value in 2010. The highest trading value this year was in March which reached KD 1.7 billion. The highest daily trading value in

July was at KD63.5 million and occurred on July 7, 2010, while the lowest value of KD20.7 million occurred on July 1, 2010.

Daily trading average value during the month was at KD35.6 million, which is 34.2 percent higher than its counterpart for June 2010.

Total number of traded shares for July reached about 6.2 billion shares with a daily average of 312.4 million shares which is higher than by 87.2 percent than the June’s average of 166.9 million shares. The increase in number which is higher than the increase in value means biased trading towards cheaper shares. Total concluded deals during July were 94.9 thousand deals, a daily average of 4.7 thousand deals, a rise by 48.3 percent vis-‡vis June’s average.

Total market value for all listed companies (212 companies) reached about KD32.1 billion ($112.14 billion). When compared with their market values in the end of June 2010 (212 companies) which scored about KD30.46 billion, we notice that their value rose by KD1.63 billion, or 5.38 percent.

When compared to the market value of 204 joint companies at the end of 2009, it scored about KD32.01 billion, up by 6.87 percent from its counterpart at the end of 2009 with an amount of KD29.95 billion. The number of companies whose market value went up was 68 out of 204 companies. Value of 121 companies dropped and the value of 15 companies did not change. “Zain” Company recorded the highest rise in the list (without taking into consideration the companies that they have increased their capital) by an increase of 21.2 percent, while “Agility” recorded the highest loss in value with a drop of 32 percent.

By the end of July, or the first month in the second half of the current year, it seems the market is making gains and it is within our expectations, though a bit earlier.

Although Europe’s sovereign debts crisis in the second quarter which adversely affected all markets, the Kuwaiti market maintained the best performance in 7 months. The performance of the market in July together with the recovery of global markets supported the results of the banking sector in the first half which came higher by 20 percent of last year’s first half performance with a clear inclination of the banks to reduce provisions of debtors’ default, which is a healthy index.

Weekly performance of Kuwait Stock Exchange The performance of the Kuwait Stock Exchange (KSE) for the last week was more active than the previous week, where all the major indices showed an increase including the general index. Al-Shall Index (value weighted) closed at 479.8 points at the closing of last Thursday, showing an increase of 12.1 points or about 2.6 percent compared to previous week’s closing, and increased by 40.2 points or about 9.1 percent compared to the year end 2009.

AUB reports $135.9m profit for Q1

Khalid Al-Ali

NBK, MasterCard get fashionable this season KUWAIT: National Bank of Kuwait (NBK), the leading bank in Kuwait and highest rated bank in the Middle East, has joined hands with MasterCard to bring the exclusive Fashion Experience of the season to NBK’s Laki Titanium MasterCard Cardholders.

Four lucky winners will receive a trip for two to witness the exclusive ‘MasterCard Aishti Fashion Experience in Beirut’.

The travel package includes airline tickets, luxury car airport transfer to the hotel with a welcome package, 3-night luxury accommodation in one of Beirut’s premium 5 star hotels, and round trip luxury car transportation to all fashion experience events.

The 3-day event will take place in September 2010 and it includes VIP seats to a leading design house collection show, VIP invitations to a top design house boutique opening and ‘Young Designers’ fashion events, indulgent spa treatments, as well as styling sessions & makeovers by Aishti experts & personalized stylists with the latest season’s collections.

NBK Assistant General Manager - Consumer Banking

Group, Khalid Al-Ali said “The Laki segment targeted at female customers has successfully completed two years since inception and through this promotion we provide our Laki Titanium MasterCard credit cardholders a high-end fashion experience with leading fashion brands in the region. The ‘MasterCard Aishti Fashion Experience in Beirut’ promotion is exclusive to NBK in Kuwait and we are hopeful that it will be well received by our Laki Titanium MasterCard credit cardholders”.

“The NBK Laki Titanium MasterCard credit card is the first Titanium MasterCard launched in Kuwait and the only exclusive credit card for female customers.

The card offers fabulous offers at major fashion and lifestyle outlets, provides free valet parking at several locations in Kuwait and offers local concierge services among other benefits and privileges” added Al-Ali. NBK’s Laki account offers women the first in Kuwait Laki Titanium MasterCard with its unrivaled offers and exclusive privileges such as free Valet parking, concierge service and instant discounts at numerous outlets around Kuwait.

KUWAIT: Ahli United Bank (AUB) reported a net profit attributable to its shareholders of $135.9 million for the six months ending June 30, 2010 (H1/2009: $143.5 million), a 5.3 percent drop compared to the H1/2009 results. This includes the Q2/2010 profit $70.2 million up by 6.8 percent over the trailing Q1/2010 quarter results of $65.7 million.

The bank’s H1/2010 results were driven by an increase in net interest income to $239.2 million (H1/2009: US$224.3 million) resulting from judicious management of funding costs resulting in improving margins and prudent deployment of liquidity in risk assets. Loans and advances grew by 5.0 percent (+$0.7 billion) to $14.0 billion funded by a 7.7 percent growth in customer deposits (+$1.0 billion). Total deposits grew by $1.4 billion (+ 7.6 percent) to $20.2 billion, as the bank continued to focus on ensuring adequate liquidity under current operating conditions.

The bank reduced the loan loss provision charge for H1/2010 to U$ 80.2 mil-

lion (H1/2009: $128 million) through focused risk management measures.

Overall, the group’s return on average equity stood at 12.3 percent and its Return on Average Assets is at 1.2 percent in H1/2010. The resultant basic and diluted earnings per share stood at 2.8 US cents for the half year ended June 30, 2010.

This quarter also saw the successful conversion of AUB’s 75 percent subsidiary, BKME, into a full fledged Sharia compliant bank and its consequent rebranding as Ahli United Bank, Kuwait, effective April 1, 2010 as well as its first quarter of profitable operations under its new Sharia compliant format.

“It is encouraging to note that the bank has delivered a profitable first half of what still remains a challenging year with improving quarter on quarter performance. It is also positive to note that both S&P and Capital Intelligence have re-affirmed their ratings for AUB at ‘A(Stable)’ and ‘A (Stable)’ respectively, thereby acknowledging the Bank’s resilience under difficult operating con-

ditions”, said Fahad Al-Rajaan, Chairman, AUB. “In parallel to the improvement in our financial performance, we have continued to make progress on our strategy of taking the group to new markets and further consolidating our ownership status in existing AUB group banks. During 2010, we have increased our stake in AUB (Egypt) to 85.1 percent through 2 tender offers which concluded in January 2010 and July 2010 respectively. We have concluded a 40 percent stake acquisition in United Bank for Commerce & Investment (UBCI) in Libya which opens a new market for the AUB Group.

Furthermore a tender offer is currently in process to increase our stake in Commercial Bank of Iraq (CBIQ) from 49 percent to 60 percent subject to market response. These moves are all integral to our business model of building a stronger regional banking platform focused on meeting our clients’ crossborders needs and delivering outstanding value to our customers across the region and beyond”, Al-Rajaan added.

Fahad Al-Rajaan

Jet Airways set to migrate flight operations to Delhi DELHI: Jet Airways, the country’s premier international airline and its wholly-owned subsidiary JetLite, will migrate the group’s international and domestic operations to the new state-of-the-art Terminal 3 at Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport. The airline has already carried out terminal process proving flights earlier in the month to establish the operational and logistical readiness and is now set to migrate all its international flight operations from Terminal 2 to Terminal 3 effective July 28, 2010 to 10 unique international destinations. The domestic operations of Jet Airways and JetLite will later migrate to DIAL’s new Terminal 3 by August 27, 2010.

The phased migration will see Jet Airways operate the inaugural flight 9W 261 from Kathmandu, which will arrive at the new Terminal 3 at 1715 hrs.

As one of the largest carrier’s, operating more than 74 flights daily out of Delhi, Jet Airways plans to develop Delhi’s new Terminal 3 as one of its major international hubs. As part of this strategy, Jet Airways and JetLite will attempt to provide guests with a seamless passenger experience, while also connecting maximum passengers through non-stop and one stop routes to destinations on its domestic and international network.

The airline will also increase capacities from Delhi in a bid to transform this important station into a major hub for the carrier’s domestic and international operations.

Jet Airways and JetLite plan to utilize the launch of T3 as an opportunity to develop the new state-of-the-art airport into one of its formidable primary international hubs, from which it will be able to connect ‘India to the World’. As part of this strategic plan, Jet Airways, JetLite and Jet Airways Konnect will now connect over 29 unique domestic destinations, with over 10 international destinations around the world and many more through its operational code shares.

Especially, since Delhi affords seamless connectivity into the SAARC, ASEAN, Gulf and Middle East Regions, UK, Europe and points in North America. The airline, as part of the hub carrier strategy, will look at increasing connectivity to cities in Northern India through Delhi and will step up services through Delhi to the major metros in the winter schedule. On the international front, the Jet Airways Group will look at affording its guests additional connections from SAARC, the Middle East and Far East via Delhi on to Europe through London Heathrow and through Brussels onto North America.

World class facilities to deliver superior guest comfort Spread across 5.4 million sq ft, the new terminal building comprises a range of world class features and facilities designed to provide superior passenger comfort and convenience. For easy access, Jet Airways’ guests may enter the Departure terminal from Gate No 1, Terminal 3 (IGI), and proceed towards the check in areas located at islands B, C and D, for departure formalities. Terminal 3 is a 9 level building, featuring a sparkling 168 check-in counters and 95 immigration counters, of which the Jet Airways Group will man 32 integrated check-in counters for both domestic and international travel, significantly reducing check-in time for the airline’s guests.

DIAL’s new Terminal 3 also boasts a number of attractions for passengers including a large retail presence, transit hotel and a plethora of services to offer guests a truly world-class passenger experience.

Equipped with the most sophisticated Common User Passenger Processing System (CUPPS) and an advanced 5 level in-line Baggage Handling System with explosive detection technology, the new Terminal 3 will help quickly process larger numbers of

guests arrivals and departure in a safe and secure environment. With 6,400 m of conveyor belts utilized in the fully automated baggage handling system at T3, airlines will now be able to handle 12,800 bags in a single hour.

Flawless integration As one of the largest carriers, operating out of the new Terminal 3, the Jet Airways group is best poised to afford its guests enhanced comfort and convenience, helping them connect easily from domestic flights onto their international flights and vice versa.

Nikos Kardassis, CEO - Jet Airways, commenting on the airlines move to the new terminal said, “DIAL’s new airport building, is truly one of the best terminals in the world. I would like to congratulate GMR and the Government of India on this modern marvel, which symbolizes the aspirations of a new and vibrant India. At Jet Airways we plan to harness this world class infrastructure, as an engine for mutual growth. Especially since Terminal 3 in Delhi opens up immense possibilities for the economic development of this region, as airlines will now be able to offer seamless connectivity from India to the world.”

BUSINESS

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Sunday, August 1, 2010

Malaysian tycoon proposes billion-dollar firm buyout KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysian tycoon Ananda Krishnan has made a 1.48 billion dollar buyout offer for power and gambling firm Tanjong, the second major corporate deal he has launched in a week. Malaysia’s second-richest man has made a series of big plays in recent months including re-listing a part of his top mobile operator Maxis and taking satellite broadcaster

Astro private. Krishnan and his associates offered 21.80 ringgit (6.85 dollars) per share for the 53 percent of Tanjong they don’t already own, the company announced in a statement late Friday.

Tanjong, which has plans to become a global player in the power generation industry, said the move would give it greater flexibility to pursue expansion in the

Middle East, North Africa, and Asia. “A privatized Tanjong will enable the business to seek out long-term capital providers, and where it serves the corporate objective, allow the introduction of strategic partners or undertaking of broader partnerships,” the firm said.

The 4.7 billion ringgit (1.48 billion dollar) purchase offer values the company at 8.8 billion ringgit. The offer

price represents a 22 percent premium over the closing price of 17.88 ringgit on July 27 before trade was suspended. Tanjong and its subsidiaries are involved in businesses including power generation, gambling, leisure and property investment.

On Wednesday, Krishnan launched a 207 million dollar buyout to secure full control of satellite operator

Measat Global Bhd. That followed his move in March when he took pay TV operator Astro All Asia Networks plc private in a 758 million dollar buyout. Krishnan also controls leading telecoms firm Maxis, which was taken private in 2007 before making a strong return to the bourse late last year in Southeast Asia’s biggest ever initial public offering, worth 3.3 billion dollars. — AFP

Cuba readies to dive into offshore oil exploration US companies forbidden by US trade embargo HAVANA: A Chinese-built drilling rig is expected to arrive in Cuban w aters in early 2011, likely opening the open the w ay for full-scale exploration of the island’s untapped offshore fields. Companies w ith contracts to search for oil and gas in Cuba’s portion of the Gulf of Mexico have already begun preparations to drill once

the Scarabeo 9 rig gets to the communist-led island. An official w ith Saipem, a unit of Italian oil company Eni SpA told Reuters on Friday the massive semi-submersible rig should be completed at the Yantai Raffles shipyard in Yantai, China by the end of this year.

The journey to Cuba will take two months, and once it arrives it will be put into operation almost immediately, said the official, who asked not to be identified. It will be used first as an exploratory well for a consortium led by Spanish oil giant Repsol YPF, which drilled the only offshore well in Cuba in 2004 and said at the time it had found hydrocarbons. Cuba has said it may have 20 billion barrels of oil in its offshore, but the US Geological Survey has estimated a more modest 4.6 billion barrels and 10 trillion cubic feet of gas.

Repsol has been mostly silent on the long delay in drilling more wells, but it is widely assumed in the oil industry it was due to the longstanding U.S. trade embargo against Cuba. The embargo limits the amount of US technology that can be used, which complicates finding equipment because US companies have long dominated the offshore oil business. Construction of the Scarabeo 9 was begun by Norwegian firm Frigstad Discoverer Invest Limited in 2006, but the company was purchased by Saipem in 2007.

The rig was due to be completed by September 2009, but has been delayed because of modifications requested by Saipem, the Saipem official said.

NEW YORK: A trader works on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) minutes after the closing bell. — AFP

Wall St week ahead: Jobs data, earnings test stocks NEW YORK: US stocks are unlikely to break above a key technical level this week unless monthly jobs data and consumer company results paint a more promising picture of the recovery. The Standard & Poor’s 500 index has been stuck near its 200-day moving average, a level used to determine market direction, amid recent weak economic data and disappointing outlooks from companies, including tech firms Nvidia Corp and Symantec.

Options market activity points to more tech sector volatility this week, while the Nasdaq had the poorest performance of the three major indexes last week. Among companies expected to report this week are Procter & Gamble and Clorox whose results could give another glimpse into the strength of consumer spending or its lack.

But the government’s non-farm payrolls report, due Friday, looms large since sluggish job growth is considered the biggest hurdle to advances by the economy and stocks.

The Labor Department report follows data Friday that showed the pace of US economic growth slowed in the second quarter. The June labor report showed a fall in payrolls, both of which raised concerns about the recovery for the rest of the year. “We have been reducing our expo-

sure to equities because we are concerned that a weaker economy is going to continue throughout the end of year,” said Joseph Battipaglia, market strategist, Stifel Nicolaus, Yardley, Pennsylvania.

Analysts say a significant break above the S&P 500’s 200-day moving average, currently around 1,114, would be a bullish signal. “The market has the potential to push higher again if we can get through the 200-day moving average,” said Michael Sheldon, chief market strategist, RDM Financial, Westport, Connecticut. Chris Burba, short-term market technician at Standard & Poor’s in New York, noted that the 200-day moving average has been nearly flat since late June, which supports the view that investors should be cautious.

The US economy has shown weakness in recent months after a recovery from the worst recession since the 1930s, and corporate results for the second quarter have been mixed. Earnings growth for S&P 500 companies in the second quarter is expected at 36 percent, while revenue growth is seen at about 9.1 percent, according to Thomson Reuters data. Options investors appear to be expecting more volatility in the technology sector, which has heavily weighed on the market this week, to continue.

The most active options on PowerShares QQQ Trust ETF, an exchange-traded fund that tracks the benchmark Nasdaq 100, was the weekly put options at the $45 strike which expire on Aug 6. Weeklys are options listed with approximately one week to expiration, different from traditional options that have a life of months or years before expiration.

“Puts are dominating in the QQQQ, both in weeklys and regulars,” said Ryan Detrick, senior technical strategist at Schaeffer’s Investment Research in Cincinnati, Ohio. Regular put options at the August $45 and $46 strikes were also seeing heavy volume. The ETF is currently down 0.4 percent at $45.55.

Some options market analysts see more range-bound trading ahead, with top end at 1,120 on the S&P 500 and the bottom end at 1,065. “In order to take out the upside of the trading range, we need to see the majority of economic data next week to be better than expected,” said Stifel Nicolaus options market strategist Elliot Spar in Shrewsbury, New Jersey.

In other key economic data next week, the Institute for Supply Management’s manufacturing report, due Monday, is expected to show growth for a 12th straight month. — Reuters

YOKOHAMA: Consumers enter Nissan Motors new Electronic Vehicle, “Leaf” during its public test drive in “the new action TOUR” near Nissan’s headquarters yesterday. Nissan Motors started the campaign event to popularize the EV, which start selling in Japan, the US and Europe from December 2010. — AFP

Preparations underway The official said it was also slowed because the shipyard “had taken on too much work” with other projects. Repsol is said to be planning at least one exploration well and possibly another.

The rig will then be passed to other companies with contracts to drill in Cuban waters.

Cuba’s portion of the Gulf of Mexico has been divided into 59 blocks, of which 17 have been contracted to companies including Repsol, Malaysia’s Petronas, Brazil’s Petrobras, Venezuela’s PDVSA and PetroVietnam. Repsol is partnering with Norway’s Statoil and ONGC Videsh Limited, a unit of India’s Oil and Natural Gas Corp.

Diplomats in Havana have said Malaysia’s Petronas will get the rig next, after Repsol completes its drilling. Petronas, which has four exploration blocks, has conducted seismic work and built offices for a battery of employees who will come to Cuba for the project, sources said. It also is talking to a possible partner in Gazprom Neft, the oil arm of Russian energy company Gazprom, whose chief told shareholders last month the company wants to join Petronas in the Cuba project.

ONGC Videsh, which has two blocks of its own, separate from its consortium with Repsol and Statoil, has already solicited bids for equipment including sub-sea wellheads and casing pipes for its planned exploration. Russian oil firm Zarubezhneft has two nearshore blocks it said it plans to drill next year, but also has an agreement with Petrovietnam to participate in exploration of its three offshore blocks. Zarubezhneft opened an office in Havana in June, according to Russian state news agency Ria Novosti. A number of international oil service companies have solicited information about Cuban regulations on issues ranging from safety equipment to finance and taxes, diplomats said.

Oil spill concerns Cuba’s state-owned oil company Cupet has been silent about the offshore activity and rejected requests for interviews. A government official said the requests were denied because Cupet did not want to speak during the BP oil spill in the Gulf. The spill has never reached Cuba, but it has heightened safety concerns both in the government and among oil companies with offshore blocks, sources said.

The prospect of drilling in Cuban waters has also raised pollution fears in Florida, which is just 50 miles (80 km) away from the island’s maritime boundary. The Saipem official said the Scarabeo 9, which is capable of operating in water depths up to 3,600 meters (11,811 feet), is built to Norwegian standards, meaning it has extra equipment to shut off blown-out wells not required in the United States.

Due to the US trade embargo, US oil companies are not allowed to operate in Cuba. Later this month a group from the Houston-based International Association of Drilling Contractors is scheduled to visit Cuba. The group has said it wants to discuss offshore safety issues with Cuban officials and get an overview of deepwater prospects.

Despite five decades of hostile relations, Cuba has said it would welcome the involvement of US companies in developing its offshore fields. Oil expert Jorge Pinon at Florida International University in Miami said US oil service companies would like to enter the Cuban market because it is a new market close to home. “For the US offshore oil industry, Cuba is basically an extension of the Gulf of Mexico. It’s not like Angola-they can provide service from Houston or Freeport or Mobile.” — Reuters

DETROIT: US President Barack Obama confers with plant Manager Teri Quigley as a 2011 Chevrolet Volt electric vehicle rolls off the line at the General Motors Detroit-Hamtramck Assembly Plant on July 30 2010. Chevrolet announced it will increase the US production capacity of the 340-mile extended range electric Chevrolet Volt by 50 percent due to strong public interest. The Volt will be built at the Detroit-Hamtramck Plant. — AFP

Obama: Republicans holding small businesses ‘hostage’ WASHINGTON: US President Barack Obama yesterday accused Republicans of holding American small businesses “hostage to politics” after Republican senators refused to back a $30 billion small-business lending package. Senate Republicans blocked the package on Thursday, dealing a fresh blow to Obama’s efforts to show Americans, in the midst of a tough election year, that his administration is focused on tackling stubbornly high unemployment.

With opinion polls showing eroding support for Obama’s handling of the economy, Democrats fear voters will punish them for the 9.5 percent unemployment rate come November, when 435 seats in the House of Representatives and 37 of the 100 seats in the Senate will be in play in mid-term elections. “I’m calling on the Republican leaders in the Senate to stop holding America’s small businesses hostage to politics, and allow an up-or-down vote on this small business jobs bill,” Obama said in his weekly radio and Internet address.

“Understand, a majority of senators support the plan. It’s just that the Republican leaders in the Senate won’t even allow it to come up for a vote,” he

said. Democratic leaders failed on Thursday to muster the 60 votes needed to advance the measure over Republican objections. Republicans are upset that Democrats shut them out during discussions to amend the package, which they say is another example of Obama’s overreach in government spending.

Senate majority leader Harry Reid is hopeful that a deal can still be reached that would allow the Senate to act on the bill this week.

But even if the Senate passes the bill, it would be too late to get it to Obama’s desk before mid-September. The House, which passed its version of the bill in June, is set to begin a six-week break on Friday. It will be unable to vote on the version passed by the Senate until then.

It was at least the third time in a week that Obama had called on Republicans to back the bill. The bill provides for a $30 billion fund to invest in community banks to bolster lending. It also would provide tax credits and a limited capital gains exemption. Small businesses, which account for two-thirds of jobs created in the United States, have been hit hard by the credit crunch, making it difficult for them to expand. — Reuters

Reliance, Universal in talks for theme park NEW DELHI: Indian tycoon Anil Ambani has begun talks with Universal Studios on building a 1.5-billion-dollar movie-themed amusement park in India, a source with knowledge of the discussions said yesterday. The park, which would be promoted by Ambani’s company Reliance Big Entertainment, will mix themes from Hollywood with India’s prolific film industry known as Bollywood, the source said. “It would be unique” to India, the source said. Anil Ambani has been steadily building an entertainment presence after a highly publicized breakup in 2005 with his elder brother, Mukesh, in which the billionaire siblings carved up the Reliance empire built by their father.

A spokesman for Reliance Big Entertainment declined to comment on the matter while Universal could not be reached for comment on the proposed park, first reported by The Wall Street Journal. The park could be a joint venture or be an entertainment arm of Reliance Big Entertainment under which Reliance would pay

Universal royalties for using movierelated brands, the source said. An agreement could be finalized later this year between Reliance and Universal, owned by General Electric Corp’s NBC Universal, the source said. The total cost would be around 1.5 billion dollars, the source said.

The theme park, which would be one of the biggest in the world and have rides such as roller coasters, would resemble ones Universal has in the United States and Japan.

Reliance Big Entertainment, part of the media-to-energy Reliance-Anil Dhirubhai Ambani Group (R-ADAG), is looking at potential locations in New Delhi and in Mumbai. Reliance believes there is a good market for a theme park because of India’s rapid economic growth that has created an affluent middle class who already throng malls and cinemas. Last year, India’s Reliance Big Entertainment and Hollywood director Steven Spielberg signed an 825-million-dollar deal to make half a dozen films every year. — AFP

TECHNOLOGY

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SYDNEY: Customers inspect the new Apple iPhone 4 at the main Apple city store in Sydney on Friday. The latest iPhone also goes on sale in Austria, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Finland, Hong Kong, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, Singapore, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland. —AFP

Twitter offers help in finding accounts to follow WASHINGTON: Twitter wants to help you build your network.

The micro-blogging service began rolling out a new feature Friday called "Suggestions for You" which directs users to other Twitter accounts they may find interesting. "With more than a hundred million users on Twitter, there are sure to be at least dozens of accounts out there that will reflect your interests," Twitter said on its official blog.

"The trouble is finding all of them," it said. "Today we're beginning to roll out a simple, but powerful new feature to help address that." Twitter said the "Suggestions for You" algorithms find other accounts of potential interest using various factors, including "people you follow and the people they follow." A Twitter user who clicks on the "Who to Follow" link on the Twitter homepage sees a list of suggested accounts to follow.

Twitter, which combines the strengths of blogs and instant

True/Slant website shutting down WASHINGTON: True/Slant, a website started last year to provide an innovative platform for journalists and advertisers, is shutting down following its acquisition by Forbes Media. True/Slant homepage editor Michael Roston said in a message on TrueSlant.com that some

of the contributors to the site, which was launched in April of last year, will become contributors at Forbes.

"I can only hope other news outlets will consider what we've done here as a model for what they'll do next," Roston said. Forbes acquired True/Slant in May

and also hired the media startup's founder Lewis Dvorkin as chief product officer. Dvorkin was formerly executive editor of Forbes magazine.

True/Slant showcased the work of hundreds of freelance contributors and also allowed marketers to publish their

own clearly labeled material. Among the contributors to True/Slant was Miles O'Brien, an aviation and space expert who was laid off by CNN television after 17 years with the network.

The site had 1.5 million unique visitors in May.—AFP

Hackers to see victim's email, text messages

Software released for attacking Android phones messaging services, enables users to send and receive short messages of up to 140 characters on personal computers and mobile devices. Twitter said it planned to make the suggestions feature available to devel-

opers of desktop and mobile applications for Twitter. Social network Facebook already offers a similar feature called "People You May Know" which suggests possible new friends to members.—AFP

US hackers probe the edges of Internet traffic to craft attacks LAS VEGAS: Researchers have uncovered new ways that criminals can spy on Internet users even if they're using secure connections to banks, online retailers or other sensitive Web sites. The attacks demonstrated at the Black Hat conference show how determined hackers can sniff around the edges of encrypted Internet traffic to pick up clues about what their targets are

up to.

It's like tapping a telephone conversation and hearing muffled voices that hint at the tone of the conversation. The problem lies in the way Web browsers handle Secure Sockets Layer, or SSL, encryption technology, according to Robert Hansen and Josh Sokol, who spoke to a packed room of several hundred security experts. —AP

Smooth-talking hackers test skills on technology titans NEVADA: Hackers at an infamous DefCon gathering are proving that old-fashioned smooth talk rivals slick software skills when it comes to pulling off attacks on computer networks. A firstever "social engineering" contest here challenges hackers to call workers at 10 companies including technology titans Google, Apple, Cisco, and Microsoft and get them to reveal too much information to strangers.

"Out of all the companies called today, not one company shut us down," said Offensive Security operations manager Christopher Hadnagy, part of the social-engineer.org team behind the competition that kicked off on Friday. The team kept hackers within the boundaries of the law, but had them coax out enough information to show that workers would have unintentionally made it easier to attack networks.

Workers that unknowingly ended up on calls with hackers ranged from a chief technical officer to IT support personnel and sales people. One employee was conned into opening programs on a company computer to read off specifications regarding types of software being used, details that would let a hacker tailor viruses to launch at the system. "You often have to crack through firewalls and burn the perimeter in order to get into the internal organization," said Mati Aharoni of Offensive Security, a company that tests company computer defenses.

"It is much easier to use social engineering techniques to get to the same place." Other com-

panies targeted were Pepsi, Coca Cola, Shell, BP, Ford, and Proctor & Gamble. The contest, which continued yesterday at DefCon and promises the winner an Apple iPad tablet computer, is intended to show that hardened computer networks remain vulnerable if people using them are soft touches.

"We didn't want anyone fired or feeling bad at the end of the day," Aharoni said. "We wanted to show that social engineering is a legitimate attack vector." A saying that long ago made it onto Tshirts at the annual DefCon event is "There is no patch for human stupidity." "Companies don't think their people will fall for something as simple as someone calling and just asking a few questions," Hadnagy said. "It doesn't require a very technical level of attacker," Aharoni added. "It requires someone with an ability to schmooze well." One worker nearly foiled a hacker by insisting he send his questions in an email that would be reviewed and answered if appropriate. The hacker convinced the worker to change his mind by claiming to be under pressure to finish a report for a boss by that evening. "As humans, we naturally want to help other people," Hadgagy said.

"I'm not advocating not helping people. Just think about what you say before you say it."

Companies that got word of the social engineering contest before DefCon called in the FBI, which was assured by the event organizers that nothing illegal was afoot. Information about "exploiting human vulnerabilities" was available at the social-engineer.org websit.—AFP

LAS VEGAS: Two security experts said on Friday they released a tool for attacking smartphones that use Google Inc's Android operating system to persuade manufacturers to fix a bug that lets hackers read a victim's email and text messages. "It wasn't difficult to build," said Nicholas Percoco, head of Spider Labs, who along with a colleague, released the tool at the Defcon hacker's conference in Las Vegas on Friday.

Percoco said it took about two weeks to build the malicious software that could allow criminals to steal precious information from Android smartphones. "There are people who are much more motivated to do these things than we are," he added. The tool is a so-called root kit that, once installed, allows its developer to gain total control of Android devices, which are being activated by consumers at a rate of about 160,000 units per day, according to Google.

"We could be doing what we want to do and there is no clue that we are there," Percoco said. The test attacks were conducted on HTC Corp's Androidbased Legend and Desire phones, but he believed it could be conducted on other Android phones. The tool was released on a DVD given to conference attendees. Percoco was scheduled to discuss it during a talk yesterday. Google and HTC did not immediately return calls for comment. Some 10,000 hackers and security experts are attending the Defcon conference, the world's largest gathering of its type, where computer geeks mix with federal security officials. Attendees pay $140 in cash to attend and are not required to provide their names to attend the conference. Law enforcement posts under cover agents in the audience to spot criminals and government officials recruit workers to fight computer crimes and for the the Department of Defense.

Organizers of the conference say presenters release tools such as Percoco's root kit to pressure manufacturers to fix bugs. — Reuters

Google not sure if China behind service disruption WASHINGTON: Google does not know if the Chinese authorities were behind a disruption in the company's services on Thursday, chief executive Eric Schmidt said in an interview with The Wall Street Journal. Schmidt said that although the Chinese government can "arbitrarily decide" the level of service Google can provide in China, the Internet giant does not know if it was responsible for the disruption of services.

Google reported on Thursday that virtually all of its services in China were "partially" or "fully blocked" but clarified later that it had actually been a "relatively small blockage." The disruption was the first since China agreed earlier this month to renew

the company's license to operate in the country. That decision came after months of tension between Google and Beijing over state censorship and cyberattacks that the company says originated in China, the world's largest online market with 420 million users.

Schmidt told the Journal that the cyberattacks late last year against Google were a "wake-up call to Google and other American companies." The Google chief executive also told the newspaper that he was an advocate of entering the China market-a move that was reportedly the subject of some controversy among the top management at the Mountain View, California, firm.

He said he believed it was better to

engage with China even if Google had to operate with restrictions. That decision was reversed, he added, because of an accumulation of events. "Day-to-day stuff just drove us crazy," he said. Schmidt said China is the only country that practices "active censorship" of the Internet, although other countries block certain websites.

The Google chief executive was also asked whether the company was living up to its unofficial motto of "Don't be evil." He said the company has done "generally well" although it has made a few mistakes, China being a notable one. He added that when Google entered China, the company said it would revisit its decision, "and we have revisited it," Schmidt said.—AFP

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Sunday, August 1, 2010

Physicists hunt for a trace of elusive, invisible geoneutrino PHILADELPHIA: Princeton University proclaimed this month that some of its physicists had helped discover an invisible particle known as a geoneutrino. A geoneutrino is, it turns out, a particularly elusive type of an already elusive class of particles neutrinos - most famous for inspiring John Updike to write a poem with the lines: “The earth is just a silly ball / To them, through which they simply pass.” Which is accurate, though one neutrino in billions will hit something and leave a signal. To catch just 15 of them required 300 tons of mineral oil and months of waiting.

While most neutrinos that pass through the Earth come from the sun, a few, the geoneutrinos, are said to emanate from the Earth’s deep interior and could help scientists understand the power source behind volcanoes and earthquakes. The physicists say catching geoneutrinos makes detecting the solar kind seem easy, so it’s not that surprising that there’s been some confusion.

Back in 2005, the cover of the journal Nature proclaimed that a different international group, including two Drexel physicists, had just discovered geoneutrinos.

The scientists seem nonplussed by the duplication. Convincing the world you’ve caught an invisible particle is no simple matter, they say. And scientific credit can be impossible to pin down when dealing with

something as slippery as a neutrino.

Neutrinos don’t just go through the Earth and come out the other side - they could, in theory, zip straight through a trillion miles of lead. Drexel physicist Charles Lane, who worked on the 2005 geoneutrino detection, said the important thing was that science had finally offered concrete proof of a pivotal theory proposed more than 100 years ago by Ernest Rutherford, famous for discovering the atomic nucleus.

Back then, physicists were having trouble explaining how the Earth could be so hot inside and still be hundreds of millions or even billions of years old. Rutherford proposed that our planet was heated internally by radioactivity.

It wasn’t until the 1980s that physicists realized they could actually measure this radioactivity through the neutrinos it would produce. “I remember giving lectures at various earth and space departments about how much you can learn about the Earth,” said physicist Lawrence Krauss of Arizona State University. “People said they didn’t believe in neutrinos.”

Still, there is good reason to believe in them. Neutrinos were postulated by the same people who said that if you squeezed enough uranium into a small enough space, you’d start splitting atoms and could destroy a city. Enrico Fermi and other physicists

realized back in the 1930s that energy was mysteriously disappearing during the decay of uranium and other radioactive elements.

According to the principle of conservation of energy, something had to be carrying that energy away.

They dubbed those energy thieves neutrinos. In the 1950s, two Los Alamos physicists pulled off the first neutrino detection at the Savannah River nuclear power plant in Georgia - a finding that won them a Nobel Prize.

Various neutrino-detecting devices have sprung up since - most of them involving swimming-pool-sized vats full of mineral oil.

Neutrinos on occasion do bump into an atom or an electron in these tanks - and when they do, it leads to either a burst of light or the release of some other particle that can be detected. Both of the current experiments claiming geoneutrino discoveries were originally built for other reasons. The one in Japan, KamLAND (Kamioka Liquid Scintillator Antineutrino Detector), was designed to detect neutrinos from several nearby nuclear reactors.

The idea behind KamLAND, said physicist Stuart Freedman of the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, was to study the basic physics of neutrinos. There are actually three known types of neutrinos (and three antineutrinos), which have different

masses and can transform themselves from one type to the other. Or maybe there are four or five. Physicists have proposed various theoretical brands of neutrinos that may or may not exist.

The other experiment, called Borexino, was built in a road tunnel in Gran Sasso, Italy, to detect neutrinos from the sun. It’s also aimed at sorting out subtleties of neutrino physics.

But as time went on, physicists at both experiments realized they had a shot at finding a few of the long-sought geoneutrinos.

And that could prove useful. If you could detect enough of them, said Princeton geoscientist Thomas Duffy, geoneutrinos could tell you something about the source of heat that drives the slow drift of the geological plates, and on our time scale, brings forth earthquakes and volcanoes. It’s still not known how much of our planet’s inner power comes from leftover heat of formation and how much comes from radioactivity.

You can’t really sample the inside of the Earth, since it goes thousands of miles down, said Duffy.

“This is really at a fundamental level trying to understand the driving force controlling all the geological activity we see,” he said. Others have suggested that geoneutrino detectors could be used to track how much plutonium is being burned in nuclear

reactors - thereby perhaps monitoring illicit activity. The 2005 “discovery” at KamLAND not only described the finding of geoneutrinos but also used them to calculate the total energy coming from radioactive elements in the Earth.

Geologist William McDonough of the University of Maryland had used meteorites to estimate the total energy coming from Earth’s radioactive elements, and he found the physicists got nearly the same answer using neutrinos. On the downside, KamLAND’s detector is subject to lots of “noise,” since it’s surrounded by nuclear power plants and these are constantly spewing neutrinos that might be mistaken for geoneutrinos.

They can also get false alarms from the radioactive decay of trace elements in the detector itself, said Princeton University physicist Frank Calaprice, a collaborator on the Italian experiment.

They were after a particularly rare type of neutrino from the sun, and in order to know they were really catching them, they had to purify all their equipment to get rid of radioactive elements that might emit other neutrinos. That made it well suited to see the even rarer appearance of a geoneutrino or two. He said they can announce their find with much more certainty than the other team could back in 2005.

Chest compressions as effective on heart attacks as CPR: Study

Women: Casual sexism is nothing but misogyny You can spot a woman-hater by the language they use STANDFIRST: You can spot a woman-hater by the language they use. Last month I graced the overground line’s replacement bus service to Gospel Oak, north London. Sitting near some posh teens chatting about a party, I heard one boy snicker: “I have never so wanted to slap a girl as I did then.” Everyone laughed and nodded. Cut to a Starbucks in Holborn. Four sleek, Middle Eastern guys, the type who look like sophisticated, multilingual diplomats’ kids. They’re gossiping about their coursemates.

One is laughing so hard he can barely speak: “That Saira, she is the ****** ugliest girl I have ever seen in my life!” Or how about a tube journey last winter. A group of tracksuited, pimply London “youths”. One of them mentions a schoolmate and another replies: “Yeah, but she’s a slag though isn’t she?” All nod sagely. This is the casual sexism of strangers strangers of difference races, classes, ages, cultures. They know that when the conversation flags, a joke at a woman’s expense will revive the atmosphere in a twinkle.

Sometimes I don’t need to use my supersonic skills to eavesdrop on this toxic matter. My own friends serve it up. An agent pal tells me he had to chase a publisher because “some bloody middleaged woman didn’t read the manuscript”. A once-beloved writer friend relates how he Googles his exes, “and they all look like hags”. Another man liked a book: “And I was dubious, you know, because it’s a woman author.” An urbane friend spotted a chic girlfriend of mine at a party: “Who’s that whore over there?”

But let’s talk about work. A photographer at a liberal publication discovered she and her female colleagues were paid less than their male counterparts.

When she got pregnant her boss told her: “You can’t be a photographer and a mother.” We are not talking about six months embedded with Military Man-Trauma Unit Zero in the Democratic Republic of Macho, just shooting a house in Holland Park.

A radio producer recounted holiday tales of how he met “some tart from Thomas Cook”. He showed me a picture of an author and jeered: “She’s had her teeth done, look, look.” When I asked, “Please, don’t make stupid comments about women’s appearance, OK?” he got angry. A female producer told me that when she recommended the excellent Quilts exhibition at the V&A to her boyfriend and father, they both jeered: “My boyfriend said, ‘Were most of the people there women? I bet they were.’”

Yes, Woman is truly jeer-worthy, and anything associated with Woman is jeer-worthy too.

An acclaimed novelist told me that when she and a male author turned up to review books for a radio show, she was assumed to be his PR by three different people before they even got inside the studio - where she was the only woman, and they only reviewed men’s books. A prominent academic constructed a literary course featuring equal numbers of male and female authors.

Her male students complained that there were too many women.

Why don’t these women want to be named? Why don’t I expose the perpetrators? Because the victims will be punished and women’s jobs, opportunities and places will be lost. Belligerent women will be replaced by docile ones, or by men. So I say nothing,

and we cling to our tenuous position and retain the privilege of working alongside the people whose “casual” sexism is nothing less than an integral part of a society steeped in contempt for women.

One night in 2008, I was on the radio discussing a lecture given by a prominent woman scientist earlier that day. It was me and three men, and one of them said she was “a bit schoolmarmish and what’s with the hair?” When I objected he mocked: “Oh, yes, let’s all be feminists together, Bidisha.” Once, I liked the candid manner of a crew member I met when filming an interview. We talked about David Beckham.

“He’s great,” said my new chum, “shame he’s married to a dog.”

My best friend’s dad, a lovely guy, one summer afternoon talking about actor Lucy Liu: “She looks like a bitch.”

It’s amazing how much hate you can pack into a few syllables.

How do you spot a woman-hater?

By the way they talk about women, treat women, react to women, represent women.

Bitching about women, slagging off women - even the language used to describe such slander comes from misogyny. The ubiquitous verbal violence supports physical violence and nobody, male or female, minds. If I were called a Paki in the street, I would have some hope of it being taken seriously. If I were called a slag as I was last summer by a man on a bicycle, in Stepney - nobody would consider it report-worthy.

Misogyny is such a strong substance that women have absorbed and internalized it. A female book editor and I looked over some press shots by a woman photographer. Fifty-nine were perfect, the 60th was blurred. “She’s been a bit of a silly tart, there,” said the editor. A female radio producer, frustrated at a press officer’s incompetence: “I’ve been speaking to their bitch PR.” Another radio producer, angry at a female guest who was two minutes late: “She’s a stupid bitch.”

An extremely sophisticated and gifted British-African writer, when I asked if her novel had come out in time for the Orange prize, sneered openly: “Ha! The Orange prize.” No more words necessary, her contempt for the world of women was expressed in that immediately recognizable snort of disgust. For men and women alike, casual misogyny is the climate and context of all their interactions. It is unconcealed and automatic. It affects the way women are received, portrayed and considered as colleagues, friends, workers, mothers, artists, thinkers, public figures and victims of male violence and discrimination.

Apart from outright slander, jibes, names and insults there is: talking down a woman’s work, interrupting her, teasing her, mocking her, talking over her, patronizing her, sighing or rolling one’s eyes when she talks, invading her personal space. The misogynists’ approach to women can be summed up thus: sneer, leer, exploit, ignore.

There is a final, huge, virtually universal form of casual sexism which is expressed in nearly every house. Any man who thinks it’s OK to live in a household where the woman does the overwhelming majority of all the housework, childcare and family admin is a woman-hater. If he weren’t, it would agonize him to live in such an unequal and exploitative setup. — Guardian

“Who saw them first? I’d have to say they had hint of them first but I think the clear signal was first done by our detector,” said Calaprice. He said the rival team’s claims were honest, however, in that they said their findings were consistent with geoneutrinos.

“People should read the papers and judge for themselves.” Drexel physicist Jelena Maricic, who was part of the KamLAND team, said that when they got through with the statistical analysis, their 2005 detections were 95 percent certain to include some geoneutrinos. That might seem like a high degree of certainty, but in particle physics, lots of 95 percent discoveries vanish with a closer look.

The Princeton/Borexino group’s announcement this year had 99.73 percent certainty. But the KamLAND group has now caught approximately 106. At a meeting this month, they just announced a new analysis with 99.997 percent certainty that they’ve detected the real deal. So who discovered the geoneutrino? “That’s always hard,” said Drexel’s Lane. Physicists sometimes use a fixed level of confidence to allow new findings to count as discoveries, said Maricic.

That’s usually quite high - at 99.999943 percent. “So scientifically strictly speaking,” she said, “geoneutrinos have not been experimentally discovered yet.” — MCT

LOS ANGELES: Chest compressions alone are as effective in rescuing victims of heart attacks as conventional cardiopulmonary resuscitation that combines compressions with forced breathing, researchers said. Studies in Washington state and Sweden confirm the growing idea that the breathing component of CPR is necessary only for children and those who have suffered drowning or who have respiratory problems. Recent guidelines based on these and earlier studies may overcome some of the fears of bystanders who are reluctant to initiate CPR because of the danger of infectious diseases.

“These studies reinforce the message that the American Heart Association has been promoting since 2008,” said Dr Michael Sayre, a professor of emergency medicine at Ohio State University in Columbus and a spokesman for the heart association. “When you encounter a person who has collapsed suddenly, the best thing to do is to call 911 and then push hard and fast on their chest. It’s simple, and something anyone can do even if they don’t have any training.”

Communities that are already using the new approach are seeing dramatic increases in survival of people who experience heart attacks, said Dr Paul E Pepe, head of the emergency medicine department of the University of Texas Southwestern Medical School in Dallas. Several years ago, Pepe incorporated the findings into guidelines prepared for the National Academies of Emergency Dispatch. In smaller communities around Dallas that have been able to implement the guidelines quickly, survival rates have as much as quadrupled, Pepe said. In Dallas itself, which has been slower to implement them because of its size, survival has increased by as much as 60 percent. The national average survival rate for heart attacks outside the hospital is about 4 percent or less, Pepe noted, and only a quar-

ter to a third of those who could survive are actually getting CPR, so significant numbers of people could be saved if CPR were used more widely. Studies in animals have shown that halting chest compressions to blow air into the patient’s mouth reduces blood flow by a startlingly large amount.

And the breathing drill, in any case, may not be necessary: For most patients who suffer a heart attack, the blood will contain some oxygen for at least several minutes.

“What we have learned is that continuous blood flow, even if it is not fully (oxygen-)saturated, is probably much better in terms of helping restore spontaneous circulation,” Pepe said. The two new studies, published in the New England Journal of Medicine, were similar in design. In one, conducted by Dr Thomas D Rea of the University of Washington in Seattle and his colleagues, 1,941 heart attack victims were included. In the second, conducted by Dr Marten Rosenqvist of the Karolinska Institutet of Stockholm, 1,276 victims were studied.

In both cases, 911 operators randomly instructed callers to administer either conventional CPR or only chest compressions.

Rea and his colleagues found that 12.5 percent of those given only compressions survived to be discharged from the hospital, compared to 11 percent of those given conventional CPR. Rosenqvist and colleagues found that the 30day survival was 8.7 percent for those given compressions only, compared to 7 percent for those given conventional CPR. In neither case were the differences statistically significant. “Both types of CPR performed by a bystander are beneficial, and the benefit is well above not doing anything,” Rea said.

He hopes that the ease of doing compression alone will increase CPR rates up to at least one in two “and therefore save a lot more lives.” —MCT

Evening light in spring interferes with teens’ sleep

HEFEI: Chinese young women holding batons as they take part in a practice session at a dance centre in Hefei, east China’s Anhui province. Sexy and creative modern dance is becoming increasingly popular as Chinese society becomes more open, allowing different trends to gain wider acceptance, especially by urban white collar women who can now lead more colorful lives. Meanwhile, as a new trend in fitness, such dance is nudging its way into the mainstream Chinese exercise market, with increasing numbers of gyms and dance schools offering various dancing classes. — AFP

LOS ANGELES: Extended hours of daylight in the spring lead to later bedtimes for teens, causing them to be sleepier in the morning, researchers said. The conclusion might seem obvious, but the researchers from the Lighting Research Center at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy, NY, have provided a biological basis for the finding. They conclude that delays in melatonin production by the teens’ bodies leads to the later bedtimes. Melatonin is the naturally occurring hormone that regulates sleep on a 24-hour cycle. Normally, melatonin levels start rising two to three hours before the onset of sleepiness. Sunlight interferes with melatonin production, however, and can disrupt that cycle. The same team reported earlier this year, for example, that preventing exposure of teens to bright lights in the morning could cause a 30-minute delay in sleep onset, leading to excessive daytime sleepiness. Sleep researchers Mariana G Figueiro and Mark Rea, director of the lighting center, studied 16 eighth-grade students at Algonquin Middle School in upstate New York, fitting them with a small head-mounted device that measured exposure to sunlight as well as rest and activity patterns. They also measured blood levels of melatonin in the students. They reported in the journal Chronobiology International that the teens experienced a 20minute delay in the onset of melatonin on one day in spring compared with a day in winter. Sleep logs kept by the students indicated that the delay in melatonin onset was accompanied by a 16-minute delay in sleep onset and a 15-minute reduction in sleep duration. Over time, when coupled with having to rise early for school, this delay in sleep onset may lead to sleep-deprivation and mood changes and increase the risk of obesity, Figueiro said.— MCT

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Ongoing English influence in Zimbabwe STANDFIRST: in his latest Letter from Africa, David Smith writes how place names, schools, eloquent oratories and, of course, cricket can make Zimbabwe seem the most English of African countries High tea and cakes to the strains of a grand piano. Rooms with names such as Balmoral, Edinburgh, Windsor, Mirabelle and Edward & Connaught. An oak-paneled grill that recalls a gentlemen’s club on London’s Pall Mall. Yes, it must be Zimbabwe again.

The Meikles in Harare claims to be the country’s best hotel, and it certainly seems to have dodged the economic bullets of recent years. Its colonial aura, with regal tapestries and framed black and white photos of Harare a century ago, would probably console the establishment’s founder, Thomas Meikle, a Scottish immigrant. To me too it felt reassuringly, and alarmingly, like home. One night there I switched on Zimbabwe state television to discover, amid controversial jingles extolling President Robert Mugabe, a developing crisis

for Siegfried and Tristan in a rerun of All Creatures Great and Small.

Only a few buildings from the era of empire survive in Harare, formerly Salisbury, but there are also parks and tree-lined avenues that feel somehow familiar. In the east of the country, near Mutare, the best place to stop to admire the scenery is Prince of Wales View. It might be 30 years since independence, but Britain remains in the cultural DNA. Now defunct British school qualifications are still being studied for. St George’s College and Prince Edward are the leading schools, with much that evokes Harry Potter’s Hogwarts or Billy Bunter’s Greyfriars. English, the official language, is not only widely spoken, but spoken very well.

I have attended public events where black Zimbabweans deliver speeches with an ornate eloquence, or sometimes grandiloquence, that seems more Victorian literary salon than oppressive African dictatorship.

Theirs is a language no longer spoken by the British.

Mugabe, self-declared nemesis of the evil former empire, is no exception to this. His speeches are finely polished and buffed in the colonizers’ tongue: “If yesterday I fought you as an enemy, today you have become a friend. If yesterday you hated me, today you cannot avoid the love that binds you to me, and me to you.”

Heidi Holland, author of Dinner with Mugabe, recalls being handed tea in an exquisite English porcelain cup by a waiter in white gloves and tails while waiting at the State House to interview the president in 2007.

Last year in a speech entitled The Britishness of Mugabe, she spoke of how he has dressed all his life in austere suits of the stereotypical English gentleman, polished his vowels selfconsciously and developed something of a British sense of humour.

Holland said: “What most revealed Mugabe’s fragmented identity to me, though, were the tears glistening in his eyes when he talked about Britain’s royals. The Queen and her four children, her sister and her

mother had all stayed with him at State House, he told me. ‘And now, to this day, we treasure those moments, and we have nothing against the royal family,’ he continued - using the royal ‘We’.”

His love for Savile Row tailors is matched by a love for that most English of games: cricket. Mugabe, patron of Zimbabwe Cricket (ZC), once declared: “Cricket civilises people and creates good gentlemen. I want everyone to play cricket in Zimbabwe; I want ours to be a nation of gentlemen.”

Now, after years in the doldrums, there are signs of the sport coming back to life here. A recent domestic Twenty20 tournament was televised and brought in multiracial crowds of more than 7,000 and corporate sponsors otherwise starved of entertainment.

A Pop Idol-style contest toured the country inviting all comers to prove they could be Zimbabwe’s fast bowling star of the future. The national team is also on the up. Alan

Butcher, a former England batsman, is now the coach of a side, no longer dominated by white players, that has claimed the one-day scalps of the West Indies, India and Sri Lanka.

Zimbabwe is looking to return to Test cricket for the first time since 2006 with a home series against Bangladesh next year.

Some hope this could be the catalyst for wider social recovery. But there’s no escaping politics. In 2003 two of Zimbabwe’s finest players, Andy Flower and Henry Olonga, wore black armbands at the World Cup to mourn the death of democracy. The men in charge of the game have notoriously had ties with Mugabe. Ozias Bvute, managing director of ZC, is on the EU’s banned list owing to alleged associations with Mugabe’s Zanu-PF party.

Recently I found Bvute in a freshly painted office, complete with satellite TV and Wi-Fi internet access, that some may find suspiciously plush for a country in which many government buildings are shabby and threadbare.

But he insisted he is no tool of Mugabe.

“I woke up one day and was told I was on the sanctions list,” he said. “I read, ‘These are the people responsible for the tragedy of Zimbabwe.’ I read that cricket is a political instrument.

This is a myth. I do not hold any card from any political party. It’s like the ANC in South Africa: 70% of individuals here have had associations with Zanu-PF. It’s a small society. We know each other.” Certainly David Coltart, the Movement for Democratic Change’s sports minister, and a cricket fanatic, seemed untroubled. He told me: “There are people in the administration in influential places who are aligned with Zanu-PF, but I’m in a cabinet chaired by Robert Mugabe.

“In the first four or five years post-Nelson Mandela’s release, there were many people in the South African government who I’m sure the ANC had difficulty in dealing with.

But it was part of the process. It was

the price you paid for a peaceful transition. The same applies to cricket.”

The return of Test cricket would give the appearance, at least, that Zimbabwe is almost back to normal.

Alistair Campbell, a former captain and now chairman of selectors, said: “I’d like to see England and Australia touring here again. I’d like to sip chardonnay on the opening day of a Test at Harare Sports Club.”

At the sports club’s Maiden or Red Lion pubs, a summer’s day on the playing fields of England can seem eerily close at hand. Whereas South Africa, that big and brash power of the continent, often reminds me of America, it’s Zimbabwe, the quieter, ironic and perhaps cripplingly introspective cousin, that makes me think of Britain. I wonder if this is why, like many of my compatriots, I fall head over heels for this beautiful country, both strange and familiar, satisfying a lust for African adventure but leavened by a comforting, nostalgic scent of home. And I worry how healthy that is.— Guardian

HEALTH & SCIENCE

30

Sunday, August 1, 2010

Astronomers study ‘galaxies collision’ LOS ANGELES: Astronomers say they may finally understand the behavior of an oddball galaxy: It was flipped around twice by a collision with a smaller galaxy. The theory, if it proves correct, could help scientists identify more such collisions throughout the universe and those collisions might, in turn, help test the validity of Albert Einstein’s general theory of relativity. The astronomers were studying a black hole at the center of an X-shaped

radio galaxy (one that shines bright at radio wavelengths) called 4C(plus)00.58 that lies about 780 million light years away from Earth. This galaxy had strange features, said University of Maryland astronomer Edmund Hodges-Kluck, lead author of the study published in the Astrophysical Journal Letters.

Like planets, black holes have an axis on which they rotate. As surrounding matter gets sucked into the hole, the black

hole will sometimes produce gas “jets” along the black hole’s axis. But in this case, the jets seemed to be off-kilter.

Images taken by the Chandra X-Ray Observatory revealed darker regions within the galaxy where the gas had presumably been blown out by the gas jets but these cavities sat far off from the jets’ current line of fire.

The astronomers theorized that a smaller galaxy had collided with a larger

one, causing the jets to ignite. Next, all the new gas from the galaxy falling into the black hole pushed the black hole’s axis of spin into a new position. Finally, one of two things happened to make the black hole’s axis flip a second time, the scientists suggest. Either the two galaxies’ black holes merged, or more gas fell into the main black hole. The evidence is far from conclusive, however, said University of Maryland astronomer Christopher

Reynolds, one of the study authors. “I wouldn’t bet my car on this theory. I might bet a good meal,” Reynolds said.

“We can’t think of another theory that works as well.”

Joan Centrella, associate deputy director of the astrophysics science division at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md., said if the theory proves correct, and if more examples of

similar galaxies are found, it may give scientists trying to detect gravitational waves a hint of what to look for in the vast reaches of space. A gravitational wave is a ripple in space-time whose existence was predicted by Einstein.

Although these waves have only been shown to exist indirectly, systems that involve two black holes merging together could be a good place to look for them, Centrella said. —MCT

Engineers prepare to seal ruptured oil well ‘We will not abandon you’, BP tells Gulf residents NEW ORLEANS: Engineers yesterday readied a plan to permanently seal a damaged Gulf of Mexico well, despite delays to the process caused by debris left behind by a recent tropical storm. As the work continued, incoming BP boss Bob Dudley vowed his company would not abandon res-

idents affected by the spill after the well is finally sealed. BP hopes to drown the well in an operation dubbed a “static kill,” in which mud and cement will be injected down into the ruptured wellhead via a cap installed on July 15.

GULF OF MEXICO: Ships assist in clean up and containment near the source of the BP Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico off the coast of Louisiana. Work continues to put a permanent plug on the well which has leaked an estimated three to five million barrels of oil. —AFP

Scientists report long-term decline of phytoplankton LOS ANGELES: The world’s phytoplankton appears to have been disappearing at a rate of about 1 percent a year for the past century, researchers said, a disturbing long-term trend for the microscopic algae that form the basis of the marine food chain and produce much of the world’s oxygen. In reporting their findings in the journal Nature, the Canadian team said that, since 1950, phytoplankton biomass has shrunk by about 40 percent. Scientists had known the population was shrinking, but the long-term nature of that reduction came as a surprise.

“A global decline of this magnitude? It’s quite shocking,” said Dalhousie University marine scientist Daniel Boyce, lead author on the study. The new study combines both historical records of ocean clarity with modern satellite data, the latter of which has only been available since the 1970s.

Together, the modern and historical information provide an accurate long-term view of the state of phytoplankton, something sci-

entists haven’t had before now. The historical data was based on measurements of ocean clarity called Secchi-depth determinations. Developed by an Italian priest around 1865, the measurements involved lowering what looked like a white dinner plate into the ocean until observers lost sight of it.

Water murkiness increases or decreases depending on the amount of phytoplankton or, more specifically, the plant’s green chlorophyll. The fewer phytoplankton, the clearer the ocean. Thus, the scientists were able to convert historical data into specific measures of phytoplankton populations, using it with the modern information to create a virtually seamless timeline of the algae over the past century.

“They’re creating a climate record out of something that really wasn’t designed to do this, using sophisticated techniques,” said David Siegel, a University of California, Santa Barbara, marine scientist who cowrote a commentary on the paper. “It fills in

a piece of our history, so we’re able to tell the story of what has been happening in the last 100 years.” The scientists noted that the global decline, which was observed in eight out of 10 ocean basins, also corresponded with a rise in ocean temperatures over the past century.

The scientists suspect that warming near the surface of the ocean makes each ocean layer more distinct - preventing the bottom layer, which is rich in nutrients, from mixing effectively with the upper layers and thus fertilizing the phytoplankton.

Boyce said he hopes the research will encourage more study of the phytoplankton decline. Looking into the past could help scientists determine how to reverse the declines, he added. “This is the tip of the iceberg, in some respects,” Boyce said.

“Phytoplankton are key to the whole ecosystem. In terms of climate changes, the effect on fisheries, we don’t know exactly what these effects will be.” — MCT

Dudley on Friday said the operation had been pushed back a day, saying “we are hopeful by Tuesday the static kill will have been performed.” The US pointman on the crisis, Coast Guard Admiral Thad Allen, said Friday the delay was needed to allow engineers to clear debris from the damaged wellhead caused by Tropical Storm Bonnie, which briefly halted spill operations.

But BP senior vice president Kent Wells said the company was confident the static kill would proceed successfully.

A cap in place for two weeks has shown no sign of leaks, “giving us more confidence that this well has integrity,” which is a positive sign for the operation, Wells said at a technical briefing Friday. Wells said BP hopes the static kill will be able to overcome the flow of oil, but that a second sealing method-via an intercept through a relief wellwould go ahead afterwards regardless. BP said the relief well is likely to intersect the existing well deep below the ocean floor within eight to 10 days, allowing the second sealing process-a bottom kill-by the end of August.

Making his first trip to the region since being named to replace outgoing BP CEO Tony Hayward, Dudley said Friday the firm’s focus would shift to long-term recovery for the region now that spill is being contained. “We’ve had some good news on the oil... but that doesn’t mean we’re done,” Dudley told reporters in Mississippi, one of the five states hit by the massive oil spill. “We’ll be here for years,” he said, as BP announced a 100million-dollar charitable fund to aid unemployed rig workers who are experiencing economic hardship due to the US government’s ongoing moratorium on deepwater drilling.

Dudley will take over as BP’s chief executive on October 1, when Hayward, who was widely criticized for his handling of the crisis, hands over the reins.

With the focus now moving towards mitigating the longterm impact of the worst-ever US oil spill, Dudley said there would be signs that the operation was changing. Miles of protective boom will be withdrawn from coastlines, and fewer clean-up crews in hazmat suits would be seen on beaches as oil stopped washing ashore. “So you’ll probably see that kind of a pullback. But commitment, absolutely no pullback,” he pledged.

It remains unknown just how much oil has spilled into the Gulf since the BP-leased Deepwater Horizon rig exploded and sank in April, killing 11 workers. Best estimates put the amount at between three to 5.3 million barrels. Allen said a team of experts was carrying out an “oil budget” to calculate how much was released, how much was captured and how much has evaporated, adding he hoped the report would be released in the coming days. “It’s something we ultimately need to know,” Allen said.

In another encouraging sign, the NOAA said southern Florida and the US eastern seaboard was not likely to experience any effects from the remaining surface oil, as had been feared, as the “oil continues to degrade and is hundreds of miles away from the loop current.” With the leak capped “the light sheen remaining on the Gulf’s surface will continue to biodegrade and disperse but will not travel far,” said Jane Lubchenco, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration chief. —AFP

WASHINGTON: A person dressed as Uncle Sam directs people to the Carnivoil rally on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC. The rally billed as “The Greatest Mess on Earth” is aimed at BP and their mishandling of the Gulf oil spill. —AFP

Well-preserved tomb provides insight into the Mayan culture LOS ANGELES: US and Guatemalan archaeologists have found an unusually wellpreserved burial chamber that they believe is the tomb of the founder of a Maya dynasty, a find that promises new information about the empire’s formative period. Archaeologist Stephen Houston of Brown University said the tomb was so tightly sealed that the team found remains of textiles, wood carvings and other organic objects that normally disappear in the humid tropics.

Even after 1,600 years, the smell of decay was still present when the team broke through the walls of the tomb, Houston said.

Enclosed with the remains of what the team believes to be an early king were the bodies of six infants, who may have been sacrificed and sent to the afterlife with the king.

Blood-red bowls surrounding the tomb contained human fingers and teeth wrapped in decaying organic matter, perhaps leaves, that may have been symbolic meal offerings, Houston said. Sacramental breads are still prepared in that manner today in the region, he said.

“If (Houston) is right and this is a dynastic founder ... it would be one of the only times we’ve found one of these people,” said archaeologist Simon Martin of the University of Pennsylvania, who was not involved in the research. It is also “uncommon to find sacrifices in the tomb. ... That is one of the things that marks it out as pretty special.” The tomb was found at a site called El Zotz, located about six miles from the city of Tikal in the Peten region of northern Guatemala.

Tikal was one of the largest

and most powerful urban centers in the Maya civilization and El Zotz apparently flourished on its border, even though a variety of evidence suggests that relations between the two cities were not good.

El Zotz was previously known as a small-time tourist destination because of a large population of bats; “zotz” is Mayan for “bat.” Houston’s team began mapping the site five years ago and excavating two years later. It had not been much explored by archaeologists, but was heavily looted. “The pyramids looked like Swiss cheese,” he said. Occupation at the site began about 500 BC and was marked by “rapid-fire periods of intense building, pauses, then other periods,” he said.

“It had a highly episodic quality, what I would have predicted in a frontier zone, periodically buffeted by Tikal and getting caught in the political turbulences of the time.”

The city originally lay in the valley due west of Tikal.

But about AD 350, the population went into a dramatic decline and moved to more defensible positions on the escarpment on the sides of the valley. “I suspect they needed to skedaddle because of the increasingly fragile political position,” Houston said. The new tomb is in a pyramid called El Diablo in “a supremely defensive position” at the top of a steep slope that is difficult to climb. The pyramids of Tikal are visible in the distance.

The tomb is at the base of the pyramid and others, most now looted, were built on top a chronology that supports the idea that the occupant was the founder of a dynasty.

The tomb was large by Maya standards, about 9 feet deep and 4.5 feet high. It is sealed with alternating layers of mud and rock, which helped preserve the contents. The primary occupant, originally installed on a green bier, was arrayed like a dancer, with bell-like ornaments made of shells and “clappers” made of canine teeth. It appears he was wearing an elaborate headdress with small glyphs on it, and his teeth were embedded with jewels. “We have known from the ‘90s on that a big role of kings was to be a ritual dancer,” Houston said. “This is the clearest instance I have seen of the king being put in a tomb in that role.”

Dancing was probably associated with the maize god “and is linked to fecundity, growth of the Earth and sprouts of new seeds,” Martin said. “It was a soulful, powerful thing” that emulated the swaying of maize from side to side.

Researchers are not sure if the infants were specifically sacrificed to join the king, but they think that might be the case because of what Houston called “a gruesome-looking obsidian blade gunked up with some red substance” found nearby.

They haven’t yet tested to see if it is blood. Other treasures in the tomb included shells imported from the Pacific coast, colorful bowls, remnants of textiles and ingots of a brilliant red pigment called specular hematitite, similar to the bronze ingots in Mediterranean shipwrecks. “This guy is taking his riches with him,” Houston said. “They speak to the vast divide that separates the king from the people who supported him.” — MCT

WHATʼS ON IN KUWAIT

Sunday, August 1, 2010

31 Embassy information EMBASSY OF US

Al-Baqsami receives her award from Dr Layos.

Al-Baqsami (middle) is seen with the other Nevo winners.

Al-Baqsami wins Hungarian Nevo award

K

uwaiti novelist and artist Thuraya Al-Baqsami was awarded with the 2010 Nevo artistic quality award in Hungary, for her work of art ‘Red Zone’, which she carried out as part of her participation in the Art Colony of the

47th Hidoshaki art forum. The event, which was founded on 1946 in Hajduboszormeny, Hungary, was organized in a two weeks period, at the end of which an exhibition took place on July 17, 2010 featuring participation of 14 artists

from Brazil, Serbia, Rumania, Hungary and Kuwait; competing for three opportunities to win Nevo awards given as part of the event.

“Al-Baqsami’s art contains supernormal aspects of elegance enriched with

vivid feminine characteristics, which extend into another world; trapped into a red sea of inherited ideological symbols”, said jury member Dr Voskuhl Layos.

After receiving her award, Al-Baqsami expressed gratitude for being selected as

a winner in the exhibition, further pointing out on the impact that she got through her experience in the European Artist Forum in Germany, and how it helped her in the two works in which she participated in the event.

PABAK tourney: The PABAK organizing committee would like to announce the opening of the PABAK/Western Union 24th Conference Basketball Tournament in the second week of August 2010. Registration in the following categories: Open 5’9” & under, non-leaguers, veterans and intercompany, is now going on at the Kuwait Sports Club for the Disabled gym in Hawally every Friday, through email at: rodcerezo@yahoo.com; or call: 6668954.

Early entries: IKEA, Kuwait Cement Co, Wataniya AW, Unisteel, POLO and Caboria Restaurant.

EMBASSY OF INDIA

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Dar Al-Athar survey: Dear friend, we would like to know your opinion for DAI workshops to he held during the upcoming 16th Cultural Season (2010-2011). To make a difference click on the following link: http://www.surveymonkey.com/ Please note that your responses will remain completely anonymous. Thank you for taking part in our survey. Wishing you happy summer holidays looking forward to see you during the 16th Cultural Season. Latest issue of Canvas is available in the Museum Shop.

Dar Al-Athar Al-lslamiyyah. Please note the new summer timings for Al-Maidan Cultural Centre urea 9:00-15 hours Sunday through Thursday. Al-Maidan Cultural Centre Abdullab Al-Salem School, Maidan Hawally, near Al-Sha’ab Leisure Park. Tel: 25636528 /25636561; Fax: 25653006; Email: membership@darrnuseuimorg.kw; Website: www.darmuseum.org.kw August 5 Alvernaz-Lalush Memorial Trophy: Navelim Youth Centre (NYC) will organize the Alvernaz-Lalush Memorial Trophy 7aside football tournament on Aug 5 and 12, 2010 in Kuwait.

The entire tournament is sponsored by Churchill Brothers, Goa. Draw of the tournament will be held on Friday, July 30 at Little India Restaurant, Salmiya. The first and second round of the tournament will be played on Aug 5 while the quarter-final stage onwards will be played on Aug 12. All games will be held at Surra Stadium, Block 2, Street 5, of the 4th ring road. Matches will begin from 6:30 pm onwards and wind up by 10 pm. The tournament under the leadership of NYC President Agnello A S Fernandes promises a festivity of football for players and spectators as it is played under floodlights and on International standard 7-aside grounds and rules. In case of matches ending in a draw there will be 5 penalty shoot-outs for each team. It may be noted that last year Navelim organized a grand tournament that included 18 teams.

For more details please contact the tournament coordinators at 99671107, 99502686, 99469782 or 66515418.

The Society Development Center recently held a festival for children at its headquarters in Al-Zahra, which was attended by a group of children and their families. —Photos by Fouad Al-Shaikh

Box Hill Kuwait offers academic pathways

N

idhal Katmeh, Deputy Director of Student Affairs at Box Hill College Kuwait (BHCK), announced with reaching agreements with the American University of Kuwait (AUK) and Australian College of Kuwait (ACK) allowing BHCK Diploma graduates to continue their undergraduate education through pathways to the institutions

Bachelor’s Degree programs.

“Box Hill College Kuwait (BHCK) encourages students to consider pathways that help them meet their longer term academic and professional goals,” she said noting that a wellplanned pathway will provide students options and opportunities for either work or academic study.

The ability to transfer credit to

undergraduate (Bachelor’s Degree) programs helps students develop a foundation of confidence, knowledge and employment skills parallel to pursing an academic pathway. “You might even consider the pathway planning a form of insurance should the student change their mind 2-3 years into a program and leave school.

At least they have the potential of

earning a recognized qualification along the way’ said Nidal Katmeh.

Box Hill College is dedicated to the lifelong learning and the higher education of women. “Whether pursing an employment qualification pathway or undergraduate academic pathway, we can help women plan a future based on knowledge and skills’ said Nidal.

Sept 17 Onam Fest 2010: ‘Vanithavedi Kuwait’ a leading women’s association will be celebrating Onam on Friday, Sept 17, 2010, from 9 am - 6 pm at the Indian Community School, Khaitan Branch, the program named as ‘OnamFest 2010’ will have the public meeting followed by various cultural programs. The traditional Onasadya will be served. For the successful conduct of Onam Fest 2010, a program committee has been formed. Dr Vasanthy Nair (general convenor), Valsamma George, Dr Mary (Joint Convenors), Prasanna Ramabhadran (Arts convenor), Tolly Prakash (Food convenor), Shiny Ajith (Raffle convenor), Sumathy Babu (Souvenir convenor), Valsa Sam (Publicity convenor), Syamala Narayanan, (Reception convenor), Sharlette Albert (Volunteer captain). For more details, contact: 24342807, 66428433, 66596625, 24331598.

The Embassy of India has further revamped and improved its Legal Advice Clinic at the Indian Workers Welfare Center, and made the free service available to Indian nationals on all five working days, i.e. from Sunday to Thursday every week.

Kuwaiti lawyers would be available at the Legal Advice Clinic daily from Monday to Thursday, while Indian lawyers would be available on Sundays.

Following are the free welfare services provided at the Indian Workers Welfare Center located at the Embassy of India: [i] 24x7 Helpline for Domestic Workers: Accessible by toll free telephone no.

25674163 from anywhere in Kuwait, it provides information and advice exclusively to Indian domestic sector workers (Visa No. 20) as regards their grievances, immigration and other matters. [ii] Help Desk: It offers guidance to Indian nationals on routine immigration, employment, legal, and other issues (Embassy premises; 9 AM to 1 PM and 2 PM to 4.30 PM, Sunday to Thursday); (iii) Labour Complaints Desk: It registers labor complaints and provides grievance redressal service to Indian workers (Embassy premises; 9 AM to 1 PM and 2 PM to 4.30 PM, Sunday to Thursday); (iv) Shelters: For female and male domestic workers in distress; (v) Legal Advice Clinic: Provides free legal advice to Indian nationals (Embassy premises; Kuwaiti lawyers 3 PM to 5 PM, Monday to Thursday; Indian lawyers 2 PM to 4 PM on Sunday); and (vi) Attestation of Work Contracts: Private sector worker (Visa No. 18) contracts are accepted at the Embassy; 9 AM to 1 PM; Sunday to Thursday; Domestic sector worker (Visa No. 20) contracts are accepted at Kuwait Union of Domestic Labor Offices (KUDLO), Hawally, Al-Othman Street, Kurd Roundabout, Al-Abraj Complex, Office No 9, Mezzanine Floor; 9 AM to 9 PM, Saturday to Thursday; 5 PM to 9 PM on Friday.

EMBASSY OF NIGERIA The Embassy of the Federal Republic of Nigeria wishes to invite all Nigerians residing in Kuwait to come and register with the Embassy.

The registration is compulsory for all Nigerians residing /visiting Kuwait.

Kindly bring the following documents along with you: • A photocopy of the Nigerian passport • One passport photograph • Copy of the civil identification card or visa For additional information please call: 25620278 or visit the Embassy at Block, 4, Malik Bin Anas Street, Avenue 44, House 31, Along Al-Aqsa Road, Rumaithiya. The Consular Section opens Sunday - Thursday from 9 am - 3 pm Your prompt response is highly solicited.

Theater & Music All level music classes: ‘Treasure of Talents’ (est in 1992) music education program invites all level music classes on piano, theory of music, vocal, flute.

Academic Level teachers help prepare for international exams, children concerts, yearly ‘Treasure of Talents’ Festival and music competitions. Contact Prof Cezary, Tel. 25320427, 66549009 of Ms Yasmeene Berlitz Institute Tel: 22542212. 22512533 or email: treasureoftalents@yahoo.com treasureoftalents@hotmail.com ✦✦✦

Call to classical music lovers: Are you a lover of music? Would you like to promote the traditional Indian classical music in Kuwait? If your answer is in the affirmative, please write ton more details to music_karnatic@yahoo.co. in (that is, music underscore karnatic) with your contact details or call 7978286.

The United States Department of State announces the increase in various visa fees to ensure sufficient resources to cover the increasing cost of processing nonimmigrant visas (NIVs). US law requires the Department to recover the cost of processing non-immigrant visas through the collection of the application fees.

The increased fees are to take effect June 4, 2010. Under the new rule, applicants for all visas that are not petitionbased, including B1/B2 tourist and business visitor visas and all student and exchange-visitor visas, will pay a fee of $140. Applicants for petition-based visas will pay an application fee of $150, as each of the below categories requires a review of extensive documentation and a more in-depth interview of the applicant than other categories, such as tourists.

These categories include: H visa for temporary workers and trainees L visa for intra-company transferees O visa for aliens with extraordinary ability P visa for athletes, artists and entertainers Q visa for international cultural exchange visitors R visa for religious occupations The application fee for K visas for fiance(e)s of US citizens will be $350.

The fee for E visas for treaty-traders and treaty-investors will be $390.

LAIF celebrates life and God’s blessings

T

he Life Abundant International Fountain Church (LAIF) on Friday 30th July 2010 held its anointing and praise worship service at the NECK premises. The event attracted a lot of dignitaries including the Jamaican envoy in Kuwait, Herman Lamont. In his message, the senior pastor, Jonathan Njoku urged Christians to follow the footsteps of Christ. There were host of religious activities as the congregation celebrated the blessings of God in their life.

EMBASSY OF BANGLADESH The Embassy of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh in Kuwait will follow the following office hours during the holy month of Ramadan.

Sunday to Thursday: 09:00 - 3:00 pm.

Friday and Saturday: Weekly holidays.

TV PROGRAMS

32

Sunday, August 1, 2010

Orbit / Showtime Listings

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

Championships 2009 18:00 Shack Therapy 1 19:00 Sony Ericsson World B Boy Series 19:30 Sony Ericsson World B Boy Series 20:00 On Any Sunday 21:40 Klunkerz 23:05 Eurodip 1

Kings Inside the Actors Studio Dawson’s Creek ER Ugly Betty Without a Trace Kings Ghost Whisperer Dawson’s Creek ER Kings Ghost Whisperer The Ex-List Glee Smallville Ugly Betty ER Damages Cold Case Murdoch Mysteries Nip/Tuck

03:30 04:25 05:20 06:10 06:35 07:00 07:25 08:15 08:45 09:40 10:05 10:55 11:20 11:50 12:45 13:10 13:40 14:05 14:35 15:00 15:30 15:55 16:25 17:20 18:15 19:10 20:10 21:05 22:00 22:55 23:50

Animal Cops Phoenix Pit Bulls and Parolees Animal Cops Houston SSPCA: On the Wildside Dolphin Days Animal Crackers Meerkat Manor All New Planet’s Funniest Animals Cats 101 Wildlife SOS International Ocean’s Deadliest Gorilla School SSPCA: On the Wildside Animal Precinct E-Vets: The Interns Pet Rescue Gorilla School Gorilla School Wildlife SOS International SSPCA: On the Wildside Cats of Claw Hill Cats of Claw Hill Dogs 101 Cats 101 Animal Cops Houston Weird Creatures with Nick Baker Galapagos Untamed & Uncut Untamed & Uncut Animal Cops Phoenix All New Planet’s Funniest Animals

03:00 03:25 03:45 03:55 04:15 04:40 05:00 05:10 05:30 05:55 06:15 06:40 07:05 07:20 07:40 07:50 08:20 08:35 08:55 09:05 09:35 10:05 11:05 13:05 13:30 14:00 14:30 14:45 15:30 16:15 17:00 17:15 18:00 18:50 19:40 20:30 21:30 22:20 22:35 23:30

Teletubbies Me Too Tellytales Tweenies Teletubbies Me Too Tellytales Tweenies Teletubbies Me Too Teletubbies Me Too Gigglebiz Me Too Tellytales Tikkabilla Gigglebiz Me Too Tellytales Tikkabilla Mastermind 2006 Coast Doctors Doctors Mastermind 2006 Mastermind 2006 Doctor Who Confidential The Weakest Link The Weakest Link Doctor Who Doctor Who Confidential Inspector Lynley Mysteries Casualty Casualty Sorted Rough Diamond Sd New Tricks Doctor Who Confidential Hotel Babylon Waterloo Road

03:30 04:20 04:40 05:05 05:35 06:00 07:00 10:20 11:10 12:30 13:00 13:50 14:35 15:25 15:50 16:15 17:05 17:55 18:45 19:10 20:50 21:40 22:05 22:50 23:15 23:40

Glamour Puds Glamour Puds Saturday Kitchen Saturday Kitchen James Martin’s Brittany Living In The Sun Come Dine With Me Come Dine With Me Saturday Kitchen Saturday Kitchen Living In The Sun Fantasy Homes By The Sea The Home Show Ty’s Great British Adventure Ty’s Great British Adventure Fantasy Homes In The City Come Dine With Me Come Dine With Me James Martin’s Brittany Come Dine With Me Come Dine With Me Indian Food Made Easy Rhodes Across China James Martin’s Champagne Coastal Kitchen Saturday Kitchen

03:30 05:15 07:15 09:00 11:30 13:30 16:00 18:00 20:30 22:30

All Hat-PG15 Skin-PG Frozen River-PG15 The Sting-PG15 Escape To Victory-PG15 One True Thing-PG Janis-PG La Graine Et Le Mulet-PG15 Sea Of Love-PG15 A Clockwork Orange-18

CARTOON NETWORK 03:00 The Powerpuff Girls 03:15 Foster’s Home For Imaginary Friends 03:40 The Secret Saturdays 04:05 Codename: Kids Next Door 04:30 Ben 10 04:55 Best Ed 05:20 Samurai Jack 05:45 Cramp Twins 06:10 Eliot Kid 06:35 The Marvelous Misadventures Of Flapjack 07:00 George Of The Jungle 07:25 Batman: The Brave And The Bold 07:50 Best Ed 08:00 The Secret Saturdays 09:00 Bakugan 10:00 Chop Socky Chooks 11:00 The Marvelous Misadventures Of Flapjack

Under The Mountain on Show Movies 12:00 Chowder 13:00 Foster’s Home For Imaginary Friends 14:00 Ben 10: Alien Force 15:00 Ed, Edd N Eddy 15:35 Chop Socky Chooks 16:00 Robotboy 16:25 Squirrel Boy 16:50 Chowder 17:15 The Secret Saturdays 17:40 Ben 10: Alien Force 18:05 Bakugan: New Vestroia 18:30 The Marvelous Misadventures Of Flapjack 19:00 Best Ed 19:25 Foster’s Home For Imaginary Friends 19:50 My Gym Partner’s A Monkey 20:05 The Powerpuff Girls 20:30 The Marvelous Misadventures Of Flapjack 20:45 Ben 10: Alien Force 21:10 Ed, Edd N Eddy 21:35 Robotboy 22:00 Camp Lazlo 22:25 Samurai Jack 22:50 Megas Xlr 23:15 Out Of Jimmy’s Head 23:40 Chowder

03:50 04:45 05:10 06:05 09:10 10:05 10:35 11:30 17:25 17:55 18:20 19:15 20:05 21:00 21:55 22:50

Nextworld How Stuff’s Made American Loggers Mythbusters Construction Intervention How Stuff’s Made Ultimate Survival American Loggers The Gadget Show How Stuff’s Made Wild Swimming Adventure Alone in the Wild Time Warp Mythbusters Storm Chasers Moments of Terror

03:00 03:50 04:45 05:40 06:10 07:00 08:00 08:30 09:00 09:55 10:50 11:15 11:45 14:30 15:25 15:55 16:50 17:45 18:10 18:40 19:30 20:20 21:10 22:00 22:50 23:40

The World’s Strangest UFO Stories Da Vinci’s Machines What’s That About?

How Stuff’s Made Mighty Ships The Kustomizer The Gadget Show The Gadget Show What’s That About?

Catch It Keep It How Stuff’s Made How Stuff’s Made The Future of...

The Future of...

Savage Planet Perfect Disaster Mighty Ships How Stuff’s Made How Stuff’s Made Invisible Worlds The Future of...

Engineered Da Vinci’s Machines Invisible Worlds The Future of...

Real Superhumans

03:20 03:45 04:10 04:35 05:00 05:20 05:45 06:10 06:35 07:00 07:25 07:50 08:15 08:35 09:00 09:25 09:45 10:10 10:35 11:00 11:25 11:50 12:15 12:40 13:00 13:30 15:00 15:25 15:50 16:15 16:40 17:00 17:25 17:50 18:15 18:35 19:00 19:25 19:45 20:10 20:30 20:55 21:20 21:45 22:10 23:35

The Suite Life Of Zack And Cody The Suite Life Of Zack And Cody Hannah Montana Jonas Wizards Of Waverly Place Suite Life On Deck Fairly Odd Parents A Kind Of Magic Replacements Phineas And Ferb Fairly Odd Parents Replacements Sonny With A Chance Hannah Montana Special Agent Oso Jungle Junction Handy Manny Imagination Movers Mickey Mouse Clubhouse Suite Life On Deck Wizards Of Waverly Place Jonas Hannah Montana Good Luck Charlie Sonny With A Chance High School Musical 2 Hannah Montana Jonas Wizards Of Waverly Place Suite Life On Deck Fairly Odd Parents A Kind Of Magic Replacements Phineas And Ferb Fairly Odd Parents Replacements Sonny With A Chance Hannah Montana Suite Life On Deck Wizards Of Waverly Place Jonas Hannah Montana Good Luck Charlie Sonny With A Chance Cadet Kelly Hannah Montana

03:15 04:10 05:05 05:30 06:00 07:45 08:35 09:25 11:05 11:30 12:00 12:50 13:15 13:40 14:30 14:55 15:25 17:10 17:35 18:00 18:50 19:15 19:40 20:30 20:55 21:20 21:45 22:10 23:00 23:25 23:50

25 Most Stylish Sexiest Battle Of The Hollywood Hotties Streets Of Hollywood Ths Bank Of Hollywood E! News Ths Kimora: Life In The Fab Lane Kimora: Life In The Fab Lane E! News Kourtney And Khloe Take Miami Kourtney And Khloe Take Miami Ths Kendra Kendra 20 Acts Of Love Gone Wrong Behind The Scenes Behind The Scenes E! News Giuliana And Bill Giuliana And Bill Ths Kourtney And Khloe Take Miami Kourtney And Khloe Take Miami Kimora: Life In The Fab Lane Kimora: Life In The Fab Lane E! News Chelsea Lately The Soup 25 Most Stylish

03:20 Fight Girls Series 2 04:15 Fight Girls Series 2 05:05 Fight Girls Series 2 06:00 I-Ex Season 2 06:30 I-Ex Season 2 07:00 Uci Nissan Mountain Bike World Cup 2008 07:30 Uci Nissan Mountain Bike World Cup 2008 08:00 Uci Nissan Mountain Bike World Cup 2008 08:30 Uci Nissan Mountain Bike World Cup 2008 09:00 Uci Nissan Mountain Bike World Cup 2008 09:30 Profiles: Jeremy Jones 10:00 X Games 14 11:00 X Games 14 12:00 X Games 14 13:00 X Games 14 14:00 X Games 14 15:00 Sony Ericsson World B Boy Series 15:30 Sony Ericsson World B Boy Series 16:00 Lucas Oil Motorcross Championships 2009 17:00 Lucas Oil Motorcross

03:00 03:30 04:00 05:00 05:30 06:00 07:00 07:25 07:50 08:15 08:40 09:05 09:30 10:00 10:30 11:00 11:30 12:30 13:00 13:30 14:00 14:30 15:00 15:30 16:00 17:00 17:30 18:00 18:30 19:00 19:30 20:00 21:00 21:30 22:00 22:30 23:00

Barefoot Contessa Everyday Italian 30 Minute Meals Tyler’s Ultimate Guys Big Bite Barefoot Contessa Everyday Italian Food Network Challenge 30 Minute Meals Good Deal with Dave Lieberman Guys Big Bite Barefoot Contessa Everyday Italian 30 Minute Meals Unwrapped Paula’s Party Barefoot Contessa Everyday Italian 30 Minute Meals Guys Big Bite Throwdown With Bobby Flay Good Deal with Dave Lieberman Food Network Challenge Grill It! with Bobby Flay Grill It! with Bobby Flay Guys Big Bite Guys Big Bite Food Network Challenge Grill It! with Bobby Flay Grill It! with Bobby Flay Food Network Challenge Guys Big Bite Guys Big Bite Barefoot Contessa Everyday Italian Iron Chef America Throwdown With Bobby Flay

03:05 04:00 04:25 04:55 05:20 06:10 06:35 07:00 07:50 08:40 09:30 10:20 11:10 12:00 12:50 13:40 14:30 15:20 16:10 17:00 17:50 18:40 19:30 20:20 21:10 22:00 22:50 23:40

Psychic Witness Crime Scene Psychics Crime Scene Psychics Real Emergency Calls FBI Files Ghosthunters Ghosthunters Forensic Detectives FBI Files CSU Mystery ER Forensic Detectives FBI Files Impossible Heists Final Days of an Icon Diagnosis: Unknown Forensic Detectives FBI Files CSU Mystery ER Forensic Detectives FBI Files Impossible Heists Final Days of an Icon Disappeared Lucie Blackman Murder I Escaped Death I Almost Got Away With It

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

The Best Job In The World The Best Job In The World The Best Job In The World Word Travels Wild Rides Danger Men Motorcycle Karma The Best Job In The World The Best Job In The World Word Travels Pressure Cook Storm Chase Bondi Rescue Don’t Tell My Mother Bondi Rescue Graham’s World Banged Up Abroad Banged Up Abroad Wild Rides Pressure Cook Storm Chase Bondi Rescue Don’t Tell My Mother Bondi Rescue Graham’s World Banged Up Abroad Banged Up Abroad

Deadgirl on Show Movies Action

22:30 Wild Rides 23:00 Pressure Cook 23:30 Storm Chase

03:15 05:05 06:40 08:30 10:15 11:55 Dave 13:25 15:20 17:10 18:50 20:30 22:00 23:55

The Offence American Dragons A Rage In Harlem Hennessy Boy, Did I Get A Wrong Number!

The Extreme Adventures Of Super

03:00 05:00 07:00 PG15 09:00 11:00 13:00 15:00

The Betrayed-PG15 Blue Crush-PG15 Bionicle: The Legend RebornThor: Hammer Of The Gods-PG15 Linewatch-18 Hide-PG15 Thor: Hammer Of The Gods-PG15

03:00 05:00 07:00 07:30 08:00 10:00 12:00 14:00 14:30

NRL Premiership Tri Nations Futbol Mundial World Sport Live NRL Premiership NRL Premiership Super League Futbol Mundial World Sport

05:30 Area 06:00 How Do I Look?

07:00 Style Star 07:30 Style Her Famous 08:00 Clean House 09:00 My Celebrity Home 10:00 Ruby 11:00 Dallas Divas And Daughters 11:30 Dallas Divas And Daughters 12:00 Peter Perfect 13:00 Exposed: The 25 Fashion Week Moments 14:00 40 (more) Crimes Of Fashion

Woman Of Straw The Madness Of King George High Spirits Barbershop Flowers In The Attic Midnight Cowboy Road House

03:00 SNL one hour version 04:00 South park 04:30 George Lopez 05:00 Just Shoot me!

05:30 Late night with Jimmy Fallon 06:30 Everybody Loves Raymond 07:00 Gary Unmarried 07:30 The Fresh Prince of Bel Air 08:00 Frasier 08:30 Just Shoot me!

09:00 George Lopez 09:30 Ten Things I hate about you 10:00 Everybody Loves Raymond 10:30 Gary Unmarried 11:00 Frasier 11:30 The Simpsons 12:00 Late night with Jimmy Fallon 13:00 Ten Things I hate about you 13:30 Just Shoot me!

14:00 George Lopez 14:30 Two and a half men 15:00 How I met your mother 15:30 The Daily Show with Jon Stewart (repeat) 16:00 The Colbert Report (repeat) 16:30 The Drew Carey Show 17:00 Everybody Loves Raymond 17:30 Frasier 18:00 New Adventures of old Christine 18:30 Will & Grace 19:00 Better Off Ted 19:30 Scrubs 20:00 Entourage 20:30 How to make it in America 21:00 The Daily Show with Jon Stewart (repeat) 21:30 The Colbert Report (repeat) 22:00 Saturday Night Live 23:30 New Adventures of old Christine

03:00 The Monique Show 04:00 The Tonight show with Jay Leno 05:00 GMA Weekend (Repeat) 06:00 Parenting 06:30 Job Club 07:00 GMA Health 07:30 What’s the Buzz 08:00 The Martha Stewart Show 09:00 Downsize Me 10:00 Jimmy Kimmel Live!

11:00 The View 12:00 The Ellen DeGeneres Show 13:00 The Martha Stewart Show 14:00 Parenting 14:30 Popcorn 15:00 GMA Weekend Live 16:00 Ahead of The Curve 16:30 Chef’s Table 17:00 The Tonight show with Jay Leno 18:00 Downsize Me 19:00 The View (repeat) 20:00 The Ellen DeGeneres Show 21:00 The Best of Jimmy Kimmel 22:00 The Tonight Show with Jay Leno (Best Of) 23:00 Moms Get Real / Now you know / Amplified

04:00 06:00 08:00 PG15 10:00 12:00 14:15 16:00 PG15 18:00 19:45 22:00

Three Investigators-PG15 My One And Only-PG15 The Secret Lives Of Second WivesUnder The Mountain-PG Star Trek-PG Quid Pro Quo-PG15 The Secret Lives Of Second WivesBran Nue Dae-PG15 Defiance-PG15 Revolutionary Road-PG15

Against The Current on Super Movies 17:00 19:00 21:00 23:00

House Under Siege-PG15 Universal Soldier: The Return-18 Into The Blue 2: The Reef-18 Deadgirl-R

03:30 Sabrina-PG 06:00 Blonde And Blonder-PG15 08:00 Short Track-PG 10:00 Down To You-PG15 12:00 Kingdom Come-PG 14:00 Son Of Rambow-PG 16:00 Pretty In Pink-PG15 18:00 Futurama : Into The Wild Green Yonder-PG15 20:00 The Ten-PG15 22:00 Pineapple Express-18

04:00 Aussie And Ted’s Great Adventure-PG 06:00 My Favorite Martian-PG 08:00 Barbie Fairytopia Mermaidia-FAM 10:00 Aussie And Ted’s Great Adventure-PG 12:00 Piper Penguin And His Fantastic Flying Machi-PG 14:00 Genghis Khan-PG 16:00 The Gold Retrievers: Legend Of The Lost Tre-PG 18:00 Sunshine Barry And The Disco Worms-PG 20:00 Dark Crystal-PG 22:00 Piper Penguin And His Fantastic Flying Machi-PG

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

One Tree Hill Three Sisters Home Improvement Psych Emmerdale Coronation Street Desperate Housewives Three Sisters Home Improvement One Tree Hill Psych Desperate Housewives Emmerdale Coronation Street Three Sisters Home Improvement CSI Law & Order Psych One Tree Hill Emmerdale Coronation Street The Philanthropist Law & Order Desperate Housewives Psych One Tree Hill

03:00 05:00 07:00 09:00 11:00 13:00 20:00 20:30 21:00 23:00

Tri Nations Live NRL Premiership Live NRL Premiership Currie Cup Tri Nations Live Cricket Test Match ICC Cricket World Futbol Mundial Tri Nations Triatholn

15:00 Live PGA European Tour 19:00 FIA GT 20:30 NRL Premiership

04:00 05:00 06:00 07:00 08:00 09:00 10:00 12:00 13:00 14:00 15:30 17:30 19:00 20:00 23:00

WWE NXT WWE Vintage Collection UFC Unleashed WWE Vintage Collection WWE Bottom Line WWE NXT WWE SmackDown V8 Supercars Championship V8 Supercars Championship Live FIA GT1 World Championship WWE Smackdown FIA GT1 World Championship UFC The Ultimate Fighter UFC 116 Lesnar vs Carwin WWE Bottom Line

03:00 Leaving Barstow-PG15 05:00 G-force-PG 07:00 For The Love Of Grace-PG 09:00 A Dance For Bethany-PG15 11:00 Georgia O’keeffe-PG15 13:00 Fab Five : The Texas Cheerleader Scandal-PG15 15:00 Inconceivable—PG15 17:00 A Dance For Bethany-PG15 19:00 Against The Current-PG15 21:00 Flawless-18 23:00 The Stoning Of Soraya M.-18

03:30 04:00 06:25 07:00 09:00 11:00 12:35 14:20 16:15 18:00 19:35 22:00 23:40

The Screening Room The Dirty Dozen The Screening Room The Yellow Rolls-royce Mandela On The Town Hot Millions The Last Time I Saw Paris The Wheeler Dealers Hotel Paradiso Cimarron California Suite Alex In Wonderland

03:00 04:50 05:40 06:30 07:20 08:10 09:00 10:50 11:40 12:30 13:20 14:10 15:00 16:50 17:40 18:30 19:20 20:10 21:00 21:55 22:50 23:40

Man Moment Machine Secret Luftwaffe of World War II Dogfights Modern Marvels Evolve Dogfights of the Future Man Moment Machine Secret Luftwaffe of World War II Dogfights Modern Marvels Evolve Dogfights of the Future Man Moment Machine Secret Luftwaffe of World War II Dogfights Modern Marvels Evolve How the Earth Was Made 2 Tales of the Gun Declassified Lancaster at War Human Weapon

04:00 Dr 90210 05:00 Kimora: Life In The Fab Lane

16:00 Glamour’s 50 Fashion Do’s And Don’ts 17:00 25 Most Stylish 18:00 25 Most Stylish 19:00 25 Most Stylish 20:00 Glamour’s 25 Biggest Do’s And Don’ts 21:00 How Do I Look?

22:00 Clean House: Search For The Messiest...

23:00 The Dish 23:30 Tacky House

05:00 05:04 08:00 08:04 08:45 13:00 13:04 15:00 15:24 16:00 16:04 16:35 17:00 18:00 18:45 20:00 20:04 20:45

Code Playlist Code Africa 10 Playlist Code Urban Hit 30 Code Compilation Playlist Code New Playlist Focus Urban Hit Playlist Code French Only Playlist

03:00 Top Travel 03:30 Destination Art 04:00 Globe Trekker 05:00 Cruising the Spirit of Adventure 06:00 Julian and Camilla’s World Odyssey 07:00 Globe Trekker 08:00 Swiss Railway Journeys 09:00 The Big Fish 09:30 The Big Fish 10:00 Cruising the Spirit of Adventure 11:00 People of the Sea 12:00 Cruising the Spirit of Adventure 13:00 Intrepid Journeys 14:00 Cutting Edge California 14:30 Hollywood and Vines 15:00 Flavours of South Africa 15:30 Essential 16:00 Globe Trekker 17:00 Short History of Convict Australia 18:00 Planet Food 19:00 Working Holiday 20:00 Great Scenic Railways-US & Canada 20:30 Raging Bulls 21:00 People of the Sea 22:00 Travel Notebook 23:00 Globe Trekker

05:00 07:00 09:00 10:00 11:00 12:00 13:00 14:00 17:00 18:00 19:00 20:00 22:00 23:00 23:30

Chill Out Smooth Wake Up Aerobic Vh1 Hits Music For The Masses Top 10 Def Leppard Cover Power Chart Madness Weekend Music For The Masses The Album Chart Show Music For The Masses Chart Madness Weekend Divas Pt 1 Vh1 Rocks Smells Like The 90s

Sunday, August 1, 2010

33 ACCOMMODATION

Flight Schedule Arrival Flights on Sunday 1/08/2010 Airlines Flt Route Time Ariana 405 Kabul/Dubai 00:05 Wataniya Airways 188 Bahrain 00:30 Jordanian 802 Amman 00:30 Kuwait 306 Cairo 00:50 Kuwait 544 Cairo 00:50 Wataniya Airways 434 Damascus 00:55 Gulf Air 211 Bahrain 01:05 Wataniya Airways 408 Beirut 01:05 Turkish 772 Istanbul 01:15 Air Arabia Egypt 551 Alexandria 02:00 Kuwait 108 Geneva/London 02:05 Egypt Air 614 Cairo 02:05 Jazeera 267 Beirut 02:10 DHL 370 Bahrain 02:15 Emirates 853 Dubai 02:25 Bulgaria Air 7029 Varna 02:50 Etihad 305 Abu Dhabi 02:55 Jazeera 513 Sharm El Sheikh 03:05 Jazeera 241 Amman 03:20 Qatari 138 Doha 03:25 Falcon 201 Dubai 05:25 Jazeera 503 Luxor 05:50 Kuwait 412 Manila/Bangkok 06:15 Jazeera 527 Alexandria 06:20 British 157 London 06:30 Kuwait 206 Islamabad 07:15 Kuwait 382 Delhi 07:20 Iran Air 615 Shahre Kord 07:35 Kuwait 302 Mumbai 07:50 Kuwait 332 Trivandrum 07:55 Fly Dubai 053 Dubai 07:55 Kuwait 676 Dubai 08:00 Kuwait 286 Chittagong 08:05 Kuwait 284 Dhaka 08:10 Emirates 855 Dubai 08:25 Arabia 121 Sharjah 08:40 Qatari 132 Doha 09:00 Iran Air 603 Shiraz 09:20 Etihad 301 Abu Dhabi 09:25 Iran Aseman 6801 Ahwaz 10:15 Jazeera 425 Bahrain 10:25 Falcon 203 Dubai 10:30 Jazeera 497 Riyadh 10:40 Gulf Air 213 Bahrain 10:45 Wataniya Airways 182 Bahrain 10:45 Wataniya Airways 102 Dubai 11:05 Jazeera 165 Dubai 11:15 Jazeera 447 Doha 11:20 Egypt Air 610 Cairo 12:55 Kuwait 672 Dubai 13:15 Oman Air 645 Muscat 13:15 Kuwait 774 Riyadh 13:20 Wataniya Airways 432 Damascus 13:35 United 982 Washington DC Dulles 13:35 Jordanian 800 Amman 13:35 Fly Dubai 057 Dubai 13:50 Jazeera 257 Beirut 14:05 Wataniya Airways 422 Amman 14:10 Kuwait 562 Amman 14:20 Kuwait 512 Tehran 14:20 Saudia 500 Jeddah 14:30 Kuwait 554 Damascus 14:35 Qatari 134 Doha 15:05 Kuwait 1802 Cairo 15:30 Jazeera 173 Dubai 16:05 Bahrain Air 344 Bahrain 16:40 Etihad 303 Abu Dhabi 16:50 Emirates 857 Dubai 16:55 Gulf Air 215 Bahrain 17:15 Wataniya Airways 402 Beirut 17:15 Saudia 510 Riyadh 17:20 Wataniya Airways 202 Jeddah 17:35 Arabia 125 Sharjah 17:40 Jazeera 239 Amman 17:40 Jazeera 367 Deirezzor 17:55 SriLankan 227 Colombo/Dubai 18:00 Jazeera 511 Sharm El Sheikh 18:15 Wataniya Airways 304 Cairo 18:35 Kuwait 166 Paris/Rome 18:40 Wataniya Airways 106 Dubai 18:45 Kuwait 502 Beirut 18:50 Kuwait 542 Cairo 18:50 Kuwait 618 Doha 18:55 Kuwait 786 Jeddah 18:55 Jazeera 481 Sabiha 19:00 Jazeera 177 Dubai 19:05 Kuwait 744 Dammam 19:15 Kuwait 674 Dubai 19:20 Kuwait 614 Bahrain 19:20 Singapore 458 Singapore/Abu Dhabi 19:25 Kuwait 102 New York/London 19:25 Kuwait 552 Damascus 19:40 Fly Dubai 061 Dubai 20:05 Oman Air 647 Muscat 20:15 Middle East 402 Beirut 20:20 Rovos 081 Baghdad 20:30 Jet A/W 572 Mumbai 20:30 Wataniya Airways 642 Vienna 20:45 Wataniya Airways 404 Beirut 20:50 DHL 372 Bahrain 21:00 Gulf Air 217 Bahrain 21:05 Emirates 859 Dubai 21:15 Kuwait 172 Frankfurt 21:20 Qatari 136 Doha 21:35 United 981 Bahrain 21:55 Indian 981 Chennai/Hyderabad/Ahmedabad 22:05 Jazeera 459 Damascus 22:20 Safi 215 Kabul 22:30 Jazeera 449 Doha 22:30 Lufthansa 636 Frankfurt 22:35 Jazeera 185 Dubai 22:40 Jazeera 429 Bahrain 22:45 Egypt Air 612 Cairo 22:55 KLM 0447 Amsterdam/Bahrain 23:10 India Express 389 Kozhikode/Mangalore 23:10 Wataniya Airways 108 Dubai 23:55 Pakistan 205 Lahore 23:55

Departure Flights on Sunday 01/08/2010 Egypt Air 607 Luxor Bangladesh 044 Dhaka India Express 394 Cochin/Kozhikode Indian 994 Mumbai/Chennai Lufthansa 637 Frankfurt Ariana 406 Dubai/Kabul Turkish 773 Istanbul Air Arabia Egypt 552 Alexandria Egypt Air 615 Cairo DHL 371 Bahrain Emirates 854 Dubai Bulgaria Air 7030 Varna Etihad 306 Abu Dhabi Qatari 139 Doha Wataniya Airways 101 Dubai Jordanian 803 Amman Jazeera 164 Dubai Jazeera 496 Riyadh Jazeera 422 Bahrain Jazeera 446 Doha Gulf Air 212 Bahrain Wataniya Airways 181 Bahrain Jazeera 256 Beirut Wataniya Airways 431 Damascus British 156 London Iran Air 614 Shahre Kord Fly Dubai 054 Dubai Kuwait 1801 Cairo Kuwait 171 Frankfurt Kuwait 671 Dubai Kuwait 117 New York Wataniya Airways 421 Amman Kuwait 553 Damascus Kuwait 561 Amman Arabia 122 Sharjah Emirates 856 Dubai Wataniya Airways 641 Vienna Qatari 133 Doha Kuwait 773 Riyadh Kuwait 511 Tehran Etihad 302 Abu Dhabi Iran Air 602 Shiraz Iran Aseman 6802 Ahwaz Jazeera 480 Sabiha Gulf Air 214 Bahrain Wataniya Airways 401 Beirut Falcon 204 Baghdad Wataniya Airways 303 Cairo Jazeera 172 Dubai Kuwait 541 Cairo Jazeera 510 Sharm El Sheikh Jazeera 238 Amman Jazeera 366 Deirezzor Wataniya Airways 201 Jeddah Kuwait 103 London Kuwait 501 Beirut Kuwait 785 Jeddah Egypt Air 611 Cairo Oman Air 646 Muscat Kuwait 551 Damascus Jordanian 801 Amman Wataniya Airways 105 Dubai Fly Dubai 058 Dubai United 982 Bahrain Jazeera 176 Dubai Kuwait 673 Dubai Wataniya Airways 403 Beirut Kuwait 617 Doha Saudia 503 Medinah/Jeddah Qatari 135 Doha Kuwait 613 Bahrain Kuwait 743 Dammam Jazeera 458 Damascus Rovos 082 Baghdad Bahrain Air 345 Bahrain Etihad 304 Abu Dhabi Wataniya Airways 305 Cairo Emirates 858 Dubai Gulf Air 216 Bahrain Arabia 126 Sharjah Wataniya Airways 321 Sharm El Sheikh Jazeera 184 Dubai Saudia 511 Riyadh Jazeera 448 Doha SriLankan 228 Dubai/Colombo Wataniya Airways 407 Beirut Wataniya Airways 107 Dubai Jazeera 428 Bahrain Jazeera 434 Mashad Kuwait 283 Dhaka Jazeera 266 Beirut Kuwait 361 Colombo Fly Dubai 062 Dubai Singapore 457 Abu Dhabi/Singapore Kuwait 343 Chennai Kuwait 351 Cochin Oman Air 648 Muscat Middle East 403 Beirut Jet A/W 571 Mumbai Wataniya Airways 187 Bahrain Gulf Air 218 Bahrain DHL 373 Bahrain Kuwait 675 Dubai Emirates 860 Dubai Falcon 102 Bahrain Kuwait 381 Delhi Qatari 137 Doha Kuwait 203 Lahore Kuwait 301 Mumbai Jazeera 526 Alexandria Jazeera 636 Aleppo United 981 Washington DC Dulles Jazeera 502 Luxor Kuwait 411 Bangkok/Manila Kuwait 415 Kuala Lumpur/Jakarta Egypt Air 613 Cairo

FOR AIRPORT INFORMATION 161

00:15 00:15 00:25 00:50 00:50 01:45 02:15 02:40 03:05 03:15 03:45 03:50 04:00 05:00 06:50 07:00 07:05 07:15 07:30 07:40 07:45 07:50 08:05 08:10 08:25 08:35 08:40 08:45 08:55 09:00 09:05 09:10 09:10 09:15 09:20 09:40 09:45 10:00 10:00 10:00 10:10 10:20 11:15 11:20 11:35 11:35 11:45 11:50 11:55 12:00 12:05 12:10 12:15 12:25 12:30 13:00 13:30 13:55 14:15 14:20 14:30 14:30 14:35 14:50 14:55 15:10 15:10 15:35 15:45 16:20 16:20 16:25 16:55 17:00 17:25 17:35 18:05 18:05 18:05 18:20 18:20 18:30 18:35 18:50 19:10 19:25 19:40 19:50 19:55 20:00 20:10 20:20 20:50 20:55 21:00 21:05 21:15 21:20 21:30 21:35 21:55 22:00 22:10 22:25 22:30 22:30 22:35 22:40 22:45 23:20 23:35 23:40 23:40 23:40 23:50 23:55

Room available in Salmiya opposite - Al Rashid hospital for bachelors or small family, with Manglorean family. Contact: 66332653.

(C 2521) 1-8-2010 Single room accommodation required for a decent Keralite Christian bachelor with a small family in Abbassiya.

Contact: 97426334. (C 2520) 31-7-2010 Sharing accommodation room available Salmiya near garden, C-A/C building for single or family.

Call 97151921.

(C 2518) 29-7-2010 Sharing accommodation available for an executive Keralite bachelor from August in Kuwait city. Contact: 60015811, 66877140.

(C 2509) Room for sharing, Farwaniya behind Crowne Plaza near Burger King, separate bathroom, C-A/C, internet available, laundry, KD 70 monthly, for Indonesian/ Filipino. Contact: 66604286, 66925390.

(C 2515) 28-7-2010 Sharing accommodation available for a couple or two working ladies in a two bedroom flat with a small family in Abbassiya, near Time out restaurant from the end of July. Contact: 99272057/ 66015211. (C 2511) Sharing accommodation available in Abbassiya for decent executive bachelor, new building separate room, independent bathroom/ balcony, Kalabhavan building, near UI School. Contact: 97208351. (C 2510) Room available in C-A/C flat for Asian couple, Old Khaitan airport road opp Farwaniya bridge just one minute to all route bus stop, Filipina preferred. Contact: 97468551. (C 2513) A furnished room with attached bath in spacious C-AC flat with all facilities available in Ashbiliya, a new locality adjacent to Farwaniya. Contact: 99714430.

(C 2514) 27-7-2010 Sharing accommodation available, Keralite family or working ladies at Abbassiya.

Please contact: 97234410.

(C 2502) Sharing accommodation available for single decent bachelor, non smoking share with family. Opposite Al-Rashid hospital, Shara Amman, Salmiya. Tel: 5651678/ 66232356.

(C 2508) Sharing accommodation available with all facilities for one or two working ladies with a decent couple in a double bedroom C-A/C flat near Salmiya garden. Contact: 99627139/ 97916379.

(C 2507) Sharing accommodation available for small family, decent lady or decent gent with separate bathroom in Salmiya Amman street new building C-AC flat fully furnished. Call 99678634.

(C 2506) 26-7-2010 Sharing accommodation available in Abbassiya for working ladies, 2 bedroom/2 bathroom CAC flat with Keralite family. Contact: 66013882. (C 2500) 25-7-2010 Sharing fully furnished flat, C-A/C 2 bedroom 2 bathroom for rent, nice location, specially for families on visit. Phone: 67060429.

(C 2494) Sharing accommodation available in Abbassiya near Highway Center for bachelor or family, bachelor rent KD 50, family rent KD 80.

Contact: 99645213.

(C 2499) Accommodation available in Abbassiya with Keralite family, single room for a single bachelor, Rent KD 50.

Contact: 99379165, 24319893. (C 2497) Accommodation available for a family or bachelors in Abbassiya near Highway Center and Paradise hotel in a two bedroom, two bathroom flat.

Contact: 66558927/ 66720897.

(C 2498)

FOR SALE Toyota Corolla - 97 in good running condition, genuine buyers to contact 97314402.

(C 2512) Nissan Altima model 2007/V6/2.5 engine metallic grey color, off-white cloth inside km 28000, excellent condition, price KD 2500.

Tel: 66161766.

No: 14807

(C 2517) 29-7-2010 Toyota Camry 2007 GL golden color, very low mileage well maintained, excellent condition, price KD 3650.

Contact: 66015265. (C 2504) Toyota Camry 2006 GLI silver color, with alloy wheel, remote key, fog lamp, wooden decor, excellent condition. Price KD 2950. Contact: 66033875. (C 2505) Mitsubishi Nativa GLS, model 2007, color light blue, done km 47,000, very good condition, price KD 2,700.

Contact: 66211779.

(C 2503) 26-7-2010

SITUATION WANTED

Indian male secretary is looking for immediate placement. 12 years Kuwait experience - complete secretarial/office administration works. Well experienced in independent correspondence/coordination / local purchase/ construction tendering works.

Call: 66597087.

(C 2501) 25-7-2010

34

SPECTRUM

Sunday, August 1, 2010

Calvin

CROSSWORD 39

Aries (March 21-April 19) Your easy manner and willingness to listen to others will make conversations and interactions go well this morning. You are at home in all things mystical or religious and have this as a natural talent. You have clear vision in these realms. Although you may be helping many people today with your talents, there are opportunities to serve in a volunteer situation through a different avenue this afternoon. A neighbor may need you to help with some home project. Through helping another, you learn new techniques and gain new ideas. You are at home in a crowd and enjoy the attention of others this evening, party time.

Taurus (April 20-May 20) Beating the odds through cleverness is appealing and this may lead to an interest in all kinds of financial speculation. Your sense of duty to your responsibilities could cause you to ignore or forego your loved one's weekend plans. If this is a special day, think very hard before deciding to pass on family matters. You could take a vacation from your responsibilities today and explore more creative places. Compromise and follow-through are good words for this day. Share a massage or get a psychic reading with a family member. This afternoon a lover or child who is bright and articulate gives you incentive to create a fun game or join in a creative exercise. Share a bit of laughter with this person.

Perhaps an exciting movie could be enjoyed this evening.

Pooch Cafe

ACROSS 1. Thigh of a hog (usually smoked).

4. Melon having yellowish rind and whitish flesh.

10. A white linen liturgical vestment with sleeves.

13. A federal agency established to coordinate programs aimed at reducing pollution and protecting the environment.

14. Of or relating to a clone.

15. Large brownish-green New Zealand parrot.

16. The sign language used in the United States.

17. West Indian tree having racemes of fragrant white flowers and yielding a durable timber and resinous juice.

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

19. Of a period of maximal use or demand or activity.

21. A Russian river.

24. A rare silvery (usually trivalent) metallic element.

25. An ancient city in southeastern Greece.

26. An administrator in charge of a division of a university or college.

28. An associate degree in applied science.

30. Any of a number of fishes of the family Carangidae.

33. An associate degree in nursing.

34. A highly unstable radioactive element (the heaviest of the halogen series).

38. Aroused to impatience or anger.

39. Basic principles of the cosmos.

40. A public promotion of some product or service.

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

43. A state in north central United States.

46. Expletives used informally as intensifiers.

49. An ambitious and aspiring young person.

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

54. An association of nations dedicated to economic and political cooperation in southeastern Asia.

56. A fractional monetary unit in Bahrain and Iraq and Jordan and Kuwait and Southern Yemen and Yemen.

59. The basic unit of money in Iran.

60. 100 toea equal 1 kina.

61. A metrical unit with unstressed-stressed syllables.

62. A river in north central Switzerland that runs northeast into the Rhine.

Gemini (May 21-June 20) A review of healthy foods and a little time spent in a fresh foods market will allow you to stock up on a few healthy meals for the week ahead. You will find this project will save a little money and time as you plan your own lunches for the workweek.

Career growth will come to you rapidly these next few weeks and the more you take a little time for enjoying a few minutes of relaxation, the better.

Learn techniques of stress relief. You are driven and passionate in your pursuit of change and inner growth. Do the same for your physical growth.

You possess, at the core, an intensity that burns through superficialities, searching for opportunities to face the truth and render the evident to view.

A call brings good news to your whole family this evening.

Non Sequitur Cancer (June 21-July 22) You are able to develop what is most basic and true in your environment. You encourage others to do the same. Clearing away the old and making room for the new gives everyone a sense of moving forward. This is a good time to set aside those things you no longer use or wear to either give to a charity or plot your path to a great garage sale. You have a way of speaking that makes people listen and think as well as taking on a calming attitude. A little band of merry family members will follow your lead. There is an opportunity to take a positive position with regard to real estate, volunteer services or some group plan today. You lead and guide others onto positive pathways. Opportunities come up today to teach in the future; a good thing to consider.

Leo (July 23-August 22) Being with other people today is fun and a plus to your life. Lovers, children and other people or things dear to your heart are emphasized at this stage in your life. Sharing time with young people and learning new things together is gratifying. You are a real charmer--able to enchant others and bring them under your spell.

You manage to communicate an almost mystical sense to a group. Your ideals and ability to see the whole picture are obvious to all who come to know you. You can express feelings and put emotions into words. This could give you a flair for the dramatic, public speaking, poetry and the arts. This evening is the perfect time for a date with that special person you have been thinking about lately--your loved one or someone new.

Zits

Virgo (August 23-September 22) You are at home where DOWN 1. A collection of objects laid on top of each other.

2. A domed or vaulted recess or projection on a building especially the east end of a church.

3. A port city and resort in Andalusia in southern Spain on the Mediterranean.

4. Being one hundred more than two hundred.

5. Paralysis of the vocal cords resulting in an inability to speak.

6. Being the only one.

7. A genus of tropical American plants have sword-shaped leaves and a fleshy compound fruits composed of the fruits of several flowers (such as pineapples).

8. An imaginary elephant that appears in a series of French books for children.

9. A flat wing-shaped process or winglike part of an organism.

10. A state in northwestern North America.

11. An accidental hole that allows something (fluid or light etc.) to enter or escape.

12. A small cake leavened with yeast.

20. Valuable fiber plant of East Indies now widespread in cultivation.

22. A minor Hebrew prophet (8th century BC).

23. An annual award by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences for achievements in motion picture production and performance.

27. A town in north central Oklahoma.

29. A radioactive element of the actinide series.

31. Weapons considered collectively.

32. Two items of the same kind.

35. The capital and largest city of Iran.

36. (Babylonian) God of storms and wind.

37. Mostly black African weaverbird.

41. Small genus of dioecious tropical aquatic plants.

44. Administer an oil or ointment to.

45. Squash bugs.

47. 100 agorot equal 1 shekel.

48. A dark region of considerable extent on the surface of the moon.

49. A state in northwestern North America.

50. A genus of European owls.

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

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

53. A shaft on which a wheel rotates.

55. The bill in a restaurant.

57. Destruction of heart tissue resulting from obstruction of the blood supply to the heart muscle.

58. A metric unit of length equal to one hundredth of a meter.

there are lots of communication, investigation and exploration. You are fascinated by social interchange. You tend not to be emotional and are somewhat surfaceoriented. You enjoy variety and change. Thinking, writing, researching and science are good. You are a teacher at heart.

You may enjoy teaching a creative class today or guiding young people in some outside activity. Circumstances should work together to help bring out your ideals and make it easier to realize your dreams. All in all, this is a good time to project your image.

You may benefit from an older person or one in authority. Life could take on a dreamlike stance this afternoon--stay out of the sun. You and a loved one will have some quality time together tonight.

Libra (September 23-October 22) An invitation to share time with a visiting friend or family member is tempting and you may want to grab the camera as well as some pictures before you leave the house. It is always fun to brag a little and the opportunity to take pictures is hard to resist. Fun times to visit and catch up on a friend's or family member's happenings give some sort of completeness to your own life progress. This afternoon is excellent for taking care of some personal business. A deeper study of genealogy or some other interest is fun to explore and may find you wanting to learn more. The urge to discover and be enthusiastic about a subject gives you and others ideas about places to visit and activities of learning and play. Planning trips and adventures is all a part of the fun.

Mother Goose and Grimm

Scorpio (October 23-November 21) You will find yourself in a very practical mood. You are innovative when it comes to self-analysis and self-care: food, diet, health, etc.

You love a social life; friends and relationships play a major role in your makeup. Close bonds are very important to you.

You love to communicate and discuss ideas with other people. You and a group of your friends may decide to find a neighborhood market where you can purchase fresh vegetables and fruits and homegrown or homemade goodies. All of this is work but with a group of you, the work turns into fun and one among you will be thrifty while another will be creative and yet another will be organized and the list goes on. These trips only need to be once a month but are most beneficial.

Sagittarius (November 22-December 21) You have a lot of energy for improving your surroundings or life situations. You are very motivated to improve. There could be some hard feelings, especially from young people, if you become too pushy. You put forth strong views and are hard to influence but now is the time to be patient and keep working at what you want to accomplish . . . others will follow your lead.

Mother always said, 'You can catch more flies with honey than vinegar.'

Create rewards. Emotional and a good entertainer, you may be louder than average and tend to exaggerate but others will also want to join with you later in celebrating the accomplishments of the day. You are successful in your endeavors and may have noticed . . . all is well with everyone.

Yesterday’s Solution

Yester

Yesterday’s Solution

To

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Tunisia Rabat Washington New York Paris London Madrid Zurich Geneva Monaco Rome Bangkok Hong Kong Pakistan Taiwan Bonn

0021610 002127 001212 001718 00331 004471 00341 00411 004122 0033 00396 00662 00852 0092 00886 0049228

Aquarius (January 20- February 18) A cycle of nostalgia and domesticity begins now emphasizing a need for security and a sense of roots. Family, home, relatives and real estate play a big part in your life. You may be moved to appreciate and discover the beauty in your life and in those around you. You communicate with skill and it is stimulating just being with you today. Your high degree of mental concentration makes you a fine mentor to young people. Your ambitions go hand-in-hand with communication and using the mind and the two should never be far apart. Art, music, teaching, are all a part of your weekend activity and this may be the day you have the words to turn a person's life to a more positive path. You give a friend more of your attention this evening.

INTERNATIONAL CALLS Kuwait Qatar Abu Dhabi Dubai Raas Al Khayma Al-Shareqa Muscat Jordan Bahrain Riyadh Makkah - Jeddah Cairo Alexandria Beirut Damascus Allepo

Capricorn (December 22-January 19) You are the personification of artistic creativity. Entertainment and creativity of all sorts may be enjoyed. You may become involved in the writing and creation of scripts, etc. Spiritual ideas and concepts are a way of life here. There are deep appreciations and even love for, movies, big ideas and themes. You could be a visionary director. You have an enchanting way of working and communicating with others in matters of music and the art is often a fascination. You could feel real support and harmony for circumstances and those around you. This is a time when you can expect a little boost, some sort of extra support or recognition from those around you. Past difficulties seem to just melt away this evening, all-is-right-with-the-world.

Word Sleuth Solution

Pisces (February 19-March 20) A passionate one, you are never lukewarm in love. It's hot or not. You are in love with mystery, secrets and intrigue; anything but that which is open or superficial. You have great personal magnetism and a loyalty verging on possessiveness. You are never dull, particularly today. Politics just may be something you enjoy full or part time. You seem to always be popular with others and-at home in the crowd--you tend to radiate success. Others may value the fact that you can always manage to unravel even the worst problems for them. You could benefit from the advice of older people this afternoon. A neighbor offers a nice treat when you get home this evening. This could mean tickets to a ball game or an invitation to a back-yard party.

INFORMATION

Sunday, August 1, 2010

35 FIRE BRIGADE Operation Room 112 Al-Madena 22418714 Al-Shohada始a 22545171 Al-Shuwaikh 24810598 Al-Nuzha 22545171 Sabhan 24742838 Al-Helaly 22434853 Al-Fayhaa 22545051 Al-Farwaniya 24711433 Al-Sulaibikhat 24316983 Al-Fahaheel 23927002 Jleeb Al-Shuyoukh 24316983 Ahmadi 23980088 Al-Mangaf 23711183 Al-Shuaiba 23262845 Al-Jahra 25610011 Al-Salmiya 25616368

Ministry of Interior website: www.moi.gov.kw

For labor-related inquiries and complaints: Call MSAL hotline 128 HOSPITALS Sabah Hospital

24812000

Amiri Hospital

22450005

Maternity Hospital

24843100

Mubarak Al-Kabir Hospital

25312700

Chest Hospital

24849400

Farwaniya Hospital

24892010

Adan Hospital

23940620

Ibn Sina Hospital

24840300

Al-Razi Hospital

24846000

Physiotherapy Hospital

POLICE STATION Al-Madena Police Station Al-Murqab Police Station Al-Daiya Police Station Al-Fayha始a Police Station Al-Qadissiya Police Station Al-Nugra Police Station Al-Salmiya Police Station Al-Dasma Police Station

24874330/9 CLINICS

Roudha

22517733

Adhaliya

22517144

Khaldiya

24848075

Keifan

24849807

Shamiya

24848913

Shuwaikh

24814507

Abdullah Salim

22549134

Al-Nuzha

22526804

Industrial Shuwaikh

24814764

Al-Khadissiya

22515088

Dasmah

22532265

Bneid Al-Ghar

22531908

Al-Shaab

22518752

Al-Kibla

22459381

Ayoun Al-Kibla

22451082

Al-Mirqab

22456536

Sharq

22465401

Salmiya

25746401

Jabriya

25316254

Maidan Hawally

25623444

Bayan

25388462

Mishref

25381200

W.Hawally

22630786

Sabah

24810221

Jahra

24770319

New Jahra

24575755

West Jahra

24772608

South Jahra

24775066

North Jahra

24775992

North Jleeb

24311795

Al-Ardhiya

24884079

Firdous

4892674

Al-Omariya

4719048

N.Kheitan

4710044

Rabiya

4732263

Fintas

3900322

THE PUBLIC AUTHORITY FOR CIVIL INFORMATION Automated enquiry about the Civil ID card is 1889988 AIRLINES

PHARMACIES ON 24 HRS DUTY GOVERNORATE Ahmadi

PHARMACY Sama Safwan Abu Halaifa Danat Al-Sultan

ADDRESS Fahaeel Makka St Abu Halaifa-Coastal Rd Mahboula Block 1, Coastal Rd

PHONE 23915883 23715414 23726558

Jahra

Modern Jahra Madina Munawara

Jahra-Block 3 Lot 1 Jahra-Block 92

24575518 24566622

Capital

Ahlam Khaldiya Coop

Fahad Al-Salem St Khaldiya Coop

22436184 24833967

Farwaniya

New Shifa Ferdous Coop Modern Safwan

Farwaniya Block 40 Ferdous Coop Old Kheitan Block 11

24734000 24881201 24726638

Hawally

Tariq Hana Ikhlas Hawally & Rawdha Ghadeer Kindy

Salmiya-Hamad Mubarak St Salmiya-Amman St Hawally-Beirut St Hawally & Rawdha Coop Jabriya-Block 1A Jabriya-Block 3B

25726265 25647075 22625999 22564549 25340559 25326554

EMERGENCY 112

PRIVATE CLINICS Ophthalmologists: Dr. Abidallah Al-Mansoor Dr. Samy Al-Rabeea Dr. Masoma Habeeb Dr. Mubarak Al-Ajmy Dr. Mohsen Abel Dr Adnan Hasan Alwayl Dr. Abdallah Al-Baghly

25622444 25752222 25321171 25739999 25757700 25732223 25732223

Ear, Nose & Throat (ENT): Dr. Ahmed Fouad Mouner 24555050 Ext 510 Dr. Abdallah Al-Ali 25644660 Dr. Abd Al-Hameed Al-Taweel 25646478 Dr. Sanad Al-Fathalah 25311996 Dr. Mohammad Al-Daaory 25731988 Dr. Ismail Al-Fodary 22620166 Dr. Mahmoud Al-Booz 25651426 General Practitioners: Dr. Mohamme Y Majidi 24555050 Ext 123 Dr. Yousef Al-Omar 24719312 Dr. Tarek Al-Mikhazeem 23926920 Dr. Kathem Maarafi 25730465 Dr. Abdallah Ahmad Eyadah 25655528 Dr. Nabeel Al-Ayoobi 24577781 Dr. Dina Abidallah Al-Refae 25333501 Urologists: Dr. Ali Naser Al-Serfy 22641534 Dr. Fawzi Taher Abul 22639955 Dr. Khaleel Abidallah Al-Awadi22616660 Dr. Adel Al-Hunayan FRCS (C) 25313120 Plastic Surgeons: Dr. Mohammad Al-Khalaf 22547272

22434064 22435865 22544200 22547133 22515277 22616662 25714406 22530801

Dr. Abdal-Redha Lari Dr. Abdel Quttainah

22617700 25625030/60

Family Doctor: Dr Divya Damodar 23729596/23729581

Dr. Dr. Dr. Dr. Dr.

Zahra Qabazard Sohail Qamar Snaa Maaroof Pradip Gujare Zacharias Mathew

25710444 22621099 25713514 23713100 24334282

(1) Ear, Nose and Throat Psychiatrists Dr. Esam Al-Ansari 22635047 Dr Eisa M. Al-Balhan 22613623/0 Gynaecologists & Obstetricians: Dr Adrian Harbe 23729596/23729581 Dr. Verginia s.Marin 2572-6666 ext 8321 Dr. Fozeya Ali Al-Qatan 22655539 Dr. Majeda Khalefa Aliytami 25343406 Dr. Ahmad Al-Khooly 25739272 Dr. Salem soso 22618787 General Surgeons: Dr. Abidallah Behbahani 25717111 Dr. Amer Zawaz Al-Amer 22610044 Dr. Mohammad Yousef Basher 25327148

Paediatricians: Dr. Abd Al-Aziz Al-Rashed 25340300

Rheumatologists: Dr. Adel Al-Awadi 25330060 Dr. Khaled Al-Jarallah 25722290

(2) Plastic Surgeon Dr. Abdul Mohsin Jafar, FRCS (Canada)

25655535 Dentists:

Dr Anil Thomas

3729596/3729581

Dr. Shamah Al-Matar

22641071/2

Dr. Anesah Al-Rasheed

22562226

Dr. Abidallah Al-Amer

22561444

Dr. Faysal Al-Fozan

22619557

Dr. Abdallateef Al-Katrash

22525888

Dr. Abidallah Al-Duweisan

25653755

Dr. Bader Al-Ansari

25620111

Neurologists:

Internist, Chest & Heart: DR.Mohammes Akkad 24555050 Ext 210 Dr. Mohammad Zubaid MB, ChB, FRCPC, PACC Assistant Professor Of Medicine Head, Division of Cardiology Mubarak Al-Kabeer Hospital Tel: 25339667 Dr. Farida Al-Habib MD, PH.D, FACC Consultant Cardiologist Tel: 2611555-2622555 Inaya German Medical Center Te: 2575077 Fax: 25723123

Dr. Sohal Najem Al-Shemeri 25633324 Dr. Jasem Mola Hassan

Internists, Chest & Heart: Dr. Adnan Ebil 22639939 Dr. Mousa Khadada 22666300 Dr. Latefa Al-Duweisan 25728004 Dr. Nadem Al-Ghabra 25355515 Dr. Mobarak Aldoub 24726446 Dr Nasser Behbehani 25654300/3

Physiotherapists & VD: Dr. Deyaa Shehab 25722291 Dr. Musaed Faraj Khamees 22666288

25345875

Gastrologists Dr. Sami Aman

22636464

Dr. Mohammad Al-Shamaly 25322030 Dr. Foad Abidallah Al-Ali

22633135

Endocrinologist: Dr. Abd Al-Naser Al-Othman 25339330 Dr. Ahmad Al-Ansari

25658888

Dr. Kamal Al-Shomr

25329924

Psychologists/Psychotherapists Soor Center Tel: 2290-1677 Fax: 2290 1688 info@soorcenter.com www.soorcenter.com Dr. Naif Al-Mutawa, Ph.D. 2290-1677 Susannah-Joy Schuilenberg, M.A. 2290-1677 William Schuilenberg, RPC 2290-1677 Zaina Al Zabin, M.Sc. 2290-1677

Kuwait Airways Wataniya Airways Jazeera Airways Jet Airways Qatar Airways KLM Air Slovakia Olympic Airways Royal Jordanian Reservation British Airways Air France Emirates Air India Sri Lanka Airlines Egypt Air Swiss Air Saudia Middle East Airlines Lufthansa PIA Alitalia Balkan Airlines Bangladesh Airlines Czech Airlines Indian Airlines Oman Air Turkish Airlines

22433377 24379900 177 22477631 22423888 22425747 22434940 22420002/9 22418064/5/6 22433388 22425635 22430224 22425566 22438184 22424444 22421578 22421516 22426306 22423073 22422493 22421044 22414427 22416474 22452977/8 22417901/2433141 22456700 22412284/5 22453820/1

INTERNATIONAL CALLS Afghanistan Albania Algeria Andorra Angola Anguilla Antiga Argentina Armenia Australia Austria Bahamas Bahrain Bangladesh Barbados Belarus Belgium Belize Benin Bermuda Bhutan Bolivia Bosnia Botswana Brazil Brunei Bulgaria Burkina Burundi Cambodia Cameroon Canada Cape Verde Cayman Islands Central African Republic Chad Chile China Colombia Comoros Congo Cook Islands Costa Rica Croatia Cuba Cyprus Cyprus (Northern) Czech Republic Denmark Diego Garcia Djibouti Dominica Dominican Republic Ecuador Egypt El Salvador England (UK)

0093 00355 00213 00376 00244 001264 001268 0054 00374 0061 0043 001242 00973 00880 001246 00375 0032 00501 00229 001441 00975 00591 00387 00267 0055 00673 00359 00226 00257 00855 00237 001 00238 001345 00236 00235 0056 0086 0057 00269 00242 00682 00506 00385 0053 00357 0090392 00420 0045 00246 00253 001767 001809 00593 0020 00503 0044

Equatorial Guinea Eritrea Estonia Ethiopia Falkland Islands Faroe Islands Fiji Finland France French Guiana French Polynesia Gabon Gambia Georgia Germany Ghana Gibraltar Greece Greenland Grenada Guadeloupe Guam Guatemala Guinea Guyana Haiti Holland (Netherlands) Honduras Hong Kong Hungary Ibiza (Spain) Iceland India Indian Ocean Indonesia Iran Iraq Ireland Italy Ivory Coast Jamaica Japan Jordan Kazakhstan Kenya Kiribati Kuwait Kyrgyzstan Laos Latvia Lebanon Liberia Libya Lithuania Luxembourg Macau Macedonia

00240 00291 00372 00251 00500 00298 00679 00358 0033 00594 00689 00241 00220 00995 0049 00233 00350 0030 00299 001473 00590 001671 00502 00224 00592 00509 0031 00504 00852 0036 0034 00354 0091 00873 0062 0098 00964 00353 0039 00225 001876 0081 00962 007 00254 00686 00965 00996 00856 00371 00961 00231 00218 00370 00352 00853 00389

SPECTRUM

36

Sunday, August 1, 2010

divorce to be finalized in a timely manner in an out of court settlement. Both parties are amicable with each other and over the possibility of finalizing their divorce.” Spencer, 26, recently admitted he and Heidi - who he married in April 2009 - had gone their separate ways because she wanted to enjoy married life out of the spotlight, while he had his sights set on increasing his fame. He said: “We love each other but I’m a famew***e and I’ll never grow

he 23-year-old reality TV star cited irreconcilable differences in her marriage to Spencer Pratt when she filed a petition in Santa Monica Superior Court, California, on Friday two months after the couple split. Jodeane Farrell, Heidi’s lawyer, told People.com: “Heidi has amended her petition for separation and today has filed a petition for dissolution of marriage from Spencer Pratt.

“The couple has agreed they would like their

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out of it. Heidi knows that and doesn’t want that. “I want every kind of press. She believes in bad press. There’s no way my love for fame and her love for puppies will every work out successfully. She just wants to hike and hang out and be calmer. “She thought I’d burn out of this, but no. I’m still the same Spencer who went on ‘The Hills’ to be famous. I still need to do stunts and take cues from Brad Pitt and Tom Cruise.”

eidi Klum thinks Miranda Kerr will be a “great” mother. The Australian beauty is reportedly expecting her first child with new husband Orlando Bloom and her fellow Victoria’s Secret model doesn’t think the 27-year-old star will have any problems adjusting to parenthood. She said: “I think she’ll be great. She’s very calm, a smart little cucumber that one, and she’ll do just fine.”

Heidi - who raises four children with her husband Seal - advised Miranda not to worry too much about impending motherhood as her decision making will be guided by her baby. The German-born beauty told Us Weekly magazine: “The children show you most of the time themselves what you have to do to. You’ll learn by watching them, keeping your eyes and ears open.”

Heidi is pretty sure “beautiful” Miranda and “handsome” Orlando, 33, will have a beautiful child together. She added: “She’s a beautiful young lady who just got married, and they seem like a handsome couple.

They’ll make a handsome baby, that’s for sure!” Earlier this week, another of the Victoria’s Secret Angels, Jessica White, spoke of her happiness for her friend.

Jessica said: “She’s preggos! I’m very excited. “I’m happy for her. Love is in the air, and good for her. I think she and Orlando make a really beautiful couple and they’ve been together for a while, so I wish them all the best. And it’s going to be a crazy-hot baby.”

H

icole Kidma n has pet alpacas. The ‘Nine’ actress loves growing her own food at the home she shares with husband Keith Urban and two-year-old daughter Sunday Rose in Nashville, Tennessee, and has now fulfilled a lifelong ambition by also raising the llama-like creatures. She said: “We just planted our vegetables for the summer and all we have at the moment is lettuce. I’m hoping the corn will be beautiful, because I love eating corn out of the garden. “And we just bought some alpacas. They are sort of the cousins of

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llamas, which I’ve always wanted because of their long necks and eyelashes.” The 43-year-old star also spoke about how she wants to raise her daughter to respect older people more as she worries that traditional values are being lost. She explained: “I find it sad in this day and age that we don’t value our elders the same way we used to. In most cultures they were the ones who had the wisdom and the power, and that’s gotten lost. I’m trying to teach my daughter to have that respect for older people. I’d love to see that come back.”

ustin Timberlake is thrilled to be voicing an iconic character.

The singer-and-actor is lending his southern tones to Yogi Bear’s sidekick Boo-Boo in a forthcoming part-live action movie version of the hit cartoon and was delighted to be involved with a series he was such a fan of as a child. Justin - who stars opposite Dan Aykroyd as Yogi in the movie - said: “It’s pretty awesome. I used to watch the cartoon as a kid.

“You’re talking about a classic, two

J

ugh Hefner wants to open a casino in London. The 84-yearold Playboy founder wants to further expand his business empire as he is planning to move away from “adult programming” because he doesn’t feel it is the right direction to go in anymore. He said: “We will be announcing casinos in both Macao, China, and London. As far as media goes, I think we’ll be involved in more mainstream ventures. “We already have spin-offs of ‘The Girls Next Door’ on the E! Channel with both Holly Madison and Kendra Wilkinson, as well as a pilot with Bridget Marquardt on A&E. We’re going to be doing more of that. “That’s the direction we’re moving in; we’re moving away from the adult programming because it’s not the future. I think it gets in the way of who we are, and who we want to be.” The media mogul believes that as time goes by,

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his other ventures will become more famous and even more successful than the iconic men’s magazine he founded. He explained in an interview with website The Daily Beast: “Frankly, early on, as a single title company, the strength of the brand led us into other directions. The first Playboy products - cuff links, T-shirts, and things of that kind - began in the late ‘50s and the first Playboy club opened in 1960.

“In their early years, the Playboy clubs were so hugely popular that the company’s ability as a ‘branding’ vehicle became obvious. “In the early years the magazine carried the brand while I think that, in the future, the brand will increasingly help to carry the magazine.”

—Bang Showbiz

classic characters which have been around since my parents. Yogi Bear is an iconic Hanna Barbera cartoon.

So it’s been a lot of fun.” The 28year-old star admits he tried to stay as faithful as possible to the original character when recording his voiceovers. He added: “I will say this, Dan does an amazing Yogi Bear and hopefully I did Boo-Boo justice.

But we’re really - for lack of a better term - mimicking what you recognise as those voices from the cartoon.”

heryl Crow ’s new music is so good she “could strip to it”. The ‘Summer Day’ singer recently wrote a tune for a striptease scene in a New York stage show and thinks it is so impressive, it could even persuade her to take

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her clothes off.

She said: “A friend of mine has asked me to write the music for the Broadway musical version of the film ‘Diner’. There’s a scene

where these three women do a striptease and I came up with the music for it. “It’s so good I could strip to it. And I’m 48.” The Grammy award-winning star - who has adopted children Levi, six weeks, and three-year-old Wyatt admitted her kids may join forces with the offspring of singer Jack White to form a group in the future. She told Q magazine: “Jack White has a hang-out place in Nashville and he opened it up to everyone to come and see his band The Dead Weather play. I bumped into his wife Karen and we agreed that we would get the kids together some time. “Could they form a band? I suppose they could. Jack White seems pretty open to ideas so maybe he might get involved too. That would be, like, what, his 10th band?”

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Sunday, August 1, 2010

Indie band One Ring Zero explores the universe aking an album about such seemingly simple concepts as food or ice cream trucks might seem like a fool’s errand, but for Brooklyn indie duo One Ring Zero, those concepts have led to opportunities to perform at events including book award ceremonies and children’s festivals.

“The fun thing about One Ring Zero is we manage to step into these different worlds straight-ahead rock bands don’t get to step into,” says Michael Hearst, a principal member of the group along with Joshua Camp. He was referring to such past projects as 2004 literary-themed release “As Smart as We Are,” which features lyrics from authors like Jonathan Ames, Margaret Atwood and Dave Eggers. After its release, the band played high-profile art and literary festivals across the globe.

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“They never just make a new album,” says Claudia Gonson, a longtime member of the act who also helps to co-manage it. “Instead they find specific, inventive themes around which to stage their projects. Each album’s theme provides a door for them to enter.” One Ring Zero’s latest album, “Planets,” due Sept. 7 on the band’s own Urban Geek Records, with digital distribution through Virtual Label, opens the door to a new galaxy of opportunity, with its 13 tracks forming a song cycle about the solar system.

“The project started when the International Astronomical Union demoted Pluto in 2006, and ‘Pluto’ was the first track we wrote,” Hearst says. “From there, we thought it would be fun to do the whole album on the planets, basically.” He adds that the concept was also inspired by composer Gustav Holst’s nearly century-old orchestral suite “The Planets.”

In a departure from One Ring Zero’s past seven albums, on which Hearst and Camp played all the instruments, the duo brought in outside players for “Planets,” including the group’s extended five-piece lineup as well as guest spots by violinist Mark Feldman, Vampire Weekend’s Hamilton Berry on cello and author Rick Moody, who contributed lyrics and sang on one song. The recording was split between Hearst’s and Camp’s apartments from spring 2007 through April 2010, a decision both felt was necessary to produce the elaborate sounds and song structures, which “would drive any engineer crazy,” according to Hearst.

The result is progressive-rock-influenced, with touches of Eastern European flair and ‘80s synth rock, giving the effort an otherworldly sound indicative of the album’s concept. Hearst hopes the instrumental nature of the new songs will bring about more licensing deals for TV and movies. But the biggest draw, he believes, is the album’s theme, which lends itself to potential involvement in the science world, a new direction for One Ring Zero and one it would embrace. “We’re almost chameleons in many senses with what we do,” Hearst says. “We’re very much a band and have a sound ... but I won’t be surprised when we get e-mails from planetariums or the Natural History Museum.”

While Hearst and Camp work on ventures outside the band- everything from Christmas music for an Italian cooking show to Hearst’s next solo effort to a kids’ record, “Songs for Unusual Creatures”-they’re prepping One Ring Zero’s next project: a food-themed album with music set to recipes of such celebrity chefs as Mario Batali and David Chang, slated for release in 2011. While the forthcoming recipe collection should showcase yet another example of One Ring Zero’s creativity, Hearst sees it a slightly different way: “Basically, we’re in it to play food festivals.” —Reuters

Kings of Leon moves past ‘Pigeon-gate’ ings of Leon’s Nathan Followill is confident that organizers of the upcoming Outside Lands Festival in San Francisco will keep stray pigeons as far away from the stage as possible. But, the drummer notes, “we’re bringing a couple of muzzle loaders, just in case.” He’s kidding, of course.

But while answering questions about the infestation of defecating pigeons that forced the cancellation of the band’s July 23 show at the Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre in Maryland Heights, Mo., Followill told Billboard.com that the incident turned into a much bigger story than the band had anticipated.

“I think us trying to be the real-life Spinal Tap just got a little closer for us,” Followill said during a conference call to promote the Outside Lands performance on Aug. 15. “I think in the end, it’s going to help us more than it hurt us. It’s just one of those things that happened, and looking back on it now it’s a lot funnier than it was at the time. But we really felt bad for the fans-especially those that had driven a ways and stood out in the heat all day. But sometimes, y’know, s*** happens-in this case literally.

“We’re happy to move forward and we’ve been having great shows since,” Followill added, “so hopefully Pigeon-gate can officially be put to rest.” The band has been playing four songs from its upcoming fifth album, which is still untitled and unscheduled, in its recent shows. Followill said the songswhich have been identified as “Mary,” “Immortals,” “Radioactive” and “Southbound”-are from sessions in New York City with producers Jacquire King and Angelo Petraglia, the same team that worked on Kings of Leon’s Grammy Award-winning 2008 breakthrough, “Only by Night.”

“They’ve been going over really well, a lot better than we thought they wood,” he said. “Some of them are getting better reactions than the older songs, which is bittersweet but great to see that (fans) are digging the direction we’re heading ... It’ll be great when we can play the whole new record. It’s taken a lot of self-discipline to get up there and not play eight or 10 of the new songs.” —Reuters

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Teen stars align for ‘Camp Rock 2’ soundtrack efore Demi Lovato and the Jonas Brothers once again invade tween TVs with “Camp Rock 2: The Final Jam,” fans of the Disney franchise can sing along with the “Camp Rock 2” soundtrack, due Aug. 10. With the follow-up to the 2008 musical set to premiere Sept. 3, the soundtrack aims to unveil its 14 tunes through a mix of radio airplay and heavy touring.

The soundtrack to the original “Camp Rock,” which followed aspiring stars during a summer at music camp, peaked at No. 3 on the Billboard 200 and has sold 1.3 million copies since its June 2008 release, according to Nielsen SoundScan. Walt Disney Records hopes to repeat that success by offering more ambitious pop tracks tailored to an established cast. “We now have the benefit of people having seen the first one and knowing what ‘Camp Rock’ is,” says songwriter Adam Anders, who serves as the music producer for Fox TV series “Glee” and penned the gentle ballad “Wouldn’t Change a Thing,” performed by Lovato and Joe Jonas. “Last time we had to shape the main characters, but this time we were able to take the songs to the next level.”

As the script for “Camp Rock 2” was being finalized in spring 2009, a variety of songwriters, including Toby Gad (Beyonce, Fergie) and Jamie Houston (Santana, Miley Cyrus), were recruited and given snippets of the plot to base their songs on, according to Anders. The songs had to be recorded before cameras started rolling, but the Jonas Brothers’ and Lovato’s 2009 summer tours made it difficult to block out studio time.

“It was a process of recording in different cities when they had days off,” Disney Channels Worldwide vice president of music and marketing Steven Vincent says.

Once the Jonases and Lovato wrapped their contributions, the rest of the cast recorded in Los Angeles before shooting began in Toronto last fall. With infectious tracks like the fist-pumping “It’s On” and the slowburning “This Is Our Song,” the soundtrack offers the same diverse pop that Vincent hopes can connect with the whole family.

The Lovato-led “Can’t Back Down,” which finds the Camp Rock kids accepting a challenge from a rival camp, was chosen as the first single because it samples the film’s spirit without giving away its plot.

At least two other “Camp Rock 2” songs will be rolled out on Radio Disney this summer. The Disney Channel also has teamed with the Grammy Museum to host an exclusive screening of the film, followed by a panel featuring some of the soundtrack’s songwriters, on Monday in Los Angeles.

Fans can hear the songs live at the “Camp Rock 2” tour, which will feature the Jonas Brothers, Lovato and a handful of other cast members performing in U.S. amphitheaters. The trek kicks off Aug. 7 in Chicago and will run until Sept. 19 before heading overseas in October. Vincent points to the synergy between Radio Disney airplay and TV promos on the Disney Channel as the main platform for the soundtrack’s marketing. But the impending success of “Camp Rock 2” and its soundtrack might be chalked up to the recent revival of television fare like “Glee” and “High School Musical.”

“The musical kind of went away for a while,” Anders says, “and stuff like this is proving that it shouldn’t have.” —Reuters

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Indonesian visitors view a painting of US President Barack Obama at an exhibition in Salihara gallery in Jakarta on Friday. The Obama administration is now reviving much of Washington’s old clout in Asia as missteps by rising giant China prompt its smaller neighbors to turn to the US as a counterweight, analysts say. —AFP

Musician Esperanza Spalding bends the genre rules ost people wouldn’t associate the term “modern” with classical chamber music. But if anyone can pull off the pairing, it’s bassist/vocalist/composerEsper anza Spalding. “Chamber Music Society,” her album due Aug. 17 from Heads Up International/Concord Music

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qualms about following wherever her muse leads.

“I might have felt pressure,” Spalding says about emulating the jazz, funk and Brazilian rhythms-accented by multilingual vocals and scatting-that propelled her first album.

“Esperanza” spent 78 weeks on Billboard’s Top Contemporary

Group, draws from the same wellspring that inspired her 2008 debut, “Esperanza.” It’s the second chapter in the evolving career of the 26-yearold, who has been touted as a breath of fresh air within the contemporary jazz establishment-and a telling example of an artist who harbors no

Jazz Albums chart, debuting at No. 3 and peaking at No. 2.

“But I didn’t respond to it. My objective is to evolve and grow.

After my first album, I was feeling this, and that’s what I answered to.”

What Spalding felt this time is the music she first gravitated to growing up: classical. The

self-taught violinist, who graduated from and became a faculty member of the Berklee College of Music, spent 10 years with the Chamber Music Society of Oregon in her native Portland, where she became concertmaster at 15. That training provides the foundation for the musical prodigy’s modernized take on chamber music: accenting the intuitive spontaneity of improvisation with string trio arrangements combining elements of jazz, folk and world music.

Drummer Terri Lyne Carrington, pianist Leo Genovese, guitarist Ricardo Vogt and percussionist Quintino Cinalli are the core group backing Spalding, who co-produced the set with Gil Goldstein.

Legendary vocalist Milton Nascimento also guests.

Spalding says, “I’m emulating something that chamber music used to do: Bring friends together to play music or listen to others play and enjoy the experience in an intimate setting.” The versatile Spaldingwho has performed at the White House, the Newport Jazz Festival and the 2010 BET Awards tribute to Prince at the request of the Purple One himself- switches to the electric bass for her upcoming third album, “Radio Music Society.”

Originally intended as the second half of a double CD with “Chamber Music Society,” the upbeat set is slated for next year. —Reuters

Rapper Bun B remembers deceased friends ‘right now’ appers have a propensity for christening themselves with royal titles to promote their standing in hip-hop (eg, King of the South, Prince of Rap). But for Bun B, the lessregal handle Trill OG was the most fitting. “My plan is just to ignite the fire that speaks to the issues that go on in the streets,” Bun B (born Bernard Freeman) says about the moniker, which stands for “true and real original gangster.”

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To do so, the 37-year-old rapper joined forces with Young Jeezy, the late Pimp C (partner to Bun B in the duo UGK), Yo Gotti and Gucci Mane, among others, for “Trill OG” the album, out Tuesday on Rap-a-Lot/Fontana.

JUSTICE League, Drumma Boy and Boi-1da are among the set’s producers.

Billboard: You have a song with 2Pac (deceased rapper Tupac Shakur), Pimp C and

Trey Songz on “Trill OG” called “Right Now.” How did that come together?

Bun B: We had these verses that Pimp and I had already recorded for a 2Pac tribute album.

We had submitted the music but it wasn’t accepted, for some reason. But it recently came out of the archives and I was able to put a new verse on there and some new sounds and voices to really bring new life out of it. The ... subject matter is something that Pimp C and 2Pac were known for: the ladies. So it made sense to bring in Trey Songz to tie it all together.

Billboard: There are a lot of Texas-bred artists on the album, including Slim Thug, LeToya and Play-N-Skillz. How important is it still to rep your hometown? Bun B: Texas has had incredible moments in the history of hiphop. But there is a misconception that because we aren’t at the forefront that we aren’t here at all. But we’re still making music, going on tour and getting in front of and connecting with the people. Billboard: How was recording this album different from your last one, especially considering this is your first solo release since Pimp C’s death?

Bun B: There was no anxiety behind this one, actually. There was no dealing with Pimp C being locked up, or Pimp C passing away.

There wasn’t that kind of pressure. We took up to a year to record this album and allowed everyone working on it to put their best foot forward. No one had to rush. If we didn’t like something, we scrapped it and tried it again.

Because of that, this is a really strong album.

Billboard: What is the goal you want to achieve with “Trill OG?” Bun B: It’s time for Texas to move back to the top, and in order for that to happen, someone has to take charge.

Since I call myself the Trill OG, the first thing I have to do is round up the troops. That’s what this album is-to show that Texas is back. I’m just taking the lead and bringing everyone else with me. —Reuters

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Sunday, August 1, 2010

A photographer takes pictures of a replica of the blue glasses which British musician and Beatles founder John Lennon used during his last concert in the year 1972 (a posthumus album of the concert was published under the title “Live in New York City”), on display on Friday at the KunstHaus in Gotha, eastern Germany. —AFP

Disney to sell Miramax for more than $660m alt Disney Co has struck a deal to sell Miramax, the studio behind such films as “Trainspotting” and “No Country for Old Men,” for more than $660 million to a group that includes construction magnate Ron Tutor and investment firm Colony Capital LLC. The deal marks the culmination of a drawn-out sale that attracted star-studded bidders, including the Weinstein brothers, who founded the studio.

The new owners will focus on maximizing the value of Miramax’s library, a source familiar with the situation said.

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No production operations exist at this time and there are no current production plans, the source said. The sale underscores Disney’s plans to focus its film resources on bigger film properties such as “Pirates of the Caribbean” and exploit them across various platforms.

The sale to the group Filmyard Holdings, which comprises Tutor, Colony Capital and other partners, includes rights in more than 700 Miramax movie titles, including Academy Award winners such as “Chicago” and “Shakespeare in Love,” Disney said. Colony Chairman and CEO Thomas J Barrack Jr, who founded

‘Jersey Shore’ star Snooki arrested President Barack Obama has not heard of Snooki, but New Jersey police certainly have after arresting the “Jersey Shore” reality TV star on Friday, on a charge of disorderly conduct. Snooki, whose real name is Nicole Polizzi, 22, was arrested in Seaside Heights on the New Jersey shore while filming the hit TV series, and she was later released from custody with a summons to appear in court, police said.

“Nicole Polizzi was acting in a disorderly manner while located on the beach,” Seaside Heights Chief of Police Thomas Boyd said in a statement.

“Ms. Polizzi was escorted from the beach by (officers) then placed under arrest for the charge of disorderly conduct.” Celebrity news website TMZ showed photos of Snooki in handcuffs.

It also showed photos of the petite star drinking Coca Cola out of a beer bong earlier on Friday.

Snooki is currently filming the third season of “Jersey Shore” in Seaside Heights with seven other Italian-Americans cast members, including gym rat Mike “The Situation” Sorrentino, who all live

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together in a house for the summer. The second season of MTV ’s “Jersey Shore,” which was filmed in Miami, premiered on Thursday to a series record 5.3 million total viewers, more than three times the number who tuned in for the first season’s premiere.

“Jersey Shore” gave MTV the best season premiere of a show since the season two launch of “The Osbournes” in 2002. The program debuted in December 2009, and the cast members’ use of “guido” and “guidette”-longconsidered slurs for working class Italian-Americanstheir late-night boozing and sexually-charged escapades have won fans and been criticized by some as stereotyping young ItalianAmericans.

Earlier week New Jersey’s governor Chris Christie said the cast and show gave a “negative” impression of New Jersey.

Obama appeared on “The View” talk show on Thursday and said he had not heard of Snooki when asked a question about the reality television star.

“President Obama ... love to tan in the rose garden :) ... I’ll teach you how to fist pump!” Snooki tweeted on Friday. —Reuters

the private equity firm, is also personally investing alongside Tutor and Colony, the source said. Tutor and Colony declined comment on details of the deal or future plans.

The purchase price is about four times Miramax’s cashflow, and about half the purchase price is covered by receivables, the source said. Disney bought Miramax 17 years ago for $80 million.

While Miramax has continued to pump out critically acclaimed films such as “Doubt,” it has not made big commercial hits like “Pulp Fiction” and “Chicago” for some time. With its family-friendly focus,

Disney viewed Miramax’s edgy mix of films as a poor fit. “Although we are very proud of Miramax’s many accomplishments, our current strategy for Walt Disney Studios is to focus on the development of great motion pictures under the Disney, Pixar and Marvel brands,” Disney Chief Executive Officer Robert Iger said in a statement.

“It turns the page on Disney’s foray into non-Disney branded films and completes their focus on franchise properties,” said Gabelli & Co analyst Chris Marangi. “They’re also finding promising areas of growth in new media, especially

in areas where they can monetize Disney properties.” “They are harvesting something mature and using the cash to invest in a more emerging growth space,” said RBC Capital Markets analyst David Bank.

Revelations that Disney was floating a sale of Miramax first surfaced in January.

Tutor, CEO of construction giant TutorSaliba Corp, entered into exclusive negotiations in early June. Los-Angeles-based Colony was founded in 1991. Since then, it has invested $45 billion in over 12,000 assets, according to its website. Colony has links with a number of celebrities. It co-owns the late Michael Jackson’s

Neverland estate in California, and it formed a partnership with photographer Annie Leibovitz to recapitalize some of her debts.

Many entities were linked to talks on a Miramax purchase, including billionaire investor Ron Burkle and movie studios Summit Entertainment and Lions Gate Entertainment. The Miramax sale is expected to close between Sept. 10 and year-end, Disney said. Shares of Disney closed down 2 cents at $33.69 on the New York Stock Exchange on Friday. The stock has risen about 5.5 percent this year.—Reuters

Chinese artist Zhan Wang poses for photo with his art work “Artificial Rock No. 59” during a press conference at the Taipei 101 building on Friday. The 800 kilogram art stainless steel sculpture, with a height of 4.5m and spanning 2.4m at its widest point will be exhibited until October 31.

—AFP

hopes outsourcing Prosecutor makes new NBC is ‘in’ with TV audiences claim in Anna Nicole case T

prosecutor sprang a surprise claim Friday that Anna Nicole Smith was a co-conspirator in the actions that have brought her two doctors and lawyerboyfriend to trial for over-prescribing and obtaining massive amounts of prescription drugs. “I think it’s obvious she was part of the conspiracy because she wanted this medication,” Deputy District Attorney Renee Rose said during a pretrial hearing.

“It’s a surprise to me,” said Superior Court Judge Robert Perry. “It’s a different situation if she’s orchestrating it.” Rose responded, “There’s no reason for a doctor to overprescribe if she is not asking for it.”

It was unclear how the claim of Smith’s involvement could affect the case. Perry, however, said he was not going to dismiss any charges at this time against the defendants.

Dr Sandeep Kapoor, Dr. Khristine Eroshevich and Howard Stern have pleaded not guilty to conspiring to illegally provide the former Playboy model with opiates and sedatives. They are not charged in the overdose death of Smith in 2007 in Florida.

Rose alleged in court that Smith had emailed Bonnie Stern, the sister of Howard

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Stern, asking for medication to be delivered to Smith in the Bahamas. The e-mails between Smith and Bonnie Stern were

found on Smith’s computer after she died, Rose said.

Rose wants to introduce the e-mails as evidence at the upcoming trial and believes she can do that if she names Smith and Bonnie Stern as uncharged co-conspirators in the case. A telephone listing could not be found for Bonnie Stern. Efforts to reach her were unsuccessful. Earlier, the judge said he was barring all evidence linking the defendants to Smith’s fatal drug overdose because they were not charged with causing her death.

Perry said he fears the defendants could not get a fair trial if attorneys focused on Smith’s cause of death rather than the drug conspiracy. Defense lawyers contend their clients did not know Smith was an addict and that they tried desperately to save the depressed model in her waning years, including a period when she gave birth to a daughter and lost her grown son to a drug overdose. The judge also barred admission of a videotape the prosecutor described as one of her strongest pieces of evidence.

The tape, which has been broadcast on TV, shows Smith in clown makeup playing with a child. —Reuters

he controversial practice of outsourcing jobs to India has inspired a new comedy on U.S TV in a striking departure from the dysfunctional families and romantic entanglements that typically make Americans laugh.

“Outsourced” is centered around a fictional American maker of novelty goods-fake pools of blood, farting garden gnomes and giant fake cheese slices-that has moved it customer service center to the bustling city of Mumbai.

A naive young American is sent overseas to manage the new set-up, proving fertile ground for jokes about everything from differences in food to cultural clashes regarding sex, dress and attitudes toward women. “We have all had the experience of talking on the phone to someone in a call center in India. That’s what makes the show so relatable. We are trying to put a face on the person at the other end of the line,” executive producer Ken Kwapis told reporters on Friday.

Kwapis brushed aside suggestions from some TV writers who have seen the first episode that the show stereotypes, or is offensive to, Indians. American audiences will get to see the comedy for the first time in mid-September. “It is certainly not coming from a mean spirited place. A third of the writing staff is Indian,” he said. “I think there is a way to treat cultural confusion without being offensive.” The comedy has a large cast of British and US actors with Indian heritage but is shot in a Los Angeles TV studio. Producers said it was too expensive to shoot the show in India but said they were sending a small unit to Mumbai to film slices of street life to be incorporated into the show. “We want our audience to feel they are transported to India,” Kwapis said. Actor Rizwan Manji, who plays the ambitious assistant manager Rajiiv Gidwani, said he was happy to be part of the show. —Reuters

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An elementary school student studies Chinese during class in Taipei on February 24, 2010. When Shih Cheng-feng was a boy in Taiwan four decades ago, he was forced to speak a language that was not his own, and decades later he still feels handicapped by his education. —AFP

hen Taiwanese scholar Shih Cheng-feng was a boy, he was forced to speak a lan-

guage that was not his own, and four decades later he still feels handicapped by his education. He grew up under a nationalist regime that had fled China and now wanted him and

everyone else to speak the dominant dialect of the mainland, with the right Beijing accent.

This included a difficult sound not common on the island that involves rolling up the tongue, and students who lapsed into their native Taiwanese were humiliated with a tag saying “I’m no good. I speak dialect”.

“Sometimes people have only developed their Taiwanese to elementaryschool level,” said Shih, now a 52year-old political scientist at National Dong Hwa University in east Taiwan’s Hualien city.

“They don’t know the academic terms, even if they want to use them... We lost values, traditional wisdom, everything.” Millions of Taiwanese have the same experience as Shih, meaning that the island today is left with a complex linguistic legacy that determines its fate in numerous ways-but has also meant some advantages.

The ability to speak Mandarin means Taiwanese can, without difficulty, communicate with all 1.3 billion people on the mainland, taking advantage of the startling economic boom over the past three decades.

“Taiwanese can do business much more easily than Hong Kong people, because Chinese find it’s much easier to communicate with them,” said Wang Horng-luen, a sociologist at Academia Sinica, a think tank in Taipei. The Cantonese dialect is dominant in Hong Kong. “Many Chinese people say Taiwanese people speak Chinese even better than they do

themselves. There are many dialects in China, so many people speak Mandarin, but do it with a very strong accent,” he said.

Language may have been the single most important factor in allowing Taiwan to latch onto the Chinese juggernaut, with Taiwanese investors placing more than 100 billion dollars in the mainland. But this has come at a steep cost, as many of Taiwan’s 23 million people have limited ability to speak the dialects native to the island for centuries.

At home, most speak Fujianese, which came to the island with immigrants from the mainland as long as 300 years ago and is now the dialect identified commonly as Taiwanese.

Millions of others speak Hakka, another dialect imported from the mainland, or one of numerous Austronesian languages that have nothing to do with Chinese. “The justification for imposing Mandarin was to unify people with the same language, but there was a hidden agenda,” said Shih.

“If you want to crush people, you should deprive them of their history, their culture, their language.” The Chinese Nationalists took over Taiwan from a defeated Japan in 1945, immediately striving to revive a Chinese consciousness among locals who had been under Japanese colonial rule for 50 years.

Although there might have been an economic rationale for teaching Mandarin in Taiwan, the main aim was political, said Jennifer Wei, a scholar at

Taipei’s Soochow University.

“The high-handed language policy in the 1950s and 1960s was not all for economic development but had to do with the all encompassing efforts to keep a tight control of the people,” she said.

“If the Nationalists only had the economic development in mind, then they shouldn’t ban the use of Japanese.” Bruce Jacobs, a Taiwan expert at Australia’s Monash University, remembers visiting a local dissident’s house with a friend around 1980, trying to speak to the dissident’s daughter in the Fujianese dialect.

“My friend said she can’t speak it.

At that time very educated parents would speak Mandarin at home. She was 11 at the time,” he said. “Just like the British in India and the French in Algeria, the Nationalists pushed the colonial language.”

Paradoxically, given the Nationalist government’s original aims, the Mandarin now in use in Taiwan may actually contribute to developing a special identity on the island. This is because the island’s people have no common language other than the Mandarin they all learned at school, according to Academia Sinica’s Wang.

“The Mandarin spoken and written in Taiwan is very different from the Mandarin in use in mainland China,” he said. “When Taiwanese people nowadays try to distinguish themselves from people from the mainland, language serves as a cultural marker.” —AFP

Second woman sues Casey Affleck for harassment nother female worker on Casey Affleck’s upcoming Joaquin Phoenix documentary is suing the filmmaker/actor, this time claiming Affleck climbed into bed with her and groped her as she slept. In a $2.25 million lawsuit filed Friday in Los Angeles Superior Court, cinematographer Magdalena Gorka says Affleck engaged in a pattern of harassing behavior and refused to pay or credit her when the abuse forced her to leave the project. The allegations mirror a separate lawsuit filed July 23 by Amanda White, a producer who says she left the movie after witnessing shocking behavior and after refusing to sleep in a hotel room with Affleck.

A spokesman for Affleck said a statement is forthcoming.

Affleck has strenuously denied the allegations in the White case, threatening to countersue the producer and filing court papers this week to move the case to private arbitration.

Affleck attorney Marty Singer told The Hollywood Reporter that White has “continuously used different threats and outrageous demands in order to request compensation she was not legally entitled to receive.”

According to the Gorka lawsuit, when production on “I’m Still Here: The Lost Year of Joaquin Phoenix” began in New York in mid-December, she was the only woman on the team. Phoenix and Affleck, who is married to Phoenix’s sister, decided that the crew would stay at Phoenix’s apartment instead of at a hotel. Phoenix allegedly told Gorka she could sleep in his bedroom and he would sleep on the couch.

“During the middle of the night, (Gorka) awoke to find Affleck lying in the bed next to her,” the lawsuit alleges.

“Unbeknownst to (Gorka), Affleck had entered the bedroom while she was asleep and crawled into the bed. When she woke up, Affleck was curled up next to her in the bed wearing only his underwear and a t-shirt. He had his arm around her, was caressing her back, his face was within inches of hers and his breath reeked of alcohol.”

Gorka says she was shocked because she didn’t know how long Affleck had been there or where she had been touched. She says she immediately told him to get out of bed. “Affleck responded by asking ‘Why?,”“ according to the lawsuit. “(Gorka) said, ‘Because you are married and because you are my boss.’ Affleck, undeterred, asked if (Gorka) ‘was sure.’ (Gorka) said she was sure and insisted that he leave the room. He left and slammed the door in anger.”

According to the complaint, Gorka confronted Affleck the morning after the incident, then got on a plane for Los Angeles, consulted with her agent and left the project.

Unable to find work, however, she says she returned several weeks later once a female producer, White, had joined the project and assured her she would be present. But the lawsuit says the abuse continued. “(Gorka) was berated and verbally attacked by Affleck after she refused his sexual advances in New York, and was criticized constantly for refusing to be submissive in response to his rants and derisive comments,” the complaint says.

Gorka says she ultimately left the project again, after which Affleck allegedly refused to honor their oral agreement that she would be paid a $300 per-day fee and a deferred $700-a-day fee when the film sold to a distributor (Magnolia Pictures bought the film in July and plans to release it in the fall). She says she also has been stripped of her “director of photography” credit.

The new case continues a recent trend of sexual harassment claims in Hollywood. In the past few months charges have been levied against “Bones” star David Boreanaz and Viacom’s Sumner Redstone, and ABC reportedly is investigating at least one claim against former Entertainment Group president Stephen McPherson.

Reached for comment, Gorka attorney Brian Procel said the decision to file the lawsuit was not easy for his client.

“In her 16 years of working in the entertainment industry she has never accused anyone of sexual harassment,” Procel says. “Ms. Gorka knows there will be repercussions, and that she will be exposed to attacks mounted by Affleck’s high-paid publicists and ‘bulldog’ attorneys. She ultimately decided that the truth needs to come out. We look forward to our day in court.”

The Gorka complaint alleges causes of action for intentional infliction of emotional distress, constructive discharge in violation of public policy, breach of oral contract, negligent infliction of emotional distress, unjust enrichment and negligence. Gorka is represented by Procel, Skip Miller and Mira Hashmall at Los Angeles firm Miller Barondess, which also represents White. Defendants are Affleck and Flemmy Prods. —Reuters

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Madonna launches new junior fashion line T he Material Girl is launching a new clothing line for juniors that will hit stores in the US this week, just in time for back-to-school shopping. Madonna teamed up with her 13-year-old daughter, Lourdes or Lola, on the collection titled “Material Girl,” which borrows from the diva’s punk-girl style made popular in the ‘80s.

Taylor Momsen, the star of television series “Gossip Girl,” has been picked as the face of the brand. “Working with Madonna and Lola has been an unbelievable experience,” Momsen said in a statement. “They have such a great sense of style; each brought their personal touch to the styling for the campaign.” —AP

As Emmys host, Fallon aims not to offend

Tv journalists film a life size bronze figure by British artist Antony Gormley near the Kriegeralpe mountain pasture in the Austrian village Lech am Arlberg on Friday. —AFP

onan O’Brien and David Letterman have provided a valuable lesson for Jimmy Fallon, the comedian told journalists Friday. “The one thing I’ve learned from (O’Brien and Letterman) is (that) hosting ‘L ate Night’ is a one-way ticket to not hosting ‘The Tonight Show,” the comedian quipped.

Fallon’s line was a rare semi-jab at NBC, the network that airs his show. At the Television Critics Association summer press tour, where the networks present their program lineups, he took part in a combo panel for his late-

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night show and the 62nd primetime Emmys (which Fallon is hosting). His running theme was that he’s a nice guy.

“I want the TV Academy to be happy, I want (producer) Don Mischner to be happy,” Fallon said of his upcoming Emmy stint, adding that “I don’t want to make anybody uncomfortable” with his jokes. “You have to relate to different people as well,” Fallon said about appealing to the wider Emmy audience. “I gotta get you to laugh and you to laugh and you to laugh-they don’t all laugh at the same thing.” — Reuters

www.kuwaittimes.net

Germany mourns Love Parade victims housands of mourners paid their respects yesterday in Duisburg to the 21 people who died at a techno festival a week earlier, as anger over the tragedy grew. “The Love Parade became a dance with death,” Nikolaus Schneider, head of Germany’s Protestant Church, told a memorial service attended by several hundred people including Chancellor Angela Merkel.

“In the midst of a celebration of the joy of life, death showed his terrible face to us all.” The packed service was beamed onto large screens in and around Duisburg’s football stadium and into other churches in the western German city, and shown live on television. “I was there, working as a helper and saw it all happen. A friend of mine was hurt,” Markus Spanke, aged around 20, told AFP in the stadium. “I will never forget it.”

A large black cross was set up on the pitch with 21 candles, one for each of those killed last yesterday. Many of those present wore black and fought back tears. Before the service church bells rang out across the western industrial city of half a million people, where flags were at half-mast, as they were across the whole of a shocked Germany. “We were at the Love Parade, we saw everything from the bridge. We can’t shake those images of panic from our heads,” said Phil Napeirala, 21, from nearby Essen.

“This is bad for the image of Duisburg and for the whole of Germany.” Later yesterday a march was due to take place from Duisburg train station towards the narrow tunnel that served as the only entrance to the festival grounds. It was inside the packed tunnel-the entrance to which is now a mass of candles, flowers and photosthat the victims died as revellers desperately tried to escape.

The dead included seven foreigners, from Australia, Italy, the Netherlands, China, Bosnia and Spain who had come for one of Europe’s top techno events.

More than 500 people were hurt, 25 of whom are reportedly still in hospital. One man absent from public view however was Adolf Sauerland, the mayor, who has come under intense pressure to resign amid accusations that he ignored warnings the event was a disaster waiting to happen. Sauerland said he did not want to “provoke” anyone with his presence. Love Parade organiser Rainer Schaller, who has vowed the event will never be held again, also stayed away.

An interim police report on Wednesday also put the blame on Love Parade organisers, listing a catalogue of catastrophic mistakes in managing the crowd of hundreds of thousands.

Prosecutors have opened an investigation. An emotional Hannelore Kraft, premier of North Rhine-Westphalia state, told the memorial service that no stone would be left unturned.

“Every catastrophe shakes us and makes us ask why. But for this catastrophe this is particularly true ... How could this happen? Who is guilty, who is responsible? These questions must and will be answered,” she said. “It’s going to take a long time before Duisburg can get back to normal,” Reiner, one of the mourners at the football stadium, told AFP. —AFP

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Memorial service attended by several hundred people including Chancellor Angela Merkel

Rescue helpers and mourners stand around candles lit up for the 21 Love Parade victims during a commemoration service at the Salvatorkirche church in Duisburg, western Germany yesterday.

—AFP photos

Norbert Lammert, president of the German Bundestag (lower house of parliament), German Chancellor Angela Merkel, Bettina Wulff, her husband German President Christian Wulff and North Rhine-Westphalia’s State Premier Hannelore Kraft attend a commemoration service at the Salvatorkirche church.

Franz-Josef Overbeck, bishop of Essen, stands in front of candles and flowers laid down for the 21 Love Parade victims at the tunnel where they died in Duisburg, western Germany yesterday.

Rescue helpers mourn as they attend a commemoration service at the Salvatorkirche church yesterday.

Rescue helpers mourn on July 31, 2010 at the tunnel where 21 visitors of the Love Parade music festival died in Duisburg, western Germany.