5 Sep

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

40 PAGES

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 5, 2010

RAMADAN 26, 1431 AH

Shoes, eggs hurled at Blair in Dublin

Hazards plague Kuwait roads PAGE 3

Thousands protest crackdown on Gypsies

PAGE 8 The organisational structure of the network

‘Night of Power’ - I

‘N

ight of Power’ is a very important occasion in the history of Islam and in our personal lives.

Allah says in the Quran in Surah Al-Qadr: “We have indeed revealed this (message) in the Night of Power. And what will explain to thee what the Night of Power is? The Night of Power is better than a thousand months.

Therein come down the angels and the spirit by God’s permission, on every errand: Peace! This until the rise of Morn.”

(Surah 97: Verses 1-5) Allah also says about this powerful night in Surah Dukhan: “Ha. Mim. By the book that makes things clear. We sent it down during a blessed night. For We (ever) wish to warn (against evil). In that (night) is made distinct every affair of wisdom, by command, from Our Presence. For We (ever) send (revelations), as a mercy from Thy Lord: for He hears and knows (all things).” (Surah 44: Verses 1-6) Allah said in the Quran in Surah Baqarah: “Ramadan is the (month) in which was sent down the Quran, as a guide to mankind, also clear (signs) for guidance and judgment (between right and wrong).”(Surah 2: Verse 185) Continued on Page 14

Supervision and Planning

ramadan kareem

Calling for violence

CHRISTCHURCH: A powerful 7.0 magnitude earthquake caused widespread devastation in New Zealand’s second largest city of Christchurch yesterday, with officials saying it was “extremely lucky” no one was killed.

Initial estimates put the damage at up to two billion dollars (1.44 billion US) as buildings collapsed, gas, water and sewage lines were ruptured, some bridges became impassable and electricity supplies were cut.

Frightened residents fled from their homes to find streets covered in rubble and glass, but despite the extent of the damage only two people were seriously injured in the city of 340,000 people. The quake struck just before dawn when few people were on the streets as building facades crashed to the ground, crushing parked cars and showering the roads with shattered glass.

A state of emergency was declared in Christchurch and a 7:00 pm to 7:00 am curfew imposed in the city centre as residents were warned to stay away from damaged buildings for fear of further collapses as severe aftershocks continued to rock the city. “I think we’ve been extremely lucky as a nation that there’s been no fatalities... we’re blessed actually,” Civil Defense Minister John Carter said after being briefed on the impact of the quake.

Continued on Page 14

French veil ban worries tourists PARIS: Protests in Pakistan, Al-Qaeda warnings, skittish Muslim tourists: France’s plan to do away with burqa-style veils is already reverberating far beyond its borders. A bill to outlaw face veils, aimed at upholding French republican values, is expected to win Senate approval this month. If it passes this key hurdle, French diplomats will face a tough task ensuring the ban doesn’t alienate governments, deter devout foreign shoppers loaded with cash, or provoke Islamist terrorists.

It’s a complex challenge for a country that works relentlessly to preserve its global diplomatic influence, its cherished secular ideals, and its status as the world’s top tourist destination. Ensuring gender equality, woman’s dignity and security are the official reasons France wants to outlaw Islamic veils, most often worn as “niqabs” that hide all but the eyes. Authorities insist the global ban, which Continued on Page 14

England, Italy on road to redemption

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Shiites charged with trying to topple govt

Finance

Support and Back-up

MANAMA: Bahrain has charged 23 Shiite activists with forming a “terror network” aimed at toppling the Sunnidominated government, the official BNA news agency reported yesterday. The agency, citing the charge sheet, said the suspects allegedly held secret meetings in Bahrain and abroad in order “to change the political regime through illegal means.”

It identified 10 suspects — including eight opposition figures under arrest since mid — August-describing them as “leaders of the terror network” and charging them of “undermining national security.” No immediate date for the trial has been given. Chief suspect Abduljalil Al-Singace, a leader of the opposition association Haq arrested on August 14, was charged with “running an illegitimate network,” as well as “leading sabotage cells... contacting foreign organisations and providing them with false and misleading information about the kingdom.”

Seven other people, also arrested in mid-August, face similar charges and include Mohammed Saeed, a board member of the Bahrain Centre for Human Rights, as well as Sheikh Mohammed Al-Moqdad-who is also known as Mohammed Al-Saffaf, Sheikh Saeed Al-Nuri, Abdulghani Ali Issa Khanjar, Jaffar Al-Hessabi, Abdulhadi Al-Mokhaider, and Continued on Page 14

KUWAIT: HH the Prime Minister Sheikh Nasser Al-Mohammad AlAhmad Al-Sabah seen during an interview with Kuwait TV yesterday. — KUNA

PM: Govt, MPs ‘on same boat’ Differences won’t undermine development

Heads of the sabotage groups

Triple plane mishaps

Plane crash kills 9 in New Zealand WELLINGTON: Nine people, including four foreigners, were killed when a skydiving plane crashed and burst into flames at a popular New Zealand tourist spot yesterday, officials said. The plane went down near the airstrip at Fox Glacier, a central attraction in the UNESCO-designated World Heritage area on the west coast of New Zealand’s South Island.” All

nine people on board were killed,” a police spokesman said.

He listed the dead as the pilot, four New Zealand males and tourists from Ireland, England, Australia and Germany without detailing their ages or gender. Initial details of the tragedy were unclear because of the remoteness of the area but the police spokesman said he understood the plane burst into

flames after it crashed.

New Zealand Transport Minister Stephen Joyce said the Skydive New Zealand crash was the country’s first aviation accident of this magnitude since an Air Adventures chartered Piper Navajo Chieftain crashed on landing near Christchurch in 2003, killing eight people. “Details remain sketchy and Continued on Page 14

UPS cargo plane crashes, two die

TUXTEPEC: Two men lie dead after their helicopter plummeted while fumigating a sugar cane field near the city of Tuxtepec, state of Oaxaca, Mexico. — AP

MPs, mayor among six killed in Mexico 03:56 04:05 05:27 11:47 15:19 18:06 19:25

150 FILS

25 Bahrainis indicted

7.0 quake rocks NZ

Emsak: Fajer: Shoruk: Dohr: Asr: Maghreb: Eshaa:

NO: 14842

OAXACA: At least six people, including two Mexican federal lawmakers and a governor, were killed when their small plane crashed in southern Mexico Friday, the attorney general’s office said. The plane left Mexico City and went down as it was approaching the airport at the Pacific beach resort of Huatulco, in southwestern Oaxaca state, the officials said. Two lawmakers, a regional mayor of Oaxaca, the

pilot and two other yet unidentified people died in the crash, they said. The National Action Party (PAN) of President Felipe Calderon confirmed the deaths of federal lawmakers Guillermo Zavaleta and Juan Huerta. The Cessna plane crash occurred midmorning some 500 meters from Huatulco airport, and was caused by either adverse weather conditions or pilot error, the attorney general’s office said. — AFP

DUBAI: A UPS cargo plane with two crew members on board crashed shortly after takeoff Friday outside Dubai, officials said. The state news agency WAM, quoting the General Civil Aviation Authority, reported that the “bodies of two pilots” had been found at the scene, but UPS did not confirm that. The plane went down inside an Emirati air base near a busy highway intersection about 10 miles southeast of Dubai’s international airport.

WAM said the crash occurred in an unpopulated desert area, suggesting there may not have been casualties on the ground. Smoke rose from the crash site, which was shielded from the highway by walls. Migrant laborers from a nearby camp gathered along the roadside to watch. UPS spokeswoman Kristen Petrella said the Boeing 747-400 - which has a wingspan of 212 feet and length of 232 feet went down at about 8 pm in Dubai (12 pm EST). Flight 6 was en route to the UPS hub in Cologne, Germany, she said. Petrella said the plane had two crew members but the company has not confirmed any casualties. Two US aviation experts said the plane had taken off and then turned around and was returning to land when the accident took place. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they weren’t authorized to speak to the media.

UPS, an Atlanta-based company formally known as United Parcel Service Inc. and the world’s largest shipping company, dispatched an investigation team to the scene. A Dubaibased spokesman for the General Civil Aviation Authority, Ismail al-Baroushi, said an Continued on Page 14

KUWAIT: The government of Kuwait will not allow disputes with the parliament to undermine the process of development, His Highness the Prime Minister Sheikh Nasser Al-Mohammad Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah said yesterday and affirmed that the law will be applied on “the big and the small” while assuring there were no “plans against the constitution.” Sheikh Nasser, in an interview with Kuwait TV, said he was among the vanguard of people committed to democracy, and brushed aside any attempts against the constitution.

“Today we hope to see a new page based on commitment with the constitution and separation of authorities with the supremacy of law,” he said. The government, he asserted, has always respected the tools used by MPs and the government would not allow differences to “undermine the wheel of development nor to cause tension between the authorities. Sheikh Nasser, commenting on interpellations, said he did not consider the questioning he faced and won as a per-

sonal victory but rather a new page for democracy and Kuwait.

“This confidence (by the parliament members) makes the government determined to go ahead with achievements, reforms and development. This confidence boosts our will as a government for the change and to move towards development ...,” he said. “The government’s hand is extended for cooperation with everyone ... and the Kuwaitis are awaiting a lot from us,” said the Prime Minister. Sheikh Nasser said the government and parliament are “on the same boat.”

Asked about corruption, Sheikh Nasser said His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah had urged the government to apply the law “on everybody and starting with me (the Amir).” He added that the government has instructed all departments to follow remarks of the State Audit Bureau (SAB). Sheikh Nasser underscored that the government “will take all Continued on Page 14

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Sunday, September 5, 2010

Salaries of military personnel to be increased

Cabinet set to discuss development projects

By A Saleh KUWAIT: The cabinet is set to discuss several issues during its weekly meeting tomorrow (Monday), including the matter of how exactly the projects included in the government’s development plan are to be financed. Another subject of discussion and keen interest at the meeting will be the Audit Bureau’s report evaluating the performance of ministries and other public sector bodies. During the

KUWAIT: His Highness the Prime Minister Sheikh Nasser Al-Mohammad Al-Sabah on Thursday evening visited the headquarters of the Supreme Committee for Completing the Implementation of Sharia law. During his visit, the premier was briefed on the committee’s activities and upcoming plans concerning its goals to implement Sharia law. Sheikh Nasser was accompanied on his visit by the head of the National Security Apparatus, Sheikh Mohammad Al-Khaled Al-Sabah, and the Undersecretary at the Amiri Diwan for Ruling Family Affairs, Sheikh Sabah Nasser Al-Sabah.

Inquiries about hiring ‘valid’ KUWAIT: A lawmaker recently explained that the Cabinet should be aware of the political orientation of those they appoint to leading positions after a recent inquiry he made raised criticism, reported AlRai. MP Husain Al-Qallaf asked His Highness the Prime Minister Sheikh Nasser AlMohammad Al-Sabah for

details on a number of the officials who were hired in public firms between 2009 and 2010 as recommended by the Cabinet. The details he asked for included political orientations and whether or not they have relations with current MPs. While such demands have raised several eyebrows, AlQallaf said that the Cabinet is

experienced enough to realize that providing parliamentarians with such information is not a strange thing to do.

It’s believed that Al-Qallaf’s questions are an attempt to uncover cases in which some officials were hired to posts despite failing to meet the requirements in deals with MPs in exchange for their support.

Also during tomorrow’s meeting, the cabinet is expected to approve increases to the salaries of military personnel, which were proposed by the Supreme Council of Defense. These will then have to be passed by the parliament before they can be enforced.

In regards to the sports issue, meanwhile, it’s believed that this will be left out of the meeting as the cabinet waits for the court orders on the subject to be finished.

On a separate issue, the Ministry of Information has brought legal charges against three privately owned Kuwaiti TV channels for violating the audio-visual law by airing material without licenses to broadcast it.

According to a ministry insider, Al-Rai TV is expected to be investigated by the General Prosecution after it aired a soap opera called ‘Laylat Eid’ (A night of Eid) without first obtaining permission from the ministry, which is given only after the material is viewed by the censorship department and approved for transmission.

Another channel, Scope TV, faces charges of defamation, meanwhile, after broadcasting a satirical program parodying members of the cabinet and the parliament, which apparently led to a number of complaints.

The third station facing legal action is Al-Watan TV, which has been accused of broadcasting offensive material in its cartoon show, Bu Qutada and Bu Nabil, with a number of Moroccan viewers complaining about its offensive portrayal of Moroccan women.

TV show outrage A large number of UAE citizens, including actors and artists, have reportedly protested at a program broadcast by privatelyowned Kuwaiti TV channel Scope. The Emirati viewers protested that the channel’s soap opera ‘Sadooh’ had insulted their nation through its negative portrayals of Emirati characters.

Their objections were reported in an article in ‘UAE Today,’ one of the country’s leading Arabic dailies, which stated that a large number of people had

meeting, the Deputy Premier for Economic Affairs and State Minister for Housing and for Development, Sheikh Ahmad Al-Fahad Al-Sabah, is expected to submit a report detailing the proposed strategy for financing the development projects, devised by a special joint committee of senior officials from the finance ministry and the Central Bank. This issue is to be finalized during the first cabinet meeting following the Eid Al-Fitr holidays, before a draft law can be submitted to the parliament to be enforced in November.

expressed outrage at the show’s negative depiction of a fraudulent Emirati couple who, in one episode of the show, tricked an Egyptian hotel guest into vacating his room in order to occupy it themselves. There have been calls by actors and artists in the UAE to boycott the Scope channel and to ban those involved with it from working in Emirati TV. The complainants reportedly pointed out that this was not the first time that a Kuwaiti TV show had broadcast offensive portrayals of Emiratis.

This latest controversy follows recent protests from many in Morocco about the alleged negative depiction of Moroccan women in Al-Watan TV’s cartoon show, Abu Qutada and Abu Nabil.

ID transfer on hold In a separate development, it’s been reported that the project to allow Kuwaiti and Saudi citizens to travel freely between the two countries using only their civil ID cards is unlikely to be launched as originally scheduled before the end of this year. The delays have been attributed to technical

issues, with insiders explaining that the need for updates to the two nations’ civil ID database, as well as for the installation of the hi-tech equipment necessary to scan the ID cards at the border checkpoints between the two countries, means that the introduction of the project will be delayed for some time.

It’s believed that the Saudi security forces still have misgivings about the security aspects of the project and are pushing for postponement in order to allow their Kuwaiti counterparts to introduce more stringent checks.

This follows the discovery that a number of individuals captured in Saudi Arabia in connection with terrorist offences had been working closely with extremists in Kuwait. Other security issues currently causing tensions in the region, including the still turbulent situation in Iraq and continuing American threats against Iran, are also believed to be behind the decision to postpone the introduction of the project.

In other news, His Highness the Prime Minister Sheikh

Nasser Al-Mohammad Al-Sabah is currently preparing to take part in several foreign missions on behalf of HH the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah.

HH the Premier is set to leave the country on Tuesday for Mexico, where he will be participating in an international dialogue convention organized by the United Nations on the monarch’s behalf. Thereafter, HH the Prime Minister will head to the UN headquarters in New York to attend its annual meetings, where he will deliver the speech on behalf of Kuwait.

During his stay in New York, the premier will also meet with the UN Secretary General Ban Ki Moon, as well as with other leaders attending the event.

Following his return from New York, HH the Prime Minister will spend a brief vacation in London before returning to Kuwait on Oct 1, when he is scheduled to begin coordinating with the cabinet on the Amiri speech, as well as the issues to be discussed with the parliament which reopens on Oct 26.

Firms to help rehabilitate Kuwaiti environment

MSAL may penalize wayward charities KUWAIT: The Ministry of Social Affairs and Labor (MSAL) is considering taking stringent measures against charities which organized unlicensed collections during the holy month of Ramadan.

The charities in question are accused of collecting cash donations using invoices not previously certified by the ministry, reported Al-Watan.

KUWAIT: Firefighters rushed to the scene of a blaze that broke out in a jerrybuilt storage and staff accommodation attached to a supermarket in Al-Zour.

Firefighters from the Nuwaiseeb fire brigade rushed to the scene, quickly putting out the blaze at the 1,000 square meter annexe whose buildings, including those housing staff, are reportedly made of corrugated iron. No casualties were reported. —Photos by Hanan Al-Saadoun

Study shows Kuwaitis avoid work on factory floors

By Abdulla Al-Qattan KUWAIT: According to studies carried out by the National Federation of Industries, the amount of Kuwaiti citizens who choose to work on factory floors are less than 10% of the entire workforce.

This leaves 90% to choose between management and marketing jobs.

The study covered 64 different factories and showed that difficulties lie in the fact that there is no motivation from the government in such a field.

Also, there is a lack of education in industrial systems, which creates an obstacle for those who want to apply for such a job.

The study also points to the fact that less Kuwaitis are applying for jobs in factories because the pay is less than or equal to a minimum wage position with the government. The same study showed that a Kuwaiti’s salary in the industrial field will never exceed KD 800, even if he is a col-

lege graduate.

Mechanical engineer Moosa Al-Othman said that there are more negative aspects to working in an industrial field in Kuwait than positive ones.

“Salaries, bonuses and overtime is usually unworthy of the extra work, so no one bothers,” he said.

Hanna Al-Shatti, an industrial engineer, said that working on the factory floor usually means that you have to work with your hands and that you shouldn’t be afraid of getting dirty. “Such work is usually undesired by women,” Hanna explained.

In their study, the federation suggests ways the government can solve the problem in a series of steps. They suggest redefining work laws for factory engineers and applying subjects in schools and universities that relate to industrial labor. They also suggested implementing a law that obliges engineers to work in factories for at least two years before being hired for a government job.

KUWAIT: The Environment Public Authority (EPA) has announced that it is shortly to engage several international firms specializing in environmental rehabilitation in order to help in rehabilitating Kuwait’s natural environment.

EPA Director General Dr. Saleh Al-Moudhi recently submitted prospective bids for a number of environmental rehabilitation projects to the state’s central committee for dealing with the environmental compensation ordered by the United Nations. The UN committee’s conditions for the rehabilitation work indicate that reputable international firms must be contracted to carry out the projects to rehabilitate the natural environment which was badly damaged in the 1990-91 Iraqi invasion and occupation of Kuwait and the subsequent war.

“Sixty percent of the total $3 billion compensation will be used to rehabilitate the soil affected by the oil lakes,” explained Dr. Al-Moudhi, referring to the massive oil spills that covered large areas of land in Kuwait when retreating Iraqi forces sabotaged numerous oil wells.

The EPA head further indicated that the majority of the remaining 40 percent of the compensation funds would be allocated to the Public Authority for Agricultural Affairs and Fish Resources (PAAAFR) to enable it to create a number of natural reserves, reported Al-Rai. Dr. Al-Moudhi explained that the EPA would play a supervisory role in the rehabilitation work, noting that the companies selected would begin work at the start of next year.

Diwaniya bill reintroduced KUWAIT: MP Shuaib Al-Muwaizri has revealed that he intends to reintroduce a previous legislative bill regulating the construction and licensing of diwaniyas. The bill has already gained the approval of the parliamentary legal and legislative committee.

“The [parliamentary] public facilities committee is currently discussing the issue with Kuwait Municipality,” the MP told Al-Rai, adding that he is following the matter closely since he proposed the original bill.

“This draft law could help to solve the problems facing citizens whose diwaniyas were removed,” Al-Muwaizri asserted, referring to those diwaniyas which were demolished for being constructed on land deemed to be state property.

Sunday, September 5, 2010

NATIONAL

3 Taxis, double parking major problem

Hazards plague roads throughout Kuwait

By Nawara Fattahova KUWAIT: Any annoying situation that a driver is forced to face on the roads only gets worse in more commercial areas. Now that there are only a few more days left until Eid, streets and markets are even more crowded than usual. Some of drivers more common complaints are taxis. "Taxi drivers are the main cause of accidents," said Rami, a 40-year-old employee. "I almost hit the taxi in front of me because it stopped suddenly without even giving a signal. Sometimes they pull beside a vehicle that is already stopped and cut off the road completely. Such actions should be penalized by the police."

KUWAIT: Double parking is a major problem faced by drivers around the country. — Photos by Joseph Shagra

WPIC improves Islam's perception in West

By Nawara Fattahova KUWAIT: Many foreigners receive the wrong information about cultural, religious or traditional habits. The Western Perception of Islam Center (WPIC) was established to provide the correct information on Islam and steer people away from misconceptions.

"Some Americans here in Kuwait who visited the center had a few misconceptions," said Mohammed Al-Miteb, the General Director of the Western Perception of Islam Center to the Kuwait Times. "They thought that a man who went to Hajj wears a red and white head scarf, or a Chmagh, while those who wear the white one, or a ghetra, haven't gone yet. This is information that they receive from Arabs working with them who are not even Muslims or Kuwaitis. We see it as our job to correct this information."

The Center provides different services for Muslims and non-Muslims. "The Center presents lectures about Ramadan

for Westerners," Al-Miteb added. "We also have classes on the language of the Holy Quran and Arabic classes. During Ramadan we offer Iftar and make visits to the Grand Mosque. The visits stop during the last 10 days of Ramadan because we are preparing for Qiyam prayers."

"We have volunteers to help and assist people coming to pray at the mosque every year," he said. "This year there are two American women who volunteered to work with us and help us during the Qiyam prayers from 11:00pm - 3:00 am."

'Ask the Mosque' is a telephone service that replies to people's questions about religion, tradition and customs.

"People can receive this service in Arabic, English or French. During Ramadan this service is only available in the evening.

The Center also publishes brochures on Islam in about 12 different languages," he noted.

The Center is preparing to publish a book with 200 questions asked by visitors to the center related to Islam and Kuwaiti

habits and traditions. According to Mohammed Al-Miteb the book will be issued after Eid at the end of September.

The center's mission is to enhance intercultural and interfaith understanding as well as to improve the perception of Islam in non-Muslims and Western societies. Its goal is to emerge as a renowned and reputable center, recognized in the West as a trusted source of information.

WPIC has a dynamic, well educated, culturally diverse team comprised of English speaking Western and Arab Muslims. They carry out the mission of developing a beneficially sound intercultural exchange between Western and Middle Eastern societies through a variety of media and community projects. So far, twelve projects initiated and carried out by the center have been recognized by the Ministry of Awqaf and Islamic Affairs. For more information call; 22467058 or visit the Western Perception of Islam Center at their website; www.wpislam.com

Not only taxi drivers block the road, people often double park in front of malls and shops.

"If a car is stopped temporarily in one lane and a driver is waiting for someone to come out of the store, that is not such a problem," noted Suha, a 29year-old Lebanese woman.

"It's when these drivers park their cars in the middle of the road that it is a problem.

They should be strictly punished because their actions could cause an accident."

Construction work is another road hazard for drivers.

Many people complain about the cranes jutting into the roads of Hawally. "Two days back a crane working on a building in Hawally came so far out into the road that it blocked the street completely," said Moosa, a driver living in Hawally.

"It was a real disaster. The police patrol came and issued a fine for the crane and the company and ordered the driver to move and open the street for cars to pass. Sometimes it takes the police a long time to respond to these sorts of things and drivers just get confused."

KUWAIT: Now that there are only a few more days left for Eid, streets and markets are more crowded than usual.

Also slowing down traffic are large busses with inconvenient bus stops. "Buses can be very annoying on crowded roads,"

said Fatma, a 23-year-old driver.

"Sometimes they stop in places without a bus stop just to let a passenger off the bus. This con-

fuses drivers behind the bus and can lead to accidents. There should be an inspection of these actions and of bus drivers."

Kuwait to get anti-corruption taskforce KUWAIT: Lieutenant General Abdulhamid Al-Awadhi is reportedly set to head a new anti-corruption taskforce which will report directly to the Ministry of Interior.

Lt. Gen. Al-Awadhi is reportedly stepping down from his current position as Assistant Undersecretary for Citizens'

Affairs and Travel Documents in order to take up the new post.

The decision to establish the new anticorruption body followed His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah's most recent visit to Singapore during an official tour of a number of Asian countries,

where he was apparently impressed by the work done by the country's anti-corruption authority following a briefing on its performance.

According to Al-Anba, work on establishing the new authority in Kuwait is expected to be completed by the end of the year.

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Sunday, September 5, 2010

Al-Rai Media hosts ghabqa KUWAIT: Al-Rai Media recently held its annual staff ghabqa celebrating the holy month of Ramadan, which saw various activities and a raffle draw for prizes. The event was supervised by Al-Rai’s Editor-in-Chief, Yousef Ahmad Al-Jalahmah.

Yousef Al-Jalahmah greets guests as they arrive.

Abdullah Audeh, Ahmad Al-Ajouz, Rami Iqbal and Marwan Farah Yousef Al-Jalahmah greets Majdi Hawarri as Zeyad Majzoub stands on his right, while Karim Thabet looks on.

Bassam Ghareeb poses after receiving his prize from Zeyad Majzoub.

Zeyad Majzoub delivers a speech during the ghabqa.

Staff members Kay, Nadia and Leena

26 How many prophets are mentioned in the Holy Quran?

15 20 25

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A view of the guests

Sunday, September 5, 2010

NATIONAL

KUWAIT: The Kuwait Economics Society held a ghabqa recently at the Sheraton Hotel to commemorate the holy month of Ramadan. The event was attended by several businessmen, economic figures and other dignitaries in the country. —Photos by Fouad Al-Shaikh

Fruits of patience KUWAIT: Patience from the Islamic perspective means: Holding back oneself from anxiety and anger. It also means abstaining from inflicting harm or injury on oneself as an expression of disapproval of whatever happened to him. In the Oxford Concise English Dictionary, it means: The capacity to tolerate delay, trouble, or suffering without becoming angry or upset. This can only happen by total peaceful submission to the Will of God. According to Islam, patience is divided into three broad categories viz.

Patience in executing righteous deeds, Patience in abstaining from evil and Patience and perseverance during calamities and hardships.

In this article, I will shed light on patience in carrying out acts of worship and patience in enduring hardships and tribulations.

1- Patience in executing acts of worship is very important because carrying out such acts of worship is not easy as people may think. Sometimes, some insomniac people find it difficult to wake up early in the morning for prayer. It was narrated by Jundub bin Sufyan that Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said: "He who offers the dawn (Fajer) prayer will come under the protection of God." (Sahih Muslim) Training children Muslims are trained to fast at a young age and usually have enough self-discipline and self-control to fast all day for 30 days by the age of ten.

Parents who discourage their children from fasting under flimsy excuses that they are still young should utilize this opportunity of Ramadan and instill in them self-discipline and good manners.

2- Patiently persevering whenever we are afflicted with calamities We all undergo tests in this transitory life. Although life in this world is temporal, it is the most important of all the phases of life because it determines your position in the hereafter. If you performed good deeds in this transitory life, then your destiny is eternal bliss. But if you indulged in an unrestrained, luxurious life violating human rights and ignoring God's commandments, then you will suffer if you die before repenting. God Almighty has promised those who patiently persevere many rewards.

Among them are (a) good tidings of entering Paradise. (b) Blessings descending from Him. (c) Unrestricted Mercy. (d) Guidance to the straight path.

The aforementioned privileges are manifest in the following verse: "Be sure We shall test you with something of fear and hunger, some loss in goods, lives and the fruits (of your toil), but give glad tidings to those who patiently persevere; who say, when afflicted with calamities: "To God we belong and unto Him is our return." - They are those on whom (descend) blessings from their Lord and Mercy. And they are the ones that receive guidance." (2: 155 - 158) What mitigates the intensity of a calamity?

Whenever we are afflicted with any calamity or catastrophe in the form of losing our wealth or our dear ones or else, we have should consider the following facts: a. That your relatives and wealth are all possessions of God Almighty because He is the one who created them and thereafter entrusted you with the responsibility of taking care of them. Therefore, when He decides to take away someone's life or wealth or any other blessing, no one should complain - "with God's case no appeal." b. This world and all in it are transitory and our final destination is the hereafter. So we should benefit from this worldly life by carrying out acts of devotion, which would determine our destiny whether in Paradise, or in Hell-Fire - God forbid! c. Reflecting back on the adversities and catastrophes that befell prophets and messengers (Peace be upon them all) such as Zackariah, Yahya (John, the Baptist), Jacob and Muhammad. Although all the messengers and prophets of God suffered a lot of trials and tribulations yet no one among them flinched an inch from his faith. God says: "How many of the prophets fought (in Allah's way), and with them (fought) large bands of godly men? But they never lost heart if they met with disaster in God's way, nor did they weaken (in will) nor give in. And Allah loves those who are firm and steadfast." (3: 146) Prophet Muhammad set an example for us in being patience when afflicted with calamities, trials and tribulations. His father passed away before he was born and at the tender age of 6 his mother passed away.

Then at the age of 8, his grandfather - who took charge of him after his mother's death - also died. You can imagine how tragic life it was for him to live as an orphan right away from the day he was born!

After being appointed a prophet, he started another phase of a tragic life. After the tragic death of his paternal uncle Abu Talib and wife Khadija (in a year that was characterized as the year of sadness), the polytheists of Makkah stepped up their malicious campaign of torture, humiliation, slander, etc. Recognizing that the people of Makkah continued to be obstinate, he decided to try other towns. He set out to Ta'if, about 90 miles away from Makkah towards eastern Saudi Arabia, anticipating that its inhabitants would be more receptive than the obstinate hard-hearted pagans of Makkah. No sooner had he arrived in Ta'if than his expectations were dashed. People there started insulting him and pelting him with stones so much so that he bled profusely. Eventually, he took refuge under a palm tree and started invoking Allah for succor. Thereafter God sent the angel in charge of mountains and rains to ask him whether he wished Allah to retaliate on his behalf by enveloping them between two mountains.

Prophet Muhammad rather raised up his hands and asked for mercy on behalf of those pagans. Surprised, the angel exclaimed: "The Lord who named you most kind and merciful (9: 18), indeed said the truth."

The tender heart of the teacher (Muhammad) was grieved that any among his flock should rush headlong to ruin. He watched ardently over them and whenever any of them showed signs of Faith, his kindness and mercy surrounded them and thus rejoiced over them.

Prophet Muhammad urges us to patiently persevere whenever we are afflicted with any adversity. The rewards God Almighty showers on us are commensurate with the intensity of the problems we endure. Allah's Messenger said: "God rewards His servants according to the intensity of the calamity they endure. And when God loves a people, He tests them. If they patiently persevere, His love to them would increase. But if they resent the test, then His wrath would be incumbent on them." (Related by Imam Al-Tirmidhi) Some or most of the calamities we suffer are a means of expiation for our sins if we only patiently persevere and depend on God for our succour.

(2) We also learn from the above-mentioned Hadith that we should ask for help and rescue only from Allah without ignoring the means of achieving His protection. (3) We should work hard towards achieving whatever we long for without sitting back. A Muslim should always be determined and hardworking because that is part of worship in Islam. Allah's Messenger taught us to be optimistic because that is one of the factors of success and one of the means of combating and resisting self-destruction.

Patience alone is not enough: it must be accompanied with anticipation of rewards from Allah, decorated by faith in Him, preserved by constant prayer, mediated by piety and embellished by worship. Otherwise, it will be like the patience of animals and the endurance of non-believers in God. For God does not reward them because they don't believe in Him and as such they don't anticipate His rewards.— IPC

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Fresh controversy arises

Kuwait probes into ‘identity theft’ cases KUWAIT: Follow ing recent heated debate over the status of bedoon (stateless) residents and the issue of dual citizenship, fresh controversy ha s a risen over a llega tions tha t som e individua ls ha ve been using the identity of Kuw aiti citizens w ho died outside the country to fraudulently obtain the associated benefits. Several cases have reportedly been discovered in w hich individuals obtained

kuwait digest

The reasons for Israel’s development

By Khalifa Al-Khorafi n light of the resumption of direct peace talks between Israel and the Palestinian Authority, I was torn between addressing the crimes that the bloody-handed Israeli government has committed against innocent Palestinian civilians, or the continuous prostration of the Palestinian Authority in accepting the recommencement of direct dialogue with the Zionist enemy, which has proven through history to be untrustworthy and not serious when it comes to peace.

Eventually, I opted to address the reasons why Israel managed to become an advanced country, surpassing all other nations in the Middle East in development. Israel has a very powerful economy, whose budget reached $156 billion in the fiscal year 2009-10 (more than the economies of all the Arab countries combined).

Furthermore, Israel is considered one of the leading diamond impor ters around the world, while it has a very advanced agricultural production system. Moreover, Israel’s advanced weaponry industry enabled it to move

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up to fourth place among the world’s top artillery exporters in 2007 (with the exports being worth $7.5 billion annually). Among the countries which buy weapons from Israel are Turkey and India. Israel also has an estimated nuclear arsenal of 200 nuclear warheads.

Israel has a genuine form of democracy, with the law being enforced on all Israelis equally. For example, former Israeli President Moshe Katsav was put on trial after facing rape charges, while former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert faced corruption charges.

On the other hand, we can find that several dictators in the history of Arab and Muslim world have never even been asked about their corruption.

Furthermore, a number of Israeli universities are considered among the top 100 universities in the world, while Arab universities turn out graduates who are only good for hiring as security guards at public sector firms. The Israelis also have advanced scientific research in various fields, and a highly advanced high-tech sector utilized to its full potential.

Even outside Israel, we find that

Jews control the top banks and financial firms around the world, as well as the media and the advertising business. In addition, they control extremely influential institutions that can influence the decision-making process in Europe and the United States, such as the AIPAC lobby, which has a great influence on the decisions of the American Congress and the government at the White House. The effect of this lobby, which is composed of Jewish Americans, became even more evident when 87 of the 100 members of the US Senate voted to approve all practices carried out by the Israeli government. This is before we take into account the AIPAC lobby’s influence in ensuring that the US used its veto in Israel’ favor several times at the United Nations.

One of the things that Israelis are proud of is their ability to take control of Arabian lands during the Six Day War of 1967, equal to three times the amount of lands they seized in 1948.

The Arab countries can never hope for victory over the Zionist enemy unless we adopt true democracy and the devolution of power. — Al-Qa ba s

The names and details of these citizens will then be passed on to the relevant authorities in order to ensure that no fraud can be carried out using their identities.

Statistics apparently show that hundreds of Kuwaitis who would be centenarians by now are still registered as living abroad, which experts argue is solid proof that cases of identity fraud are taking place, as well as indicating a flaw in the expatriate deaths registration process in Kuwait.

The Public Institution For Social Security (PIFSS) has reportedly been instructed to track all cases of Kuwaiti senior citizens receiving pensions, as well as those who have failed to renew their passports.

Name cleared Official security sources revealed that the Syrian who was caught entering the country with KD 2,000 worth of counterfeit money did not know the money was in her bag. A Syrian juvenile accompanying her explained to Jahra police that some unknown person gave him an envelope addressed to another Syrian expat in Kuwait and told him it contained a medical report. An investigation revealed that the Syrian expat to whom the envelope was addressed to is wanted for seven different criminal cases. Authorities are con-

the personal details of elderly nationals w ho had died in order to fa lsely cla im benefits in their na m e ba ck in Kuw a it, ta king a dva nta ge of the fa ct tha t their dea ths had not been reported locally. The Kuw aiti authorities are now preparing to coordinate w ith their embassies abroad to gather the details of Kuw aitis w hose deaths may have been unregistered in Kuw ait, reported Al-Watan.

vinced that the woman knew nothing about the counterfeit money and are searching for the Syrian suspect.

about the incident and an investigation into his cause of death was launched.

Theft

Authorities arrested an Egyptian expat in his thirties on charges of sexually assaulting an 11-year-old Egyptian girl.

Earlier, an Egyptian expat reported that his daughter was assaulted while she was playing in front of her family’s house.

Detectives arrested a number of suspects, one of whom was recognized by the girl.

The suspect later confessed to assaulting the girl and was referred to the proper authorities. It was discovered that he entered Kuwait on a visitor’s visa.

Sexual assault

A Sri Lankan maid stole jewelry and money from her Jordanian sponsor before running away from her sponsor’s home in Fintas. The sponsor reported the incident to local police and explained that she discovered the theft after returning from a visit with some friends. She reported that KD 650 cash was stolen from her bedroom as well as thousands of dinars worth of jewelry. A case was filed and police are searching for the maid.

Meanwhile, a Kuwaiti woman living in Mahboula reported that she had been robbed to police. She reported that someone broke into her house, stole all of her electrical appliances and disappeared. A case was opened and police reported to the scene of the crime to search for evidence.

Bodies found Authorities were informed that a body was found in Rigga. Criminal investigators removed the body and an investigation was launched to determine the individual’s cause of death.

In an unrelated incident, a Kuwaiti man found his Bangladeshi servant dead in his room in Hadiya. He informed authorities

Visa selling A citizen and his wife were arrested for selling visas through the use of their 43 fake companies. It was discovered that they brought 600 expats into the country and earned half a million KD through the illegal practice. The business owners would recruit Arab and Asian laborers to the country and sell them visas for between KD 500 to KD 1,000. They learned about the illegal activity after determining that the 25 businesses in the citizen’s name and the 18 in his wife’s name were not active. After being arrested and questioned, the business owner’s mandoub confessed to selling visas for money.

Treat for Wataniya employees KUWAIT: In an attempt to indulge its employees in an exclusive treat throughout the month of Ramadan and reward them for the great work they have achieved, Wataniya Telecom took the initiative in reserving tables at both Diwan Jebla and Harbor Cafe for its employees to enjoy the special Ramadan atmosphere as a team.

At Diwan Jebla Cafe which is located in Sharq area there are a number of entertaining activities taking place, in addition to Kout bu 6 competition that is conducted between employees during the four weeks of Ramadan.

“I am proud to say that at Wataniya our team is more like a family, and bringing everybody together in Ramadan strengthens the bonds even more between the employees making it a joy to work hand in hand at the office,” Abdol Aziz Al-Balool, PR Manager at Wataniya Telecom, said.

Al-Balool added: “We want to thank all our employees for their hard and sincere work; without them Wataniya would not have reached this level of success and wouldn’t have been able to proudly serve its millions of customers as professional and competent as we are doing it today.”

Wataniya employees enjoy discounted menus at Diwan Jebla Cafe and Harbor Cafe every day of Ramadan with the pleasure of spending it with their colleagues and families while enjoying the spirit of Ramadan together.

Wataniya Telecom was commercially launched in 1999 as the first privately owned operator in Kuwait. In March 2007, Qatar Telecom (Qtel) acquired 51% of Wataniya Telecom shares from Kuwait Projects Company Holding KSC (KIPCO) group. Wataniya is a customer driven company that aims to provide product and ser-

vice excellence that is leading to a real customer value... The company has been a driving force in increasing the mobile market penetration in Kuwait (over 80%) Wataniya Telecom has grown rapidly through acquisitions and enjoys a remarkable expansion in MENA & ASIA. Driving operations in Kuwait, Maldives, Saudi Arabia, Tunisia, Algeria and in Palestine.

Based in Qatar, The Qtel Group is a diversified telecommunications group with three business lines including consumer telephony, consumer broadband and corporate managed services, and is committed to expansion in line with the company’s strategic vision of becoming a global top 20 telecommunications provider by the year 2020. Over the past three years, Qtel has expanded its geographic footprint from 2 to 17 countries within the Middle East and Asia, with more than 52 million customers.

kuwait digest

Budget increases

By Saad Al-Matash ellow columnist Khalid Al-Zamel recently suggested a public movement that is productive towards the country and society on his Facebook page.

In my humble opinion, such a large movement would require a fleet of sports cars in the fifth constituency, another fleet of 4WD vehicles in the forth, a fleet of super motorbikes in the third, a fleet of Ferraris in the second constituency and a combination of different cars for the first constituency. This is what it would take

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to get the public moving against the KD 90 million secret spending budget the government has requested.

The counter-movement should be carried out by people who care about the welfare of the country and want to go down in history as those who worked for the welfare of Kuwait.

The only thing that justifies the requested increase is that it will cover the amount needed for MPs to r un for re-election. May God bless the movement of MPs and protect the countr y’s public funds from squander. —Al-Ra i

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Sunday, September 5, 2010

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Government ‘waging a campaign of sheer lies’

Egyptian opposition leader claims ‘official harassment’ GAZA: Palestinian Islamic Jihad militants run with rifles during a media presentation of a training session on the outskirts of Khan Younis, southern Gaza Strip. —AP

Clinton: Time is now for Mideast peace WASHINGTON: Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton sought to inject urgency into IsraeliPalestinian peace talks Friday, warning the negotiations may be “the last chance for a very long time” to reach an agreement. In an unusual joint interview with Israeli and Palestinian television broadcasters a day after she presided over the launch of the first direct talks in two years, Clinton said the rise of Iranian-backed extremist ideology in the Middle East is a major reason why time is short.

Iran’s suspected nuclear ambitions have surfaced as a new motivating factor for a Mideast resolution. There have been growing Israeli warnings that the nation might take military steps to blunt Iran’s nuclear program, and even some of Israel’s Arab neighbors have shown concerns. The administration believes that a successful Mideast peace deal would limit Iran’s ability to use Mideast tensions to justify its behavior.

“I think that time is not on the side of either Israeli or Palestinian aspirations for security, peace and a state,” she said. Iranian-sponsored “rejectionist ideology” and a “commitment to violence” by those opposed to peace make reaching an agreement quickly all the more necessary, she said. “The United States,” Clinton added, “wants to weigh in on the side of leaders and people who see this as maybe the

last chance for a very long time to resolve this.” Shortly before the interview, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad dismissed the peace talks, saying “the fate of Palestine will be decided in Palestine and through resistance and not in Washington.”

Iran supports the Palestinian militant group Hamas, which controls the Gaza Strip, which along with the West Bank is supposed to form an eventual Palestinian state. Hamas also rejected the talks this week.

The Obama administration wants a peace deal concluded within a year and both sides pledged Thursday to try to meet that goal in successive rounds of talks. Despite early positive signals from Israeli and Palestinian leaders, hopes for an agreement rest on overcoming significant obstacles and decades of hostility and suspicion.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas will meet for a second round of talks in Egypt on Sept 14 and 15 and thereafter about every two weeks while lower-level negotiations continue on ironing out specifics of compromises that both sides will have to make. After the meeting in Egypt, Netanyahu and Abbas will likely see each other, as well as President Barack Obama, again on the sidelines of the upcoming UN General Assembly session in the third week of September.

The talks will face their first tough test shortly after the UN gathering, when an Israeli freeze on settlement activity in the West Bank is due to expire.

The Palestinians have threatened to walk out of the talks if the freeze is not extended. The Israelis have said the freeze will be allowed to expire. “The Israelis think that it will be difficult to extend the moratorium, while this issue is very important for us,” said Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat. “It’s a make it or break it. It will not be possible to continue the negotiations if settlement activities continue.” Michael Oren, Israel’s ambassador to the United States, allowed that the settlement freeze was “a major hurdle” to overcome.

He said negotiators were “very intensely” discussing the matter but urged the Palestinians not to use it as a way of scuttling the talks.

“The Palestinians shouldn’t cherry pick one issue and make it a condition,” he told reporters in a conference call. He added that Israel was willing to discuss settlements in their entirety as “a core issue” in the talks.

Clinton would not address the settlement freeze in the interview and US officials have said the way forward must be handled by the parties themselves, although they have made it no secret that they would like the moratorium to continue in some form beyond its Sept 26 expiration. —AP

CAIRO: Egypt’s most prominent democracy advocate has accused President dent Al-Dustour newspaper as saying the government is “waging a campaign Hosni Mubarak’s government of posting Facebook photos of his daughter in of sheer lies” by using the photos to portray him and his family as nonbelievswimsuits and at events where alcohol was served in an attempt to discredit ers - a politically damaging accusation in an increasingly conservative Muslim him, a newspaper reported yesterday. Mohammed ElBaradei, the Nobel country. The Facebook photos were an unusual personal attack on him and Peace Prize winner and former UN nuclear chief, was quoted in the indepen- his family.

The more than 30 photos National Democratic Party “total boycott of the elections were posted under the title: also didn’t immediately and signing petitions are the “Secrets of the ElBaradei respond to a request for com- first steps to unmask the family.” Some show his ment. ElBaradei has drawn shameful democracy.” daughter in swimsuits at the the government’s anger with Government-controlled media beach and sitting at events in a campaign he started early have tried to undermine him TEHRAN: A vocal female human rights activist and journalfront of what appeared to be this year boldly calling for by describing him as out of ist went on trial in Iran yesterday on charges including “warbottles of alcohol. Drinking is electoral reform and constitu- touch with Egyptian society ring against God,” which is punishable by death, her lawyer was reported as saying. Shiva Nazar-Ahari, 26, went on trial forbidden in Islam and con- tional amendments that would because he lived abroad for “on charges of Moharebeh (warring against God), conspiring servative Muslims would gen- allow a credible candidate to many years and accusing him and gathering to commit a crime, propaganda against the erally consider a woman challenge the ruling party in of being an American stooge. regime and harming public order,” lawyer Mohammad Sharif appearing publicly in a next year’s presidential elec- The Facebook site also says told ILNA news agency. “After presenting the last defense, bathing suit to be immodest. tion. Respected international- his daughter is married to a the end of the trial was declared,” he said. “We are awaiting “This is typical and the only ly and untouched by the cor- Christian and shows an image the verdict and I am not pessimistic about the fate of the way the regime responds to ruption tainting much of of what it purports is her real case.” those calling for democracy, Egypt’s regime, ElBaradei profile from the social netSharif did not offer further details and could not be reached by AFP for comment. But Kaleme.com, the website political reforms, social jus- brought together a coalition working site listing her reliof opposition leader Mir Hossein Mousavi, said Nazar-Ahari, tice and preserving people’s of young activists and opposi- gious status as agnostic. The jailed since December 2009, had also been charged with ties human rights,” ElBaradei was tion groups to push for Facebook site also accuses with the exiled opposition People’s Mujahedeen of Iran quoted as saying. change.

ElBaradei himself of being an (PMOI), the Tehran regime’s most hated foe. “In the court, ElBaradei representatives On Wednesday, he called atheist and of seeking to she expressed repulsion at this organization (PMOI), denied didn’t respond to an e-mail on Egyptians to boycott this deceive Egyptians by touring any links with them and dismissed the accusation as comseeking further comment. A year’s parliamentary election. mosques and being phopletely baseless,” the website said.—AFP spokesman for Mubarak’s In a post on Twitter, he said a tographed praying. —AP

Iran rights activist on trial for ‘warring against God’

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Wikipedia founder bullish on news media industry CERNOBBIO, Italy: Wikipedia founder Jimmy Wales believes relief may be in sight for the beleaguered news media industry.

The increasing use of the mobile Internet and for-pay “apps” that run on smart phones and other gadgets might give news providers what they’ve been searching for: a way to charge for digital content, Wales told The Associated Press in an interview Friday. As founder of one of the world’s most popular websites, the 44-year-old American is a key Internet entrepreneur.

“The apps model - the iPad app, the Kindle - does provide new and interesting opportunities for newspapers,” he said, speaking on the sidelines of the Ambrosetti Forum, an annual gathering of business and political leaders on the shores of Italy’s Lake

Como. “If I just click on my iPad, and it’s billed on my normal bill, that micropayment model makes it possible for people to have an impulse purchase,” he said. Newspaper and magazine publishers have been charging on a subscription basis for content on Amazon.com Inc.’s Kindle e-readers. Many publishers are experimenting with a system that lets people download an app, then pay for each new issue.

Some media companies have discussed using a micropayment system instead, where readers pay a few cents every time they click on an article. The charge could be either debited from a prepaid account or folded into the wireless bill for a device such as Apple Inc.’s iPad. So far, micropayments haven’t taken off. Wales believes both mod-

els can work, but said he expects subscriptions will remain more popular. “I’m not going to pull out my credit card out of my wallet,” he said. “It’s way too much trouble, but if I have a way of just clicking and I get it and I pay a little, it’s worth it.” While the Wikipedia founder is optimistic about people’s willingness to pay for content through dedicated apps, he said he is skeptical about newspapers charging for content on websites. The Wall Street Journal, owned by Rupert Murdoch’s News Corp, has been the most successful at charging for access, and the media mogul recently extended the model to the Times of London. News Corp. has not disclosed details about the impact on traffic and overall revenue for the British news website. Wales’ view is that charging

for desktop Web access, where there is no payment system as convenient as the mobile phone bill, would remain a challenge.

Media companies may be focused on digital strategies, but Wales said he expects newsprint and books to survive longer than doomsayers predict.

“Print is a pretty amazing technology, really. It’s very cheap, lightweight, disposable, batteries don’t go dead,” Wales said adding that he was taking a book to the beach because an e-reader would be destroyed by the sand. As news organizations look for ways to make money online, Wales is determined that the hugely popular online encyclopedia, a nonprofit, remain open and ad-free - a zone of the Internet that’s not even trying to “monetize.”

Wikipedia is one of the most popular websites in the world - No. 6 by unique visitors in May, according to The Nielsen Co., behind search leaders Google Inc, Yahoo Inc and Microsoft Corp, social networking force Facebook and online auctioneer eBay Inc. The site has more than 3 million entries in English, far more than a traditional encyclopedia, and it is rapidly expanding into other languages, with almost a million entries in French and more in German, Wales said. Wikipedia lets anyone edit an entry but is policed by an army of “administrators” who remove problem entries whether purposely false, biased or otherwise unacceptable to the community.

Administrators can even block offenders from editing in the future. On occasion,

Wales said, administrators collaborate to come up with neutral language for controversial topics and even decide to close a page for future edits.

Wales’ fortune does not approach those of fellow Web visionaries from Google Inc, Amazon.com Inc. or eBay Inc., and he joked about how his relatively modest means has misled people into thinking he’s an ideological opponent of commerce. Far from it; his new venture Wikia, which builds online communities around shared interests, is adsupported. “I don’t think it’s right for Wikipedia but I think it’s perfectly fine for other contexts,” he said. “When you go to Wikipedia you should be there to learn, reflect, think contribute in a positive way ...

We don’t need to commercialize it.” — AP

Protestors pelt Blair at Dublin book signing Eggs and shoes hurled at ex-PM DUBLIN: Angry protestors yesterday threw objects at Britain’s former prime minister Tony Blair as he arrived at the first public signing session to promote his memoirs in the Irish capital Dublin. Over 200 noisy protestors, many chanting slogans

criticising Blair over the 2003 Iraq war, had gathered for the event and witnesses said plastic bottles and flip-flops were thrown at him as his motorcade arrived. one of the objects - also reported to include eggs and shoes - landed near him.

DUBLIN: Former British Prime Minister Tony Blair meets staff at the Eason book store as he attends a public book signing yesterday. —AP

Two dead in Nagorno-Karabakh clash YEREVAN/BAKU: Two Azeri soldiers were killed in fighting yesterday near rebel Nagorno-Karabakh, in the second clash in days on the front lines of the enclave’s conflict with Azerbaijan. Each side accused the other of launching “sabotage” attacks in the early hours of yesterday morning.

Skirmishes are common around the mountain region, where Christian ethnic Armenians threw off rule by Muslim Azerbaijan with the support of Armenia in fighting that erupted as the Soviet Union collapsed two decades ago.

The unresolved conflict is a constant threat to stability in the South Caucasus, a region bordering Russia, Iran and Turkey, and criss-crossed by pipelines carrying oil

and gas to Europe. The Azeri Defence Ministry said its forces suffered the casualties when repelling an Armenian attack. It initially said one soldier was killed and another wounded. Private Azeri broadcaster ANS and the APA news agency, citing the ministry, later reported that the wounded soldier had also died.

The Nagorno-Karabakh army had said in a statement earlier that it had fought off an assault by an Azeri sabotage unit at the northeastern section of the frontline yesterday morning. “As a result of the measures taken by the Karabakh side ... the Azeris were driven back, leaving one body,” it said, adding that no Armenians were killed. On Tuesday, Azerbaijan said two of its soldiers

and three Armenians had died in fighting.

Armenian-backed forces in NagornoKarabakh denied suffering any losses in that clash.

Speaking the next day, Azeri President Ilham Aliyev promised his country’s flag would again fly over Nagorno-Karabakh.

Oil-producing Azerbaijan, host to oil majors including BP, ExxonMobil and Chevron, frequently threatens to take the region back by force and has spent heavily on its military in recent years. An estimated 30,000 people died in the war which ended with a ceasefire but no peace deal in 1994. Armenian forces hold seven Azeri districts surrounding Nagorno-Karabakh which form a land corridor with Armenia. — Reuters

US seeks Turkish support over Iran

ANKARA: The chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff Mike Mullen speaks to the media a day after his meeting with Turkish officials yesterday. —AFP

ANKARA: The United States’ top military officer stressed yesterday the need for Turkey to help enforce United Nations sanctions against Iran aimed at deterring the Islamic Republic from obtaining a nuclear bomb. Turkey voted against the US-backed sanctions against Iran in June, insisting that its neighbor’s nuclear program is peaceful, despite fears that Tehran might be seeking to develop nuclear arms. Turkey has, however, stated that it will abide by the sanctions.

Adm. Michael Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told reporters in the Turkish capital he did not plan to “question or rebut” Turkey over the vote and welcomed Turkey’s stated intention to abide by those sanctions.

The UN approved a fourth round of sanctions against Iran in early June over accusations that Tehran is seeking to develop atomic weapons. Iran denies its nuclear program is militaristic in nature and says it has a right to conduct uranium enrichment for peaceful purposes. Washington and other powers accuse Iran of seeking to build a nuclear weapon.

Mullen said that both countries agree that Iran should not

achieve “a nuclear weapons capability,” and need “to do all that we can to ensure that.” Mullen arrived in Ankara Friday to meet with his new Turkish counterpart, Gen Isik Kosaner, who took office on Aug 27. He also met with Turkey’s prime minister and defense minister. No statements were released after those meetings.

Mullen praised Turkey NATO’s sole Muslim member state - for its role in Afghanistan and said the United States would welcome any additional help it can provide. Turkey currently holds the rotating command of the international peacekeeping force guarding the Afghan capital, while Turkish instructors are training the Afghan army and police force.

“We would like Turkey to sustain all of those efforts,” Mullen said.

“Any additional capabilities that Turkey can provide against the training shortfall, that would certainly be of great help.” The US military chief said Washington has no plans to withdraw its weapons from Iraq through Turkey, though the US military has sought Turkish permission to transport some noncombat equipment from Iraq through its territory. — AP

As Blair pulled up, demonstrators surged towards him and tried to push down a security barrier but were repelled by police and some demonstrators were led away. One woman said she tried to make a citizen’s arrest on Blair once he was inside the bookshop where the event was taking place. “After I went through airport-like security to get to Mr Blair, I told him I was there to make a citizen’s arrest on him for war crimes committed in Iraq,” said Kate O’Sullivan, an activist from the Ireland Palestine Solidarity Campaign. “Mr Blair looked down and I was immediately grabbed by five security men and dragged away.”

A police spokesman said the number of arrests was in single figures but would not give a precise figure. Blair was carrying out the signing at a Dublin bookshop to publicise “A Journey”, his account of his decade in Downing Street from 1997 to 2007, which was released earlier this week.

In the book, he said he “can’t regret” the decision to go to war in Iraq, which he took alongside then US president George W. Bush, but acknowledged that he did not foresee the “nightmare” which was unleashed in the aftermath. He will hold another book signing in London Wednesday which anti-war activists are also pledging to target. In Dublin, the demonstrators waved placards with slogans such as “Blair lied, millions died” and “Lock him up for genocide” and chanted amid a heavy police presence.

Part of the city’s main thoroughfare, O’Connell Street, where the shop is located, was sealed off and access to the bookshop was being tightly controlled. Several hundred people braved pouring rain to queue at the back entrance to the store in the hope of getting their book signed by Blair. Killian Kiely, a 21-year-old from south Dublin, was among those who got to meet him. “I wanted to see him, he is one of the most important leaders of his generation though there is a lot I would disagree with about his policies,” he said. “I just wanted to see him in the flesh.”

But many hoping to meet Blair were left disappointed when he left after about an hour-and-a-half of signing. In his first live television interview promoting the book on Friday, Blair brushed off the opposition he still faces from anti-war campaigners, seven years after the Iraq invasion.

“One of the first things that you learn in politics is that those who shout most don’t deserve necessarily to be listened to most,” he told Irish state television RTE. “Everyone should be listened to equally, irrespective of the volume of noise.”

In a fresh sign of continuing opposition, over 2,500 people have joined a group on social networking website Facebook calling for shoppers to move Blair’s book to the crime section in bookshops. Blair, who reportedly received a £4.6 million ($7.2 million) advance for the book, will donate all proceeds to the Royal British Legion, a charity helping war veterans. — AFP

NAGS HEAD, North Carolina: Traffic backs up on the Bonner Bridge yesterday as people return to Hatteras Island following mandatory evacuations of the barrier island for Hurricane Earl. —AP

US says goodbye to Earl as storm spins into Canada YARMOUTH, Massachusetts: In the end, Hurricane Earl wasn’t even as bad as some of the no-name storms that pound New England from time to time. The storm, far less intense than feared, brushed past the Northeast and dumped heavy, wind-driven rain on Cape Cod cottages and fishing villages, but caused little damage. It left clear, blue skies in its wake, the perfect start to the Labor Day weekend. The worst of the damage in Massachusetts amounted to a few hundred power outages, a handful of downed power lines and isolated flooding. The storm didn’t make much of an impression on the dozen people who stayed overnight at a Red Cross shelter on the Cape.

“Everybody was ready for something big to happen,” said Red Cross worker Harry Watling.

“But when it came, most of us hardly even noticed.” After skimming past both North Carolina and Massachusetts, Earl was expected to finally make landfall Saturday morning in Nova Scotia. Power outages were spreading across the southern part of the province and there were numerous flight cancellations.

Police said the road to the popular Peggy’s Cove tourist site near Halifax was closed to keep curious storm-watchers away from the dangerous, pounding surf.

Earl swooped into New England waters Friday night as a tropical storm with winds of 110 kph after sideswiping North Carolina’s Outer Banks, where it caused flooding but no injuries and little damage. The rain it brought to Cape Cod, Nantucket Island and Martha’s Vineyard was more typical of the storms that residents have been dealing with for generations - except this one disrupted the unofficial last weekend of summer. Winds on Nantucket blew at around 50 km, with gusts above 65 km. The island got more than 5 cm of rain, while adjacent Martha’s Vineyard got more than 10 cm. Hyannis, home to Kennedy compound, got about 11 cm.

Nantucket, the well-to-do resort island and old-time whaling port, briefly saw some localized flooding, but it cleared within hours, Nantucket Assistant Town Manager Gregg Tivnan said.

Peter Judge, spokesman for the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency, said the damage was so minimal on Cape Cod and the islands

that the agency didn’t send out assessment teams as planned yesterday morning. “There’s nothing to assess at this point,” he said. “It wasn’t even a really bad rainstorm.”

Judge said power outages peaked at about 1,800 but were down to a few hundred early yesterday and were being quickly restored. He said the state shut down its emergency management center as of 7 a.m. (1100 GMT) yestreday. In the hours and days before the storm, vacationers had pulled their boats from the water and canceled Labor Day weekend reservations on Nantucket.

Shopkeepers boarded up their windows.

Beachgoers were warned to stay out of the New England waters - or off the beach altogether because of the danger of getting swept away by high waves.

Airlines canceled dozens of flights into New England, and Amtrak suspended train service between New York and Boston. Massachusetts officials estimated that Cape Cod lost about 10 percent of its expected Labor Day weekend business, but were hopeful that last-minute vacationers would make up for it. Gov Deval Patrick walked around Chatham yesterday morning, proclaiming, “The sun is out and the Cape is open for business.” As of 8 am EDT (1200 GMT), Earl’s center was located about 65 km south of Cape Sable, Nova Scotia, and was moving northeast at 50 km.

The Canadian Hurricane Center issued a hurricane watch in Nova Scotia from Ecum Secum to Point Tupper. Though the National Hurricane Center in Miami downgraded Earl to a tropical storm, Canadian officials were still calling it a marginal category 1 hurricane. John Parker of the Canadian Hurricane Centre said there’s little difference. “Our concern here is that we’re still seeing a fairly good eye,” Parker said. He said tree branches and utility lines could be knocked down.

Tropical storms typically weaken when they enter the colder waters between Maine and Canada, but many Nova Scotia residents stocked up on bottled water and canned goods, fearing a repeat of 2003, when Hurricane Juan killed eight and caused millions of dollars in damage. The storm weakened faster than predicted and would continue to diminish, National Weather Service meteorologist Rebecca Gould said. — AP

Mozambique’s riots linked to poverty, unemployment MAPUTO: The deadly food riots in povertystricken Mozambique reflect public anger at the ruling party’s failure to curb poverty and create more jobs since coming to power in 1975, analysts say. Support for the Liberation Front of Mozambique (Frelimo), which led the liberation struggle against Portugal has weakened over the years, as poverty continues to plague the southern African nation. On Wednesday, violent demonstrations erupted in the capital Maputo and surrounding slums over the rising prices of food and fuel. The unrest claimed ten lives, left hundreds injured and paralysed the country. But the government said the hikes were “irreversible.”

When Mozambique’s 16-year civil war ended in 1992, Frelimo encouraged internal debate and tolerated political foes but this was no longer the case, said Richard Cornwell, an analyst at the Institute for Security Studies in Pretoria.

“It seems now (President Armando) Guebuza is moving towards an authoritarian state, where the state is inflexible and opposition parties have little room to manoeuvre,” said Cornwell. In 2009, Guebuza was re-elected with 75 percent of the vote but his party’s support waned, especially in Maputo, the epicentre of the riots. “Although Frelimo won with an overwhelming majority, they did so with manipulation and intimidation,” said Cornwell.

The price hikes implemented on Sept 1 are unpopular in a country where over half the population survives on less than one dollar a day. “The government... thought the poor would just accept

this decision. They were caught off guard,” said Cornwell adding that increases affected the urban poor more than their rural counterparts. Paulo Gorjao, the director of the Portuguese Institute of International Relations and Security said Mozambique’s failure to push back poverty levels was partly due to pressure from the International Monetary Fund.

“It would be difficult to subsidise prices, as it happened in 2008, because the government is under pressure from the IMF to control debt and has little options,” Gorjao told the Diario de Noticias, a Lisbon-based daily. “The IMF constraints take away government’s ability to cushion the price increases by spreading them out gradually over time,” said Gorjao.

In 2008, six people were killed in protests against a public transport fare increase.

Mozambique, which lies on the Indian Ocean coast, relies on neighbouring South Africa for trade but the value of its currency, the metical, has slumped significantly against the rand. The country’s main exports are seafood and cotton.

Joseph Hanlon, the editor of Mozambique Bulletin, also said the government had failed to create jobs despite making significant strides in health and education. “The development model pushed by the IMF and World Bank has generated growth but few jobs and caused the informal sector to swell,” said Hanlon. “At some point people will start to say, wait a minute, where is all this growth that we’ve seen. It has not filtering down to the bottom,” he said. —AFP

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Sunday, September 5, 2010

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Authorities say fire at US mosque site was arson MURFREESBORO, Tennessee: Federal investigators said Friday that a suspicious fire that damaged construction equipment at the site of a future mosque in the southern state of Tennessee was arson and offered a $20,000 reward for information leading to an arrest. The future mosque in Tennessee, like other houses of worship for Muslims across America, has been drawn into a fierce debate surrounding a proposed Islamic community center two blocks from Manhattan’s

ground zero, and opponents are becoming even more hostile and aggressive.

The construction site arson frightened members of the Islamic Center of Murfreesboro.

Firefighters had said there was a strong smell of diesel from the fire that engulfed the cab of a dump truck last weekend, and authorities found fresh fuel pooled under a second dump truck, according to an incident report from the Rutherford County Sheriff’s Department.

Still, authorities did not officially rule the fire an arson until laboratory tests on samples from the burned dump truck tested positive for accelerants.

The US Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and FBI is offering a $20,000 reward to anyone with information leading to an arrest.

“Somebody knows something,” ATF agent Steven Gerido said. “The money is a motivator.” Gerido would not say whether the agency has any suspects.

FBI agent Keith Moses said the FBI would not decide whether the arson was a hate crime - motivated by someone hoping to intimidate local Muslims - until after suspects are identified and their motives are determined.

The Islamic Center of Murfreesboro has outgrown its current rented space in an industrial park. Members got approval to build a new mosque in May. Since then opposition to the building has made international news, with some opponents say-

ing they fear Muslims want to overthrow the US government.

One mosque leader, Essam Fathy, has speculated that the perpetrator is not from the area and that new attention has been drawn to the Tennessee project by the ground zero dispute. Members of the Murfreesboro mosque say they have lived and worshipped in the community for years and never caused any problems.

Safaa Fathy, an Islamic Center board member, said her family has been in

Murfreesboro since the early 1980s. She has been very surprised by some of the recent hostility, saying even after 9/11 local Muslims had no problems. But she is heartened by some of the positive responses the mosque has received from people of different religions around the country.

“We got a nice letter today from someone in Utah. He sent $50 and said it was all he has,” she said. “It meant a lot to me.

I cried when I read his letter.” — AP

Prof in 2003 plague scare sets off airport shutdown MIAMI: The suspicions airport security officials had when they saw the metal canister grew when they learned about the man who brought it in from the Middle East: a scientist who sparked a bioterrorism scare after he reported missing vials of plague samples seven years ago.

COPIAPO, Chile: Relatives of Bolivian miner Carlos Mamani, trapped in the San Jose mine with another 32 fellow miners, pose beside a Bolivian (center) and a Chilean flags outside the mine on Friday.—AFP

Threefold drilling effort to reach trapped Chile miners COPIAPO, Chile: A faster drilling machine was being assembled Saturday to enlarge an existing supply shaft to 33 Chilean trapped miners, as work on the main shaft continued and a special rescue cage was being built by the Navy. A third alternative, or plan “C,” involving a football-pitch-size oil drilling platform was also under way and expected to begin drilling a third rescue shaft by Sept 18 (Chile’s Independence Day), said President Sebastian Pinera.

The battle to reach the men trapped 700 m underground since an Aug 5 collapse presents a twofold challenge: drilling through the rock and managing the psychological effects of prolonged isolation deep underground.

A group of NASA officials wrapped up a three day visit to the mine Friday with a report recommending the miners be given extra doses of vitamin D, to compensate for the lack of sunlight, an adequate exercise regimen and activities to keep them busy. “We’ve got three alternative plans: plan A is up and running, plan B... should be starting on Sunday, and plan C is in the works so that by September 18 a third option is up and running,” said the rescue operation’s chief engineer Andres Sougarret. “For now, we’ve got those three alternatives, but we’re still dealing with a three to four month timeframe for the rescue,” he added.

Engineers Friday resumed drilling with the Australianmade Strata 950 excavator after a brief halt Thursday when the drill hit a geological fault 40 m down that had to be reinforced with concrete to make it water tight. A second drill that will widen a supply chute to the miners and could aid their rescue, arrived Friday dismantled atop five trucks at the site of the copper and gold mine in Chile’s Atacama desert, some 800 km north of Santiago. “I feel so much emotion and I’m impatient to begin work as soon as possible,” Juan Castillo Olea, who drove one of the trucks carrying the machine parts, told AFP. The T-130 excavator is faster than the Strata 950 and will be deployed initially to enlarge the supply chute to a diameter of 30 cm. The process will allow teams of nutritionists, doctors and the miners’ relatives to send larger objects down to the 33 men, said Sougarret. Engineers are also examining whether the supply chute could be enlarged further, giving rescuers a second potential rescue route, a backup option, he added. Sougarret said the T-130 should start digging today, adding: “We’re figuring a two month plus timeline for that shaft” to be completed.

The third rescue option was confirmed Friday by President Sebastian Pinera.

On plan C, Pinera told a press conference in Santiago that state-run National

Petroleos de Chile Company (ENAP) was supplying the oil drilling machine that will open a new rescue shaft in addition to the others. Sougarret said plan C is the fastest of the three “if they had started at the same time.” But since that did not happen, “we’re keeping to the timeframe of three to four months.” “There’s always a risk of new collapses,” he warned.

“We’re talking about collapses in the shaft under construction,” not in the shelter where the miners are huddled.

The Chilean Navy said it is building a special metal cage or capsule in which the miners, one by one, will make their hour-long ascent to the surface when the rescue tunnel is finished. “The capsule must provide oxygen, communications, light, video link and a harness to secure the person to prevent him from using his legs while he is being pulled to the surface,” top Navy commander Sergio Sandoval told 24 Horas television channel. He said the capsule, which is being built at the Navy’s shipyards, will include an escape hatch and safety

device the rider can use to lower himself back to the starting point should the capsule get stuck along the way up.

Officials have been working to keep up the morale of the miners, trapped for 29 days now, amid warnings that it could take until Christmas to get them out. The men have been told salvation is more than two months away, but not given a precise date. The NASA report also recommended “to improve the lighting conditions so there’s an ambiance of day/night,” said Michael Duncan, a doctor at the US space agency’s Houston Space Center in Texas.

“We are very impressed with the quality of the health (care) being provided, the support being provided, to the miners, and to the families,” Duncan told reporters. “Let me say these miners have a tremendous will to survive.”

Pinera said soon a cable with a video-link would be lowered so the men can watch a live broadcast of a friendly football match between Chile and Ukraine next week. — AFP

Tests on the canister found nothing dangerous, said the senior law enforcement official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he wasn’t authorized to release the information. Tests on the canister found nothing dangerous, according to a release from the FBI’s Miami field office. Homeland Security spokesman Nicholas Kimball said the item resembled a pipe bomb.

Butler’s former lawyer said the incident appeared to be a “fantastic overreaction.” Butler, 70, is a world-renowned plague researcher who quickly became the focus of a federal investigation in 2003 when he reported that 30 vials of plague samples possibly had been stolen from his Texas Tech University lab. He was later acquitted of smuggling and illegally transporting the potentially deadly germ, and of lying to federal agents about the missing vials.

Jurors found Butler guilty of the mislabeling and unauthorized export of a FedEx package that contained plague samples he sent to Tanzania.

He was also convicted of fraud and theft and sentenced to two years in prison for defrauding Texas Tech about illegally negotiated contracts he had with pharmaceutical companies with which he also had clinical studies contracts. Before Butler’s trial, leading scientific organizations expressed concern about the criminal case against him and its effect on infectious disease research. Four Nobel laureates said in an open letter that Butler had been “subjected to unfair and disproportionate treatment.”

Jonathan Turley, a George Washington University law professor who represented Butler in his unsuccessful appeals, said the

scientist “has spent his entire life protecting and healing people in some of the most impoverished areas of the world. He would never do anything that would endanger people.” The senior law enforcement official told the AP that a Transportation Security Administration inspector noticed an odd container around 9 p.m.

Thursday as Butler was going through customs. He had arrived on a flight from the Middle East, where he had been teaching at a Saudi Arabian university.

The inspector ran Butler’s name through a database and discovered that he had been tried on the plague-related charges.

Officials decided to evacuate the airport and detain Butler, who cooperated fully, the law enforcement official said. A Miami-Dade police bomb squad spent hours scouring the airport. Between 100 and 200 passengers were evacuated from four of the airport’s six concourses.

Airport roadways and a hotel near the airport’s international terminal were closed down.

Police and airport officials described the shutdown of the concourses as a public safety precaution. Butler was released after tests showed that he, the container and his other belongings did not contain any hazardous biological material or explosives, the official said.

The canister was used to transport dead bacteria samples and was a legitimate experiment, said another government official who also requested anonymity to discuss the ongoing investigation.

Without naming Butler, the official said the scientist is a professor at Ross University, a medical school in the Caribbean island of Dominica, and on a teaching

Officials shut down most of Miami International Airport overnight, roused nearby hotel guests from their beds and detained Dr Thomas Butler until Friday morning, when he was released without charges, a senior law enforcement official said.

assignment in Saudi Arabia.

Passengers, workers and others were allowed back in just as the airport was expecting the first of 1,500 passengers on flights between 4 and 6 a.m. alone - and more thereafter. “Everything’s back to normal,” airport spokesman Greg Chin told the AP. Butler’s 2003 report of missing plague vials set off a frantic search that ended when Butler gave FBI agents a written statement in which he admitted a “misjudgment” in not telling his supervisor that the vials had been “accidentally destroyed,” according to court records. At trial, Butler tes-

tified that FBI agents forced him to make the admission to calm the public’s fears.

Turley said he hoped to speak later Friday with the researcher.

He said the Miami incident “appears to be a fantastic overreaction,” and is “ironic because we defeated all the national security counts in the case”. “The only plague claim he was convicted of was a highly technical paper violation; he literally checked the wrong box on the form,” Turley said. He added, “I find it strange to evacuate an airport because a guy was convicted of contractual violations with a university.”

Peter Agre, a Nobel Prize-win-

ning biochemist who supported Butler against the 2003 charges, said he’d be astonished if Butler did anything wrong.

“I suspect because he’s Tom Butler and on a list as coming from Saudi Arabia, he’s being scutinized and somebody pushed the panic button,” Agre said in a telephone interview from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health in Baltimore. Butler was on supervised release from prison until 2008. He also agreed to retire from Texas Tech and to surrender his medical license. He is not currently licensed in Texas, a spokeswoman for the Texas Medical Board said Friday.— AP

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Sunday, September 5, 2010

Malaysia’s gay community begins to push the limits KUALA LUMPUR: When Malaysia’s only openly homosexual pastor announced he was establishing the nation’s first gay church, the proposal was met with a torrent of outrage and criticism. Reverend Ouyang Wen Feng faced down threats to block the plan by government and religious leaders who said it would encourage homosexuality - still a crime punishable by 20 years in jail in the Muslim-majority nation. The church he co-founded has however been operating quietly in suburban Kuala Lumpur for the past three years, drawing a group of gay Christians for Sunday services and bible studies.

Ouyang’s battle is part of a campaign being fought on many fronts in Malaysia, where there is a growing sense of activism among the gay community which is begin-

ning to mobilise to fight for its rights. “We are working on encouraging more people to join the church, for Christians to come out and live authentic lives,” says the pastor, who was married for nine years until he “came out” publicly in 2006. “Whether one is gay or straight or bisexual, they are sexual orientations, it is not something we do that makes us gay.”

Ouyang says the church, which also embraces bisexuals and transsexuals as well as welcoming heterosexuals to its services, wants to help the community know they are not “alone in fighting the battle”.

“When I was young, how I wished someone who was good, highly admired and respected in the society could come out and tell me ‘I am gay too,’,” says the 40-year-old.

Homosexuality remains a social taboo

across the racial and religious spectrum in Malaysia, a conservative country which is also home to large ethnic Chinese and Indian communities. Gay men and women are a visible presence out in public, and on the Internet where they are connected through online forums.

However, authorities periodically crack down on the thriving gay scene, carrying out raids at gay-friendly bars or massage parlours, leaving some with a constant fear of persecution.

Few feel they can declare their sexuality openly, and there was a dearth of groups representing the community until 2008, when the first “Seksualiti Merdeka” or “Sexual Independence” festival was held.

Organiser Pang Khee Teik, an art gallery owner, said he was inspired by rising

activism in the region. India and Nepal have decriminalised homosexuality in recent years, in Thailand the annual Gay Pride festival is being revived, and even in conservative Indonesia there is an annual gay film festival.

“We thought the time was right to replicate something similar in Malaysia,” Pang says. “We are trying to tell people: you have sexual rights whether the state recognises it or not.

The long-term goal could be the repeal of laws against sodomy and oral sex for instance,” says Pang, adding that anti-discrimination laws are also needed. The annual festival, which includes talks, music performances and film screenings, has seen the number of participants double from 400 in 2008 to about 800 last year. It

will be held for the third time later this year and has managed to avoid any action from protesters or the authorities, partly due to efforts to keep it low-key.

But religious figures who have an influential role in Malaysian society remain vehemently opposed to the new mood. A top religious body in 2008 also issued a “fatwa” or Islamic religious ban on lesbian sex.

“Homosexuality is going to destroy the world as we are not thankful to God’s creation and we are going against His wishes,” says outspoken Islamic cleric Harussani Zakaria. “Homosexuality is a very bad thing. God has created men and women, how can it be man with man, and woman with woman?”

The gay community takes heart from

small steps, including a recent Malaysian Film Censorship Board decision to reverse a ban on the depiction of homosexuality and allow gay characters to be featured in films.

But in an indication of the distance campaigners still have to go, the new guidelines also stipulate that gay characters must repent or go straight before the credits roll.

“They recognise that we do exist and that is a something positive, at least,” says Azri, who has a boyfriend of five years, as he sips coffee at one of Kuala Lumpur’s upmarket shopping malls. “My ideal world is to be recognised as a couple and enjoy the rights just like any other heterosexual couples,” says the boyish-looking 28-yearold. “We can’t rush, we are slowly building the momentum.” — AFP

City ‘wobbles like jelly’ in powerful N Zealand quake Many have lucky escapes CHRISTCHURCH, New Zealand: Christchurch residents said the walls of their homes “wobbled like jelly” when a 7.0 magnitude earthquake rocked New Zealand’s second largest city early yesterday. The force of the quake, one of the most powerful recorded in the country, tore jagged fissures in the ground and destroyed the facades of buildings, littering the city’s streets with bricks and shards of glass. Markham McMullen, a

school principal at Darfield, near the quake’s epicentre, said it felt like a train had hit his house, creating a jolt that threw him and his wife out of bed. “It just kept coming, it went and on and on,” he said. “It was absolutely terrifying. We grabbed our daughter, Sophie, from her room and crouched under a doorway. The TV was flying around the room... it was very scary.”

CHRISTCHURCH, New Zealand: A car damaged by rubble from a building is seen following a 7.0-magnitude earthquake in central Christchurch early yesterday. — AP

S Korea FM quits in nepotism row SEOUL: South Korea’s foreign minister has resigned over accusations of nepotism involving his daughter, sources at the president’s office and ministry said yesterday, the latest senior official to step down because of scandal. The resignation of Yu Myung-hwan, 64, comes a week after President Lee Myung-bak’s prime ministerdesignate and two other ministerial nominees stepped down amid allegations of corruption.

Yu’s daughter, Yu Hyun-sun, was employed at the foreign ministry between 2006 and 2009, said a foreign ministry source. She was to sign a contract on Aug 31 with the foreign ministry to work on

trade matters but public criticism forced her to not take up the position. “The foreign minister has resigned to accept responsibility for all the commotion caused by the ministry employing his daughter,” said a presidential source who spoke on condition of anonymity. It was not immediately clear who would replace him.

Yu’s resignation is not expected to affect South Korea’s foreign policy priorities that are focused on cementing close ties with Washington, and isolating North Korea following the torpedoing of a South Korean naval ship in March that resulted in the death of 46 sailors. Seoul, with the backing of Washington, blames the attack on

Pyongyang. North Korea denies responsibility and said it wants to return to long-stalled multilateral talks.

South Korea’s nuclear envoy told reporters in Washington Friday that a return to talks with North Korea was “premature”. Yu unexpectedly apologised for the controversy surrounding his daughter at the foreign ministry on Friday. President Lee Myung-bak’s response to Yu’s offer to resign was terse.

“I got it,” Lee was quoted as saying by a presidential source. Lee has suffered public criticism for his choice of officials but also for pardoning business leaders convicted of crimes. —Reuters

Honduran helped massacre survivor flee TEGUCIGALPA, Honduras: A Honduran who survived the massacre of 72 migrants in Mexico helped untie the only other survivor - a wounded Ecuadorean and the two fled together, an official said Friday. In an interview with El Heraldo newspaper, Foreign Deputy Honduran

Minister Alden Rivera revealed details for the first time about the escape. Mexican officials had previously said there was only one survivor of the massacre - the Ecuadorean who stumbled wounded to a military checkpoint and alerted marines. The Mexicans said when they learned that a

Honduran also survived, they kept it a secret to protect him. But Ecuadorean President Rafael Correa revealed the information earlier this week.

Investigators believe the Zetas drug gang kidnapped the migrants and gunned them down after they refused to work for the cartel.

TUXTEPEC, Mexico: Two men lie dead after their helicopter plummeted while fumigating a sugar cane field near this city in the state of Oaxaca Friday. Bad weather appears to have been the cause of the crash but authorities are still investigating. —AP

Marines found the bound, blindfolded bodies slumped against a wall last week after raiding the ranch in the northern state of Tamaulipas, which has been embroiled in a vicious turf battle between the Zetas and their former employer, the Gulf Cartel.

Mexican officials say cartels have increasingly been recruiting vulnerable migrants to smuggle drugs. After the shooting stopped, the Honduran survivor managed to untie himself, then helped free the Ecuadorean, who had been shot in the neck, Rivera said. Rivera did not say whether the Honduran was hurt but the Ecuadorean survivor, Luis Freddy Lala Pomavilla, told state-run television in Ecuador on Thursday that the Honduran somehow managed to avoid being shot. Lala, 18, was flown home to Ecuador on Sunday after recovering from his wounds at a Mexican hospital. He is now under a witness protection program in Ecuador. The Honduran is under the protection of Mexican security Rivera said the two forces. migrants fled the ranch together but when they heard gunshots behind them, they separated. Lala said he approached two groups of people who refused to help him until he finally reached the marine checkpoint. — AP

Fellow Darfield resident Annette Stewart said she was in shock after being tossed around her home during the quake. “It was like being in a big washing machine,” she told the Stuff news website.

Old buildings were the worst affected, with entire facades of brick structures collapsing onto the street, crushing cars under tonnes of debris and leaving kitchens and living rooms exposed, many eerily untouched by the surrounding chaos.

At Castle Rock, a rugged outcrop just outside the city, the earthquake sent boulders bigger than cars tumbling down the hillside. Only two people were seriously injured, but Civil Defence officials said the toll would have been much worse had the quake hit in daylight, when there would have been thousands of people on the streets. “We’ve been extremely lucky as a nation that there’s been no fatalities... we’re blessed actually,” Civil Defence Minister John Carter said. Hotelier Richard Hawes said he thought he was going to die as his 130-year-old building shook. “(It) wobbled like a jelly,” he said.

Aftershocks continued to rattle the city of around 340,000 throughout yesterday, as dazed residents assessed the damage. Police pleas for people to stay away from the city centre were ignored, with thousands of sightseers flocking to the worst-hit areas, many recording the moment on their mobile phones. Children played in chasms in the road created when the surface buckled and warped as the ground shifted beneath it.

In some seaside suburbs, where roads had earlier been jammed as locals fearing a tsunami attempted to flee, ruptured pipes spewed out raw sewage. Some residents wore facemasks to protect themselves from the smell, while others gathered river water in buckets for flushing their toilets. “Honestly, the scale of it is quite astonishing,” Frances Adank, who lives in the suburb of St Albans, told Radio New Zealand. “The city council I think is going to be working for days to get the water mains sorted out... There’s just water pouring out of every front section.”

In the same suburb, Marsha Witehira said she had a narrow escape when a friend pulled her from her bed moments before the wall of her house collapsed on top of it. “He saved my life, no doubt about it... if I had been there, I would have smashed my head,” she told the Christchurch Press newspaper. Rosie Jerram, a 10-yearold Christchurch girl, huddled with her parents as their home trembled and objects smashed on the floor. “I felt that it was the most scary thing in my life that I have ever experienced,” she told Sky News. “It sounded like the wind.” — AFP

KUALA LUMPUR: This photo taken on Aug 21, 2010 shows Malaysian’s only openly homosexual pastor, Rev Ouyang Wen Feng, posing with his book at a launch ceremony. — AFP

Will heir be unveiled at N Korean convention?

SEOUL: North Korea is preparing its largest political meeting in 30 years, and leader Kim Jong Il is expected to appoint a son to a key Workers Party position in what would be the strongest sign yet of a succession movement in the secretive communist country. The meeting would be the first major party gathering since the landmark 1980 congress where Kim was confirmed as the man who would take over from his father as the country’s next leader.

History may repeat itself this week. Now 68 and believed to be in failing health, Kim is expected to appoint his youngest son to a key party post. The exact date of the political gathering, set for “early September,” has not been announced, but analysts have said it could open as soon as Monday. Local party officials have been busy electing delegates to the conference, according to dispatches in the North’s state-run Korean Central News Agency.

While the conference is not a top-level party congress such as the one held in 1980, it is the biggest Workers’ Party meeting since then and appears to have been convened to address urgent matters - quite likely a transfer of power, analysts said. It’s widely believed that Kim, who has ruled his nation of 24 million people with absolute authority since 1994, has been grooming his third and youngest son, Kim Jong Un, to succeed him since reportedly suffering a stroke in Aug 2008.

The regime has launched a propaganda campaign promoting the succession, including songs and poems praising the junior Kim, according to South Korea’s spy agency. North Korean soldiers and workers reportedly pledged allegiance to the son on his birthday in January. The process has been shrouded in secrecy. There are no confirmed photos of Kim Jong Un, apart from one widely circulated by the foreign media of him as a boy. His name is never mentioned in state media, and though he is said to be in his late 20s, even his exact age remains unclear.

When asked about him, North Korean government officials routinely deny knowing anything about the son. He has two elder brothers, but a former sushi chef to Kim Jong Il wrote in a 2003 memoir the third son looks and acts just like his father and is the leader’s favorite. The eldest, Kim Jong Nam, was favored to succeed his father until he was caught sneaking into Japan on a fake passport to visit a Disney resort in 2001. Kim Jong Il considers the middle son, Kim Jong Chul, too “girlish” to lead, the sushi chef wrote in a book written under the pen name Kenji Fujimoto.

The secrecy is reminiscent of Kim Jong Il’s own rise in communism’s first hereditary transfer of power. Kim Jong Il was 31 when he won a key post in the ruling Workers’ Party in 1973 - an appointment seen as a key step in the path to succeeding his father, North Korea founder Kim Il Sung, as the nation’s leader. His position as successor was made public at the party congress in 1980.

That historic succession took place when Kim Il Sung died of heart failure in 1994.

Similarly, the young son is expected to step into the limelight at this month’s political gathering of local representatives by assuming his first public party role, analysts say. “It’s almost certain that he will get a crucial party post,” said Cheong Seong-chang of

the private Sejong Institute in South Korea, a North Korea expert who has followed the succession issue closely for years. “If he doesn’t get a post, that will be news.” What position and whether it will be disclosed by state media remains to be seen.

Analysts said North Korea may well keep the son’s appearance and position under wraps. Some believe he will be granted the same post his father took 37 years ago: party secretary authorized to supervise party members and appoint top party, government and military officials, and he may be elected to the powerful “politburo” of the party’s Central Committee as well. Others don’t think Kim Jong Il will give the son a high-profile job quite yet since he is still young and needs time to learn about state affairs. “Jong Un would be given a working-level job that would give him room to take measure of the party’s operations,” said Prof. Kim Yonghyun at Seoul’s Dongguk University.

However, Kim Jong Un may not have the benefit of two decades of training that his father had. Kim Jong Il, said to be suffering from diabetes and a kidney ailment, has appeared thinner and grayer in recent appearances. “Another hereditary succession will be completed in 2012,” predicted Ha Taekeung, chief of Open Radio for North Korea, a Seoul-based station that claims to have an extensive network of contacts inside North Korea. The year 2012 is the centenary of Kim Il Sung’s birth, and the date already is being promoted as a significant milestone in North Korean history.

After the conference, the son can be expected to assume other top jobs one by one, including supreme commander of North Korea’s 1.2 million-member army and general secretary of the Workers’ Party, analysts said. Kim Jong Il also took up those positions in the years before taking over as leader.

Cheong said he expects the son’s name to appear in state media from the first day of the meeting, which he said would be aimed at dispelling questions at home and abroad about Kim Jong Un’s status as heir apparent.

However, Prof Yang Moo-jin of the University of North Korea Studies in Seoul said the son’s presence will be kept out of official dispatches. Publicly presenting the son as the successor would make Kim Jong Il a lame-duck leader, he said.

North Korea can’t afford any more political damage right now, he said. Pyongyang is already suffering under widespread international sanctions for conducting nuclear and missile tests, and its economic woes are feared worse following a botched currency redenomination in November and recent flooding in the northwest. The regime is also grappling with international pressure to come clean over the deadly sinking of a South Korean warship that killed 46 sailors - an attack Pyongyang flatly denies engineering.

Provocative acts such as the sinking of the Cheonan and the firing of artillery near the sea border with South Korea have been seen by some as decisions pinned to the young future leader to build his political clout.

However, the world can expect a new era in the impoverished, nuclear-armed nation once he takes power, Ha said. “He’ll be provocative until he feels his leadership is bolstered, but he will eventually choose the path for openness and reform,” he said. “There is no other option.” —AP

Sunday, Septenber 5, 2010

Afghan bomber kills 7, including 4 police KABUL: A suicide bomber perched on the back of a motorcycle killed seven people, including four Afghan policemen, in an attack yesterday in the increasingly violent northern province of Kunduz, a government spokesman said. Sixteen other people were injured in the midday attack in the provincial capital, also called Kunduz, provincial spokesman Mahbubullah Sayedi said. The city is a major transportation hub and lies along a crucial supply line for coalition forces that has been repeatedly attacked

by Taleban insurgents, who have also stepped up attacks on police and civilians in the province in an apparent attempt to destabilize local authorities and spread their insurgency beyond their strongholds in the country’s south.

Pictures from the scene of yesterday’s bombing showed officers loading the back of a police pickup truck with bodies of the victims, including a boy who appeared to be in his early teens. The body of the suicide bomber lay beside the mangled wreckage of his motorcycle, while windows in nearby shops and cars were shattered by the blast. While there was no immediate sign of a connection, the bombing came on the first anniversary of a NATO warplane attack on two fuel trucks just outside Kunduz city that killed as many as 142 people, the single largest loss of civilian lives since the 2001 US invasion of the country. Afghan officials repeatedly warn that such incidents undermine the central government in Kabul and fuel support for its Taliban opponents.

Also yesterday, NATO announced the capture of a Taliban commander and the killing of six insurgents in a raid on a rebel hide-out in the northern province of Takhar. The attack followed a string of recent raids on militant leaders that aim to demoralize the insurgency and sever contacts between rebel groups. NATO said a joint Afghan-NATO force was fired on as it approached a compound Friday where the Taliban commander was hiding.

The force returned fire with the backing of coalition aircraft, then evacuated the compound and detained the commander and one of his assistants, it said.

Takhar, which neighbors Kunduz to the east, had been relatively quiet amid rising violence across Afghanistan, but recent incidents point to growing insurgent activity in the province, about 250 km north of Kabul along the border with Tajikistan. NATO says an airstrike in the province on Thursday killed about a dozen insurgents, but President Hamid Karzai and other Afghans said the victims were campaign workers seeking votes

ahead of this month’s parliamentary elections.

Farther south in Kandahar province, where much of the current fighting is focused, a Taleban commander in the provincial capital and six associates were detained in a raid Thursday, NATO said.

Other Taleban leaders in rural Kandahar and the southern provinces of Paktiya and Helmand were also captured, it said. Separately, Helmand’s provincial government reported at least 12 insurgents were killed in fighting and air raids in the province on Thursday.

NATO has been intensifying its efforts with the addition of 30,000 more US troops along with additional special forces soldiers who conduct most of the targeted raids alongside the Afghan army and police. Some 140,000 foreign troops are now in the country, tasked both with driving the Taleban from areas it has held sway in for years, and ensuring security for the Sept. 18 elections that many hope will help set Afghanistan on a path to greater political stability. So far, the election campaign has been disrupted by periodic but not paralyzing violence, with at least three candidates and five campaign workers killed in attacks.

Along with the Taleban, rival candidates are also believed to be involved in some of the violence and intimidation. On Friday, US Defense Secretary Robert Gates toured US bases and met with troops in Kandahar, saying he saw and heard evidence that the counterinsurgency strategy is taking hold in the Taleban’s spiritual heartland. Such progress is crucial ahead of a US assessment of Afghanistan strategy in December that could determine the direction of future efforts. President Barack Obama has pledged to begin pulling out at least some troops starting next July.

Meanwhile, nervous Afghans yesterday continued pulling funds out of the nation’s largest bank despite assurances from government leaders that their money was safe. Crowds gathered at Kabul Bank branches around the capital to withdraw dollar and Afghan currency savings, with customers saying they had lost faith in the bank’s solvency following a change in leadership and reports that tens of millions of dollars had been lent to political elites for risky real estate investments. While there was little apparent sign of panic, the deputy commander of the international coalition in Afghanistan said contingency plans were being drawn up in case of unrest sparked by a run on the bank. “We’re prepared to deal with the unexpected,” Lt Gen Sir Nick Parker said. — AP

INTERNATIONAL

11

Police on alert as Pak attack victims buried Death toll in Quetta bombing rises to 65 QUETTA, Pakistan: Antiterror police were on high alert in Pakistan yesterday as mass burials took place for the victims of a suicide bomber who killed at least 65 people at a Shiite rally. The bomber was among a 450strong crowd marching through the southwestern city of Quetta on Friday and blew himself up as the procession reached the main square. Chaotic scenes followed, with an angry mob starting fires and shooting into the air while others fled or lay on the ground to avoid the gunfire.

Families and relatives wept and beat their chests and heads as they carried the coffins to graves.

The city’s streets were deserted following a protest strike call by the local traders’ associations, an AFP reporter said, with security forces on patrol. Provincial police chief Malik Mohammad Iqbal said that so far no arrests had been made and an investigation into the incident was in progress.

Nearly 200 people were injured in the attack, police official Sardar Khan said.

In northwest Pakistan, at least one man was killed and four wounded Friday when a suicide bomber blew himself up after being apprehended

by police outside a mosque of the Ahmadi sect in the city of Mardan, police said.

The attacks were the latest in a string of apparent sectarian bloodshed and came just days after three suicide bombers killed 31 people and wounded hundreds more during a Shiite mourning procession in Lahore. That attack was subsequently claimed by the Pakistani Taleban.

Washington condemned the attacks against religious minorities.

“To target innocent civilians during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan at an already difficult time as the country is working hard to recover from terrible flooding caused by monsoons makes these acts even more reprehensible,” the White House said.

Friday’s rally in Quetta, capital of Baluchistan province, was held to mark Al-Quds day, an international event staged each year by the Shiite community to oppose Israel’s control of Jerusalem and show solidarity with Palestinian Muslims.

Shiite Muslims are a minority in Pakistan, accounting for around a fifth of the country’s 160 million population, which is dominated by Sunnis. Iqbal said rally

organisers had been warned to use a different route in case of attacks. Police were forced to quell unrest after the bombing, Khan said. “An angry mob tried to set on fire a private building and vehicles. Some of the participants were armed and they were firing in the air. They also set on fire some bicycles and motorcycles,” said Khan.

Prime Minister Yousuf

Raza Gilani strongly condemned the bombing and called for an immediate inquiry.

Militants have launched a series of attacks as Muslims mark the final days of the holy month of Ramadan even as the country struggles to deal with massive flooding that has killed nearly 1,800 people and left millions reliant on aid handouts. More

than 3,660 people have been killed in a series of suicide attacks and bomb explosions, many of them carried out by the Taleban and other AlQaeda-linked Islamist extremists, in Pakistan during the last three years. In May nearly 100 people were killed in Lahore after militants stormed two Ahmadi prayer halls, launching gun and grenade attacks.— AFP

OPINION

12

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Iraqis who fought view US exit with mixed feelings

By Waleed Ibrahim and Fadhel Al-Badrani

S

unni fighter Abu Mujahid lost a leg battling US Marines in the Iraqi city of Falluja, scene of some of the fiercest battles of the Iraq war.

Small pieces of shrapnel still pit his skull and scars decorate his body after a missile strike in 2004 by a US warplane on the city in the western province of Anbar-Iraq's Sunni heartland and once a stomping ground for Al-Qaeda.. "Yes, we fought them to the death and we dreamed of the day when they would leave Iraq," he said, laying aside a crutch as he sat down on a plastic chair in his house. "But their withdrawal at this time is not in Iraq's interest," Abu Mujahid said.

His views echo widespread fears for the future among once dominant Sunnis, many of whom joined the insurgency after the 2003 US-led invasion but now fear the departure of US forces will cement Shiite Muslim-and Iranian-domination. US forces will not leave Iraq for another 16 months, the deadline for a complete withdrawal set in a bilateral security pact signed by former President George W Bush in 2008. But the US military formally ends combat operations and limits it numbers to 50,000 on Aug 31, down from a peak of around 170,000 three years ago when the sectarian warfare unleashed after the invasion reached a frightening peak.

The remaining US troops in Iraq will focus on advising and assisting their Iraqi counterparts, playing a back-seat yet still significant role in the continuing fight against an AlQaeda-led Sunni Islamist insurgency and Shiite militia.

Many Iraqis have mixed feelings about the gradual US withdrawal. Any initial jubilation over the fall of Saddam Hussein and his suppressive Baath party regime quickly turned to horror when sectarian war ignited and spread.

'CRIMINALS AND DEVILS' Tens of thousands were killed and Iraq 7-1/2 years on is a rubble-strewn and dusty wreck, where public electricity only lasts a few hours per day, government bureaucracy is an opaque and corruptionriddled maze and jobs are painfully scarce. "I can't describe how happy I will be when they leave our country," said Khalida Mohammed, 30, a teacher whose husband was one of several civilians killed in Falluja in 2006 when US soldiers opened fire on cars that had driven close to a convoy. "Every US soldier in our country is a criminal and a devil. No one wants them," Mohammed said.

Sunnis who ruled Iraq under Saddam saw their control wrested away by a once oppressed Shi'ite majority after the fall of the Sunni dictator. As the United States pulls out, some fear there will be nothing to protect them against vengeance or discrimination. Others fear they will lose any chance of regaining their once unchallenged political clout. And many worry that

the void vacated by the US forces will be swiftly filled by Shiite power Iran, the Arab world's arch-foe, and that the US invasion will be followed by a less visible but equally demoralizing chapter of Persian influence.

Abu Mujahid's battlefield wounds occurred in April 2004 in the first assault by US troops to rid Falluja of a fierce insurgency that was also being supported by Al-Qaeda fighters streaming into the country from abroad. The attack, led

by US, Marines, was launched after four private security contractors working for the controversial US firm Blackwater were killed by a mob. "Look at my head. See, come on, put your hand here to touch them.

These are two pieces of shrapnel," Abu Mujahid said, reaching for his skull. "Look at what remains of my leg, my hands.

These are all shrapnel wounds," he said proudly.

"Shall I take off my clothes to show you how many shrapnel wounds I have on my body?"

In those early days of the war US forces used overwhelming force to defeat opposition, using tanks, warplanes and helicopter gunships to pound areas where insurgents holed up into the dust and leaving being little but bullet-marked ruins. The first assault on Falluja and a second assault later that same year killed hundreds of fighters and civilians and forced thousands of people to flee.

Many of the bullet holes remain visible and ruined buildings still abound in Falluja, fuelling a lingering anger among some of the residents against the United States.

Skepticism runs deep about American intentions.

Not everyone in Iraq believes President Barack Obama's promise to US voters to stick to the withdrawal timeline agreed to in the security pact.

Surely America paid too high a price in blood and treasuremore than 4,400 soldiers killed and a trillion dollars gone-to just walk away? "Why should I believe them when they talk about withdrawing?

They said they would bring democracy, stability and services to Iraq. What was achieved? Nothing," said taxi driver Yaser Zaidan, waiting for passengers at the fortified entrance of Falluja. "America will not leave this cake behind simply because they paid such a high price to come to Iraq."

The assaults on Falluja did not prevent Anbar province from falling under the sway of Al-Qaeda. The militant group was only driven out when Anbar's tribal chieftains started turning on it in 2006, realizing it was threatening their authority. They decided to ally themselves with US forces instead-turning foes into friends. "We did not go to fight them. They came to fight us.

God says fight those who fight you. Shame on them that they did not differentiate between the fighters and the civilians when their jets attacked the city," Abu Mujahid said of the US troops. "But nevertheless, I swear we gave them a lesson they will never forget it," he added. —Reuters

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.

Chinese military risks treading on policy toes C

By Chris Buckley

hina's military, emboldened and ambitious for respect, risks steering a course that jars with the country's foreign policy soft-sell, raising the risk of confusion and blunders in a region already wary of its expanding reach. People's Liberation Army officers have loudly warned that national interests are threatened by neighbors' rival claims in the South China Sea, and decried planned USSouth Korean drills in the Yellow Sea, between Korea and China "A country needs respect, and a military also needs respect," wrote Major General Luo Yuan in the PLA's paper. Stressing the point, the PLA navy will hold artillery exercises on the Yellow Sea from Wednesday.

Beneath that public assertiveness, lie questions about evolving Chinese civil-military relations, a murky area with broader implications for foreign policy, especially in Asia. The Chinese military remains firmly subordinated to the ruling Communist Party, but it has grown less finely meshed with civilian leaders, and that matters for coordinating and communicating policy, especially under pressure. "Civil-military

relations in China are very different from the old days. There used to be a symbiosis. Now they are more distinct spheres," said Nan Li, a professor at the US Naval War College on Rhode Island, who specializes in the PLA. "Inter-agency coordination is a big problem," he said.

With China exploring how to use its fast-expanding military, such internal uncertainties could have consequences in the region, where the US keeps a big military presence. "It clearly has tremendous implications for real policy choices both in Beijing and abroad," David Finkelstein, an expert on the Chinese military at CNA, an institute in Virginia that studies security issues, said of PLA-civilian ties. "China's global security interests have expanded faster than the capacity of its traditional bureaucratic institutions to handle them," he said.

Lobbying or wrong-footing among civil and military players could make Chinese policy-making even even less like a tightly-rehearsed orchestra, and more like a band with members competing for attention, risking miscues or confusion. One PLA strategist recently warned as much. "With no concrete leadership for national security, when

many departments become involved, coordination is difficult, responses tend to be tardy, counter-measures lack focus, and constantly problems emerge in certain links among the institutions dealing with matters", the strategist, retired Rear Admiral Yang Yi, wrote in a study published late last year.

DEMANDING RESPECT The PLA has received two decades of annual rises in its official budget that average out at a 12.9 percent increase every year. That rise has made it more powerful, and more impatient with foreign pressure, said PLA Senior Colonel Liu Mingfu. "In the past, the focus was on economic development and our budget was low and we were marginalized. But now it's very different. We understand that a prosperous country needs a strong military", he told Reuters earlier this year.

In June, the US Defense Secretary Robert Gates took on what he saw as PLA pushiness. He claimed it was thwarting efforts to improve military ties, going against Chinese government efforts to ease tensions. Gates' complaint came after vehement criticism of Washington by PLA officers, and Beijing's rejection of Gates' hopes

to visit and revive military ties put on hold by China over U.S. weapons sales to Taiwan, the self-ruled island that China claims.

PLA officer-commentators have recently renewed tough words aimed at Washington. These public growls appear aimed at a domestic audience hungry for a strong voice, said Li, the analyst from the US naval college. But by creating public and elite expectations that China will stand tough, such talk may narrow room for quiet backdowns or sow uncertainty abroad about who is steering policy in Beijing.

"Compared to the past, the influence or constraining role of Chinese public opinion on Chinese foreign policy is striking," Wang Wen, a senior commentator at the Global Times, an often ardently nationalist newspaper, wrote recently.

NOT A ROGUE In Zhongnanhai, the Chinese Communist Party's walled compound where big decisions are made, the real problem may be ill-coordination, not disloyalty or outright division. The Party demands unswerving military loyalty, especially to the top leader, currently Hu Jintao, who is also chairman of the Central Military Affairs

Commission, the top body on PLA affairs. "The PLA is still the Party's army. They're not running a rogue foreign policy," said Finkelstein, the CNA analyst. But under the canopy of PartyPLA unity, an "experience gap" has emerged, said Finkelstein. Since the passing of China's revolutionary elders Mao Zedong and Deng Xiaoping, both deeply involved in military command, Chinese leaders have had little to do with the PLA until they reach the cusp of top power. In turn, PLA commanders are more focused on external priorities.

The naval analyst Li said an examples of the trouble that can create was China's anti-satellite test in 2007, when the foreign ministry appeared ill-prepared for the test, which created international worry over space debris and Beijing's space plans. By saying that the South China Sea is also an area of "core national interest" for China, the country's policy-makers have also risked their credibility, because their navy is not strong enough to enforce control of the sea, said Li. "By elevating it to a core national interest without the means to defend it, China's deterrence is weakened," he said.—Reuters

Iraq's bric-a-brac man wary of US military departure

By Jacques Clement

W

hile some Iraqis cannot wait for US troops to leave their country, Qahtan Karim wants them to stay for a simple reasonthey provide him with a thriving business. Karim buys all manner of disused items for peanuts from the nearby American base, then sells them at an empty lot just outside Tikrit, an irony in that the central city is the hometown of the late dictator Saddam Hussein.

"They are not expensive, and are of high quality," he said of his products, unfazed by the sound of occasional gunfire as American soldiers test-fired their weapons before leaving nearby Contingency Operating Base Speicher.

As tens of thousands of US troops have left Iraq in recent months, millions of dollars of equipment has been disposed of-from reconditioned military humvees for Iraqi security forces to fire extinguishers and water jerry cans. It's the likes of those less exotic items that Karim's business, Al-Shefar ("The Blades" in Arabic) has targeted since being set up shortly after the US-led invasion that ousted Saddam in 2003.

And his location is a veritable gold mine, sitting between Speicher, one of the US military's largest remaining bases in Iraq, and the highway connecting Baghdad with the main northern city of Mosul. From treadmills to televisions, Al-Shefar sells everything. His slogan, printed in English, hangs over the entrance to the lot where he displays his wares and says it all: "We have what you need and, if we don't, we'll get it." Karim concedes, though, that some of the items on sale, generators and industrial-sized vacuum cleaners among them, may require minor repairs from being exposed to the brutal Iraqi heat and dust on a daily basis.

He used to work for his family's textiles business, but after Saddam was overthrown, he went to Speicher to ask officers if he could handle their garbage disposal. Initially, he sold only scrap metal and would send plastics to a recycling plant in the autonomous northern Kurdistan region. But business in postinvasion Iraq has not been simple. In 2006, he was held hostage for nine days by militants and was only released after

paying a 60,000-dollar (47,250 euro) ransom. Unsurprisingly, Karim's face bears the strain of a man who looks much older than his 38 years. More recently, his company has grown at a breakneck pace.

It now counts 430 workers and 260 trucks that collect the waste from Speicher and other US military camps across central and western Iraq and, if it is re-sellable, deposit it at one of AlShefar's four locations. Karim has also

signed a four-million-dollar deal with a company in Michigan to build his own recycling facility in Tikrit. Since late 2008, when Iraq and the United States signed a pact calling for all American troops to leave by the end of 2011, the

BAGHDAD: An Iraqi policeman mans a machine gun at a checkpoint in Baghdad days after the US military formally ended its combat operations in Iraq. — AFP

volume of Karim's supplies has soared and his clients have become more numerous, and more diverse. Rather than dealing solely with scrap metal dealers, he now counts shop owners and private citizens searching for generators, televisions and air conditioners among his customers.

Karim notes that many of his clients are put off by the number of Chinesemade products available, preferring instead goods with a "Made in USA" label, seeing it as a guarantee of quality. Aside from plastics and wood, which he takes for free, Karim pays 55 dollars per ton of material-whether crockery, refrigerators or air conditioners-he receives from the US military. "I sell everything for a 25 percent profiteverybody wins," he said, grinning widely, while sitting in his office, covered by photographs of him proudly standing alongside US officers as well as medals and certificates awarded by the military.

And Hamid Ibrahim, a 28-year-old customer, agrees. He bought a generator for 8,000 dinars (less than seven dollars) in a country where a brand new one would cost 40 times as much. "I'm happy to have found good quality products," he said. "I hope the Iraqi army sells its old equipment too, rather than hanging on to it like they used to under Saddam." That has Karim worried. He is unsure where he will source his products once the US military leaves at the end of 2011, and hopes Iraqi security forces will be similarly co-operative.

Relations with local forces, though, are good, he said, noting that he donated 300 beds and 300 cabinets to police early this year. Karim said, with a straight face, that he plans to expand his business into Afghanistan, where the US military has a larger troop presence and no definite plans for withdrawal yet. For now, though, his customers are happy with the products on offer. Standing beside a Polaris two-seater all-terrain vehicle purchased for 250 dollars, 25-year-old Ali Hussein happily said he had previously "only seen ATVs in the movies."

"Now, they are a hit in Tikrit. All the young people want one "Thanks to the Americans!" — AFP

ANALYSIS

Sunday, September 5, 2010

13

South Sudan's future lies in agriculture not oil

By Peter Martell

S

outh Sudan must shift its massive dependence on oil and instead work to develop its agricultural sector, the World Bank's vice president for Africa said yesterday. Obiageli Ezekwesili said that farming had massive long-term potential for the south, which is due to hold an independence referendum in January that many believe will lead to the partition of Africa's largest country. "Agriculture sector development is the antidote to the famous resource curse, that natural resource endowed countries like south Sudan could suffer from," Ezekwesili told reporters in the southern capital after a four-day visit.

"It is crucial to put in a credible economic development program for poverty reduction, and that is where the World Bank can support," she said.

Sudan is sub-Saharan Africa's thirdlargest oil producer, providing about 98 percent of the southern government's budget. However, the grossly underdeveloped south 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. Some four million peopleabout half the population of the southwill receive some food assistance this year, according to the United Nations.

But Ezekwesili, a former government minister in Nigeria and a cofounder of the anti-corruption body Transparency International, said she was hopeful the region could build a more stable future. "Agriculture is a sector where the current yield ratios are really abysmal, compared to what could be," she said, adding that agricultural support should include development of small farms as well as larger agribusiness. "South Sudan has every capability to embark on the right course

of agricultural growth strategy that would enable it to be the supplier, not the importer of food." Many are furious that redevelopment has appeared slow since a peace agreement was signed in 2005, with even the most basic services lacking in many areas.

"Southern Sudan is a poor country but with rich potential," said southern finance minister David Deng Athorbei,

speaking alongside Ezekwesili. "We will need guidance how to develop our non-oil revenues." Sudan is blocked from receiving large international loans due to some 35 billion dollars of outstanding debt, some of which southerners claim was spent during the civil war on armaments to brutally quash the then southern rebellion. The south is currently in negotiations with former

enemies in the north on whether it would take on any of that debt, if the people of the south vote for independence in January.

The World Bank-administered fund to rebuild the south has been heavily criticized by donors, who complained that an unduly bureaucratic process held up the main route to funnel cash to support the south. However, Athorbei

said the southern government wanted to strengthen its dealings with the world financial body. "We are calling on the World Bank to walk us through until we reach the post-referendum period, and then to start a new era of our relationship in the development of southern Sudan," said Athorbei. "We are looking for them to help us make life better for our people." — AFP

ABYEI: Residents of Agok in the contested border zone of Abyei gather under a tree for a session of traditional court, which occurs three times a week in this town, which is largely populated by the Ngok Dinka people. Four months before Southern Sudan is scheduled to hold an independence referendum, tensions are already rising in this oil-rich region that sits on the expected future border with allegations the central government is using violence and ethnic cleansing to sway the vote. — AP

Romania reshuffle raises more questions over govt

By Sam Cage

R

omanian Prime Minister Emil Boc's cabinet reshuffle shows his centrist coalition's weakness in the face of unpopular austerity measures but for now the government is likely to stay the course on its commitments to the IMF. Gheorghe Ialomitianu, the 50-year-old economist nominated as new finance minister late on Thursday by Prime Minister Emil Boc, is unlikely to make big changes to

fiscal policy, analysts said. Recessionhit Romania slashed public salaries and hiked value-added tax to plug its funding gap and comply with terms of the 20 billion euro IMF deal, leaving the centrist coalition deeply unpopular and struggling to push through reforms.

But there is a chance Boc's fragile coalition could yet fall by the end of the year despite the wider reshuffle, replacing six ministers also including the important economy and labor posts.

"The Prime Minister is the same and,

ultimately, he decides about IMF/EU deals," said ING Bank's chief economist Nicolaie Alexandru-Chidesciuc.

"However, the government reshuffle signals tension inside the main ruling party is rising. At the same time the opposition announced a clear intention to overthrow the government with another no-confidence motion," he said.

NO-CONFIDENCE MOTION? "Chances for the government to fall until the end of this year are rising

gradually." There is some concern over the appointment of Ialomitianu, currently deputy head of the lower house of parliament's budget and finance committee, because of his lack of profile.

The leu currency fell to a 2-month low against the euro on the news. Boc relies on an ethnic-Hungarian party and independents for his majority and is struggling to keep some of his own party members on side, leaving the government vulnerable.

The leftist opposition plans a vote

Indonesia eyes new capital as Jakarta bursts at seams

By Sara Webb

A

mere pinprick on the map of Java, Jonggol's cluster of tiny red-roofed houses set among banana groves and shimmering waterlogged rice fields may in years to come be destined for greater things. Indonesia's capital, Jakarta, population 9.59 million, is overcrowded, set in an earthquake zone, prone to flooding, and crippled by inadequate infrastructure. Now Jonggol is one of several sites being considered as a new administrative seat in a bid to relieve Jakarta's congestion, but at a potential cost of billions of dollars. This sudden thrust into the limelight appeals to some local residents in Jonggol, where few buildings exceed one storey and the nearest thing to a skyscraper is four floors high.

"Now you can call this a village. I hope they will transform it into a city," said local resident Annur. "I don't mind if this becomes the capital, it would be more lively and beautiful."

For years, Indonesia's growth has lagged that of China and India, held in check by poor infrastructure, endemic corruption, and ample red tape. President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono has floated the idea of moving part of the capital in recent months, and earlier this month proposed increasing infrastructure spending, with plans to build 14 new airports as well as roads and railways, to lure foreign investment and boost growth. "The government takes this idea seriously," Velix Wanggai, an advisor to Yudhoyono said. "The president considers it

normal to look at moving the capital because of Jakarta's urban problems, the risk of disaster, and heavy environmental toll."

As Southeast Asia's largest economy and a G20 member, Indonesia is keen to raise its international profile. It has ambitions to join the emerging market elite of BRIC nations Brazil, Russia, India and China, is eyeing an investment-grade credit rating, and even wants to lop a few zeros off its currency so that everyday transactions no longer seem so third world, involving millions or billions of rupiah. A new capital could-as was the case with Brasilia, studded with Oscar Niemeyers' architecture-be an emblem of national coming-of-age with careful urban planning and new infrastructure.

URBAN CHAOS To get a sense of Jakarta's infrastructural shortcomings, start at Soekarno-Hatta airport, Indonesia's busiest. At peak times the queues at the visa and immigration counters snake back several hundred meters, and it can take up to three hours for passengers to be reunited with their luggage. The drive into Jakarta's centre provides sweeping views of shopping malls set among slums and densely packed housing.

Traffic crawls along at 15-20 km per hour, flooding is common during the heavy rains, power supplies are erratic, while Dutch-era canals serve as stinking open sewers for slumdwellers. Only the affluent, ensconced in compounds with guaranteed power and water supplies, live comfortably. "Anything that would lessen the congestion in Jakarta would be a blessing, so separating the busi-

JAKARTA: Indonesians queue up to board a ship leaving for Sulawesi Island at Tanjung Priok port in Jakarta. The mass exodus out of the capital and other major cities in the country is expected to reach its peak next week as thousands are preparing to head home to their villages to celebrate Eid al-Fitr holiday. — AP

ness capital from the centre of government could be a positive," said Tim Condon, regional economist for ING. "But it's also a huge investment. These moves are typically driven by political rather than economic considerations, the desire to develop an alternative part of the country. Is it really going to pay off in terms of increased efficiency by decongesting Jakarta?" The choice of location can also lead to questions over government policy, and spur regional jealousies in a country composed of many different ethnic groups and religions. Of Indonesia's 17,000-odd islands it is Java, the cultural heart and home to 58 percent of Indonesians, which still calls the shots, making it the more likely site. "Java runs the country," said Condon, so a capital outside Java "would be pretty radical".

Jonggol was first mooted by the autocratic former president, Suharto, who wanted one of his sons to develop the satellite town as a new capital. Today, the main property developers in the area include the Ciputra and Bakrie groups. Bakrie group and its property unit Bakrieland Development are owned by the family of Aburizal Bakrie, whose Golkar Party is part of the ruling coalition and who nurses presidential ambitions. Indonesia's two main state construction firms PT Wijaya Karya and PT Adhi Karya would likely gain from the development of a new city. Malang in East Java, and Palangkaraya and Jayapura, which are outside Java, are also being considered, said Wanggai.

Palangkaraya, on the island of Borneo, was former President Sukarno's choice for the capital because of its position in a quakefree region at the very centre of the archipelago. A less likely site is Jayapura, at the easternmost extreme of Indonesia in resource-rich Papua, where the military has struggled to contain a decades-long secessionist movement. Despite its mineral, timber and energy reserves, Papua remains one of the poorest parts of the country.

Building a new capital there would bring jobs and infrastructure, as well as an influx of Javanese and other ethnic groups, potentially diluting the Papuan majority and sowing further discontent.

WHITE ELEPHANTS The cost of such grandiose mega-projects can easily run into billions of taxpayer dollars, providing opportunities for patronage and land speculation. "I think there are no successful examples. I don't think it's wise to take that direction," Kuntoro Mangkusubroto, head of Yudhoyono's presidential delivery unit said. Astana, Kazakhstan's showcase new capital boasting Norman Foster's architecture, cost over $12 billion. —Reuters

against the VAT hike this month and will probably file a no-confidence motion before the end of the year which the government may well lose. That could prompt early elections next year.

However analysts say the opposition may not want to take power at a time when more unpopular measures may be necessary. "A change of government and new elections would be a huge setback for the reform program," said Barclays Capital economist Daniel Hewitt.— Reuters

focus

Oil's rangebound 2010 catches out price bulls

By Alex Lawler

A

n oil market that has traded mostly between $70 to $80 a barrel in 2010 has caught out some of the oil bulls on Wall Street calling for higher prices, and some now see rangebound conditions prevailing into 2011. Goldman Sachs in January expected the benchmark US oil price to average $94 a barrel this year, the highest forecast in a Reuters poll at the time. Its latest prediction is $80, close to the actual 2010 average so far of $77.90. Barclays Capital predicted $85 for this year in January. The bank trimmed its forecast to $78 a barrel last week, citing "macroeconomic disquiet" for the revision.

"The gradual recovery in oil prices is likely to prove slower and bumpier than our earlier estimates," said Costanza Jacazio, an analyst at Barclays.

"We continue to see limited downside from current levels, however." The revisions suggest any continuation of oil's bull run is likely to be deferred, something consumers and governments around the world would welcome at a time of concern about the pace of economic growth. Prices had soared from 2002 until mid2008 as demand led by emerging economies such as China strained supplies, peaking at a record high near $150 in July 2008. Oil collapsed to below $40 by December as the economic crisis hit demand.

Demand has risen this year but so have inventories, which are at a record high in the United States. Supply from outside the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries has also been stronger than expected. Banks such as Barclays and Goldman produced some prescient calls on the oil price during the boom. Goldman energy equities analyst Arjun Murti, in 2005, was one of the first to predict $100-a-barrel crude.

Barclays in 2004, when oil

was trading at the then-extraordinary level of $40 and many pundits expected the boom to fade in 2005, instead accurately called for the rally to persist.

MOST ACCURATE SO FAR So far this year, the Wall Street bank that has most accurately forecast prices is JP Morgan, based on data collected in Reuters polls. In January, it expected an average of $78.30 and in August predicted a price of $77.25. "We believed there would be more supplyside flexibility," said Lawrence Eagles, global head of oil research at the bank. "As a result of that, we've seen a much more balanced market."

Economists at OPEC, which as the producer of more than a third of the world's oil has good insight into demand levels, also made an accurate call on the oil price. The group said in April oil would probably trade around $70 and $80 a barrel in coming months. While many analysts expect prices to move higher in the medium term, forecasts for next year have been coming down. Barclays reduced its 2011 price forecast by $7 to $85 last week. Its previous 2011 prediction of $92 was more than $8 above the consensus in the latest Reuters poll.

Goldman currently has the highest 2011 oil price forecast of the big Wall Street banks at $98.50. It declined to comment on any changes to the prediction. Barclays says prices could prove to be firmer than it expected should sentiment about the economy become more optimistic or if political tension over Iran and in Iraqboth major oil exporters-worsened. JP Morgan's prediction for next year is only a little higher than this year's at $79.25. "There is still a lot that could change over the course of the next few months, but the odds favor a relatively rangebound market even going forward over the next 12 months," said Eagles. — Reuters

NEWS

14

Thousands protest French crackdown on the Gypsies PARIS: Thousands of people marched in Paris yesterday to protest expulsions of Gypsies and other new security measures adopted by French President Nicolas Sarkozy’s government. Protesters blew whistles and beat drums in the largest demonstration among those in at least 135 cities and towns across France and elsewhere in Europe. Human rights and anti-racism groups, labor unions and leftist political parties were taking part in the protests.

They accuse Sarkozy of stigmatizing minority groups like Gypsies and seeking political gain with a security crackdown.

They also say he is violating French traditions of welcoming the oppressed, in a country that is one of the world’s leading providers of political asylum. The protests mark the first show of public discontent since the conservative Sarkozy, a former hardline interior minister, announced new measures to fight crime in late July.

Sarkozy said Gypsy camps would be “systematically evacuated.” His interior minister and other officials said last week that about 1,000 Roma have been given small stipends and flown home since then.

For years, Sarkozy has used his image as a tough, law-and-order politician to win political support. Sarkozy has linked Roma to crime, saying their camps are sources of prostitution and child exploitation.

The latest moves by Sarkozy came after violence between police and youth in a suburban Grenoble housing project and other clashes in a traveling community in the Loire Valley. Sarkozy also said naturalized citizens who threaten the lives of police officers should lose their citizenship - and his leftist critics slammed that proposal as anti-constitutional and evocative of nationalist measures during France’s collaborationist past in the Vichy regime during World War II. “Mr Sarkozy

PARIS: Protesters hold a banner reading “Democracy in Danger” at a march to protest French President Nicolas Sarkozy’s security policies, including the recent expulsions of Gypsies, or Roma. — AP is there to stand for the Constitution, not to trample it,” said Jean-Paul Dubois, president of France’s Human Rights League. “So we consider this situation extremely dangerous, that’s why we are here.” Paris police said some 12,000 people took part in the protest in the capital and that no violence took place.

Organizers estimated that 100,000 people took part in such marches across the country - though they did not immediately estimate how many of those attended the largest one, in Paris.

Small groups of Gypsies took part, including women in flowered skirts, sandals or wearing looping earrings, and men in jeans and gold caps on teeth in the corners of their smiles. But they were far outnumbered by left-leaning political parties, labor unions, and dozens of activist groups like those supporting illegal immigrants or gays.

“It warms the heart to see so many people out here. Fortunately, there are nice people in the world,” said Delia Romanes, walking behind a banner of a 17-year-old Gypsy circus that she heads in northeastern Paris.

She said the government has recently sought to strip its performers of their work papers.

Other Roma without proper residency rights were more fearful. “We are afraid.

We aren’t prepared for this,” said David Anghel, a 24-year-old mason from Romania, who has lived in France for eight years.

Holding the banner of a Gypsy-support association, he said his wife had been served with an order to leave their camp in Fleury-Merogis, south of Paris, about 10 days ago. They fear police will come to expel them in the next few days Similar peaceful protests took place outside French embassies elsewhere in Europe. —AP

Saudi riled by Thai police promotion BANGKOK: Thailand yesterday defended the promotion of a senior police officer facing criminal charges in connection with the disappearance of a Saudi Arabian businessman in Bangkok 10 years ago, responding to criticism from Riyadh. The Saudi Embassy in Bangkok said the decision to promote Lt Gen Somkid Boonthanom, a regional police commissioner, to the post of assistant national police chief could seriously jeopardize efforts to restore normal relations between the nations.

Riyadh downgraded diplomatic relations, withdrawing its ambassador, after the murder of four members of its diplomatic staff in Bangkok in 1989 and 1990, and the 1990 disappearance of businessman Mohammad Al-Ruwaili. No one was brought to justice in any of the cases. Saudi officials have expressed suspicion the crimes were linked to the 1989 theft of $2 million worth of gems and jewelry from a prince’s palace in Saudi Arabia by a Thai worker. The thief was arrested and jailed after returning to Thailand.

Only a portion of the gems was ever recovered and returned

by Thai police, and some were fake, leading to suspicions that senior police and members of the Thai elite kept the loot and ordered a cover-up. In January this year, the Thai attorney gen-

eral’s office filed charges of premeditated murder and illegal detention against Somkid and four other active or former officers. The statute of limitations on the case would have ended in February.

Friday’s embassy statement said Saudi Arabia understood the case would go to Bangkok Criminal Court on Nov 25, because the attorney general’s office felt it had enough evidence. The statement suggested that Somkid’s promotion violated Thai law and also jeopardized chances of obtaining justice in the case. “We want to assure them (Saudi Arabia) that all appointments closely adhere to legal procedure, and have taken into account pertinent court rulings” Thai Government Spokesman Panithan Wattanayagorn said yesterday. “I believe that the Saudi government would understand this and so we can cooperate and continue to resolve all these cases.” He said Thailand’s Foreign Ministry was explaining the situation to Saudi representatives. At the time the charges against Somkid were filed, Saudi Charge d’Affaires to Thailand, Nabil Ashri, expressed appreciation for the move as a “positive indication” that Thailand was committed to improving relations. — AP

Shiites charged with trying to topple govt Continued from Page 1 Abdulla Isa Abdulla Moqdad and Singace had been released from prison in April 2009 in a royal pardon for 178 people detained on security charges. Saeed is also charged with receiving “financial support from foreign parties to achieve his illegitimate goals.” Two of the 10 suspects charged by the authorities are Husain Mashaima-the secretary general of Haq movement-and Saeed AlSheehabi-secretary general of Bahrain Freedom Islamic Movement. Both of

them were not arrested as they live outside the country.

The charge sheet also includes the names of 13 other Shiites accused of “joining the network... which aims to overthrow the government and change the political and social regime of the state... (by) illegal means.” Most of the suspects are members of Haq, or the Movement of Liberties and Democracy, a splinter group of the main Shiite political organization, the Islamic National Accord Association INAA. Bahrain is ruled by a Sunni dynasty but has a Shiite majority

population.

The archipelago state was plagued in the 1990s by a wave of Shiite-led unrest which has abated since the authorities launched steps to convert the Gulf emirate into a constitutional monarchy. On Wednesday, Human Rights Watch (HRW) urged the Bahraini authorities to investigate allegations of torture made by four of the activists. Singace, told Bahrain’s attorney general in late August that he had been tortured by security forces while in detention over the previous 15 days, HRW said. — AFP

‘Night of Power’ - I Continued from Page 1 Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) said about L ailatul-Qadr: It as narrated by Abu Hurayra that Prophet said, “Anyone who stays awake for the Night Of Power with belief and for the pleasure of Allah, all his previous sins will be forgiven.” (Bukhari and Muslim) It has also been reported

by Aisha, the wife of the Prophet (PBUH) who said: “I asked the Messenger of Allah if I knew which night was the Night of Power and what Prayer I should say during that night? He said to me: Say: “O Allah! You are forgiving and you love forgiveness, so you too forgive me.

The Night Of Power is better for you to live, to experience and to enjoy than

one thousand months of your personal life. Even if you were to live one thousand months (83.3 years) with sincerity, dedication, and sacrifices and with good intentions and deeds, the Night Of Power is still far better for you to live and to enjoy. The Revelation of the Quran started in the month of Ramadan and specifically on the Night Of Power. The Revelation of the Quran; a sign of Mercy, a guide and a blessing of Allah to mankind. Anyone who is interested in finding the best guide, he/she should look into the teachings of the Quran.

Night of blessings The Night of Power is a night of blessings Allah has blessed this Night.

Therefore whosoever is interested in receiving the blessings of Allah may look

forward to the Night of Power. Anyone who seeks the Night of Power and lives it, all his/her sin will be erased. This is, as if, he/she is, born again now free of all sin and mistakes. Everyone of us would like to live a life free of sins an free of mistakes.

Everyone would like to meet Allah on the Day of Judgment without sins. Every one of us would like to feel that he/she is reborn today. All of us wish to rejuvenate ourselves, and to start a new year with a fresh outlook and a fresh life.

Every one of us wants to live a pure life and everyone wants to purif y himself/herself without anguish or torment. The Night of Power is one of the best ways in which a person is to achieve all these ideals. — www.itsislam.net

PM: Govt, MPs ‘on same boat’ Continued from Page 1 legal measures against anyone trying to arouse discord among citizens of this country because the government is the guardian of national unity.”

He called on the media to help in boosting national unity. Speaking about the media, Sheikh Nasser said he felt proud that Kuwait was the first in the Arab and Islamic nations in terms of freedom of press “but that does not mean there are no negative aspects because freedom should be responsible ... .” Sheikh Nasser, meanwhile, expressed extreme pride in the constitution of Kuwait because it founded pillars of democracy and freedom. On constitutional amendments, he said, changes should fall in line with constitutional conditions. “This issue needs clear wills and political harmony and these factors do not

exist at the mean time.”

The Kuwaiti prime minister said he sought justice if he considered that he was personally attacked by the media. When he was accused by the media in a way contradicting with the freedom of press, he said, “I did not have a choice but to seek justice to clear my name before my grandchildren and history.” He said his hands were extended to all but not as a sign of weakness but out of true belief in constitution and democracy.

On his chairmanship, Sheikh Nasser said the State of Kuwait has been experiencing a world facing rapid changes “so we should not panic from diversification and expression of opinions as long as they are within the law and constitution ... .”

Speaking about the mega development plan, he said the government has a vision until the year 2035. He said the parliament,

and the first time, approved a development plan for the next four years. This plan “will be implemented via executive tools, national cadres and accurate criteria in order to execute development projects and initiatives in different sectors.”

The development plan will “place us on the right path for economic progress ... The government will contribute huge sums of money to improve infrastructure and public services,” he said.

Sheikh Nasser cited several laws that were approved by the parliament to backing the development plan, like the privatization law, Disability law, labor law and Capital Market Authority. The Kuwaiti Prime Minister, however, said his recent tour aimed at further boosting ties with other countries. The government, he said, would invest heavily in education and human development. — KUNA

Sunday, September 5, 2010

French veil ban worries tourists Continued from Page 1 would include visiting foreigners - is not anti-Muslim. But that message has failed to convince some governments, be they Western or France’s traditional Arab allies, or trickle down to moneyed travelers who swarm Paris’ so-called Golden Triangle, a high-priced shopping district centered around the ChampsElysees. That some other European countries like Belgium are considering similar legislation and Muslim countries like Syria and Egypt have instituted their own limited bans on face veils - may help bolster the French argument, but not win the debate.

“When you’re a tourist, you want to go to places you feel you are welcome,” said Dalal Saif of Oman, a sultanate bordering Saudi Arabia, during a three-week summer visit to France. Saif, whose work is tied to the oil industry, spent hours one day with his family selecting perfumes and cosmetics by the bagful at a Champs-Elysees store. “If they feel unwelcome, France will lose this kind of revenue,” he said, adding that such a measure “infringes on (France’s) image as custodians, protectors of liberties.”

The number of visitors to Paris from the oil-rich Middle East was up nearly 30 percent in the first half of 2010 compared to last year, according to the Paris Tourism and Congress Office. “I can see that many families will actually change destinations because of this,” said Saif, standing by his young daughter, blackrobed but bare-faced sister, and wife wearing a chartreuse head scarf. Many Muslim tourists who wear face veils at home shed them for European vacations, instead donning stylish, often brightly colored headscarves, sometimes paired with big sunglasses.

But that choice doesn’t erase a sense that France is offending followers of Islam with its proposed veil ban. “My family is asking me ‘why do you want to go there? They don’t like us.”‘ said Maryam Saeed, a 40-year-old mother of four who works in school administration in Dubai. “They are taking it religiously, like it shows that in France they don’t like Muslims or we’re not welcome here,” said Saeed, covered in a black abaya cloaking her head but not her face, as she emerged from a shopping spree at the Paris department store Galeries Lafayette.

So far, foreign governments are either silent over the proposed veil ban, divided or unfavorable, said Joseph Maila, who heads a year-old division at the French Foreign Ministry devoted to religious issues. Some of France’s closest allies, Britain and the United States, both with large Muslim populations, are among those who publicly disagree with Paris.

On the veil, “the world isn’t black and white,” said Maila, “it’s gray.” Moderate Muslim leaders in France and elsewhere agree that Islam does not require women to cover their faces, but many are uncomfortable with banning the veil. Scores of religious leaders have denounced the measure, and are struggling with what to advise the faithful. Sheik Aedh Al-Garni, a popular cleric in Saudi Arabia, responding to a query from a Saudi woman in France, said in a July pronouncement that facing an official ban on the veil, “it is better for the Muslim woman to reveal her face” to avoid “harassment or harm.”

Saudi Arabia adheres to a strict Wahhabi

PARIS: A veiled woman holds a bag after shopping on the Champs-Elysees avenue in Paris. — AP interpretation of Islam with women required to veil themselves in public, so the advice by AlGarni, who is widely read, was notable. But there have been dissenting voices like that of Mohammed al-Nujemi, a Saudi professor at the Institute of Judicial and Islamic Studies: He told women to stay home.

Traveling needlessly to a non-Muslim country “is not permissible according to the Shariah,” or Islamic law, he told the Saudiowned Al-Arabiya TV network.

The Saudi government, which has defense and business ties with French companies, is among “silent states” that prefer to say nothing about France’s veil bill for diplomatic reasons, said Maila, the Foreign Ministry official.

Opposition is strongest in Pakistan, where there have been demonstrations against the measure. A defense of the French position by Ambassador Daniel Jouanneau was published in nine papers this summer, Maila said. In Jordan, where full veils are rare, the fundamen-

talist Muslim Brotherhood, the country’s largest opposition group, said Muslim women should continue to visit France “especially if they have business to attend to.”

But the group’s spokesman Jamil Abu-Bakr said: “The French move will cause chaos and we condemn it.” European countries that impose a ban on the face-covering veil “will harm their interests, friendships and historically cordial neighborly relations with several Muslim nations.” Beyond such tensions, possible constitutional challenges await an eventual law. But the French are not about to budge.

The nation’s concept of integration, in which ethnic or religious differences are subsumed

by Frenchness, is the ultimate argument for making the face visible.

A 2004 law banned head scarves and other “ostentatious” religious symbols in public schools. With Western Europe’s largest Muslim population, some 5 million, France also wants an Islam tailored to the West. —AP

UPS cargo plane crashes, two die Continued from Page 1 investigation was under way, but it was “too early to speculate” on the cause of the crash. National Transportation Safety Board spokesman Ted Lopatkiewicz also said the US agency will send a team of experts to Dubai to assist with the investigation.

A witness, who refused to give his name, said he was sitting on the balcony of his home when he heard a “big boom.”

“There was fire and too much smoke,” he said. In October 2009, a Sudanese Boeing 707 cargo plane crashed in the desert outside Dubai after taking off from

Sharjah airport north of Dubai, killing six crew members. Emirati regulators have banned the plane’s Sudanese owner, Azza Transport, from operating in the country.

There are about 300 747 freighters in service, carrying about half the world’s air cargo.

UPS planes have been involved in four accidents since 1985, none fatal, according to an aviation safety database. The most recent involved a fire that broke out in the cargo hold of a McDonnell Douglas DC-8 en route from Atlanta to Philadelphia. Smoke was billowing from the plane when it landed, but the three pilots were able to evacuate safely, said

the database, maintained by the Flight Safety Foundation of Alexandria, Va. In 2005, pilot error cause the nose gear of a McDonnell Douglas MD-11F to collapse during a landing in Anchorage, causing $10 million in damages to the plane. Prior to Friday’s accident, five major airline accidents have been linked to Dubai Airport since 1973, with no fatalities, according to the database. The most recent was on March 12, 2007, when a Biman Bangladesh Airlines Airbus A310 with 236 passengers and crew members aborted a takeoff. The plane came to rest at the end of the runway with a collapsed nose gear. — AP

Plane crash kills 9 in New Zealand Continued from Page 1 it is too soon to speculate on exactly what has led to this accident,” he said, adding that the crash was being investigated. An Australian official said an 18-yearold man from the southeastern state of Victoria was among those who died when the Fletcher FU24 turbine powered plane crashed. “The skydiving aircraft crashed while trying to take off, killing the pilot, four skydiving instructors and three other foreign tourists,” a spokesman for the Department of Foreign Affairs said.

Skydive New Zealand, the only skydiving company in the area, made no immediate comment on the tragedy.

However, a message on the company’s answerphone said: “Unfortunately, we

will not be skydiving for the rest of the day.” Westland District mayor Maureen Pugh told Television New Zealand the tourists were going up with instructors to do a tandem skydive in perfect conditions.

“It’s a well-established company down here and has a huge reputation,” she said.

“Nobody is even trying to guess what went wrong but it had tragic consequences. We’re just so devastated.” The five New Zealanders on board were all locals and well-known in the tight-knit Fox community with a population of fewer than 300 people. A spokesman at the Fox Glacier Inn motel said everyone in the town had been to the airstrip trying to help where they could. “It’s a small town and everyone knows everyone,” he said.

Police said the ill-fated aircraft was a

Fletcher fixed-wing, the type operated by Skydive New Zealand which has been involved in the skydiving and aviation industry for more than 25 years. The disaster was the worst air tragedy in New Zealand in nearly 17 years. Nine people also died in a plane crash in October 1993 at nearby Franz Josef Glacier.

The following year, seven people were killed when a sightseeing helicopter crashed near Fox Glacier. The west coast of New Zealand’s South Island attracts thousands of tourists annually, brought to the area by the stunning mountain scenery and fjords. Travelers, many of them from abroad, support a burgeoning tourism industry catering for a range of interests, including high-adrenaline sports and trekking. — AFP

Colleen Simpson told the Stuff website, adding that many people had run out onto the streets in fear. Christchurch Hospital spokeswoman Michele Hider said two men in their 50s were seriously injuredone was hit by a falling chimney and the other was cut by falling glass. Police closed the centre of the city as looters targeted damaged shops, police Inspector Mike Coleman said. “There’s considerable damage there, and we’ve already had reports of looting. Shop windows are broken and obviously it’s easy pickings for displays and things.” In the hours immediately after the quake, roads in the seaside suburbs were packed with cars as residents moved inland, but there was no tsunami.

Kevin O’Hanlon, from the Mairehau area of Christchurch, said: “Just unbelievable. I was awake to go to work and then just heard this massive noise and, boom, it was like the house got hit. It just started shaking. I’ve never felt anything like it.”

Mayor Parker said he was in bed when the quake struck and he was “absolutely scared. I’ve never felt anything like it and

I’ve experienced, like most Kiwis, a number of good shakes.” The quake, felt throughout the South Island and the lower North Island, was the most destructive in New Zealand since the 1931 tremor in Hawke’s Bay that killed 256 people.

It caused the temporary shutdown of Christchurch International Airport, forcing the diversion of inbound international flights to Auckland and Wellington until it reopened yesterday afternoon after being assessed for damage. New Zealand sits on the so-called “Ring of Fire”, the boundary of the Australian and Pacific tectonic plates, and experiences up to 15,000 tremors a year. It averages at least one a day that is magnitude 4.0 or stronger.

Meanwhile, as residents took stock of the quake damage they also had an eye on looming bad weather with destructive gale-force winds up to 130 kilometers an hour predicted. “Winds of that speed can be damaging and with many buildings extensively damaged (by the earthquake) it could cause a major headache for emergency ser vices,” a weather ser vice spokesman said. — AFP

7.0 quake rocks NZ Continued from Page 1 He described it as a “significant disaster” and urged people “don’t panic” as strong aftershocks continued throughout the day. Christchurch mayor Bob Parker said he was “horrified by the amount of damage” which daylight showed was considerably worse than first thought. “We’ve decided to declare the state of emergency in the city. It just makes it a bit easier for us now to move people out of buildings if necessary, close streets down,” Parker announced on national radio. “There would not be a house, there would not be a family in our city that has not in some way have damage done to their person, to their property.

“I think it’s like an iceberg; there is ... below the visible line, significant structural damage.” The quake, initially recorded at a magnitude of 7.4, struck at 4:35 am at a depth of five kilometers some 45 kilometers west of Christchurch, the US Geological Survey said. “Oh my God. There is a row of shops completely demolished right in front of me,” resident

SPORTS

Sunday, September 5, 2010

15

MLB results/standings Major League Baseball results and standings on Friday: NY Yankees 7, Toronto 3; Chicago Cubs 7, NY Mets 6; Tampa Bay 4, Baltimore 1; Philadelphia 1, Milwaukee 0; Pittsburgh 8, Washington 5; Florida 6, Atlanta 1; Detroit 9, Kansas City 5 (11 innings); Minnesota 4, Texas 3; St. Louis 3, Cincinnati 2; Arizona 4, Houston 3; Colorado 4, San Diego 3; Oakland 8, LA Angels 0; Seattle 1, Cleveland 0; LA Dodgers 4, San Francisco 2.

NY Yankees Tampa Bay Boston Toronto Baltimore

American League Eastern Division W L PCT 85 50 .630 83 51 .619 76 58 .567 69 65 .515 49 86 .363

GB 1.5 8.5 15.5 36

Central Division Minnesota 78 57 Chicago White Sox 73 60 Detroit 67 68 Kansas City 56 78 Cleveland 54 81

.578 .549 .496 .418 .400

4 11 21.5 24

Texas Oakland LA Angels Seattle

Western Division 75 59 66 68 65 70 53 82

.560 .493 .481 .393

9 10.5 22.5

Atlanta Philadelphia Florida NY Mets Washington

National League Eastern Division 78 57 77 58 68 65 66 69 57 78

.578 .570 .511 .489 .422

1 9 12 21

Cincinnati St. Louis Milwaukee Houston Chicago Cubs Pittsburgh

Central Division 78 56 70 62 62 72 62 72 58 77 45 89

.582 .530 .463 .463 .430 .336

7 16 16 20.5 33

San Diego San Francisco Colorado LA Dodgers Arizona

Western Division 76 57 74 61 70 64 69 66 56 79

.571 .548 .522 .511 .415

3 6.5 8 21

MIAMI: Florida Marlins’ Gaby Sanchez (14) slides in safely at home plate as Atlanta Braves catcher David Ross attempts the tag during the third inning. Sanchez scored on a Brad Davis sacrifice fly. —AP

Cardinals end losing streak, defeat Reds ST. LOUIS: The St. Louis Cardinals ended a five-match losing skid with a 3-2 win over the Cincinnati Reds on Friday, maintaining a pulse in the National League wild-card race.

Rookie pitcher Jaime Garcia (13-6) beat NL Central leader Cincinnati for the fourth time this season. A homer in the third ended Garcia’s run of 22 2-3 innings without allowing an earned run. He lasted 6-2/3 innings, while also getting two hits against opposing pitcher Bronson Arroyo (14-9).

The Cardinals scored in consecutive innings for the first time in seven games, getting two in the first and one in the second.

St. Louis is 11-5 against the Reds this season, but only 32-29 overall against the Central, explaining how its is seven games below Cincinnati. The Cardinals are 5-1/2 games off wild-card holder Philadelphia. Ryan Franklin worked the

ninth for his 23rd save.

Marlins 6, Braves 1 In Miami, Atlanta’s lead in the NL East was sliced to one game after losing to Florida. Logan Morrison hit two RBI triples, after having hit only one in his first 126 at-bats this season. Both came off Atlanta starter Kenshin Kawakami (1-10), who gave up five runs and four walks in three innings.

Florida starter Andrew Miller (1-0) worked five innings for his first win in more than a year. The Braves have been alone in first every day since May 31, and extended their lead to seven games at one point, but Friday’s loss combined with Philadelphia’s win brought it back to a single game.

Rockies 4, Padres 3 In San Diego, the hosts tumbled to a season-worst eighth straight loss. The Padres

have been outscored 45-19 during their losing streak, which is their longest since 2008. They maintained a 3-game lead in the NL West thanks to San Francisco’s loss.

Jason Giambi and Troy Tulowitzki hit two-run homers to ruin San Diego starter Cory Luebke’s (0-1) big league debut.

While Luebke struggled through five innings, Colorado’s Aaron Cook (5-8) returned from a monthlong stay on the disabled list and held the Padres to two runs in 6 1-3 innings. Huston Street pitched the ninth for his 14th save.

Dodgers 4, Giants 2 In Los Angeles, Chad Billingsley hit a go-ahead two-run single in the fourth inning and limited San Francisco to two hits over eight innings, guiding Los Angeles to victory. Billingsley (11-8) allowed two unearned runs and struck out seven.

Billingsley singled off Barry Zito (8-11)

in the fourth, putting the Dodgers ahead 42. Zito gave up four runs in four innings and lost his fifth consecutive start. He is 0-7 in his past 10 outings and hasn’t gotten past the fourth inning in four starts.

shutout of the season, while Milwaukee was shut out for the 11th time. Brewers starter Chris Capuano (2-3) was the hard-luck loser, allowing just one run in five innings.

Phillies 1, Brewers 0

In Phoenix, pinch-hitter Augie Ojeda hit a tiebreaking sacrifice fly in the eighth inning to lift Arizona to its eighth win in nine games, beating Houston. Ojeda hit a ball to center off Wilton Lopez (5-1) that was just deep enough to score Ryan Roberts from third. Aaron Heilman (5-5) allowed a hit in the eighth and took the win and Juan Gutierrez worked the ninth for his seventh save.

D’backs 4, Astros 3 In Philadelphia, Cole Hamels dominated over seven innings to steer Philadelphia past Milwaukee. Hamels (9-10) continued to receive little run support, but didn’t need much as he ran his consecutive scoreless innings streak to 18. He struck out seven.

A Milwaukee miscommunication led to the game’s only run. Center fielder Lorenzo Cain and left fielder Ryan Braun converged on a fly ball by Shane Victorino, but it dropped between them for a double.

Victorino moved to third on a groundout and scored on Carlos Ruiz’s groundout.

Ryan Madson worked the ninth for his fifth save. The Phillies recorded their 17th

Cubs 7, Mets 6 In Chicago, Alfonso Soriano and Blake DeWitt hit three-run homers for Chicago in the win over New York. Soriano capped a four-run fourth off Mets starter R.A.

Yankees pound Blue Jays NEW YORK: The New York Yankees matched a season high seven straight wins by beating the Toronto Blue Jays 7-3 in the American League on Friday.

Curtis Granderson drove in three runs with a pair of doubles, while Brett Gardner hit a run-scoring triple and scored three times.

Blue Jays starter Brandon Morrow (10-7) lasted only three innings, ending his five-game winning streak. He allowed five earned runs and issued three walks in that time. Yankees reliever Kerry Wood (3-4) came on in the seventh and retired all five batters he faced to get the win.

Twins 4, Rangers 3 In Minneapolis, Denard Span delivered the go-ahead single in the seventh inning to lift Minnesota over Texas. The Rangers had gone ahead in the top of the seventh, but Rangers starter Derek Holland (2-3) was unable to hold the lead as JJ Hardy and Span got RBI singles.

Alex Burnett (2-2) took the win by allowing one run in 1 1-3 innings. Matt Capps recorded five outs for his eighth save with the Twins. Minnesota increased its AL Central lead to 4 games.

Rays 4, Orioles 1 In Baltimore, Matt Garza earned his 14th win and steer Tampa Bay past Baltimore.

Garza (14-7) gave up one run in 5 2-3 innings. It was an extension of an outstanding August in which he had a 1.27 ERA over five starts.

The Rays stayed 11/2 games behind the first-place New York Yankees in the AL East and extended their wild-card lead over Boston to seven games.

Tampa Bay has won five of six.

Pirates 8, Nationals 5 In Pittsburgh, Ryan Doumit had three hits, including a home run, and two RBIs to help Pittsburgh defeat Washington.

Pittsburgh’s Garrett Jones drove in three runs to help inflict the Nationals’ third straight loss. Pirates starter Zach Duke (712) pitched five innings for the win and left after failing to retire any of the four batters he faced in the sixth as Washington scored four runs to close to 8-5. He allowed five hits and had five strikeouts. Washington starter Livan Hernandez (9-10) gave up eight runs in 4 1-3 innings.—AP

Montpellier buoyant ahead of Clermont test

Orioles starter Kevin Millwood (3-15) allowed four runs in 5 2-3 innings.

Athletics 8, Angels 0 In Oakland, the hosts snapped a four-game losing skid by routing Los Angeles. Gio Gonzalez (13-8) pitched six scoreless innings to take his ERA over his past four starts to 1.04. Kevin Kouzmanoff hit a two-run homer for the A’s.

Angels starter Scott Kazmir (813) struggled from the start and allowed a season-worst six walks in 5 2-3 innings. He lost his third straight start.

Tigers 9, Royals 5 In Kansas City, Will Rhymes hit a two-run triple in a four-run 11th inning to lift Detroit over Kansas City. Rhymes’ triple off Jesse Chavez (2-3) scored Alex Avila, who had singled, and Casper Wells, who reached on an error. After Johnny Damon walked, Ryan Raburn singled to score Rhymes. Austin Jackson’s suicide squeeze bunt scored Damon with the final run.

Tigers reliever Ryan Perry (35) picked up the victory with two perfect innings.

Mariners 1, Indians 0 In Seattle, Luke French held Cleveland hitless through 6 1-3 innings, steering Seattle to victory. French (4-4), nursing his one-run lead through most of his seven innings, gave up a single with one out in the seventh to end his no-hit bid. He threw 99 pitches in seven innings.

David Aardsma worked the ninth for his 27th save in 32 opportunities. Indians starter Fausto Carmona (11-14) allowed four hits and walked five in his third complete game this season.—AP

Dickey (9-6), putting the Cubs ahead 4-3 after the Mets had lead early. DeWitt went long in the sixth as the Cubs went out to a 7-4 lead.

James Russell (1-1) got one out to end the eigth inning and take the win. Carlos Marmol worked the ninth for his 26th save.

MINNEAPOLIS: Texas Rangers pitcher Derek Holland works against the Minnesota Twins in a baseball game.—AP

PARIS: Surprise Top 14 package Montpellier face their third match in nine days on Sunday buoyant after edging European champions Toulouse in midweek.

The south coast team, which struggled last season but have been boosted by the arrival of former France captain-turned-coach Fabien Galthie, nipped Toulouse 22-21 and now face a tough challenge away to reigning Top 14 champions Clermont.

“It’s true, we have ambitions,” said Montpellier outside-half Francois Trinh-Duc, who also masterminded a 16-6 win over Perpignan last Saturday.

“We’re very happy with our results, but we know it’ll be a tough task this weekend. There’s lots more things still to improve on, but it’s true that it augurs well.

“Come Sunday, we’ll try and do what we can.” Scrum-half Julien Tomas praised the approach to training Galthie and his assistant Eric Bechu have quickly installed.

“They’re extremely precise and rigorous in their detail, notably on running angles,” Tomas said. “That changes everything. We draw defenders more so we’re better placed to choose offloads. Simply, we have a better vision.”

He added: “Galthie goes down to the minutest detail in his work and lets nothing get past him. “It’s what Montpellier needed to take a step forward.”

Clermont, who struck it lucky at the 11th time of asking by recording a 19-6 victory over Perpignan to claim last season’s Top 14 title, have had a rocky start to the season and find themselves mid-table with two wins and two losses from four games.

And lock Thibaut Privat was

under no illusions about what to expect from Montpellier. “They’re a team that throw it around a lot. It’s one of the main ingredients to win matches. And it works,” the France international said.

“At Perpignan, Montpellier played a simple gameplan: they attacked. They have some very good individual qualities, we already knew that. “They’re coming to us as joint leaders and we can’t take this game lightly in the least.”

Fellow joint leaders Stade Francais and Bayonne face away trips to misfiring Biarritz and bottom-placed Bourgoin respectively.

Stade, again buoyed by the offseason arrival of new coach Michael Cheika from Leinster, have buried memories of wome woeful performances last season to produce some great flowing rugby.

Biarritz managed to claim a bonus defensive point when going down 17-12 to Perpignan on Wednesday but might struggle to hold the dangerous Parisian backline.

A gruelling fixture list sees the Basque side facing the prospect of hosting Toulouse on September 11, and then travelling to La Rochelle and Racing-Metro before entertaining neighbouring rivals Bayonne.

“If we lose these two games (against Biarritz and Toulouse), it’ll be tricky to finish in the top six (for play-off phase), but I’m sure that we won’t lose them,” said Biarritz president Serge Blanco, the former France full-back. “Our season will really start against Stade Francais today.”

In other games, Perpignan travel to Agen, Brive host Toulon, Castres entertain fourth-placed RacingMetro, and La Rochelle face a challenge away to Toulouse.—AFP

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SPORTS

Sunday, September 5, 2010

Pacquiao focuses on Margarito, not Mayweather rant ARLINGTON: Boxing champion Manny Pacquiao dismissed a derogatory online video posted by Floyd Mayweather Jr., calling it an “uneducated message” and choosing to instead focus on his upcoming fight with Antonio Margarito.

In the widely circulated video, Mayweather goes on an expletivefilled and sometimes racist rant against Pacquiao, the newly elected Congressman from the Philippines who faces Margarito on Nov. 13 at Cowboys Stadium near Dallas.

Mayweather said during the video, which appeared this week, that he’s on vacation “for about a year” and would easily defeat Pacquiao after that.

“I just heard about that, but I didn’t see the video,” Pacquiao said Friday, at the final stop of a three-city tour to promote his fight. “But it’s an uneducated message.”

Mayweather, at times interacting with fans by phone on the video, claims Pacquiao “can’t speak no English” and has “never seen a contract he didn’t like.”

There are also suggestions that the Filipino sensation has used performance-enhancing drugs, assertions raised previously by the

Mayweather camp that resulted in a defamation lawsuit that is still pending.

“It’s a really cheap low blow, but again, consider where it came from,” said Freddie Roach, Pacquiao’s trainer. “We tried to fight him. He said no. He doesn’t want to fight.” Roach said he hadn’t seen the Mayweather video.

Mayweather’s chief adviser, Leonard Ellerbe, did not return messages left by The Associated Press. His publicist, Kelly Swanson, said in an e-mail that she had seen the video but had not been in touch with Mayweather or Ellerbe and couldn’t comment.

Fans have been calling for Mayweather to fight Pacquiao, but negotiations have repeatedly broken down for what could have been the richest fight in boxing history. When a deal wasn’t reached in January, Pacquiao instead fought Joshua Clottey, defeating him in March at Cowboys Stadium.

When negotiations broke down again this summer, Pacquiao turned his attention to Margarito, whom he’ll fight for a vacant junior middleweight title. It is unclear when the Mayweather video was made, but it appeared online this

ARLINGTON: Boxers Manny Pacquiao (left) of the Philippines and Antonio Margarito of Mexico, pose for photos during a pre-fight news conference promoting their upcoming bout at Cowboys Stadium. The two fighters face each other on Nov. 13, 2010 for the WBC junior middleweight title. —AP week when Pacquiao and Margarito were in the midst of their promotional tour.

After stops in Beverly Hills and

New York, the media tour wrapped up Friday at Cowboys Stadium — in an end zone plaza instead of on the field, which was being pre-

pared for a college football game.

When asked about the possibility of a Mayweather bout Friday, Pacquiao responded: “I’m not look-

ing for that fight. I’m satisfied with what I’ve done in boxing already.”

Pacquiao said he’s only planning a couple of more fights before retiring, though he gave no indication of who the opponents might be.

The seven-division champion said earlier this week that he would still face Mayweather if he accepted the fight.

Todd duBoef of promoter Top Rank said he had heard about the Mayweather video but “probably” didn’t have any interest in seeing it. Mayweather used to be a Top Rank fighter.

DuBoef also said he doesn’t want to hear Mayweather asking to fight Pacquiao, especially after his team denied that the second round of negotiations even took place this summer.

“It’s sad,” duBoef said. “You hope that people are a little more mature than things like that. ...

We’ve tried this twice (to make the fight). We tried it twice and you denied there were negotiations.

Enough of that.” DuBoef said that Pacquiao (51-3-2, 38 KOs) was ready to fight and not interested in waiting any longer on a bout with Mayweather, who is 41-0 after a unanimous decision in May over Shane Mosley. Mayweather took

that fight after the Pacquiao deal fell through.

That was Mosley’s first fight since beating Margarito in January 2009, and the last time that Margarito fought in the United States. He was suspended for one year because a plaster-like substance was found in Margarito’s hand wraps before his bout against Mosley in Los Angeles.

Margarito (38-6, 27 KOs) was denied an application to fight in California and had another application tabled in Nevada before the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation last week approved his application. That cleared the way for another high-profile boxing match at Cowboys Stadium, the $1.2 billion showplace built by Cowboys owner Jerry Jones.

When Texas licensing executive director William Kuntz spoke Friday, he said Jones paved the way for major boxing events in Texas. While he didn’t address Margarito’s license issue, duBoef applauded the decision by Texas regulators.

“They did a terrific job. They did research, they didn’t rush to judgment,” duBoef said. “They didn’t listen to hype, they didn’t listen to hyperbole.”—AP

Day, Johnson lead, Woods struggles

BOSTON: Tiger Woods wipes his head on the 10th hole in the first round of the Deutsche Bank Championship golf tournament. — AP

Calcavecchia ahead at Pebble Beach PEBBLE BEACH: Mark Calcavecchia shot an 8-under 64 on Friday at Del Monte to take a two-stroke lead over Tom Pernice Jr. in the Champions Tour’s dual-course First Tee Open.

Calcavecchia, in his first season on the 50-and-over tour after winning 13 times on the PGA Tour, capped his bogey-free first round with a birdie on the par-5 ninth hole to equal his career low on the senior circuit.

“Overall, I drove it well,” said Calcavecchia, the 1989 British Open winner who played Del Monte for the first time since 1982. “I made five birdies within 4 feet.” Pernice, playing his first full season on the tour, birdied five of the first six holes at Pebble Beach, then had 10 straight pars and birdied the 17th en route to a 66.

“I putted nice today,” Pernice said. “If you hit your irons well you’ve got to score here. I made two nice pars to keep the round going.” Fred Couples, Bob Tway, Tom Kite, Wayne Levi and 2006 winner Scott

Simpson opened with 67s at Del Monte, and Chip Beck and Olin Browne had 67s at Pebble Beach _ the site of the final round today. Two-time defending champion Jeff Sluman had a 68 at Del Monte.

Calcavecchia had four birdies on the front and back nines, but his stellar round wasn’t based on memory. Calcavecchia last played Del Monte 28 years ago when the course was used as qualifier for the Hawaiian Open.

“I didn’t remember any of the holes, but it’s a tricky course,” said Calcavecchia, who turned 50 in June. “You can’t get it on the wrong side of the hole.” Tom Watson, who will be 61 on Saturday, shot 73 at Del Monte. The start of the first round at Del Monte was delayed for 45 minutes because of fog. The seventh annual event features 78 Champions Tour players paired with a junior player in a corresponding event. The top 22 pro-junior teams and top 10 amateur teams will advance to the final round. — AP

NORTON: Australia’s Jason Day and American Zach Johnson shot eight-under 63s to take a one-stroke lead after the first round of the $7.5 million Deutsche Bank Championship on Friday, but Tiger Woods faces an uphill battle to stay in the tournament.

The world number one recovered from a dreadful start to shoot a one-over 72 and finish ahead of only five players in the 99-man field at Boston TPC, the second instalment in the lucrative lucrative FedExCup playoff series.

Woods, currently ranked 65th in the FedExCup standings, needs to finish in the top 70 after the Deutsche Bank Championship to advance to the third round of the series at next week’s BMW Championship at Cog Hill outside of Chicago.

“I just didn’t have it today,” he told reporters. “I wasn’t really doing what I was supposed to be doing swingwise and wasn’t releasing the putter blade. It was a bad day all around. “I’m obviously going to have to shoot something pretty good tomorrow.”

After crashing to four-over after six holes, Woods salvaged his round amid intermittent af ternoon drizzle coming from the outer bands of Hurricane Earl, but conditions were by no means difficult with just a light breeze wafting across the course.

Woods has yet to win this season but had appeared to have found some form after finishing a respectable 12th at the Barclays tournament, days af ter announcing his divorce from Swedish wife Elin.

Co-leaders Day and Johnson enjoyed playing together in dry morning conditions and notched a combined 23-under with Ryan Palmer in their threesome.

“We kind of fed off each other,” said Day, who compiled 10 birdies. “Coming into this event, I felt very confident with my swing and I just had to work on a few things with my short game.

“The first couple of days I got here, I tried to square my putting up a little bit and that worked out great. Everything kind of clicked.”

Johnson added: “If you get off to a good start, it breeds momentum. We all birdied the first hole and it fed into the remainder of the day. “I probably didn’t hit it quite as well as those guys (but) I hit it fine and I putted beautifully.”

Johnson and Day lead a clutch of golfers on 64, including Palmer, Northern Irishman Rory McIlroy and Australia’s Geoff Ogilvy.

McIlroy stormed up the leaderboard late with an eagle at the par-five 18th, after landing a sublime fivewood approach 25 feet from the hole and sinking the putt. —Reuters

SWITZERLAND: Miguel Angel Jimenez from Spain tees off during the third round of the Omega European Masters Golf Tournament in Crans Montana. —AP

Jimenez maintains lead at European Masters CRANS-SUR-SIERRE: Spain’s Miguel Angel Jimenez maintained his three-shot lead after he produced a 3-under third round 68 to reach 17-under in the European Masters yesterday.

However, his advantage over the Italian Edoardo Molinari, in second place after a 68, could have been four shots but for a momentary lapse of concentration in the thin mountain air of the Swiss Alps.

Standing on the 10th fairway, Jimenez bent down and marked his ball thinking preferred lies were in operation, and when he realized his mistake he had to call a one-shot penalty on himself.

At the time Jimenez was four under par for his round and two more bogeys followed in the next three holes, but he regained his composure to pick up two birdies in the closing three holes.

“I lost a bit of concentration,” admitted Jimenez. “I marked the ball thinking it was a preferred lie, but quickly realized

my mistake and called the penalty.

“But I was pleased with the round.

Sometimes when you have shot 61 the previous day it is difficult to follow it up because when you don’t make birdies all the time it seems like nothing is happening.

“So I was pleased to play the first nine in four under and the tournament is now in my hands, but I do know how good Edoardo is at coming from behind on the final day.” Should he win Sunday, Jimenez will record his first victory in 22 visits to Crans-Sur-Sierre for the European Masters. Molinari also had four birdies in his opening nine holes and when he finally dropped a shot at the par three 13th it was his first bogey in 54 holes of golf since the 14th at Gleneagles last weekend on his way to victory in the Johnnie Walker Classic. Occupying a share of third place with England’s Steve Webster was another Italian, Matteo Manassero,

after a 69. If the 17-year-old can finish in the top five, he will take his winnings as a first year professional beyond 250,000 euros ($322,000) from only six events and become the youngest player to secure his playing card on the European Tour.

Webster moved alongside Manassero with a 7-under 64 which included a spectacular eagle at the par-five 13th. He had driven into a fairway bunker and then appeared to overhit his three wood into the green.

But the ball struck the flagstick and pulled up right by the hole leaving him with only a six-inch putt for his three.

Webster’s effort was not the lowest score of the day. That belonged to Ireland’s Peter Lawrie who shot a career-best 63 to climb 54 places from Friday’s 1-under cutline into a share of seventh place. He was, however, still nine shots behind Jimenez. —AP

Kipketer crowns Rudisha new king of 800m SPLIT: With a regal smile, Wilson Kipketer anointed new 800m world record holder David Rudisha as his successor here on Friday, on the eve of the inaugural IAAF Continental Cup. “It’s just the beginning,” said Kenyan-born Kipketer, who was crowned world champion in 1995, 1997 and 1999 while running in Denmark’s colours.

“He still has a very long road ahead of him. And the person that beats his record may not even have been born yet.”

Kipketer was born into the Kalenjin tribe, like many of Kenya’s greatest runners, but the technically impeccable Rudisha is a Maasai, whose father Daniel won Olympic silver in the 4x400m relay at the Mexico Games in 1968.

Rudisha last week broke the world record twice in the space of seven days, first bettering Kipketer’s 13year-old mark of 1min 41.11sec with a 1:41.09 run in Berlin and then setting a time of 1:41.01 in Rieti, Italy.

His exploits have left Kipketer in no doubt that the 21-year-old Rudisha will one day break the 100-second barrier for two laps of the track. “I was at 46 seconds for the 400m, David isn’t far from 45 seconds,” Kipketer told AFP. “With his style of front-running, that’s about right. I’ve not seen him run live, but he has a different style to mine. I used to start more slowly and come on strong at the end, which sometimes made it hard to over-take people.” He added: “It’s good that the record is back in Africa.”

Father Colm O’Connell, the Irishman who taught both Kipketer and Rudisha at the renowned St Patrick’s High School in Iten, shares the same sentiments.

He also believes that, beyond his record-setting, Rudisha could go on to become an icon of Kenyan athletics.

Affable and comfortable speaking in English, the new shining light of the 800m is also distinct from his compatriots in his willingness to discuss offtrack matters. —AFP

ITALY: David Rudisha from Kenya competes in the 800-metre event at the 40th IAAF Grand Prix Meeting in this file photo. — AFP

Sunday, September 5, 2010

SPORTS

17

ROSARIO: Netherlands’ Maartje Goderie battles for the ball with Australia’s Kate Hollywood (R) during the field hockey Group A match for the Women World Cup 2010. —AFP

Paumen’s triple sink Aussies ROSARIO: Maartje Paumen scored her second hat trick of the women’s hockey World Cup as favorites Netherlands beat Australia 4-1 in Pool A on Friday.

All three of Paumen’s goals came from penalty corners as she took her tournament tally to seven and the Dutch their

total to 18 in three matches.

Paumen scored early on and Nicole Arnold equalised in the 21st minute but Paumen put the Dutch ahead again on the stroke of halftime. She scored her third in the 40th minute and Minke Smeets rounded off the win.

The Dutch lead Pool A with a maximum nine points, the same number as Germany, who beat the tournament’s whipping girls, India, 4-1. India have conceded 17 goals in their three matches.

India’s 15-year-old wonder Rani Pampal, who has scored four of their five

goals, hit a first half equaliser that had her team briefly on level terms but the Germans soon pulled away.

Japan and New Zealand were looking for their first points when they met in the last of a day of six matches after Thursday’s play was rained out. Hosts Argentina, the

Champions Trophy winners who are favourites to meet the Dutch in the final, crushed Spain 4-0 in Pool B with two goals from Noel Barrionuevo.

Argentina also have nine points, two more than England in second place in the pool. England had to fight back from a 14-

second goal by Kim Jong-eun to draw 1-1 with South Korea, Helen Richardson equalising when she dribbled through the defence to tap in. China recovered from two surprise defeats to beat South Africa 4-1 and maintain slim hopes of a semifinal berth.—Reuters

Carpenter on pole as Power clocks second

SEOUL: Indian HRT driver Karun Chandhok steers a Red Bull on the Korean International Circuit under construction during a test drive for the upcoming Korean Formula One Grand Prix. South Korea will make its F1 debut on Oct. 24. —AP

Chandhok tests Korean F1 circuit LONDON: India’s Karun Chandhok declared South Korea’s new, and as yet unfinished, grand prix circuit to be in good shape after becoming the first person to drive a Formula One car around it yesterday.

“Undoubtedly they still have a lot more work to do but now it looks like we’re just in the touch-up stages,” he told Reuters from the circuit after completing 15 laps in a V10-engined Red Bull demonstration car and a further 10 in a road car.

“The asphalt and kerbs need a bit more work but it all looks under control,” added the driver, who competed in the first nine races of the season before making way for Japan’s Sakon Yamamoto at Hispania (HRT).

Formula One’s newest circuit is due to make its debut on Oct. 24 as the 17th round of the world championship.

There has been considerable speculation in Formula One circles about

progress at the circuit, and whether it will be ready in time for the race. Local promoters said this week it was 90 percent complete.

Formula One race director Charlie Whiting is due to inspect the Yeongam facility, on the coast some four-and-a-halfhours’ drive from Seoul, on his way to the Singapore Grand Prix at the end of this month.

Chandhok, watched by some 4,000 guests including a large media contingent, sponsors and the country’s sports minister, did not doubt that the circuit would be ready even though the final layer of asphalt had yet to be laid completely.

“It has a good mix of corners,” he said after the ‘Circuit Run 2010’ event. “The first part of the lap has long straights followed by slow corners which should allow plenty of passing opportunities.

“From turn seven onwards the circuit opens up and there are four high-speed

corners with some elevation changes which will be interesting for the drivers.

“Turns eight-nine and 11-12 are going to be really interesting for the drivers with high-speed changes of direction and camber changes.

“It’s got a bit of a street circuit feel to it with the walls being quite close and you can’t really look through the apex of a lot of corners,” added the driver.

Chandhok, a former Red Bull junior team driver, said the kerbs could be finished off only once the final layer of asphalt had gone down next week but the other facilities were impressive.

“The pit buildings for the teams are enormous,” he added, joking that the teams would need to bring more furniture than usual to fill them. “I had a chance to look around the paddock and the grandstands as well which all looks pretty good.” —Reuters

SPARTA: IndyCar Series points leader Will Power qualified second on Friday for the Indy300 at Kentucky Speedway, hoping to put some distance between himself and defending champion Dario Franchitti in late yesterday’s race. Veteran racer Ed Carpenter captured the first pole of his career.

Power’s seemingly comfortable series points lead took a major hit at the previous race in Chicago when he didn’t receive enough fuel during a late pit stop, forcing him to head back in with a few laps remaining.

The miscue dropped Power to 16th and when Franchitti took the checkered flag, the Australian’s advantage had been trimmed to just 23 points with three races remaining.

After admittedly stewing about it on the short drive back to Indianapolis, Power says he was over it by the time he went to bed. A week later, he’ll start from the front row for the 11th time this season on Saturday.

“We’re got to have a good finish,” Power said. “We can’t afford another bad one.” Not the way Franchitti is driving. Power has joked he hears the theme music from “Jaws” every time he sees Franchitti in his rearview mirror. The two-time Indy 500 winner is suddenly larger than ever. “I’m chasing him as hard as I can,” said Franchitti, who will start 11th.

Franchitti chastised Power, a road racing ace who is still searching for his first win on an oval for erratic driving in Chicago.

“He was being pretty crazy on Saturday night,” Franchitti

SPARTA: Ed Carpenter, driver of the No. 20 Panther/Vision/Fuzzy’s Vodka Panther Racing Dallara Honda celebrates after winning the pole position for the Kentucky Indy 300. —AFP said. “He was doing some stuff that was really beyond what you would normally consider almost safe at some points. He had three or four accidents; he just didn’t hit anything.” Power politely disagreed, arguing he had to race as aggressively as possible just to keep up.

“I just raced like all the other maniacs were racing out there,” Power said. “When you go to a track that creates a pack race that requires everyone to race 100 percent throttle all the time, you have to do crazy things to get to the front.”

That doesn’t mean Power feels he crossed the line, and Franchitti was quick to point out that Power wasn’t the only dri-

ver dancing dangerously close to the edge at Chicago.

With hundredths of a second separating the majority of the field, there just isn’t a lot of room to move. Although it can make for a compelling product, the drivers don’t always enjoy it. “It can be quite a frustrating type of racing,” Franchitti said.

“When people pull stupid stuff like they were doing on Saturday night, it can get pretty dangerous too.” Things might not be much better at Kentucky.

Carpenter nearly picked up the first win of his lengthy career at the bumpy circuit last August. He led late before Ryan Briscoe slipped by on the outside to win in one of the closest

finishes in series history.

Carpenter has spent most of the season watching races from home after Vision Racing closed shop following the 2009 season.

He ran a respectable 17th at Indianapolis before signing a three-race deal to drive the No. 20 car for Panther Racing last month. Carpenter finished 20th at Chicagoland before his surprising run Friday.

The 29-year-old will make his 102nd career start on Saturday. It’s an opportunity he isn’t taking for granted. “I’m not ready for my career to be over,” he said. “Every time I get in the car for practice, qualifying, racing, I’m trying to maximize all my potential.” —AP

SPORTS

18

Sunday, September 5, 2010

Qatar launches campaign to host 2022 WCup DOHA: The sidewalks and parks in Doha are empty in June, as residents head to the air-conditioned malls for relief from temperatures that soar to 48 degrees (118 F). Professional footballers from the region flee to the cooler climes of Europe to train.

And anyone looking to cool off with a cold beer in Qatar’s capital has to make do with a handful of pubs hidden in five-star hotels, since drinking alcohol anywhere else is prohibited in the conservative Muslim country.

Still, Qatar has brushed aside questions about its climate and social constraints to launch an ambitious campaign to host the 2022 World Cup that is also being sought by the United States, Australia, South Korea and Japan.

In some ways, Qatar is the wild card in the competition to win over FIFA’s 24-man executive committee. It’s the smallest nation bidding and the only one that has not hosted either an Olympics or World Cup. At the same time, the Persian Gulf nation of just 1.3 million has the financial muscle to guarantee a successful tournament — it has the world’s second-highest per capita income thanks to its vast oil and gas reserves.

“I believe we have a very strong bid and a very unique bid,” Hassan alThawadi, the CEO of the Qatar bid committee, told The Associated Press.

“It’s a historic bid in terms of coming for the first time to the Middle East, a region that is very hospitable, rich and diverse in terms of its culture and has an unprecedented passion for the game,” he said.

“Bringing it to the Middle East will truly allow football and FIFA to reach

its true potential as a culture event.”

Qatar has taken an aggressive approach to promoting the bid. It struck a deal to sponsor the Confederation of African Football congress in January, negotiating an agreement that gave it exclusive access to the top officials in African football.

It also plans to fly Brazil and Argentina into Doha for an exhibition match just two weeks before the winning bids for the 2018 and 2022 World Cups are announced in December.

It also hired the likes of Dutch great Ronald de Boer and Barcelona coach Pep Guardiola to promote the bid, as well as consultant Mike Lee, who was instrumental in helping London secure the 2012 Summer Olympics and Rio the rights for the 2016 Summer Olympics.

“They have the money and they will spend generously on this,” said Abdul-Khaleq Abdulla, a political science professor at Emirates University in Abu Dhabi. “There is no limit to how much they could pay. Money talks in these events. It has been proven time and again. If you are serious, you have to raise your investment profile.”

Al-Thawadi said Qatar is developing “second-generation cooling technology” that will keep stadiums, training facilities and fan areas at about 27 degrees (81 F), far cooler than the 41 (106 F) that Qatar averages in June, July and August. Qatar also plans to allow alcohol consumption in fan zones and bathing suits to be worn at hotel pools.

Al-Thawadi, a football fan educated in England, acknowledges he was inundated with questions concerning

DOHA: In this file photo taken on Friday May 14, 2010 a runner passes by a giant billboard advertising the Qatar bid for the FIFA soccer World Cup 2022 in Doha, Qatar. Qatar is clearly the long-shot among bidders that also includes the United States, Australia, South Korea and Japan. —AP Qatar’s weather when he visited South Africa for the recent World Cup. But he says once he explains the proposed system that continuously pumps cool air into the venues, most people come away convinced Qatar can keep the heat at bay during matches.

“I will tell people who have heat concerns come to the Qatar, visit the

country and see what it has to offer,” alThawadi said. “Meet the people and meet expats who come from cold countries and make Qatar their home and are here over the summer and haven’t left. The concerns shouldn’t be much of a concern at all.” To bolster its case, Qatar has unveiled a $4 billion plan to build nine stadiums and renovate three

others — all with the new cooling system.

A prototype stadium for five-a-side football is scheduled to be on display when FIFA’s inspection team visits on Sept. 13 and the technology “will be tweaked” over time to ensure it also can be used at training sites for the 32 competing teams and fan zones, al-

Thawadi said.

Qatar also plans $42.9 billion in infrastructure upgrades that will include a new international airport and an air-conditioned public transport system. Everything for a World Cup bid could be ready as early as 2017. The stadia have futuristic design blueprints, including one designed in the shape of a dhow — a traditional Arab sailing vessel — and another with an asymmetrical seashell motif.

FIFA president Sepp Blatter also gave Qatar’s bid a boost earlier this year when he said the Arab world deserves to stage a World Cup. He was instrumental in delivering the World Cup to South Africa, the first on the African continent.

Blatter said the government’s successful hosting of the 2006 Asian Games showed it was capable of organizing big international events. Still, the bid has its doubters.

Critics question whether Qatar’s largely untested cooling system will work and many Westerners remain unconvinced that Qatar will relax its conservative ways and allow fans to let loose with dancing and drinking in the streets — which has become the norm at World Cups.

“It would not be in the best interest of FIFA to allow Qatar to host the World Cup in 2022,” said Austrian strategist Erwin Roth, who has spent almost three decades promoting international sporting events, including the failed bid by Salzburg to host the 2014 Winter Olympics.

“A lot of problems would arise,” he said. “What do you do with the fans when the games are over? You will

have all fans in this tiny, little city in 40-plus centigrade temperatures.

Where do you put them? You would have to build zones where they party and women would be allowed.”

Simon Chadwick, a sports marketing expert at Coventry University in England, said Qatar’s bid has been helped by the success of South Africa, which showed that a developing country with a history of problems could host a successful World Cup. “There are concerns about the culture of Qatar,” Chadwick said. “You are going to watch football. Are you going to be able to drink heavily, eat pizza and hang around in the streets singing songs? People perceive that because Qatar is a Muslim country that they won’t be able to do that.”

And even if Qatar can overcome these concerns, its bid could be hampered by relations with Israel and competition with China.

Since it has no diplomatic relations with Israel, Qatar could face a quandary should Israel qualify, or if it officials or fans want to attend. Qatar, which ended low-level contacts with Israel last year, has said repeatedly that any team that qualifies would be welcome.

FIFA would require Qatar to allow any Israeli delegate to attend its congress and opening ceremony.

Another issue is China’s possible bid in 2026. A China bid could weigh on FIFA committee members, who would have to debate whether to vote in favor of an Asian host like Qatar in 2022 or wait until 2026. One continent cannot host consecutive World Cups. —AP

Afridi apologizes for fixing controversy

CARDIFF: A member of the Pakistan team holds some cricket balls during a cricket training session in Cardiff, Wales. Pakistan will play England in a Twenty20 match. —AP

Ponting: New one-day format could hurt World Cup chances MELBOURNE: Australia captain Ricky Ponting believes the new domestic one-day format could damage the World Cup preparations of fringe players.

In a radical departure from the conventional 50-over game, Cricket Australia (CA) recently announced it will trial a 45-over game this season split into two innings of 20 and 25 overs.

Ponting, however, has added his doubts over the new format designed to revive flagging interest in the shorter game- to those of Australia’s cricketers association.

“We need to be playing as much 50-over cricket as we can with the World Cup just around the corner,” he told reporters yesterday.

“It’ll be okay for the guys that are in the national side, we’ll probably play

another 12 or 13 one-dayers before the one day World Cup comes around.

“The guys on the fringe that are playing domestic cricket won’t play any 50-over games really until that World Cup. “Probably for the young spinners around Australia in particular, they’re going to find it difficult this summer.”

The World Cup begins in February in India, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh.

Ponting insisted the players should have had more of a say before the drastic changes were brought in.

“The players probably felt that they didn’t have the input that they probably would have liked to have had,” he said. “I know there’s been a lot of speculation about how it’s going to be played, but it’s up to the players now to play it as well as they can and make it a good spectacle.” —Reuters

LONDON: The captain of Pakistan’s limited overs teams has apologized to cricket fans for the controversy that erupted after three of his teammates were suspended on suspicion of fixing.

Shahid Afridi said yesterday that the players in the squad for the remaining two Twenty20 and five one-day matches against England were upset by the allegations, which the International Cricket Council has called the most serious to hit the sport for a decade.

“On behalf of these boys — I know they’re not in this series — I want to say sorry to all cricket lovers and all cricketing nations,” Afridi said.

Cricket’s ruling body suspended Salman Butt, Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Amir this week while it investigates them for various offenses under the sport’s anti-corruption code. The ICC has not detailed the charges, which followed accusations by a British tabloid that a middleman accepted payment in exchange for deliberate no-balls against England last week.

“It’s very bad news,” Afridi said ahead of Sunday’s first Twenty20 in Cardiff. “It’s a big challenge for me as captain but we’re all ready. The coach and I are not talking about the issue — we are here to play cricket.”

The trio were released without criminal charge after being questioned by London police on Friday but could be banned from cricket for life if found guilty. The Pakistan Cricket Board’s legal adviser said yesterday that Butt, Amir and Asif have denied knowledge of any alleged wrongdoing by the middleman, agent Mazhar Majeed.

“The players have informed the police that the man was their agent, but they had no knowledge,” about his alleged wrongdoing, Tafazzul Rizvi told private television channels in Pakistan.

British tabloid News of the World has accused Majeed of acting as a middleman, accepting money in exchange for getting Asif and Amir to bowl intentional no-balls. Players and officials are waiting to see if the News of the World follows its initial report with further allegations when the paper is distributed late yesterday.

“I’ve told the boys, ‘don’t read the newspapers,”‘ Afridi said.

After winning the four-match test series 3-1, England are also trying to focus on the matches ahead.

“It’s going to be interesting to see what happens tonight,” batsman Paul Collingwood said. “That’s out of our hands as players. We’ve just got to mentally prepare ourselves to play tomorrow.”

ICC chief executive Haroon Lorgat said Friday the allegations that Asif, Amir and Butt conspired with bookmakers was the most serious case of corruption since South Africa captain Hansie Cronje was banned for life 10 years ago.

Cronje admitted to forecasting results in exchange for money from a London bookmaker, prompting the ICC to create its Anti-Corruption and Security Unit (ACSU).

But the fallout from the case is spreading, with Pakistan’s top diplomat in Britain accusing the ICC of bias and banning the players only to cover up shortcomings in its own procedures.

Pakistan High Commissioner Wajid Shamsul Hasan criticized the ICC again Friday for taking action before police had completed criminal investigations.

“After the shocking, arbitrary and high-handed suspension of the three Pakistani cricketers through the ICC’s uncalled for action, nothing is coming to me as a surprise,” Hasan said in a statement. “Rather, my apprehensions that there is a rat in the whole affair are being strengthened.

“It is emerging as a fishy situation where pieces have now started falling in place to convince me that there is more than meet the eyes.” With Pakistan banned from playing home internationals following last year’s terrorist attack on the Sri Lanka squad, some Pakistani journalists have suggested there is a conspiracy against their country.

With illegal gambling often occurring in India, some have even suggested involvement by Pakistan’s neighbor and territorial rival.

Lorgat denied that the charges were evidence of bias and said the ICC was committed to maintaining the country’s status as a full member of the body. —AP

ITALY: Spain’s Dani Pedrosa steers his Honda during a second free practice of the San Marino Moto GP at the Misano circuit. —AP

Pedrosa takes pole in San Marino MISANO: Spain’s Dani Pedrosa, the winner at Indianapolis last weekend, took pole position for the San Marino Grand Prix yesterday for the 35th pole of his career and 17th in MotoGP. Honda rider Pedrosa edged out compatriot and overall series leader Jorge Lorenzo, who was just three thousandths of a second slower.

“I prefer to be in front because the first corner is

very tight and I don’t want to find myself in a mass crash,” said Pedrosa.

Australia’s 2007 world champion Casey Stoner was third fastest, four thousandths of a second slower, despite crashing in the first quarter of an hour of qualifying.

Italy’s multi-time world champion Valentino Rossi, winner here the past two seasons, was fourth fastest, edging out American rookie Ben Spies, who is replacing

Ducati-bound Rossi at Yamaha next season.

Qualifying was so tight that the first 10 riders were within a second of each other after Honda had threatened to dominate it on Friday in practice.

“We are doing a very good job at the moment, improving at every round and now we have the chance to have another good race,” added the 24-year-old Pedrosa who has won three races this season.

“I’ve never won two MotoGP races in a row and this is a good challenge for me - I really want to go for it.”

Lorenzo with seven wins under his belt this season has a 68-point lead in the championship and was happy with his second spot in qualifying. “We have improved in every practice and I’m happy about this session,” said the Spaniard.”

“I have a good pace now and I’m feeling confident about a good race.” —AFP

Landis files whistle-blower suit AUSTIN: Former Lance Armstrong teammate Floyd Landis, who has accused the seven-time Tour de France winner of doping while riding for the U.S. Postal Service team, has filed a federal whistle-blower lawsuit, according to The Wall Street Journal.

Landis won the Tour de France in 2006 but had the title stripped because of a positive drug test. This spring, he ended years of denials by admitting he took performance-enhancing drugs. He also accused Armstrong and other cyclists of doping.

Citing anonymous sources, the Journal reported in a story posted on its website Friday that Landis has filed a lawsuit under the federal False Claims Act. The law allows Americans to sue on behalf of the government alleging the government has been defrauded.

The Journal says the lawsuit is sealed, so it’s not known exactly what it claims. The newspaper said the Justice Department is weighing whether to intervene in the suit.

As a whistle-blower, Landis could collect 30 percent of any money the government recovers.

The Postal Service paid $30.6 million to the team’s management company to sponsor the team from 2001 through 2004, according to a sponsorship agreement reviewed by the Journal.

The contract said “negative publicity” due to “alleged possession, use or sale of banned substances” by riders or team personnel would constitute an “event of default,” as would a failure to take “action” in the event a rider violates a morals or drug clause.

Armstrong has denied using performance-enhancing drugs. “This news that Floyd Landis is in this for the money reconfirms everything we all knew about Landis,” Armstrong spokesman Mark Fabiani said Friday in a statement.

“By his own admission, he is a serial liar, an epic cheater, and a swindler who raised and took almost a million dollars from his loyal fans based on his

lies. What remains a complete mystery is why the government would devote a penny of the taxpayer’s money to help Floyd Landis further his vile, cheating ambitions.

And all aimed directly at Lance Armstrong, a man who earned every victory and passed every test while working for cancer survivors all over the world.” Messages left with Landis’ attorney and the Justice Department were not immediately returned.

Armstrong also is under scrutiny in a separate federal investigation into cheating in professional cycling. His attorneys met this week with federal prosecutors in Los Angeles.

Officials with the Justice Department’s commercial litigation branch and a Postal inspector have also requested documents from a 2005 arbitration case in which a Dallas promotions company alleged Armstrong used performance-enhancing drugs and refused to pay him, the Journal reported. The arbitration panel ruled in Armstrong’s favor in that case. —AP

Sunday, September 5, 2010

19

SPORTS

Euro 2012 qualifying standings Group A Kazakhstan 0, Turkey 3, Belgium 0, Germany 1.

Standings: Turkey Germany Austria Azerbaijan Belgium Kazakhstan

P W 1 1 1 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 0

D 0 0 0 0 0 0

L 0 0 0 0 1 1

F 3 1 0 0 0 0

A 0 0 0 0 1 3

Pts 3 3 0 0 0 0

Group B Armenia 0, Ireland 1, Andorra 0,Russia 2, Slovakia 1, Macedonia 0.

Russia 1 1 0 0 2 0 3 Ireland 1 1 0 0 1 0 3 Slovakia 1 1 0 0 1 0 3 Macedonia 1 0 0 1 0 1 0 Armenia 1 0 0 1 0 1 0 Andorra 1 0 0 1 0 2 0 Group C Faroe Islands 0, Serbia 3, Estonia 1, Italy 2, Slovenia 0, Northern Ireland 1.

Serbia 1 1 0 0 3 0 3 Italy 1 1 0 0 2 1 3 N Ireland 1 1 0 0 1 0 3 Estonia 2 1 0 1 3 3 3 Slovenia 1 0 0 1 0 1 0 Faroe Islands 2 0 0 2 1 5 0 Group D Romania 1, Albania 1, Luxembourg France 0,Belarus 1.

Bosnia 1 1 0 0 3 Belarus 1 1 0 0 1 Albania 1 0 1 0 1 Romania 1 0 1 0 1 France 1 0 0 1 0 Luxembourg 1 0 0 1 0

LUXEMBOURG: Luxembourg’s Tom Schnell (right) challenges Bosnia and Herzegovina’s Vedad Ibisevic during their Euro 2012 Group D Qualifying match at the Josy Barthel stadium. —AP

New coach, same story for France but Spain shine LONDON: France received chilling notice that the road to post-World Cup redemption will be long and hard when they lost 1-0 to Belarus in Paris on Friday, while Portugal threw away two points in a frantic 4-4 draw at home to Cyprus.

England and Italy were able to start repairing their reputations with contrasting wins in their first Euro 2012 qualifiers and Spain swatted away Liechtenstein 4-0 with an ease befitting their status as world and European champions.

England played with the quick passing and invention that eluded them in South Africa as they beat Bulgaria 4-0 at Wembley, Jermain Defoe netting a smartly taken hat-trick and Adam Johnson getting the fourth in the Group G clash.

Italy were almost embarrassed but were ultimately able to celebrate a 2-1 victory after coming from a goal down away to Estonia in Group C. There were wins too for Germany, Russia and the Netherlands who provided a heartwarming moment with the goalscoring return of Ruud van

Nistelrooy-but the night’s compelling story was in Paris, where it became abundantly clear that a change of coach alone will not change French fortunes.

This was a miserable night for the home side, as a much changed team from the World Cup was cheered on to the pitch but roundly booed off it.

Laurent Blanc’s first competitive match since replacing Raymond Domenech after a World Cup campaign that veered between farce and fiasco offered few positives as a late goal from Sergei Kislyak consigned them to a Group D defeat.

“I want to thank the fans who came here to support us,” France captain Florent Malouda told the angry crowd.

Portugal were among the other heavyweight teams to flop in South Africa and missing the injured Cristiano Ronaldo and suspended coach Carlos Queiroz they flirted with disaster against Cyprus in Guimaraes.

The home side twice fell behind before hauling themselves 4-3 ahead only to concede an equaliser to Andreas Avraam two minutes from time.

While Europe’s first big night of competitive international action since the World Cup was a chance for atonement for some, it was a celebration for the three big success stories of a tournament dominated by the continent.

Spain led the way as two goals from Fernando Torres and one from World

in two years.

The 34-year-old was given a standing ovation as he came on and capped his return with an injury time strike.

“If it comes back again when you really thought it was not possible this is an exceptional moment,” Van Nistelrooy said.

Portugal held in 4-4 thriller Cup hero David Villa-who moved to within one goal of equalling Raul’s scoring record for the country-helped them brush past Liechtenstein in a Group I match in Vaduz.

David Silva was the other scorer in the opening match of the defence of the title Spain won in Austria and Switzerland in 2008. The Netherlands, beaten by the Spanish in the Johannesburg final, saw off San Marino 5-0 in Group E. Klaas-Jan Huntelaar scored a hattrick but it was the returning Van Nistelrooy who stole Dutch hearts, scoring in injury-time af ter being recalled to the squad for the first time

Germany, third at the World Cup, had a tougher night against more serious opponents in Group A but came through 1-0 against Belgium with a goal from the ever reliable Miroslav Klose. Their main rivals in Group A will be Turkey, who won 3-0 away to Kazakhstan.

In the night’s other David and G o l i a t h c l a s h , Ru s s i a g r a b b e d a w o r k m a n l i ke 2 - 0 w i n a w a y t o Andorra in Group B thanks to two goals from Pavel Pogrebnyak.

I re l a n d , w h o f e l t t h e m s e l v e s cheated out of a place at the World Cup when Thierry Henry’s handball s e t u p t h e w i n n e r f o r Fr a n c e i n

0 0 1 1 1 3

3 3 1 1 0 0

2, Hungary 0, San 5 2 2 0 0 0

0 0 0 2 2 5

3 3 3 0 0 0

Group F Latvia 0, Croatia 3, Greece 1, Georgia 1.

Croatia 1 1 0 0 3 0 Israel 1 1 0 0 3 1 Georgia 1 0 1 0 1 1 Greece 1 0 1 0 1 1 Malta 1 0 0 1 1 3 Latvia 1 0 0 1 0 3

3 3 1 1 0 0

Group G Montenegro 1, Wales 0, England 4, Bulgaria 0.

England 1 1 0 0 4 0 3 Montenegro 1 1 0 0 1 0 3 Switzerland 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Wales 1 0 0 1 0 1 0 Bulgaria 1 0 0 1 0 4 0 Group H Iceland 1, Norway 2, Portugal 4, Cyprus 4.

Norway 1 1 0 0 2 1 Cyprus 1 0 1 0 4 4 Portugal 1 0 1 0 4 4 Denmark 0 0 0 0 0 0 Iceland 1 0 0 1 1 2

3 1 1 0 0

Group I Lithuania 0, Scotland 0, Liechtenstein 0, Spain 4.

Spain 1 1 0 0 4 0 3 Scotland 1 0 1 0 0 0 1 Lithuania 1 0 1 0 0 0 1 Czech Republic0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Liechtenstein 1 0 0 1 0 4 0

Eto’o strikes twice in Nations Cup

Anton takes leader’s jersey XORRET DE CATI: Spanish rider Igor Anton took the overall leader’s red jersey after the first mountainous stage of the Tour of Spain yesterday which was won by France’s David Moncoutie.

Moncoutie of Cofidis finished the eighth stage of the race, a 190-kilometre ride from Villena to Xorret de Cati that included five mountain passes, in 5hrs, 14min and 32sec, 54sec ahead of nearest rival Serafin Martinez of Spain.

The 35-year-old was part of a small group that broke away early in the stage but after the final climb the breakway group split apart and he was able to outride his rivals to be the first across the finish line.

“I hope to be one of the best climbers of this Vuelta,” said Moncoutie.

Belgium’s Philippe Gilbert, who had held the red jersey since the third stage, was involved in an early tumble which allowed Anton, who finished the stage in seventh place, to take over the overall lead.

A minute’s silence was observed before the start of the stage in memory of Team Sky masseur Txema Gonzalez who died in hospital in Seville on Friday, five days after he was taken to hospital suffering from a bacterial infection. Team Sky pullled out of the Tour of Spain yesterday in the wake of his death.

Sunday’s ninth stage takes the riders 187.7 kilometres from Calpe to Alcoy and includes a third category climb just seven kilometres from the finish line.

The 21-stage Tour of Spain, which began last Saturday with a team time trial through the streets of Seville, wraps up in Madrid on September 19. —AFP

their play-off, joined Russia at the top of the group after escaping with a 1-0 win away to Armenia.

While Blanc was suffering the ignominy of defeat, Italy’s new coach Cesare Prandelli was able to celebrate-but only after an almighty scare.

The hosts opened the scoring in the 31st minute when Sergei Zenjov s t r u c k a f t e r I t a l i a n ke e p e r Salvatore Sirigu lost his grip on the wet ball.

The 2006 world champions just managed to halt their seven-game win drought thanks to second-half goals from Antonio Cassano and Leonardo Bonucci.

England’s commanding win over Bulgaria will have come as a relief to another Italian coach in Fabio Capello, whose position was called into question after England’s limp exit to Germany in the World Cup. “Overall the per for mance was really, really good,” Capello said.

“The movement without the ball was fantastic and Defoe is always very important for us.”—Reuters

Group E Moldova 2, Finland 0, Sweden Marino 0, Netherlands 5.

Netherlands 1 1 0 0 Sweden 1 1 0 0 Moldova 1 1 0 0 Finland 1 0 0 1 Hungary 1 0 0 1 San Marino 1 0 0 1

0, Bosnia 3,

SPAIN: Spanish Igor Anton of Team Euskaltel-Euskadi celebrates on the podium his new red jersey status at the height stage of the Tour of Spain.—AFP

JOHANNESBURG: Samuel Eto’o scored twice as Cameroon won in Mauritius yesterday and Rabah Saadane quit as Algeria coach after a home draw with Tanzania when the 2012 African Nations Cup qualifiers kicked off.

Uganda outclassed Angola 3-0 in wet Kampala and Botswana grabbed a last-gasp 2-1 victory over Togo in Gaborone to enhance chances of a first appearance at the tournament.

Inter Milan striker Eto’o scored in each half of a Group E clash before Eric Choupo-Moting converted a penalty as the ‘Indomitable Lions’ won 3-1 in Bellevue where Jonathan Bru scored from a spot kick for the islanders.

Saadane had hinted he would quit after the World Cup where they held England only to lose narrowly against Slovenia and the USA and ended his fifth stint in charge after the Desert Foxes dropped two unexpected points in a 1-1 draw.

Joel Mogorosi gave shock Group K pacesetters Botswana an early lead only for Floyd Ayite to equalise on the stroke of half-time, but Jerome Ramatlhakwane snatched his third goal of the qualifiers in the final minute.

There was a Scottish flavour to the Ugandan triumph at Mandela Stadium as coach Bobby Williamson saw Hearts striker David Obua put the home team ahead before Andrew Mwesigwa and Geoffrey Sserunkuma struck after half-time.

Uganda are seeking a first appearance at the biennial African football showcase since finishing 1978 runners-up behind Ghana and deservedly led 1-0 at half-time after dominating the opening half.

Angola had several narrow escapes before beanpole striker Obua struck on 35 minutes with a perfectly timed dash into the penalty area to poke a Vincent Kayizzi cross wide of goalkeeper Lama.

Huge defender Mwesigwa added a second 13 minutes into the second half as he ran past several slow-reacting defenders, controlled the ball superbly on the slippery, muddy surface and fired it into the net.

Pre-match boasts from French coach Herve Renard that Angola had “brilliant” footballers were ringing hollow and when they got a chance to hit back, goalkeeper Denis Onyanga came to the Cranes rescue with quick reflexes.

Livewire wide midfielder Kayizzi was tormenting the Angolans and created the third with

a cross into the heart of the six-year box where a powerful Sserunkuma header flew into the roof of the net.

Algeria, shock qualifiers for the World Cup at the expense of seven-time African champions Egypt, were stunned in Blida when Jerry Tegete slammed a free kick into the net after 32 minutes.

Midfielder Adlane Guedioura levelled on the stroke of half-time and the North Africans dominated the second half only to be foiled by combative Tanzanian midfielders who kept scoring chances to a minimum.

Snatching an away point came as a surprise to new Taifa Stars coach Jan Poulsen from Denmark who feared the worst against the 2010 Nations Cup semi-finalists in their fortress.

Zambia and Comoros Islands were forced to delay their Group C match in Lusaka at least 24 hours because the Eritrean referee and his assistants failed to arrive.—AFP

Benzema fit to play for France, Briand called up FRANCE: Striker Karim Benzema, who missed France’s 1-0 defeat by Belarus on Friday with an ankle injury, will be fit to face Bosnia in their next Euro 2012 qualifier on Tuesday in Sarajevo, coach Laurent Blanc said yesterday.

“Karim participated in a full training session this morning and he will be available,” Blanc told a news conference at France’s base outside Paris.

Blanc, who replaced Raymond Domenech after the World Cup fiasco, faced a selection headache in attack after strikers Loic Remy and Louis Saha both picked up injuries against Belarus in France’s opening Group D match at Stade de France.

The pair were ruled out for Tuesday’s match and Blanc decided to call up Olympique Lyon striker Jimmy Briand, the French Football Federation (FFF) said in a statement.

Briand, 25, joined Lyon from Ligue 1 rivals Stade Rennes during the close season. He has four caps for France. —Reuters

www.kuwaittimes.net

Ivanovic comeback faces stiff test against Clijsters NEW YORK: Former world number one Ana Ivanovic slumped for two years before starting a comeback that has taken her to the fourth round of the US Open and today’s showdown with defending champion Kim Clijsters.

Ivanovic, a 22-year-old Serbian beauty who won the 2008 French Open before her slide, faces a Belgian second seed who has won 17 US Open matches in a row, her 2005 and 2009 titles sandwiched around injuries and a two-year layoff.

“It’s going to be exciting,” Ivanovic said. “I’ve been playing really well. Kim is a great player. She hasn’t lost a match

here in a long time.” Clijsters has three victories at Ivanovic’s expense but in a way they have never been truely tested against each other.

Ivanovic defaulted from a 2005 match, took only three games off Clijsters in a 2007 quarter-final before the Belgian’s home fans in Antwerp and injured her left foot three games into a Cincinnati semi-final and retired two weeks ago.

“I was really disappointed that I had to stop in Cincinnati, so it’s kind of a new opportunity for me,” Ivanovic said.

“It’s definitely going to be important to take charge early in the points because she likes to dominate. She’s a

tough competitor. She strikes the ball really good. She doesn’t give you much.

You have to work hard for your points.”

When Ivanovic struggled, Clijsters was supportive. “She and I are good friends and I’m happy to see her doing well again,” said Clijsters. “I followed her very closely when I wasn’t playing.

“I saw her win the French Open and kind of from there (she) just lost it a little bit, had an injury as well when I played her in Cincinnati. The first three games we played I think were pretty good tennis.” Ivanovic still treasures kind messages from Clijsters during her down time.

“I have great respect for her,” Ivanovic said. “When I was struggling, she was messaging me. She was very supportive. That’s really rare and really nice to see. In those times, you know who your friends are.”

From the glory of a 2008 French Open title, Ivanovic slumped to 65th in the rankings before fighting back under former Steffi Graf coach Heinz Guenthardt.

“He’s like, ‘Just keep swinging at that ball.’ It sounds so simple, but it’s true,” Ivanovic said. “It has helped a lot. It’s probably one of the most important things he’s told me lately.”

Ivanovic has more faith in her game now.

“That’s exactly what biggest change is,” she said. “I realize why I’m playing good and what I have to do to play good.

Even when the doubt creeps in, I just know I have to stick with my game plan.”

Confidence growing with every victory, Ivanovic has already matched her best US Open result from 2007 by reaching the fourth round after winning only one match on the Flushing Meadows hardcourts over the past two years.

“There have been tough moments but I’m really happy I managed to stay strong in those times and just push

through it,” Ivanovic said. “It’s just a lot nicer because you feel like all the hard work is paying off.”

Ivanovic is 50 pages into the third book in author Stieg Larsson’s popular series that begins with “The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo” and “The Girl Who Played With Fire”, seeing herself a bit like fiesty heroine Lisbeth Salander.

“I do recognize myself in some of them. I do get very stubborn sometimes,” Ivanovic said. “That’s a little bit annoying to my coaches but hey, you have to take the bad, too.” Now Ivanovic wants to write her own story - “The Girl Who Won The US Open”.—AFP

Caroline, Sharapova set for US Open showdown

NEW YORK: Gael Monfils of France returns the ball to Janko Tipsarevic of Serbia at the US Open tennis tournament.—AP

Soderling on track to face Federer NEW YORK: French Open runner-up Robin Soderling moved closer to a possible US Open quarter-final showdown with Roger Federer by reaching the fourth round with a straight-set victory yesterday.

The Swedish fifth seed, who ended Federer’s run of 23 Grand Slam semi-finals in a row with a French Open quarter-final upset, defeated 48th-ranked Dutchman Thiemo de Bakker 6-2, 6-3, 6-3 in brisk winds after one hour and 42 minutes.

“It was very tough. I was fighting the wind the whole time. During these conditions I played a pretty good match,” Soderling said. “It’s great to make it to the second week at the US Open. It will be very big next week.” Soderling will play for a berth in the quarter-finals against Spanish 21st seed Albert Montanes.

World number two and 16-time Grand Slam champion Federer will face France’s 109th-ranked Paul-Henri Mathieu and Serbian third seed Novak Djokovic will play

108th-rated US wildcard James Blake in later matches at Arthur Ashe Stadium.

Federer and Soderling are on a collision course with added drama after Soderling’s confidence-boosting French Open stunner.

“Confidence is a really big thing in this sport,” Soderling said. “Matches are only decided by a few points. Soderling, whose best US Open showing was last year’s quarter-final run, made 30 winners and only 19 unforced errors and claimed six of the seven service breaks in the match to cruise.

DeBakker, 21, was ousted in the third round for the fourth Grand Slam event in a row. No Dutchman has reached the last 16 at a Slam since Sjeng Schalken in 2004 at Wimbledon.

Japanese qualifier Kei Nishikori’s US Open run ended with a third-round loss to Spanish 21st seed Albert Montanes, who led 6-2, 2-1 when Nishikori retired with a groin injury after 38 minutes.

Nishikori, ranked 147th, was coming off

a grueling five-set upset of Croatian 11th seed Marin Cilic. Another victory would have matched his 2008 run to the fourth round as the best US Open showing by a Japanese man since 1937.

“I began to feel it in warmups,” Nishikori said. “I could not finish the tennis match.” Very quickly, Montanes knew Nishikori was having problems. “He was not well physically so that was lucky for me,” Montanes said. “I realized he was very flat. He was not moving. I tried not to think of that but he was moving quite slowly.”

Montanes will next face Swedish fifth seed Robin Soderling, the French Open runner-up who ousted Dutchman Thiemo de Bakker 6-2, 6-3, 6-3.

Montanes, 29, claimed his first spot in the fourth round in 36 Grand Slam appearances. He is among nine Spaniards to reach the third round, the most at any Slam tournament in the Open Era.—AFP

TURKEY: Croatia’s Leni Ukic (right) drives past Serbia’s Stefan Markovic (left) during their World Basketball Championship round of 16 match in Istanbul. —AP

Serbia edge Croatia in last second ISTANBUL: Serbia recovered from a slow start to overcome fierce rivals Croatia 73-72 and reach the quarter-finals of the basketball world championships yesterday with a thrilling, last-second win.

The game had looked like being anything but a tight encounter in the opening quarter as Serbia were made to pay for only grabbing two rebounds as they found themselves behind 27-19 at the break.

But when they began to rebound in the second quarter, they reaped the benefits offensively to be down by just two, 36-34 at

half-time.

Back from suspension, Nenad Krstic of the Oklahoma City Thunder was showing what an integral part of the Serbian make up he is, leading all scoring at half-time with 10 points. Bojan Bogdanovic and Roko-Leni were the best of the Croats, both claiming seven points.

Following the break the lead ebbed and flowed with Serbia taking a four point lead 5450 into the final quarter. Serbia looked like they would take the game away from Croatia, stretching the lead out to seven, only for

Marko Popovic’s 14 final-quarter points bringing Croatia surging back into the game.

Down by a point (70-69) with 11.6sec remaining, and with Serbia in foul trouble, Popovic drew Ivan Paunic into fouling him, sending him to the line for two free-throws.

Missing the first, he made the second tying the game up. Aleksandar Rasic in return made an easy lay-up but Popvic would again draw the foul, going to the line for a further two free-throws. This time he made no mistake making both shots tying the game at 72-72 with five seconds left. —AFP

NEW YORK: Top seed Caroline Wozniacki of Denmark will play former champion Maria Sharapova of Russia in the fourth round of the US Open after both scored runaway straight set victories yesterday.

Wozniacki defeated Chan Yung-Jan of Taiwan 6-1, 6-0 and has lost just three games in her three outings to date.

Sharapova, who won here in 2006, swatted aside American wildcard Beatrice Capra 6-0, 6-0 to underline her growing threat.

The 20-year-old Wozniacki and Sharapova, who is three years older, have played twice previously, each time in 2008, with Sharapova winning both in straight sets.

But since then, the Russian has struggled with injuries and Wozniacki has risen from top junior to being ranked second in the world behind Serena Williams.

Wozniacki, who has won three of the last four WTA tournaments and is 17-1 in games since Wimbledon, made light of the windy conditions.

“It was tough for both of us as it was pretty windy, but I kind of thought it was fun. It was a little bit different,” she said.

On playing Sharapova she said: “She is a good player, a tough match up. But I will take today and tomorrow off and we will see what happens tomorrow.”

Sharapova agreed the conditions had been “as tough as you can get.”

“Experience definitely helps but when you play someone on a good run, coming up and eager, sometime they can be the most damgerous opponents.”

Wozniacki she said was “playing the best tennis of her career and has been a finalist here. “It will be tough and I am looking forward to it.” But if Wozniacki and Sharapova lived up to their favorites’ tags, the same could not be said of fourth seed Jelena Jankovic of Serbia, who screamed in frustration as the blustery conditions blew her normally solid game off course.

The Serb lost 6-2, 7-6 (7/1) to Kaia Kanepi of Estonia, the 31st seed who will next play the winner of the tie between Patty Schnyder of Switzerland and Yanina Wickmayer of Belgium for a place in the quarter-finals.

It was a crushing end to the tournament for Jankovic, runner-up here to Serena Williams in 2008 and a former world number one, but who has yet to win a Grand Slam title.

She struggled past her first two rounds and was immediately out of sorts against Kanepi due to the gusting winds that swirled around Flushing Meadows in the wake of Hurricane Earl, which passed by on Friday.

Big-hiting Kanepi, a Wimbledon quarter-finalist this summer, broke serve three times in the first set and grabbed an early break in the second as she dominated the rallies. But, serving for the match at 5-3, she played a poor game that allowed Jankovic off the hook.

The Serb then ran off three games in a row, but she in turn failed to serve out for the set, venting her frustrations at the wind as her forehand sailed long.

The ensuing tie-break was one-sided as Kanepi took command and converted on her first match point at 6-1 up.

Jankovic said that the conditions had been near to intolerable.

“I had a hard time serving in the wind - the ball was going all over the place,” she said. “But my opponent dealt with it better than I did and she deserves to go through.”

Kanepi said that the conditions had been the same for both players. “I got a lot of points off Jelena because of the wind and she got a lot off me because of the wind. It was the same for both of us but it was very difficult to play in and I don’t think it made for a nice match.”

One player who went through to the last 16 and who was not bothered by the wind was Andrea Petkovic of Germany.

Her opponent, China’s last hope Peng Shuai, withdrew from the tournament with a right elbow injury.—AFP

NEW YORK: Maria Sharapova of Russia serves against Beatrice Capra of the United States during the women’s singles match on day six of the 2010 US Open at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center.—AFP

LG brings tomorrow's technology to life

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Kuwait development plan lacks clarity: Al-Shall

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Democrats suffer from economy as poll looms

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Sunday, September 5, 2010

www.kuwaittimes.net

Obama: Committed to helping middle class WASHINGTON: A healthy economy needs bustling Main Streets and a thriving middle class even more than a healthy stock market, President Barack Obama said as he reaffirmed his commitment to work hard for America's hardworking men and women.

In his weekly radio and Internet address, Obama yesterday outlined what he's done to help the middle class, a group he says has been squeezed the most during the recession. Obama, previewing a big push on the US economy next week, defended policies that he said "have stopped the bleeding" and put the middle class on the road to recovery.

Obama, struggling to bring down the 9.6 percent jobless rate, is to spend next week talking up proposals on improving the economy. He hopes to gain some traction with impatient voters as they ponder whether to toss out his Democrats in the Nov 2 congressional elections.

He touted efforts to create jobs, make college more affordable, help the middle class build retirement nest eggs, cut taxes on these families and stop health insurance companies from refusing to cover people with preexisting medical conditions.

Labor Day is about more than grilling food and spending time with family and friends, Obama said. "It's also a day to honor the American worker -- to reaffirm our commitment to the great American middle class that has, for generations, made our economy the envy of the world," he said.

But Obama said that, for a decade, middle-class families have experienced stagnant incomes and declining economic security while tax breaks were given to companies that shifted jobs overseas and Wall Street firms reaped huge profits.

"So this Labor Day, we should recommit ourselves to our timehonored values and to this fundamental truth: To heal our economy, we need more than a healthy stock market; we need bustling Main Streets and a growing, thriving middle class," Obama said. "That's why I will keep working day by day to restore opportunity, economic security and that basic American dream for our families and future generations." In the weekly Republican message, Rep. Geoff Davis, criticized nearly 200 pending rules and regulations as a threat to job creation. Davis said many of the mandates would cost small-business owners who don't have the money or time to comply with them.

"The more time small-business owners spend pushing paper, the less time they have to focus on creating jobs," Davis said. He highlighted legislation he introduced that would require Congress to vote on every major new rule before it can take effect.

"The sooner we rein in the redtape factory in Washington, DC, the sooner small businesses can get back to creating jobs and helping more Americans find an honest day's work," he said.

This includes spending on roads and bridges and money given to local governments to avert layoffs of teachers, firefighters and police officers.

"The steps we have taken to date have stopped the bleeding," Obama said. "But strengthening our economy means more than that."

Other steps, he said, were aimed at helping the middle class, citing a portion of his US healthcare overhaul that stopped insurance companies from refusing to cover people with preexisting health conditions.

Obama is trying to convince Americans that Democratic policies offer the best economic future for them as he seeks to turn back a strong challenge from Republicans for control of the US House of Representatives and possibly the Senate.

Obama is to visit a labor rally in Milwaukee tomorrow, the Labor Day holiday, and then is to lay out targeted proposals to boost job growth when he visits Cleveland on Wednesday. A presidential news conference is planned on Friday at the White House.

A number of options are likely, such as extending middle class tax cuts, investing in clean energy, spending more on infrastructure, and delivering more tax cuts to businesses to encourage hiring. — Agencies

Economic policies halted 'bleeding'

WASHINGTON: President Barack Obama reports on the economy as the latest unemployment figures are released on Friday in the Rose Garden at the White House in Washington.

(Right) India Windon (left) and Nytoyia Windon (second from left), interview job seekers for their company Helping Hands Resource Group at Workforce One in Hollywood, Florida on Friday.—AP

Burger King to stop buying oil from Indonesian firm JAKARTA: Environmentalists yesterday praised Burger King's decision to stop buying palm oil from an Indonesian company accused of destroying rain forests. The US hamburger chain giant-which recently sealed a deal to sell itself for $3.26 billion to 3G Capital-said on Friday that it was canceling its contract with PT Sinar Mas Agro Resources and Technology over concerns it had not adopted sustainable farming practices.

It cited an independent audit that found the company's plantations had violated several regulations, including planting in some peat land swamps and secondary forests. "These practices are inconsistent with our corporate responsibility commitments," Burger King said in a statement on Facebook as it joined a growing list of multinationals that have broken ties with Sinar Mas. Burger King did not say what its alternate source of palm oilused for frying-would be.

Sinar Mas said it was disappointed with Burger King's decision, but would work hard to convince the hamburger chain that it was committed to sustainable practices. The environmental group Greenpeace, which has accused Sinar Mas companies of tearing down forests that are home to orangutans and other endangered species, welcomed Burger King's move.

Bustar Maitar, the group's regional forest campaigner, urged other major corporate consumers like Cargill, Pizza Hut and Dunkin' Donuts to do the same. Jatna Supriatna from Conservation International Indonesia said the decision was a lesson for Sinar Mas and other companies. "They should not just be aggressive in expanding plantations without allotting revenues for forest restoration," Supriatna said yesterday.

"The government has to stop them."

Indonesia is the world's largest producer of palm oil, a cheap commodity used for cooking oil, margarine, cosmetics and bio fuel. Unilever, Nestle and Kraft Foods also have recently broken ties with Sinar Mas. — AP

Islamic gold dinar gains Afghans continue pulling popularity in Malaysia money from ailing bank KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysians are embracing gold dinars which were introduced last month by the northern state of Kelantan to promote usage of Islamic currency as an alternative to paper money, an official said yesterday.

The gold coins and silver dirhams were introduced in early August by the Islamic opposition party PAS which rules Kelantan state to coincide with the start of the holy fasting month of Ramadan.

Umar Ibrahim Vadillo, chief executive officer with Kelantan Golden Trade, said the first batch of gold and silver coins worth two million ringgit ($625,000) had been sold out in less than a month.

"There is enormous response in Malaysia.

Their reaction is unbelievable," he told reporters.

"In Kelantan, businesses including garage owners and taxi drivers are using the gold and silver coins." Civil servants in Kelantan are paid up to 25 percent of their salary in dinars and dirhams if they wish.

Umar said three more Malaysian states controlled by the opposition-Selangor, Kedah and Penang-had indicated interest in minting similar coins. "By the end of the year, we anticipate

sales of the dinars and dirhams to hit 60 to 70 million ringgit," he said. According to Islamic law, the dinar coin is 4.25 grams of gold, while the dirham is 3.0 grams of pure silver.

A gold coin is equivalent to about 582 ringgit ($183) while the silver coin is worth around 13 ringgit but their values fluctuate according to market prices.

The coins were intended to be used as an alternative to the Malaysian ringgit and sen but are not legal tender. "Of course it is not legal tender," Umar said. "The gold dinar is a commodity. The use of it is on a voluntary basis."

"The government of Kelantan has not received any petition from the government of Malaysia (against the usage)." "The people in Kelantan have spoken loud and clear that they like the gold and silver coins," Umar said.

Former prime minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, whose administration promoted a moderate form of Islam that emphasized economic and scientific development, shot down the proposal to use the traditional Islamic currencies.

But his predecessor, Mahathir Mohamad, was an advocate of the dinar system and urged Muslim countries to use it as a trade instrument. — AFP

UAE-India non-oil exports post rise ABU DHABI: A report released by the Ministry of Foreign Trade on the commercial and investment ties between the UAE and India, has revealed a positive shift from a deficit during the first quarter of 2009 worth around dirhams 7.3 billion (approximately $1.97 billion) to a surplus in the UAE's favor during the first quarter of 2010 worth AED2.2 billion or around $599 million.

According to Emirates News Agency (WAM), the report, which was conducted by the Analysis and Trade Information Department at the Ministry, attributed this positive change to the big increase of 273% in the value of UAE non-oil exports that went up from dirham 2.2 billion ($599 million) during the first quarter of 2009 to dirham 8.4 billion ($2.3 billion), in addition to the increase in the value of India-bound re-exported UAE commodities by 162%, going up from Dirham 4.4 billion ($1.2 billion) to dirham 11.5 billion ($3.1 billion) during the same comparison period.

The report, which was prepared by the Ministry's Economic Analyst, Yousef Diab, revealed that when conducting a comparison between those two quarters, it would be revealed that there is a large 83% increase in the value of non-oil foreign trade between both countries from dirham 20.5 billion ($5.6 billion) to dirham 37.5 billion ($10.2 billion).

The report affirmed that these indicators reflect the strength of existing bilateral ties between the UAE and India and the strength of the UAE's economy and its development that are seen as a direct result of the implementation of the country's policy and strategy of increasing economic openness, and its execution and establishment of a free market policy, a diversified economy, and increasing the UAE's non-oil exports in order to increase their contribution to

the GDP. The report also indicated that India is the UAE's largest trade partner, while the UAE is the number one trade partner for Indian exports, and the second trade partner with regards to Indian imports, coming in second only after China.

The report expects the value of commercial exchange between both countries to increase from dirham 108 billion in 2009 to dirham 120 billion in 2010, especially that commercial ties between both countries witnessed steady and noticeable growth during the past five years, which was also boosted by the signing of a framework agreement on economic cooperation between India and the GCC states in August 2005, which is now nearing the end of its mission to look into means by which to establish a free trade area between both sides that would be considered a major shift in commercial exchange between both sides.

The report also revealed that the UAE is considered the number one Arab country, and the 10th globally in terms of the overall value of Foreign Direct Investment inflows into India, preceded by Mauritius, Singapore, the USA, the UK, Holland, Japan, Turkey, Germany, and France.

This was based on a survey of UAE investments abroad conducted by the Ministry of Foreign Trade that revealed that the investments of a group of large UAE companies in India reached dirham 5.7 billion ($1.5 billion) up until the year 2009 constituting 1.4% of overall global foreign direct investments into India.

The report predicted that the value of UAE investments in India, in light of the continuous development of bilateral economic and commercial ties between India and the UAE, will reach Dirham 6.9 billion by the year 2011. —KUNA

KABUL: Nervous Afghans pulled more deposits out of the nation's largest bank yesterday, despite assurances from government leaders that their money was safe.

Crowds gathered at Kabul Bank branches around the capital to withdraw dollar and Afghan currency savings, with customers saying they had lost faith in the bank's solvency following a change in leadership and reports that tens of millions of dollars had been lent to political elites for risky real estate investments.

"Kabul Bank has lost the trust of the people. Even the chairman resigned so all the people are concerned," said Mohammad Nawaz, head of an Afghan aid group who had been trying for three hours to withdraw the $15,000 in his account.

The bank run that began earlier in the week undermines efforts by the central government to build an efficient political and financial system to drag Afghanistan out of its dire poverty.

Problems at the bank could also have wide-ranging political repercussions since it handles the pay for Afghan public servants, soldiers and police in the unstable nation beset by a Taliban insurgency, widespread drug trafficking and the plundering of aid money.

While there was little apparent sign of panic, the deputy commander of the international coalition in Afghanistan said contingency plans were being drawn up to respond in the event of unrest.

"We're prepared to deal with the unexpected," Lt Gen Sir Nick Parker said.

Kabul Bank's woes further underscore entrenched problems with cronyism and corruption, with millions of dollars in deposits allegedly loaned to relatives and friends of the ruling elite to buy property in financially troubled Dubai. The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal reported Wednesday that Kabul Bank's losses could exceed $300 million -- more than the bank's assets. In addition, The Washington Post said Afghanistan's central bank had ordered Kabul Bank's newly resigned chairman to hand over $160 million in Dubai real estate holdings. On Thursday, President Hamid Karzai reassured anxious bank customers, saying every penny of their deposits would be guaranteed

by the government.

"The Kabul Bank is safe," Karzai said in comments echoed by the country's central bank governor and independent banking association. Calls to bank executives rang unanswered yesterday and it wasn't clear how much had been withdrawn. People hoping to take money out were given numbers but many had yet to be served when branches closed at noon as is customary. University student Ahmad Fahim held number 1,724, but tellers had made it only to number 200 late in the morning. He planned to return today to try again to withdraw his family business' funds and close the account.

"We've never had any problems with Kabul Bank, but after the news broke, we decided to take our money out," the 23-year-old said.

Fahim said his father had no plans to open a new account and would distribute the cash

among the homes of relatives for safekeeping. State-owned banks imposed burdensome limits on the amount of money that could be transferred, while other private banks were even less trustworthy than Kabul Bank, he said.

Given such limited options, Kabul Bank could still be the best bet for Afghans with cash holdings, with its nationwide network of branches and automated teller machines and ability to provide financial services such as loans, bill paying and money transfers. Mohammad Habib Angar, a calligrapher, said he was taking out most of his Afghan and dollar savings, but wasn't ready to close his account.

"I will wait to see what will happen next. If the bank is able to create confidence, for sure I will put my money back in Kabul Bank because I do not want to close my account," Angar said. — AP

KABUL: Afghan customers queue to go inside the main branch of The Kabul Bank in Kabul yesterday. — AFP

22

BUSINESS

Sunday, September 5, 2010

KSE continues to rally for 9th week in row GLOBAL WEEKLY MARKET REPORT KUWAIT: Kuwait Stock Exchange (KSE) continued its upward momentum for the ninth week in a row taking the index to its highest level since May 18. For the month of August 2010 the index succeeded in adding 3.73 percent to its value.

However, during this week, high bid was seen on large capitalization stocks which in turn helped lifting up the market index.

Kuwait Stock Exchange ended the week up by 1.68 percent at 204.04 point as measured by Global's weighted General Index. On a yearto-date basis the market gains escalated to 9.56 percent. On the other hand, Kuwait Stock Exchange price index was also up by 57.60 points (0.87 percent) and closed the week at 6,703.2 points. Total market capitalization rose to KD33.73bn. While, market breadth skewed towards advancers with 65 stocks advancing against 57 declining out of 149 shares traded this week.

Trading activity was lower compared to the week before. Volume traded dropped by 18.06 percent reaching 693.53mn shares changing hands at a total traded value of KD145.82mn (15.69 percent decrease compared to the week before).

The trading volume continued to be high on the Real Estate Sector which accounted for 26.70 percent (185.18mn shares) of the total market traded volume with three real estate companies accounting for a big part of the sectors' volume.Jeezan Holding Company topped the volume list this week with 68.64mn shares being traded.

On the value side, the Banking Sector saw the most value traded with KD51.99mn exchanged, accounting for 35.65 percent of the total market traded value. Kuwaiti banks continue to dominate half of the top ten companies in value.

However, on top of the list came Zain with KD30.39mn traded on its share.

The Non-Kuwaiti sector was the only loser for the week, with its Global Non-Kuwaiti Sector Index ending the week down by 0.12 percent. All other indexes were seen up by the end of the last session. Global Insurance Sector Index was the biggest gainer, adding 5.78 percent to its value. The index was pushed up by 19.10 percent increase in the share price of Gulf Insurance Company. The scrip closed at KD0.530 and was the top gainer for the week. Global Services Sector Index was the second biggest advancer, adding 3.28 percent. The two biggest services companies, the telecom's, managed to add more than 5 percent each to their share prices to add to the index gain. The financial sectors were also notable gainers with Global Banking Sector Index adding 1.44 percent followed by an increase of 1.31 percent in the value of Global Investment Sector Index.

Global's special indices closed higher. Global Large Cap (Top 10) Index ended the week up by 2.63 percent while Global Small Cap (Low 10) index added 0.88 percent of its value.

Global Islamic Sharia Index was also up by 0.28 percent.

and Industry, said in a preliminary report.

Other Local News A new oil service company has been established with a capital of KD1mn, the official gazette Al-Kuwait Al-Youm reported. The new company "Kuwaiti Isnad for Petroleum Services" has been founded as a Kuwait closed shareholding company.

The purposes of the fresh oil service company include maintenance works and general services for the oil sector.

It can also act as a broker for other operations needed by companies for various works and purposes in all main areas, the gazette said, adding it can further have partnership with other similar businesses.

Highlights of the week A loan agreement was signed in Lasak between the Republic of Zambia and Kuwait Fund for Arab Economic Development (KFAED) whereby the fund will make a loan of KD4mn ($13.6mn) to assist in financing cost of Kalabo-Sikongo Road Project. According to KFAED website, the project aims at facilitating the transport of passengers and goods in the western province of the country by constructing a road, which is accessible for road transport in all seasons including winters, with a view to enhancing the economic development of this region.

Macroeconomic News The Central Department of Statistics showed in its latest statistics issue that Inflation in Kuwait during the month of June rose 3.4 percent compared to the same month last year, while the rate was only 0.5 compared to last May. Official statistics issued by the Central Department of Statistics showed that the most risen food groups was the food commodities which rose by 7.2 percent compared with the month of June of last year, while the inflation rate of the same group was 0.1 percent for the same month compared with May. Kuwait's budget surplus reached KD6.44bn ($22.34bn) in the fiscal year 2009/2010 that ended in March, below preliminary estimates partly due to higher expenditures. The final 2009/10 surplus stands at KD4.67bn after an obligatory transfer to the state's fund for future generations.

Preliminary data released in May. A recovery in crude prices helped Kuwait, the world's fourth-largest oil exporter, avoid sinking into the red for the year. The country is expected to have the biggest fiscal surplus in the Gulf Arab region in 2010/2011 despite a planned 34 percent jump in government spending. Excluding a transfer of revenue to Kuwait's future generations fund, data showed that the budget surplus came to 20.4 percent of the country's 2009 gross domestic product, based on Reuters calculations. Preliminary figures in May showed that Kuwait's surplus stood at KD8.18bn for last fiscal year, compared with an expected deficit of

KD4.05bn.

Revenues came to KD17.69bn last fiscal year, slightly down from May's preliminary estimates but more than double initial expectations due to higher crude income. Oil income came to KD16.85bn in 2009/2010, far more than the KD6.92bn expected, the data showed. Kuwait had based its budget on a conservative crude price estimate of US$35 a barrel.

Expenditures reached KD11.25bn last fiscal year, 93 percent of the planned amount and up from the KD9.75bn reported in May.

Oil Related News Price of Kuwaiti crude oil reached $70.67 per barrel (pb) on Tuesday, August 31, a $2.34 increase per barrel compared to Tuesday, August 24, Kuwait Petroleum Corporation (KPC) said.

Kuwaiti oil is deeply affected by speculations, as well as geo-political and geo-psychological factors in the oil market.

State-run Kuwait Petroleum Corporation (KPC) issued a tender to sell 80,000 tons of gas oil for September after Pakistan reduced imports, traders said. KPC has

offered two cargoes -40,000 tons of 500 ppm sulfur gas oil for September 17-18 loading and the same amount of 0.2 percent gas oil for September 1516, they said. Pakistan State Oil (PSO) has cut its gas oil imports from KPC by 100,000 tons a month in August and September. Its average import volume from KPC is 300,000 tons a month, traders said on Tuesday. PSO has also declared force majeure on taking delivery of at least two gas oil cargoes following the country's devastating floods.

Kuwait Oil Tanker Company (KOTC) signed a KD54.6mn

($189mn) contact with South Korean Hanhwa Company to establish a liquefied gas plant. KOTC Chairman and Managing Director Nabeel Burisli said that the project to be established in Um Al-Aish area, in northern Kuwait, aims to stress the state's production capability. The new plant will provide 15mn cylinders of gas every year, 160 percent of the capability of the current plant, he point out.

The plant will be built on an area of 150,000 square meters, he noted.

Burisli said that the projects will provide the needs of the northern region of the state and the new cities and projects like Boubyan Port and AlHareer City, adding that it will serve the local market until 2030.

Kuwait Petroleum Corporation (KPC) announced this week the price for Liquefied Petroleum Gases (LPG), propane and butane gases, for the month of September. KPC said that the price of propane would be set at $630 per metric ton within this month, an increase of $55 from the price of August which was set at $575 per metric ton.

Kuwait's crude oil exports to Japan soared 34.3 percent in July from a year earlier to 6.82mn barrels, or 220,000 barrels per day (bpd), for the first rise in two months, the government said. Kuwait, the sixth biggest oil provider to Japan in July, supplied 6.1 percent of Japan's crude, compared with 4.6 percent in the same month of last year and 5.1 percent in June, the Japanese Natural Resources and Energy Agency, a unit of the Ministry of Economy, Trade

Kuwait Stock Exchange The US Defense Logistics Agency (DLA) has extended a warehousing and distribution contract for Kuwait's Agility by six months. The six months extension which starts from September 2010 is for the warehouse and distribution service contract in Kuwait and north west Asia (DDKS), with a value of around $25mn, Agility said .

Gulf North Africa Holding Company has sold its equity in Qatar based company Barwa Al-Khor to an investment firm at a par value totaling KD1.4mn. The seller recorded neither gains nor loss from the deal that will be recorded in this years' third quarter financial statement. The deal will boost the company's liquidity. The procedures of selling a 17.29 percent stake or 8.645mn shares of Safwan Trading & Contracting Company have been completed on August 31. Shares were sold to Ali Abdulwahab Sons & Company (AAW) at 305fils each, totaling KD2.64mn.

The agreement was signed by the competent authorities. The payment and transfer procedures will be finalized via Kuwait Clearing Company (KCC) no later than September 1, 2010. Kuwait Company Process Plant Construction & Contracting (KCPC) is awarded tender No WKM/65/2010/2009, by the Central Tenders Committee (CTC). Under the KD8.395mn worth contract, KCPC would supply, operate and maintain the advance payment system of electric meters provided by the Kuwaiti Ministry of Electricity and Water (MEW). The company will inform the KSE management upon receiving the award letter from the committee.

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

.283000 .4400000 .3650000 .2810000 .2710000 .2580000 .0045000 .0020000 .0779500 .7594460 .4020000 .0750000 .7445050 .0045000 .0500000

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

CUSTOMER TRANSFER RATES .2871500 .4425630 .3676540 .2836580 .2729270 .0493860 .0393610 .2604590 .0369320 .2129010 .0034110 .0061750 .0025580 .0033680 .0041610 .0782190 .7620570 .4061090 .0766220 .7472850 .0064160

US Dollar Sterling pounds Swiss Francs Saudi Riyals

TRANSFER CHEQUES RATES .2892500 .4456890 .2856670 .0771110

.2930000 .4490000 .3730000 .2890000 .2790000 .2640000 .0075000 .0035000 .0787340 .7670790 .4180000 .0790000 .7519870 .0072000 .0580000

275.530 190.290 286.190 261.310 287.845 ASIAN COUNTRIES

Japanese Yen Indian Rupees Pakistani Rupees Srilankan Rupees Nepali Rupees Singapore Dollar Hongkong Dollar Bangladesh Taka Philippine Peso Thai Baht Irani Riyal - Transfer Irani Riyal - Cash

3.446 6.164 3.382 2.559 3.860 214.320 37.120 4.152 6.410 9.255 0.296 0.310 GCC COUNTRIES

.2892500 .4456890 .3702510 .2856670 .2748600 .0497360 .0396400 .2622980 .0371940 .2144090 .0034350 .0062180 .0025760 .0033920 .0041910 .0787180 .7669160 .4089850 .0771110 .7520510 .0064620

Saudi Riyal Qatari Riyal Omani Riyal Bahraini Dinar UAE Dirham

77.959 79.296 749.790 766.520 78.590 ARAB COUNTRIES

Egyptian Pound - Cash Egyptian Pound - Transfer Yemen Riyal Tunisian Dinar Jordanian Dinar Lebanese Lira Syrian Lier Morocco Dirham

53.400 50.567 1.373 195.310 407.540 193.600 6.164 33.740 GOLD

20 Gram 10 Gram 5 Gram

245.000 125000 64.000

Bahrain Exchange Company

Al-Muzaini Exchange Co. EUROPEAN & AMERICAN COUNTRIES US Dollar Transfer Euro Sterling Pound

Canadian dollar Turkish lire Swiss Franc Australian dollar US Dollar Buying

288.480 370.990 446.280

COUNTRY Australian dollar Bahraini dinar Bangladeshi taka Canadian dollar Cyprus pound Czek koruna Danish krone Deutsche Mark Egyptian pound Euro Cash

SELL CASH 265.400 786.930 4.350 277.600 586.300 14.100 50.200 167.800 51.840 373.600

SELL DRAFT 263.900 766.930 4.153 276.100

215.200 50.587 372.100

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 77.000 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

37.770 6.360 0.035 0.272 0.252 3.520 409.090 0.195 93.670 46.100 4.510 209.600 1.965 46.900 749.130 3.500 6.600 79.760

37.620 6.165 0.035

215.200 41.990 2.745 449.100 40.000 288.500 6.300 9.530 198.263 78.690 288.800 1.310

215.200 41.990 2.558 447.100

407.640 0.194 93.670 3.870 208.100

287.000 6.300 9.400 78.590 288.400

1,348.140

Sterling Pound US Dollar

Kuwait Bahrain Intl Exchange Co. 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

TRAVELLER'S CHEQUE 447.100 288.400

288.300 3.385 6.175 2.565 4.155 6.420 78.575 77.090 766.400 50.560 448.900 0.00003280 3.890 1.550 409.500 5.750 374.400 279.600

Al Mulla Exchange

Dollarco Exchange Co. Ltd 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

2.558 4.171 6.362 3.421 9.213 6.301 3.851

Currency 748.950 3.375 6.400 79.330 77.000

GOLD 10 Tola

Sri Lankan Rupees Bangladesh Taka Philippines Pesso Japanese Yen Thai Bhat Syrian Pound Nepalese Rupees

288.850 273.657 445.790 367.907 282.547 707.989 764.553 78.622 79.319 76.995 407.606 50.697 6.150 3.379

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 288.600 368.000 446.000 273.350 3.450 6.160 50.720 2.563 4.153 6.372 3.375 768.000 78.600 77.000

BUSINESS

Sunday, September 5, 2010

23

FDI inflows lower in 2009 but outlook optimistic KUWAIT: As the full effects of the global financial crisis reverberated in the region, foreign direct investment inflows into the GCC markets witnessed a significant slowdown in FDI in 2009, following 9 consecutive years of growth. According to the World Investment Report 2010 (WIR), published by the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), aggregate GCC FDI inflows declined by 15% in 2009 to reach $50.8 billion, having peaked at $60 billion in 2008.

The UAE, historically the region's second largest recipient of FDI behind Saudi Arabia, experienced the largest decline in FDI by 70%, as the Dubai World debt crisis adversely affected investments in the Emirate. Saudi Arabia, despite a decrease of 6.9%, continued to attract the largest volume of FDI in the GCC with $35.5 billion.

The Kingdom continued to receive sizeable foreign capital from regional and international investors. Kuwait invested $4.3 billion, the United States $5.8 billion, France $2.6 billion, and Japan $2 billion. Saudi Arabia's substantial energy, industrial, transportation, financial and real estate sectors provide significant size and scope for compelling investment projects.

Bucking the negative trend in 2009 were Qatar and Kuwait, which were among the few countries in the GCC and wider MENA region to register FDI increases during 2009. Qatar, with $8.7 billion in FDI received, and Kuwait, with a mere $145 million received, saw growth of 112% and 145% respectively. Qatar's liquefied natural gas (LNG) project and associat-

ed industrial plans - due to come online in the coming year - were a significant beneficiary of investment flows.

It should be noted, however, that Kuwait's positive FDI performance in 2009 was from a very low base; the state continued to lag significantly behind the rest of the GCC as the least attractive destination for FDI in the region. FDI inflows to Kuwait over the last decade were $733 million, compared to Bahrain's $10.2 billion, the UAE's $72.3 billion and Saudi Arabia's $129.7 billion. This represents a mere 0.3% of total GCC inflows over the last 10 years. Bureaucracy, stringent regulations, limited foreign ownership, and inflexible labor laws, are frequently cited as the major obstacles.

In the context of international FDI flows, the GCC's 15% decline compared favorably with the decreases registered by other emerging markets during the economic recession. The wider Middle East and North Africa region (MENA) attracted 30% less FDI in 2009, falling to $33 billion. As a result, the GCC's overall share of total MENA FDI inflows has steadily increased over the last few years from 52% in 2007 to 60% in 2009. FDI flows to developing economies experienced significant declines. FDI flows to Asia decreased by 17.5%. FDI flows to Latin America/Caribbean fell 36.4% while South East Europe/CIS plummeted by 42.9%. Consequently, the GCC's share of total emerging market FDI flows rose from 5.8% in 2007 to 7.7% in 2009.

The GCC region's less dramatic decline in FDI can be explained by tracing its recent, pre-crisis trajectory.

NBK GCC MOTHLY BRIEF

Prior to the full onset of the financial crisis and its deleterious effects on credit, consumer spending and risk appetite, the GCC region, in line with many emerging markets, had enjoyed unprecedented levels of investment inflows.

Buoyed by high oil prices and current account surpluses, GCC economies embarked on infrastructural and investment projects designed to wean their economies away from single commodity dependence and toward a more sustainable economic

future.

Building on an appreciation of the role of FDI and on the necessity of enticing foreign investment, GCC countries have introduced measures designed to attract investments: introducing free trade zones (e.g. UAE), easing restriction on foreign ownership (e.g. Saudi Arabia), reducing or removing corporate taxes (e.g.

Bahrain, Kuwait), expediting the issuance of visas (e.g. Qatar), as well as improving incentives, guarantees and protection (e.g. UAE). Foreign

companies, from Royal Dutch Shell and General Electric to Marriott International, for example, have consequently established operations and committed venture capital in the region.

According to the World Bank, the improvements made to the GCC business environment have seen the region's countries feature highly in the organization's 'Ease of Doing Business 2010' report. Saudi-Arabia and the UAE ranked 13th and 33rd respectively, out of 183 countries assessed.

GCC FDI outflows Over the last decade, GCC economies, flush with oil proceeds and harboring aspirations to secure noncommodity-based income, have acted as net creditors to the developed world. As the financial crisis took its toll, FDI outflows from the GCC decreased by 35.4% in 2009, from $34.3 billion to $22.1 billion. This compares with a total MENA (excluding GCC) drop of outward FDI of approx 67.9% to $5.6 billion. Indeed, the GCC carries a disproportionate share of total MENA outflows, accounting for 79.7% of the region's outward investment in 2009, up from 66.1% in 2008.

This disparity is, of course, a reflection of the hydrocarbon economies' substantial investment capabilities.

Within the GCC, Saudi Arabia was the only country in 2009 to register positive growth in outward FDI, of 350%. Kuwait, with USD 8.7 billion in FDI outflows was the GCC and MENA region's largest outward investor. As a consequence of the Dubai debt crisis, the UAE lost its position as the region's largest investor. While the GCC countries are not expected to drastically curtail their historical bias of spreading their risk away from their local economies to mature and emerging markets through their sovereign wealth fund vehicles, the global financial crisis and its effects on capital markets in western economies in particular, has remodeled the investment landscape. GCC investors are expected to seek out more balanced portfolios, both in geography and in asset allocation. Moreover, GCC economies harboring extensive infrastructure

plans but negatively impacted by a dearth of liquidity as a result of the financial crisis, such as Dubai, may have to rely further on their own SWFs. Prospects for FDI The NBK report concluded: The GCC as a destination for FDI is not only reflective of the recently adopted 'liberalizing' measures but also of an increasing appreciation of the region's demographic and economic potential.

Backed by the expectation of sustained oil surpluses and considerable domestic economy restructuring, investors and transnational corporations (TNCs) are keen to tap into the region's dynamic. Having weathered the worldwide economic downturn relatively well, GCC countries' ability to attract FDI should improve over the medium term. Much will depend on the revival of demand for overseas investment projects, access to finance, and sustained efforts on the part of FDI recipient countries in the GCC to make good on their determination to diversify, develop and improve their competitiveness. Ambitious infrastructure development plans, coupled with private sector reforms, liberalization measures and regulatory framework enhancements, would thus help pave the way for significant FDI engagement. For Kuwait, having recently lowered the top marginal rate of tax on foreign corporations from 55% to 15%, the hope is that the country's ambitious development and private sector expansion plans present foreign investors with greater opportunities in the near future to achieve attractive rates of return?

Middle East 'twice as likely' to buy 3D TV as rest of the world

The winner Abdulkareem Wadi Amairi Nassar is receiving the cash gift from Hamad Ashkanani, AUB Aria Manager.

AUB's Al-Hassad Islamic Account from Al-Motahid KUWAIT: AUB has announced the results of the weekly draw of its Al-Hassad Islamic savings scheme. The lucky customer Parwana Ayoob Ali A Redha winning the Grand Weekly prize worth KD 20,000 at the draw held on August 25, 2010 .

The following Al-Hassad Islamic customers won cash prizes of KD 1000 each: Latifa Marzouq Turki Al Azmi; Maha Abdulla Jassem Ziyad; Hanadi Ahmad A.Ghani; Abdulkareem Wadi Amairi Nassar; Khulood Saleh Ali Saleh Al Khena.

The biggest-ever Al-Hassad Islamic savings scheme features 6000 prizes worth KD 10 million in total. The scheme's structure gives eligible customers the opportunity to win KD 1 million in two quarterly prize draws, offering a single 'Grand Salary for Life' prize of KD 4000 a month for the next 250 months.

Other 'Salary for Life' prizes include quarterly KD 500,000 prizes (KD 2,000 paid out every month) and KD 250,000 prizes (KD 1,000 paid out every month). With a total of three winners announced each quarter, all prizes convert to a stable source of monthly income for the winner over the next 250 months.

Apart from the quarterly prizes, one Grand Weekly prize of KD 20,000 and five weekly cash prizes of KD 1,000 each are given away every week. Customers with KD 1000 and above invested in the AlHassad Islamic scheme are eligible to win KD 500,000 in each of the four loyalty draws held over the scheme period.

The concept behind the savings scheme is giving customers the opportunity to win a "salary for life". AUB's objective has been to create a lifetime change for the winners and allow them to invest their winnings in things that will make a lasting difference to the well being of their families. For more information on the Al-Hassad Islamic investment savings account, its prize structure and eligibility criteria, customers may visit any AUB Kuwait branch or call Hayakom 181 2000.

KUWAIT: According to a recent Nielsen report, the Middle East has more than double the interest and double the ownership of 3D TVs than anywhere else in the world. In a specially designed index, Saudi Arabia recorded a higher score than any other country, with the UAE coming in at tenth place out of 52 nations.

The results were divided into markets made up of: Middle East, Africa, and Pakistan; Latin America; Asia Pacific; North America; and Europe. The online 'How We Watch' survey took into account the responses from 27,665 participants aged 15 years and upwards. The highest 3D ownership or definite interest in ownership was among 25-29 year olds.

With 3D movies at the cinema already gaining widespread popularity in Middle East entertainment, 3D TV is poised to lead the future of broadcast, too. At this year's Gitex Technology Week, many of the most advanced 3D international brands will be tapping into a market that is almost three times more interested in owning a 3D TV than their counterparts in the United States and Europe.

Celebrating its 30th anniversary this year, Gitex Technology Week will be running from 17 - 21 October 2010 at the Dubai International Convention and Exhibition Centre (DICEC), UAE. It is one of the driving forces behind encouraging technological advancements and innovation.

Trixee Loh, SVP, Dubai World Trade Centre, organizer of the event, described the figures as another indication of how tech-savvy and techhungry the market is. "Once again we see that

the Middle East has enormous investment potential for the consumer and entertainment market. Young Arab professionals in particular are extremely keen to be a part of the latest technology, the most sophisticated equipment and at the forefront of the technology adoption landscape.

"GITEX provides an opportunity for an amazing sensory experience with some of the industry's very latest offerings. Global experts come to share first hand insights into the revolutionary world of 3D," she added.

According to iSuppli, a leading technology market research company, global 3D TV shipments are expected to reach 4.2 million units by the end of this year. They will then triple to 12.9 million units in 2011 and then more than double to 27.4 million units in 2012. In 2015, 3D TV shipments will reach 78.1 million units, rising at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 80.2% from 2010. The starting price for a new 3D TV in the Middle East is currently around $2,500.

Seiji Koyanagi, Managing Director, Panasonic Marketing Middle East, added: "3D brings about a paradigm shift in home as well as industry solutions and Panasonic is leading the way. As part of our continuing pursuit of pathbreaking technology, providing high-quality and high-definition images, Panasonic has been at the forefront of transforming the world of 3D. GITEX TECHNOLOGY WEEK gives us a platform to showcase a series of ground-breaking 3D solutions to a wide audience around the region."

LG brings tomorrow's technology to life at IFA KUWAIT: LG Electronics (LG) will unveil its latest Business Solution technology, including a range of solutions specialized for hotels, schools and offices, along with exceptional high-definition LED monitors and 3D gaming monitors in Full HD, at IFA 2010 in Berlin.

Visitors will have the chance to experience LG's stunning Super+ Resolution, a high-definition technology that provides a strikingly realistic picture in HD while also upscaling SD content to HD. In addition, LG will show off its 3D gaming monitor, W63D, which delivers more realistic 3D images in full resolution.

"We're really excited to be highlighting our solutions at IFA again this year," said H S Paik, President of LG Gulf FZE. "Attendees will be surprised by how far LG has come in this business and our ability to deliver creative, affordable solutions to some of today's most challenging problems." LG is introducing a wide selection of solutions throughout its booth, where visitors can see

just how LG's high-tech packages would work in real life. Ideal for shops and billboards, SuperSign digital signage solution offers high-performance advertising through multiple frames on a single display. LG Network Monitor E Series, a state-ofthe-art multi-computing solution, enables up to 31 users to simultaneously share a single host PC, making it perfect for schools or offices. A high definition Video Conference System and a Hotel TV system offering interactive hotel TV services will also be on display at the Business Solutions booth.

Established last year to make aggressive inroads into the business market with solutions based on LG's proven consumer devices, LG Business Solutions Company plans to use its display at IFA to spotlight how LG's technologies can have positive effects on individual lives. By consistently increasing investment in R&D and recruiting the best talent from around the world, LG Business Solutions Company aims to double its revenue by 2014.

24

BUSINESS

Sunday, September 5, 2010

KSE indices record marginal gains BAYAN WEEKLY MARKET REPORT KUWAIT: Kuwait Stock Exchange (KSE) ended the week in the green zone. Both of the market main indices recorded gains despite the retreatment of KSE trading activities indicators. The market price index ended last week with an increase amounted to 0.87%, while the weighted index raised by 1.73% compared to the closings of the week before. In addition, last week's average daily turnover decreased by 15.69%, compared to previous week, reaching KD 29.16 million, whereas trading volume average was 138.71 million shares, recording retreat of 18.06%. The daily performance of KSE indices was marked with limited changes. The last minutes deals had a significant role in directing the indices daily closing. In addition, Banks sector kept

its role as the main player during last week in the shadow of the government decision to finance the development plan through the banking system. Nevertheless, other leading stocks played significant role during last week, some of them seized notable amount of daily turnover in some days.

Moreover, low price stocks had its share to form traders' attention.

Furthermore, speculations were the main market criteria during last week, along with profit taking. The result was a hesitant daily performance for both market main indices, where some days the market indices had a variance in the daily closing.

Nevertheless, both of them managed to end the week in the green zone ended the week in the red zone.

By the end of the week, the price index closed at 6,703.2 points, up by 0.87% from the week before closing, whereas the weighted index registered a 1.73% weekly gain after closing at 441.21 points.

Sectors' Indices All of KSE's sectors ended last week in the green zone except for one sector. Last week's highest gainer was the Insurance sector, achieving 5.56% growth rate as its index closed at 2,490.9 points. Whereas, in the second place, the Non Kuwaiti companies sector's index closed at 6,951.5 points recording 1.35% increase. The Banks companies sector came in third as its index achieved 1.28% growth, ending the week at 10,368.3 points. The Real Estate sector was

the least growing as its index closed at 2,306.5 points with a 0.10% increase. On the other hand, the Food sector was last week's only loser as its index declined by 0.40% to end the week's activity at 4,690.2 points.

Sectors' Activity The Real Estate sector dominated total trade volume during last week with 185.18 million shares changing hands, representing 26.70% of the total market trading volume. The Investment sector was second in terms of trading volume as the sector's traded shares were 20.69% of last week's total trading volume, with a total of 143.50 million shares. On the other hand, the Banks sector's stocks where the highest

traded in terms of value; with a turnover of KD 51.99 million or 35.65% of last week's total market trading value. The Services sector took the second place as the sector's last week turnover of KD 42.84 million represented 29.38% of the total market trading value.

Market Capitalization KSE total market capitalization grew by 1.64% during last week to reach KD 32.46 billion, as all of KSE's sectors recorded an increase in their respective market capitalization except for one sector. The Insurance sector headed the growing sectors as its total market capitalization reached KD 296.51 million, increasing by 5.87%. The Services sector was the second in terms of

recorded growth with 3.19% increase after the total value of its listed companies reached KD 8.55 billion. The third place was for the Banks sector, which total market capitalization reached KD 12.65 billion by the end of the week, recording an increase of 1.44%. The Industry sector was the least growing with 0.59% recorded growth after its market capitalization amounted to KD 2.74 billion. On the other hand, the Non Kuwaiti companies sector was last week's only decliner as its total market capitalization decreased by 0.15% to reach, by the end of the week, KD 3.03 billion. For further details, please visit our web site: www.bayaninvest.com — Prepared by the Studies & Research Department Bayan Investment Co

BUSINESS

Sunday, September 5, 2010

25

Kuwait's development plan lacks clarity ALSHALL WEEKLY ECONOMIC REPORT KUWAIT: When debate about a common but important issue is raised, all involved parties should understand the size of the debated issue. We confirm that no one until this moment knows neither the size of the development plan's projects issue or its nature both in terms of the activity that needs financing and its time duration. Therefore, there might be a financing problem that seeks a solution.

Or, there could be no problem and, as such, all exerted efforts are wasting time that sheds doubt over the feasibility and the quality of the development plan. When professional governments present a certain matter, like the US stimulus programs after the financial crisis, or containment programs to the consequences of the British stimulating policies last June, we find that their components are stated until the last digit together with the justifications.

Our government discovered only lately that it has a financing crisis after embarking on implementing the development plan. The good thing is that creating the financing problem was perhaps to market the idea of the KD 10 billion fund, which is borrowed from the seventies and eighties experiences of the last century in Kuwait when the "Jumbo Bank" project and the strategic financial reserve project in the oil sector in 1986 were submitted, both of which were not for a noble cause.

The fate of the new fund project is rejection by all related parties, including the government majority. It was suspicious and we hope it ended for good. That would mean that the financing constraint is not real but for the purpose of getting the KD 10 billion award. To justify this conclusion, we divide the plan's projects into two main groups. The first is the oil sector projects which are commercial with clear economies; their funding is available and guaranteed by government contracts. The second is development projects.

The latter, ie the development projects from outside the oil sector, is divided into two main divisions. They are directly handled by the private sector and are also commercial and their funding comes from commercial financing sources in addition to their savings. The second is the general projects which are divided into two main divisions. The first is the infrastructure projects, which are commercial and so are their financing sources. They are government contracts funded by the general budget and bank loans. Examples include bridges, airports, ports, and power generation plants. The second is projects with social dimension.

Therefore, when we talk about extraordinary financing, we find it is confined to this section. Its biggest example is the housing projects with one vivid example being the building of low cost homes with a fixed rental of KD 50 per month per unit and the

other residential cities. Despite our objection to the horizontal housing expansion and the building of remote cities just for housing purpose-contrary to the global norm where cities are built and expanded around an economic activity and not the opposite, we oppose founding any subsidized company. The origin in the development project is the ability to sustain all its activities and components; founding any subsidized company is in conflict with this principle because on the one hand it is non-economic and cannot continue and it is like the bad currency which will oust the good one on the other. Subsidized companies will inevitably expel good companies in our case. Therefore, if we have to establish housing companies, they should be founded based on an economic feasibility under competitive market's conditions so as not to achieve all adverse cautions for the development track like more dependence on public finance which will be gradually transformed to a public company conveying all diseases of

incompetent leaderships and overemployment. If the government adopts the correct and sound method of founding feasible companies, there will be no need to all forms of support.

The problem is confined to terms and risks linked to them, which could be solved by paper guarantees or deposits in commercial price, but with long term and conditioned by the banks' exercise of their natural lending role and the increase of the national labor force in them.

We still strongly believe that the problem is not in the financing volume and that the domestic banking sector is capable of meeting its requirements. That conforms to the goal of transforming to a financial center. The problem however remains in the government's inability to offer its visions thus pushing all parties to speculations. What has been achieved so far from the rejection of the idea of founding a government financing fund is a good matter.

Oil and Public Finance By the end of August 2010, the

fifth month of the current fiscal year 2010/2011 has ended and oil prices are still consolidated. Average Kuwaiti oil price for August scored about $72.5 per barrel, higher by $ 1.7 per barrel than July's average, which was $70.8 per barrel. As such, the average price for the Kuwaiti oil during the first five months of the current fiscal year scored $74.6 per barrel.

This represents an increase by $ 31.6 per barrel (73.5%) over the hypothetical price estimated for the current budget at $43 per barrel. It is also $12.5 per barrel higher (20.1%) than the average price of the Kuwaiti oil for the first five months of the last fiscal year which scored $62.1 per barrel. The average price in August 2009 scored $71.4 per barrel which is also higher by $5.9 per barrel (8.6%) than the average price for the Kuwaiti oil in the past fiscal year 2009/2010 in the amount of $68.7 per barrel. As a reminder, average price for July 2008 recorded the highest record price for the Kuwaiti oil at $130.2 per barrel.

Kuwait is supposed to have achieved oil revenues in the last five months in the amount of about KD 7 billion.

Assuming production and prices would continue unchanged on price side at least, which is unrealistic probable oil revenues are projected at KD 16.8 billion for the entire current fiscal year, which is KD 8.2 billion higher than the estimated oil revenues in the budget.

Adding KD 1.1 billion from non-oil revenues, total budget revenues for the current fiscal year would score KD 17.9 billion. Comparing the figure with expenditures allocations after adjustment in the amount of KD 16.310 billion, the resultant will be a hypothetical surplus by KD 1.6 billion for the entire fiscal year 2010/2011.

However, what we can confirm is the continued surplus, which is a mathematical assumption; price level during the remaining part of the year will be the determining factor.

Burgan Bank Financial Results The Burgan Bank announced its semi-annual financial results for the period ending June 30, 2010 which indicate that the bank achieved losses

by KD 2.3 million, after deducting taxes on subsidiaries abroad, a drop

by KD 23.2 million or 110.8% vis-avis KD 20.8 million profits for the same period in 2009. That decline is due to the bank's provisions for the drop in the value of loans and advances by KD 51.1 million (KD 27.8 million for the same period 2009). Net profit margin turned to minus 1.9% compared with positive 15.2% for the same period of last year. It is worth mentioning that total operational revenues of the bank dropped to about KD 117.4 million (KD 137.2 million for the same period 2009), which is a decline by more than KD 19.7 million (14.4%).

Most of this resulted from the drop in interest revenues of KD 22.5 million or about 21% to reach KD 84.9 million in June 2010. Other revenues dropped by KD 5.4 million (72.4%) to KD 2.05 million vis-avis KD 7.45 million. Investment net revenues item rose by KD 7.2 million (242.4%) to about KD 10.2 million vis-‥-vis KD 2.9 million for the same period in

2009. Net interest revenues rose by 3% (KD 1.4 million) to KD 50.05 million up from KD 48.6 million for the same period 2009. That was realized due to the drop in interest charges by more than 40.8%. Net interest margin (the difference between received and paid interest) scored about 2.61% in the end of June 2010 (2.29% in the same period 2009). Financial statements show that gross bank's assets dropped by KD 45.2 million (1.1%) to KD 4056.5 million (KD 4101.8 million in the end of 2009). This decline would be bigger if we compared total assets with their counterpart value for the first half of 2009; it will be about KD 84.6 million (2% when the total assets scored about KD 4141.1 million on June 30, 2009. As for the government assets (Treasury Bills and Bonds), they went up to KD 457.01 million and represent 11.3% of total assets, scoring a rise by 9.6% (KD 39.9 million) compared with those assets in the end of 2009 (KD 417.04 million or 10.2% of total assets). The government assets

increased by 21.7%, KD 81.5 million, if compared with their volume in June 2009 in the amount of KD 375.5 million (9.1% of total assets).

The bank management reduced the value of the loans and advances portfolio by 3.5% to KD 2168.8 million, or about 53.5% of total assets (KD 2246.9 million in the end of 2009, or 54.8% of total assets). If we compare the value of this portfolio with its counterpart value in the same period of last year, we notice it achieved more decline by 6.5% and scored KD 2318.6 million (56% of total assets).

Results of our financial statements analysis indicate that all the bank's profit indexes registered a noticeable drop. Return on equities Index (ROE) dropped from 10.7% in the end of June 2009 to negative 0.94%. Return on assets average (ROA) index dropped as well and registered minus 0.11% (plus 1.04% in the end of the first half of 2009); so did the return on capital index (ROC) which scored minus 3.2% (40.1% for the same period last year). Per share earning index

(EPS) turned into minus 5.7 fils (10.9 fils for the same period 2009). Price multiplier to the book value index (P/B) scored 0.8 time.

Kuwait Stock Exchange KSE performance during August was positive compared with the performance during July due to the rise in the trading value index and the general index value (AlShall index).

Volume of trading and number of deals indexes dropped. This means concentration was restored to heavy stocks. AlShall index closed at 509 points with a rise by 29.2 points (6.1%) compared with the preceding month which closed at 479.8 points.

The index registered the highest reading during the month at 510.4 points on 24/08/2010. It registered its lowest reading at 477.6 points on 08/08/2010. The market's price index went up by 0.5% while the market's weighted index went up by 4% during the month.

Value of traded stocks during 23 work days scored about KD 795.6 million ($2.8 billion), KD 83.2 million higher than July's trading value in the amount of KD 712.4 million, but with a drop by KD 1490.2 million when compared with 08/2009. The highest daily trading value in one day occurred on August 17, 2010 at KD 78.3 million, while the lowest value occurred on August 5, 2010 when they scored KD 15.9 million. The daily average value of traded stocks scored KD 34.6 million, a drop by one million dinars (2.9%) below July's figure which was at KD 35.6 million, and a drop by 66.6% below the daily average for the same month in 2009.

Volume of traded shares dropped by 1616.9 million shares making the monthly trading volume at 4631.7 million shares (6248.7 million shares in July). The daily traded shares average dropped by 111.1 million shares (35.5%) to 201.4 million shares (312.4 million shares during July), a drop by 44.7% below 08/2009 daily average.

Total concluded deals dropped to 73.4 thousand deals, 3192 deals per day, a drop by 22.7% vis-‥-vis July's average (4745 deals). Total market value for all listed companies went up due to the rise in prices of most big or heavy companies. Market value of 212 listed companies scored about KD 33.324 billion, a rise by KD 1202.8 million (3.7%) compared with KD 32.121 billion on 31/07/2010.

Weekly Performance The performance of the Kuwait Stock Exchange (KSE) for the last week was mixed compared with the previous one where the indices of the traded shares value, traded shares volume and the number of transactions showed a decrease, while the general index showing an increase.

AlShall Index (value weighted) closed at 518.9 points at the closing of last Thursday, showing an increase of 12.7 points or about 2.5% compared to previous week's closing, and increased by 79.3 points or about 18% compared to the year end 2009.

26

BUSINESS

Sunday, September 5, 2010

For US stocks, September starts on upbeat note WALL STREET WEEKLY OUTLOOK NEW YORK: US stocks could start this week with investors feeling a bit more optimistic about the economy, thanks to a stronger-than-expected jobs report, making further market gains more likely.

The government's nonfarm payrolls report on Friday was the latest of the week's data to suggest the economy may not be headed for another severe downturn, as many investors have feared.

All three major US stock indexes rallied more than 1 percent on Friday. The Standard & Poor's 500 Index scored a gain of 3.8 percent for the week, marking its best week in eight, and starting Septembertypically the weakest month for the marketon a strong note. In contrast, for the month of August, the S&P 500 fell 4.7 percent.

"The data forces a re-evaluation of the underlying thesis of the economy, and how the stock market is priced," said Charles Lieberman, chief investment officer of Advisors Capital Management, LLC in Hasbrouck Heights, New Jersey.

"The employment report is really the keystone. If the economy is producing jobs, the thesis of a decline in the economy goes out the window," he said.

This week, the economic calendar will be light, especially since it will be a holidayshortened week with the US stock market closed for Labor Day tomorrow. But the agenda will include the international trade deficit data, which investors will scrutinize for clues on spending, as well as the latest weekly jobless claims numbers.

High unemployment and weak consumer spending have been among the toughest hurdles to sustaining the econo-

my's recovery from the worst downturn since the 1930s.

Though the stock market ended this week with gains, the S&P 500 was unable to break out of a trading range of between 1,040 and 1,130, and some analysts see that range-bound trend continuing.

"I think we're in rally mode. In no way do I see us going through new highs or breaking through the trading range, but I see strength after the holiday," said Alan Lancz, president of Alan B. Lancz & Associates Inc. in Toledo, Ohio.

"We still see this as a two-steps-forward, one-step-back type market ... but we'll take what we can get." For the week, the Dow Jones industrial average rose 2.9 percent, while the S&P 500 advanced 3.8 percent and the Nasdaq gained 3.7 percent.

That's a promising start, but history shows that this month isn't one that Wall Street's denizens will "Try to Remember," a la the iconic song from "The Fantasticks" of Off-Broadway fame.

September is typically the weakest month for stock market performance, according to the Stock Trader's Almanac.

The S&P 500 has declined 0.7 percent on average during September in the years since 1950, the Almanac says.

However, on the day after Labor Day, the Dow has risen in 12 of the last 15 times, the Almanac notes. Friday's jobs report was the catalyst for a bullish end to the week for stocks because it showed that although overall payrolls shed jobs for the month of August, the decline was much less than expected. And providing a bright spot, private payrolls rose more than expected.

Analysts said the news gave a ray of hope for the recovery. Other data this week showed an unexpected rise in the Institute for Supply Management index on US manufacturing, stronger-than-expected pending homes sales in July, and a second consecutive week of lower claims for initial jobless benefits.

The data means "we are probably not looking at a double dip," said Marc Pado, US market strategist at Cantor Fitzgerald & Co. in San Francisco. Next week's data includes reports on international trade on Thursday and wholesale inventories on Friday.

A surge in imports dampened growth in the second quarter. US government data next week is expected to show the international trade deficit narrowed somewhat to $47.2 billion in July, according to economists polled by Reuters, after rising to $49.9 billion in June, the highest since October 2008.

Analysts believe sluggish domestic demand should cause a moderation in the growth of imports in coming months, while they expect US exports to strengthen. As a result, the trade gap should be less of a drag on the economy.

Initial jobless claims, also expected on Thursday, are seen dipping to a seasonally adjusted 470,000 for the week from 472,000 previously. Wholesale inventories for July, due on Friday, are forecast to rise 0.4 percent, the Reuters poll showed, following June's gain of just 0.1 percent. That report also will shed light on wholesale sales, seen up 0.3 percent in July, following June's decline of 0.7 percent. — Reuters

Private payrolls rise 67,000, above forecasts

US payrolls data offer ray of recovery hope WASHINGTON: US employment fell for a third straight month in August, but the drop was far less than expected and private hiring was a positive surprise, relieving concerns about a stalling economic recovery. Nonfarm payrolls fell 54,000 as jobs were lost in the government sector, and the unemployment rate edged back up to 9.6 percent, but the private sector, considered a better The data did little to take the political pressure off President Barack Obama over the state of the economy though, or improve the Democratic Party's chances in November's midterm congressional elections.

Obama said his administration would announce new measures next week to help the economy.

"The figures take some of the pressure off the Fed to do something quickly to shore up the recovery, but they won't help the administration as the midterm elections approach," Gault added.

While the jobs data tamped down concerns the recovery could stall, a second report on Friday showed growth in the dominant services sector hit a seven-month low in August, underlining the sluggish nature of the economic recovery.

US stocks rallied, with the broad Standard & Poor's 500 index enjoying its best week in eight and the blue chip Dow Jones industrial average moved back into positive territory for the year.

Prices for safe-haven US government debt fell for a third straight day as traders saw the odds of a "double dip" recession lessening. The US dollar ended lower against major currencies.

The loss of 54,000 jobs in August was driven by the government letting go 114,000 temporary workers hired to conduct the decennial census earlier this year, but the Labor Department revised payrolls data for June and July to show 123,000 fewer jobs lost than previously reported. While the unemployment

gauge of labor market health, added 67,000 jobs, according to US Labor Department on Friday. Economists had forecast a loss of about 100,000 jobs, along with a rise of about 41,000 in private sector payrolls. "The recovery may be wobbly but it is still staggering forward," said Nigel Gault, chief US economist at IHS Global Insight in Lexington, Massachusetts.

SPRINGFIELD: Gloria Newton Davlantis of the Brookens Library (right) speaks with students seeking employment during a University of Illinois Job Fair in Springfield, Illinois on Friday on the Labor Department issues and the August unemployment report.—AP rate edged up to 9.6 percent from 9.5 percent, in line with expectations, it may have been because discouraged workers came back into the labor force to hunt for jobs and so were reclassified as unemployed.

The loss of census jobs and layoffs at cash-strapped state governments, pushed down federal government payrolls by 121,000 compared to a 161,000 fall in July.

The data also suggested corporate America may be beginning to take on workers again after an initial burst of hiring and production last year to restock

shelves left bare during the deepest recession in generations.

The services sector added 67,000 jobs after July's 70,000 rise. Temporary help services, seen as a harbinger of future permanent hiring, rebounded 16,800 after falling in July for the first time since September.

Employment in the goodsproducing sector was unchanged last month as a drop in manufacturing offset an increase in construction payrolls, which were boosted by the return of 10,000 striking workers. Manufacturing jobs fell

27,000 after gaining 34,000 in July. While the average workweek was unchanged at 34.2 hours, hourly earnings rose by 6 cents, which analysts said bodes well for consumer spending.

There was also a glimmer of hope for the long-term unemployed. The number of people out of work for 27 weeks and more fell by 323,000 last month to 6.2 million.

Concerns about a possible "double-dip" recession had already diminished somewhat this week after data showed strength in the US manufacturing sector and an increase in

consumer spending, but the sluggish pace of growth has kept investors on edge.

The scarcity of jobs has hurt consumer spending, which normally accounts for about twothirds of US economic activity, and left recovery from the worst recession in 70 years sputtering. Economic growth slowed markedly in the second quarter this year and Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke said last week the central bank stood ready to take fresh steps to bolster the economy if needed.

Some analysts had expected the Fed to announce an expansion of its bond buying program at its upcoming meeting on Sept. 21, but said they saw no urgency now.

President Obama welcomed Friday's labor market report as "positive news", but said more needed to be done to help the economy and he promised an outline of new measures next week.

"The economy is moving in a positive direction, jobs are being created-they're just not being created as fast as they need to given the big hole that we experienced," he said.

Obama's plans could include extending middle class tax cuts, delivering more tax cuts to businesses to encourage hiring, investing in clean energy, and spending more on infrastructure. But the White House cautioned that the measures should not be seen as a second stimulus package. Lawmakers are in no mood to approve a big new spending plan that would add to the fiscal deficit. — Reuters

Strong tailwind from recent rallies to propel Wall Street NEW YORK: Wall Street heads into next week with strong tailwind from recent days' rally and brighter outlook as traders keenly await President Barack Obama to unveil new plans for boosting the shaky US economy. Last week's slew of economic data, led by a better-than-expected employment report and strong manufacturing numbers, increased optimism that the US economy was on a recovery track, albeit at a slower pace than hoped for.

Traders breathed a sigh of relief on Friday after highly-anticipated Labor Department figures said the US economy lost 54,000 jobs last month, much less than most analysts' expectations.

While unemployment rate rose to 9.6 percent, the private sector created 67,000 new jobs, which together with

Wednesday's manufacturing data bolstered a modestly optimistic economic outlook.

"For weeks we had only seen bad news and began developing extremely bleak scenarios of deflation and a second-dip recession, so this was a week of relief," Evariste Lefeuvre, an analyst at Natixis North America, said.

With traders returning from Labor Day holiday on Tuesday to a four-day trade week, markets were likely to be choppy as investors continue to take in the passing week's data.

Next week was set to see the release of weekly jobs claims and the trade deficit report, which will offer further indications on the health of the economy.

"The market may recalibrate and recoil at the beginning of next week... trade vol-

umes will go up as people come back from Labor Day," said Jason Schenker, president of Prestige Economic.

But most of the attention will turn to President Obama, whose week will be focused on the economy as he travels to the hard-hit Midwest and gives a major White House press conference on Friday. "We are entering a period where we will have to closely follow politics," said Lefeuvre.

On Friday, Obama said that the new jobs data "reflects the steps we have already taken to break the back of this recession... But it is not nearly good enough." The still-high headline unemployment rate and slow hiring presented a major hurdle for the White House as it struggles to prop up the jobs market, one of Obama's biggest concerns ahead of the

November elections.

"The question is what Obama is going to do in the form of tax cuts and spending increases so obviously that will be of great interest," said independent analyst Hugh Johnson.

"The economy based on employment numbers is just limping along and needs help or resuscitation." Obama's economic team is considering a raft of new measures to inject impetus into the economy, which one report said could include tax breaks for businesses that could potentially reach hundreds of billions of dollars. The White House however ruled out an "extraordinary" economic stimulus plan to fire up the recovery-along the lines of the Recovery Act passed last year which a recent estimate put at 814 billion dollars. — AFP

SPRINGFIELD: Rep Gerry Connolly, Democrats, conducts a town hall event in Springfield, Virginia. Chances are fading that Congress will allow taxes to rise, even for the nation's top earners. — AP

Democrats suffer from economy as poll looms WASHINGTON: Democrats who were banking on an economic recovery for salvation in congressional election this November have run out of time. With just two months to go before the vote, already high unemployment has inched up and economic output is sputtering.

With the federal economic stimulus running down and opposition Republicans in no mood to help with addition programs, there's virtually nothing Democrats can do to change the gloomy economic reality before Nov 2.

President Barack Obama -- who is not on the ballot for two more years -- and his party had hoped for a big economic turnaround by the homestretch of the first national election since the president swept into the White House two years ago.

The Labor Department reported on Friday, however, that the nation's unemployment rate rose to 9.6 percent in August -- climbing, however slightly, for the first time in four months. The economy shed 54,000 jobs and more than a half-million Americans who had temporarily stopped looking for work resumed their search for employment. "We're moving in the right direction. We just have to speed it up," Obama insisted, choosing to focus on the 67,000 jobs that private business added last month. He struck both realistic and optimistic tones, saying: "There's no quick fix" and, yet, "There are better days ahead." For the country, maybe so. For Democrats, probably not. With this weekend's Labor Day holiday marking the start of the fall campaign season, "Recovery Summer," as the White House had dubbed it earlier this year, never materialized. Democrats who have controlled Congress since 2006 -- and during the near-economic meltdown of late 2008 -- are bracing for heavy blame from frustrated voters. Obama, too. He inherited an economy in tatters from President George W Bush,

but making things better is now his problem. Efforts so far have included the much-debated $787 billion stimulus plan. While Republicans bludgeon Democrats' with the economic realities, they ignore a report by the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office that shows the stimulus plan increased the number of employed people by between 1.4 million and 3.3 million. The Republicans haven't yet offered a jobs plan of their own.

While Obama is not on the ballot, he has a lot on the line. Using the Democrats' economic record against them, Republicans are pushing to gain control of the House and, perhaps, the Senate as well as a number of governorships. The outcome will shape the remainder of Obama's term and his likely re-election bid in 2012.

Mindful of all that, Obama on Friday acknowledged that his administration must do more to create jobs and accelerate growth. He urged Congress to take up a small-business jobs bill and castigated Senate Republicans for blocking it. He plans to discuss a jobs package next week and travel to Wisconsin and Ohio to promote his administration's economic work.

There are signs, to be sure, that the economy is recovering; credit has loosened up, and industrial production has increased. Recent reports on housing, manufacturing and private sector hiring indicate slow growth. But it's hard to feel like the economy is improving if you're out of a job.

A Commerce Department report last week put a damper on hopes for any growth spurt in the near term.

It showed the gross domestic product -- the broadest measure of economic output -- grew at an annual rate of just 1.6 percent in the spring, more sluggishly than at the start of the year. Republicans used the latest economic news to pummel Democrats anew. — AP

British car insurance premiums jump 31% LONDON: The cost of car insurance in Britain has risen by almost a third in the past year, its biggest ever increase, as insurers seek to offset a sharp rise in claims expenses driven in part by fraud, AA Insurance said. Fully comprehensive cover currently costs an average of 704 pounds ($1,089), an "unprecedented" increase of 31 percent compared with a year ago, the company said yesterday. "The AA has been tracking the quarterly movement of car insurance premiums across the country for 16 years and premiums are now rising at their fastest ever rate," said AA Insurance director Simon Douglas.

British motor insurers have been hiking their prices for the last 18 months in an effort to keep

pace with soaring payouts to customers. The industry blames the increase on the growing influence of claims management companies who seek to maximize compensation payments to accident victims in return for a fee.

Part-nationalized lender Royal Bank of Scotland, Britain's biggest motor insurer, last month revealed that soaring bodily injury claims pushed its insurance unit to an operating loss of 253 million pounds in the first half, compared with a profit of 223 million pounds a year earlier.

AA Insurance, part of roadside recovery group AA, said rising payouts are also fuelled by fraud, including claims for non-existent injuries and pre-existing damage to vehicles. — Reuters

TECHNOLOGY

Sunday, September 5, 2010

27

Rice advice: Philippine farmers get tech-savvy LOS BANOS: The mobile phone may soon replace the centuries-old straw hat as the Filipino rice farmer's must-have accessory.

Already responsible for helping to topple a government in the Southeast Asian archipelago, mobile phone text messaging could now help launch a neat little agricultural revolution.

"Precision agriculture could become available to small-scale farmers at their fingertips within a few minutes," says Roland Buresh of the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI).

The institute develops new rice varieties

and crop management techniques aimed at reducing poverty and ensuring that rice production is sustainable, has minimal environmental impact and can cope with climate change.

The non-profit organisation, which has its headquarters at Los Banos near the Philippines capital Manila, now hopes to harness the country's mobile-phone mania to bring cutting edge techniques to an ancient system.

The Philippines has been called the texting capital of the world, with some 70 million mobile phone users sending up to 300

million messages a day.

In 2001, texting was credited with helping topple then-president Joseph Estrada when it was used to bring tens of thousands of demonstrators onto the streets in protest over corruption.

From this month, IRRI scientists led by Buresh plan to use text messaging to send precise management advice and fertilizer recommendations to local farmers by Interactive Voice Response (IVR).

All the farmer has to do is dial a number on his mobile phone, toll free. An automated voice message will then ask him a series of

questions to which he should respond by pressing a number on the phone keypad.

Once he has answered all the questions he will receive a text message with recommendations on the amounts, sources and timings of fertilizer applications for his specific rice paddy.

The automated voice recording is available in English and Filipino and asks questions about the season, size of field, harvesting times and water supply.

Project scientist Rowena Castillo says small-scale Philippines rice farmers have relied mainly on a trial-and-error approach

to crop management.

"In the past they've asked technicians (for advice) and (learnt from) their own experience," Castillo told AFP in an interview.

But rice farmers are seldom visited by agricultural technicians, Castillo said, while information via text message can reach even the most remote farmers immediately and directly.

Although Castillo thinks many young Filipino farmers are already relatively techsavvy, she admits that the older generation may struggle a bit with the IVR technology.

"Sometimes farmers are hesitant to use (the programme), especially old farmers because they are not used to cellphones, but their sons and daughters could help them."

However, during initial trials of the programme, most feedback from the farmers had been positive, Castillo said.

"Most of them are very enthusiastic because they said that instead of asking the technicians they would use their phones."

Rice is the staple food of the Philippines but the country is not self-sufficient and last year it was the world's largest importer of the grain. — AFP

Apple's jump into social networking not a slam-dunk DENVER: For all the innovations Apple has brought to the market through the years, it's also a pretty good follower.

The iPod is a perfect reflection of this. It wasn't the first MP3 player to hit retail shelves. It was just the best, and it blew away the other devices to the point of obscurity. Now, Apple arrives late to the social networking party with Ping, the new music-focused social network for iTunes it announced Sept. 1.

Major-label executives declined to comment on Ping, but they're no doubt watching it closely, given how important social networking has become as a tool of music discovery and to drive sales.

Ping comes on the heels of other similar attempts to blend music appreciation with social networking, like Microsoft's Zune, iLike, MySpace Music, MOG and Rdio. But will Apple do to them what it did to rival makers of MP3 players?

That's unlikely. In contrast to the emerging digital media player market that the iPod was quick to dominate, social networking already features entrenched giants, including Facebook, Twitter and a down-but-not-out MySpace. And talking about which recording artists users are listening to or planning to see in concert is already a focal point of interaction on those sites.

Ping's initial impact will hinge on Apple's ability to convert the 160 million iTunes account holders into registered Ping users. All current account holders can create a Ping profile using the same user name and login as on their iTunes account.

But that doesn't mean they will. There are plenty of social networks already with as many if not more users than iTunes. Facebook has about 500 million users worldwide. MySpace has 122 million. Twitter has more than 100 million.

MySpace has the most to be concerned about, having risen to prominence largely on the strength of musicians using it to communicate with fans. It already has taken a hit on the social networking front from the rise of Facebook. With iTunes attacking its music flank with Ping, MySpace will face even greater challenges.

But it still has some points in its favor. Artists of all stripes still maintain MySpace profiles. And MySpace Music, its joint venture with the major labels and Sony/ATV Music Publishing, offers artists far more promotional and media assets than Ping does. MySpace also has a leg up on con-

cert ticketing. Ping has 17,000 concert listings provided by Live Nation, but MySpace's Ticketing & Events service-introduced in April-includes not only Live Nation but also several alternative ticketing vendors to provide a broader depth of concerts by the kinds of emerging acts that have defined MySpace's history.

Meanwhile, Facebook appears to have the least to worry about, having become to social networking what Apple is to digital music. Facebook hasn't yet formulated a music strategy of its own, so Apple's move into this space doesn't really hurt it.

In fact, should Apple ever integrate with Facebook Connect so that the activity on Ping can be shared across Facebook, Apple's move could help it by providing a turnkey music solution.

It's not yet clear what effect Ping will have on the new music services that have launched with a social strategy, such as Rdio, MOG and Spotify.

Their advantage is a concentration on full-track, cloud-based streaming, something Apple has yet to offer despite its December acquisition of streaming music service Lala.com. Apple soon hopes to offer 90-second song samples. "(It) completely validates Rdio's social approach to discovering music through people," Rdio COO Carter Adamson says. "But in our view, sharing a short clip doesn't amount to sharing music."

Another thing to consider is what the new social network will mean for iTunes, the No. 1 music retailer in the United States. For one thing, it strengthens iTunes' music discovery functions, historically its weakest link. Instead of displaying the 10 top-selling tracks, albums and videos, as iTunes has long done on its home page, Ping will provide a customized list of recommendations based on the purchasing histories of users and their friends. That could help boost music sales at iTunes.

"There have been 10 billion songs downloaded from iTunes and 275 million devices sold," a senior executive at a rival social network says. "So that means they've gotten 36 purchased songs from each device. That's not a lot."

Additionally, Ping helps prevent users from ditching iTunes for one of its more socially focused startup rivals as it works on its cloud strategy. But until Apple adds such a service, or another way to stream full songs in iTunes without having to buy them, Ping will likely be limited to the iTunes faithful. — Reuters

CALIFORNIA: This file photo taken April 9, 2010, shows a Google sign at the company's headquarters in Mountain View, Calif. — AP

Is Google manipulating its search results to stifle competition?

Texas opens inquiry into Google search rankings SAN FRANCISCO: Google Inc.'s methods for recommending websites are being reviewed by Texas' attorney general in an investigation spurred by complaints that the company has abused its power as the Internet's dominant search engine.

The antitrust inquiry disclosed by Google late Friday is just the latest sign of the intensifying scrutiny facing the company as it enters its corporate adolescence. Since its inception in a Silicon Valley garage 12 years ago, Google has gone from a quirky startup to one of the world's most influential businesses with annual revenue approaching $30 billion.

A spokesman for Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott confirmed the investigation, but declined further comment. The review appears to be focused on whether Google is manipulating its search results to stifle compe-

tition. The pecking order of those results can make or break websites because Google's search engine processes about two-thirds of the search requests in the US and handles even more volume in some parts of the world. That dominance means a website ranking high on the first page of Google's results will likely attract more traffic and generate more revenue, either from ads or merchandise sales.

On the flip side, being buried in the back pages of the results, or even at the bottom of the first page, can be financially devastating and, in extreme cases, has been blamed for ruining some Internet companies. European regulators already have been investigating complaints alleging that Google has been favoring its own services in its results instead of rival websites.

Several lawsuits filed in the US also

have alleged Google's search formula is biased. Google believes Abbott is the first state attorney general to open an antitrust review into the issue.

"We look forward to answering (Abbott's) questions because we're confident that Google operates in the best interests of our users," Don Harrison, Google's deputy general counsel, wrote in a Friday blog post. Harrison said that Abbott has asked Google for information about several companies, including: Foundem, an online shopping comparison site in Britain; SourceTool, which runs an e-commerce site catering to businesses; and MyTriggers, another shopping comparison site.

All of those companies offer features that Google includes in its search engine or in other parts of its website.

Foundem, SourceTool and MyTriggers have previously filed lawsuits or regula-

tory complaints against Google. "Given that not every website can be at the top of the results, or even appear on the first page of our results, it's unsurprising that some less relevant, lower quality websites will be unhappy with their ranking," Harrison wrote.

Google says its closely guarded search formula strives to recommend websites that are most likely to satisfy the needs of each user's request. If it didn't keep its users happy, Google argues that people would become disgruntled and switch to other search engines offered by Yahoo Inc., Microsoft Corp. and IAC/InterActiveCorp's Ask.com.

Regulators and lawmakers in the US and Europe also have been looking into Google's privacy practices and its acquisitions as the company tries to fortify its power. — AP

3D TV dominates IFA electronics show

BARCELONA: Employees welcome customers during the opening of Spain's first Apple store in Barcelona yesterday.—AFP

German court rules against YouTube over copyright BERLIN: A German court ruled Friday that Google Inc.'s subsidiary YouTube LLC must pay compensation after users uploaded several videos of performances by singer Sarah Brightman in violation of copyright laws. The Hamburg state court said the standardized question to users about whether they have the necessary rights to publish material is not enough to relieve YouTube of the legal responsibility for the content, especially because the platform can be used anonymously. The wording of the court statement appears to be a major blow to YouTube's business model, but Google Germany spokesman Henning Dorstewitz told The Associated Press YouTube will appeal the decision detailed in the 60-page ruling.

YouTube must not publish those videos any more and provide information to settle the amount of compensation in at least three cases in

which Brightman videos were uploaded, the court said.

Arnd Haller, director of legal affairs at Google Germany, said the court ruling disregards the current e-commerce directive of the European Union.

"This decision results in a substantial legal uncertainty for all providers of video platforms, opinion forums, social communities, blogs and many other Internet services in Germany," Haller said in a statement. The plaintiff was not identified and a court spokesman could not be reached for comment. The court statement only said the plaintiff has claimed to be the copyright holder for several of Sarah Brightman's performances.

Google said in a statement that the plaintiff was Frank Peterson. He is a German composer and producer for Brightman and other artists, according to his website. — AP

BERLIN: 3D television has dominated the early agenda at IFA, Europe's largest consumer electronics show, with Panasonic and Sony both announcing flurries of new products and initiatives.

Panasonic showed off what it claimed was the first genuine 3D consumer video camera, the HDC-SDT750. This will allow users to shoot their own footage in 3D. Makoto Nagura, director of Panasonic's video camera business unit, said this would put 3D firmly into the hands of consumers.

"There is still one thing missing [today]...That is to keep your precious moments in 3D," Nagura said.

The SDT750 will go on sale in October. UK pricing was not available but it is expected to be priced at $1,399 (£908) in the US. Most of Panasonic's press conference in Berlin was devoted to 3D - one indication of how keen the electronics industry is to persuade consumers that they should embrace the new technology, and spend considerable sums of money upgrading their home electronics set-up.

Alongside new 3D televisons and Blu-ray players, Panasonic also announced a new service to deliver 3D movies and films directly to users' living rooms.

This could fix one of factors that is holding back 3D - a lack of content. Panasonic said that around

BERLIN: Televisions for children are on display during the 50th edition of the "IFA" electronics trade fair in Berlin, yesterday. IFA, one of the world's biggest consumer electronics and home appliances fairs, opens to the public from September 3 to 8. — AFP 2,000 films would be available to be downloaded over a broadband connection to one of its TVs or Blu-ray players. News, sport and music channels would also be supported.

Hirotoshi Uehara, who runs Panasonic's TV business, told IFA that this 3D IPTV service would help to propel 3D into the mass market.

However, hefty price tags

may continue to hold the technology back. One of the Panasonic TVs unveiled at IFA, the 42in TX-P42GT20, is available for pre-order at £1,499.

Epson also cast a cloud over the 3D euphoria in Berlin when it failed to show off a 3D projector. It took a much more cautious line than Panasonic, saying that the technology was not yet ready for mass adoption.

"When the market is ready, when the content is ready and when the technology is ready we'll be there," Jean-Marie Lacroix, commerical director of Epson Europe, told journalists.

Sony, though, took a very different view as it beat the 3D drum with considerable gusto. It claims to be the only end-to-end 3D provider, as it produces movies shot in 3D, the cameras

that are used to film them, and TVs that people can watch them on.

Unlike Epson, Sony did announce a 3D video projector.

The WV-90 will let consumers project a 3D film onto a wall, which could give a cinema-style experience.

The Japanese giant also had a prototype model of its first 3Dcapable laptop, which chief executive Sir Howard Stringer said would be commercially available next year.

Like Panasonic, Sony is trying to increase the amount of 3D content on the market with a new television service. Stringer, who cited James Cameron's Avatar as a crucial factor in driving 3D forward, cautioned that film-makers should not rely on 3D at the expense of storyline.

"A hit is still a hit, is still a hit, except that in 3D it's a bigger hit." Sony's entire press conference was filmed live in 3D and broadcast on a large screen.

This, however, highlighted one of the other drawbacks to 3D broadcasting - that viewers need to wear special glasses.

Stringer, who described Sony as the "biggest engine" in the 3D train, also argued that the technology could be about more than just films and sport, and demonstrated this with footage of a performance by Chinese pianist Lang Lang.

Lang Lang himself then played live at IFA. — Guardian

HEALTH & SCIENCE

28

Sunday, September 5, 2010

How did they count all the fish in the sea?

LONDON: Earlier last week, the census of marine life was published, concluding that there are more than 230,000 species in our oceans. And for every marine species known to science, at least four have yet to be discovered.

For the layperson, two questions spring to mind. First, how on earth do you count all those fish? Second, how can scientists put a number on what Donald

Rumsfeld would call the “known unknowns”?

Dr Tom Webb, a marine ecologist at the University of Sheffield who worked on the census, says that many different methods are used to count marine species, but that it “often will come down to some poor bloke in a lab counting things” - molluscs in mud samples, plankton in seawater samples. “For species in the North

Sea we will use trawl surveys from the fishing industry,” he says. “With coral reefs in, say, Fiji we will use visual surveys conducted by divers, who simply count what they see in front of them.

Scientists might also conduct their own fishing expeditions to collect invertebrates. And we might even use a sieve to sort through samples of mud from the sea bed. We then extrapo-

late from this tiny portion of the sea what the whole ocean might contain.”

When it comes to estimating how many species are yet to be discovered, Webb says scientists use a technique called “rarefaction”: “Imagine a garden pond. When you first put the net in everything will be new to you, but the second time you do it, you will have already seen some of the species from your

first trawl. Your rate of discovery will keep on declining over time. In the deep oceans, we still have a one-in-three chance of discovering something new, whereas in the North Sea we are close to having a full understanding of all the species it supports.” But perhaps that’s because we’ve battered and served with chips just about everything we’ve ever found in the North Sea? — Guardian

Study finds platelet function is key in lupus disease

A deep-sea jellyfish - just one of 230,000 species in the 2010 census of marine life. — Guardian

Chronic disease where body’s own immune system attacks healthy tissue LONDON: Scientists studying the autoimmmune disease lupus have found that blood platelets are key in its development and say their findings in the lab suggest blood-thinning drugs may offer a new way to treat patients. The researchers found that lupus patients have an excess of

platelets-a type of blood cell that clump together to form clots-and, after tests on mice, suggested that treating them with a drug like SanofiAventis’ and Bristol-Myers Squibb’s Plavix could prevent flare-ups of the disease.

“These observations open a possible therapeutic avenue for human inflammatory autoimmune diseases-the long-term utilisation of antiplatelet therapy,” the scientists wrote in the Science Translational Medicine Journal.

Patrick Blanco of the Centre Hospitalier Universitaire in Bordeaux, France, said his team hopes to start clinical trials soon on human lupus patients, but it could be many years yet before such a treatment is approved.

Lupus is a chronic disease where the body’s own immune system attacks healthy tissue, causing inflammation, pain and damage in organs, particularly the kidneys. Its cause is largely unknown although researchers say there are several genetic, hormonal and environmental factors that can drive it.

According to the Lupus Foundation of America, as many as five million people around the world have a form of lupus, including 1.5 million in the United States.

There is no cure for lupus, although its symptoms can be managed to some extent with a range of different drugs.

Raging infections and kidney failure are the most common WASHINGTON: US Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius (2nd L) speaks as (L-R) causes of death in people with Administrator and Director of the Center for Medicaid Cindy Mann, Education Secretary Arne Duncan, the disease.

Current standard lupus and principal researcher at the Urban Institute Genevieve Kenney listen during a news conference to treatments include steroids announce “a national coalition to enroll uninsured children in health care” yesterday in Washington, and some chemotherapy-like DC. An estimated of five million children in the United States are eligible for Medicaid or the Children’s medications-but almost all of Health Insurance Program (CHIP), but not enrolled. — AFP these options can have toxic side effects.

Being able to treat lupus with a drug like Plavix, known generically as clopidogrel and commonly used to treat heart disease and stroke, could markedly improve quality of life for lupus patients, the French researchers said.

Plavix is the world’s second-biggest drug, with sales “We know now that the planet is chang- Town, where the yacht spent time in dryCAPE TOWN: The French yacht Tara left last year of more than $9.5 bilyesterday on the second leg of a three- ing, and the ocean is changing, and we dock, with early spring making weather lion. It is already off patent in year voyage across the world’s oceans to expect much from the ocean to counterbal- the main challenge and not threats such as parts of Europe and will lose chart the effects of climate change on ance what the humans are doing on the sea pirates which were the main concern US patent protection in 2012. micro-organisms which produce half our planet,” Philippe Koubbi, the chief scien- in the first leg.

For this study, Blanco and The return to ice will be familiar territist on board told AFP. oxygen. colleagues collected blood “We know that some of the tiny plank- tory for the 1989-built vessel-now on its The 36-metre (118-foot) schooner will platelets from patients experidepart from Cape Town a year after leav- ton are threatened...and we know that tiny eighth scientific voyage-which was previencing lupus flare-ups. They ing Lorient in western France to head animals or these tiny plants are very very ously named Antarctica and ended a 507found these platelets had an across the Atlantic and Pacific oceans for important in controlling the balance in the day Arctic trip in 2008. abundance of CD154 — a proNext year Tara will also sail via Chile, New Zealand next August as part of a ocean.” tein normally activated for A bio-bank is being created from the Easter Island, the Galapagos Islands, the 150,000-kilometre (93,750-mile) journey. clotting-and that they trig“Sunday ... will be the birthday of the research, ranging from viruses and bacte- Clipperton Islands, the Marquesas Islands gered production of interferTara Oceans project because it’s the ria to fish larvae, and more than 100 scien- and Papeete. ons, causing inflammation in The first leg crossed the Atlantic, beginning of the second year of the pro- tists are involved in the project. both human and mouse cells.

Plankton ecosystems are little known Mediterranean, Red Sea, Arabian Sea and ject,” said captain Olivier Marien.

Using mice with lupus, The plankton-studying boat will sail to but the microorganisms absorb half of the Indian Ocean. they found that if they wiped The project’s backers include the fashAscension Island, the expedition’s longest world’s carbon production and produce as out platelets by injecting an ion house Agnes B. and global news crossing since leaving France, before it much oxygen as forests. antibody to destroy them, the “This is really what this expedition is agency Agence France-Presse (AFP) is a heads for Brazil, Argentina and further inflammation of the kidneysreally about - is really to look at this plank- media partner. south to Antarctica. an organ often affected by The boat was previously owned by New The crew are collecting samples which tonic life which is really in the open ocean, lupus — was significantly are frozen onboard and sent to laboratories really controlling everything,” said Zealand yachtsman Sir Peter Blake who decreased. was murdered during a scientific expedievery month to map out a baseline for Koubbi.

“Because wiping out A 13-person team will leave Cape tion in the Amazon river in 2001. —AFP future climate studies. platelets is not possible in humans, we decided to test the lupus mice with clopidogrel, which has been used for many years in humans-and found that this also significantly reduced the development of the lupus disease,” Blanco said in a telephone interview.

As well as experiencing less kidney damage, the clopidogrel-treated mice also lived CHICAGO: When it comes to changing health ties there are in a network, the faster a thing will type of network is best. Centola set up two diffor an extra three months. behaviors, it takes more than a far-flung network spread,” Damon Centola of the Massachusetts ferent types of social networks within an online British drugmaker of friends on Facebook egging you on. It takes a Institute of Technology, whose study appears in community of about 1,500 people.

GlaxoSmithKline and US jostling herd, US researchers said. the journal Science, said in a statement. “It’s “I had to create a little social petri dish,” biotech firm Human Genome Social scientists have assumed that changing startling to see that this is not always the case.” Centola said in a telephone interview.

Sciences Inc are seeking behavior would spread like the flu, which transKnowing how best to influence health behavOne group consisted of individuals with farapproval for their keenly awaitmits best via individuals with lots of long-dis- ior is important to health reform as the United flung ties, and the other involved clusters of peoed lupus drug, Benlysta. If tance contacts.

States turns its focus to preventing disease, ple who interacted with each other. “When peoapproved it would be the first But to change behavior, you need to be sur- rather than treating it. ple signed up, I would assign them ‘health budnew drug for the disease in 50 rounded by the message-with neighbors, family Researchers have already shown that net- dies’ in the space of this online social networkyears. Analysts expect it to be a and members in the community all reinforcing works of friends can have a powerful impact on ing site,” Centola said. To form friendship the same idea. “For about 35 years, wisdom in health behavior, influencing smoking, obesity groups, Centola introduced people to six other blockbuster with annual sales of the social sciences has been that the more long and even happiness. But it is not clear which people who had similar interests.— Reuters $2.2 billion by 2014. — Reuters

French science vessel to start second leg of climate voyage

Groups of friends key to changing health behaviors

A radical change: How to slow down the ageing process

By Zeeba Rafiq KUWAIT: When we are young, we believe we are invincible (and trust me, no one knows this more than I do). However as years go by we learn slowly by slowly that this is not always true. Albeit you may have inherited a stunning physique and skin without the proper maintence you may risk losing your best assets.

This is mostly due to mankinds true arch nemesis: free radicals. Many of my frequent readers will recall that I have often touched on this subject in many of my writings however I feel as though I cannot stress this subject enough. Free radicals are highly dangerous and reactive particles that accumulate in the body over time due to its gradual inability to dispose of them.

They may cause wrinkles, memory loss, gray hair or any other aspects of what we percieve to be natural in the ageing process.

However I use myself as an example when I say that this is not true. My whole life I have evaded the damages of free radicals by simple lifestyle traits that follow me to this day. This is something I urge my teenage daughters to adopt. And this is what I hope to share with you and hopefully you will pass this down to your own children. Here I have made a list of 5 lifestyle changes you can make to have a youthful body.

Free radicals can be found in the scrotching UV rays of the sun. They are known to weaken eye-sight, cause wrinkles, skin cancer, and negatively affect the immune system. This means without proper protection from the sun you are committing a disservice to your body. But this can be stylishly avoided. You could wear a pair of sunglasses or a hat if you wish, but my favorite accessory is one that I’ve worn since I was a teenager (trust me it’s something that never goes out of style)...sunblock. I generally recommend an SPF of 45 or better for people living in the Gulf area.

This is because of the difference in climate here. In hotter climates people are more likely to experience discoloration, wrinkles, rough or dry skin if they do not take proper care of their skin. Also it is in my professional opinion that it is best to stay out of the sun from noon to around 4pm.

Another way to avoid premature ageing or prolong ageing altogether is to keep your body hyderated. Hyderation is a major concern many of my clients have. Often I have a young woman coming to me with dry and scabby skin making her look much older than her time. I cannot help feeling upset when I see this, because this can easily be avoided. Drinking water rejuvenates the body and brings life to skin.

Creams and treatments are only used when all hope is lost, which I sadly add is all too common. According the American Journal of Clincal Nutrition, the average human must consume around 2.5 liters of water a day (8 cups). A large portion of this can be found in most foods that we eat everyday, so my recommendation is to aim for an average of at least 4 cups of water a day and slowly start drinking more day by day until you can easily drink 8 cups without straining yourself.

Remember everything takes practise, especially living a healthy lifestyle.

There are many foods proven to have a significant affect on reducing the signs of ageing. Foods high with antioxidants include: beans (red, kidney, balck) , berries (strawberries, blue berries, raspberries, etc.), apples, pecans, to name a few. These contain antioxidants which counter the affects of free radicals making them inconsequential. Be sure to eat enough foods containing this because when there are too many free radicals in comparison to antioxidants you may risk oxidant stress. As I mentioned before, as we grow older we acquire more and more free radicals and because our metabolisms slow down our bodies need a little extra help combating them. The effects can be dangerous: weak celluar compounds, damaged protiens, lipids, and DNA and it kills cells. Beware

because it especially happens in the brain, and can lead to many neurodegenerative disorders — not just Huntington’s Disease but Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, the ataxias, ALS and in stroke. This can be avoided as well, just eat a antioxidant rich diet or as the saying goes: eat an apple a day to keep the doctor away.

Often I have women coming into my office and they complain about wrinkles and dryness. And they always don’t seem to know what the problem is. But usually I have a good guess. Whenever I ask a woman if she smokes I get either get one of two reactions: a) the woman gets a little embarrassed and laughs, or b) she is dumbfounded that I know. Why is this? Simple, smoking is the worst thing a woman can do to her body for many many reasons.

Although there is a long list of health problems associated with smoking, for the purposes of this article I will elaborate on the effects on the skin, hair and nails. Smoking dehydrates us and causes lines around the mouth especially. It also leaves our color pale and our lips bluish over time. Our hair and bodies begin to smell offensively of tobbacco. This is because the nicotine found in tobbacco interupts the blood flow to damaged tissue and stops the body from defending itself. In fact smoking is so dangerous to the body that it is the highest cause of premature ageing, second only to the sun. It also is proven to cause women to enter menopause earlier. Also ladies, women are more sensitive to the addictive qualities of nicotine and have harder time quiting than men. So please stop smoking before it’s too late.

When we were children at school we were taught about the food pyramid and about what foods we should eat to stay healthy. Some of us forgot those early lessons when we got older. Forget fad diets and starving yourself. There is a way to keep a youthful and thin body without hurting your skin. If you feel that you eat unhealthy foods take over-the-counter multivitamins to get some of your daily nutrients. Multivitamins should not substitute for eating, because that WILL make you look older and make you very sick.

Many women who don’t eat in order to lose weight, lose hair and have bad skin. So be careful when deciding how to eat.

Multivitamins are a good supplement, but they are not a meal. They are especially helpful to women and young girls, because they give women enough iron and magnesium during their period. When we enter our time of month, we lose so much energy because the body is draining a lot of blood, multivitamins can subside their affect.

With that being said, I recommend a nonprescription multivitamin everyday to make sure your body has the energy to fight the free radicals and slow down the effects of ageng.

Now that I have shared with you 5 ways to slow down ageing via lifestyle changes I hope you will begin to look at not only your habits but also the habits of your family. I wish you the best of luck and good health!

HEALTH & SCIENCE

Sunday, September 5, 2010

29

Groups of friends key to changing health behaviors CHICAGO: When it comes to changing health behaviors, it takes more than a farflung network of friends on Facebook egging you on. It takes a jostling herd, US researchers said.

Social scientists have assumed that changing behavior would spread like the flu, which transmits best via individuals with lots of long-distance contacts.

But to change behavior, you need to be surrounded by the message-with neighbors, family and members in the community all

reinforcing the same idea.

"For about 35 years, wisdom in the social sciences has been that the more long ties there are in a network, the faster a thing will spread," Damon Centola of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, whose study appears in the journal Science, said in a statement.

"It's startling to see that this is not always the case." Knowing how best to influence health behavior is important to health reform as the United States turns its focus

to preventing disease, rather than treating it. Researchers have already shown that networks of friends can have a powerful impact on health behavior, influencing smoking, obesity and even happiness.

But it is not clear which type of network is best. Centola set up two different types of social networks within an online community of about 1,500 people.

"I had to create a little social petri dish," Centola said in a telephone interview.

One group consisted of individuals with

far-flung ties, and the other involved clusters of people who interacted with each other. "When people signed up, I would assign them 'health buddies' in the space of this online social networking site," Centola said. To form friendship groups, Centola introduced people to six other people who had similar interests.

"That is the social world that you had," he said. The goal was to get people to register for a health forum in which they rated different health services.

The team then seeded the groups with people to encourage them to sign up, and they watched to see how quickly people would register.

People in the small friend groups registered four times as fast as those with less connected networks.

"It spread through the population so quickly. It saturates very, very fast," Centola said. Social scientists had thought that it would be redundant to give a health message to a person more than once. But

Centola said when it comes to health habits, people are quicker to change when they hear the message from more than one source.

He said the findings are useful when policymakers need to develop strategies to promote vaccinations or health screenings, but it could be equally effective in combating obesity. "The more difficult the behavior and the more resistant to change, the more vital these densely clustered ties would be," Centola said. — Reuters

Foods rich in fibre could supress appetites and reduce blood sugar levels

Study to check if garlic and asparagus can fight diabetes

Dutch report positive test for mad cow disease AMSTERDAM: A 10-year-old cow in the Netherlands has tested positive for BSE, more commonly known as "mad cow" disease, the first such result in more than two years, the Dutch government said yesterday.

The government ministry responsible for food quality said the animal tested positive for the brain-wasting disease bovine spongiform encephalopathy at a slaughterhouse.

It was the first positive test for BSE in the country since May 2008, the ministry said in a statement. A spokesman for the ministry told Reuters the cow's meat was withdrawn from the food chain after a first positive test, while a second test confirmed the result.

All cows sent to slaughter in the country are tested and held aside for the results before their meat enters the system.

Mad cow disease is of particular concern because it has been known to cause a related brain-wasting disease in humans who have eaten contaminated meat. Three people have died in the Netherlands from Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease after eating meat from a BSE positive cow. The last reported death was in January 2009.

What is Mad Cow disease?

A 10-year-old cow in the Netherlands has tested positive for BSE, more commonly known as "mad cow" disease, the first such result in more than two years. [ID:nLDE6820VK] Mad cow disease, bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE), first emerged in Britain in the 1980s and has been found in herds in several European and other countries. Scientists believe it is transmitted through infected meat and bone meal fed to cattle and it is thought to cause vCJD in humans.

Here are some key facts: THE ORIGINS: The disease first surfaced in Britain in 1985 when a black-and-white dairy cow was seen stag-

gering and head-butting other cattle. It was diagnosed as BSE in November 1986.

Known formally as bovine spongiform encephalopathy, the disease swept through Britain in the 1980s and early 1990s, leading to millions of animals being slaughtered and burnt.

Scientists blamed the disease's spread on waste produced in slaughterhouses and used to make animal feed. Cattle feed usually contained waste from the slaughter of other cows.

THE COST Britain destroyed 3.7 million cattle in the 1980s and 1990s because of BSE. Between 1986 and 2002, 181,376 cases were confirmed in Britain.

During that time Britain spent more than $6 billion, excluding job losses, in sorting out the crisis. The worldwide ban on British beef exports imposed after the emergence of BSE in 1980s was partially lifted in 1999. In March 2006, EU experts agreed to a complete lifting of the embargo, nearly 10 years to the day after it was imposed.

CREUTZFELDT-JAKOB DISEASE Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD) is a rare, degenerative, invariably fatal brain disorder. It affects about one person in every million people per year worldwide.

CJD is strongly linked with exposure to BSE. BSE can pass to people who eat infected beef products causing the related condition called variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease or vCJD-a new disease that was first described in March 1996.

According to Dutch health authorities, three people have died in the Netherlands from CJD after eating meat from a BSE-infected cow. The last reported death was in January 2009. World Health Organisation data, which only go up to 2002, show that from October 1996 to November 2002, 129 cases of vCJD had been reported in Britain, six in France and one each in Canada, Ireland, Italy and the United States. —Reuters

LONDON: Researchers are investigating whether foods including garlic and asparagus could help weight loss and diabetes. In news that could make ardent vegans and vegetarians feel a little smug, the charity Diabetes UK is examining whether foods rich in fibre could supress people's appetites and reduce their blood sugar levels.

Fermentable carbohydrates, a kind of fibre, are found in foods such as asparagus, garlic, chicory and Jerusalem artichokes. If the foods are found to have this effect it could revolutionise treatments to tackle obesity and type 2 diabetes. Recent research has suggested that foods high in fermentable carbohydrates are particularly good at stabilising blood sugar levels.

The three-year study by the Nutrition and Research Group at Imperial College London, aims to establish whether these carbohydrates cause the release of gut hormones that could reduce appetite and enhance insulin sensitivity, which could reduce blood sugar levels and help control weight. The carbohydrates will be given to participants in the study as a daily supplement.

Dietitian Nicola Guess, who is leading the study, said: "By investigating how appetite and blood glucose levels are regulated in people at high risk of type 2 diabetes, it is hoped that we can find a way to prevent its onset.

Type 2 diabetes accounts for 90% of diabetes cases and, if left untreated, can lead to

Recent research suggests that fermentable carbohydrates, found in garlic, are good at stabilising blood sugar levels. — Guardian serious health complications including heart disease, stroke, blindness, kidney failure and amputation, according to Diabetes UK. Dr Iain

Frame, the charity's director of research, said: "It is unlikely that any single measure used on its own will bring about improved prevention of

type 2 diabetes.

But it's hoped that the research being funded at Imperial College will help by aiming to develop an easy and

affordable way to help people to reduce their risk of developing type 2 diabetes and managing their blood glucose levels." — Guardian

Cholera kills 41 in Chad N'DJAMENA: Health officials in Chad say an outbreak of cholera in the Central African nation has killed at least 41 people.

Mahamat Mamadou Adji said Friday that there have been nearly

600 confirmed cases of the fast-moving infection that causes diarrhea in victims, leading to severe dehydration.

The outbreak in Chad come as officials in the neighboring countries of

Nigeria and Cameroon also have expressed concern about cholera deaths.

In Nigeria, health officials say more than 350 people have been killed in only three months. Cholera is highly conta-

gious yet easily preventable with clean water and sanitation. But Nigerian health officials say in many areas, wells remain uncovered, allowing tainted water to flow into the communities' drinking water supplies. — AP

WHATʼS ON IN KUWAIT

30

A view from the buffet.

Sunday, September 5, 2010

Preparations for the Eid holidays.

Kuwait Towers prepare for Eid holidays Meshary Al-San’ousi

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he Kuwait Towers are currently preparing special programs and services for visitors during the Eid Al-Fitr holidays, announced the deputy managing director for touristic affairs at the Touristic Enterprises Company, Meshary Al-San’ousi. In addition to the famous ‘Kuwait Towers Buffet’ which serves various meals from the Kuwaiti and World cuisines, the Kuwait Towers will be ready to receive takeaway requests throughout the Eid holiday. Al-San’ousi indicates that this service has received great appeal during the holy month of Ramadan. Meanwhile, AlSan’ousi revealed a special offer for the Eid Al-Fitr holidays through which visitors for the viewing sphere can enjoy a free meal.

Greetings

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est wishes to Bassam Issam and Sammur Saied on their marriage. Families, friends and relatives wish them a happy married life.

Free IPC course

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ake this opportunity to learn and improve your Arabic skills. The Women Section of Islam Presentation Committee will be conducting free Arabic Language Course for non-Arab ladies commencing from October 3, 2010. Offers in basic and advance level and classes are available during weekdays and weekends.

Islamic subjects and Quran classes are also offered in different languages. Classes are offered only once a week, Register now! For more information: Rawdab-2251 225797290278; Salmiya-25733263-97533263; Khaitan-24730137; 99285459; Mangaf - 23723002; Jahra-24558830-97533948.

Toastmasters Club announcement

Celebrate Eid Al Fitr with Movenpick Hotel & Resort Al Bida’a

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s the holy month of Ramadan comes to an end, a colourful celebration awaits you with amazing Eid Al Fitr offers.

Movenpick Hotel & Resort Al Bida’a Kuwait invites you to celebrate this blessed occasion amidst its welcoming rooms and facilities.

Enjoy a city break at the Movenpick Hotel & Resort Al Bida’a during Eid and take advantage of the special rooms offer starting from KD59

only +10% service charge.

This special offer is per room per night both single and double occupancy. While at the hotel you can relax in your cosy room, feast upon our delicious buffet breakfast which is included, unwind by the pool.

“This will be the ideal getaway for consumers searching for a weekend break during the Eid holidays” said Gary Moran, General Manager.

F&B specials Tantalise your taste buds with our diverse sumptuous buffets ranging from the colourful freshly caught seafood buffet, the delicious cuts prepared at our live cooking station and the rich assortment of international buffets with gourmet choices followed by mouth-watering selection of Arabic sweets and the tempting crepe corner.

Your children also can enjoy the spirit and joy

of Eid with our selection of exciting activities such as face painting, thrilling magic shows, to mention just few of the various surprises awaiting them. Both lunch and dinner are served from 12:30 pm until 4:30 pm and from 7 pm until midnight respectively.

“We are happy to offer a tantalizing Eid buffet which will cater to all tastes,” said Gary Moran, General Manager.

The Nigerian Embassy in Kuwait on Sept 2 organized ghabqa to mark the holy month of Ramadan.

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o you want to overcome your fear of speaking in public? Do you want to sharpen your presentation skills? Do you want to develop leadership skills?

Do you wish to attend job interviews with confidence? All of these can be achieved for a nominal fee with unlimited opportunities to practice and develop at the new Toastmasters Club (affiliated to Toastmasters International USA), being chartered in Salmiya. If you want to be part of your own chartered club, join us at Bayan Restaurant, Salmiya (next to Red Tag) at 7:45 pm on Friday, September 3, 2010. For free registration contact Vishwanath at 67735024 visragmal@yahoo.com or Xavier at 99850173 xaviermuthu@hotmail.com

Sunday, September 5, 2010

WHATʼS ON IN KUWAIT

31 Embassy information

Announcements 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.

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.

SEPT 24 NSS Onam: Nair Service Society (NSS), Kuwait will celebrate Onam on Sept 24, at Cambridge School, Mangaf. South Indian film star and acclaimed dancer Lakshmi Gopalaswamy will perform during the function. Ajai Malhotra, Indian Ambassador to Kuwait, will be the chief guest at the Onam celebration on September 24, which will be followed by a full day variety entertainment program depicting the rich heritage and art forms of Kerala. Muraleekrishnan P, President of Nair Service Society, Kuwait (NSS Kuwait) will preside over the function.The Ona-Sadhya (Onam Feast) will be served in the traditional Kerala style on banana leaf on September 24. Nair Service Society (NSS) Kuwait, is one of the largest Socio-Cultural Organization in Kuwait formed in year 2001 and now has more than 3000 Indians as members. For more information, contact Anish Nair, NSS Kuwait 9969-1431.

EMBASSY OF US

Crowne Plaza Kuwait conducts mock fire evacuation drill

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ire is potentially the most devastating event that can happen at a hotel. Besides causing physical damage to the property and loss of public confidence, fire can take the lives of staff, guests, and their families. To this end, Intercontinental Hotels Group plays an active role in the Risk Management within its hotels (Crowne Plaza and Holiday Inn hotels) to protect employees, guests and visitors (including contractors) against risks to fire, food, health, safety and security.

The Crowne Plaza Kuwait recently conducted a mock fire evacuation drill within the hotel to measure the safety awareness procedures of the staff. A false alarm was sounded throughout the hotel, and the building evacuated immediately. Emergency numbers were dialed, as the staff quickly followed evacuation procedures. The Crisis Response and Emergency Response Teams of the hotel assisted staff in moving towards the pre - determined assembly points, ensuring that all members of the staff had completely left the building. The complete evacuation procedure took place within 6 minutes.

Once at the assembly point, roll calls were taken to ensure that no staff remained behind in the building. The mock evacuation drill was a success, with all the staff participating, and spreading the awareness of what to do in case of a real fire.

EMBASSY OF INDIA 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.

The Embassy of India will remain closed on August 23 and September 2, 2010 on account of ‘Onam’ and ‘Janmashtami’ respectively.

Oct 14 Tulukoota Kuwait announces its “Decennial Parba “on October 14th & 15th.

2010 at American International School Hawally. We invite all Tulukoota Kuwait members to join us for fun filled and exciting events planned to celebrate the milestones throughout Tulukoota Kuwait’s 10 years journey. 14th October Rasamanjari musical show by Star performer Anuradha Bhatt, Prakash Mahadevan Naveen Koppa & others, Vismaya Jadoo by Mega Magic Star Ganesh Kudroli & troupe. Dr. Mohan Alva Cultural Performances & King of Comedy Navin D Padil presents tulu drama “ Paniyerla aath Panande Budiyerla aath” This is a fun tilled evening for entire family!

Join us for a great time. For more information call : Swarna C Shetty - 99006934; Pascal Pinto - 9953 1557; Sathya Narayan 66585077: Suresh Salian - 99161228; Chandrahasa Shetty - 55941955.

A view of the Fountain Park OCT 21 Rendezvous 2010: The Kuwait Chapter of the St. Aloysius College Alumni Association (SACAA KUWAIT) have announced that “Rendezvous” their hallmark event will be conducted on 21st October at Asia Asia Restaurant, Souk Al Watiya, Kuwait City from 8 pm onwards. This year, SACAA Kuwait celebrates five years of its existence in Kuwait. SACAA-Kuwait has been synonymous with various fund raising initiatives through which they consistently supported various needs of their Alma Mater and its students back in Mangalore, India.

Through Rendezvous-2010, SACAA-Kuwait intends to help generate funds for the Poor Students Fund of St. Aloysius institutions where numerous needy students look forward to assistance to subsidize their costs.

SACAA Kuwait calls upon all Aloysians, their families and also like minded people to join this noble cause and help make life a little better for those needy students back home. For entry passes and further information, kindly contact - 66731828, 66746425, 66181041, 94093275, 66699857, 66091962.

OCT 29 Onathanima tug of war: Thanima is conducting its annual Onam celebrations along with its celebrated tug of war competitions on October 29 at Central School compound, Abbasiya. Cultural procession, concert and other attractive cultural items will add glitter to the evening function in which many prominent personalities are expected to be present. Those teams wishing to participate in the tug of war competition, please contact 99865499 / 97253653 / 66071276 / 99703872.

Nov 17 Trend setter Udupi Restaurant, Kuwait proudly presents “ Gandharva Ganam” a live carnatic classical concert by living legend & maestro Padmabooshan Dr. K.J.Yesudas with his troupe on 17th Nov. 2010 at American International School, Kuwait. Sri. Nagai Murali on violin, Sri. Bakthavalsalam on Mridangam and Sri. Thripunithura Radhakrishnan on Ghatam.

For more details, please contact 66752462 or 66784867.

Fountain Park ready for holidays

T

he Fountain Park is fully prepared to welcome visitors during the Eid Al-Fitr holidays, as several activities and special programs have been put in place for this special occasion, announced the manager of the parks and ice rink department in the Touristic Enterprises Company, Jassem Al-Shumais. “Several competitions for children and adults have been prepared for the holidays, for which various valuable prizes have been allocated”, Al-Shumais said, explaining that circus and cartoon characters shows as well as traditional bands displays will take part in celebrations held for the holidays.

Celebrate Eid Al-Fitr at the Radisson Blue hotel

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 petition-based, including B1/B2 tourist and business visitor visas and all student and exchange-visitor visas, will pay a fee of $140. Applicants for petitionbased 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.

Jassem Al-Shumais

T

he Radisson Blu Hotel, Kuwait has special Eid Al Fitr offer valid from 9th September to 18th September 2010.

The Eid Offer includes comfortable stay in a Single / double room, inclusive of breakfast, choice of dining in the exclusive Radisson Blu restaurants that will feature customary Arabic delicacies as well as international flavors with live cooking station, delightful Arabic sweets accompanied by traditional drinks and free access to the Viking Club which spans over 4,750 m≤ - It’s exclusive sport, leisure & relaxation facilities will add extra delight to the stay.

So head towards Radisson Blu Hotel this festive season, enjoy the enticing offers in a delightful atmosphere of peace, privacy & comfort and make your family’s Eid holidays a memorable event. To find out the special Eid rates and to make your stay in Kuwait a memorable one please call the Radisson Blu Hotel, Kuwait on 2567 3000.

The Management and Staff of the Radisson Blu Hotel, Kuwait extends its warmest Eid Al Fitr greetings.

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.

EMBASSY OF TURKEY The Embassy of the Republic of Turkey announces that Turkish language course will restart at the Embassy’s Tourism, Culture and Information Office 4 October 2010. The lessons will be held on Mondays and Wednesdays from 6:00 - 8:00 pm. For further details and registration please contact. * The Embassy at Tel: 22531785 (only from 9 am to 3 pm) * Or fill the application form on http://kuweyt.befscnet.net and send it to the e-mail: Turkish_embassy_Kuwait@hotmail.com EMBASSY OF THAILAND All foreigners who apply for Tourist Visa at the Royal Thai Embassies and the Royal Thai Consulate General worldwide, including eligible foreigners who apply for Visa on arrival at designated checkpoints, will be exempted from tourist visa fees until 31 March 2011. Such arrangement is for Tourist Visa only.

TV PROGRAMS

32

Sunday, September 5, 2010

Orbit / Showtime Listings

00:00 Mercy 01:00 Royal Pains 02:00 Smallville 03:00 Flash Forward 04:00 Dawson’s Creek 05:00 In Plain Sight 06:00 The Closer 07:00 Mercy 08:00 Dawson’s Creek 09:00 Kings 10:00 Flash Forward 11:00 In Plain Sight 12:00 The Closer 13:00 Kings 14:00 Flash Forward 15:00 Dawson’s Creek 16:00 Royal Pains 17:00 Smallville 18:00 Mercy 19:00 The Closer 20:00 Damages 21:00 Cold Case 22:00 Criminal Minds 23:00 Sons of Anarchy

00:45 Pit Bulls and Parolees 01:40 Shark Shrinks 02:35 Shark Attack File 03:30 Untamed & Uncut 04:25 I’m Alive 05:20 Animal Cops Houston 06:10 RSPCA: On the Frontline 06:35 Vet on the Loose 07:00 Animal Crackers 07:25 Meerkat Manor 07:50 The Planet’s Funniest Animals 08:15 The Planet’s Funniest Animals 08:40 Cats 101 09:35 In Too Deep 10:00 Ultimate Air Jaws 10:55 Gorilla School 11:20 Vet on the Loose 11:50 Miami Animal Police 12:45 E-Vets: The Interns 13:10 Pet Rescue 13:40 Animal Cops Phoenix 14:35 Wildlife SOS International 15:00 RSPCA: On the Frontline 15:30 Cats of Claw Hill 15:55 Britain’s Worst Pet 16:25 Dogs 101 17:20 Cats 101 18:15 Animal Cops Houston 19:10 Weird Creatures with Nick Baker 20:10 Planet Earth 21:05 Sharkman 22:00 Shark Rampage 1916 23:50 Untamed & Uncut

00:25 Hyperdrive 00:55 Live At The Apollo 01:40 Rob Brydon’s Annually Retentive 02:10 Strictly Come Dancing 03:20 Eastenders 03:50 Robin Hood 04:35 Gigglebiz 04:50 Teletubbies 05:15 Tikkabilla 05:45 Gigglebiz 06:00 Teletubbies 06:25 Tellytales 06:35 Tikkabilla 07:05 Gigglebiz 07:20 Teletubbies 07:45 Tellytales 07:55 Tikkabilla 08:25 Gigglebiz 08:40 Teletubbies 09:05 Tellytales 09:15 Tikkabilla 09:45 Strictly Come Dancing 11:00 Doctors 11:30 Doctors 12:00 Doctors 12:30 Doctors 13:00 Doctors 13:30 Robin Hood 14:15 Last Of The Summer Wine 14:45 Last Of The Summer Wine 15:15 Hyperdrive 15:45 Hyperdrive 16:15 Hyperdrive 16:45 Home Again 17:15 Robin Hood 18:00 Casualty 18:50 Casualty 19:40 Strictly Come Dancing 20:55 Strictly Come Dancing 21:45 Home Again 22:15 Home Again 22:45 Waterloo Road 23:35 Waterloo Road

00:10 Come Dine With Me 01:00 Cash In The Attic 03:50 Come Dine With Me 05:30 Rhodes Across China 06:15 Cash In The Attic 07:10 Saturday Kitchen 07:35 Cash In The Attic 11:55 Saturday Kitchen 12:50 Ching’s Kitchen 13:10 Living In The Sun 14:05 Fantasy Homes By The Sea 14:50 The Home Show 15:35 Cash In The Attic 17:05 Ching’s Kitchen 17:30 Cash In The Attic 20:30 Come Dine With Me 21:20 Ching’s Kitchen 21:45 Indian Food Made Easy 22:10 Rhodes Across China 22:55 Ching’s Kitchen 23:20 Coastal Kitchen 23:45 Cash In The Attic

00:05 Cow And Chicken 00:30 Cramp Twins 00:55 George Of The Jungle 01:20 Adrenalini Brothers 01:45 Eliot Kid 02:10 Ed, Edd N Eddy 02:35 Class Of 3000 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 Chop Socky Chooks 07:50 Casper’s Scare School 08:15 Ben 10: Alien Force 08:40 Bakugan: New Vestroia 09:05 Batman: The Brave And The Bold 09:30 Alien Force 60 10:30 The Secret Saturdays 10:55 Best ED 11:20 Eliot Kid 11:45 Fantastic Four: World’s Greatest Heroes 12:10 Megas Xlr 12:35 Samurai Jack 13:00 Ben 10 13:25 Codename: Kids Next Door 13:50 The Marvelous Misadventures Of Flapjack 14:15 The Life And Times Of Juniper Lee 14:40 George Of The Jungle 15:05 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

02:30 Where’s Marlowe?-18 04:15 The Patriot-PG15 07:00 Home Run-PG15 09:00 Les Miserables-PG15 11:15 Northern Lights-PG 13:00 It Might Get Loud-PG15 15:00 The Memsahib-PG15 17:00 Nights In Rodanthe-PG15 19:00 The Timekeeper-PG15 21:00 Intersection-18 23:00 Katyn-PG15

00:40 Serial Killers 01:35 Time Warp 02:30 Brainiac 03:25 Smash Lab 04:20 How Machines Work 04:50 How Does it Work?

05:15 Deadliest Catch 06:05 Mythbusters 07:00 Mean Machines: Transatlantic Challenge 07:25 Wheeler Dealers 07:50 Wheeler Dealers 08:15 Ultimate Car Build-Off 09:10 Construction Intervention 10:05 How Machines Work 10:35 Ultimate Survival 11:30 Deadliest Catch 12:25 Overhaulin’ 17:55 How Machines Work 18:20 Ultimate Survival 19:15 Ultimate Survival 20:05 Time Warp 21:00 Mythbusters 21:55 Wreckreation Nation 22:50 Worst-Case Scenario 23:20 Worst-Case Scenario 23:45 LA Ink

00:30 Engineered 01:20 The Colony 02:10 Nextworld 03:00 Cosmic Collisions 03:50 Da Vinci’s Machines 04:45 What’s That About?

05:40 How Does That Work?

06:10 Building the Future 07:00 Thunder Races 08:00 The Gadget Show 08:30 The Gadget Show 09:00 How Does That Work?

09:25 How Does That Work?

09:55 Catch It Keep It 10:50 Junkyard Mega-Wars 11:45 Junkyard Mega-Wars 12:40 Junkyard Mega-Wars 13:35 Junkyard Mega-Wars 14:30 What’s That About?

15:25 Savage Planet 15:55 Ultimate Power Builders 16:50 Building the Future 17:45 How Does That Work?

18:10 How Does That Work?

18:40 Invisible Worlds 19:30 Sci-Fi Science 19:55 Sci-Fi Science 20:20 Engineered 21:10 Da Vinci’s Machines 22:00 Invisible Worlds 22:50 Human Body: Ultimate Machine 23:40 Extreme Bodies

00:40 Bank of Hollywood 01:30 E! Investigates 02:20 E! Investigates 03:15 25 Most Stylish 04:10 Sexiest 05:05 Battle of the Hollywood Hotties 05:30 Streets of Hollywood 06:00 THS 07:45 Bank of Hollywood 08:35 E! News 09:25 THS 11:05 Giuliana & Bill 11:30 Giuliana & Bill 12:00 E! News 12:50 Fashion Police 13:40 E!ES 14:30 Kendra 14:55 Kendra 15:25 20 Hottest Women of the Web 17:10 Behind the Scenes 17:35 Kourtney & Khloé Take Miami 20:30 Fashion Police 21:20 Kimora: Life in the Fab Lane 22:10 E! News 23:00 Chelsea Lately 23:25 The Soup 23:50 Extreme Hollywood

00:00 M1 Challenge 01:00 Breitling Airsports 2008 03:00 08 Winter X Games 12 05:00 Iex 2009 07:00 Sacred Ride 09:30 Sacred Ride 10:00 Quattro Events 2009 12:00 08 Winter X Games 12 13:00 08 Winter X Games 12

14:00 Breitling Airsports 2008 15:00 Breitling Airsports 2009 16:00 Lucas Oil Ama Motocross...

18:00 08 Winter X Games 12 20:00 Eddie Jordan’s Bad Boy Racers 21:00 Disposable Hero The Brian Deegan Story 22:00 Cannonball 8000 22:30 Quattro Events 2009 23:00 M1 Challenge

00:00 Food Network Caters Your Wedding - Special 01:00 30 Minute Meals 01:30 Tyler’s Ultimate 02:00 Food Network Challenge 03:00 Barefoot Contessa 03:30 Everyday Italian 04:00 Iron Chef America 05:00 Throwdown With Bobby Flay 05:30 Guys Big Bite 06:00 Chopped 07:00 30 Minute Meals 07:25 Good Deal with Dave Lieberman 07:50 Guys Big Bite 08:15 Barefoot Contessa 08:40 Everyday Italian 09:05 30 Minute Meals 09:30 Tyler’s Ultimate 10:00 Guys Big Bite 10:30 Barefoot Contessa 11:00 Everyday Italian 11:30 Food Network Challenge 12:30 30 Minute Meals 13:00 Good Deal with Dave Lieberman 13:30 Guys Big Bite 14:00 Barefoot Contessa 14:30 Everyday Italian 15:00 30 Minute Meals 15:30 Throwdown With Bobby Flay 16:00 Iron Chef America 17:00 Barefoot Contessa 17:30 Everyday Italian 18:00 30 Minute Meals 18:30 Guys Big Bite 19:00 Throwdown With Bobby Flay 19:30 Good Deal with Dave Lieberman 20:00 Food Network Caters Your Wedding - Special 21:00 Barefoot Contessa 21:30 Everyday Italian 22:00 Iron Chef America 23:00 Throwdown With Bobby Flay 23:30 Guys Big Bite

01:00 ACC Football Kick-Off Special 02:00 Big 12 Football Washington St. at Oklahoma St. 05:30 The Golf Channel - TBA 06:30 Golf Central International 07:00 The Golf Channel - TBA 08:30 Champions Tour First Tee Open at Pebble Beach Rd. 2 Pebble Beach, CA 10:30 This Week in Baseball 11:00 MLB on FOX: Cincinnati Reds at St. Louis Cardinals 14:00 ACC Football Kick-Off Special 15:00 European Tour Omega European Masters Final Rd. Crans sur Sierre, Switzerland 18:00 This Week in Baseball 18:30 Big 12 Football Washington St. at Oklahoma St. 22:00 PGA Tour: Deutsch Bank Championship Rd. 3 Norton, MA

00:30 Crime Scene Psychics 00:55 Crime Scene Psychics 01:20 A Haunting 02:10 A Haunting 03:05 Psychic Witness 04:00 Crime Scene Psychics 04:25 Crime Scene Psychics 04:55 Crime Scene Psychics 05:20 FBI Files 06:10 Real Emergency Calls 06:35 Real Emergency Calls 07:00 Forensic Detectives 07:50 FBI Files 08:40 CSU 09:30 Diagnosis: Unknown 10:20 Forensic Detectives 11:10 FBI Files 12:00 Real Emergency Calls 12:25 Real Emergency Calls 12:50 Final Days of an Icon 13:40 Diagnosis: Unknown 14:30 Forensic Detectives 15:20 FBI Files 16:10 CSU 17:00 Diagnosis: Unknown 17:50 Forensic Detectives 18:40 FBI Files 19:30 Real Emergency Calls 19:55 Real Emergency Calls 20:20 Final Days of an Icon 21:10 On the Case with Paula Zahn 22:00 Disappeared 22:50 Crimes That Shook the World 23:40 I Almost Got Away With It

01:35 Article 99 03:15 Betrayed 05:20 Board Heads 06:50 Be Cool 08:50 Mr. Accident 10:20 The Pink Panther Strikes Again 12:00 The Cutting Edge 13:40 The Boyfriend School 15:20 The Spikes Gang 16:55 Jiminy Glick In Lala Wood 18:25 100 Films & A Funeral 19:50 The Honey Pot 22:00 Oleanna 23:30 Canadian Bacon

Friday the 13th on Show Movies

00:00 Jersey Shore Before The Shore 01:00 Fist Of Zen 01:30 Fist Of Zen 02:00 World Stage 03:00 Music Mix 07:00 Breakfast Club 08:30 Teen Cribs 09:00 My Super Sweet 16 ¬† 09:30 Jessica Simpson’s The Price Of Beauty 10:00 My Life As Liz 10:30 The Hills Final Season 11:00 The City S2 11:30 (P) Hosted Top 20 13:00 (P) Made Daily 13:30 Teen Cribs 14:00 My Super Sweet 16 ¬† 14:30 Jessica Simpson’s The Price Of Beauty 15:00 My Life As Liz 15:30 The Hills Final Season 16:00 The City S2 16:30 Hosted Top 20 18:00 Made 19:00 Cribs 19:30 Exiled 20:00 Made Daily 20:30 Pimp My Ride 21:00 Taking The Stage 22:00 (P) Jersey Shore 2 23:00 (P) Hard Times Of Rj Berger 23:30 (P) Hard Times Of Rj Berger

00:30 Motorcycle Karma 01:30 Cruise Ship Diaries 02:30 Cruise Ship Diaries 03:30 Cruise Ship Diaries 04:30 Food Lovers Guide To The Planet 05:00 Exploring The Vine 05:30 Banged Up Abroad 06:30 Motorcycle Karma 07:30 Cruise Ship Diaries 08:30 Cruise Ship Diaries 09:30 Cruise Ship Diaries 10:30 Food Lovers Guide To The Planet 11:00 Pressure Cook 11:30 Banged Up Abroad 12:30 Bondi Rescue 13:00 Don’t Tell My Mother 13:30 The Best Job In The World 14:00 Graham’s World 14:30 Banged Up Abroad 15:30 Banged Up Abroad 16:30 Word Travels 17:00 Pressure Cook 17:30 Banged Up Abroad 18:30 Bondi Rescue 19:00 Don’t Tell My Mother 19:30 The Best Job In The World 20:00 Graham’s World 20:30 Banged Up Abroad 21:30 Banged Up Abroad 22:30 Word Travels 23:00 Pressure Cook 23:30 Banged Up Abroad

00:00 Two and a half men 00:30 The Simpsons 01:00 The Daily Show with Jon Stewart (repeat) 01:30 The Colbert Report (repeat) 02:00 Late night with Jimmy Fallon 03:00 SNL one hour version 04:00 Everybody Loves Raymond 04:30 Entourage 05:00 How to make it in America 05:30 Just Shoot me!

06:00 Malcolm in the Middle 06:30 The Drew Carey Show 07:00 Everybody Loves Raymond 07:30 Frasier 08:00 The Simpsons 08:30 Just Shoot me!

09:00 Malcolm in the Middle 09:30 The Drew Carey Show 10:00 My Name is Earl 10:30 How I met your mother 11:00 Everybody Loves Raymond 11:30 Frasier 12:00 Best Late night with Jimmy Fallon 13:00 The Simpsons 13:30 Just Shoot me!

14:00 Malcolm in the Middle 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 Seinfeld 18:30 Will & Grace 19:00 Brothers 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 Brothers

00:00 The Martha Stewart Show 01:00 The Tonight Show with Jay Leno 02:00 The Ellen DeGeneres Show 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 Jimmy Kimmel Live!

09:00 Moms Get Real / Now you know / Amplified 10:00 The Martha Stewart Show 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 Job Club 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 Popcorn 23:30 Amplified

00:00 Battlestar Galactica: The Plan-PG15 02:00 Explicit Ills-PG15 04:00 Danielle Steel’s Safe Harbour-PG15 06:00 Bottle Shock-PG15 08:00 Cloudy With A Chance Of Meatballs-PG 10:00 Nurse.fighter.boy-PG15 12:00 Star Trek-PG 14:15 Motherhood-PG15 16:00 Cloudy With A Chance Of Meatballs-PG 18:00 Swing Vote-PG15 20:00 Friday The 13th-18 22:00 Max Payne-PG15

01:00 Predator-PG15 03:00 The Grift-PG15 04:50 Die Hard-PG15 07:00 The Italian Job-PG15 09:00 No Escape-PG15 11:00 The Least Of These-PG15 13:00 Noble Things-PG15 15:00 No Escape-PG15 17:00 Twins Effect 2-PG15 19:00 Polar Storm-PG15 21:00 The Betrayed-PG15 23:00 Creature Of Darkness-PG15

00:00 Life-PG15 02:00 Callback-PG15 04:00 Ghostbusters Ii-PG 06:00 Loins Of Punjab Presents-PG15 08:00 Mchale’s Navy-PG15 10:00 First Kid-PG 12:00 Kingdom Come-PG 14:00 Meet The Applegates-PG15 16:00 Life-PG15 18:00 Jason Byrne Live At Vicar Street Theatre-PG15 20:00 Anger Management-PG15 22:00 Lymelife-PG15

Miracle at St. Anna on Super Movies

00:00 Barney’s Great Adventure-FAM 02:00 House Arrest-FAM 04:00 The Jungle Book I-FAM 06:00 The Jungle Book Ii-FAM 08:00 Hua Mulan-PG 10:00 The Jungle Book I-FAM 12:00 Zorro’s Secrets-PG 14:00 House Arrest-FAM 16:00 Scooby-doo And The Goblin KingFAM 18:00 Dark Crystal-PG 20:00 War Of The Buttons-PG 22:00 Zorro’s Secrets-PG

00:00 CSI 01:00 Law & Order 02:00 Private Practice 03:00 Ghost Whisperer 04:00 8 Simple rules 04:30 Rita Rocks 05:00 Lie To Me 06:00 Emmerdale 06:30 Coronation Street 07:00 Private Practice 08:00 8 Simple rules 08:30 Rita Rocks 09:00 Ghost Whisperer 10:00 Lie To Me 11:00 Private Practice 12:00 Emmerdale 12:30 Coronation Street 13:00 8 Simple rules 13:30 Rita Rocks 14:00 CSI 15:00 Law & Order 16:00 Lie To Me 17:00 Ghost Whisperer 18:00 Emmerdale 18:30 Coronation Street 19:00 The Deep End 20:00 Law & Order 21:00 Private Practice 22:00 Lie To Me 23:00 Ghost Whisperer

03:30 Women’s Rubgy World Cup 05:30 Countdown to the Ryder Cup 06:00 Futbol Mundial 06:30 World Sport 07:00 Mobil 1 The Grid 07:30 Live AFL Premiership 10:30 Tri Nations 12:30 AFL Premiership 15:00 Aviva Premiership 17:00 ICC Cricket World 17:30 Live Cricket International Twenty20 21:00 European PGA Tour

01:00 AFL Premiership 03:30 AFL Premiership 06:00 ITU World C’ship Triathlon 07:00 Countdown to The Ryder Cup 07:30 World Sport 08:00 Live NRL Premiership 10:00 NRL Premiership 12:00 Aviva Premiership 14:00 Live European PGA Tour 18:00 NRL Premiership 20:00 Live Masters Football 23:00 Cricket International Twenty20

00:00 WWE Vintage Collection 01:00 WWE Bottom Line 02:00 WWE NXT 03:00 WWE SmackDown 05:00 UFC Unleashed 06:00 UFC Unleashed 07:00 Live NRL Premiership 09:00 WWE Bottom Line 10:00 WWE SmackDown 12:00 WWE Vintage Collection 13:00 V8 Supercars Championship Highlights 14:00 V8 Supercars Championship Highlights 15:00 WWE Smackdown

17:00 Live Aviva Premiership 19:00 Le Mans Series Highlights 20:00 WWE Vintage Collection 21:00 WWE Bottom Line 22:00 WWE NXT 23:00 WWE SmackDown

01:00 Miracle At St. Anna-18 03:45 Malice In Wonderland-PG15 05:15 Leaving Barstow-PG15 07:00 A Dance For Bethany-PG15 09:00 Mama I Want To Sing-PG 11:15 Familiar Strangers-PG 13:00 Hancock-PG15 15:00 Hoot-PG 16:45 Mama I Want To Sing-PG 18:45 Sisterhood Of The Travelling Pants 2-PG15 21:00 Rocknrolla-18 23:00 Staten Island-PG15

00:00 Love Is All There Is 01:45 The Screening Room 02:10 Liebestraum 04:00 The Screening Room 04:25 Lost Angels 06:20 The Screening Room 07:00 Somebody Up There Likes Me 08:50 Masquerade 10:30 Cimarron 13:00 Gone With The Wind 16:35 Penelope 18:10 Never So Few 20:10 The Glass Bottom Boat 22:00 The Comedians

00:30 Dogfights 01:20 Modern Marvels 02:10 Evolve 03:00 Titanic’s Tragic Sister 03:55 Deep Wreck Mysteries 04:50 Deep Sea Detectives 05:40 Deep Sea Salvage 06:30 Dogfights 07:20 Modern Marvels 08:10 Evolve 09:00 Titanic’s Tragic Sister 09:55 Deep Wreck Mysteries 10:50 Deep Sea Detectives 11:40 Deep Sea Salvage 12:30 Dogfights 13:20 Modern Marvels 14:10 Evolve 15:00 Titanic’s Tragic Sister 15:55 Deep Wreck Mysteries 16:50 Deep Sea Detectives 17:40 Deep Sea Salvage 18:30 Dogfights 19:20 Modern Marvels 20:10 Evolve 21:00 How The Earth Was Made 2 21:55 Tales Of The Gun 22:50 Investigating History 23:40 Pawn Stars

00:00 Dallas Divas & Daughters 00:30 Dallas Divas & Daughters 01:00 My Celebrity Home 02:00 How Do I Look?

03:00 Split Ends 04:00 Dr 90210 05:00 Kimora’s Home Movies 05:30 Area 06:00 How Do I Look?

07:00 Style Star 07:30 Dress My Nest 08:00 Clean House 09:00 My Celebrity Home 10:00 Dallas Divas & Daughters 10:30 Dallas Divas & Daughters 11:00 Glamour’s 25 Biggest Do’s and Don’ts 12:00 Fashion Police 13:00 Kimora: Life in the Fab Lane 13:30 Kimora: Life in the Fab Lane 14:00 Kimora: Life in the Fab Lane 14:30 Kimora’s Home Movies

15:00 Kimora: Life in the Fab Lane 16:00 Kimora: Life in the Fab Lane 17:00 Kimora: Life in the Fab Lane 18:00 Kimora: Life in the Fab Lane 19:00 Kimora: Life in the Fab Lane 20:00 Kimora: Life in the Fab Lane 21:00 How Do I Look?

22:00 Fashion Police 23:00 The Dish 23:30 Tacky House

00:15 Top Fashion 00:17 Playlist 01:00 Sound System 10 01:45 Playlist 02:00 Urban Hit 02:45 Playlist 03:15 Top Money 03:17 Playlist 07:15 Monthly Top 07:17 Playlist 08:00 Africa 10 08:45 Playlist 09:15 Top Sexy 09:17 Playlist 13:00 Urban Hit 30 15:00 Playlist 15:15 Top Mobile 15:17 Playlist 16:00 New 16:30 Playlist 17:00 Focus 18:00 Urban Hit 18:45 Playlist 20:00 French Only 20:45 Playlist 22:15 Top Fashion 22:17 Playlist

00:00 Planet Sports 01:00 Flavours of South Africa 01:30 The Thirsty Traveler 02:00 Planet Food 03:00 Top Travel 03:30 Destination Art 04:00 Globe Trekker 05:00 Planet Sports 06:00 Planet Food 07:00 Globe Trekker 08:00 Swiss Railway Journeys 09:00 Rajasthan - A Colourful Legacy 10:00 PhotoXplorers 10:30 Essential 11:00 World’s Greatest Motorcycle Rides 12:00 Globe Trekker 13:00 Intrepid Journeys 14:00 Essential 14:30 Hollywood and Vines 15:00 Flavours of South Africa 15:30 The Thirsty Traveler 16:00 Globe Trekker 17:00 Culture Shock 17:30 Croissants In The Jungle 18:00 Planet Food 19:00 Great Scenic Railways-Australia 20:00 Culinary Asia 21:00 Word Travels 21:30 Culture Shock 22:00 Travel Notebook 23:00 Globe Trekker

01:00 VH1 Music 05:00 Chill Out 07:00 Smooth Wake Up 09:00 Aerobic 10:00 VH1 Hits 11:00 VH1 Superchart 12:00 Top 10 Queen 13:00 Cover Power 14:00 Smell’s like the 90’s Weekend 17:00 Music For The Masses 18:00 The Album Chart Show 19:00 Guess The Year 20:00 Smell’s like the 90’s Weekend 22:00 (P) Famous Crime Scene Selected 22:30 (P) Famous Crime Scene Selected 23:00 VH1 Rocks 23:30 Smells Like The 90s

Sunday, September 5, 2010

33

ACCOMMODATION

FOR AIRPORT INFORMATION 161

FLIGHT SCHEDULE

In case you are not travelling, your proper cancellation of bookings will help other passengers to use seats.

Departure Flights on Sunday 05/09/2010

Arrival Flights on Sunday 05/09/2010 Route

Sharing accommodation available in Abbassiya, 3 bedroom / 2 attached bathroom C-A/C new flat for family (KD 150 for 2 rooms ext.) or one decent working lady (KD 50 for one room) with Keralite couples. Contact: 66013882. (C 2640) 5-9-2010

Airlines

Flt

Time

Ariana Wataniya Airways Jordanian Kuwait Gulf Air Turkish Air Arabia Egypt Egypt Air DHL Emirates Etihad Qatari Falcon Jazeera Kuwait Jazeera British Kuwait Kuwait Iran Air Kuwait Kuwait Kuwait Kuwait Kuwait Emirates Arabia Qatari Iran Air Etihad Iran Aseman Falcon Gulf Air Wataniya Airways Jazeera Jazeera Egypt Air Kuwait Oman Air Kuwait Wataniya Airways United Jordanian Fly Dubai Jazeera Wataniya Airways Kuwait Kuwait Saudia Qatari Jazeera Etihad Emirates Gulf Air Wataniya Airways Saudia Jazeera Wataniya Airways Arabia Jazeera Jazeera SriLankan Wataniya Airways Kuwait Wataniya Airways Kuwait Kuwait Kuwait Kuwait Kuwait Kuwait Kuwait Singapore Kuwait Kuwait Fly Dubai Oman Air Middle East Rovos Jet A/W Wataniya Airways DHL Gulf Air Emirates Kuwait Qatari United Indian Jazeera Safi Jazeera Lufthansa Jazeera Egypt Air KLM India Express Pakistan

405 Kabul/Dubai 00:05 188 Bahrain 00:30 802 Amman 00:30 544 Cairo 00:50 211 Bahrain 01:05 772 Istanbul 01:15 551 Alexandria 02:00 614 Cairo 02:05 370 Bahrain 02:15 853 Dubai 02:25 305 Abu Dhabi 02:55 138 Doha 03:20 201 Dubai 05:25 503 Luxor 05:50 412 Manila/Bangkok 06:15 527 Alexandria 06:20 157 London 06:30 206 Islamabad 07:15 382 Delhi 07:20 615 Shahre Kord 07:35 302 Mumbai 07:50 332 Trivandrum 07:55 676 Dubai 08:00 286 Chittagong 08:05 284 Dhaka 08:10 855 Dubai 08:25 121 Sharjah 08:40 132 Doha 09:00 603 Shiraz 09:20 301 Abu Dhabi 09:20 6801 Ahwaz 10:15 203 Dubai 10:30 213 Bahrain 10:45 102 Dubai 11:05 165 Dubai 11:15 447 Doha 11:20 610 Cairo 12:55 672 Dubai 13:15 645 Muscat 13:15 774 Riyadh 13:20 432 Damascus 13:35 982 Washington DC Dulles 13:35 800 Amman 13:35 057 Dubai 13:50 257 Beirut 14:05 422 Amman 14:10 562 Amman 14:20 512 Tehran 14:20 500 Jeddah 14:30 134 Doha 15:05 173 Dubai 16:05 303 Abu Dhabi 16:50 857 Dubai 16:55 215 Bahrain 17:15 402 Beirut 17:15 510 Riyadh 17:20 457 Damascus 17:35 202 Jeddah 17:35 125 Sharjah 17:40 239 Amman 17:40 367 Deirezzor 17:55 227 Colombo/Dubai 18:00 304 Cairo 18:35 166 Paris/Rome 18:40 106 Dubai 18:45 502 Beirut 18:50 542 Cairo 18:50 618 Doha 18:55 786 Jeddah 18:55 744 Dammam 19:15 674 Dubai 19:20 614 Bahrain 19:20 458 Singapore/Abu Dhabi 19:25 102 New York/London 19:25 552 Damascus 19:40 061 Dubai 20:05 647 Muscat 20:15 402 Beirut 20:20 081 Baghdad 20:30 572 Mumbai 20:30 642 Vienna 20:45 372 Bahrain 21:00 217 Bahrain 21:05 859 Dubai 21:15 172 Frankfurt 21:20 136 Doha 21:35 981 Bahrain 21:55 981 Chennai/Hyderabad/Ahmedabad 22:05 313 Bahrain 22:10 215 Kabul 22:30 449 Doha 22:30 636 Frankfurt 22:35 185 Dubai 22:40 612 Cairo 22:55 0447 Amsterdam/Bahrain 23:10 389 Kozhikode/Mangalore 23:10 205 Lahore 23:55

Airlines

Flt

Route

Egypt Air India Express Indian Lufthansa Ariana Turkish Air Arabia Egypt Egypt Air DHL Emirates Etihad Qatari Wataniya Airways Jordanian Jazeera Jazeera Gulf Air Jazeera Wataniya Airways British Iran Air Kuwait Kuwait Kuwait Wataniya Airways Kuwait Arabia Emirates Wataniya Airways Qatari Kuwait Kuwait Etihad Iran Air Iran Aseman Gulf Air Wataniya Airways Falcon Wataniya Airways Jazeera Kuwait Jazeera Jazeera Jazeera Wataniya Airways Kuwait Kuwait Kuwait Egypt Air Oman Air Kuwait Jordanian Wataniya Airways Fly Dubai United Kuwait Kuwait Saudia Qatari Kuwait Kuwait Rovos Etihad Emirates Gulf Air Arabia Jazeera Saudia Jazeera Jazeera SriLankan Kuwait Kuwait Fly Dubai Singapore Kuwait Kuwait Oman Air Middle East Jet A/W Wataniya Airways Gulf Air DHL Kuwait Emirates Falcon Kuwait Qatari Kuwait Kuwait Jazeera Jazeera United Jazeera Kuwait Kuwait Egypt Air

607 Luxor 394 Cochin/Kozhikode 994 Mumbai/Chennai 637 Frankfurt 406 Dubai/Kabul 773 Istanbul 552 Alexandria 615 Cairo 371 Bahrain 854 Dubai 306 Abu Dhabi 139 Doha 101 Dubai 803 Amman 164 Dubai 446 Doha 212 Bahrain 256 Beirut 431 Damascus 156 London 614 Shahre Kord 171 Frankfurt 671 Dubai 117 New York 421 Amman 561 Amman 122 Sharjah 856 Dubai 641 Vienna 133 Doha 773 Riyadh 511 Tehran 302 Abu Dhabi 602 Shiraz 6802 Ahwaz 214 Bahrain 401 Beirut 204 Baghdad 303 Cairo 172 Dubai 541 Cairo 456 Damascus 238 Amman 366 Deirezzor 201 Jeddah 103 London 501 Beirut 785 Jeddah 611 Cairo 646 Muscat 551 Damascus 801 Amman 105 Dubai 058 Dubai 982 Bahrain 673 Dubai 617 Doha 503 Medinah/Jeddah 135 Doha 613 Bahrain 743 Dammam 082 Baghdad 304 Abu Dhabi 858 Dubai 216 Bahrain 126 Sharjah 184 Dubai 511 Riyadh 448 Doha 312 Bahrain 228 Dubai/Colombo 283 Dhaka 361 Colombo 062 Dubai 457 Abu Dhabi/Singapore 343 Chennai 351 Cochin 648 Muscat 403 Beirut 571 Mumbai 187 Bahrain 218 Bahrain 373 Bahrain 675 Dubai 860 Dubai 102 Bahrain 381 Delhi 137 Doha 203 Lahore 301 Mumbai 526 Alexandria 636 Aleppo 981 Washington DC Dulles 502 Luxor 411 Bangkok/Manila 415 Kuala Lumpur/Jakarta 613 Cairo

Time

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

Directorate General of Civil Aviation Home Page (www.kuwait-airport.com.kw)

Sharing accommodation is available in a C-A/C flat for decent family or working ladies at Jabriya area 10, near Jabriya Indian school.

Please contact Mob: 99300513. (C 2636) Furnished sharing accommodation available for small family, non-smoking executive bachelor, couples to share with Keralite family in a two bed room flat near Abbassiya super market with immediate effect. Tel: 97647066. (C 2637) 2-9-2010 Khaitan - sharing room / bed space available for decent Indian bachelor in CA/C new building, beside main road and bus stop, near police station round about. Contact: 97523316 / 24745162. (C 2635) 1-9-2010

FOR SALE Household furniture for sale, fridge, cooking range, pressure cooker, cutlery items, big cupboard, single beds, dressing table, side tables, TV with stand, side tables, VCR, computer with table + printer etc. all items 2 yrs old sparingly used.

Contact Tel: 66764062.

(C 2641) 5-9-2010 Mitsubishi lancer EX-GT sport model 2008, black, full option, with alloy ring 38T

mileage. Price KD 3500.

Cont: 99489155. (C 2638) 4-9-2010 Toyota Echo 2005, golden color in excellent condition, factory painting, used by a lady. Price KD 1,600.

Please call: 60973490.

(C2633) 1-9-2010

SITUATION VACANT

Wanted live in maid with good English. For housekeeping, cooking and child care, good salary, Friday holiday. Mob: 66822337 / 99872345. (C 2642) 5-9-2010

No: 14842

Required driver, cook and maid to work in Kuwaiti home. Tel: 22450617 / 22450618. (C 2627)

CHANGE OF NAME I Natasha Furtado Crystal Joaquina holder of Indian passport No: F6634473, hereby change my name to Crystal Joaquina Natasha Furtado. (C 2639) 4-9-2010 I, Govind Bahadur, holder of Indian passport No. G7938083 hereby change my name to Govind Bahadur Rana. (C 2634) 1-9-2010

MATRIMONIAL Mangalorean RC parents invite proposals for their daughter MBBS, MD working MOH, 28 yrs, 5í3” from RC bachelor doctors, CA, Engineers, Accountants, Post-graduates. Contact: dellrose6@gmail.com (C 2630) 2-9-2010 BABYSITTING Baby sitting available at Salmiya, Amman street, opposite Al-Rashid hospital.

Tel: 65515717. (C 2622) 29-8-2010

34

SPECTRUM

Sunday, September 5, 2010

Calvin

CROSSWORD 73

Aries (March 21-April 19) You enjoy life yourself and can go one better when it comes to teasing, perhaps too far at times. Your friends may have plans that include you today so you might be attentive in your need to tell a joke or tease . . . wait until asked or invited by one of those winks from your friends.

You will enjoy activities from garage sales to some form of indoor sports. Your appetite for high activity is probably well known and well noted. Sports, outdoor activities and everything physical are high on your list of favorites. Feelings are something you express easily and you appreciate others doing the same. This is a creative period for you, a time to take a chance and a time to be appreciated. An evening with a loved one now can bring new understandings.

Taurus (April 20-May 20) This is a good day for money . . . an old debt will be paid and new opportunities are available. Put work aside, or be willing to take interruptions today. Your dreams and ideals are very important to you and you methodically go about putting them into practice. A young family member needs your attention this afternoon. You may be asked for your advice and counsel regarding some very personal and emotional issues surrounding this person. Try not to be too quick with your answers--this person may just want to talk. You will be able to be understanding and clever with new ideas that will be helpful. Tonight is for entertaining.

Show off your cooking talents with healthy and fun finger foods that are easy and enjoyable.

Pooch Cafe

ACROSS 1. Thin fibrous bark of the paper mulberry and Pipturus albidus.

5. Love intensely.

10. A federation of North American labor unions that merged with the Congress of Industrial Organizations in 1955.

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

14. Any of various thermoplastic resins used to make things.

15. A statement that deviates from or perverts the truth.

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

17. A pilgrimage to Mecca.

19. An Arabic speaking person who lives in Arabia or North Africa.

21. A young unmarried woman.

23. Made agreeably cold (especially by ice).

25. A decree that prohibits something.

26. The content of cognition.

29. The cry made by sheep.

31. A genus of Strigidae.

35. Relating to a recently developed fashion or style.

36. A loose sleeveless outer garment made from aba cloth.

38. A short synopsis.

41. (informal) `johnny' was applied as a nickname for Confederate soldiers by the Federal soldiers in the American Civil War. 42. A white linen liturgical vestment with sleeves.

43. A starch made by leaching and drying the root of the cassava plant.

45. The principal evil jinni in Islamic mythology.

47. A member of an extinct North American Indian people who lived in the Pit river valley in northern California.

49. Large antelope with lightly spiraled horns of desert regions of North Africa.

53. Any of numerous local fertility and nature deities worshipped by ancient Semitic peoples.

57. (Greek mythology) The Muse of comedy and pastoral poetry.

60. An implement used to propel or steer a boat.

61. (Greek mythology) One of the three Graces.

64. Ancient Hebrew unit of liquid measure = 1.5 gallons.

65. Kidney disease characterized by enlarged kidneys containing many cysts.

66. Of or relating to the lips of the mouth.

67. A doctor's degree in education.

DOWN 1. The basic unit of money in Bangladesh.

2. Someone who copies the words or behavior of another.

3. A metabolic acid found in yeast and liver cells.

4. A peninsula between the Red Sea and the Persian Gulf.

5. A very poisonous metallic element that has three allotropic forms.

6. The longer of the two telegraphic signals used in Morse code.

7. Toward the mouth or oral region.

8. The seventh month of the Moslem calendar.

9. Half the width of an em.

10. By bad luck.

11. A small high-pitched flute similar to a piccolo.

12. (archaic or Scottish) Faithful and true.

18. French biochemist who (with Francois Jacob) explained how genes are activated and suggested the existence of messenger RNA (1910-1976).

20. A wild gathering involving excessive drinking and promiscuity.

22. Informal terms for a mother.

24. A light touch or stroke.

27. Amino acid that is formed in the liver and converted into dopamine in the brain.

28. Any place of complete bliss and delight and peace.

30. A river in north central Switzerland that runs northeast into the Rhine.

32. An official language of the Republic of South Africa.

33. Large sweet juicy hybrid between tangerine and grapefruit having a thick wrinkled skin.

34. The compass point that is one point south of southeast.

37. In bed.

39. The basic unit of money in Saudi Arabia.

40. Having a common axis.

41. A very poisonous metallic element that has three allotropic forms.

44. The branch of computer science that deal with writing computer programs that can solve problems creatively.

46. A small cake leavened with yeast.

48. The syllable naming the fourth (subdominant) note of the diatonic scale in solmization.

50. East Indian tree bearing a profusion of intense vermilion velvet-textured blooms and yielding a yellow dye.

51. Any of a group of Indic languages spoken in Kashmir and eastern Afghanistan and northern Pakistan.

52. Of or relating to or characteristic of Thailand of its people.

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

54. A dull persistent (usually moderately intense) pain.

55. Harsh or corrosive in tone.

56. Relating to or characteristic of or occurring on land.

58. Title for a civil or military leader (especially in Turkey).

59. A metric unit of volume or capacity equal to 10 liters.

62. 16 ounces.

63. A state in midwestern United States.

Gemini (May 21-June 20) New means of selfexpression and communication are possible. You may find yourself changing your appearance, moving toward the more unconventional and less traditional. A shopping expedition with a young person can be fun today, especially if you do not try to accomplish everything in one day.

Careful--you appreciate tradition and your value system is dead set against anything new or out-of-the-ordinary, however, this young person may have some out of the ordinary ideas about purchases. There is a chance to understand and have some special time with them. General good feelings and a sense of support and harmony make this a happy time.

There is a strong drive to unify and simplify.

Non Sequitur

Cancer (June 21-July 22) Friendships are in a state of transformation--old ones are either revitalized or else they come to an end; new ones are formed. Fate seems to bring you to your friends and also changes your old relationships in positive ways. A group or organization you belong to could blur the line between means and ends. It would be a good idea to become attentive to the balance of your time. Expect a sense of support and goodwill from those around you today. Careful--do not overdo your nurturing abilities. You are the eternal patron of just about anyone who will let you look after him or her--the mother hen. You need to feel useful and wanted and are never happy unless you are active and involved. Always the host, you find yourself caring for others this evening.

Leo (July 23-August 22) Friendships are in a state of transformation--old ones are either revitalized or else they come to an end; new ones are formed. You are independent, confident and ready to form fun relationships. You love attention and somehow manage to gravitate to the center of almost any group or happening. A relationship that temporarily went off the track can now be restored. Accept a game challenge today--lots of laughter is available. Over the last few weeks you may have heard someone talk about what they were doing to create some energysaving techniques. You may begin to think along this same path of thinking.

This could mean the purchase of a solar panel or the careful planning of the way you use electricity or gas. Your friends may have some ideas.

Zits

Virgo (August 23-September 22) This is an easy, calm day that should find everything running smoothly. You can demonstrate great understanding and sensitivity to the needs of others and may find that today is a good opportunity to volunteer or encourage a volunteer attitude.

You can help others learn problem-solving techniques and helping others. You may find yourself intervening and smoothing out negative situations. You are able to handle delicate matters without ever breaking stride. Emotional and tender areas of the human psyche do not slow your progress. You enjoy getting beneath the surface and you have an innate savvy for handling touchy subjects and people. You love social life and relationships of all kinds-partners, marriages, teachers, etc.

Libra (September 23-October 22) You have a natural sense of what others want and you will try your best to please. Your loved ones have shown great patience toward you lately and you want to show them your appreciation now. In-depth discussions and probing conversations find you at your mental best. Your ability to discern a proper outcome is very good. This is a great time to be with others in some fun activity. There could be an interest in group sports, hobbies, movie, dinner out, etc. Information that you have been examining and thinking about will now begin to take shape and prove useful to you. This next period is one of action and embarking on new projects. You will feel more and more confident and outgoing with a sense of confidence that grows stronger each day.

Mother Goose and Grimm

Scorpio (October 23-November 21) You enjoy working with your mind and your sharp perceptions make finding new solutions easy. Today your occupation seems to be with puzzles. This afternoon you may be expected to do your share in helping with some family project. You always bring an unexpected twist or insight to anything you set your mind to do. You are able to teach or help others to be more original when it comes to the words or thoughts they use. Be careful not to correct others too often. You can use the mind in original ways and probably have excellent eye-hand coordination. Your laser-like mind makes conversations fast-paced and illuminating. Dinner out with family or friends could bring much laughter.

The opera, a concert or some other similar entertainment is engaging.

Sagittarius (November 22-December 21) You have a natural sense for communicating with others, especially young people. Clear thoughts about the past may also be flowing in at this time. You and a family member may find some fun time to work on a photograph book or bring an old scrapbook up to date. This afternoon you may be attending a shower, wedding or some celebration that involves friends or family. A reunion of sorts is in the forecast today and there is much celebration.

This is a vital day with much enthusiasm and lots of action. You may feel focused and even a bit radiant. You could find that you can really communicate and get your ideas across to others. A well-planned life can help you avoid stress, but occasionally, like today, you may enjoy a bit of impulsiveness.

Yesterday’s Solution

Yester

Yesterday’s Solution

To

00965 00974 009712 009714 009717 009716 00968 009626 00973 009661 009662 00202

Alexandria Beirut Damascus Allepo Tunisia Rabat Washington New York Paris London Madrid Zurich

Aquarius (January 20- February 18) You can easily entertain a group of people if you are called upon to do so.

Today you could be entertaining young people. At the very least, the gift of gab is highlighted. Working with or teaching others and communicating via the mind in general are fun for you and you have a special way of presenting most any subject matter in the most unique of ways. As a natural storyteller, you are at home in the world of myths and dreams. Your sense of discernment when it comes to matters of literary and intellectual taste is very refined. You could write poetry or prose and you put a very high value on the written word. You enjoy nothing more than a good conversation and may be very adept at speaking. When extra money is needed, communication is your tool.

INTERNATIONAL CALLS Kuwait Qatar Abu Dhabi Dubai Raas Al Khayma Al-Shareqa Muscat Jordan Bahrain Riyadh Makkah - Jeddah Cairo

Capricorn (December 22-January 19) Spending money may pacify you, but it can get out of control.

Dealing with money in sound, well-balanced ways is an important lesson to master at this time. You will soon be exposed to new ideas in the area of finances-take notes but no action just yet. Plan to stash some of your cash in a safe place for a 'rainy day.' Be wise in your choice of words if you are teaching--stay away from criticisms. Your intuition rings true. Focus on plans for travel later today. This is a time for imagination and creativity when it comes to ideas. This, together with the ability to put your thoughts into words, allows you to captivate most listeners. A good book or movie would be appreciated by you this evening. Relax and enjoy someone else's story.

00203 009611 0096311 0096321 0021610 002127 001212 001718 00331 004471 00341 00411

Word Sleuth Solution

Pisces (February 19-March 20) You may be able to enjoy and value your own life situation today or feel especially kind toward a friend or loved one. You can always find the resources you require at hand plus the necessary instruction in how to use them. You may find yourself as a go-between with others. You could even have a special gift for spanning the generation gap, bringing older and younger spirits together. Quick answers, great wit and a surplus of insights and solutions are easy to find. This is a good time to write and communicate with real originality. Inventions and breakthroughs are possible. All sorts of creative activity are also possible--fishing, camping, etc. Close relationships take on more emotional depth.

INFORMATION

Sunday, September 5, 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. 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

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SPECTRUM

36

Sunday, September 5, 2010

Lady Gaga’s dieting lands her in hospital he ‘Bad Romance’ singer’s former tour manager, David Ciemny, claims she would binge on junk food such as cakes and sweets, then not eat for weeks to fit into her costumes once losing 20lbs between fittings for one of her outfits. Describing her condition, David says in Maureen Callahan’s new book ‘Poker Face: The Rise and Rise of Lady Gaga’: “When I say she was sick, I mean physically and mentally.” Talent scout Wendy Starland added: “The pressure on her to lose weight was very high.” Also in the book, David’s wife Angela claims she used to accompany Gaga on tour alongside her husband, and the ‘Paparazzi’ singer would cuddle up to her in bed before performances. She

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Robert Pattinson almost squashed by an elephant he ‘Twilight Saga’ hunk - who stars alongside Reese Witherspoon in the forthcoming film ‘Water for Elephants’ - narrowly escaped being rolled on by a huge grey animal called Rosie, whilst trying to give her a bath. A source said: “The script called for the elephant to

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step forward while swinging her trunk from side to side, but Rosie got her signals mixed up. Instead, she sat down on her big butt, lifted her front legs - and then rolled over. Before anyone could react, Robert slid right down the elephant’s back. It could have been a disaster if she’d rolled over on him - but he got lucky, landing face first in

a pile of dirt and mud. He was filthy, but unharmed.” Although he narrowly escaped serious injury, Robert quickly got up to the amusement of his co-stars and crew members. The source added to National Enquirer magazine: “Everyone on the set cracked up - especially Reese, who was laughing so hard she couldn’t catch her breath.” He told the group: “I’m just glad she didn’t roll on top of me!”

Angelina Jolie’s daughter is ‘strong-willed’ he ‘Salt’ actress - who raises six children with partner Brad Pitt - insists that she couldn’t deter four-year-old Shiloh from wanting to dress like a boy, even if she wanted to change the youngster. She said: “I have a very strong-willed four-year-old girl who tells me what she wants to wear and I let her be who she is. “I think people think kids should be a certain way, but I feel they should wear what they feel like wearing and they should express themselves.

Shiloh cried one night and said, ‘Please cut my hair off.

I don’t want to have long hair.’ I’m not going to leave it long just because somebody thinks I should.” The 35-year-old beauty also spoke of how much she enjoys “date nights” with Brad away from their family. She added: “You have to have date nights if you have children. Sometimes we’ll ask a babysitter to spend the night so we can go out, but sometimes we just go to another part of the house.”

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said: “I would say, ‘Gaga, I have a husband to go home to. I’ll be in the room next door.’ “She’d call and text me, ‘I miss you, Ange, can you come back?’ So I would.

“We literally would do our make-up together every morning and get ready for bed together at night.” Despite six hospital stints last year, the 24-year-old star’s health problems have continued into 2010, with her being forced to cancel four US shows in January suffering from an irregular heartbeat, brought on by exhaustion.

She also broke down in New Zealand in March and has recently tested “borderline positive” for Lupus, a tissue disease which killed her aunt. Gaga has previously admitted to being “insecure”, but claims she hides behind her onstage persona.

Kelsey Grammer to become a dad for the fifth time he former ‘Frasier’ star and his new girlfriend Kayte Walsh - who he began dating following his split from estranged wife Camille Donatacci - are expecting their first child together, the 29year-old air hostess’ father has confirmed.

Kate’s dad Alan Walsh who, at 53, is two years younger than his daughter’s new partner - said: “I don’t know how long they have been together and I have not met him yet, but I’m looking forward to it. We just found out about her pregnancy a couple of days ago. I think they met in New York socially because she works for Virgin Airways and often stops over in America. “The main thing is for them both to be happy and they are - they have just hit it off together.” Kelsey is in the middle of getting divorced from Camille and is now keen for it to be finalized as soon as possible so he can focus on his new relationship. A source said: “He’s pushing for a quickie divorce because things are moving quickly with his new girlfriend.”

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Jennifer Aniston is dating Lohan’s ex-boyfriend Plus-size supermodel Crystal Renn left horrified rystal - who is a US Size 10 (UK 14) - says the pictures for the Fashion for Passion advertisements no longer look like her because her appearance has been altered so much. She told the Daily Mirror newspaper: “They brushed about 30lbs off my body. I sat there in silence for so long when I saw the pictures. I couldn’t believe what they’d done. It didn’t look like me. “Don’t cut inches off my thighs. Don’t make me a size two when I’m a 10. It’s totally misleading.

Fashion should be about a beautiful girl in beautiful clothes, not this size obsession. It’s dangerous. “But if I have a zit or cellulite, take it off!” Although Crystal, 28, went on a drastic diet and exercise regime for years to maintain a supermodel figure “to the point I got so ill it became difficult to walk”, she says her career only improved after she put on weight. The supermodel - who has appeared in French Vogue and on the cover of American Glamour explained: “After a year, I decided to change my life and be happy with who I am naturally to gain success not only in modeling but also in life.” The photographer Nicholas Routzen commented: “I did nothing that I wouldn’t do to anyone. I’m paid to make women look beautiful.” —Bangshowbiz

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he 41-year-old actress was spotted enjoying a romantic date with a mystery man earlier last week and it has now been revealed he is Hard Rock Cafe heir Harry Morton, who briefly romanced the ‘Machete’ star in 2006.

Jennifer and 29-year-old Harry - who is also the founder of Pink Taco restaurant chains - spent two-and-a-half hours having an intimate dinner at the exclusive Sunset Tower Hotel in Hollywood. An onlooker said: “Jennifer was at a cozy corner table with a good looking younger man. She was twirling her hair a lot and

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flirting shamelessly. “Jennifer looked really good. She had on white jeans and a sexy black tank top. When her mystery date left for the restroom, she took the opportunity to primp by reapplying her lipstick.” After the date, Jennifer - who was recently linked to ex-boyfriend John Mayer - slipped out the back door to avoid the waiting paparazzi.

Although Harry - who has also previously romanced ‘Heroes’ actress Hayden Panettiere -

seemed quite smitten with Jennifer, he may be wary of dating another high-profile star as he has previously spoken of his dislike of having lots of publicity. He said: “It is the worst thing of all time...

I’ll be happy if it never happens again.

There are people out there who just love it. Not me.”

Garden Island gems

Sunday, September 5, 2010

SPECTRUM

37

New finds and favorite

old spots on Kauai

By Gary A Warner t’s the smallest. The oldest. The wettest. Its volcanic peaks are low, green-cloaked, worn down and scalloped by wind and rain. Kauai. My favorite of the four main Hawaiian islands. The most lush, low-key spot in the world with a ZIP code attached to it. No freeways like on Oahu. No high-rise hotels like on Maui. No miles upon miles of brown rock like the Big Island.Of the smaller inhabited islands, Lanai is too sleepy and Molokai too difficult (its top resort recently closed).

On Kauai, everything is just about right (except for the traffic around Kapaa). No buildings taller than a palm tree. Even the Walmart has the decency to hide itself behind a cloak of trees on the edges of Lihue. I have long-entrenched favorite places to swim, stroll, sleep and eat on Kauai. But each trip also brings new spots that become old favorites. My last trip in March was a mix of first-time experiences and longtime standards. Here’s my latest collection of Kauai gems:

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Manawaiopuna waterfall I’ve flown in military helicopters in South Korea and Saudi Arabia, but I can’t remember a whirlybird ride as gluteus maximus-clenching as the slide up a narrow canyon to the dirt landing path next to Manawaiopuna Falls. Island Helicopters has a monopoly on landing near this cascade, which starred in the movie “Jurassic Park.”

We landed next to a reservoir carved out of rock high in the hills above the west side of Kauai. “All this was built for the sugar cane industry. They needed a lot of water because a 3-foot stalk of cane made the equivalent of one sugar cube,” said pilot Isaac Oshita, 35, a Wailua native.

Oshita learned to fly at California’s John Wayne Airport and honed his skills flying tourist helicopters at the Grand Canyon.

But making the run up to the falls takes a lot of practice - and good weather. The trip doesn’t go if conditions aren’t optimal.

Luckily, our day was sunny and bright, if a bit windy. We scooted over the landing site

and settled in, the rotors rustling the trees like a mini-hurricane. We ducked out under the blades for the short walk up a trail to a pond under the thin, pounding strands of water tumbling 400 feet over the ridge above. It was one of those moments where I couldn’t help but say out loud, “Damn, I have a great job.” The trip isn’t cheap $349 per person is the list price. But what was so satisfying was to fly from the concrete tourist world of Lihue, over the industrial harbor at Nawiliwili and then cut inland into the dense, jungle-like interior of Kauai that I had never seen. The reservoir built by the sugar workers to water the fields downslope is intact, though the landing pad used in the 1993 movie washed away long ago.

Hidden beaches of the Na Pali Coast Confession: I’ve been coming to Kauai for nearly two decades and before this spring, I never saw the Na Pali Coast on anything but a postcard. Kauai brings out the languid traveler in me, and the idea of snorkel boats and helicopters never overcame the wonderful lethargy of beachcombing, strolling and hammock inspection that mark many of my trips to the island.

But the helicopter ride to the falls included a swing up the coast, and I saw what I had been missing all these years.

The steep pali, serrated like folds in a sheet, were beautiful enough. But the gem was the many hidden beaches - sometimes just small crescents a few dozen yards wide - that dotted the coast. Accessible by only boat or, in some spots, the coastal trail, they were often deserted or inhabited by just a lucky couple of people. The beaches are about as close to the shipwrecked paradise feeling as you can find in Hawaii. The ride back to the Lihue Airport isn’t bad either.

We flew over Hanakoa Falls, which tumbles down the side of the Na Pali Coast. Then our route ran along the North Coast, over Kee Beach and the taro fields near Hanalei Bay. “It’s used for poi,” Oshita jokes. “So we feed it to you tourists.” The route back skirts Mount Waialeale, the wettest spot on earth - with an average rainfall of 472 inches per

year. We picked up some drizzle on the windshield as we passed the cloud covered peak. Then it was over the hills and into Lihue.

View from Brennecke’s Beach Broiler in Poipu This casual restaurant serves a good hamburger and a pretty stiff mai tai. But I take everyone I can here for something not on the menu - the framed view of Poipu Beach Park across the street as framed from the second-story windows. I usually try to visit on my first day on the island lunch or an early dinner at the window. A gaze out at the golden glow of the afternoon sun on the yellow sands and the sparkledappled waves beyond says “I’m not home anymore” better than just about any place I know. Brennecke’s at its best - when it’s a little slow - is like a tropical isolation chamber. But even when it’s full and an NFL game is loudly pumping out of the TV over the bar, it’s a tonic for me. I feel my pulse slowing, my breath relaxing and my shoulders dropping. I can hear the palm trees rustle in the tradewinds through the open window. Roy’s has fancier food. The Beach House sits closer to the water. But Brennecke’s Broiler is quintessential Kauai for me.

Talk Story Bookstore in Hanapepe The red- and black-fronted store is in an out-of-the-way corner of Kauai. Hanapepe is literally a town passed by - the main highway cut around the town several years ago, leaving it a kind of sleepy backwater along the south coast west of Poipu. Its architecture is the inspiration for the “Lilo & Stitch” movies and TV show, and tourists come to walk on the famous swinging bridge. But for me the main draw is Talk Story, where Ed Justus and his wife, Cynthia Powell, sell books and keep up a community meeting spot. My kids love the shop not only for the Hawaiian-themed children’s books, but for the collection of cats Cami, Celiste and Ciera - who patrol the aisles or park themselves on the desk next to the cash register.

Hanalei Colony Resort has many rooms with beach views.

—MCT photos

Enhanced by deep blue skies, Kauai, Hawaii’s “red dirt” beckons visitors to take a picture.

- from getting too close. It’s one of the many wonderful animal encounters I’ve had on Kauai. There are quite a few nenes, the Hawaiian goose that is the official state bird. I’ve stopped to check out a donkey wandering along a back lane near Polihale Beach and watched as a big brown horse that had thrown its rider dashed miles down the sands near Waimea’s pier.

The Kilauea Point Wildlife Sanctuary is a favorite side trip, especially when I am staying on the north shore. The reserve, which includes nearby Crater Hill and Mokolea Point, is home to several kinds of nesting seabirds. The area around the Kilauea Lighthouse, built in 1913, is a good vantage point to look for spinner dolphins, whales and monk seals. One of my favorite animal experiences on Kauai is a bit artificial: the koi feeding time at the Kauai Marriott. Sure, it’s a canned event at a resort, but the muscular thrashing and

Independent bookstore lovers will love Talk Story, with its overflowing shelves of new and used books and more stacked in big piles in the back. On Fridays, Talk Story has music and snacks that bring in locals, and visitors who make the drive from the condos at Poipu. Ed would love to see the shuttered Aloha Theater next door renovated into a retail building - even if it means bringing gelato stands to their plantationera throwback of a town. Ed and Cynthia are East Coast transplants who moved as far west as they could in the US They’ve never looked back. “It’s been an excellent life, really a lot of fun,” Cynthia said during my most recent visit. “We’re doing something we love and we have time for each other.”

Hanalei Colony Resort The one-lane bridge just down the hill from the luxurious but slick Princeville resort separates the north shore of Kauai.

To the east is the resort-golf world. Down the hill, it’s low-slung and slow-going, especially after you get past the town of Hanalei.

I’ve visited the Hanalei Colony Resort many times over the years and never stayed. Long ago, the big draw was a restaurant owned by Maria Rosario Pilar Martinez Molina Gutierrez de los Perales Santa Ana Romanguera y de la Hinojosa Rasten - better known as Charo. The connection to the curvaceous Spanish entertainer, known in the 1960s as the “cuchi cuchi” girl featured on “The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson” and “Laugh-In,” drew a steady stream of customers to the eatery she named after herself.

The resort next door always seemed a little too remote - it’s the only hotel west of Princeville on the north coast. During my visits, it often seemed to be either in disrepair or under repair. When I see stacks of lumber and a power saw resting on a work table, I know peace and quiet aren’t going to mark my vacation. But the resort seems to have turned a corner. The majority of the rooms have been renovated, and they are big by Hawaii standards. I stayed in March, solo in one of the standard two-bedroom units, and loved it. Be forewarned that though there are two beds, one is separated by a high wooded divider that blocks sights but not sounds. A lot of guests seem to have signed up for long stays, and there are potluck parties by the pool and on the lawn.

The hotel will prestock your refrigerator if you fill out an order form before you arrive.

A scenic helicopter tour provides a stunning view of the northwest edge of Kauai, Hawaii.

The beach isn’t A-plus. It’s a bit rocky and windy. But it’s OK for a dip and great for a sunset stroll. Charo’s is long gone. The current restaurant is a winner called The Mediterranean Gourmet. It’s picked up several awards from Honolulu magazine for its food and continues the eclectic entertainment of Charo’s era, with the occasional belly dancer performing between courses. The hotel can also pack picnic lunches to take to Kee Beach or any of the other remote spots on this part of the island. The gift shop next door also serves a great espresso. Hanalei Colony Resort is one of those “not for everybody, but definitely for me” kind of places. A nice find in a fantastic, quiet, lush part of the island. I’ll be back.

Animal encounters: Snoozy seals and crazed koi The beach at Poipu looked like a crime scene. Yellow police tape around the beach.

Crowds with cameras gathered around. In the middle, a large brownish lump still on the sand. It was a monk seal, probably dead and washed up on the shoreline. We got out of our rental car and walked over. Mindy Schauer, the photographer I was traveling with in March, edged around to get a shot.

“I’m not putting dead seals in the Travel section,” I told her.

Her camera clicked and slowly the seal’s eyes opened, checked out the source of the noise, and closed again. The seal wasn’t dead. It was napping. They pull themselves up on the beach for a rest and the lifeguards use tape to keep the real problem - tourists

flashing of the colorful fish to get their meal is one of the most naturally psychedelic experiences you’ll ever see. My favorite spot to watch koi feeding is the Byodo-In temple on the windward coast of Oahu. But if you are in Kauai, stop by to see the action. I’ve never seen one of Kauai’s most famous - or perhaps infamous - denizens, the sharks that surfers know are one of the dangers of riding the waves off the north shore.

Red rocks by Waimea Canyon My love for Kauai comes from the lush, green world of the north shore and the northern slopes of the upcountry. But one of the spectacular things about Kauai is that there are many geological and botanical worlds to be explored. The antithesis of the green fertile image of the island can be found on Highway 55, the route up to Waimea Canyon, which Mark Twain dubbed “The Grand Canyon of the Pacific.” Before reaching the lookout, there is an area of red soil that can be found throughout the island, but is most prevalent on the west side (good for sugar cane and popular as a coloring agent for “Red Dirt” T-shirts).

Here is a treeless stretch where the landscape looks more like Utah than Hawaii. A small creek runs through a cut in the land, giving a splash of blue to the red.

It’s a palette that’s the flip side to the greens of much of the rest of the island.

Just a small stretch, but a hidden Kauai gem that makes me want to come back again and again to collect more. — MCT

SPECTRUM

38

Sunday, September 5, 2010

Kara DioGuardi becomes third judge to quit ‘American Idol’ ongwriter Kara DioGuardi has quit “American Idol,” the third of four judges to leave the toprated US television singing contest this year following Simon Cowell and Ellen DeGeneres. Fox network announced on Friday that DioGuardi is departing the show after weeks of media speculation, leaving just one of the original judges, Randy Jackson, still on the panel.

DioGuardi thanked everyone who supported her during her two seasons on the show and wished the best to everyone taking part in the upcoming Season 10 that will be broadcast from January.

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Kara DioGuardi of “American Idol” at the FOX Winter All-Star Party in Los Angeles. — AP

“I felt like I won the lottery when I joined “American Idol” two years ago, but I feel like now is the best time to leave ‘Idol,” DioGuardi said in a statement. “It has truly been an amazing experience ... I look forward to my next challenge,” she said without elaborating on the reasons for her departure. While DioGuardi’s statement suggested the move was her choice, her exit comes amid speculation that she was axed as the network and producers shake up the judging panel in the wake of Cowell’s departure and to arrest a ratings decline.

The American Idol franchise has

had some of the highest ratings on US television since it began in 2001 and remained the most-watched show on US television last season, generating big advertising revenues for Fox. But ratings have been sliding for four years which has also affected sales of the up-and-artists who find fame on the show.

National auditions for the show’s new season are already underway but the new lineup of judges is yet to be unveiled. Media reports have suggested that Fox has secured singer Jennifer Lopez and Areosmith rocker Steven Tyler to sit as judges alongside veteran judge Jackson. It

is uncertain whether Fox will stick with a four judge panel or revert to its original panel of three.

Fox released a flurry of statements praising DioGuardi and saying she would be missed on the show.

“Idol” creator and executive producer Simon Fuller, who modeled the show after his popular British series “Pop Idol,” described DioGuardi as one of the world’s best songwriters.

“She has been passionate and committed to “Idol” over the last two seasons. I will miss having her on the show, but I look forward to working with her in music for many years to come,” he said.

Cowell, the abrasive British judge, was the first to quit the show, leaving in May to launch another talent show “The X Factor.”

DeGeneres, who joined “Idol” to replace Paula Abdul, decided to leave in July after just one season, with the popular US talk show host and comedian saying it was not the right fit for her.

“American Idol” is produced by Fuller’s 19 Entertainment, a unit of CKX Inc and by London-based Fremantle Media, a unit of Bertelsmann AG-controlled braodcaster RTL Corp. Fox is a unit of News Corp. —Reuters

Katy Perry’s chart-topper sparks new sales worries y most measures, Katy Perry’s new album, “Teenage Dream,” has been a resounding success.

The Capitol release bowed at No 1 on the Billboard 200, thanks to first-week sales of 192,000 units in the United States, the ninth-best debut week so far this year, according to Nielsen SoundScan.

The album’s first single, “California Gurls” (featuring Snoop Dogg), has scanned 3.6 million downloads, while all individual digital tracks from the album have sold a combined 5 million units, according to SoundScan. Put another way, sales of albums and track-equivalent albums (where 10 digital tracks equal an album) for “Teenage Dream” totaled 689,000, according to SoundScan.

“It’s a thrilling accomplishment from our perspective,” says EMI Music Services executive vice president Dominic Pandiscia, who oversees the company’s North American sales operations. “The magnitude of the marketing plan is about driving overall revenue around the project, including track downloads, ringtones and video sales. Album scans is one component of it.” Yet “Teenage Dreams” fell short in one key area: It didn’t meet first-week sales projections by industry insiders.

And that, in turn, has sparked worries that the album’s per-

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Photo shows US singer Katy Perry performing at the 13th Hurricane Festival in Scheessel, northern Germany. — AFP formance may affect retail orders for other superstar releases due later this year.

‘Wake-up call’ Executives at other major labels say they expected Perry’s sophomore album to debut with sales of anywhere from 300,000 to 700,000 units, with most figuring the album would scan about 400,000. “I’d like to meet one industry executive last week who thought her album would do under 200,000 units,

because I don’t think that person exists,” a senior executive at a rival major says.

“It was a wake-up call for some folks,” the head of sales at another competing major says. “Some think the sky is falling. Others said, ‘Wait a minute, she’s a singles artist.’ And still others said EMI should have put out the album six weeks ago and it would have sold more.”

According to sources, EMI shipped 1 million units of the

album before its US release date of Aug. 24, which indicates that big-box retail chains like Walmart, Target and Best Buy were expecting the album to post robust firstweek sales, as was Starbucks, which featured the title in its stores.

It would also be roughly in line with the typical industry practice of shipping about twice as much product as anticipated first-week sales for a major album release.

But prerelease shipments of “Teenage Dream” turned out to be about seven times debut-week sales. Competing major-label executives say it wasn’t EMI’s fault that the album didn’t meet sales expectations. “EMI did a tremendous job in setting up that record,” one executive says.

Perry shot to pop stardom with her 2008 debut album, “One of the Boys” (Capitol), and a penchant for provocative lyrics and music videos.

In the long term Carl Mello, head of purchasing for retail chain Newbury Comics, says he expects that “Teenage Dream” will sell well through the end of the year and be one of the holiday season’s top titles. But he notes that the album’s first-week sales “aren’t as big as you would think for somebody who has become so omnipresent.”

While anticipation for Taylor Swift’s forthcoming album, “Speak Now” (Big Machine),

had sparked debate over whether superstar artists will ever be capable of generating debut-week sales of 1 million units, “Teenage Dream” has shifted the conversation to whether labels should even consider shipping 1 million units before street date.

“I don’t know how you ship a million units now,” a major-label head of sales says.

“Even if I was asked to ship a million units, you just can’t do it anymore.” Some label executives say expectations were too high, noting that most female pop artists commonly sell a lot of track downloads but don’t enjoy big debutweek album sales. “When I saw how Perry was doing, I was shocked,” a senior sales executive at a competing major distribution company says. “But then I remembered that Fergie’s ‘The Dutchess’ only did about 160,000 units in her first week in September (2006) and it took until December until the fans started buying her like an album artist.” EMI’s marketing push for “Teenage Dream” and Perry’s appealing stage persona will no doubt score high-profile TV appearances for her this fall, which should help boost sales of the album. “Mark my words: I will bet you ‘Teenage Dream’ will sell more than (“One of the Boys”),” another senior label sales executive says. “‘Teenage Dream’ will be one of those ‘at the end of the day’ records.” —Reuters

Jaripeo tour brings music, rodeo to arenas

By Leila Cobo t a time when economic woes and immigration crackdowns are hurting the Latin music touring business, big, showy productions would seem to be a thing of the past. But the upcoming Jaripeo de Oro: 3 a Caballo tour (Golden Jaripeo: 3 on Horseback), presented by Live Nation and Alvarez & Garner, is banking on its spectacle-and low ticket prices — to attract audiences. The tour’s 13-city run kicked off Aug. 28 in Los Angeles and will play in venues with an average seating capacity of 13,000.

The shows feature iconic Mexican singer-songwriter Joan Sebastian-who’s also an accomplished horseback rider-as the headliner, along with his son, Jose Manuel Figueroa, and another regional Mexican star, El Chapo de Sinaloa. The jaripeo show-a type of rodeo that includes bull riding, horses and music-in itself is not an oddity.

Legendary artists like Antonio Aguilar rode and sang in places like New York’s Madison Square Garden as far back as 20 years ago, and stars like his son Pepe Aguilar still perform at jaripeos today.

But this is the first major jaripeo tour in recent memory, and certainly the first such extensive venture put together by Live Nation and presented mostly in arenas, as opposed to state fairs. “I’d say it’s the biggest branded tour of this kind to date,” says Ruben Alvarez, co-owner of Alvarez & Garner, which he co-founded with Live Nation CEO of global music Jason Garner. “We’ve been slowly growing it into the phenomenon we have today.”

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Jihan, the wife of Lebanese singer Ragheb Alama, who was in 2009 an honorary UN ambassador for environmental and climate issues, checks a medal he received from Tunisian President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali for his achievements in the field of music in the Arab world on September 3, 2010 at the Tunisian embassy in Beirut. — AFP

Five-hour show Alvarez launched the Jaripeo de Oro brand in 2007 as a rodeo show starring Sebastian and Pepe Aguilar. The following year, he paired Sebastian, who sings from atop his horse, with banda/mariachi star Jenni Rivera (who didn’t perform on horseback). Last year, Sebastian’s performing partner was Banda el Recodo. This time around, Alvarez put together three artists who sing and ride in an ambitious production that includes 17 horses, at least 10 bulls and nearly five hours of family entertainment. Each show takes place on a circular stage surrounded by seating.

Tickets average $75 per seat this year, down from $90 last year in a nod to the weaker economy.

Seats are available for as little as $45, while highend tickets, which sell out the quickest, go for $150-$165. This year’s Jaripeo tour has expanded to 13 dates, three more than last year, with shows slated to run through November at venues like the American Airlines Arena in Dallas; Arco Arena in Sacramento, California; and the Portland (Oregon) Memorial Coliseum. Live Nation and Alvarez & Garner have already booked 10 dates for 2011.

The show’s expansion is a tribute to the popularity of its two marquee acts, particularly Sebastian, who is widely regarded as the reigning jaripeo king and who just finished his Los Tres tour alongside Alejandro Fernandez and Marco Antonio Solis. But the affordability of the tickets, coupled with the spectacle of the show, makes it uniquely appealing for a niche audience that saves its money for just the right kind of event. —Reuters

US court rules for Eminem in lawsuit A

federal appeals court has found Eminem’s former production company is entitled to more money from downloads of the rapper’s songs and ringtones. A federal jury last year had ruled against FBT Productions LLC in its lawsuit against Universal Music Group seeking a greater

share of revenue from downloads made between 2003 and 2008. But the US 9th Circuit Court of Appeals found Friday that FBT’s contract entitled Eminem and his producers to a 50-50 split with Universal for recordings licensed to digital distributors such as Apple Inc.’s iTunes. The record label

had paid FBT and Eminem 12 percent of sales, the agreed-upon rate for physical albums. FBT discovered Eminem in 1995 before he signed in 1998 with Dr Dre’s Aftermath Records. Universal’s Interscope Records distributes Aftermath recordings. — AP

Lead singer Bono of Irish band U2 performs during their 360 Degree Tour at Athen’s Olympic stadium, Greece, on Friday, Sept 3, 2010. —AP

Rosanne Cash is confident she’ll write second memoir

By Louis Hau osanne Cash has worn many hats through the years-country music star, acclaimed singer-songwriter, mother of five and firstborn child of the legendary Johnny Cash. Now, with her long-awaited memoir “Composed,” Cash is a best-selling author as well. For the week ended Aug 14, “Composed” debuted at No 20 on the New York Times best-seller list for hardcover nonfiction. Cash, who’s been on a book tour to promote the tome, says it’s been an invigorating experience to go out on the road as an author. “I even had a woman come up and say, ‘I’ve never heard of you before, I’ve never heard your music; I just read the excerpt from the book and somebody’s review and bought the book and loved it,”“ Cash says.

“And I thought, ‘Ah, success!”“ The publication of “Composed” comes after the deaths of her father in 2003 and her mother, Vivian Liberto, in 2005, which also

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year thinking about what I really wanted to do with my life. You get a good hard look at your mortality and it makes things seem more urgent. I wanted to finish the book and I wanted to make “The List.” And so I’ve done both.

Billboard: Would it have been easier or more difficult to finish the book while your parents were still around?

Cash: It’s kind of a bittersweet thing because I wish so much that they were here to see me do this. And yet I couldn’t have written it if they were still here. I don’t think I could’ve had the objectivity of who they were in my life until they’d been gone a while.

Billboard: Any plans to do another book?

Cash: Totally. It’s a 250-page book and I’m 55 years old. I definitely have volume two in me.

Billboard: In “Composed,” you discuss the tragic themes that resonate in many traditional country songs and then observe that

Rosanne Cash

By Ed Christman

informed her 2006 album, “Black Cadillac.”

After surviving a health scare that required brain surgery, Cash went on to record “The List,” her 2009 album of covers of classic songs that her father had urged her to learn.

In the coming weeks, Cash will be playing scattered concert dates amid a handful of additional book signings. She also says she’s been writing songs with Billy Bragg and Joe Henry for an album that the trio hopes to begin recording in late fall.

In an interview with Billboard, Cash talked about her book and what it’s been like watching daughter Chelsea Crowell launch her own recording career.

Billboard: Why did you feel compelled to write a memoir now?

Rosanne Cash: I didn’t feel compelled to write it now. I felt compelled to finish it now.

I’ve been working on it for a decade. I had brain surgery in 2007 and spent the next

“modern country music speaks less of such desperate loss, and has become shiny and rich and rather shallow as a result.” What did you mean by that?

Cash: There’s a whole genre that’s kind of hook-oriented and rather bombastic, and the lyrics are always secondary. That’s not just with country, that’s with a lot of pop music. I like a good catchy song as much as anybody else, but I’m a lyrics girl. I want to know what the song says, what it means, if it’s got a center to it that holds.

Billboard: How would you assess the current state of country music?

Cash: I can’t. People always ask me that question, and I am the last person you should ask. I’ve lived in New York City for 20 years; there’s no country radio station here. I’m a cultural Luddite as far as that. I’ve never seen “American Idol.” I hadn’t heard Taylor Swift until late last year. —Reuters

SPECTRUM

Sunday, September 5, 2010

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Photographers take picture of US director John Turturro (not pictured) as the cast of his film look at during the photocall of “Passione” at the 67th Venice Film Festival yesterday at Venice Lido.

“Passione” is presented out of competition.

— AFP

Venice’s ‘couturiers of glass’ stand test of time

Deneuve and Depardieu together again (not!) at Venice film festival

By Gina Doggett atherine Deneuve and Gerard Depardieu, fixtures of French cinema, yesterday came together again as the oddest of couples at the Venice film festival in a farce with attitude: “Potiche”. Based on a play of the same name-which translates with difficulty as “trophy wife”-the comedy relates the unlikely transformation of bourgeois housewife Suzanne Pujol (Deneuve) into company executive and her complex relationship with a toughas-nails union leader played by Depardieu.

“I’d been wanting to make a film about women’s place in society and politics for a long time,” says director Francois Ozon, 42, who tapped Deneuve among the “8 Femmes” in the 2002 film that won him international acclaim. “As much as I didn’t want to end up making a backwardlooking film, disconnected from reality, I felt I could achieve the tone and verve of screwball comedies,” he said in his director’s statement.

“Francois Ozon has written a funny screenplay full of references to today with respect to women and their place in society,” Deneuve said late Friday.

“Things have certainly changed since the Seventies, but not completely.”

Ozon is among several young directors in a decidedly youthful line-up selected

C Glass chandeliers are exhibited at the Archimede Seguso glass-making factory on the Venice island of Murano. — AFP

By Gina Doggett ith a clientele that includes crowned heads, Archimede Seguso Vetreria, a stalwart of Murano’s storied glassmakers, has no need to change its formula for success. “We buck the trend. We work traditionally, everything by hand,” said Gino Seguso, son of the late Archimede, the solid glass sculptor famed for his stylized animals, and generations of Segusos before him on the outlying Venetian island of Murano.

“We consider ourselves the ‘couturiers’ of glass,” said Seguso, whose atelier collaborates with top international artists, designers and architects and caters for royalty, heads of state and the likes of Tiffany’s, a loyal client for 60 years. The guest book holds the compliments of Queen Sirikit of Thailand, King Juan Carlo and Queen Sofia of Spain and Italian President Giorgio Napolitano among other notables.

The glassmaker’s enormous creations lend prestige to places like the lobby of the Veneto Bank headquarters or add extra opulence to the swank Hotel Metropole on Venice’s Grand Canal near St Mark’s Square. That grandeur makes a stark contrast to the rustic Murano workshop, where a 100-year-old furnace was fired up.

Though dressed in an impeccable suit, Seguso lifted a plate off the furnace to reveal the blinding yellow heat inside, and used a long iron tool to pull out a glowing red lump of molten glass, waving it in a gentle circle as cooling strands of glass spiraled to the floor. The workshop was set up in 1948, shortly after Archimede Seguso left the family firm to create his own brand.

He left an indelible mark on glassmaking, having started out as a teenager and worked until six months before his death in 1999 aged 90. “In the 1920s my father was considered the maestro for animals,” Gino Seguso told AFP, adding that he returned to the speciality in the late 1950s. The older Seguso is also credited with developing the technique of embedding filigree inside his creations as well as for his lacework, a technique known as Merletto, the Italian word for lace.

In the showroom bursting with chandeliers, vases and objets d’art, as well as a glass menagerie of rabbits, ducks or fish and other figurines, Seguso, who himself joined the family business in 1959, ticks off the decades reflected in his father’s rendition of the female form.

During Italy’s pre-war fascist period, which harkened back to the Roman empire, the feminine figure was more classical, with a smaller head and fuller body, he said.

Moving on to the 1970s, he held up another nude, this one tall and thin.

Seguso dreams of building a museum devoted to his father’s work and has approached Canadian-American architect Frank Gehry, designer of the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao, Spain, and the Walt Disney Concert Hall in downtown Los Angeles, for the project. Today the atelier’s 30 craftsmen-all local except for one Sri Lankan and one Russian-work at their own pace, producing no more than three or four objects a day.

Seguso’s three daughters Emanuela, Francesca and Barbara are in charge of jewellery and accessories under the brand Segusissime, with clients including US First Lady Michelle Obama. “The idea of making glass jewellery came to them in a flash when they were in their forties,” said Seguso, in his early 70s. —AFP

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French actress Catherine Deneuve boards a boat during the 67th Venice Film Festival yesterday at Venice Lido. Deneuve plays in “Potiche”, competing in the Venezia 67 category. — AFP by festival chief Marco Mueller for this year’s Mostra.

The world’s oldest film festival kicked off on Wednesday with 41-year-

old US director Darren Aronofsky’s psychological thriller “Black Swan”, while Sofia Coppola, 39, unveiled her father-daughter drama “Somewhere”,

set in Hollywood, on Friday. Still to come is “Promises Written on Water”, a sombre tale about a girl with a terminal illness, by 49-year-old Vincent

Gallo. Also in the under-50 crowd is Quentin Tarantino, 47, who heads the jury of this year’s festival running through September 11.

Yesterday featured another comedy, “La Passione” by Carlo Mazzacurati of Italy starring the prolific Silvio Orlando, who plays a washed-up filmmaker who is forced to set his lastchance project in Tuscany after a plumbing disaster at his country home damages a 16th-century fresco in a neighbouring chapel. As a bizarre form of compensation, the mayor asks him to lead Good Friday ceremonies-so the story of the Passion becomes his film, starring a local actor who happens to be an egomaniac.

“It’s from the chaos itself that this story finds its meaning and in the end a certain dignity,” Mazzacurati said.

“Ovsyanki” (Silent Souls) by Russian director Aleksei Fedorchenko switches the mood back to sombre in the story of a member of Russia’s minority Merya culture who drives thousands of miles to bury his wife in a sacred lake.

Today, the Mostra, now its 67th edition, will present US director’s Kelly Reichart’s “Meek’s Cutoff” about the American frontier culture; Hong Kong New Waver Tsui Hark’s epic mystery film “Detective Dee and the Mystery of Phantom Flame”; and “Post Mortem,” set in Chile during the 1973 coup, by Pablo Larrain. — AFP

Martin Scorsese film defends anti-communist informer Kazan

By Silvia Aloisi artin Scorsese’s latest film pays a personal tribute to Elia Kazan, one of Hollywood’s and Broadway’s most influential directors but also a controversial figure who turned anti-communist informant in the McCarthy era. In “A Letter to Elia”, an hour-long documentary screening at the Venice film festival, Scorsese credits Kazan and his emotionally-charged, raw and realistic style as the inspiration for his becoming a filmmaker.

He recalls in particular the huge impact that two of Kazan’s best-known films, “On the Waterfront” with Marlon Brando (1954) and “East of Eden” with James Dean (1955), had on him as a teenager. “It’s almost impossible to say how deeply I was affected by Kazan’s films,” Scorsese wrote shortly after Kazan’s death in 2003 at 94.

Scorsese discovered Kazan as a young boy going to the movies on his own in New York and was at his side with Robert De Niro when Kazan, whose films won 20 Academy Awards, received a lifetime achievement Oscar in 1999. That special award was hotly disputed because in 1952 Kazan had handed over to the House Un-American Activities Committee the names of eight members of the Communist Party who had worked at the Group Theater where he had started as an actor.

Naming names cost Kazan, himself a

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member of the party between 1934 and 1936 before resigning in protest, many friends in Hollywood and among US intellectuals. His reasons for doing so after previously refusing to testify is still debated. In his memoir, Kazan wrote: “I’d hated the Communists for many years, and didn’t feel right about giving up my career to defend them.

Was I sacrificing for something I believed in?

“I’ve repeatedly astonished people by what seem to be total reversals of positions and attitudes.” In the documentary, which features a long interview with Kazan, he says that what he did was “only the more tolerable of two alternatives that were either way painful and wrong”. Kazan, the immigrant son of a Greek merchant, says his best films came after that experience, although by then he had already made his name on Broadway with “Death of a Salesman” and “A Streetcar Named Desire” and cofounded the Actors’ Studios.

On the Waterfront and East of Eden, among others, broke the mould of sugarcoated characters that were Hollywood’s main fare until then, bringing to the screen unconfessable passions, troubled family ties and the criminal underworld, Scorsese says. “They extended the limits of what was emotionally and psychologically possible,” he says. “These were the people I saw every day, the people I knew. It was as if the world I lived in mattered.” — Reuters

American-born British filmmaker and member of the Monty Python comedy troupe Terry Gilliam, during a photocall at the 36th American Film Festival, yesterday, in Deauville, Normandy, France. —AP

Man pleads not guilty to Hilton home burglary man accused of breaking into the home of celebrity socialite Paris Hilton armed with knives pleaded not guilty on Friday to a charge of attempted burglary, officials said. Nathan Lee Parada, 31, of Redlands, California,

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could face up to six years in prison if convicted. Police said they do not know if Parada specifically targeted Hilton’s home or if the burglary was random. Hilton, 29, awoke in the early morning hours of Tuesday Aug 24, to someone banging on her

windows. She called police, and they arrested Parada. Hilton is a member of the family that founded the Hilton chain of hotels, and she has frequently appeared in films and on television. Parada is due back in court on Sept. 15. — Reuters

www.kuwaittimes.net

Go ahead, layer it on

The sky’s the limit for denim on denim

Model Lauren Garrison dons Current Elliot jeans, Madewell blouse, 7 For All Mankind denim vest, G Star leather belt, and Robert Clergerie boots.

Tough and sleek is the mood for this Fall 2010, work wear inspired denim shot on a model at the CM wash house in Gardena, California. Here, model Lauren Garrison dons a Rails button down shirt and Diesel leather belt. — MCT photos

he rules for wearing denim with denim are about to be broken.

Though it was a major no-no in the 1990s (think Britney Spears and Justin Timberlake in their bedazzled denim ensembles complete with denim hats and accessories), today the combination of jeans with a chambray shirt or a denim vest is not only acceptable, it’s current.

Celebrity stylist Nicole Chavez recently wore a light-colored chambray button-down shirt with a pair of medium-blue skinny jeans and Celine’s tan wedge clogs to brunch at the Soho House, a sure sign that denim on denim really works. “It’s a fresh twist on a classic,” says Chavez, whose client Rachel Bilson has also been known to sport a few layers of denim.

“It’s been such a faux pas since the early ‘90s, so now it feels like a rebellious and modern way to wear” it.

The denim on denim look is very much part of this season’s “work wear” styles such as overalls, buttondown shirts and vests and patchwork detail on jeans, and the use of washes that add a slight variance in color as well as texture to the fabric,

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providing a distressed, almost vintage look.

Walk into any number of stores and you might see jeans that look as though they’ve been worn every day for

Model Lauren Garrison dons Phillip Lim blouse, Citizens of Humanity jeans, Lucky Brand shirt (tied around the waist) with bag and Robert Clergerie boots.

the last five years, with abrasions on the thighs and seats, and denim vests with frayed arm holes that appear to be the result of someone ripping the sleeves off a jacket whose owner has endured a long day of manual labor outdoors. In a way, wearing denim has gone back to basics, when people wore the sturdy fabric for practical purposes and an all-blue outfit wasn’t a bad thing.

There are scores of possibilities when it comes to washing and treating denim. And much of that processing happens in Southern California. Jerome Dahan, founder of Citizens of Humanity and one of the denim industry’s most seasoned veterans (he’s been connected to Guess, Lucky Brand, Circa, and 7 for all Mankind at one time or another) is wash-obsessed, testing, creating and formulating new ideas like a mad scientist. He owns the CM Wash House in Gardena, California, where Citizens of Humanity and his business partner Adriano Goldschmied’s line Goldsign jeans are washed, sandblasted, baked and treated.

“For the past 10 years, LA has been the place where everybody from all over the world comes to wash their denim,” Dahan says. He cites Japan and Italy as the other denim washing and processing capitals, but names LA as the center of washing denim in America.

“People from Europe and Japan are coming here to wash and do some sewing. They know the quality is here as well as the price point. Denim comes from America - think Levis, Wrangler, Lee. You’ve got to come back to where it all started.”

Thirty thousand pairs of jeans - arriving in their raw, stiff, indigo state - come through Dahan’s wash house each week. The process depends on the design of the garment. “Every season there are between 40 to 50 different washing processes,” says Dahan, who incorporates dyes and chemicals in the wash process, but also uses pumice stones, twist ties and machinery to get the right whiskering and abrasion on each pair of jeans. “It’s like today you make a pasta, tomorrow you make a risotto and the day after that, maybe make a

Model Lauren Garrison dons Levi’s denim and chambray jumper, Diesel leather belt and Robert Clergerie boots.

roast chicken. It’s like food to me, because to cook a good meal it takes time. You add different ingredients to get different results.” The various “ingredients” and steps in the wash process can be extremely involved.

For example, jeans designed to have gathering around the upper thigh are put onto 3-D forms, hand-gathered and starched before being baked with resin to seal the effect into place. You know those lighter areas on the thighs and seat of your jeans? Those are handsanded by employees who stand under a pair of jeans pulled onto a suspended 3-D form, keeping at it until the abrasion and lightness are perfected. None of this happens by accident. Every treatment, knick, pleat, hole and gather has been formulated specifically with the end result in mind and the sometimes complicated process is a good part of the reason denim prices can climb past $300.

This season’s looks are more subtle than in seasons past - think tie-dye and ‘80sstyle bleaching or overdying and color saturation thus, the possibility of denim on denim. But stylists warn that garments should have at least a variance in color, while staying in the same family of blue or doing faded black with blue or railroad stripe with chambray shirts. “I think the most modern way to rock the look is with a chambray buttondown and jeans that are a shade darker or lighter,” Chavez says. “Anything too matchy-matchy is never a good thing.” — MCT

Here, model Lauren Garrison dons Levi’s vest, J Brand jeans, Joe’s Jeans tank top and Robert Clergerie boots.

Model Lauren Garrison dons Madewell denim shirt, A Piece Apart silk tank top and G Star jeans.