27 Sep

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

40 PAGES

MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 27, 2010

SHAWAL 18, 1431 AH

12 dead in Polish tourist bus crash in Germany

Settlers poised to build despite 11th-hour bid to save talks

PAGE 8

PAGE 7

NO: 14862

150 FILS

Owen rescues United in draw with Bolton

‘Jewish aid boat’ leaves Cyprus bound for Gaza

PAGE 20

PAGE 14

Kuwait to scrap ‘kafeel’ system Sponsor system to end in Feb 2011 • Afasi labels move a ‘gift to foreign workers’ MPs raise ruckus over cavorting couple in car Pressure on interior minister

By B Izzak KUWAIT: L awmakers yesterday stepped up pressure against Interior Minister Sheikh Jaber Al-Khaled AlSabah over “moral corruption” allegations by senior officers as several MPs called for a parliamentary investigation. Fifteen MPs signed on a request that a five-MP probe committee be set up to investigate allegations that a senior interior ministry official sent two officers to jail for insisting to press charges against a couple who were caught red-handed making love in a car in Salwa last week. The request can be decided only after the National Assembly opens its new term on Oct 26.

In their request, the lawmakers said that the interior ministry has given baseless and false information about why the two officers were jailed for three days. The incident began when the two officers caught a Kuwaiti woman and a Jordanian man in a compromising position in a car in Salwa

last week. The couple were arrested and a complaint was lodged against them by the two officers.

According to MPs and media reports, the head of the Hawally security department tried to call the two officers to force them to abandon taking any legal action against the couple.

The two however refused to answer his calls, saying that the investigator told them not to answer any calls. The lawmakers also claimed that several high-ranking interior ministry officers also attempted to interfere in the case.

The lawmakers said that instead of rewarding the two officers for carrying out their duty, the head of Hawally security department sent them to jail for three days. The interior ministry said that they were jailed because they went in a police patrol together, leaving the police station without a duty officer, while according to MPs, official documents say that they were imprisoned for failing to obey orders of their superiors.

Continued on Page 14

New study sheds light on Saudi volcano risk PARIS: A swarm of small earthquakes that struck western Saudi Arabia last year was the rumbling of a volcano, geologists reported yesterday. More than 30,000 minor quakes occurred between April and June 2009 within an ancient solidified lava field called Harrat Lunayyir, damaging some buildings in the nearby town of Al Ays and prompting the authorities to evacuate 40,000 people from the region. Most of the quakes were tiny, measuring less than two on the scale of magnitude, but several were hefty, delivering a jolt of up to 5.4.

US and Saudi geologists probing the incident conclude that ground deformation, detected by satellite radar, and the shockwaves’ seismic signature and depth all point to a cause that is volcanic. The ground ruptured dramatical-

ly along eight kilometres, they found.

It ripped open to a width of 45 cm as a tentacle of magma probed forward just beneath the surface. Because magma has now come so close to the surface, the chance of an eruption has increased, the experts say. But the hazard is low, given the remoteness of the site and the expected type of eruption, a slow-moving lava flow.

Saudi Arabia’s geology is best known for the oil-drenched sedimentary rocks of the east that are the source of its bounty in hydrocarbons. Less familiar to the general public is the peninsula’s western side, which is home to around 180,000 sq km of lava fields, known in Arabic as harrat, that were formed over the past 30 million years.

Continued on Page 14

By Nisreen Zahreddine and Agencies KUWAIT: Kuwait will scrap the much-criticised sponsor system for foreign labour in February, becoming only the second Gulf country to abolish a practice that has been likened to slavery. Al-Rai newspaper quoted Minister of Social Affairs and L abour Mohammed Al-Afasi as saying that the “kafeel” system will be scrapped when a public authority for the recruitment of foreign workers is established in February. “This will be our gif t to foreign workers on the anniversary of Kuwait’s liberation,” from seven months of Iraqi occupation in 1991, the minister said.

Undersecretary of the Ministry Ahmad Al-Kandari said yesterday the labor law does not mention the sponsor system at all. Speaking at a workshop organized by the International Organization for Migration (IOM) with the Ministry of Social Affairs and Labour at the United Nations headquarters, Kandari said that the new amendments made to the labor law will address this issue.

Undersecretary of Legal Affairs at the Ministry Jamal Al-Dossari asserted that the decision of the ministry was clear on the cancellation of the sponsorship system.

Continued on Page 14

KUWAIT: File picture dated Sept 10, 2008 shows Asian labourers working in a street. Kuwait will scrap the sponsor system for foreign labour in Feb 2011. — Photo by Yasser Al-Zayyat (See Page 5)

Iran denies Bushehr hit by worm TEHRAN: The malicious Stuxnet computer worm has hit 30,000 industrial computers in Iran, officials said yesterday, but denied the Islamic republic’s first nuclear plant at Bushehr was among those infected. So far, Stuxnet has infected about 30,000 IP addresses in Iran, Mahmoud Liayi, head of the information technology council at the ministry of industries, was quoted as saying by the government-run newspaper Iran Daily.

Stuxnet, which was publicly identified in June, was tailored for Siemens supervisory control and data acquisition, or SCADA, systems commonly used to manage water supplies, oil rigs, power plants and other industrial facilities. The worm is

able to recognise a specific facility’s control network and then destroy it, according to German computer security researcher Ralph Langner, who has been analysing the malicious software.

Langner said he suspected Stuxnet was targetting Bushehr nuclear power plant, where unspecified problems have been blamed for delays in getting the facility fully operational. Siemens said its software has not been installed at the plant, and an Iranian official denied the malware may have infected nuclear facilities. “This virus has not caused any damage to the main systems of the Bushehr power plant,” Bushehr project manager Mahmoud Jafari said on Iran’s Arabic-lan-

guage Al-Alam television network. “All computer programs in the plant are working normally and have not crashed due to Stuxnet,” said Jafari, adding there was no problem with the plant’s fuel supply.

The official IRNA news agency meanwhile quoted him as saying the worm had infected some “personal computers of the plant’s personnel”. And he told Fars news agency that so far, five versions of the malware had been detected in Iran.

Echoing Jafari’s denial, the deputy head of Iran’s Atomic Energy Organisation in charge of safety and security, Asghar Zarean, said neither the plant nor the organisation’s computers were affected.

Continued on Page 14

Turkey attack ignites debate

ISTANBUL: People are seen in a street in Istanbul on Sept 24, 2010. —AP

ISTANBUL: The gang of several dozen men with sticks and pepper spray moved methodically from one art gallery to the next, assaulting overflow crowds that had spilled into the streets during the joint opening of several exhibitions in the center of Istanbul. “You don’t want us, so we don’t want you,” Nazim Hikmet Richard Dikbas, an artist, recalled one of the assailants saying. Hikmet was struck on the head with a club, and received several stitches at a hospital for a hairline injury.

Half a dozen suspects were detained in last week’s brazen attack, which has yet to be fully explained. Such outbursts of mob rage are rare and Istanbul has a relatively low rate of violent crime, but the gallery beatings highlighted Turkey’s struggle to reconcile sharp differences in a society marked by extremes of rich and poor, modern and traditional, secular and Islamic, democratic and authoritarian.

Once shackled by crisis and conflict, Turkey has emerged as a regional power, evident in its high-profile role at the UN Security Council summit in New York this week. The Sept 21 attack in Tophane district, however, recalled a dark world of impunity and vigilante justice that hindered Turkey’s modern development, and that the nation’s leaders have sought to consign to the past.

Continued on Page 14

in the news Yemenis probed over rape JEDDAH: A court in Saudi Arabia is investigating two Yemeni men accused of raping and murdering an Algerian teenager while she was on pilgrimage in Makkah, a report said yesterday.

One of the two Yemenis who was described as a key defendant would be prosecuted for attempted rape, the Saudi daily Okaz reported. The Yemenis were held for questioning on Sept 16, a day after the body of the 15-year-old girl was found on the roof of a hotel neighbouring the one in which she had been staying. Saudi media reported at the time that she threw herself from a balcony in her hotel in an attempt to escape an attack. The Yemenis could face the death sentence under sharia law. The teenager, who lived in France, had come to Makkah with members of her family to perform umrah or minor pilgrimage, officials said. Her French mother had come to Makkah with her Algerian father and seven-year-old brother from the southern French port city of Marseille.

Inverted flag ‘honest mistake’ MANILA: The US government said yesterday it made an “honest mistake” when it displayed an inverted Philippine flag - which wrongfully signified that the Southeast Asian nation was in a state of war - in a meeting hosted by President Barack Obama. The Philippine flag was displayed upside down behind President Benigno Aquino III when leaders of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations met Obama in New York on Friday. “This was an honest mistake,” US Embassy spokeswoman Rebecca Thompson said in a statement, adding, “the US treasures its close relationship and close partnership with the Philippines”. The American embassy will find out how the “unfortunate” incident happened, she said. Philippine foreign affairs department spokesman Ed Malaya said the government understood that it was “an honest error”.

Azhar slams bishop remarks In this artwork provided by Liquid Comics, the “Sliver Scorpion” is shown. — AP

Muslim superhero on the way NEW YORK: Comic book fans will soon be getting their first glimpse at an unlikely new superhero - a Muslim boy in a wheelchair with superpowers. The new superhero is the brainchild of a group of disabled young Americans and Syrians who were brought together last month in Damascus by the Open Hands

Intiative, a non-profit organization founded by US philanthropist and businessman Jay T Snyder. The superhero’s appearance hasn’t been finalized, but an early sketch shows a Muslim boy who lost his legs in a landmine accident and later becomes the Silver Scorpion after discovering he has the power to control metal

with his mind.

Sharad Devarajan, co-founder and CEO of Liquid Comics whose company is now turning the young people’s ideas into pictures and a story line, said the goal is to release the first comic book - launching the disabled Muslim superhero - in early Continued on Page 14

CAIRO: Egypt’s top Islamic institution criticized a senior Coptic bishop who reportedly disputed the authenticity of some verses of the Holy Quran, warning that the statement threatened Egypt’s national unity. Bishop Bishoy, head of the Coptic Church’s theological council and considered its No. 2 official, was quoted in Egyptian media reports as saying last week that some verses were inserted into the holy book after the death of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH).

“Such irresponsible statements threaten ... national unity at a time when it is vital to maintain it,” said a statement Saturday from AlAzhar, the world’s most important center of Sunni Muslim scholarship.

2

NATIONAL

Monday, September 27, 2010

Decision to extend school day came after an extensive study The Teachers’ Society’s opinion may be considered KUW AI T: The dec ision to ext end the sc hool da y c a m e a f ter a n extensive st udy, Minister of Ed uca tion a nd Minister of Higher Edu ca tion Dr Moudh i Al-Hum oud sa id yester da y . “The Tea chers’ S ociety’s opinion w ou ld be c onsidered a nd w e h op e to rea c h a n a greem ent

Kuwait Times Marketing Director Adnan Saad seen with Costa Del Sol Hotel’s Shukri Salman Director of Sales and Marketing, Natali Hauranieh Sales Executive and Hussan Safrani.

Kuwait Times

anniversary Central Bank of Kuwait Governor Sheikh Salem Abdul Aziz Al-Sabah also congratulated Kuwait Times on their 49th anniversary wishing them more success.

She wished students of intermediate and high school stages; who started their school year today, all the best.

“We were briefed with preparations for the new school year, as well as following up on needs of administrations in order to provide a better atmosphere for our students,” AlHumoud, who was escorted by the ministry’s Assistant Secretary General for Public Education Mona Al-Loughani, pointed out.

The minister added that the e-learning project, which involves the distribution of a laptop to each student in public schools “is now in action,” with the tender being set, as the ministry is keen to keep up with the latest learning-related developments.

As for surveillance cameras to be installed in schools, Dr. Al-Humoud said the tender have been signed and soon will see light.

Regarding school clinics, she said preparations are underway, thanking the ministry of health for its cooperation.

On her part, Al-Loughani said extending the school day will be limited to one day per week, with 25 minutes to be added to the 35 minutes of a period for school activities.

“Students suffer from lack of activities of their preferences.

We should nurture the spirits of patriotism and educational and social virtues in them through these activities,” she noted.

Some 113,851 intermediate students and 176,000 high school students began flocking to their schools this morning in commencement of the 20102011 school year. —KUNA

w ith t hem on the issu e for the best in ter est of t he educa tiona l p roc ess a nd the c oun try,” Min ist er Al-Hu m oud told r ep ort ers durin g her t our , w h ich in cluded Muba r a k Al-Ka bir a nd H a w a lly educa tiona l zones.

KUWAIT: Minister of Education and Minister of Higher Education Dr Moudhi Al-Humoud seen during her tour, which included Mubarak Al-Kabir and Hawally educational zones. — Photos by Fouad Al-Shaikh

MoH to modernize overseas treatment department KUWAIT: The Ministry of Health (MoH) will upgrade its documentation process to a newly digitized system for overseas treatment. This will replace the traditional system that largely relies on paperwork. This upgrade will help reduce the chances of error from occurring. It will also facilitate easy communi-

cation with health attaches.

“The overseas treatment issue is currently under control and does not face any problems,” the Minister Dr Hilal AlSayer told the press. He added at the same time that there were no plans to carry out a reshuffle at the medical attachÈs located abroad.

Denying Bedoon children education ‘inhuman, immoral’

The Convention Center and Royal Suite Hotels also congratulated Kuwait Times on their 49th anniversary. Seen in the photograph are Lana Rusheid, Director of Sale and Marketing, Nadia Abdu, Sales Executive and Abdul Rahman Hawal, PR Manager and Kuwait Times Marketing Director Adnan Saad.

kuwait digest

Rector-less university

By Hamad Al-Matar

I

t’s strange to think that classes have already started at Kuwait University (KU) while a new rector for the university, as well as deputies, deans and heads of departments, still have yet to be appointed.

Sad but true.

Unfortunately, this is the current reality; the new year has started at Kuwait’s most significant educational facility, welcoming more than 8,000 new students the largest number of new students in its history - without first having its administrative board resolved first.

As a member of KU’s teaching staff, I hold the Minister of Education, Dr Moudhi Al-Humoud, accountable. Not only is she in charge of Kuwait’s education sector but it is Dr Al-Humoud’s responsibility to

make a decisive decision on whether to extend former rector Dr Abdullah AlFuhaid’s term or appoint a committee to find a qualified replacement. She has a firm understanding of the importance of this topic considering her experience at the university as a KU graduate, former professor and administrator.

In order for KU students to benefit from what they are being taught about authority and decision making, their educational institution must learn how to handle their own crises successfully.

In a previous column, I discussed the government’s lack of a clear vision regarding oil policies. The government should stop insisting on failure and realize that success in the oil and education sectors is not hard to obtain.

—Al-Qa bas

KUWAIT: A prominent member of Kuwait’s ruling family has slammed a decision by the managing board of a local charitable fund to refuse funding for the costs of educating Bedoon children due to the children’s inability to renew their civil IDs. “Instilling hatred and humiliation in innocent children by preventing them from accessing their right to learning is inhuman, immoral and goes against the country’s future benefit,” said attorney Sheikha Fawzia Al-Sabah, the General Coordinator of the Public Committee for Kuwaiti Bedoons’ Affairs.

The leading campaigner also pointed out that the measures taken by the charity in question conflict with the UN’s Convention on the Rights of the Child, which Kuwait became a signatory to in 1991.

She further urged the cabinet, parliament and local nonprofit organizations to act promptly in making their opposition known in order to “overturn this inhuman decision,” reported Al-Qabas.

Sheikha Fawzia also pointed out that the legislation establishing the educational fund, which is administered by the Zakat House and other state bodies, does not include any clause requiring children to provide civil IDs in order to benefit from funding.

The prominent human rights activist also condemned the government for “putting more pressure on helpless Bedoon children after failing to resolve the Bedoon issue to date.”

Meanwhile, the Supreme Council for Planning is set to submit its final recommendations on how best to resolve the problems faced by Kuwait’s Bedoon (stateless) population to the Ministry of Interior (MoI) next week. According to one insider, the report is firm that there should be no changes to the current eligibility criteria for Kuwaiti citizenship.

After being studied and approved by the MoI, the report will be submitted to the Council of Ministers for further analysis. The insider told Al-Shahed that the report lists a number of recommendations, including a proposal to allow Bedoon people to obtain birth certificates and marriage licenses and to have access to medical and educational services on the basis of humanitarian requirements.

The report stressed the importance of not granting Kuwaiti citizenship to anybody not listed in the 1965 census, dividing Bedoons into three groups. In the first group are those Bedoon residents listed on the 1965 census who have Kuwaiti family members and who have served the state in some capacity. In the second group are those whose names are included in the 1965 census but who have no Kuwaiti family members and can prove that they have been resident in the country for at least 15 years without committing any security-related or other violations.

The third group, meanwhile, includes those who were not included on the 1965 census, who are seen as being ineligible for citizenship. The report apparently recommends that those in this group should be given three years to rectify their passport status in order to demonstrate their citizenship of their countries of origin.

Furthermore, Al-Sayer said that a number of children sent abroad to receive treatment for heart diseases has reduced considerably. The services rendered by a Canadian medical team has contributed significantly, reported AlRai. The Canadian team has been recruited to work at the hospital on a temporary

basis as part of the ministry’s plans to sign cooperation contracts with foreign medical institutions.

On a separate note, the Ministry of Health prepares to form committees next month to recruit 400 new nurses through local recruitment, announced Head of the Nursing Department Awatif Al-Qattan.

local spotlight

A reason for outrage

By Muna Al-Fuzai

W

hat is it that we do not understand?

The decision of the Indonesian government to ban its women from working in Kuwait, or the need to enact laws to prevent abuse of maids and punish those who are involved in illegal activities. Why do we keep comparing ourselves to neighboring countries and not ask why the ban was put in place at all. Why us? We need to delve into this. This is because we know how to fix the problem well. Which part of the decision cannot be trusted or believed?

The mistreatment suffered by domestic maids at the hands of their sponsors has stirred national of outrage in Indonesia. Heated debate has been exchanged between the two countries. The fact here is that each country’s government is responsible for the safety and welfare of its own citizens.

That matter should not be a question as to whether a government must or must not stop sending its poor workers to Kuwait or any part of the region. This is not the issue here.

We need to learn the reasons. We have to understand that the women who come to work as maids here are not cheap or prostitutes. Most of them are educated and very religious. Nearly all practice their religion regularly. The truth is that

many of them are poor. It is not something that they should be ashamed of. Why do we pass so many laws pertinent to human rights when they fail to implement these laws and regulations? Yet we argue that we have been making great progress!

Meanwhile, the Indonesian government has stated that the ban would continue to be in place until the government is confident that their workers’ conditions are satisfactory. In October 2009, Indonesia stopped sending its domestic helpers to Kuwait, citing ‘concern over abuse.’ So this decision does not come as a surprise.

Kuwait and Indonesia are working toward drafting a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to regulate the work of Indonesian laborers in Kuwait. So, it is a sensible move to not send more maids until Kuwait completes this Memorandum of Understanding. Hopefully, it will be done without a minister having to face a ‘grilling’ threat. Maybe there will be less debate on the subject in the media. I don’t think Kuwait needs more laws. We have enough. What is urgently required is the enforcement of laws.

Some reports estimate that a number of Indonesian workers in Kuwait stand at 60,000.

The Indonesian government tries to provide best humane working conditions for its citizens.

Abuse of workers is an issue of concern to any country’s government. Regardless of their personal grouses, if they are physically abused or denied pay, the issues should be immediately resolved. muna@kuw aittimes.net

KFSD makes fire extinguishers available in local supermarkets KUWAIT: Kuwait Fire Service Department (KFSD) announced on Saturday that it will be making reasonably priced and efficient smoke detectors and fire control systems available at local supermarkets.

The smoke detectors, which play a crucial role in alerting householders and tenants of any outbreak of fire and can save lives, are to be offered at affordable prices, said Lieutenant Colonel Khalil Al-Amir, the KFSD’s Public Relations and Media Director.

He told KUNA that fire extinguishers and smoke detectors protect people and property from any possible fire and limit human losses and material dam-

age, adding that most household fires break out at night. Lt. Col. Al-Amir stressed the importance of training family members and domestic staff to follow the safety precautions, urging anybody in a household where a fire breaks out to gather together in a safe location away from the blaze and make use of a first aid box. In the first six months of 2010, the KFSD dealt with more than 2,600 fires - an average of around 14 per day - which resulted in the death of more than 11 people due to suffocation or the inhalation of dangerous fumes and the injury of over 100 more.— KUNA

Monday, September 27, 2010

NATIONAL

3

Fish prices soar after Ramadan ‘People consume more seafood’

By Ben Garcia

KUWAIT: File photos of fish vendors at Sharq Market. A number of customers and vendors confirmed yesterday that seafood prices have risen in the period following Ramadan.

— Photos by Ben Garcia

Kuwaitis being paid for non-existent jobs KUWAIT: According to a Manpower and Government Restructuring Program (MGRP) official, numerous Kuwaitis are employed in and paid for private sector ‘jobs’ without any work duties simply to make up the quota of nationals required under law.

The official said that a number of male and female citizens, some of them elderly, had recently been discovered to be benefiting financially from signing job contracts with companies for a monthly remittance simply

so that their names would appear on the company’s employee register, thereby satisfying the ‘Kuwaitization’ laws which stipulate that each private sector firm must employ a certain percentage of Kuwaitis. The amounts paid to each of the citizens, who did not actually turn up at the workplaces but simply allowed their names to be used, varied between KD 100 and KD 380, reported AlQabas.

These cases were discovered after the

MGRP noticed that a large number of female Kuwaiti senior citizens had apparently been employed by local firms as ‘mandoubs’ (representatives/agents), a title usually held by male expatriates who carry out various duties for the company. A number of cases were also discovered where elderly Kuwaiti women had been appointed as secretaries despite being illiterate, while others were employed in managerial posts although they lacked any qualifications.

KUWAIT: The prices of fish and other seafood at Mubarakiya and the Fish Market have risen significantly following Ramadan. This was confirmed by several merchants and regular customers, who spoke with the Kuwait Times yesterday about the sudden price rises, which spiked noticeably after Eid Al-Fitr.

“Yes, the prices of fish were really high. I don’t know what caused the sudden rise in prices. I like fish, I know this time it’s really higher,” said a regular customer at Mubarakiya Market.

This reporter visited two wellknown fish markets in Kuwait City and Souk Sharq, finding a slight price increase at both. Some vendors said, however, that this was a normal occurrence after Ramadan, when most customers prefer seafood and avoid meat products temporarily after eating so much meat during the holy month, with this spike in demand driving supply prices higher.

By the same token, demand for seafood decreases during Ramadan, which keeps the prices down during that period.

“People seem to consume more seafood [at present],” said a vendor at Mubarakiya. “They’ve just finished consuming lots of meat in Ramadan so during this period people come back to seafood - that’s the reason. Demands for seafood is really high this month compared last month,” said a vendor at Mubarakiya.

The prices of some favorite local fish like Nagrour, Shaam, Zubaidi and Hamour had risen by an average of 500 fils each, while others were even more expensive, with prices increasing by a dinar or more. Local favorites like Zubaidi and Hamour are currently selling for between KD 4 and KD 7 at the fish market and prices could increase further, said vendors, although Iranian Zubaidi are cheaper than the Kuwaiti variety.

Several customers held the Ministry of Commerce and Industry (MCI) responsible for the price rises, saying that the lack of any regular inspections of local markets meant that exactly the same type of locally caught fish was being sold at different prices by different traders.

MP enquires about KU dress code KUWAIT: MP Dr. Jamaan AlHarbish has submitted a number of questions to education minister concerning various education issues, including the imposition of a dress code on Kuwait University students. Dr. Al-Harbish asked the minister, Dr. Moudhi Al-Humoud, about whether or not the dress code recommended previously for KU students would be enforced, requesting the reasoning behind any decision to suspend or cancel the proposals. The MP also asked for details of the separation between the applied education and training sectors at the Public Authority for Applied Education and Training (PAAET), as well as enquiring about the ministry’s plans to extend school hours. Dr. Al-Harbish further asked the minister to comment on recent reports that suggest she is deliberately delaying the decision to appoint a new rector at KU for clandestine political gains, reported Al-Qabas. Another question put by the MP to Dr. Al-Humoud concerned the reasoning behind the education ministry’s appointment of a Canadian team to conduct a study into dividing the PAAET, despite a decision taken by the PAAET’s management board in 2004 to separate its applied education and training sectors.

NATIONAL

4

Monday, September 27, 2010

Gulf pollution worsening, not improving: Environmentalist Results show marine environment still polluted

KUWAIT: Khalid Al-Hajri showing some documents to the media during the conference yesterday. — Photo by Yasser Al-Zayyat

in my view

By Fouad Al-Obaid

W

e in Kuwait, h a v e many public squares and venues. However, most are used sporadically on certain days of the year for specific celebrations - Flag Square being an example. Others, are simply left neglected such as the Safat Square, which though aesthetically offers a pedestrian oasis amidst a car-centric city, is left with not much development. In case of the latter, one could imagine the emergence of a new hip environment where restaurants and lounges find an ideal venue to sprout, be complemented. Perhaps, a few art and exposition galleries.

When looking into the structure of a city, public spaces and squares are the venues that residents tend to gravitate towards. They come to form the heart of the city; its pulse. In Kuwait, the weather though not the most ideal, has not blocked the building in old Kuwait of alleys of all

sizes and shapes that shaded the streets from the mid-day sun.

With technology and goodwill along with an abundant financial surplus, the government has the means to develop and re-introduce more lively zones where citizens and residents alike can meet, greet and conceptualize future ideas and thoughts. Though some may argue that squares do exist and public parks are available - certainly with the development of a new mega garden in Salmiya, it would come to prove the contrary - the current squares and gardens are for the most part left in a shady state. Many of these places are neglected. In most cases, they remain dysfunctional structures and are hardly an example of what can - and in my humble opinion - should be done.

I will, for the sake of this article, focus on one area that I happen to know well, Mishref. Though Kuwait really is one major city with many areas, if we start to look at each area as an independent entity or town, I believe that we ought to decentralize the Municipality where each area would turn into an independent economic zone. I would personally argue that the current municipal configuration hinders national development through an effective local policy. By dismantling the current

municipality structure, we should rather opt for an area- specific municipality structure in which municipal councils stem up and a mayor-ship system would come into effect, based on direct elections by all adult citizens living in the given area.

The reason and utility of breaking down the current system would be that it would attempt to bring an end to the fastfood concept that urban planners in Kuwait have adopted with overall incoherent structural layouts that neglected effective zoning schemes. Furthermore, the purpose of creating such a structure would be to cement the social fabric of various areas. The desired result would be to instill pride, which I believe could come to reaffirm Kuwaiti values of tolerance and counter sectarianism and tribalism. The latter would allow for better area development that would take into consideration area specificities, and through local municipal structure that attempts to create and develop among other things, livable public spaces.

Furthermore, it would open up possibilities for new projects to be built in various areas. fouad@kuwaittimes.net

400 citizenships to be withdrawn KUWAIT: Well informed sources said that the government will be revoking the nationality of those with dual citizenships, those who unrightfully received them and those who received citizenship by illegal means.

The sources added that the government will be withdrawing the citizenship of 400 indi-

viduals who had already been considered for citizenship withdrawal.

The sources added that several of those claiming to have been born in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) and Egypt but still claimed to be the sons and daughters of Kuwaiti citizens will be withdrawn. They

added that a special committee visited KSA months earlier and proved, through DNA tests, that at least 30 percent of those claiming to be Kuwaiti were fake.

The committee also proved that at least 70 percent of the claims made in Egypt were false.

KUWAIT: The Security Information Department at the Ministry of Interior began receiving applications from women wishing to join the police force.

By Nawara Fattahova KUWAIT: Eating locally caught fish and other seafood may be potentially harmful to health, given the high levels of pollution in Kuwait’s offshore waters, according to a prominent local environmentalist.

Khalid Al-Hajri, the chairman of the Green Line Environment Group (GLEG), said that although a year has passed since a disastrous breakdown at the Mishref sewage plant left raw sewage being pumped into the Gulf for a limited period and extensive work had been done to restore them to their former state, recent tests proved that the country’s marine environment is still heavily polluted.

Speaking at a press conference held to publicize the issue, Al-Hajri provided documentary evidence, including official papers and photographs demonstrating that marine pollution is still a major problem.

He further accused the country’s Environment Public Authority of not caring about the issue, saying that the Ministry of Health (MoH) is the only body taking it seriously.

“The health ministry’s environmental health unit recently took samples of the Kuwaiti waters and tested them,” he said. “The results showed that the marine environment is still polluted. [The environmental health unit] also issued a detailed report about the dangerous situation while the EPA is trying to hide the truth.”

Al-Hajri also claimed that the Ministry of Electricity and Water (MEW) has demanded an increase in the levels of chlorine used to purify the local desalinated drinking water supply following the increase in marine pollution levels, despite the possible dangers of this.

The GLEG head also indicated that the disinfectant substances pumped into the Gulf to neutralize the thousands of gallons of liquid waste that went directly into the waters after the breakdown at the Mishref sewage plant were themselves toxic: “Those substances are highly dangerous and may contain carcinogenic toxins that could enter a fish’s body, which are then passed on to the consumer.”

He warned that last year’s massive release of raw, untreated sewage had also made Kuwait’s beaches unsafe, since the waste matter contained “huge quantities of bacteria and potentially harmful viruses and parasites that could lead to serious health dangers and could even cause cholera and other diseases.

Another problem highlighted by Al-Hajri at yesterday’s event was the harmful effects of often unreported oil spills in Kuwaiti waters. He asserted that the true extent of and damage caused by these is being covered up by the EPA. At the conference, he presented a number of photos, including some showing an oil slick in the waters off Fintas, which he said had been caused by a local petroleum company.

“The EPA didn’t show the truth to the public, and this disaster caused pollution in the south of the country from Fintas to Mina Abdullah,” he pointed out.

Al-Hajri also accused an unnamed senior EPA official of attempting to shut down the GLEG, saying that the government is opposing voluntary environmental protection work.

“The same official aimed to spoil one of our events held in April by calling those invited and telling them not to attend the event,” he stated.

The GLEG head was also critical of the appointment of Dr. Saleh Al-Moudhi as the EPA’s Director General, which he insisted was illegal under the terms governing the body.

“Al-Moudhi isn’t a specialist in environmental affairs, particularly according to an official document from Kuwait University’s faculty of Oil and Engineering where he was previously working as a lecturer in oil engineering,” insisted Al-Hajri. “I thereby call upon the governing authorities to appoint a properly qualified person to this position to be able to manage the EPA correctly.”

AMMAN: The Kuwaiti pavilion at the 13th Amman International Book Fair attracted a large number of visitors in Amman. —KUNA

Kuwait pavilion at Amman book fair attracts visitors AMMAN: The Kuwaiti pavilion at the 13th Amman International Book Fair has attracted a large number of visitors since the event began on September 22.

Speaking to KUNA, the head of the Kuwaiti Ministry of Information pavilion, Saeed Humoud Al-Adwan stressed the importance of participating in such a significant cultural event in the Arab world. The Kuwaiti pavilion is exhibiting a large variety of publications from media, cultural and educational local institutions, he explained, with all the publications displayed there being offered for free distribution, said pavilion supervisor

Abeer Al-Shamri. The Saudi cultural attache Ali Al-Zahrani visited the Kuwaiti pavilion, and praised its excellent organization and the large variety of books on display.

He hailed the remarkable role played by Kuwaiti cultural institutions in spreading and supporting knowledge in the Arab world.

Around 153 publishers are participating in the book fair, while other 340 publishers are participating indirectly through mediators from Jordan, Kuwait, Egypt, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Palestine, Libya, Qatar and Oman, as well as foreign publishing houses. — KUNA

No per-second roaming tariff for Kuwait yet KUWAIT: Despite recent reports, there has been no date set for the introduction of a per-second tariff rate for roaming mobile phone calls in Kuwait and other Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) nations, with local telecom firms expressing misgivings

about such a system.

Although GCC communications ministers voted at a recent meeting to launch a persecond tariff for roaming calls across the region beginning on September 1, Al-Qabas reported that Kuwait’s Ministry of Communications (MoC) is still

coordinating with the three major local telecom firms, which continue to voice reservations about the system.

The MoC is unable to introduce the system unilaterally since it must wait until the telecom firms are fully technically ready for its launch.

KUWAIT: Some of the firefighters involved in tackling fires across the country. During the summer, when fires occur more frequently, the fire service has successfully responded to a large number of emergency situations. — Photos

by Fouad Al-Shaikh

Monday, September 27, 2010

5

NATIONAL Most problems arise from recruiting agencies

IOM and Ministry of Labor launch training workshop

By Nisreen Zahreddine KUWAIT: The International Organization for Migration (IOM) organized a training w orkshop in partnership w ith the Ministry of Social Affairs and Labor at the United Nations headquarters. The

KUWAIT: The Ambassador of Slovakia Dr Ivan Lancaric visited Kuwait Times and discussed matter of mutual concern with Editor-in-Chief Abd AlRahman Alyan. — Photo by Yasser Al-Zayyat

connect the dots

Islamic inside out?

By Meshary Alruwaih n today’s article I want to link two comments, one made by Mr Al-Razzooqi, the permanent representative of Kuwait to the United Nations office in Geneva, and the other by Sheikh Ahmad AlTayyeb, head of Al-Azhar in Egypt. The former, defending Kuwait’s decision to not accept the twenty-five recommendations made by the Human Rights council of the UN on the basis that they ran counter to Islamic Sharia Law, said that “Kuwait is a proud, Muslim, Arab, developing country seeking modernization, [wanting] to retain its customs and traditions of which it is proud.”

Meanwhile, the latter, responding to what many Egyptians considered offensive remarks made by a member of the Egyptian Church, said that “according to its constitution, which is the social contract among its people, Egypt is an Islamic state where both Muslims and Christians have equal rights of citizenship according to the rights of citizenship that we were taught by the Prophet Mohammad, peace be upon him, during his encounter with the Christians of Nagran.

Yet those rights are conditioned on respect for the Islamic identity and the constitution.”

What these two comments have in common is the assertiveness and insistence of Kuwait and Egypt’s Islamic identity.

Treating Al-Azhar as a semi-official organization, one can be surprised that the two comments come from the state level, especially at a time when the behavior of states in the region and the associated discourse are moving away from any affiliation with Islamic identity or Islamic determinants of foreign policy.

This seems to be a move in the opposite direction of the societies that these states, at present, are marching towards. It’s this point that tempts societies to look toward non-state actors in order to give some sense of institutionalization to their collective ‘longing’ for an Islamic identity.

In general I don’t see a problem with this proliferation of non-state Islamic actors as long as security as a common good remains exclusively in the hands of state. The issue, however, is that, there are both local and international arrangements where nonstate actors have very little influence and societies often have to turn to their states to guard their collective cultural projects.

That is when states in the region have to abandon their normative generic form as an

I

Meteorology equipment causes airport alert KUWAIT: Directorate General for Civil Aviation (DGCA) staff at the Sheikh Saad AlAbdullah Airport were put on high alert after an unidentified object was found near the fence bordering the main runway.

Airport security personnel found the unusual looking, cork-lined box, from which an aerial was protruding, immediately reporting the discovery to their superiors. Bomb squad officers were quickly at the scene, cordoning off the area before using a robotic device to carefully dismantle the box, with some of the components being removed for testing. Firefighters and other emergency personnel were also put on standby, reported Al-Qabas.

Meanwhile, an official from the airport’s meteorology department had wandered out to the area to find out what all the fuss was about.

He immediately explained to the concerned security personnel that the box had been a meteorological device used to measure atmospheric pressure which the department had placed in the location where it was found.

After the official showed a similar device to the skeptical officials, the alert was called off.

organization or an institution and become an expression of the collective action of their Muslims societies.

Frankly, I’m not aware of the contents of all of the twenty-five recommendations that Mr Al-Razzooqi has rejected on behalf of the Kuwaiti state but I know that the Kuwaiti state has rejected those recommendations on behalf of the Kuwaiti society. I also know that this is the kind of normative link among society, state, and state officials that the vast majority of members of Kuwaiti society would like to see.

Issues of Human rights in particular are helpful to understanding these links because they are the borderline between the local and the global.

If you follow the issues on TV being negotiated among state officials in the halls of the UN in Geneva or New York, before you know it they can govern your role as a parent, son and even a colleague. Despite the increasing role of non-state actors on these issues, states remain the ones to look toward to guard our chosen lifestyles against such deeply penetrating arrangements.

This should not be understood as purely a defensive stand. At the end of the day the Kuwaiti state accepted 114 recommendations out of 139. The idea is not about acceptance or rejection. Rather, it’s about our states adopting an Islamic identity when negotiating such normative issues.

The Egyptian case is more complicated, yet, here it might be sufficient to say that the comments made by Sheikh Ahmad AlTayyeb are clearly a departure from the role Al-Azhar has played lately; one that is concerned with providing religious justifications for the secular-based behavior of the Egyptian state. Al-Azhar has been so identified with this role that one cannot accurately classify it as a state or non-state actor.

The point, however, is that speaking of Egypt as an Islamic state, with an Islamic identity, is a welcome remark to the normative convergence between the Egyptian society and the Egyptian state.

It’s important to mention however that one should not underestimate the gap between the normative preferences of societies and the realities of the states. After all, we are talking about one state that is hosting American troops while the other is building a fence that contributes to starving a Muslim population just next door. We should understand that the material and cultural constraints on the international level do squeeze locally based normative considerations on the state level. When state officials are forced to speak the sort of language that their societies do not understand that is when the ‘reason of the state’ kicks in, that is when states become members of the international system, or members of the international society. That is when states become strangers. meshary@kuw aittimes.net

in the news CTC projects KUWAIT: The Central Tender Committee (CTC) will decide the fate of six pending projects to be executed on behalf of the Ministry of Water and Electricity (MEW), officials said. They said that one of the projects concerns maintenance of eight main transformers located at Al-Funaitees and Abu Fataira, in addition to the project to reduce pollution that is caused by fuel burning at power stations, reported Al-Anba. The committee spelt out its views on tenders through its representative, to the ministry.

However, a final decision was postponed until the next meeting is held.

School buses ready KUWAIT: The Ministry of Education (MoE) has completed all its preparations and checks on the school buses which are set to start taking pupils to and from school later this term. Walid Al-Ghaith, the head of the MoE’s Public Services Department, told AlQabas that he had recently inspected the buses to be used for transporting the pupils, as well as visiting the transport companies which will be running the service, voicing satisfaction with the standard of the preparations.

Ahmad Al-Kandari, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Social Affairs declared during the inauguration of the workshop that Kuwait is careful about maintaining a clean human rights record. He asserted that all concerned parties would cooperate to resolve the problems that infringe upon laborer’s rights. “This is proof that the government and all civil societies are concerned about resolving these problems,” he said.

Al-Kandari dismissed mounting international criticism on Kuwait’s human rights issues. Such issues have not stopped the influx of expatriate workers into the country.

The Undersecretary of Legal Affairs in the Labor and Social Affairs Ministry Jamal Al-Dossari affirmed that the ministry is ready to remove all obstacles that worsen expatriate laborers situation in Kuwait. He pointed out that the ministry had provided air tickets to repatriate domestic helpers lodged at temporary shelters, in association with the Zakat House.

Kamel Al-Awadhi, the Immigration Department Manager at the Ministry of Interior said that Kuwait is the only country that employs 650,000 maids. It is an attractive destination for laborers. Kuwait is a prosperous country that is governed by a set of institutions and regulations that provide laborers with the privilege of filing a lawsuit against their employers, he added.

He refused the talk about problems faced by Indonesian workers. He commented that the matter was discussed during the Indonesian President’s visit to the country. He added that most problems arose from the recruitment agencies located in their (worker’s) home countries. He asked labor-exporting countries to familiarize workers on the traditions and norms of Kuwaiti society.

On the other hand, Iman Oraikat, Head of the International Immigration Organization said that the organization has been offering its expertise and technical support in cooperation with the respective governments, in countries where it is present. It offers ideas for projects and suggestions that could help improve the government’s abilities.

The training workshop conducted in Kuwait, she explained, is a continuation of the steps that were taken previously to enhance the abilities of civil servants, and arm them with international expertise. The workshop will train employees for five consecutive days on managing the shelter and helping victims of abuse.

Three experts from the organization will share their legal, psychological, and social experiences. She hoped that this workshop would be successful in achieving its aim.

w orkshop aims to train those in charge of shelters that lodge victims of abuse. The chief guests w ere US Ambassador Deborah J ones, Lebanese Ambassador Bassam Al-Nammani and Pakistani Ambassador Iftikhar Aziz. A number of diplomats from Kuw ait w ere also present at the venue.

KUWAIT: Group photo of the attendees at the inauguration — Photos by Yasser Al-Zayyat

Youths seriously injured in fight KUWAIT: Two young men were seriously injured after getting into a fight in Oyoun, reported Al-Watan. The two victims explained that they were attacked by a group of young men with knives for unknown reason. The victims informed police that one of their assailants had an AK47, which he used to fire stray bullets into the air. A case was opened and authorities are searching for the assailants.

Attempted kidnapping An Asian maid was almost kidnapped outside of her sponsors home in Jahra while taking out the trash, reported AlWatan. She reported the incident to authorities and explained that her kidnappers decided to the flee the scene after she physically resisted their assault. She also provided authorities with the license plate number of her attacker’s vehicle. Meanwhile, a prompt police response saved an 18year-old Iraqi girl from being kidnapped in Khaitan, reported Al-Watan. After being abducted, the girl called authorities and informed them that she was being held against her will by two Kuwaitis in a black pick-up truck. Police were able to find the vehicle and an investigation revealed that the three had spent the previous night drinking. They were all referred to the proper authorities.

Absconder held Police arrested a Filipina woman after discovering that

Court settles KD 47,000 case KUWAIT: The court of appeals ordered a compensation of KD 47,000 to be paid by the Kuwait Fire Services Directorate to the heirs of a fire department employee, reported Al-Shahed.

The ruling settles a case regarding a fire department employee who was shot and killed by mistake while working. The incident occurred when the man’s friend, while playing with a pistol, unintentionally shot and killed the man. Lawyers demanded compensation from the fire department’s director, claiming that he is responsible for the acts of his employees. The court ruled that the act was the result of negligence demonstrated by the administration for not properly protecting its employees.

she was wanted in an absconding case filed against her by her sponsor, reported Al-Watan.

The woman was held in Hawally after police initially discovered her in possession of unidentified drug pills. When authorities discovered that the pills were not illicit, officials were prepared to let the woman go until they discovered that she was wanted for a previous case.

Harassers arrested A 17-year-old citizen defended himself against two assailants in a mall in Salmiya, reported Al-Watan. The brawl occurred when the young man caught the two thugs harassing his sister and lashed out at them until police responded to the scene. The harassers were taken into custody.

Drug possession Ahmadi police arrested three citizens after they were found to be in possession of

drugs in Mangaf, reported AlWatan. The discovery was made after the three were stopped at a checkpoint and a search of their vehicle revealed 45 illegal drug pills.

They were referred to the proper authorities.

der checkpoint arrested an Arab couple trying to smuggle 14 golden bullions into the country, reported Al-Rai. The gold was found hidden inside the wife’s suitcase and the smugglers were taken into custody for further questioning.

Bootlegger in custody Jahra investigators arrested a bedoon man working as an officer for the Ministry of Defense for being in possession of and selling alcohol, reported Al-Qabas. The man was arrested after he unknowingly sold 12 liquor bottles to a police informant in Kabad.

When questioned, he confessed to having an additional 180 bottles hidden in a small animal farm. The remaining amount of alcohol was confiscated and the man was referred to the proper authorities.

Bombs deactivated Bomb squads responded to a lumber yard after being informed that an Iranian worker discovered seven landmines in the area, reported Al-Anba.

It was discovered that the explosives were anti-tank mines left over from the Gulf War. The explosives were successfully deactivated.

Smuggling failed Authorities at the Salmi bor-

Drug smuggler busted Abdali border officials arrested a Syrian truck driver for trying to smuggle one kilogram of hashish into the country, reported Al-Anba. The man was referred to the proper authorities.

6

NATIONAL

Monday, September 27, 2010

MP Jouhar warns commerce minister

Mislem submits questions over problems in Khaitan

By A . S al eh KUW AI T: MP Dr Fa isa l Al-Mislem ha s subm itted q uestions to the m unicipa lity m inister a bout the recent problem s in Kha ita n, a sk ing for docum enta ry evidenc e of a ll decisions or studies rela ted

CBK awards Sabahiya branch

On a separate issue, another MP, Dr. Hassan Jouhar, warned the Minister of Commerce and Industry Ahmad AlHaroun that a “hot” parliamentary term was approaching for him concerning a number of issues, including new legislation governing the Kuwait Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI) and recent soaring prices in local shops.

Jouhar accused Al-Haroun of dedicating himself solely to the protection of the powerful and influential, including some major local business figures, who the MP said had continued to bleed millions from the insolvency fund in the form of fees imposed on business men and companies registered at the commerce and industry ministry without any legal background.

Jouhar asserted that the minister was unable to confront these flagrant violations, despite the many warnings and legal opinions bringing them to public attention.

Continuing with his attack, the MP accused the minister of being unable to face the organized price rises in consumer products, which he said had been unprecedented.

Jouhar said he had obtained official documents detailing administrative and financial violations in contracts, appointments and promotions at the commerce ministry, demonstrating the profiteering nature of its administration and its complete disregard to law and the principles of justice.

to K ha ita n issued b y the executive a ppa ra tus since J a nua ry 1 2006, a long w ith a n expla na tion of w hy they w ere issued, w hic h of the recom m end a t ions w er e sub seq uent ly im p lem en ted, a nd w ha t the m inister’s persona l sta nce w a s tow a rds them .

PM meets president of Guyana UNITED NATIONS: Sheikh Nasser AlMohammad Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, the Representative of HH the Amir of Kuwait Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, and the Prime Minister of the State of Kuwait, met yesterday with President of the Cooperative

Republic of Guyana Bharrat Jagdeo. The talks during the meeting, held at the residence of the Kuwaiti permanent mission at the UN, dealt with means of boosting the bilateral ties between the two friendly states and issues of common concern. — KUNA

KUWAIT: The Commercial Bank of Kuwait(CBK) recently awarded the personnel at the Sabahiya branch. The branch sold the most number insurances out of all the 53 branches. The CBK Regional Manager reached the Sabahiya branch and awarded the special trophy in honor of their efforts to provide customers with the best marketing offers. The CBK has entered into contract with a leading insurance services agency, the American International Group (AIG) to market its services in Kuwait.

MPW renovating drainage system

Pakistani drug dealers after their arrest — Photo by Hanan Al-Saadoun

Two dealers busted

By Hanan Al -Saado un KUWAIT: Two Pakistani drug dealers have been arrested, with General Department of Drugs Control (GDDC) officers recovering 250 kilograms of heroin from their possession.

An investigation was launched after Major General Sheikh Ahmad Al-Khalifa Al-Sabah, the Director General of the GDDC, received a tip-off about the men’s activities, with officers determining that the two men, both of whom worked as drivers, were indeed dealing in drugs. The first man was arrested at

his workplace, with investigators determining that he had previously evaded detection by renting three separate rooms to conduct business in and by using a car registered in another name.

He had also been buying fresh SIM cards for his mobile every couple of days to avoid his calls being traced. The man admitted that he had been dealing in drugs on behalf of a Central Prison inmate. It was also discovered that he had been hiding his drugs in his coarrestee’s accommodation. Both men have been referred to the Public Prosecution Service for further action.

KUWAIT: The Ministry for Public Works (MPW) is currently renovating Kuwait’s drainage network at an estimated cost of KD350 million.

Mahmoud Karam, the ministry’s chief drainage system engineer, told the Kuwait News Agency (KUNA) on Saturday that the MPW’s specialist workers and engineers would be swapping old manhole covers and pipes for new corrosion-proof replacements.

Teams of MPW workers have already completed eight phases of the renovation project and are currently working on concluding the ninth and tenth stages, Karam explained, indicating that the operation is aimed primarily at reducing the number of relay pumping stations from 60 to five large ones.

These changes have become essential due to the increase in the current and predicted future volumes of liquid waste in light of steadily increasing population numbers, explained the senior official, stressing the need to replace the old, narrow pipes with larger ones. The renovation program is also necessary to minimize the foul odors emanating from the ageing pumping stations, he asserted, adding that the new stations will not just look better but will not emit this fetid stench.

One of the major pumping stations, which is set to process liquid waste from the Capital and Farwaniya, is located in Rigga. The station, which began operating in 2008, will henceforth be processing approximately 800,000 cubic meters of liquid waste per day. The sewage pipes there are located and the waste gathered around 30 meters below surface level, Karam explained, meaning that residents and passersby are not subjected to the foul odors they have previously been unable to avoid.

The MPW’s Director General, Ahmad Al-Sabeeh, told KUNA that the ministry is currently pursuing plans to upgrade public sanitation systems through working with various government bodies, as well as with citizens and expatriate residents.

The ministry head revealed that a new system has already been introduced in its garbage disposal section to supervise the equipment and trucks used in order to ensure that they comply with the relevant regulations for maintaining environmental cleanliness. He also disclosed that new garbage disposal trucks had recently been deployed to help sort trash better. — KUNA

Divers complete coral reef cleaning KUWAIT: The Kuwait Dive Team (KDT) has successfully removed a large quantity of harmful waste from the coral reefs surrounding Qarouh Island. The operation was carried out as part of a national environmental campaign to clean up Kuwait’s offshore environment.

Speaking to the Kuwait News Agency (KUNA), KDT team leader Walid Al-

Fadhil indicated that eight tons of waste had been removed from the area round the reefs at depths ranging between three and 12 meters. He further indicated that the team is currently preparing a comprehensive plan to conduct further waste removal operations from the seafloor of the Gulf.

The team leader also revealed that

the KDT members had removed discarded fishing nets which became tangled in the coral reefs to the east of Um AlMaradem Island. Al-Fadhil also voiced gratitude for the continuous support the team has received from His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah and the Kuwait Institute for Scientific Research. — KUNA

7

INTERNATIONAL

Monday, September 27, 2010

Settlers must show restraint: Netanyahu Mideast peace talks near collapse as settlement freeze ends J ERUSALEM: Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu urged Israeli settlers to act w ith restraint after a limited construction moratorium expired yesterday, a plea that appeared aimed at keeping Middle East peace talks alive. Netanyahu has

resisted US pressure to extend the 10-month limited freeze on housing starts in settlements in the occupied West Bank despite Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas’s threats to quit the negotiations launched on Sept 2 in Washington.

HEBRON: An Israeli soldier detains a protester during a demonstration against Israel’s settlements in the West Bank village of Beit Omar. — AP

Iraq inaugurates patrol in attempt to build up navy UMM QASR: Iraq inaugurated the first in a fleet of new US-built patrol boats yesterday, part of efforts to boost its naval capacity and secure key oil platforms ahead of an American withdrawal at the end of next year. The rapid build-up of the Iraqi navy is seen as crucial to protecting the terminals through which the vast majority of the country’s crude is exported, with oil accounting for around 95 percent of government income.

In a ceremony at Umm Qasr Naval Base, around 500 kilometers (310 miles) south of Baghdad, sailors demonstrated the capabilities of the boat-named “PB 301”-by showing it chase down smaller vessels.

A six-piece military band played as the boat was unveiled during the ceremony, attended by Defence Minister Abdul Qader Obeidi and Lieutenant General Michael Barbero, the top American commander responsible for training Iraq’s security forces. “I am proud to be among the first to witness the historical arrival and commissioning of Iraq’s first patrol boat,” said Vice Admiral Kevin McCoy, the commander of the Naval Sea Systems Command, which is primarily tasked with building and supporting the US Navy’s fleet.

“This occasion reflects the important ties that bound our governments and our commitment to supporting a strong coalition partnership that is based on mutual respect and cooperation.”

Crews for the high-speed patrol boats are currently being trained in the United States, with 15 ultimately

set to be delivered to Iraq.

Three are set to arrive in December, with the remaining 11 due to be delivered next year.

At present, the Iraqi navy, re-established two years after the 2003 US-led invasion that ousted dictator Saddam Hussein, has 47 vessels, according to a US army spokeswoman. It currently handles on-site and perimeter defense for the Khor AlAmiya oil terminal, and onsite defense for the Al-Basra oil terminal, which are 10 kilometers (six miles) apart and 100 kilometers off the port of Umm Qasr, sandwiched between Iranian and Kuwaiti waters.

Some 80 percent of Iraq’s oil exports pass through the two terminals, with three more set to be added by the end of next year as the country seeks to ramp up oil exports by as much as five times. By that time, when US forces will have had to completely withdraw from the country according to the terms of a bilateral security pact, Iraq will be solely responsible for all security at oil facilities, including platforms.

US officers are confident their Iraqi comrades are up to the task. “The Iraqi navy will be fully capable to defend the oil platforms, the territorial waters and the ports,” Barbero told AFP in an interview this month. The old Iraqi navy was destroyed in the 1991 Gulf War and in the 2003 invasion. The United States pulled out combat troops from Iraq at the start of this month, and will complete a full withdrawal at the end of next year. — AFP

UMM QASR: Iraq inaugurates the first in a fleet of new US-built patrol boats (P-301) yesterday, part of efforts to boost its naval capacity and secure key oil platforms ahead of an American withdrawal at the end of next year. — AFP

Double-amputee returns to Iraq in spite of injuries ASHOQEH: When a bomb exploded under Dan Luckett’s Army Humvee in Iraq two years ago blowing off one of his legs and part of his foot - the first thing he thought was: “That’s it. You’re done.

No more Army for you.” But two years later, the 27year-old Norcross, Georgia, native is back on duty a double-amputee fighting on the front lines of America’s Afghan surge in one of the most dangerous parts of this volatile country. Luckett’s remarkable recovery can be attributed in part to dogged self-determination. But technological advances have been crucial: Artificial limbs today are so effective, some war-wounded like Luckett are not only able to do intensive sports like snow skiing, they can return to active duty as fully operational soldiers. The Pentagon says 41 American amputee veterans are now serving in combat zones worldwide. Luckett was a young platoon leader on his first tour in Iraq when an explosively formed penetrator - a bomb that hurls an armor-piercing lump of molten copper ripped through his vehicle on a Baghdad street on Mother’s Day 2008.

His Humvee cabin instantly filled with heavy gray smoke and the smell of burning diesel and molten metal. Luckett felt an excruciating pain and a “liquid” - his blood - pouring out of his legs. He looked down and saw a shocking sight: his own left foot sheared off above the ankle and his right boot a bloody mangle of flesh and dust. Still conscious, he took deep breaths and made a deliberate effort to calm down. A voice rang out over the radio - his squad leader checking in. “1-6, is everybody all right?” the soldier asked, referring to Luckett’s callsign. “Negative,” Luckett responded. “My feet are gone.” He was evacuated by helicopter to a Baghdad emergency room, flown to Germany, and six days after the blast, he was back in the US. As his plane touched down at Andrew’s Air Force Base, he made a determined decision. He was going to rejoin the 101st Airborne Division any way he could. For the first month at Washington’s Walter Reed Army Medical Center, Luckett was bound to a wheelchair. He hated the dependence that came with it. He hated the way people changed their voice when they spoke to him - soft and sympathetic. He wondered: How long is THIS going to last? Will I be dependent on others for the rest of my life? At night, he dreamed of walking on two legs. When he woke, only the stump of his left leg was there, painfully tender and swollen. His family wanted to know, is this going to be the same Dan? He assured them he was.

Luckett was fortunate in one sense. His wounds had been caused not by shrapnel, but the projectile itself, which made a relatively clean cut. That meant no complications - no joint or nerve damage or bone fractures. His right foot was sheered across his metatarsals, the five long bones before the toes.

Doctors fitted it with a removable carbon fiber plate that runs under the foot and fills the space where toes should be with hardened foam. His left leg was a far bigger challenge. In early July, Luckett strapped into a harness, leaned on a set of parallel bars, and tried out his first prosthetic leg.

It felt awkward, but he was able to balance and walk. The next day, Luckett tried the leg on crutches _ and tried to walk out the door.

“They were like, ‘You gotta’ give the leg back,”‘ Luckett said of his therapists. After a brief argument, they grudgingly gave in. “They said, ‘If you’re gonna be that hard-headed about it, do it smart, don’t wear it all the time.”‘ By February 2009, he had progressed so far, he could run a mile in eight minutes.

He rejoined his unit at Fort Campbell, Kentucky, and told his battalion commander he wanted to return to duty “only if I could be an asset, not a liability,” he recalled. Months later, he passed a physical fitness test to attain the Expert Infantryman’s Badge. It required running 12 miles (19 kilometers) in under three hours with a 35-pound (16-kilogram) backpack.

It was a crucial moment, Luckett said, “because I knew if I can get this badge, then there’s nothing they can say that I’m not capable of doing.” The Army agreed, and promoted him to captain. In May, he deployed to Afghanistan.

Dan Luckett On his first patrol, wearing 50 pounds (23 kilograms) of gear and body armor, Luckett slipped and fell down. But when he looked around, everybody else was falling, too. The region around his outpost at Ashoqeh, just west of the provincial capital of Kandahar in southern Afghanistan, is surrounded by irrigation trenches and 4-foot (1.2-meter) high mud walls that grapes grow over. Troops must traverse the treacherous terrain to avoid bombs on footpaths.

Capt. Brant Auge, Luckett’s 30-year-old company commander, said Luckett was as capable as every soldier in his company, and treated no different.

“He’s a soldier who just happens to be missing a leg,” said Auge, who is from Ocean Springs, Mississippi. “He tries to play it down as much as possible, he doesn’t like to bring a lot of attention to it.” On one of those early patrols, Luckett took to a knee and his pants leg rode up a little bit, revealing the prosthetic limb to a shocked group of Afghan soldiers nearby, Auge said. One gave him the nickname, the “One-legged Warrior of Ashoqeh.”

Beside his cramped bunk-bed, the 185-pound (84-kilogram), 5-foot-11 (1.80-meter) Luckett keeps prosthetic legs for different tasks, each with a carbon fiber socket that attaches to his thigh.

One is fitted with a tennis shoe for running, another a boot. One, made of aluminum so it won’t rust, has a waterproof black Croc for showering. The most important leg though, he saves for patrols. It is made with a high-tech axle that allows him to move smoothly over uneven terrain. His squad leader painted its toenails purple. Luckett’s prothesis is often a source of good humor - most often generated

by Luckett himself.

Some joke of his advantage of having little to lose if he steps on a mine. “That’s always a big one,” he said, “but the reality is, you don’t want to step on an IED (bomb) because you enjoy living and you want to stay living. The fear is no different than any other soldier.” Before heading to Afghanistan, Auge said Luckett had an as yet untried “master plan” to upset the insurgents. Troops would have Luckett step on a mine and blow his fake leg off. He’d then look up at the trigger man while whipping a replacement leg over his shoulder and slipping it on. “Then he would flip them off,” Auge said, “and keep on walking.” — AP

But he has said he could limit the scope of renewed construction, a message he seemed to underscore in an official statement issued only hours before settlers were due to hold a cornerstonelaying ceremony to mark the end of the moratorium. “The prime minister calls on the residents in Judea and Samaria (the West Bank) and the political parties to show restraint and responsibility today and in the future exactly as they showed restraint and responsibility throughout the months of the freeze,” it said.

The moratorium officially expires at midnight (2200 GMT), and the United States held extensive discussions with Israeli and Palestinian officials over the weekend to try to prevent the collapse of the negotiations.

“The American efforts are continuing. So far, there is no breakthrough,” Nabil Abu Rdainah, a spokesman for Abbas, told Reuters by telephone from Paris, where the Palestinian leader was to meet today with French President Nicolas Sarkozy.

Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak said there was more than an even chance the peace process would continue. Washington has said it hopes all major issues in the peace talks can be resolved within a year. Abbas, whom Netanyahu has publicly urged to remain in the negotiations, also appeared to indicate the talks would not be suspended immediately upon the moratorium’s expiration.

Arab League Asked in an interview with the pan-Arab newspaper alHayat whether he would declare an end to the negotiations if the freeze did not continue, Abbas said: “No, we will go back to the Palestinian institutions, to the Arab follow-up committee.” He was referring to an Arab League forum that gave him the goahead to pursue direct peace talks with Israel.

Abu Rdainah said Abbas had requested a meeting of the follow-up committee in Cairo and it would likely convene “within days”. The AHayat interview, published yesterday, was conducted on Friday. Abbas and Palestinian officials with him, due in France for an official visit yesterday, were not immediately available for comment.

US President Barack Obama has urged Israel to continue the freeze, but Netanyahu, whose coalition is packed with pro-settler parties, could face the collapse of his government if he complies.

State Department spokesman P J Crowley said Washington was “doing everything we can to keep the parties in the direct talks”. He said US special envoy on the Middle East, George Mitchell, met Abbas for 30 minutes on Saturday.

“I think that the chance of achieving a mutually agreed understanding about (a) moratorium is 50-50,” Barak said in a BBC interview in New York, where he met US officials. “I think that the chances of having a peace process is much higher.”

More than 430,000 Jews live in well over 100 settlements established across the West Bank and East Jerusalem on land that Israel captured from Jordan in a 1967 Middle East war.

The World Court deems settlements illegal, although Israel disputes this. Palestinians say they will make it impossible for them to create a viable state and the issue is one of the core problems standing in the way of any peace deal.— Reuters

‘Facts on the ground’ since 1967 JERUSALEM: The building of Israeli settlements, which threatens to derail US-backed peace talks, has infuriated Palestinians and the wider Arab world since it began more than 40 years ago.

The Palestinians view the presence of a half million Israelis in more than 120 settlements scattered across the occupied West Bank and annexed east Jerusalem as a threat to the establishment of their future state.

The international community, including Israel’s closest ally the United States, considers the settlements illegal, but they have expanded under every Israeli government since the occupation began in June 1967.

Within months after Israel seized during the Six Day War the West Bank, Gaza Strip and east Jerusalem-lands now expected to form a Palestinian state-work began on the first settlement of Gush Etzion near Jerusalem.

Leaders of the settler movement view the West Bank and east Jerusalem as an integral part of the “Land of Israel” which God gave to the Jews and see the settlements as “facts on the ground” to prevent any withdrawal.

The settler population has nearly tripled since the launch of the Oslo peace process in 1993, with encouragement from rightwing leaders, includ-

ing Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

In 2005 former premier Ariel Sharon, widely known as the “father of the settler movement,” championed a new strategy of limited, unilateral withdrawal and evacuated all 8,000 settlers from Gaza.

Netanyahu, whose Likud party and governing coalition are dominated by settler supporters, has said he is willing to discuss settlements as a final status issue.

But last November Netanyahu imposed, under US pressure, a partial 10-month moratorium on West Bank settlement building.

The Palestinians have warned they will quit the talks if construction resumes.

Netanyahu has hinted he will let the moratorium expire but curb major projects.

The settlements range from clusters of mobile homes on remote hilltops to modern suburbs with shopping malls, apartment blocks and swimming pools. The largest, Maale Adumim outside Jerusalem, has more than 30,000 residents.

Most of the settler population was attracted by the quality of life more than ideological considerations. A hardline minority frequently clashes with Palestinians and have vowed to resist any effort by Israel to evacuate settlers from the West Bank. — AFP

Abbas says settlements harm Mideast peace deal UNITED NATIONS: Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said Saturday there will be no peace deal with Israel unless the Jewish state stops settlement construction in areas the Palestinians claim for their future state. “Israel must choose between peace and the continuation of settlements,” Abbas said in his address to the UN General Assembly’s annual ministerial meeting. Direct peace talks between Israel and the Palestinians stalled only three weeks after starting in Washington in early September over the impending end of a 10-month freeze on new Israeli settlement construction on land claimed by the Palestinians.

Abbas reaffirmed the Palestinian commitment to try to reach a peace deal. “We have decided to enter into final status negotiations. We will continue to exert every effort to reach an agreement for Palestinian-Israeli peace within one year in accordance with resolutions of international legitimacy ... and the vision of the two-state solution,” Abbas told ministers and diplomats. But with deadline looming for Israel to resume the contested building, the Palestinians are waiting for US efforts to break the impasse. President Barack Obama has increasingly placed efforts to resolve the conflict at the center of his foreign policy, but both Israeli and Palestinian officials said Saturday a deal was far from certain.

State Department spokesman P J Crowley said US special Mideast peace envoy George Mitchell met with Abbas for about half an hour on Saturday. “We remain engaged with both sides,” he said. Earlier, Crowley said, “We are doing everything we can to keep the parties in direct talks.” In his UN speech, Abbas said, “Our demands for the

cessation of settlement activities, the lifting of the siege (of Gaza) and an end to all other illegal Israel policies and practices do not constitute arbitrary preconditions in the peace process.” These are past obligations that Israel is required to implement, he said, and Israel’s implementation “will lead to the creation of the necessary environment for the success of the negotiations.”

He said the Palestinians and the wider Middle East are continuously pushed into “the corner of violence and conflict” as a result of Israel’s “mentality of expansion and domination.” The Palestinian president demanded an end to Israel’s repeated flouting of UN resolutions, its destruction of the historical identity of Jerusalem, and its blockade of the Gaza Strip which he said has created massive suffering for the people living there and prevented reconstruction. On the settlement dispute, some in Israel have proposed, for example, that limited building will resume but not the relatively unfettered construction that prevailed before the Israeli moratorium.

Palestinians say it is essential that Israel leave the restrictions on settlement construction in place.

Abbas has repeatedly warned that he will be forced to walk away from the direct negotiations if construction resumes. The Palestinians claim all of the West Bank, home to 300,000 Jewish settlers, as part of a future state, and say that by expanding settlements, Israel is imposing facts on the ground that make it increasingly difficult to establish a viable country.At the same time, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu faces heavy pressure within his pro-settler governing coalition to resume construction. — AP

INTERNATIONAL

8

Monday, September 27, 2010

ETA ready to declare permanent ceasefire MADRID: Basque separatist group ETA reportedly says it is willing to declare a permanent cease-fire, verified by international observers, in a bid to settle the troubled region’s long-running conflict with the Spanish government. The group did not specify if it would allow observers to oversee the destruction of its stockpile of weapons - the only absolute way of guaranteeing a cessation of violence - but hinted it was prepared to go beyond a

mere declaration of a cease-fire.

It said it would act “if the conditions for such moves are created”, without specifying what those would be. No one was available to comment at the Spanish Interior Ministry yesterday. Two unidentified and masked ETA members said in an interview published in Basque newspaper Gara yesterday that the violent, armed group was prepared to abide by the Brussels Declaration, a document issued

in March by a group including four Nobel peace laureates. ETA often uses Gara as a mouthpiece.

The Brussels document calls for impartial verification of any cease-fire adopted

by ETA. The interview quoted the ETA members as saying that, “ETA is willing to take that step, and also to go further, if the conditions for such moves are created.” Three weeks ago ETA announced its 11th cease-fire in its 40-year violent cam-

paign for an independent homeland but it did not mention the word permanent nor did it say it would be prepared to destroy its stockpile of arms.

Basque pro-independence political parties and splinter groups called on ETA in a statement released late Saturday to declare a permanent, unilateral and verifiable cease-fire leading to “dialogue and negotiation in all fields” under the “Mitchell Principles.” US Sen George

Mitchell mediated a peace process that led to the Good Friday peace accord in Northern Ireland, an agreement that included eyewitness verification of the destruction of the IRA’s weapons.

Earlier this month ETA also came under pressure to declared a verifiable cease-fire from pro-independence parties Batasuna and Eusko Alkartasuna. It has also been pressed for a change in strategy by some members currently serving

prison terms for violent acts. Spain’s government has repeatedly said progress can be made only when ETA renounces violence for good. It has rejected the latest cease-fire announcements as a gambit to buy time, regroup and rearm. ETA’s last deadly attack was a July 2009 car bomb that killed two policemen on the island of Mallorca. The group is considered a terrorist organization by Spain, the European Union and the United States. — AP

New Labor chief says he won’t be ‘Red Ed’ No ‘lurch to the left’ for Labor: Miliband LONDONL Britain’s newly appointed opposition leader Ed Miliband insisted yesterday he won’t force his Labor Party toward the political left-wing after he harnessed the support of leftist labor unions to beat his better-known Critics have already dubbed Miliband “Red Ed,” claiming he is likely to shift the Labor Party away from the centrist, business-friendly platform of Tony Blair and Gordon Brown. “I am nobody’s man, I am my own man. I am very clear about that,” Miliband told BBC television yesterday, in a first interview as party leader, insisting he would not be beholden to his labor union backers. He said his leadership would not see a turn toward the political left, but insisted his party must break decisively from the dogma of Blair and Brown - and lay to rest divisive arguments over the decision to back the 2003 USled invasion of Iraq.

“It is not about some lurch to the left, absolutely not. I am for the center ground of politics,” said Miliband, who was confirmed as leader at a rally in Manchester, northern England.

Legislators, party activists and about 3.5 million labor union members voted in the contest.

In his campaign, Miliband advocated the retention of a temporary 50 percent tax rate for high earners, a more punishing levy on banks and a steep rise in the country’s national minimum wage.

He said he favored the use of tax hikes in place of some proposed public spending cuts - but told the BBC yesterday that he would not oppose all austerity measures being put forward by Prime Minister David Cameron’s government.

Treasury chief George Osborne will next month set out the detail of the sharpest spending cuts since World War II, aimed at virtually clearing the country’s record debts by 2015. “I’m not going to oppose every cut that the coalition government comes up with. I will judge them on their merits,” Miliband said.

But he questioned the speed

brother in a dramatic election. Miliband, 40, narrowly defeated brother David, the 45-year-old ex-foreign secretary, in their party’s leadership contest on Saturday, winning a slender majority of 1.3 percent of votes.

MANCHESTER: Ed Miliband (left) newly-elected leader of Britain’s opposition Labor Party, embraces his brother David Miliband, who was also a candidate, following the announcement. — AP of the government’s plans to restore Britain’s finances, claiming the aim of saving about 30 billion pounds ($44 billion) per year from government departments was reckless.

“They want to say the only thing that matters in our society

is to eliminate the structural deficit over the next four years,” Miliband said. “I don’t agree with that because that will inflict huge damage on our communities. Deficit reduction, yes, but at a cautious pace and in a way that will help our economy, not

hinder it.” Miliband, whose partner Justine Thornton is pregnant with the couple’s second child, has pledged action to reduce the gap between the country’s highest and lowest earners, and to offer better protection to British workers who

face competition for jobs from migrants.

However, he insisted his policies would have broad appeal. “All these characterizations about ‘Red Ed’ are both tiresome and also rubbish,” he said. Writing an op-ed article in the Sunday Telegraph newspaper, Miliband vowed to recapture the support of middle class Britons, who deserted the party in the May national election when Labor trailed in second place and was ousted after 13 years in office by the Conservative-led coalition government. “My aim is to show that our party is on the side of the squeezed middle in our country and everyone who has worked hard and wants to get on. My aim is to return our party to power,” he wrote.

Miliband said he would heed advice from senior party figures of the past, including Blair, but said his party must also recognize the failings that led to its ouster. Voters want “a government that would stand up for Britain, but when it came to Iraq - the defining foreign policy test of our time in office - they lost trust in us. We need to accept the mistakes we made in these areas and show that we have changed,” Miliband wrote in his op-ed. Miliband said his elder brother was considering whether he would take a portfolio in Labor’s new top team.

“He needs time to think about the contribution he can make. I think he can make a very big contribution to British politics,” the new leader said of his brother. The elder lawmaker declined to say on Saturday what role he would play in the future, but congratulated his brother. “Obviously I am genuinely delighted for him because if I can’t win then he should lead the party,” David Miliband said. —AP

After one year into new term, Merkel struggles BERLIN: Regalvanised opposition to nuclear power and a bitter national row on immigration threaten to derail Angela Merkel’s attempts to give her fractious government a fresh start one year after her re-election.

And with six crucial state polls looming next year, Merkel is under the gun to get her centreright alliance on track.

On September 27, 2009, Merkel scraped to victory with her conservative Christian Union bloc, allowing her to dump her unloved coalition partners, the Social Democrats (SPD), and link up with the pro-business Free Democrats (FDP). But after 11 years of dreaming of reuniting in government, the two sides have been at constant loggerheads over core issues, allowing the opposition SPD and the resurgent Greens to capture a clear ruling majority in opinion polls.

Merkel prefers to remain above the fray but analysts say she needs to reassert her authority if she hopes to see out her four-year term. “She has got to lead, she has got to take some decisions, and she must force the smaller parties in her coalition to toe the line if she wants to survive,” Manfred Guellner, head of the Forsa independent polling institute, told AFP. Bitter infighting over tax breaks, healthcare reform, cuts to social welfare benefits and conscription have all taken a heavy toll on voter support. And in

another headache for Merkel, tens of thousands of nuclear energy opponents took to Berlin’s streets last weekend to protest plans to extend the life of reactors well beyond the planned shut-off date of around 2020. Organizers vow to keep up the pressure.

Merkel has also struggled to regain control of a fiery debate on immigration, sparked by a polemical, best-selling new book by a central banker and politician blasting the integration of Muslims. And she surprisingly threw her support behind a massive, unpopular rail project in Stuttgart, southwestern Germany that has drawn weekly mass protests. It is set to become a major issue in a March vote in Baden-Wuerttemberg, where Merkel’s conservatives could lose after half a century in power.

“In both cases, (the demonstrators are) not just the usual suspects, and a chancellor or party leader who does not take that seriously ... will not have her job for long,” the centre-left daily Sueddeutsche Zeitung wrote.

Guellner said a free-fall in support for the FDP, and its sharp-tongued leader, Foreign Minister and ViceChancellor Guido Westerwelle, was a major problem for Merkel.

“He is the weakest foreign minister in post-war history. He doesn’t make mistakes but he doesn’t do anything right, he is divisive on domestic issues and he doesn’t have the stature for the job,” he said.—AFP

BERLIN: The wreckage of a bus that carried Polish tourists stands on the highway after it crashed in Schoenefeld yesterday. — AP

Tourist bus crashes in Germany, 12 dead BERLIN: A Polish tourist bus returning from Spain careered into a bridge on a rain-soaked German motorway yesterday, killing 12 people and leaving seven in critical condition. “A car collided with a Polish tourist coach... (which) then lost control and crashed with full force into the bridge pillar,” fire brigade spokesman Arne Feuring told news channel N24 at the scene. “This was a very large operation for us.... In total there were more than 300 members of the emergency services in action at the scene.”

One of those in a critical condition was the driver of the car, a Mercedes, that collided with the bus.

Polish media reports said the driver was a 37-yearold woman. Her nationality was not known. Seven people were fighting for their lives after being airlifted by helicopter to nearby hospitals. They were “definitely” in a critical condition, a spokesman for the fire brigade told AFP. The driver of the coach was hurt, but his injuries were not reported to be life-threatening.

Unconfirmed news reports said the injured included two children. A police spokesman said that the car spun out of control at around 10:45 am (0845 GMT) as it joined the A10 motorway from the A113 not far from Berlin’s Schoenefeld airport, south of the capital. After colliding with the coach, the car ended up in a drainage ditch under the bridge, at right angles to the road.

It had been raining most of the night and morning and the road was slippery, and investigators have opened an inquiry into the cause of the crash, examining if was weather-related, a police

spokesman said. Police would also speak to eyewitnesses of the crash, he added. The grey bus, operated by coach company Pol-Bus, had 46 people on board, according to Polish media reports.

Police spokesman Jens Quitschke said the coach was on its way back to Poland from Spain and that it was carrying people of all ages, not only young people as reported in German media. Television pictures showed that part of the front windscreen of the coach was smashed, while the injured were being carried on stretchers to tents specially set up at the scene. Those physically unhurt in the accident were being treated for shock.

Poland’s Prime Minister Donald Tusk was to travel to the scene of the tragedy, government spokesman Pawel Gras said in Warsaw. Health Minister Ewa Kopacz would accompany him. The speaker of the European parliament, Poland’s Jerzy Buzek, was “deeply saddened and shocked by the tragic deaths,” Polish news agency PAP quoted him as saying.

Germany’s busy A10 motorway was expected to remain closed for several more hours as emergency services, assisted by half a dozen helicopters, dealt with the injured, cleared away the debris and began their investigation. Prosecutors in Szczecin in northwest Poland also said that they would launch their own investigation. “There hasn’t been an accident like this with so many people involved in Brandenburg (state) for a long time,” the Bild daily quoted Peter Salender, a spokesman for area police as saying.— AFP

Sahara army leaders meet to draft anti-Qaeda plan Regional governments clash over ransom payments ALGIERS: Military chiefs from four Saharan countries met yesterday to set out a joint strategy for fighting Al-Qaeda’s north African wing, the group holding seven foreigners hostage in the Sahara desert. Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) seized the foreigners, who include five French nationals, in Niger this month in an operation security analysts said showed the group posed a growing threat to security in the resource-rich region.

Chiefs of staff from Algeria, Mali, Mauritania and Niger were meeting in Tamanrasset, southern Algeria, where they have set up a joint headquarters to coordinate the fight against Al-Qaeda in the Sahara.

“Military chiefs of staff will exchange information and analysis to establish ... a joint strategy for fighting against terrorism and organized crime,” the Algerian Defense Ministry said in a statement released on Saturday.

The statement did not say, however, if the meeting would deal directly with the issue of the seven hostages. Algeria has been pressing its neighbors in the Sahara to take a more coordinated approach to tackling Al-Qaeda and also

to halt the practice of paying ransoms and releasing jailed militants in return for hostages’ freedom.

The lack of a unified approach among Saharan and European countries has “facilitated the business of kidnapping foreigners for ransoms”, a security source in Algeria told Reuters yesterday.

Algeria is also fiercely opposed to Western military forces taking any role in the Sahara, saying that it is a problem the countries of the region must tackle themselves. French commandos, along with Mauritanian troops, took part in a raid in July to try to free 78-year-old French hostage Michel Germaneau. They failed to locate him and he was executed soon after.

AQIM leader Abdelmalek Droudkel issued an audio recording saying that by approving the operation, French President Nicolas Sarkozy had “opened the gates of hell”. French Defense Minister Herve Morin said last week that he wanted to establish contact with the militants holding the seven foreigners hostage and hear their demands. — Reuters

Agency denies dams caused floods

OBERAMMERGAU: German Chancellor Angela Merkel (left) poses for a photo with the director of the Oberammergau Passion Play, Christian Stueckl (right) and some kids.—AFP

DUTSE: The agency in charge of two dams in northern Nigeria denied yesterday that the opening of gates at the barriers had caused major flooding that officials say has displaced some two million people.

The governor of Jigawa state has blamed opened flood gates for the disaster that has destroyed huge swathes of farmland and left residents taking shelter in schools.

State officials say the dams were opened last month, swamping areas along the Hadejia River and adding to flood misery that had already washed away entire villages across other parts of Nigeria’s north this rainy season. “This is not the issue at all,” said Salisu B Hamzat, spokesman for the HadejiaJama’are River Basin Development Authority, which oversees the two dams Jigawa state officials blame for the flooding.

“This year we have had heavy rainfall almost everywhere in the country. This is actually what

caused the flooding.” Hamzat said the dams, located in Kano state, which borders Jigawa, are never manually opened and simply empty automatically into a spillway once the reservoir fills. The larger of the two dams, the Tiga dam, has not spilled over this year, according to Hamzat. He said the smaller dam, the Challawa, has spilled over, but the amount involved would not be nearly enough to cause the flooding that has occurred in Jigawa.

Two people were killed in the initial stages of the flooding in Jigawa state, a Red Cross official has said.

Many of the villages in the flooded areas consisted of mud-and-thatch huts and were populated by fishermen who work the river and farmers growing maize, millet and rice.

Local government officials have heavily criticized the dam agency, saying similar incidents have occurred in the past and they have not changed their approach. — AFP

INTERNATIONAL

Monday, September 27, 2010

9

Venezuelans vote, Chavez likely to retain authority Ballot is key test ahead of 2012 presidential poll CARACAS: Venezuela ns voted in a pa rlia m enta ry election yesterda y a nd President Hugo Cha vez w a s expected to k eep control of the Na tiona l Assem bly in a poll testing his support a hea d of a presidentia l ba llot in 2012. Opposition pa rties in South Am erica ’s biggest oil producer a re gua ra nteed to m a k e big ga ins, how ever, a fter boycotting

CURITIBA: Worker’s party presidential candidate Dilma Rousseff waves to supporters during a meeting. — AFP

Lula’s charm lifts candidate towards Brazilian presidency Rousseff poised to become Brazil’s first woman prez SAO PAULO: On the campaign trail, President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva is the one getting rock star treatment, with applause, laughs and a beaming pride from the crowd. But in just over a week, on Brazil’s election day October 3, it will be his less charismatic protegee standing next to him, Dilma Rousseff, who will be getting the votes.

Rousseff, 62, is poised to become Brazil’s first woman president almost entirely thanks to the work Lula has been putting in to have her succeed him as the ruling Workers Party candidate. Lula himself will step down at the end of the year after serving the maximum two consecutive terms allowed under the constitution. So he has thrown his formidable personality behind Rousseff, his former cabinet chief and right-hand woman who has never before faced election for public office.

The campaign mentoring has clearly worked.

Dilma, as she is known throughout Brazil, has in a few short months gone from being an unknown laggard in the polls to the frontrunner by such a wide margin that observers say she could win the election by such a landslide there will be no need for a runoff. Several surveys see her taking at least 50 percent of the ballots. She has a 21-point lead over her closest rival, former Sao Paulo governor Jose Serra, according to the most recent poll

by Datafolha.

Serra, a staid technocrat, has struggled to differentiate himself enough to mount a serious fightback. Both he and Dilma are vowing to rather faithfully pursue Lula’s legacy of keeping Brazil’s finances stable, maintaining significant welfare to the poor, and helming a consumer boom that has gone hand in hand with strong exports of the country’s abundant natural resources. But it is the perception that Lula is responsible for the good fortune felt in Brazil that buoys his candidate.

Brazil’s economy is expected to expand a blistering seven percent this year, far better than the 2.7 percent growth that greeted Lula when he first took power in 2002. On Friday, Lula plans to underline Brazil’s aspirations of becoming a major

oil exporter when he launches a capitalization of the state-run oil company Petrobras-a new share issue thought to be the world’s largest that could raise up to 78 billion dollars. Yet the winner of the presidential election faces several challenges.

Brazil’s infrastructure, education and health systems all need investment. The massive inflow of foreign cash into Brazil has also pushed up the currency, the real, to levels uncomfortable for the export sector. Imports are surging, eating away at the trade balance. Rules governing taxation and starting businesses need reform. Lima Garofalo, of the Order of Economists of Brazil, said the country’s saturated airports and generally poor quality roads were proving a drag on growth.

“As long as there is no solid investment in the transport sector, which includes the issue of roads, the so-called ‘Brazil cost’ is going to keep being very influential,” he said. Sebastian Briozzo, an analyst at the ratings agency Standard and Poor’s, also told AFP that “on the fiscal level, Brazil still has some vulnerabilities.” And Paulo Francini, head of economic research for the Federation of Industry for the state of Sao Paulo, noted: “We have the gold medal for the highest interest rates in the world.” In the foreign policy arena, Brazil’s star was expected to shine a little less brightly without Lula’s gruff and gregarious manner to drive it. While Rousseff or Serra would likely keep promoting the G20 and BRIC forums that give Brazil such a prominent position in world affairs, the two candidates had some differences in the way they would handle regional ties in Latin America. Rousseff appears satisfied with Lula’s strategy of trying to be friends with all Brazil’s neighbors. Serra, on the other hand, notably advocates greater distance from Venezuela’s volatile President Hugo Chavez.

Besides choosing their next president, Brazil’s 135 million voters are also being called on to renew their 513-seat congress, two thirds of the senate, governorships and state legislatures.

Voting in Brazil is compulsory. — AFP

Chile’s trapped miners pin hopes on ‘Phoenix’ COPIAPO: Painted in Chile’s national colors of white, blue and red, the rescue capsule dubbed “Phoenix” is the last hope to pull 33 miners trapped deep underground to safety.

Built especially for the rescue operation at the Navy’s construction sites, the capsule looks like a long, four-meter (13-foot) metallic cigar. It has a 53-centimeter (21-inch) diameter with a cylindrical steel cage that will hoist each man up to the surface 700 meters (2,300 feet) above their underground shelter.

Engineers are hoping the very long and narrow case will carry the miners upwards to a new life, much like the phoenix of ancient mythology rose from the ashes to be born anew. “We called it Phoenix because it will be like a rebirth, a new life for the miners,” Mining Minister Laurence Golborne told reporters. Despite the long wait until rescuers can begin pulling the men one by one-by early November at the soonestthe cage buoyed hopes in the makeshift campsite that sprung up after the August 5 cave-in.

“Chi, Chi, Chi, le, le, le. Viva Chile!” the crowd yelled out as it glimpsed the cylinder being unloaded on the site on Saturday. It was the first of three capsules that will be used in the penultimate phase of the rescue, marking the end of a grueling underground ordeal that has already lasted nearly two months. An Austrian-made hoisting system of pulleys and cranes will bring the cage slowly up the rescue shaft.

Engineers said each trip will take from one to one-and-a-half hours, with the entire rescue lasting more than 24 hours.

Golborne and workers entered the cage to explain the system to the miners’ relatives. Some

COPIAPO: Mining Minister Laurence Golborne stands inside a capsule that will be used to rescue trapped miners from the collapsed San Jose mine as Rescue Operation Deputy Rene Aguilar (left) and Health Minister Jaime Manalich look on. — AP of them even entered the cages as well. Health Minister Jaime Manalich told reporters that before the miners come to the surface, at least two people-a mine rescue expert and a highly trained paramedic-will descend to their shelter.

They will help each miner negotiate the long ride back up to the surface, he added. The

upper white section of the cylinder can be detached using three levers the miner can activate from inside the cage, Manalich explained. Should the miner hit a snag during the ascent, he will be able to lower himself slowly back down to the shelter, with the help of wheels on the sides of the shaft. —AFP

Chavez, who was first elected president in 1998, is not on the ballot but his larger-thanlife personality has dominated the campaigns-and exposed sharp political differences in a country with vast oil and mineral wealth and a huge gap between rich and poor. The former paratrooper delivered a torrent of Twitter messages through the night before polls opened at 6 am (1100 GMT), exhorting supporters to get out and cast their ballots.

“Everyone up and on the offensive! We will demonstrate again that the revolution is here to stay! Nobody Left Without Voting!” he said from his personal account, @chavezcandanga. Chavez is hailed by supporters as a champion of Venezuela’s many poor, but denounced by critics as a boorish dictator. His popularity is in the 40 percent to 50 percent range-well below his highs of previous years but probably enough to ensure his ruling Socialist Party retains a majority.

“The opposition are very confident this time but they do not understand how the people feel,” said Carlos Cristiani, 44, wearing a Chavez T-shirt and selling newspapers in Sebucan, one of the most affluent neighborhoods of the capital Caracas.

“Chavez has problems, that’s clear, but nobody wants these other (opposition) people. They will be very disappointed.”

In addition to the 56-yearold president’s polarizing personality, the peaceful campaign has focused on Venezuela’s shocking crime statistics and its economic woes. Sky-high inflation has worsened a second year of recession.

In a televised broadcast from the Miraflores presidential palace, Chavez spoke out against opposition leaders: “They will never enter here again, the immoral ones, the mobsters, the stateless ones, the traitors. I am going to say this until the last day of my life.”

Socialists seen as favorites According to polls, the Socialists are a couple of percentage points ahead of a newly united opposition umbrella group, Democratic Unity.

Combined with changes to voting rules and the electoral map that favor the government, analysts say that means Chavez’s party enters the vote as favorite. Opponents, however, say there is a wave of disenchantment with the president that will prove the polls wrong.

“We need to get rid of this crazy guy right now,” said housewife Valeria Mendes, 37, walking with pro-opposition friends on the Avila mountain that towers above Caracas.

“We’ve put up with him for too long. He’s ruining our country.”

The armed forces said they had temporarily closed the border with Colombia until 8 pm yesterday “to avoid any problems that could hinder the electoral process.”

Tensions had spiked between the Andean neighbors in early August after US ally Colombia accused Chavez of tolerating leftist guerrillas on his territory. Chavez briefly cut diplomatic ties in protest, but relations have since improved.

Investors will be paying close attention to the vote, particularly because debt issued by the government and state oil company PDVSA offers very high yields for those willing to bear what some consider a significant chance of default.

Venezuela’s yield spread over US Treasuries remains the widest among nations listed on JP Morgan’s Emerging Markets Bond Index Plus (EMBI+). Its benchmark dollar-denominated 2027 global bond rose 6.73 percent to 70.56 on Friday from 66.13 two weeks ago, thanks, analysts say, to the nonviolent run-up to the vote and increased investor appetite for risk.

Some market players will be hoping for opposition gains because they are wary of the nationalizations by Chavez that have put a wide swath of the economy under state control, including multibillion-dollar oil projects run by US majors. —Reuters

the la st legisla tive election five yea rs a go. The focus is on w hether the opposition ca n ta k e m ore tha n a third of the 165 sea ts up for gra bs, w hich w ould m ea n the socia list lea der w ould need support from his foes for m a jor cha nges to la w s or to m a k e a ppointm ents to k ey institutions.

CARACAS: Citizens wait in line to cast their vote at a polling station yesterday. — AFP

Mexico nabs drug trafficker DOCTOR GONZALEZ: Mexican authorities have arrested an alleged trafficker known as “The Tiger” who they say shipped a half-ton of drugs to the US each month and may have been poised to take over for a dead capo in the Sinaloa cartel. Federal police said Saturday that Margarito Soto Reyes, 44, was detained along with eight alleged accomplices near the western city of Guadalajara, but could not immediately specify when or in what circumstances the capture occurred.

Police said Soto Reyes allegedly traded in synthetic drugs on routes established by former Sinaloa leader Ignacio “Nacho” Coronel, who was killed in a gunbattle with soldiers in July.

“Intelligence reports indicate that amid the reorganization within the Sinaloa cartel after the death of Ignacio Coronel ... ‘The Tiger’ was able to use the so-called Southern Pacific route” presumably operated by Coronel, a federal police statement said. It said officers seized drugs, weapons and cash during the arrests of Soto Reyes and his alleged accomplices. Those detained included a man who allegedly posed as a veterinarian to acquire precursor chemicals for

synthetics drugs like methamphetamines, and two women who allegedly helped operate a synthetic drug lab. Also Saturday, police in the northern state of Chihuahua announced they had found the bodies of six men piled in a sport utility vehicle on a roadside in a remote, southern area of the state.

The men had all apparently been shot in the head. And in the border city of Ciudad Juarez, unidentified assailants dumped the hacked-up body of a man on a street.

Elsewhere, mourners and officials held a wake for a mayor shot to death Thursday in a small town near the northern city of Monterrey. Mourners mounted honor guards around the coffins of Mayor Prisciliano Rodriguez Salinas and his aide in the town of Doctor Gonzalez, where the two were slain.

The coffins were surrounded by floral wreaths inside a small, heavily guarded community center in the agricultural community about 30 miles east of Monterrey.

Soldiers and state and federal police patrolled nearby. No motive has been identified in the killing, but the town lies on a major highway leading to the border, in an

area plagued by drug gangs.

Two other small-town mayors in northeastern Mexico have been killed in the last month and at least seven have been slain in border states this year. Residents described the dead mayor as a cheerful, helpful official who liked to brighten the mood by playing cumbia music at the town hall. Rodriguez Salinas reportedly spent the last day of his life handing out sheets of roofing material to poor residents.

“My father always helped the poor, he was a hard worker,” said the mayor’s son Daniel, 21, a computer science student.

Asked who might have wanted to kill his father, he said, “We have no idea.” Also Saturday, an army base near Monterrey reported that soldiers came under fire when they went to look into a tip that a local ranch had been taken over by members of a drug gang Friday. The soldiers fired back, killing two alleged assailants, and then seized 12 rifles and over 2,000 rounds of ammunition, the army said. Drug gangs have been known to take over ranches in northern Nuevo Leon and Tamaulipas states to use them as training grounds or safe houses. — AP

Storm shreds ageing tents in Haiti earthquake camps PORT-AU-PRINCE: The sudden, powerful storm that ripped through Haiti’s battered capital destroyed thousands of tents in the homeless camps where more than 1.3 million people live eight months after the earthquake destroyed their homes, shelter officials said Saturday.

The death toll from Friday afternoon’s storm stood at six people, with nearly 8,000 tents damaged or destroyed, according to a statement from the United Nation’s International Organization for Migration. The organization said it had distributed 5,000 tarps. Earlier, Civil Protection chief Marie Alta JeanBaptiste told The Associated Press that the dead included two children and hundreds of people were reported with varying degrees of injury.

The storm’s effect was exacerbated by the flimsiness of tarps and tents that have been baking, soaking and flapping in the Caribbean elements since the Jan. 12 earthquake killed at least 230,000 people and left millions homeless. Hundreds of thousands of families continue living on the streets of the capital waiting for temporary housing or money to find new apartments. “Many of the tents that were destroyed had reached their end of lifespan,” said Gerhard Tauscher, shelter cluster coordinator for the International Federation of the Red Cross.

Reconstruction has barely begun despite billions of dollars pledged for Haiti in the wake of the disaster. Less than 15 percent of money promised at the UN donor’s conference in March 2 has been delivered. The United States, which spent more than $1.1 billion in humanitarian

aid after the quake, has not delivered any of its promised long-term funds. Wood and metal temporary shelters fared much better in the storm, suffering minimal damage. But few of the earthquake homeless have those.

Instead they continue living in tarps and tents, sometimes reinforced with metal or wood.

As many as 10 percent of such shelters were destroyed in some areas of the capital by the sudden squall, with damage concentrated in central urban areas, Tauscher said. Camp-management facilities including office tents, clinics and childcare spaces were shredded, especially in camps perched on the steep hillsides between downtown

Port-au-Prince and the suburb of Petionville. “(Our) infrastructure has been ripped up: the house, the office, child-friendly spaces.

The clinic held up pretty well and there wasn’t any one person hurt. But trees fell and the place looks an absolute mess,” said Emmett Fitzgerald of the American Refugee Council, who manages the 26,000-person camp at Terrain Acra. Sean Penn’s J/P Haiti Relief Organization also suffered damage to its administrative and clinic tents at the Petionville country club golf-course camp home to tens of thousands of quake homeless.

There was less damage to the north of the city at the

Corail-Cesselesse camp, where residents used tools to drain water away from tents and shore up sagging homes with help from international aid and security teams, manager Bryant Castro said. The storm was not part of any tropical system but rather a standard early-fall Caribbean storm caused by cold and dry conditions in the upper atmosphere, US National Hurricane Center senior specialist Stacy Stewart told AP. Windspeed and rainfall data were not immediately available.

Based on the reports of uprooted trees and damaged tents, Stewart estimated winds might have reached 60 mph (100 kph) a violent storm, but far below hurricane strength. —AP

PORT-AU-PRINCE: An earthquake survivor tries to set up her tent after it fell down due to heavy rains. — AP

INTERNATIONAL

10

Monday, September 27, 2010

China-Russia ties ‘sealed by blood’, says Medvedev DALIAN: Russian President Dmitry Medvedev arrived in northeast China for an official visit yesterday saying that Moscow’s ties with Beijing were “sealed by blood” spilled fighting a common enemy.

Medvedev kicked off a three-day visit to the world’s second biggest economy by visiting the former Russian city of Dalian and paying respects to fallen Russian soldiers who died defending the port from Japanese invaders.

“Friendship with China is Russia’s strategic choice, it’s a choice that was sealed by blood

years ago,” Medvedev told Russian and Chinese war veterans.

“The friendship between Russian and Chinese peoples cemented by the military events will be indestructible and do good for our future generations. “For Russia and China, the memory of those events is sacred.” Before meeting the veterans and Li Min, the 73-year-old daughter of Chinese revolutionary leader Mao Zedong, the Kremlin chief laid flowers at the monument commemorating the Russian-Japanese war

of 1904-05 and World War II. Accompanied by top energy officials and business tycoons, Medvedev is slated to meet Chinese President Hu Jintao in Beijing today and oversee the signing of a raft of agreements including energy deals. Russia has been in talks with China, the world’s largest energy consumer, over gas deliveries. Moscow, which has been watching China’s formidable economic growth with a mixture of awe and unease, is also eager to attract more Chinese investment.

Relations between Moscow and Beijingonce bitter foes during the Cold War-have a turbulent history. The two nations position themselves as counterweights to US global dominance and the Kremlin likes to call its ties with Beijing a “strategic partnership”.

Medvedev’s visit to the city known in Russian as Dalny also came as China is entangled in a bitter territorial dispute with Japan.

Dalian, which came under Moscow’s control following a 25-year leasing agreement

with imperial China in 1898, is near the naval base of Port Arthur, where Russia lost a fierce siege battle to Japan-a turning point in the 1904-05 war. Many in China consider the lease a part of an “unequal treaty” forced upon the Qing Dynasty, then in decline. In 1945, the Soviet Union expelled the Japanese from Port Arthur now known as Lushun-and handed the base back to China a decade later.

The Lushun cemetery is the final resting place for thousands of Russian troops.

Soviet-era tombstones topped with red stars sit on manicured lawns following a major facelift ahead of the presidential visit. Later yesterday, Medvedev met students from the Dalian Institute of Foreign Languages and urged Chinese students to study Russian.

“Maybe some day, when I retire, I will be studying the Chinese language,” he said with a smile. Medvedev later arrived in Beijing for formal meetings today. He will head to Shanghai tomorrow and visit the Russian pavilion at the World Expo. —AFP

N Korea meeting likely to set stage for dynastic succession Kim Jong-Un expected to take over from Kim Jong-Il SEOUL: North Korea will this week launch its biggest political meeting for 30 years, apparently paving the way for another dynastic succession in the impoverished hardline communist nation. The Workers’ Party conIt will be the first major ruling party gathering since 1980, when current leader Kim Jong-Il was publicly confirmed as eventual successor to his own father and the North’s founding president Kim Il-Sung, who died in 1994. The 68-year-old Kim, who suffered a stroke two years ago and also reportedly has kidney problems, is widely expected to build support this week for an eventual takeover by his youngest son, Kim Jong-Un. Delegates arrived in Pyongyang yesterday, the official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said, in apparent confirmation the meeting will open on the rescheduled date. State media in one of the world’s most secretive countries has given no hint of any succession moves. But it has suggested that this could be a watershed moment in the nuclear-armed nation. The conference to elect the party’s “supreme leadership body” will be a “historic” meeting, KCNA said last week.

After 62 years of uninterrupted rule by the Kim dynasty, the output of the North’s command economy is a fraction of its capitalist southern neighbor.

Missile and nuclear programs have brought international sanctions and isolation. Severe food

ference, scheduled to begin tomorrow, was delayed from early September for reasons which-like much else in the reclusive country-remain a mystery to the outside world.

BERNE: An undated picture shows what is believed to be North Korean leader’s son Kim Jong-Un. —AFP shortages have persisted since a famine in the 1990s, leaving a

generation stunted by malnutrition.

Given the problems which the regime is grappling, analysts say this may not be a good time for the Swiss-educated Jong-Un, believed aged around 27, to step into the limelight by taking a top party post. Cheong SeongChang, of South Korea’s Sejong Institute think-tank, said the son is unlikely to join the presidium-the top echelon of the party’s politburo-until 2012.

Leader Kim has set that year, the 100th anniversary of his late father’s birth, as the time for the North to become a “great, powerful and prosperous” nation.

However, Paik Hak-Soon also of Sejong said Jong-Un will likely join the party’s central committee or even the presidium this week.

Paik told AFP that Kim JongIl took over these powerful positions step by step until 1980, when he became de facto successor. The process for Jong-Un would be “greatly expedited” due to Kim Jong-Il’s failing health, Paik said.

“This week’s event will likely be a repetition of the party meeting in 1980, to declare Jong-Un as the next leader,” he told AFP. Other analysts believe there will be no public announcement. The regime is “now ready to go ahead with its

move to designate Kim Jong-Un as successor”, said Yang Moo-Jin of Seoul’s University of North Korean Studies. “The son is expected to take a key party post but that will not be made public for a while,” Yang said.

Kim Yong-Hyun of Seoul’s Dongguk University said JongUn would probably become formal heir-apparent or take a post overseeing the party, although the move may not be disclosed until Pyongyang deems it appropriate. The conference is also expected to give top party posts to supporters of a dynastic succession, such as the senior Kim’s powerful brother-in-law Jang Song-Thaek.

It could also suggest some new policy directions. But Paik said potentially controversial issues like economic reforms would take a back seat this time, since a smooth power transfer is top priority now.

“Jong-Un can later take over the task (of reforming the economy) and use it as his own achievement as the leader,” Paik said. China, the North’s economic lifeline and sole major ally, has pressed it to follow its example in freeing up the economy. But Kim’s regime appears so far to be fearful of relaxing its grip. — AFP

China makes progress on human rights BEIJING: China said yesterday it has made progress on human rights, pointing in particular to improved living standards, but an international rights group quickly described the government’s assessment as unrealistic.

Human Rights Watch said the government failed to mention that since the 2008 Beijing Olympics, China has gotten tougher on freedom of speech, has stepped up restrictions on the media and Internet and cracked down on lawyers and activists.

In a report released yesterday titled “Progress in China’s Human Rights in 2009,” the government highlighted its 4

trillion yuan ($586 billion) economic stimulus package that helped the country bounce back from the global financial crisis. It said per capita income rose 8.5 percent in 2009 for rural residents and 9.8 percent for urban dwellers and that spending on health services and education has increased. It acknowledged that more needed to be done. While the report focused less on increasing freedoms, it claimed Chinese people were able to exercise freedom of speech on the Internet, which it said has become an important channel for communication between the authorities and the people.

Human Rights Watch’s Asia advocacy

director Sophie Richardson said the report “is at best a missed opportunity and at worst a clumsy whitewash by failing to render a realistic assessment of China’s human rights problems.”

Richardson said China needs the political will to enforce the human rights already guaranteed by law and not tolerate officials who trample over those rights. The group noted that last year, the government targeted several high-profile dissidents such as Liu Xiaobo, who wrote Charter 08, a daring appeal for expanded political freedom. Liu and other dissidents have been prosecuted and jailed on charges of inciting subversion or posses-

sion of “state secrets.”

China, which is ruled by a one-party authoritarian regime, has long faced international criticism for falling short on basic rights like freedom of speech, religion and the right to a fair trial, even as it has aggressively promoted economic development.

Last year the government released its first human rights action plan that promised to do more to prevent illegal detention and torture, and to boost the overall living standard of minorities, women, the unemployed and the disabled.

Yesterday’s report said that plan has been “effectively implemented.”— AP

S Korea to send rice Thousands rally against ‘inept judges’ to N Korea in October SEOUL: South Korea will send a promised 5,000 tons of rice and other aid supplies to North Korea next month after torrential rain devastated the northwestern region of reclusive nation, a report said yesterday. South Korea’s government will meet tomorrow to approve an eight billion-won (seven million US dollar) aid package to be sent via the Red Cross, according to a report from Yonhap news agency.

The relief, announced by Seoul earlier this month, includes 5,000 tons of rice, 10,000 tons of cement, three million packs of instant noodles and other medical and emergency supplies.

Last month floods washed away thousands of homes, roads, railways and farmland across North Korea, causing an unspecified number of deaths.

Typhoon Kompasu, which hit the peninsula in early September, further battered the impoverished country, killing dozens of people and bringing more damage to the nation, which is vulnerable to flooding after years of deforestation.

Aid groups warned that this year’s flooding would aggravate the North’s chronic food shortages. But Seoul has been cautious in sending large-scale rice aid to the Pyongyang amid questions over whether the food will reach flood-stricken civilians or be diverted to feed the North’s 1.2 million-strong military.

Several South Korean lawmakers including the Unification Minister Hyun In-Taek, Seoul’s pointman on inter-Korean affairs, openly expressed doubts about the distribution of food aid in the North. “I think transparency in the distribution of humanitarian food aid to North Korea has not been ensured.

I’m not certain whether rice has been handed out properly,” Hyun told lawmakers this month.

Some lawmakers also claimed more than one million tons of rice was stored in military silos across North Korea.

Pyongyang complained earlier this month that the 5,000 tons of rice pledged is “not enough to feed North Koreans even for a day.” Seoul used to ship 400,000 tons of rice a year plus 300,000 tons of fertilizer to its northern neighbor, but the shipments ended in 2008 as the South’s conservative government adopted a harder line towards Pyongyang. —AFP

TAIPEI: Public fury over rulings by “incompetent judges” in a string of child-abuse cases drew thousands of protesters to a weekend rally outside Taiwan’s Presidential Office.

Clad in black T-shirts, protesters waved white roses in a show of anger at what they called “dinosaur judges,” who they said needed to be removed after defendants were cleared or given only light sentences in three recent cases.

In one case involving a three-year-old girl, the Supreme Court rejected prosecutors’ appeal against the suspect’s acquittal, saying they had failed to prove that the child was opposed to the sexual activity. Another case saw the acquittal of a male suspect charged with molesting his twoyear-old niece, after judges said they believed the victim had been mistaken about the time of the alleged crime.

The third case saw a child abuser jailed for 38 months-less than half the sentence sought by prosecutors. The bi-partisan rally late Saturday marked one of the biggest in Taiwan since 1997, when 100,000 took to streets of Taipei over the kidnapping, torture and murder of singer Pai Ping-ping’s 17-yearold daughter.

“The rulings of the ‘dinosaur judges’ are so ridiculous that we feel we have to stand up here... incompetent judges must be removed,” said one of the organizers of Saturday’s

TARRAGONA: Spanish Alejandro Cao de Benos, a special delegate for North Korea’s Committee for Cultural Relations with Foreign Countries, holds a pin of former North Korean president Kim Il-Sung during an interview. —AFP

Spaniard is N Korea’s face to outside world TARRAGONA: A meeting with a North Korean delegation when he was a teenager in Spain set Alejandro Cao de Benos on the path to become a spokesman for the reclusive communist regime.

Among his tasks as a special delegate for North Korea’s Committee for Cultural Relations with Foreign Countries is explaining Pyongyang’s position on issues ranging from its nuclear activities to its suspected human rights violations to global media outlets like CNN and Al-Jazeera.

He also coordinates visits by foreign journalists to North Korea, one of the world’s poorest and most isolated states, and puts firms wishing to do business with the Asian country in contact with the right government department. “I act as a bridge between the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea and the rest of the world,” Cao de Benos told AFP at a hotel cafe in his hometown of Tarragona in northeastern Spain that offers sweeping views of the Mediterranean.

“I am really, really proud of being given this position, not for the post itself but because of the trust which the government has placed in me.” Gaining that trust was a long process, said the 36-year-old, who previously served two years in the Spanish army before becoming an IT consultant. His first contact with officials from the North Korean regime came in 1990 when, at the age of 16, he approached the country’s delegation to the United Nations’ World Tourism Organisation, whose headquarters are in Madrid, at a conference in the Spanish capital.

A descendant of Spanish aristocrats who had lost their fortune two generations ago, he already identified himself as a communist and was intrigued by North Korea, in part he says because so little was known about the country. “My first impressions were very, very positive. Even though I was just a kid they treated me like anyone else. Being used to class differences as they exist in the West, the way the North Koreans behaved really made an impact on me,” he said, speaking in English.

Members of the delegation remained in contact and gave him books on North Korea and two years later he was invited to the country on a 10-day trip.

“It was a dream,” he said. “I saw that they are trying to build a different model of the world and I wanted to

be a part of this project.” His cooperation with North Korea deepened in 2000 when he set up the country’s official web page along as well as the Korea Friendship Association, a club for foreign supporters of the country that now counts 9,000 members in 120 countries.

He believes the success of these projects led Kim Jong-Il to appoint Cao de Benos as a special delegate two years later on the North Korean leader’s 60th birthday. Cao de Benos, who wears a pin on his shirt bearing the image of Kim’s father, Kim Il-Sung, the founding president of the North Korean regime who died in 1994, said he is the first and so far only foreigner to work for the country’s communist government. He has a North Korean passport and divides his time between North Korea and Spain.

But he stressed that Pyongyang has never paid him a salary and all the trips he makes as part of his job are paid out of his own pocket. “I have never received a single cent. My position is absolutely honorary. I believe in the cause and would give my life for my ideas,” he said, jabbing his index finger in the air for emphasis. Five years ago he quit his IT related jobs to focus on his role as a special delegate and supports himself with an import-export business he runs.

He acknowledges that North Korea went through a difficult period in the 1990s following the collapse of the Soviet Union, its key trading partner, when a famine killed hundreds of thousands of people but he said “there is not a single person starving in the country in 2010.” “Nowadays all shops have food even if it is still limited in variety,” he said.

The picture he paints of life inside North Korea is at odds with that providing by international aid agencies. The UN’s World Food Program estimated in March that 6.2 million out of North Korea’s population of 23 million need food aid. While North Korea says it offers free medical care for all its citizens, Amnesty International said in a report released in July that in reality patients have to pay doctors with cash, cigarettes, alcohol and food. Cao de Benos dismisses these sorts of reports as propaganda against the country. “North Korea cannot fight against CNN, the BBC. Our voice is very small,” he said. —AFP

Japan govt condemned for ‘caving in’ to China Four Japanese nationals still detained in China

TAIPEI: A boy holds a white rose during a rally to protest against the country’s justice system in front of Presidential Office.— AFP campaign, identified only by his surname, Tseng. Tseng said the campaign for phasing out incompetent judges and the overhaul of Taiwan’s judicial system had been endorsed by more than 300,000 people in just about 40

days. In response to the outrage, President Ma Ying-jeou has ordered judicial authorities to step up training for judges and to press for the passage of a bill speeding up their retirement. — AFP

BEIJING/TOKYO: Japan’s prime minister yesterday rejected China’s demand that Tokyo apologize and compensate for detaining a Chinese fisherman, and said both sides must try and cool down their bitter feud. The row has bounced back and forth between the two sides with demands for an apology and rejections, illustrating the fragility of ties between Asia’s two biggest economies troubled by Chinese memories of wartime occupation, military mistrust and maritime territorial disputes.

The dispute also raised concerns about damage to Sino-Japanese trade ties at a time when Japan is becoming increasingly reliant on China’s dynamism for growth. Fishing trawler captain Zhan Qixiong was released and arrived back in China on Saturday after his boat collided with Japanese patrol ships on Sept 7 near disputed islets, known as the Diaoyu in China and Senkaku in Japan. His crew had been freed earlier. The waters are believed to be rich in oil and natural gas.

Japanese Prime Minister Naoto Kan repeated that Tokyo would not respond to Chinese demands for an apology.”Senkaku is a Japanese territory. From that point of view, apology or compensation is unthinkable,” he told reporters. “I have no intention at all of meeting (the demand).” But he also urged a return to calm. “Both sides should first become calm and (then) deepen mutually beneficial strategic ties,” he said. “What is necessary is for both to calm down and act based on a broad perspective.”

Kan criticized at home Kan’s government has come under fire from domestic media and ruling as well as opposition lawmakers for “caving in” to Chinese pressure by releasing the captain after China detained four Japanese citizens, although Japanese officials denied a linkage. The four were detained on suspicion of violating the law regarding protection of Chinese military facilities, though the exact offence is not clear.

A former Japanese foreign minister said that international perceptions of China would be hurt by its refusal to back down. “It was our territory and there was no fault in arresting him in accordance with the law,” Katsuya Okada, secretary-general of the ruling Democratic Party and foreign minister until a Sept. 17 cabinet reshuffle, told public broadcaster NHK. “There have been views that this affair was a complete defeat for Japan, but this was a loss for China. China showed the world what kind of a country it is.” A Japanese man was arrested in Nagasaki, western Japan, yesterday after he threw what appeared to be a smoke flare into the grounds of the Chinese consulate general, Kyodo news agency said.

The consulate general was unstaffed, and no one was injured, Kyodo said, adding that police believed the incident could be related to the territorial spat. Freed captain Zhan told China Central Television he was eager to return for more fishing. —Reuters

INTERNATIONAL

Monday, September 27, 2010

11

Authorities consider reducing security presence

Kashmir leader rejects Indian govt ‘hoodwink’ SRI NAGAR: The ha rdline sepa ra tist lea der w ho ha s orga nized m onths of protests in I ndia n Ka shm ir dism issed yesterda y a n offer from the governm ent for fresh ta lk s a nd a security review . The proposa ls w ere put forw a rd by Hom e Minister P Chida m ba ra m a fter he led a n a ll-pa rty m ission la st w eek to the Muslim -m a jority region, w hich ha s been sha k en by violent pro-independence protests a nd strict curfew s since J une. “I t is a

SRINAGAR: A Kashmiri child looks at a paramilitary soldier after the car in which she was traveling along with her family was stopped at a checkpoint during curfew. — AP

Bandages, bullet wounds tell of Indian Kashmir’s turmoil SRINAGAR: The wards of the Bone and Joint Hospital in Srinagar provide ample evidence that pro-independence demonstrations in Indian Kashmir have met with a tough response. At least seven patients tell of how they were shot by police or paramilitary troops at violent demonstrations that have erupted across the Himalayan region over the past three months.

Aged between 15 and 35, they all have bullet wounds below the waist. They lie with their raised legs wrapped in dressings and pierced with metal rods to help bones heal properly. Most will limp for the rest of their lives, some may never walk again. Hospital staff who declined to be identified told AFP that 200 people have been treated for bullet wounds since the middle of June, when a wave of anti-India protests began.

Authorities in Kashmir say security forces open fire on protesters as a last resort, normally when mobs pelt them with rocks and try to overrun guard posts and bunkers. The patients at the hospital, in the region’s main town, have a different version of the clashes, at which-according to the police-more than 100 civilians have been shot dead during the worst violence in the Muslimmajority region for years.

Sajjad Nabi, 23, was hit by a bullet on September 13 in Tangmarg town, where independence protests were fanned by reports of Quran desecration in the United States. A missionary school and government buildings were burnt down as protesters battled with police and paramilitary troops. “About 1,000 people were marching and the CPRF (paramilitaries) stopped us,” Nabi, an unmarried builder, told AFP. “Suddenly from 10 or 20 meters (yards) away they targeted us and opened fire. I can’t say why, I don’t know.”

“I was shot in the upper thigh. Doctors took the bullet out, but there’s nerve damage and they don’t know if I will recover.” Muktar Ahmed, 24,

lies in the same dimly lit ward with paint peeling from the walls. He was also shot in the leg in Tangmarg. “Ten boys in the protest were taken away by police, so everyone was angry and gathered at the police station,” he said. “There was not even a baton charge before firing began. I was shot and then beaten as I lay on the ground.”

As violence has escalated, national politicians and Kashmiri pro-independence leaders appeared stuck for solutions. But India offered Saturday to hold talks with Indian Kashmiris and review the heavy security presence. The proposals were part of an eight-point plan put forward by Home Minister P Chidamabaram after he led an all-party delegation to the region last week.

Kashmir has often been described as one of the world’s most dangerous flashpoints as nucleararmed rivals Pakistan and India compete for control. The region is jointly administered by the estranged neighbors, but claimed in full by both.

They have fought two wars for control since independence from Britain in 1947. For 20 years, an insurgency against Indian rule has raged in Kashmir, claiming 47,000 lives.

In recent years, violence had fallen to its lowest levels since the start of the armed uprising, partly due to peace talks between India and Pakistan, but the demonstrations of the summer show the depth of public resentment. All the wounded patients in the hospital deny throwing stones during rallies, but they vow to fight for Kashmir to split from Hindu-majority India.

“When I recover I will protest again,” said Mohammed Ashraf, 26, who has large open wound on the front of his thigh after being shot in the northern town of Sopore-scene of regular bloody clashes this summer. “It was direct fire at us. The police harass us all the time. They have stormed into my house, smashed up everything and beaten our women. We need freedom.” —AFP

US wants more aid for Pakistan ISLAMABAD: Concerned that US help to Pakistan is not getting enough recognition, Washington is making a new push to get international aid groups it funds to advertise the fact. But it is meeting resistance from partners worried US branding could prompt Taleban attacks. The conflict highlights a major challenge for the US as it tries to win hearts and minds in Pakistan, a key ally in the war in neighboring Afghanistan and a deep well of anti-American sentiment. The US has earmarked $7.5 billion in aid over the next five years, but it will do little to sway public opinion if Pakistanis don’t know where the money is coming from.

The issue has taken on new urgency in recent weeks as the US has donated nearly $350 million to help Pakistan cope with this summer’s devastating floods.

US officials have said they are only focused on saving lives, but the country’s special envoy to Pakistan, Richard Holbrooke, repeatedly expressed concern last week that the US wasn’t getting enough credit for its assistance. “So much American aid goes through NGOs and the international community ... that people may be less aware of the American aid than they ought to be,” said Holbrooke after visiting a relief camp for flood victims in southern Sindh province.

Many groups that turn US dollars into the food, water and shelter Pakistanis desperately need are reluctant to use American logos on items they distribute because they fear they may be targeted

by Islamist militant groups.

The Pakistani Taleban killed five UN staffers in a suicide attack last October at the office of the World Food Program in

Islamabad. In March, militants attacked World Vision, a US-based Christian aid group helping survivors from the 2005 earthquake in northwest Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, killing six Pakistani employees. World Vision said it is worried about using American logos anywhere in the country after the attack, even in less risky Punjab province in central Pakistan, where it is currently distributing thousands of US-funded hygiene, shelter and cooking sets to flood victims.

“We’re not as concerned with the threat in Punjab, but even there we are not sure,” said Ahmed Khan, the group’s procurement officer. “If we go with US branding, the Taleban who attacked us might have a good network and think that World Vision started in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa but are now in Punjab, and come attack us.” Robert Wilson, the Pakistan director for the US Agency for International Development, or USAID, said Washington is sensitive to security concerns but also must weigh the benefit that comes from average Pakistanis knowing that America is helping them.

Holbrooke and other senior officials have raised concerns that groups receiving US funding in Pakistan are not branding their assistance with the USAID logo as required. Groups are exempt from this requirement when operating in Pakistan’s militant-infested tribal region along the Afghan border but must get a specific waiver to forgo US branding elsewhere in the country. “A lot of them may have assumed they don’t have to do it because it’s Pakistan, and that’s not correct,” said Wilson. —AP

Chidambaram’s eight-point plan was the first major initiative by the government to end clashes between stone-throwing crowds and security forces in which 107 civilians have been shot and killed. The home minister said a group of “interlocutors” would be appointed to reach out to Kashmiris in a bid to calm the protests, the largest since a separatist insurgency erupted in 1989. Most of those killed have been young men and teenagers shot by police and paramilitary troops firing live ammunition and rubber bullets.

Chidambaram said the state government would be told to free 255 protesters jailed for throwing stones at security forces. Authorities will also consider reducing the security presence in the heavily militarized Kashmir valley and will review some areas of emergency military law imposed in the region. Rights groups have long pushed for repeal of the Armed Forces Special Powers Act, which gives security forces the power to open fire, detain suspects and confiscate property.

“We think these steps should address the concerns of different sections of Jammu and Kashmir, including (those of) the protesters,” said Chidambaram. Moderate separatists said they were discussing their response to the government package. Kashmir is divided between Pakistan and India, which both claim the region in full. The dispute over Kashmir has triggered two of the rival nations’ three wars since partition of the subcontinent in 1947.

While militant violence has fallen to a 20-year low, separatist sentiment among ordinary Kashmiris, especially young people, has been stoked

by India’s massive military presence. They have expressed their anger on social networking sites such as Facebook and by pouring onto the streets in defiance of curfews that keep them indoors for days at a time.

The wave of violent protests were ignited on June 11 by the death of a 17-year-old student hit by a tear-gas shell during a clash with police.

Since then the Indian part of Kashmir has been paralyzed by demonstrations, strikes and rolling curfews imposed to stem the violence. The unrest has left the government grappling for solutions in the region where it has stationed hundreds of thousands of security personnel to fight the armed insurgency it says is backed by Pakistan. — AFP

Blast kills 2 troops in Afghanistan KABUL: Two NATO service members were killed in a bomb blast in southern Afghanistan yesterday, the military alliance said. NATO said the troops were killed by a homemade bomb, but provided no further details. The nationalities of NATO deaths are not generally released until after the next of kin have been contacted.

This year is already the deadliest of the war, with more than 530 international forces killed.

There are about 140,000 foreign troops in Afghanistan, including about 30,000 additional troops brought in under President Barack Obama’s surge strategy. The coalition also said it killed at least five insurgents during a clearing operation in Kandahar, the Taleban heartland in the south that remains particularly volatile. The multi-day operation was intended to impede the Taleban’s ability to move freely in the area and to disrupt its attempts to stage attacks.

According to a NATO statement yesterday, the militants fought back with rocket-propelled grenades, machine-gun and small-arms fire. It said no Afghan or coalition troops were killed.

NATO also said it launched an air strike late Saturday in Kunar province, along the Pakistan border, that targeted a senior Al-Qaeda commander who coordinates a group of Arab fighters in the area, saying he routinely helped them travel into the region. It did not say whether the commander was killed in the attack, but said his compound was destroyed. It said collateral damage was kept to a minimum, but did not provide further information. — AP

tim e-ga ining exercise a nd unrea listic. I t is a im ed to hoodw ink the interna tiona l com m unity,” Syed Ali Sha h Geela ni told reporters in Ka shm ir’s sum m er ca pita l Srina ga r. “I f rulers in New Delhi believe tha t by relea sing a few students a nd providing ex gra tia relief to the fa m ilies of m a rtyrs they ca n reduce the a liena tion (of Ka shm iris), they a re w rongly m ista k en,” he sa id.

SRINAGAR: Chairman of hardline faction of All Parties Hurriyat Conference (APHC) Syed Ali Shah Geelani (left) listens to a member of an Indian parliamentary delegation at his residence. — AFP

Plane arrives in Pakistan KARACHI: Relatives thronged an airport in southern Pakistan yesterday to greet passengers whose flight from Canada was diverted to Sweden after a baseless report that a man aboard had explosives. Canadian officials investigated whether someone with a grudge called in the threat. As passengers were smothered with hugs and kisses from the crowd, they expressed relief that the threat turned out to be nothing. They said the experience was quite frightening, especially when a SWAT team seized the suspect as they evacuated the plane in Stockholm.

“We really got scared, especially when we saw a large number of commandos wearing masks coming in,” said Irfan Ahmed, a 35-year-old passenger on the flight from Toronto. Passengers were told there was a technical problem with the aircraft - a Boeing 777 operated by Pakistan International

Airlines - and didn’t find out the real reason until they were on the ground. The plane was diverted after an anonymous woman in Canada tipped off authorities that a Canadian man on the flight was carrying explosives, said Royal Canadian Mounted Police spokesman Sgt. Marc LaPorte. The tip proved false, and police are now investigating whether the incident was a “terrorism hoax,” he said.

A prosecutor decided to release the man after questioning, and police were trying to help him continue his journey to Karachi either late Saturday or yesterday, police spokesman Erik Widstrand said, adding the man had cooperated with investigators. Haji Mohammad Umar, who sat next to the suspect during the flight, said the man told him he was returning to Pakistan after a very long time to get married. He seemed happy

by the prospect and was a bit drunk, said Umar. “When he was arrested, he remained calm and did not react much,” said Umar.

Swedish police described the man as a Canadian citizen born in 1982. Initially they said he was of Pakistani background but later said they were not sure. The man was not on any international no-fly lists and had cleared a security check in Canada, said the police.

LaPorte, the police spokesman, said it appeared that the person who called in the tip had an ax to grind with the man. If the information is deemed a hoax, the caller could be charged with public mischief. All 273 passengers - except the suspect - were allowed back on the plane in Stockholm nine hours after they landed. “With the grace of God, it’s all OK,” said Zainab Jissani after arriving at the airport in Karachi with her two children. — AP

US Army to hold hearing on grisly Afghan killings WASHINGTON: The US Army holds its first hearing today in a grisly war crimes case that charges five soldiers with killing Afghan civilians for sport and plotting a cover-up. Authorities say the troops opened fire on the Afghan civilians in unprovoked assaults over several months in Afghanistan’s southern Kandahar province, with some of the soldiers accused of mutilating corpses and removing bones.

The case carries potentially explosive ramifications for the war effort as US-led forces try to win the trust of local Afghans and push back Taleban insurgents in the pivotal Kandahar battlefield.

Today’s hearing focuses on Specialist Jeremy Morlock, 22, of Wasila, Alaska, who faces charges of premeditated murder in the deaths of three Afghans killed between January and May this year.

Morlock is one of five soldiers charged with murder in the case, while seven others are accused of trying to block the investigation, using hashish and severely beating a comrade in retaliation for blowing the whistle. The soldiers were deployed with Bravo Company, 2nd Battalion, 1st Infantry Regiment, from the 2nd Infantry Division’s Stryker brigade, at Forward Operating Base Ramrod.

The military hearing at Joint Base Lewis-McChord in Washington state will determine if there is sufficient evidence to proceed to trial, and more hearings are expected in coming weeks for the other defendants.

Morlock and several of the men also are charged with punching and kicking a fellow soldier to stifle an investigation into hashish use.

Describing the assault on the soldier, the charge sheets accuse Morlock of “threatening to kill him if he spoke about hashish use with the platoon command

and law enforcement authorities,” and that he showed him “fingers removed from a corpse.” Officials had told AFP in May that the whistle blower,

whose identity has been kept secret, was badly battered, with one source saying he was “beaten within an inch of his life.”

The motive and many details

LONDON: In this photo Royal Air Force pilot Flight Lieutenant Ian Fortune is seen, at Wellington Barracks where the Ministry of Defense announced he is to receive a Distinguished Flying Cross for service in Afghanistan for rescuing wounded troops after being shot in the head by the Taleban. Fortune is pictured with his helmet shattered by a bullet but he continued flying refusing to give up the controls to fly his passengers to safety. —AP

of the alleged crimes remain unclear, and authorities have yet to answer allegations that warnings of atrocities were ignored for months. The father of one of the accused, Specialist Adam Winfield, has told US media that his son warned him via Facebook that his unit had killed an Afghan civilian for no reason and was plotting to commit more murders. The father, Christopher Winfield, alleges he phoned military authorities and even the office of a US senator, Bill Nelson of Florida, to try to pass on his son’s information.

His son, Adam, also faces murder charges. US officials acknowledge they are concerned about the fallout from the case, which threatens to undermine efforts by the American military to avoid civilian casualties and secure the confidence of wary Afghans. The allegations have yet to be proven but are “serious nonetheless,” Pentagon press secretary Geoff Morrell said earlier this month. Even if the accusations are found to be false, the case “is unhelpful,” Morrell said.

“The people in that area who are impacted by these alleged incidents will think differently of us as a result of that.” But he said the charges represented “an aberration” for an American force of nearly 100,000 in Afghanistan.

The charge sheets include macabre allegations of dismembering corpses, though authorities have not specified if the bones were taken from the slain civilians. Prosecutors allege Staff Sergeant Calvin Gibbs kept finger bones, leg bones and a tooth from Afghan corpses.

Another soldier, Specialist Michael Wagnon, is charged with taking a skull. Several of the troops are charged with taking photos of corpses and one soldier is accused of stabbing a dead Afghan. —AFP

OPINION

12

Monday, September 27, 2010

THE LEADING INDEPENDENT DAILY IN THE ARABIAN GULF ESTABLISHED 1961

Founder and Publisher

YOUSUF S. ALYAN Editor-in-Chief

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

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

issues

Talking through walls in NYC

By Daniel Tutt his year, on the ninth anniversary of the Sept 11 attacks, many Americans were scared that violence would ensue as a result of a planned Quran burning and the controversy over an Islamic cultural centre, Park51, in lower Manhattan. Thankfully, the day came and went with no major eruptions of hostility.

The day following 9/11, I helped organise the inaugural interfaith event at Park51.

This intimate gathering brought together 100 faithbased student and community leaders from all over New York. The purpose of the event was to offer nonMuslims an opportunity to engage their Muslim neighbours in a dialogue that enabled all participants to explore some of the deeper issues around the Park51 controversy. A wide range of topics were discussed, ranging from the role of the media to extremism in Islam as well as other religions, to the limits of religious freedom.

Despite the media’s often exaggerated reporting on Park51, continually referring to it as the “Ground Zero Mosque”, many people often neglect to see that the core mission of the centre is to offer “world-class recreational and educational facilities” and that it aspires to provide “an accessible platform for conversation across identities.”

Although it was a rainy night and there was heightened security from the protests, we gathered inside the dilapidated Park51 building for a three-hour dialogue.

The event was kicked off by a film screening of Talking Through Walls: How the Struggle to Build a Mosque United a Community, an award-winning PBS documentary about a New York suburb that faced similar opposition to the building of an Islamic centre in 2005. The film offers a mirror to the Park51 debate, demonstrating how misinformation, distrust and suspicion towards Muslims can lead to a larger environment of xenophobia and prejudice.

The Muslim community featured in the film built an interfaith coalition composed of Buddhists, Roman Catholics and Jews who were motivated to support the Muslim community out of a commitment to values such as religious freedom and pluralism. After talking with a few of the people there, it was clear that many people in the room supported the building of the Park51 centre, while others had doubts, and many others had a lot of questions: what kinds of programs would Park51 offer to the community? Will Park51 decrease radicalism or help to promote it amongst Muslims? As a Time Magazine poll indicated in July 2010, nearly 70 per cent of Americans were in opposition to the building of Park51.

T

Because emotions around the centre were so high, I didn’t know whether to expect outbursts of anger, or a civilised debate.

To start deeper listening dialogues, we first conducted an icebreaker. Each person turned toward a stranger near them and shared who their personal hero is and the meaning of their name. This interaction was designed to humanise the other person and to build a sense of trust through the sharing of personal information.

Instead of discussing tough issues, we built a sense of familiarity first. We then broke into several smaller groups of five people each to dialogue about the Talking Through Walls film, and offer a safe space for talk about issues of concern. This intimate, small-group approach helped lead up to issues revolving around such questions as, “What’s your vision for an ideal Islamic community centre?” or “How would you want to be received by a community you were building a religious centre in?”

At the end of the small group discussions, each group shared what they talked about.

Many expressed the idea that the challenges facing America - rising hate crimes against Muslims, mosques being opposed in dozens of cities, and non-Muslim Americans’ lack of exposure to Islam offer an opportunity. These challenges can provide a chance for Muslim Americans to finally share the true nature of their faith with their neighbours.

Some groups expressed a feeling of helplessness and stressed the need for interfaith cooperation to combat this wave of anti-Muslim prejudice. Others expressed the need for continued education about Islam and more opportunities for bridge-building events in New York. Still other groups had difficulty breaking the surface in the time allotted for dialogue.

What was most striking in the dialogue process was that debates about the centre seemed to dissipate as people got to know one another and trust was developed. In the course of a three-hour exchange with strangers from different backgrounds, we were able to plant a seed of interfaith cooperation right in the heart of America’s controversy over Islam and Muslims. While we may not have overcome the climate of tension and polarisation we find ourselves in as a nation, we did build a model for the kind of dialogue needed to overcome it.

NOTE: Daniel Tutt is Project Director for 20,000 Dialogues, a nationwide dialogue initiative seeking to build better understanding of Muslims. He is also a board member of the 9/11 Unity Walk, a multi-faith peace walk held annually in Washington, DC— CGNews

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.

Obama and the American dream in reverse

By Bernd Debusmann t’s like the American dream in reverse.”

That’s how President Barack Obama, ten days after taking office last year, described the plight of Americans hit by the faltering economy. His catchy description fell short - the dream has turned into a nightmare for tens of millions. So much so that an opinion poll this week showed that 43 percent of those surveyed thought that “the American Dream” is a thing of the past. It “once held true” but no longer does. Only half the country believes the dream “still exists,” according to the poll, commissioned by ABC News and Yahoo against a background of dismal statistics on growing poverty, inequality, unemployment, and Americans without health insurance.

Before turning to the gloomy numbers, a brief detour to the meaning of the phrase “the American Dream,” long a familiar part of the U.S. (and international) lexicon. The survey defined it as “if you work hard, you get ahead.” That’s neat shorthand for the

“I

concept that the American social, economic and political system makes success possible for everyone. More expansive definitions of the American Dream invariably feature home ownership, and there the dream went into reverse on a particularly large scale, with the subprime mortgage boom and subsequent housing bust. Last year alone, there were 2.8 million foreclosures - 7,700 a day - on homes whose owners could no longer afford their mortgages.

The statistic that best explains growing doubts over the achievability of the American Dream was released by the Census Bureau in midSeptember. In 2009, the Bureau said, 3.8 million people joined the ranks of the poor by falling below the poverty line, defined by the government as an annual income of below $22,000 for a family of four.

In contrast, the net worth of the 400 richest Americans rose by a healthy eight percent in the year to August, according to a list by the business magazine Forbes published a week after the poverty figures. That perpetuated

a rich-poor gap of proportions similar to the 1920s, before the Great Depression. For most of the past four decades, the annual incomes of the bottom 90 percent have changed relatively little while those of the top 1 percent have tripled. In terms of equitable distribution of income and wealth, the US is closer to Iran, Argentina or Mexico than to Canada or Germany. (That is according to the Gini index, a complex statistical measure of inequality named after Corrado Gini, the Italian economist who devised it in 1912.)

In this context, unflattering comparisons are inevitable. Arianna Huffington, co-founder of the left-leaning website The Huffington Post, just published a book entitled Third World America.

“It’s a jarring phrase, I know,” she says, “but if we don’t change course and quickly - that could very well be our future.” As things stand, she writes on her website, “the fix is in.

The game is rigged. The dice are loaded. And it starts in Washington, where special interests run the show and where lobbyists outnumber elect-

ed officials 26 to 1. Unfortunately, there are no lobbyists for the American Dream.”

The new census figures translate into the highest poverty rate since 1994, or one out of seven (43.6 million) ranked as poor. The annual census report covers both poverty and health insurance and on the latter, too, the figure provided reason to doubt the American dream. More than 4.4 million lost health insurance, usually along with their jobs, and the army of uninsured now numbers more than 50 million. It would have been even worse, Obama said, without additional unemployment payments and other programs providing tax relief and income support.

The data showed that the Great Recession hit people at the lowest income levels the hardest and even for those who kept their jobs, the statistics were bleak: earnings of working men fell by 4.1 percent and of working women by 2.8 percent. The minimum wage in the US stands at $7.25 an hour, less than it was (adjusted for inflation) half a century ago. For those on the

lower ranks of the economic ladder it came as cold comfort that, technically, the recession ended more than a year ago.

This is according to the National Bureau of Economic Research, which said in September that the recession began in Dec 2007, under the administration of President George W Bush, and ended in June 2009, the longest downturn since World War II. The bureau measures a combination of macroeconomic indicators but not how people are affected personally.

Reaction to the poverty numbers has been relatively “muted” among the people’s representatives in Congress, as a perceptive article in the Washington Post noted. An explanation came from Deborah Weinstein, who heads the advocacy group Coalition on Human Needs and calls the increase in poverty a national emergency. The problem of the poor is that they are not a powerful constituency. They don’t vote in great numbers and they don’t make contributions to re-election campaigns.

Unlike the top 1 percent. — Reuters

Rousseff set for big majority in Brazil Congress

By Raymond Colitt razil’s presidential frontrunner Dilma Rousseff will likely take office with an overwhelming majority in Congress that - at least on paper - increases her odds of passing a mix of market-friendly and more interventionist economic policies. Buoyed by President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva’s enormous popularity and a booming economy, ruling party candidate Rousseff is expected to defeat her main opposition rival, Jose Serra, in a landslide on Oct 3, polls show, even though her lead has narrowed marginally this week.

The same “Lula effect” should boost the governing coalition’s majority by 5-10 percentage points, giving it about 70-75 percent of the seats in the Senate and 75-80 percent of the seats in the lower house of Congress, experts say based on recent opinion polls.

That would give Rousseff, Lula’s former chief of staff, enormous leverage to approve plans to simplify the tax code, increase government control over oil and mining and take steps to improve the operating environment for businesses.

She would have the 60 percent majority of seats in Congress needed to amend the country’s constitution to push through such changes.

“Dilma will start her term with the largest congressional support of any elected president,” Ricardo Ribeiro, political analyst of MCM consultancy in Sao Paulo, said in reference to the period after Brazil’s 1964-

B

Brazil’s Workers party presidential candidate Dilma Rousseff speaks during a campaign rally next to Brazil’s President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva in Porto Alegre, southern Brazil, Sept 24, 2010. Brazil will hold general elections Oct 3. — AP 85 military dictatorship. Brazil’s parties, however, are notoriously undisciplined and keeping her broad 10-party coalition in line will be a major challenge to

Rousseff, who had never run for political office before this year.

“She will need very good political operators - she lacks this experience,” said Christopher

Garman, Washington-based Latin America analyst with EurasiaGroup consultancy.

It’s also unlikely that Rousseff, who has campaigned

on a message of continuity of Lula’s policies, will have the appetite to make sweeping changes to an economy that is set to grow more than 7 percent this year. Brazil’s economy is the largest in Latin America and has been one of the fastest growing among the major economies in recent years. Lula is credited by many with adopting policies that have spurred the growth and kept inflation under control.

Rousseff’s principal challenge will be to manage possible power struggles between her own Workers’ Party and its allied parties, all of whom are eager to boost their stake in the next government, said Garman.

The coalition often proved too unruly even for Lula, who failed to push through a major tax reform despite his 75 percentplus approval rating. Rousseff has vowed to try to change Brazil’s tax regime, one of the world’s most onerous and complex. She said she could seek changes including capital investment and payroll tax breaks, as well as a harmonization of state value-added taxes.

The 62-year-old career civil servant could also relaunch bills stuck in Congress to improve Brazil’s investment climate.

These would speed up antitrust rulings, streamline government procurement and cap public sector pay rises, albeit modestly.

A bill that would strengthen government control over the oil industry is more likely to get final approval in Congress with a strong Rousseff victory. But few analysts expect Rousseff to

push other reforms that would boost Brazil’s competitiveness, including revamping rigid labor regulations or costly pension benefits.

A potential downside for equity investors is Rousseff’s pledge to continue strengthening state-owned companies in energy, telecommunications and banking.

The move could sideline private sector participation there.

Rousseff is expected to endorse framework legislation being drafted and likely to be presented to Congress this year that would restrict the duration of exploration concessions in the mining industry. Its approval would pave the way for discussions over a possible royalty hike, authorities say, though the Rousseff camp denies it has such intentions.

Restrictions on foreign land acquisitions in the Amazon, as proposed by a bill in Congress, could also move ahead under Rousseff, analysts say.

Controversy over the plan has put foreign investments on hold. The market-friendly advisers who mostly surround Rousseff say she will not dramatically expand the role of the state, but those assurances haven’t calmed all such fears.

“There is a risk. She has a more state-centered view of economic development,” said Roberto Padovani, chief Brazil economist with WestLB bank in Sao Paulo. In that sense, a clear legislative majority for Rousseff is a “bad sign,” Padovani said.

“It may limit space for the private sector.” —Reuters

ANALYSIS

Monday, September 27, 2010

13

Republicans’ Pledge courts independents

By David Espo

B

illed as a Pledge to America, the House of Representatives Republican campaign manifesto is as much political straddle as conservative call to action, long on poll-tested goals, short on controversial specifics and designed to reassure independent voters who abandoned the party in the last two elections. The strategy of appealing to independents while trying to hold the support of conservatives is clearest in the vow to cut spending and taxes, boost defense and put the government “on a path to a balanced budget and pay down the debt.” “It’s not intended to be a party platform. It’s not intended to cover everything under the sun,” said House Republican leader John Boehner as he and others presented the 21-page document at a prototypical small business (hardware store) just outside the Washington Beltway (15.7 miles).

No less a hero to modern-day Republicans than Ronald Reagan sought much the same thing. His tax cuts passed and the Pentagon got bigger. Deep spending cuts proved unpalatable to lawmakers, though, and deficits ballooned for a decade. Now, his conservative heirs must find potentially trillions of dollars in savings from popular benefit programs On that, the manifesto is manifestly reticent.

It calls for “setting benchmarks for these programs and reviewing them regularly, and preventing the expansion of unfunded liabilities.” Left on the cutting room floor was a plan drawn up by Rep. Paul Ryan, who is in line to become chairman of the House Budget Committee if Republicans win a majority in the elections.

It would give workers under age 55 the option of investing part of their payroll taxes on their own, with a lower guaranteed Social Security pension benefit when they retire but the hope of investment gains. Better-off retirees of the future would face lower benefits than are currently guaranteed. The age at which workers could receive full benefits, scheduled to rise to 67 in 2026, would

House Minority Leader John Boehner of Ohio, holds up a copy of the GOP agenda, “A Pledge to America”, Sept 23, 2010 at a lumber yard in Sterling, Virginia. From left are: House Minority Whip Eric Cantor, Rep Cathy McMorris Rodgers and Rep Mike Pence. — AP gradually go to 70 by early next century.

Asked why the Pledge To America omitted more specific recommendations on benefit programs, Boehner said, “It’s time for us as Americans to have an adult conversation with each other about the serious challenges that face our country. I don’t have all of the solutions.” In polls and focus groups that were part of the plan’s development, according to Republicans, goals such as cutting spending, reducing the deficit, halting the

growth of government and making it more responsive to the public enjoyed support among independents of at least 21. With the exception of a call to repeal and replace Obama’s health care law, a Republican refrain for months, items that showed mixed polling results - like Ryan’s - generally were omitted.

Nor did Republicans want to present Democrats with an easy target, they said.

A handful of conservatives, none in a position of power within the party, criticized

the House leadership for not going further on some issues. Andrew Roth, a vice president at the Club for Growth, wrote that the pledge “has no teeth. Voters have no reliable assurances that House Republicans will behave appropriately.”

In part, he cited the absence of a commitment to ban lawmakers’ pet projects. But House Republicans appear willing to accept a modest amount of such criticism in exchange for solidifying support among independents, regaining power in

Congress and challenging President Barack Obama’s agenda over the next two years. In an Associated Press-GfK poll this month, registered voters who identified themselves as political independents said they would choose a House Republican candidate over the Democrat, 52 percent to 36 percent, if the election were held now.

By contrast, in 2006, when independents cast an estimated 26 percent of all ballots, they backed the Democratic candidate in House races 57 percent to 29 percent, according to election-day interviews with voters. That coincided with the end of an era of Republican control of Congress.

Two years later, independents accounted for 29 percent of the electorate and favored Obama by 52-44 percent over Republican Sen John McCain, according to exit polls. To be sure, elements of the Pledge to America are taken from the playbook of traditional conservatives as well as the tea party activists whose support Republicans need this fall.

There is a promise to permanently end taxpayer funding of abortion. The ban is now subject to an annual renewal vote.

In a bow to the anti-establishment tea party movement, Republicans promised, “We will require that every bill contain a citation of Constitutional authority.” But for the most part, when polling showed a conflict, Republicans sided with independents.

The Pledge to America calls for a smaller, more accountable government, but not elimination of the Department of Education, a conservative goal for more than a decade.

Republicans pledge to protect “traditional marriage,” but the document is silent on a proposed constitutional amendment to ban gay marriage.

Republicans also say they will “work with state and local officials to enforce our immigration laws.” But there is nothing comparable to McCain’s memorable primary campaign ad stressing his plan to keep out illegal immigrants: “Build the Danged Fence.”— AP

Whitman outspends Brown but Calif race tight

By Dan Whitcomb

R

epublican Meg Whitman has given a record-shattering $119 million to her campaign for California governor, allowing her to outspend Democrat Jerry Brown, but the huge bankroll has not produced a lead in polls. The two candidates are in a dead heat, each supported by 41 percent of likely voters, according to the latest Field Poll, which was released on Thursday. Voters in polls also see finances as the core issue of the race in California, which has a yawning deficit, double-digit unemployment and a budget nearly three months overdue. Both candidates have vowed to boost job creation and work to end the budget stalemate in the state capital Sacramento.

Whitman, the billionaire former CEO of eBay, promises a businesslike approach to governing the most populous US state and its massive economy, while Brown, the state’s attorney general and governor from 1975 to 1983, relishes his role as a maverick. “What gets lost in the money discussion is that Meg

Whitman has spent $120 million so far to virtually no effect,” said Brown campaign spokesman, estimating the opposing campaign’s outlays. “She has never been able to pull away from Jerry Brown in any polling ... So the question isn’t ‘How much is being spent?’ It’s ‘What is that money doing?’”

Whitman contributed another $15 million to her gubernatorial war chest earlier this month, raising her total personal contributions to the campaign to $119 million, according to her campaign. The recent history of California politics is littered with the political corpses of wealthy candidates who crashed and burned despite outspending their rivals. In 1994 Republican Michael Huffington spent a then-record $28 million in a losing bid for the US Senate seat held

by Democrat Dianne Feinstein.

And in 1988, wealthy Democrat Al Checchi spent $40 million, then a record for a California governor’s race, only to finish second to Gray Davis in the Democratic primary.

Mark DiCamillo, director of the nonpartisan California Field Poll, said

Whitman’s spending was hurting Brown’s image but not helping her make huge inroads with independents or Democrats. “It hasn’t won voters over to her side in any measurable way,” he said.

California has tended to lean to the Democrats in national elections, but it has elected a string of Republican governors since the late 1960s, including former President Ronald Reagan and current Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger. Voter anger over the weak US economy, however, means that Democrats across the country face headwinds ahead of the congressional elections in which Republicans are expected to make big gains.

The money Whitman has pumped into the race has already eclipsed New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s record $109 million selffunded bid in 2009. In addition, she has raised nearly $30 million from donors. Her campaign declined to comment on recent expenditures.

Whitman argues that, in relying in large part on her own bank account, she is less influenced by special

interests - pointing to the powerful California public employee unions that have contributed $4 million to Brown’s coffers and spent another $14 million on his behalf. “With their investment Jerry Brown is clearly a wholly-owned subsidiary of the unions and the real question is, what do they expect in return if he gets into office?,” Whitman campaign spokesman Darrell Ng said.

And with six weeks left in the campaign, some Democrats privately worry about Brown, who has spent only about $4 million of the more than $30 million he has raised. “They are all thinking he’s going to lose,” said Peter Schrag, former editorial page editor of the Sacramento Bee. “His gut is not in it. I think that basically he’s not campaigning enough and obviously the money-raising is only one part of it.”

But Brown, who coasted through the summer with few campaign appearances, assuring doubters that the real race would start after the Labor Day holiday, is also unrepentant about his penny pinching and says he will bring that philosophy to

the state’s top job. He bubbled with enthusiasm in a recent local television interview when the station played one of his anti-Whitman ads.

“That was 20 seconds! Do you know how much 20 seconds costs on this station?” he asked.

Brown, whose father was also California governor, also likes to remind listeners that he turned down the state mansion and limousine when he had the job the first time around-and he says Whitman’s lavish spending on her campaign belies her message that she is a fiscal conserv tive. “We don’t have a billion-dollar bank account, an offshore bank account, a Wall Street bonus to deploy in this election,” he said at a recent campaign stop. By choosing to keep his powder dry until the final weeks of the campaign, Brown will have more than $30 million left for the home stretch - if he chooses to untie the purse strings in time. Meanwhile Whitman has said that she is willing to spend $150 million or more of her own money to win. —Reuters

focus

Corruption destroys athlete-fan contract

By John Mehaffey

C

orruption in sport destroys the credibility of the afflicted game, erodes spectator support and jeopardises commercial contracts. Its particular evil, as the recent one-day cricket series between Pakistan and England demonstrated, is to fracture the unwritten contract between athlete and spectator. Sport loses all meaning if it is not played within an agreed set of rules.

Distrust and rancour, including open hostility between the teams, accompanied the Pakistanis throughout their seven one-day matches against England, culminating in a clash between England batsman Jonathan Trott and Pakistan fast bowler Wahab Riaz in the nets at Lord’s.

The bad feeling followed the suspensions of Pakistan test captain Salman Butt and his two leading pace bowlers Mohammad Amir and Mohammad Asif after newspaper reports that they arranged for no-balls to be deliberately bowled in the fourth test against England at Lord’s last month.

The trio have maintained that they are innocent of spot-fixing, an offence which carries a maximum life ban. They and Riaz have also been questioned by police.

Spot-fixing, or manipulating individual incidents within a match for financial gain, may not necessarily alter the outcome of a match. But it is an insidious disease which, when detected, creates a poisonous atmosphere of suspicion and distrust.

Although athletics remains the central sport of the summer Olympics, it has suffered a probably irreversible slump in popularity outside its European strongholds after a series of doping scandals showed spectators could not believe what they were seeing.

Its supporters could at least argue that track and field athletes take banned drugs to enhance their performances, unlike corrupt cricketers who cheat fans by taking money to deliberately under-perform.

The 2000 match-fixing furore, after which international captains Hansie Cronje (South Africa), Salim Malik (Pakistan) and Mohammad Azharuddin (India) were banned for life led to a rash of ill-informed articles about the besmirching of a noble game.

In fact the game was partly founded in gambling, as noted

Burundi murders raise unrest fears

By Sadi Niyungeko

Japan’s blink seen as win for assertive China A

By Harumi Ozawa

J

apan’s release of a Chinese skipper arrested in disputed waters spells a victory for China and serves as a warning to the rest of the region not to trifle with their giant neighbour, analysts say. While the move also boosts China’s communist leaders at home, where the case sparked strong nationalist sentiment, Japan’s young centre-left government was accused domestically of simply caving in to Beijing’s bullying. Japan said Friday it would free the captain it arrested two weeks ago after a tense maritime incident near a disputed island chain in the East China Sea, hoping to end an ugly and damaging row with its traditional Asian rival.

The dispute had quickly blown up into their worst in years, with a furious China launching a fusillade of protests, freezing official exchanges and, industry sources say, halting crucial rare earth mineral exports. In the latest escalation, China has detained four Japanese nationals for allegedly filming at a military site, although a conciliatory Japan was quick to stress it did not regard them as pawns in the standoff.

Japanese prosecutors moved to calm the storm by announcing the release of the captain, a decision they said was aimed at helping repair ties with China.

“This is a victory for Beijing’s diplomacy,” said Li Mingjiang, from the S Rajaratnam School of International Studies in Singapore. “Many people in this region will conclude that

Chinese fishing boat captain Zhan Qixiong reacts as he leaves Ishigaki airport, Okinawa, Japan early Saturday on a charter flight sent by China. — AP Beijing’s pressure tactics have worked in this case.” After China’s concerted offensive, he added, “many people in the region will also conclude that Beijing does have all the leverage necessary to pursue its own national interests when it comes to territorial disputes”.

Beijing’s win in the battle of wills over Tokyo comes at a time when China’s economic and military rise have triggered

both envy and fear, and as Beijing has acted with increased assertiveness in its maritime territorial claims. Washington openly worried about China’s growing military muscle - sided with its long-time ally Japan in the row, moving to reaffirm a relationship that has been strained in the past year by a dispute over a US base.

The United States has recently also voiced support for

other nations that have longrunning territorial disputes with Beijing in the South China Sea, where China has, for example, detained Vietnamese fishing boats. Li said: “This crisis will send a signal to all the claimant states in the South China Sea that they all need to practise self-restraint, otherwise they will get into a crisis situation that will be very difficult to handle, given China’s growing

power. The Chinese government means business.”

In Japan - which was overtaken this year by China as the world’s number two economy Friday’s move was met with indignation from conservatives, who did not buy the government’s assertion that prosecutors had acted independently.

“It was an extremely foolish decision,” charged hawkish former prime minister Shinzo Abe

of the main opposition Liberal Democratic Party, adding: “Japanese politics caved in to pressure from China.” “I cannot help being aghast by such a clear diplomatic defeat,” agreed Yoshimi Watanabe, leader of a smaller grouping called Your Party. “We have to criticise the weak diplomacy of the (Prime Minister Naoto) Kan government.”

Many observers said the row caught Japan’s leaders flat-footed, having started at a time when Kan was distracted by a party leadership challenge.

“Japan was constantly behind in its actions,” said Ryosei Kokubun, a professor specialising in Chinese politics at Keio University. “Japan was baffled by how hardline China came off, but that’s how China also feels about Japan’s stance over the issue. This shows how fragile the Japan-China relationship still is.”

Hidenori Ijiri, professor of international politics at Tokyo University of Foreign Studies, said that “the way China pressured Japan... was pretty ugly”.

“Japan must not set the precedent that it is a country that easily gives in to pressure from Beijing... But Japan thought it should not drag this out any longer.

I would say this shows the weakness of Japanese diplomacy.” The affair showed that it is “difficult for Tokyo to face Beijing alone,” he said. “It needs to keep good relations with Washington and Southeast Asian nations - not necessarily to contain China, but to increase its options.” — AFP

by cricket historian Rowland Bowen, whose 1970 book “Cricket. A History of its Growth and Development” is a masterly riposte to some of the more sentimental nonsense peddled about the game’s inherent moral superiority over other sports. “There have been always been different kinds of gambling in the game,” Bowen wrote. “The harm came when individuals started backing themselves or their teams or when others started ‘selling’ matches. “Some attempt was made to suppress the evil, at Lord’s, in the early 1820s but it cannot have been successful or permanent, for bookmakers were still at Lord’s 50 and 60 years later and of course almost to the end of that time players were accused of selling matches.”

Former Pakistan captain Rashid Latif, who gave evidence to the Pakistan judicial inquiry into match-fixing first convened in 1998, said match-rigging had to be viewed in the wider context of acknowledged malpractices in, for example, horse racing and football. “To me, it (match-fixing) started from horse racing, where the jockey controls the horse,” Latif said in an emailed response to questions from Reuters. “Coming back to cricket the increasing number of Twenty20 matches has in fact raised the amount of doubts and I feel the situation has got worse from that of the 1990s.”

Latif, who has accepted a role as coach of Afghanistan after criticising the Pakistan Cricket Board’s (PCB) handling of the spot-fixing scandal, said part of the problem was that no player could be sure of his place in international cricket. “Look, every sportsman wants to secure his future as no one can guarantee that he would be kept in the team for a certain period therefore when he is offered a sum of money which would be equivalent to accumulated earnings of the next five years then naturally he would get attracted to the offer,” he said. “If a player is selfish, he would be easily trapped. And in view of my own experience a top player is more selfish then an ordinary one.”

Before the latest crisis erupted, the outgoing head of the International Cricket Council’s (ICC) Anti-Corruption and Security Unit, Paul Condon, made some prescient comments before handing over to another former policeman in Ronnie Flannagan. — Reuters

series of macabre civilian murders in Burundi is threatening the central African nation’s fragile political stability, and has raised fears that a new rebellion might be brewing. The government blames bandits, but some central Africa analysts say the attacks bear the hallmarks of the former Forces for National Liberation (FNL) rebel group.

“It is clear those bandits are located in an area that is a well known area for FNL,” said Thierry Vircoulon, central Africa project director at International Crisis Group (ICG). “They operate in the same way the FNL used to operate. They have targeted the people and animals of their enemies.”

Former FNL rebel leader Agathon Rwasa disappeared from Bujumbura in late June after boycotting presidential elections which he said would be rigged. Rwasa and a number of close allies were said to have moved to South Kivu in neighbouring Democratic Republic of Congo. Vircoulon said the attacks were worrying for Burundi’s political stability, and underscored tensions after it held a number of elections that most opposition parties boycotted. “It is worrying of course... given the history of the country and you can see the same patterns of actions, actions targeting civilians.”

Burundi’s population of 8 million people has a turbulent post-independence history.

Bitter divisions between the Tutsi and Hutu ethnic groups fanned years of civil war. In

one attack earlier this month, gunmen killed at least seven workers on a sugar plantation in the Rukoko forest, 25 km outside Bujumbura. The assailants returned later to slaughter dozens of cattle.

Sugar worker Esperance Ndayisenga told Reuters one attacker was dressed in military fatigues while another wore a police uniform, and both brandished guns that she said appeared new. A few days later, at least a dozen corpses, some of them bloated and badly mutilated, were found in the marshy banks of the Rusizi river. Burundi’s newly formed government insists the rebels have not regrouped and police said they had arrested 22 “wrongdoers”, including two responsible for the Rukoko forest murders.

Simeon Barumwete, a political analyst at the University of Burundi, said the killers’ style was not typical of thieves. “They use ambush. They kill people and take nothing from them. They rob households in order to have food for their livelihoods. That’s how the former rebellions also started in Burundi,” Barumwete said.

The FNL Hutu guerrilla group signed a truce in 2005 to end more than a decade of civil conflict, before laying down its weapons and joining the coalition government last year. It had been fighting to end years of political dominance by the Tutsi ethnic group in the tiny landlocked nation. During the implementation of the peace deal, FNL insisted on the political name “palipehutu”, which means party for the liberation of Hutus. — Reuters

NEWS

14

Monday, September 27, 2010

‘Jewish aid boat’ leaves Cyprus bound for Gaza FAMAGUSTA, Cyprus: A boat carrying Jewish activists from Israel, Europe and the United States set sail yesterday from Cyprus bound for Gaza, in a bid to run Israel’s blockade of the Palestinian territory. The “Irene” lef t the port of Famagusta in the Turkish-held north of the divided eastern Mediterranean island in the early afternoon carrying eight activists, three of them crew members, and two journalists.

Reuven Moskovitz, an 82-year-old passenger who survived the Nazi Holocaust, told AFP he felt duty-bound to attempt the voyage in the small blue and white sailing boat, a trip expected to take around 36 hours. “It is a sacred duty for me, as a survivor, to protest against the persecution, the oppression and the imprisonment of so many people in Gaza, including more than 800,000 children,” Moskovitz said.

Yonatan Shapira, an Israeli former military pilot and crew member on the British-flagged sailing boat, said they were not seeking confrontation. “We have a policy of non-violence and nonconfrontation,” he said. “But if the Israeli army stops the boat, we will not help them to take it to Ashdod,” he said of the southern Israeli port where other blockade runners have been taken after being stopped by warships.

Israeli Defence Minister Ehud Barak

has repeatedly warned that Israel will intercept any ship nearing Gaza, which is run by the Islamist movement Hamas. In May, Israeli forces intercepted a six-ship flotilla heading for Gaza but the raid went badly wrong and nine Turkish activists were killed, prompting a wave of international condemnation. The “Irene” activists plan to raise multi-coloured flags bearing the names of dozens of Jews who support their action as the vessel nears Gaza, they said.

“The boat’s cargo includes symbolic aid in the form of children’s toys and musical instruments, textbooks, fishing nets for Gaza’s fishing communities and prosthetic limbs for orthopaedic medical care in Gaza’s hospitals,” said a statement from the organisers, Jews for Justice for Palestinians. Richard Kuper, a member of the organising group, said “the Jewish Boat to Gaza is a symbolic act of protest against the Israeli occupation of the Palestinian territories and the siege of Gaza, and a message of solidarity to Palestinians and Israelis who seek peace and justice. “Israeli government policies are not supported by all Jews,” Kuper said.

Activist Rami Elhanan, who is also on board, said: “We are banging our head on a very hard wall of hatred. Our hope is to make little cracks on that wall, so that in the end it will fall.” “Whatever happens,

the worst thing has already happened to me, I am not afraid of what is coming next,” added Elhanan, who lost her daughter in a 1997 suicide bombing.

Holocaust survivor Moskovitz said he still remained a Zionist. “The state of Israel was a big dream, and it has become reality. We have to make sure it does not become a nightmare,” he said. “I am a Zionist, I still believe I have a right to be here, but not to rob Palestinians from their land and steal the rights of 1.5 million people.”

Last week, a report by the UN Human Rights Council found there was clear evidence to back prosecutions against Israel for killing and torture when its troops stormed the Mavi Marmara, the lead ship in the May flotilla. In a scathing report, it also threw out Israel’s argument that the aid activists were violent, thereby justifying the decision by Israeli forces to open fire. Israel rejected the report out of hand as “biased” and “one-sided”. It says its commandos resorted to force only after they were attacked when they rappelled onto the deck of the Mavi Marmara, but pro-Palestinian activists on board say the soldiers opened fire as soon as they landed. A separate inquiry into the incident has been set up by UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, and several more inquiries into the raid are also being pursued by Israel and Turkey. — AFP

CIUDAD JUAREZ, Mexico: A forensic expert works by the scattered body parts of an unidentified man Saturday. — AP

FAMAGUSTA, Cyprus: Lillian Rosengarten, 75, (right) of the US and Reuven Moskovitz, 82, two of 9 Jewish activists aboard a boat, wave to the media and friends as it sets sail from Famagusta harbor in the Turkish-occupied north of ethnically divided Cyprus in a bid to breach the Israeli naval blockade of Gaza yesterday. — AP

Turkey attack ignites debate Continued from Page 1 “Those who present the incident in Tophane as a panorama of Turkey are engaged in an extremely stale game,” Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Friday. “We will not accept any provocation just as we will not allow any outlawed behavior.”

Still, Tophane, a cluttered area that slopes down to the Bosporus Strait separating the Asian and European continents, hosts two entirely different ways of life, side by side. Bearded men with prayer beads sip tea at sidewalk tables.

Some women wear traditional shawls; a few have Islamic veils. Then there are the young artists and collectors, urbane denizens of Tophane’s 10 or so galleries.

A chat in German - tourists on a tight budget - flowed from one doorway.

These two worlds, roughly defined as conservative and liberal, occupy a cluster of narrow streets where privacy is scarce.

Many galleries sprouted in Tophane, one of Istanbul’s oldest neighborhoods, in the last few years, buoyed by a surge in international interest in Turkish art. Oya Baturalp, a 58-year-old hotel manager who grew up in Tophane, said the district has some “bullies and tough guys” and that the newcomers were seen as snobbish and disruptive.

“We were neighbors with gypsies, southeastern migrants, Italians and Greeks back when I was a young girl,” Baturalp said. “We would hop over the occasional drunkard in our doorway when

we left home for school. These people are not new in Istanbul. We have always known how to live together, but there was never such intolerance and a ‘you are scum’ type of attitude in the elite.” Some residents had complained about alcohol consumption at the galleries, suggesting religious values might have shaped hostility. Islam forbids drinking alcohol.

The polarizing topic of religion in Turkey pits a government led by pious Muslims against the waning power of hardline secularists, including the military and top judges. On the night of the attack, some galleries served alcoholic punch or wine in plastic cups, though at least one visitor was seen with a beer can on the street. At least five people were injured and some windows were broken, and witnesses said arriving police did not intervene in some assaults. The attackers did not enter the galleries.

“It was like a battlefield. They were hitting people constantly,” said Dikbas, who said the attitude of the attackers resembled - on a small scale - that of the mobs that targeted the homes and shops of the Greek minority during deadly riots in Istanbul in 1955. One theory among artists is that political extremists engineered the attack in order to create division, thereby radicalizing Turks.

Conspiracy theories prosper in Turkey, where democracy is maturing and many crimes have been attributed to the socalled “deep state”, an alleged network of hardline nationalists with links to state institutions.

Yesim Turanli, director of Pi Artworks gallery, said many residents had expressed sympathy after the attack, and that the art community planned to discuss art projects or other measures as a means of promoting neighborhood harmony. “Maybe it was because I was distant toward them, even though I thought I was integrating well,” Turanli said. “We are new to this area and they are learning what galleries are. It’s contemporary art.

It’s different.” On a visit to the galleries, Culture Minister Ertugrul Gunay said the government will seek heavy punishment for culprits in the attack, though gallery owners are watching closely to see if authorities stay involved. Gunay also steered toward the middle ground.

“Nobody has the right to impose their traditional lifestyle in an Anatolian village on Istanbul,” he said. “Then again, nobody has the right to ignore and insult the customs and traditions of the people here.” The art on display in the Tophane galleries, some of which explores political themes, has not attracted controversy in a sign that Turkey is, in some ways, more tolerant than in the past.

It remains a crime to insult the memory of Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, the national founder and a hero to many Turks, but the law is enforced less strictly these days. A polyester statue in the window of Galeri Non depicts Ataturk as a fallen angel, his head and one wing resting on the floor, the body tilting upward at a diagonal. The title of the gallery’s exhibition is: “I didn’t do this, you did.” — AP

Muslim superhero on the way Continued from Page 1 November in both Arabic and English.

Snyder says he was inspired by President Barack Obama’s effort to reach out to the Muslim world in his Jan 2009 inaugural address. Last month, Snyder flew 12 disabled Americans to Damascus to meet their Syrian peers, and one of their main goals was to come up with ideas and story lines for the new superhero. “The only limit was the imagination these kids had the opportunity for a great story,” said Snyder, a comic book collector who heads HBJ Investments LLC. “They helped create something by their combined talents, and that becomes a gift to the world.”

Devarajan found the young people’s imagination to be quite amazing. “The opening question we asked the kids was if you could have any superpower what would it be? I’ve asked that question in many different groups before and the typical answers are always the ones you’d expect - flying, reading minds, or being super strong,” Devarajan said. “The fascinating thing about this group was that I don’t think I heard any one of those three,” he said. “Each of their ideas was so originally distinct, whether the Syrian kids or the US kids,” he said, adding that perhaps because of their disabilities, the young people think as individuals without being influenced by outsiders. One girl, for example, wanted to have the power to combine the energy of the moon and the sun. Devarajan said it was noteworthy that none of the young people wanted the hero’s power to be something that cured their disability. “They were empowered by their own disabilities, and they should not be seen as a source of weakness,” he said.

Initially, 50,000 Arabic-language comics will be distributed throughout Syria, and subsequent issues will be distributed else-

where in the Middle East, Snyder said.

The comic will also be available worldwide for free in digital formats through the Open Hands and Liquid Comics websites.

It will be the first in a series of comics with international superheroes, and while one will have disabilities others will not, Devarajan said. He added that almost all the characters being planned “are based on the seeds that were created by these kids together in this trip”. The dozen Americans were selected after a national call for applications by The Victor Penada Foundation, a non-profit educational organization that promotes the rights of young people with disabilities. They included youths who were blind, deaf, using wheelchairs, or suffering from Down syndrome, autism, and cognitive disabilities.

The Syrians were invited by the AlAmal school for the disabled whose chair, Asma Assad, the wife of Syrian president Bashar Assad, spent an afternoon meeting with the youngsters. “It must be every child’s dream to create a superhero,” the Syrian first lady said in a video provided to the AP. “But I really do hope that we can bring our powers together - our human powers together - to be able to make a difference.” Hamza Jaka, 18, of Fontana, Wisconsin, who is co-chair of Kids as SelfAdvocates which promotes the rights of young disabled people, said the visit to Syria “was great” because it was peopleto-people, “not politicians flying in and blustering”.

Jaka, a freshman at the University of California at Berkeley who is studying linguistics, said the trip has inspired him to study Arabic. “There’s a lot of hatred, and it really can be dispelled by just sitting down and talking to people and realizing you share experiences in common,” he said. “That’s what happened when I started talking to one of the disabled Syrians.

We both discovered that we had a love of basketball and ... loved the same players,” Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O’Neal.

“I am a disabled Muslim and I love comic books, so this is like the highlight of my life,” said Jaka, who has cerebral palsy and uses a wheelchair. “As somebody who owns a lot of comics and has studied how they affect social change, it was fun to be part of an exchange that hopefully can do the same,” he said, especially in changing attitudes towards the disabled, towards Muslims, and towards Syria.

Abdulrahman Hussein, 20, a Syrian student who was born handicapped and uses a wheelchair, said meeting the young Americans “made me feel that I have to improve my life”. He said he is studying library administration at a university and wants to learn English so he can have contact with more people. “I like the American people as I found them friendly,” Hussein said. “I’d like to visit America because I want to get acquainted with the achievements (of) the Americans.”

The Open Hands Initiative was launched last November to respond to Obama’s offer to the Muslim world in his inaugural address to “extend a hand if you are willing to unclench your fist.”

Snyder said the initiative’s goal is to promote “diplomacy” between ordinary people that emphasizes dialogue, understanding and mutual respect. It has already started a program to bring Syrian music to the US and is planning to bring leading American artists to Damascus for workshops with young Syrian artists. In early 2011, Snyder said Open Hands hopes to be on the ground in Pakistan with programs bringing Americans and Pakistanis together in the fields of public health, literature and culture - and later in the year it intends to launch projects in Afghanistan. — AP

New study sheds light on Saudi volcano risk Continued from Page 1 The source is basalt magma derived from the Earth’s mantle and spewed from submarine volcanoes that form a line along the central axis of the Red Sea, which is gradually being pulled open by continental rifting as Africa separates from Arabia.

On a human scale, volcanic eruptions in Saudi Arabia are rare, occurring with frequencies of hundreds of years. The best known event was a 52-day eruption in 1256 that sent flows of lava “like a redblue boiling river” into the holy city of Madinah, according to contemporary accounts. After the governor and citizens prayed for the safety of the city, and women and children wept and begged for mercy around the tomb of the Prophet (PBUH), the lava changed course.

On a geological scale, which measures

time in hundreds to millions of years, volcanism in Saudi Arabia is contemporary, said lead resarcher John Pallister of the Volcano Disaster Assistance Programme at the US Geological Survey (USGS).

“Several of the lava fields have ‘younglooking’ features (to a geologist) and even have deposits that overlie Neolithic [Stone Age] sites,” Pallister said in an email exchange with AFP. Last year’s event in Harrat Lunayyir occurred some 200 km from the main area of geological spreading which is happening beneath the Red Sea. Despite this distance, the intrusion of magma points to an “increased chance” of eruptions “in the next several decades,” said Pallister.

But he cautioned against fear. “An eruption, at Lunayyir, if it were to occur, would pose little hazard due to the type of volcanism expected at the site and the

remoteness of the vent areas,” he said.

“There (is) a low probability of large damaging earthquakes related to this type of activity. “However, urban development is encroaching on other areas in Saudi Arabia where an eruption would be more serious.”

He praised the Saudi Geological Survey for its rapid response. “They quickly recognized the hazard and deployed a first-class seismic monitoring network and advised their government and citizens of the status of the unrest and the potential hazards,” said Pallister. “The Saudi Survey now has a very good network for seismic monitoring of Lunayyir.

Consequently, I expect that they should be able to make a robust forecast in the case of renewed unrest.” The study is published online by the specialist journal Nature Geoscience. — AFP

Iran denies Bushehr hit by worm Continued from Page 1 “Due to the precautions we have already employed for our systems, in our investigations we have not come across any penetration by the virus into our systems,” Zarean was quoted as saying by IRNA. The self-replicating worm has been found lurking on Siemens systems mostly in India, Indonesia and Pakistan, but the heaviest infiltration appears to be in Iran, according to researchers.

Telecommunications minister Reza Taqipour said “the worm has not been able to penetrate or cause serious damage to government systems.” According

to Iran Daily, telecoms official Saeed Mahdiyoun said “teams of experts had begun to systematically eliminate the virus”.

Meanwhile Liayi said given its complexity, Stuxnet was “likely a (foreign) government project”, without giving details. The newspaper cited various experts who suggested the United States and Israel were behind the malware, evoking the “West’s electronic warfare against Iran”. Liayi said industries were currently receiving systems to combat Stuxnet, while stressing Iran had decided not to use anti-virus software developed

by Siemens because “they could be carrying a new version of the malware”.

“When Stuxnet is activated, the industrial automation systems start transmitting data about production lines to a main designated destination by the virus,” Liayi said. “There, the data is processed by the worm’s architects and then engineer plots to attack the country.”

Iran’s nuclear ambitions are at the heart of a conflict between Tehran and the West, which suspects the Islamic republic is seeking to develop atomic weapons under the cover of a civilian drive. Tehran denies the allegation and has pressed on with its enrichment program -the most controversial aspect of its nuclear activities - despite four sets of UN Security Council sanctions. — AFP

Kuwait to scrap ‘kafeel’ system Continued from Page 1 Employees are now allowed to change jobs after three years of service without seeking the sponsor’s permission and they will also be granted the right to transfer residence permits by committing to a contract.

Described by human rights bodies as akin to slavery, the sponsor system requires that all foreign workers must be sponsored by Kuwaiti employers, thus keeping them at the mercy of their bosses.

Kuwait will become the second Gulf country to abolish the system after Bahrain,

which decided in 2009 to end its longstanding requirement for all foreign workers to be sponsored by a citizen. Bahrain likened the sponsorship system to modern-day slavery.

The practice also has been slammed by international rights groups. Gulf countries employ armies of foreign workers to run their oil-fueled economies, doing everything from menial jobs to running companies. Kuwait, home to around 2.3 million expatriates, has in the past few years eased the sponsor system. In December, the National Assembly passed a new labour law

that grants better rights and conditions, replacing a 45-year-old law that was criticised as being favourable to employers at the expense of workers. The legislation provides better annual leave, end of service indemnities and holidays. It also sets tougher penalties, including jail terms, for businessmen who trade in visas or who recruit expatriate workers and then fail to provide them with jobs, or who fail to pay salaries regularly. The bill also requires the government to introduce a minimum wage for certain jobs, especially in the lower-paid categories.

MPs raise ruckus over cavorting couple in car Continued from Page 1 MP Waleed Al-Tabtabaei said the two officers should have been commended for performing their duty in the best way, and he submitted a proposal calling on the interior minister to promote them. MP Mohammad Hayef charged that moral corruption was rife in the interior ministry and is being sponsored by the minister himself and the undersecretary. He called on the prime minis-

ter to intervene in the issue to clean the interior ministry of corruption.

In a question to the interior minister, MP Mikhled Al-Azemi inquired if the reported incident was true and if the minister has ordered a probe. Azemi also inquired about another incident which was reported in the local media. The reports state that a major in the police force was caught at a “red light” party with several women and he was drunk.

Instead of obeying orders from a police

officer, he threatened the officer at gunpoint and refused to accompany them.

Azemi inquired if the minister has ordered the incident to be investigated.

In another development, MP Faisal Al-Muslim yesterday asked the prime minister about the government policy in dealing with the Kuwaiti debt on Iraq and if any measures have been taken in this regard. He also demanded documents of any correspondence made in this connection.

SPORTS

Monday, September 27, 2010

15

MLB results/standings Major League Baseball results and standings on Saturday: Chicago Cubs 7, St. Louis 3; Atlanta 5, Washington 0; Toronto 5, Baltimore 4 (11 innings); Texas 4, Oakland 3; San Diego 4, Cincinnati 3; Boston 7, NY Yankees 3; NY Mets 5, Philadelphia 2; Cleveland 7, Kansas City 1; Pittsburgh 6, Houston 4; Tampa Bay 9, Seattle 1; Florida 4, Milwaukee 0; Arizona 5, La Dodgers 2; Colorado 10, San Francisco 9 (10 innings); Chicago White Sox 6, LA Angels 2; Detroit 11, Minnesota 10 (13 innings).

American League Ea stern Division W L PCT GB Tampa Bay 93 61 .604 NY Yankees 92 63 .594 1.5 Boston 86 68 .558 7 Toronto 79 75 .513 14 Baltimore 61 93 .396 32 Central Division Minnesota 92 62 .597 Chicago White Sox 82 72 .532 10 Detroit 79 75 .513 13 Cleveland 64 91 .413 28 Kansas City 63 91 .409 29 Western Division Texas 86 68 .558 Oakland 77 77 .500 9 LA Angels 75 79 .487 11 Seattle 58 96 .377 28 National League Ea stern Division Philadelphia 93 62 Atlanta 87 68 Florida 77 77 NY Mets 75 79 Washington 66 89 Central Division Cincinnati 86 69 St. Louis 79 75 Houston 74 81 Milwaukee 72 82 Chicago Cubs 70 84 Pittsburgh 54 100 Western Division San Diego 87 67 San Francisco 87 68 Colorado 83 71 LA Dodgers 75 80 Arizona 63 92

.600 .561 .500 .487 .426

6 15.5 17.5 27

.555 .513 .477 .468 .455 .351

6.5 12 13.5 15.5 31.5

.565 .561 .539 .484 .406

0.5 4 12.5 24.5

ST PETERSBURG: Seattle Mariners’ Ichiro Suzuki of Japan hits a first inning single off Tampa bay Rays pitcher Jeff Niemann during a baseball game. —AP

Rangers clinch AL West title with win over A’s OAKLAND: The Texas Rangers clinched the American League West title Saturday and their first playoff berth in 11 years after Jorge Cantu hit a tiebreaking homer in the eighth inning for a 4-3 win over the Oakland Athletics.

Players streamed from the Texas dugout after closer Neftali Feliz retired Cliff Pennington on a fly ball to left field for the final out with the potential tying run on second base.

The Rangers became the second big league club to lock up a postseason spot this season, joining the AL Central champion Minnesota Twins.

Texas is the only current major league franchise never to win a playoff series. The Rangers won three AL West crowns from 1996-99, their only postseason appearances, but lost in the first round to the New York Yankees each time. Cantu hit a solo shot off Michael Wuertz (2-3) in the eighth, his first homer since being traded from Florida to

Texas on July 29, and the Rangers hung on.

Rays 9, Mariners 1 At St. Petersburg, Florida, Matt Garza allowed one run over seven innings as AL East-leading Tampa Bay beat Seattle for its fourth straight victory. Matt Joyce and BJ Upton homered for the Rays, who moved 11/2 games ahead of the New York Yankees.

Tampa Bay, bidding for its second division title in three years, has a magic number of two (any combination of Rays wins or Boston losses) to clinch a playoff berth.

Garza (15-9) allowed eight hits, struck out five and walked none. He was 0-2 with a 10.93 ERA in his previous three starts.

Red Sox 7, Yankees 3 At New York, Jon Lester took a no-hit bid into the sixth inning to become the first Boston left-hander in 57 years to win 19 games in a victory over New York. Lester (19-8) was overpowering before Francisco

Cervelli singled off the glove of diving rookie Daniel Nava in left field with one out in the sixth.

Lester wound up allowing two hits in seven shutout innings. He won his sixth straight start, extended his scoreless innings streak to 15 and lowered his ERA to 2.96.

Lester joined Jesse Tannehill (1904-05), Ray Collins (1913-14), Dutch Leonard (1914), Babe Ruth (1916-17), Lefty Grove (1935) and Mel Parnell (1949 and 1953) as the only Red Sox left-handers to win 19.

Boston closed within 5 1/2 games of New York in the AL wild-card race. The Red Sox have eight games left _ four against the Yankees, including Sunday night’s series finale.New York dropped out of first place in the AL East on Friday night, falling a halfgame behind Tampa Bay. Tigers 11, Twins 10 At Detroit, Brandon Inge singled home

the winning run in the 13th inning as Detroit damaged Minnesota’s chances of earning home-field advantage throughout the AL playoffs. The AL Central champions fell a game behind Tampa Bay in the race for the best record in the American League.

Johnny Damon and Miguel Cabrera opened the 13th with singles off Pat Neshak (0-1). Jhonny Peralta followed with a grounder to third that was misplayed by Danny Valencia for an error, loading the bases.

Randy Flores, the game’s 16th pitcher, got an out before Inge lined a clean single to right.

In addition to Justin Morneau (concussion) and Joe Mauer (knee), Minnesota played without manager Ron Gardenhire in the dugout. Gardenhire was hit in the right ear by a thrown ball during batting practice, and although he was not seriously injured, he spent the game in the clubhouse.

Blue Jays 5, Orioles 4 At Toronto, Lyle Overbay hit a gameending homer in the 11th inning to lift Toronto over Baltimore.

Edwin Encarnacion, Aaron Hill and Travis Snider also had solo drives for the Blue Jays, who lead the major leagues with 241 home runs this season, including a baseball-best 140 at home.

Toronto hit a team-record 244 homers in 2000. Overbay won it with a leadoff drive to right off Mark Hendrickson (1-6). It was Overbay’s 20th homer.

White Sox 6, Angels 2 At Anaheim, California, John Danks pitched eight impressive innings and Manny Ramirez capped a four-run third with an RBI double and Juan Pierre pushed across a run with a suicide squeeze to lead Chicago over Los Angeles.

Danks (14-11) allowed two runs and seven hits to establish a career high for

Padres win over Reds SAN DIEGO: Chris Denorfia doubled in the winning run off rookie Aroldis Chapman with two outs in the ninth inning to give the San Diego Padres a 4-3 victory over the Cincinnati Reds on Saturday and a share of the National League West lead with San Francisco.

The Reds’ magic number for clinching the NL Central was trimmed to two before the first pitch when the St. Louis Cardinals lost 7-3 at the Chicago Cubs.

Denorfia’s shot off Chapman (1-2) went down the line, skipping past the glove of third baseman Scott Rolen and scoring Chase Headley from first. Left fielder Jonny Gomes made a sliding stop in foul territory before it got to the wall, but Headley beat the throw home.

Rockies 10, Giants 9 At Denver, Troy Tulowitzki capped a four-hit night with an RBI double in the 10th inning as Colorado gave its faint playoff hopes a boost with a victory over San Francisco.

Tulowitzki homered, doubled and had five RBIs to help the Rockies snap a five-game slide and pull within four games of first place in the NL West.

Carlos Gonzalez started the winning rally with a one-out single off All-Star closer Brian Wilson (3-3).

Mets 5, Phillies 2 At Philadelphia, Lucas Duda hit a three-run double five-run seventh inning as New York snapped Philadelphia’s 11-

Cubs 7, Cardinals 3 At Chicago, Sam Fuld hit a go-ahead two-run single off Chris Carpenter and Casey Coleman pitched seven effective innings to lead Chicago to the victory over St. Louis.

Blake DeWitt and Aramis

Indians 7, Royals 1 At Cleveland, Choo Shin-soo had four hits as Cleveland beat Zack Greinke for the first time in two years to move out of last place in the AL Central with a victory over Kansas City.

Jeanmar Gomez (4-5) pitched five solid innings to win for the first time beating Baltimore on Aug. 12.

Greinke (9-14) lasted just 3 2-3 innings in his second-shortest outing of the season.

He was charged with seven runs and a season-high 11 hits. —AP

Lions defeat Sharks with last-minute try

game winning streak.

The NL East-leading Phillies missed out on a chance to clinch a fourth straight playoff berth — all they need is one win or Atlanta loss and they’re in — with their first defeat since Sept. 11 in New York.

Philadelphia’s magic number to secure its fourth consecutive division title is two.

Rookie Dillon Gee (2-1), making his fourth big league start, allowed two runs and five hits in seven innings. Hisanori Takahashi worked the ninth for his eighth save in eight chances.

Ryan Howard hit a two-run homer in the first for Philadelphia.

Braves 5, Nationals 0 At Washington, Braves manager Bobby Cox earned his 2,500th win, getting five effective innings from Derek Lowe and a three-run homer from Alex Gonzalez.

The 69-year-old Cox, set to retire at the end of the season, became the fourth major league manager to reach the milestone.

The Braves snapped a fourgame losing streak. Lowe (1512) allowed five hits, walked one and struck out four, improving to 4-0 with a 1.08 ERA in his last four starts.

wins. The left-hander’s first victory since Sept. 4 ended a drought of 18 consecutive starts by White Sox pitchers without a win — a franchise record. The rotation was 0-9 with a 6.45 ERA during that 18-game stretch.

Scott Kazmir (9-15) gave up five runs and five hits over three-plus innings in the shortest of his 27 starts this season.

SAN DIEGO: Padres’ Chase Headley (right) scores ahead of the tag of Cincinnati Reds catcher Ramon Hernandez during the ninth inning of a baseball game. — AP Ramirez had two hits and two RBIs apiece for Chicago, which trailed 3-0 in the third. Coleman allowed two earned runs and five hits.

Carpenter (15-9) lasted just four innings and reliever Blake Hawksworth was hit in the face by a Fuld liner in the fifth, sending the right-hander to the hospital. Cardinals manager Tony La Russa said Hawksworth was going to get a CT scan and needed “quite a few stitches.”

Marlins 4, Brewers 0 At Milwaukee, Chris Volstad pitched into the seventh inning in another scoreless outing and rookie Mike Stanton hit his 21st homer to push Florida over

Milwaukee.

Volstad (11-9) allowed six hits and walked none before leaving with two out in the seventh, running his scoreless streak to 15 2-3 innings.

The right-hander tossed a five-hitter in a 4-0 victory over St. Louis in his previous start and hasn’t allowed a run since he returned from a six-game suspension for his part in a brawl with the Washington Nationals on Sept. 1.

The loss clinched a second consecutive losing season for the Brewers (72-82) after they won the NL wild card in 2008.

At

Pirates 6, Astros 4 Pittsburgh, Pedro

Alvarez hit a three-run homer and Zach Duke pitched into the seventh inning for the second consecutive start to lead Pittsburgh over Houston.

Duke (8-14) was pulled by manager John Russell after giving up Humberto Quintero’s leadoff single in the seventh.

The left-hander allowed three runs and seven hits while walking one and striking out three. Alvarez had two hits, including a home run off Bud Norris (9-9).

D’backs 5, Dodgers 2 At Phoenix, Cole Gillespie hit a tiebreaking three-run homer in the sixth inning and

Daniel Hudson turned in another outstanding outing as Arizona downed Los Angeles.

Hudson (8-2) allowed two runs and two hits in 8 2-3 innings, coming close to his first career complete game. The 23-yearold right-hander improved to 7-1 with a 1.69 ERA in 11 starts since he was acquired in a trade with the Chicago White Sox on July 30.

With one out and a runner on second in the sixth, John Ely (4-9) intentionally walked Brandon Allen to get to Gillespie, the Diamondbacks’ No. 8 hitter. The rookie outfielder responded with a drive to left for his second career homer. — AP

JOHANNESBURG: The Lions scored a last-minute try and conversion to grab a 22-20 win over leaders Sharks in round 12 of the Currie Cup. Lions captain Franco van der Merwe forced his way over in the 80th minute Saturday to level the scores at the Lions’ Ellis Park stadium in Johannesburg. Flyhalf Elton Jantjies sent over the conversion with time up for a dramatic come-from-behind win — just the Sharks’ third loss this season.

Also Saturday, defending champion Blue Bulls won 3926 at last-placed Leopards to strengthen their semifinal hopes. Western Province consolidated second place in the standings with a 48-32 home win over Griquas in Cape Town on Friday, and Free State Cheetahs overpowered the Pumas 59-24 in Bloemfontein to stay fourth.

The resurgent Lions, who continue to progress rapidly under coach John Mitchell, move up to two points off the semifinal places after their surprise victory over the runaway leaders. The Johannesburg team lost four of its first five games this season before winning six of its next seven.

Durban’s Sharks appeared to have finally shaken off the home team with a converted try from wing Odwa Ndungane and a further penalty from flyhalf Pat Lambie for a 20-15 lead. But Sharks No. 8 Ryan Kankowski was sinbinned in the final five minutes and skipper Van der Merwe eventually muscled over. The 20-year-old Jantjies kept his head to land the high-

pressure deciding kick.

The Sharks still hold an eight-point lead at the top and are strongly tipped for a home semifinal place. The Lions face a crucial matchup with Free State in Bloemfontein in the battle for the final semifinal spot.

The Blue Bulls eventually came through against the winless Leopards which led 10-0 at home in Potchefstroom.

The champions responded with six tries from Derick Kuun, Jaco van der Westhuyzen, Jaco Pretorius, Hayden Groepes, Springboks scrumhalf Francois Hougaard and Stefan Watermeyer.

Western Province also won a high-scoring game against the Griquas, helped by a hat trick of tries from wing JJ Engelbrecht.

Griquas wing Bjorn Basson also scored a hat trick to take him to 17 tries this season — two off Carel du Plessis alltime season record in the top division of the Currie Cup. Basson has two regular season games, against the lowly Pumas and then the Blue Bulls to set a new record — before he leaves to join the Bulls for next year’s Super Rugby season.

Griquas have only faint hopes of making the last four and prolonging Basson’s effort to pass Du Plessis’ mark.

Free State Cheetahs made sure they kept hold of fourth place — and the final semifinal spot — with a comfortable win over second-from-last Pumas.

The teams have two rounds of league games left before the semifinal playoffs, which start Oct. 16. —AP

SPORTS

16

Monday, September 27, 2010

Corruption destroys contract between athlete and fan LONDON: Corruption in sport destroys the credibility of the afflicted game, erodes spectator support and jeopardises commercial contracts.

Its particular evil, as the recent one-day cricket series between Pakistan and England demonstrated, is to fracture the unwritten contract between athlete and spectator. Sport loses all meaning if it is not played within an agreed set of rules.

Distrust and rancour, including open hostility between the teams, accompanied the Pakistanis throughout their seven one-day matches against England, culminating in a clash between England batsman Jonathan Trott and Pakistan fast bowler Wahab Riaz in the nets at Lord’s.

The bad feeling followed the suspensions of Pakistan test captain Salman Butt and his two leading pace bowlers Mohammad Amir and Mohammad Asif after newspaper reports that they arranged for no-balls to be deliberately bowled in the fourth test against England at Lord’s last month.

The trio have maintained that they are innocent of spot-fixing, an offence which carries a maximum life ban. They and Riaz have also been questioned by police.

Spot-fixing, or manipulating individual incidents within a match for financial gain, may not necessarily alter the outcome of a match. But it is an insidious disease which, when detected, creates a poisonous atmosphere of suspicion and distrust.

Although athletics remains the central sport of the summer Olympics, it has suffered a probably irreversible slump in popularity outside its European strongholds after a series of doping scandals showed spectators could not believe what they were seeing.

Its supporters could at least argue that track and field athletes take banned drugs to

enhance their performances, unlike corrupt cricketers who cheat fans by taking money to deliberately under-perform.

The 2000 match-fixing furore, after which international captains Hansie Cronje (South Africa), Salim Malik (Pakistan) and Mohammad Azharuddin (India) were banned for life led to a rash of ill-informed articles about the besmirching of a noble game.

In fact the game was partly founded in gambling, as noted by cricket historian Rowland Bowen, whose 1970 book “Cricket.

A History of its Growth and Development” is a masterly riposte to some of the more sentimental nonsense peddled about the game’s

inherent moral superiority over other sports.

“There have been always been different kinds of gambling in the game,” Bowen wrote.

“The harm came when individuals started backing themselves or their teams or when others started ‘selling’ matches.

“Some attempt was made to suppress the evil, at Lord’s, in the early 1820s but it cannot have been successful or permanent, for bookmakers were still at Lord’s 50 and 60 years later and of course almost to the end of that time players were accused of selling matches.”

Former Pakistan captain Rashid Latif, who gave evidence to the Pakistan judicial inquiry

into match-fixing first convened in 1998, said match-rigging had to be viewed in the wider context of acknowledged malpractices in, for example, horse racing and soccer.

“To me, it (match-fixing) started from horse racing, where the jockey controls the horse,” Latif said in an emailed response to questions from Reuters.

“Coming back to cricket the increasing number of Twenty20 matches has in fact raised the amount of doubts and I feel the situation has got worse from that of the 1990s.”

Latif, who has accepted a role as coach of Afghanistan after criticising the Pakistan Cricket Board’s (PCB) handling of the spot-

fixing scandal, said part of the problem was that no player could be sure of his place in international cricket.

“Look, every sportsman wants to secure his future as no one can guarantee that he would be kept in the team for a certain period therefore when he is offered a sum of money which would be equivalent to accumulated earnings of the next five years then naturally he would get attracted to the offer,” he said.

“If a player is selfish, he would be easily trapped. And in view of my own experience a top player is more selfish then an ordinary one.”

Before the latest crisis erupted, the outgo-

Banned cricketers can appeal in court LONDON: Any player banned for life under the International Cricket Council’s (ICC) anti-corruption code can still attempt to have the sanction overturned by a civil court, according to a leading British sports lawyer.

Pakistan test captain Salman Butt and pace bowlers Mohammad Amir and Mohammad Asif have been suspended by the ICC following an investigation into corruption allegations. The charges carry a maximum sanction of a life ban if upheld by an independent tribunal.

Adam Morallee, a partner in the London law firm Mishcon de Reya, said there were still several options open to any player faced with an ICC ban.

In a telephone interview with Reuters, Morallee said the first non-ICC avenue of appeal for any cricketer charged with an anti-corruption offence was the independent Lausanne-based Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS).

He could also attempt to appeal to a court in the country in which the alleged offence was committed, or to a court in his home country.

“These governing bodies are subject to the laws of the various countries. They are just the same as any company or organisation, subject to the same rules and regulations as everyone else,” Morallee said.

“Other entities try their best to close their world in and tell everyone only we can make decisions about us. That’s just not the case.”

In 1997 the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) was forced to cut its four-year doping ban for first offenders in half after a series of costly legal battles in European courts which took the view that the longer ban constituted restraint of trade. Two German track and field athletes successfully applied for reinstatement halfway through four-year bans.

The ICC’s anti-corruption code stipulates that players must submit to the authority of the world governing body, its judicial commission and to CAS. Furthermore, it says players cannot initiate proceedings “in any court or other forum that are inconsistent with the foregoing submissions

to the jurisdiction of the anti-corruption Tribunal and the CAS”. However, Morallee said that in practice players could appeal to whomever they liked.

“The ICC will have some very good defences in proceedings if a player tries to challenge their decision in the courts. They will say a player has effectively signed away his life to this tribunal, and therefore is barred from bringing proceedings in another court. In effect, he has lost and he can’t do anything about it,” he said.

“But a national court could theoretically grant jurisdiction and then, if the punishment was grave, rule that a life ban was an unjustifiable restraint of trade, the punishment was far too harsh and, therefore, disproportionate.”

Under this scenario, Morallee said, any national cricket board would be “between a rock and a hard place”. “The ICC will say he is banned from international cricket and a court will say he should be allowed to play,” he said. “It will not be easy for a national association to reconcile those differences.”—Reuters

ing head of the International Cricket Council’s (ICC) Anti-Corruption and Security Unit, Paul Condon, made some prescient comments before handing over to another former policeman in Ronnie Flannagan.

“The challenge for the game is to stop that small minority of bad players, and it is a tiny, tiny minority, from being induced into doing these spot fixes,” Condon told reporters.

“My prediction is that you will never totally eradicate that from the game. If you were designing a game to fix you would design cricket because it is a whole series of discrete events, every ball you can bet on. So there will always be that temptation.

“If we get complacent, fixing will be all over it like a rash in a year, two years, so we need to keep the pressure on. We are in good shape but sadly from time to time you are going to hear, hopefully, individuals but maybe teams who let world cricket down.”

Pakistan’s troubled tour of Britain finally ended on Wednesday night with Butt, Amir and Asif already back home after agreeing to return to Britain if required to help with a police investigation. They have also filed replies to the ICC’s charges.

Until the case is concluded one way or the other it is impossible to judge the possible fallout. But an indication of sponsor unease came with the news that the official kit suppliers to the PCB were reviewing their contract and suspending their commercial relationship with Amir.

“Like everyone else in the cricket world, we are truly saddened and shocked by these match-fixing allegations. I sincerely hope they are not true,” said BoomBoom managing director Ali Ehsan. “(However) we cannot allow our brand to be associated with any whiff of corruption or suspicion of foul play.”—Reuters

Furyk surges ahead as Donald stumbles

ATLANTA: Jim Furyk hits from the sand on the third green during the final round of play in the Tour Championship golf tournament. — AP

Cochran increases lead CARY: Russ Cochran shot a 5-under 67 in the SAS Championship on Saturday to increase his lead to four strokes, the largest 36-hole margin the history of the Champions Tour event.

“I don’t have any experience with a four-shot lead so I don’t know what to expect,” Cochran said. “I’m sure I’ll have to be on my toes.”

Cochran, the 51-year-old left-hander coming off his first victory on the 50-and-over tour two weeks ago in South Korea, birdied the final two holes at Prestonwood Country Club to finish at 13 under.

Ted Schulz (68) was second, and defending champion Tom Pernice Jr. (71) was 8 under along with John Cook (64) and Nick Price (69).

“I played pretty solid today,” said Schulz, the winner at Pebble Beach this month. “I probably could have putted just a little better.” Cook played the back nine in a tournament-record 8-under 27, eagling the par-4 14th and par-5 17th.

“Yesterday, I just didn’t do anything very well,” said Cook, who

spent time on the range after his first- round 72. “I must have found something that worked today.” After his record-setting nine holes, Cook, who started on No. 10, played even par on Prestonwood’s front nine.

“The front side is just a hard nine holes of golf, and you kind of have to survive the front,” Cook said. “But I battled back. I didn’t want to let a really good round of golf go by the wayside.” Cochran also said the front nine is the harder of the two nines.

“The first part of the golf course is unbelievably difficult,” said Cochran, who will be paired with Cook and Schulz in the final group.

“The first several holes are pretty demanding, and it keeps you off-balance.”

Keith Fergus had a double-eagle 2 on the 17th, holing a 3-iron shot from 210 yards. He finished with a 64, leaving him eight strokes back at 5 under. Schwab Cup points leaders Bernhard Langer and Fred Couples also were 5 under after 68s. — AP

ATLANTA: The battle for Tour Championship and FedExCup honors remained wide open after American Jim Furyk grabbed a slender one-shot lead in Saturday’s third round at East Lake Golf Club.

Joint pacesetter overnight with playing partner Luke Donald of Britain, Furyk carded a level-par 70 on another hot and humid day for an eight-under total of 202 in the PGA Tour’s final playoff event.

Donald, who twice edged a stroke in front of the American over the front nine, surrendered the outright lead with an ugly double-bogey at the par-five 15th on the way to a 71.

That left him in a tie for second place with 2004 champion Retief Goosen of South Africa, who birdied three of the last seven holes for a 66.

Australian Geoff Ogilvy, who barely slept overnight after watching television coverage of his beloved St Kilda team in the Australian Football League Grand Final, was fourth at five under after a 72. Every player in the elite field of 30 began the week with a mathematical chance of winning the FedExCup, along with its enticing $10 million bonus, with victory on Sunday. Of those, Furyk and Donald were best placed after the thirds round.

“It’s hard not to put the FedExCup, and trying to win that, out of your mind,” Furyk said after offsetting two birdies with two bogeys. “But you really can’t focus on that issue.

“The only thing I can really do tomorrow is go out and try to win a golf tournament. Where I finish in the FedExCup is going to depend on how I play, but it also depends on how the rest of the players play and where they fall in the order.”

Furyk has his sights firmly fixed on winning his third PGA Tour title of the year. “I haven’t had a three-win season in my career,” the world number six said. “It would be a good time to start.” Donald, seeking his first tour victory since the 2006 Honda Classic, was overall satisfied with his round.

“It was frustrating to give away a couple there (on 15) but I hit a lot of good shots today,” he said.

“I’m in great position. Still just one back, and this is the last Sunday of the regular Tour and I’ve got a chance to win it all.”

With sun-baked East Lake running fast and firm, Donald made the first significant move by rolling in a 12-foot birdie putt at the par-three second. The straight-hitting Englishman narrowly missed another birdie chance from 10 feet at the third before bogeying the fifth where he missed the green to the left with his approach.

Furyk and Donald stayed level with matching pars over the next three holes before the latter again moved ahead by knocking in a seven-footer to birdie the ninth.

Furyk, who parred the first nine holes, slipped two strokes behind when he bogeyed the par-four 10th before taking advantage of Donald’s late stumble. A superb approach to two feet at the par-four 14th earned Furyk his first birdie of the day and he then benefited from a three-shot swing at the parfive 15th.

While Donald ran up a double bogey after finding the right rough off the tee and a greenside bunker with his third shot before three-putting, Furyk drained a seven-foot birdie effort to get to nine under overall.

“It looked like it was going to be a two-shot swing, and Luke missed a little one there and it ended up being a bigger swing,” Furyk said.

The rock-steady American surprisingly bogeyed 17 after missing the fairway off the tee and hitting a poor second but he parred the last to stay one ahead.

World number two Phil Mickelson, who won last year’s Tour Championship by a commanding three shots, was seven off the lead after a 68.

FedExCup points leader Matt Kuchar, who could finish as low as 29th this week and still have a chance of landing playoff honours, was tied for 23rd at four over after a 72.

Tee times for late yesterday’s final round have been brought forward by almost three hours with widespread showers and thunderstorms forecast in the area. — Reuters

Duaij Al-Otaibi with Kuwait’s archery team

Kuwait excel in archery tourney KUWAIT: The Eighth Arab Archery tournament that was held in Serte, Libya came to a close yesterday, where Kuwait participated with its first team for this event.

Kuwait’s National Archery Team was able to snatch (8) various medals, as archers Faleh Al-Askar took one gold, (5) silver and a bronze, while junior archer Eid Al-Shimmari clinched bronze of those below (15) years.

Head of the delegation, president of the Arab Shooting Federation Eng. Duaij Al-Otaibi said he was happy with this significant achievement, which was due to the efforts of the shooters.

He appreciated the role and support of the president of Kuwait Shooting Sports Club Sheikh Salman Sabah Al-Salem AlHumoud Al-Sabah, and board members.

He also thanked officials of PAYS for their role in participating in this tournament.

Eng. Al-Otaibi said the KSSC was able to put down a successful plan to attract Kuwaiti youth, and provide them with suitable environment to develop their skills. He said a special archery field will

Duaij Al-Otaibi with Libyan officials. be prepared at the club, in addition to bringing in an able instructor, Ahmad Fawzi. He said shooters now are equipped with state of the art equipment, and the game in being developed from all

aspects. Engineer Al-Otaibi thanked Libya’s Shooting Sport officials headed by the Libyan Shooting Association Colonel Awadh Mushab Hunaish, the Libyan government and people for their hospitality.

India targets shooting sweep

KUWAIT: The Police Sports Association delegation leave for Turkey today to participate in the International running and shooting tournament to be held in Anatalya, Turkey. The delegation is headed by Colonel Khalid Ahmad bin Salama, who said the team prepared well for this tournament, and hopes for good results.

NEW DELHI: Beijing Olympic champion Abhinav Bindra will headline India’s likely domination of the Commonwealth Games shooting event, even though ‘Goldfinger’ has taken a backseat. Indian shooters hit bulls-eye four years ago in Melbourne with 16 gold, seven silver and four bronze medals that lifted the country to fourth place in the overall medals tally with 22 golds.

The competition was dominated by pistol shooter Samaresh Jung, whose five golds, one silver and a bronze earned him the nickname of ‘Goldfinger’ and won him the David Dixon award as the athlete of the Games.

The feat won’t be repeated as Jung, now 40, has qualified for only the standard pistol event at his home ranges. Jung warned the absence of a coach and lack of good practice facilities could also affect his team-mates, but remained confident of a rich medal haul by the Indian squad. “Last time we had a coach and were better prepared,” he said. “The absence of coach and training facilities will affect our performance for sure.

“We badly need a coach. It’s just not possible to give your best shot without any guidance.” India’s pistol shooters have lacked a coach since 2008 when Hungarian Czaba Gyorik’s contract was not renewed after the Beijing Olympics. Russian coach Alexander Melentiev turned down a short-term assignment after being offered the job only till the Asian Games in Guangzhou, China in November.

It should, however, be smooth sailing for Bindra, who became India’s first and only individual Olympic gold medallist when he won the 10m Air Rifle title at Beijing two years

ago. “Abhinav is a seasoned performer and we expect gold from him,” said India’s long-serving national coach Sunny Thomas. “But the others are also capable of doing well.

“The challenge for us is to better our Melbourne tally.” Rifle shooter Gagan Narang and trap marksman Manavjit Sandhu comprise a strong home squad that includes Tejaswini Sawant, the first Indian woman world champion who won the 50m Rifle prone title in Munich in August. Athens Olympics silver medallist Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore will miss performing on home turf after he skipped trials for his double-trap event to protest selection policies.

His slot has gone to world junior champion Asher Noria. Thomas rued the delay in renovating the Karni Singh ranges in New Delhi that has deprived the shooters a chance to practice at the competition venue. “It will be like a foreign range for them,” the coach said. “There is no home advantage at all.”

Australian shooters, who won nine gold medals in Melbourne, are expected to once again provide the toughest challenge for the Indians.

The Aussies warmed up for the Commonwealth Games by taking a gold and three silvers at the recent world championships in Munich. Lalita Yauhleuskaya, Dina Aspandiyarova and Linda Ryan won the women’s 10m air pistol team title, while Yauhleuskaya took silver in the individual category. “Doing well at the world championships means we are in good shape for the Commonwealth Games in New Delhi,” said Australian International Shooting chief Nick Sullivan. — AFP

SPORTS

Monday, September 27, 2010

17

India makes mad dash to ready Games Village

NEW DELHI: Indian volunteers prepare the stage to introduce competitors and teams to the media at the Commonwealth Games village in New Delhi. — AFP

Fiji absence takes gloss off Sevens NEW DELHI: New Zealand are favourites to clinch a fourth successive Commonwealth Games rugby sevens gold, but global politics means that Fiji, one of the discipline’s finest exponents, will take no part.

Following a military coup in 2006, Fiji, twice world sevens winners, were expelled from the Commonwealth, making the country’s sportsmen outcasts as far as the Games are concerned.

But Fiji are still free to compete in the World Cup and World Sevens and will be a medal contender when sevens makes its Olympic bow in 2012.

“It’s out of our hands,” said an International Rugby Board spokesman. “It is a geo-political decision taken by the Commonwealth authorities who decide who is eligbile and not for their competition.”

With Fiji, who were Games silver medallists in 1998 and 2002 and bronze medallists in 2006, kicking their heels, it

will be Pacific rivals Samoa who will be amongst New Zealand’s gold medal rivals.

Samoa, fresh from capturing the 2010 world sevens title, have their own problems with playmaker Uale Ma’i missing the Games after signing a lucrative deal with Spain’s El Salvador club.

One year after sevens was welcomed as an Olympic sport, and a year out from the 2011 World Cup, New Zealand will be under pressure to make it four Commonwealth golds.

Experienced coach Gordon Tietjens, whose teams have never lost a match in three previous appearances, has named three All Blacks in his squad.

Zac Guildford, Ben Smith and Wellington flyer Hosea Gear, whose brother Rico was part of the gold medal-winning squad in 1998 in Kuala Lumpur, form the foundation of the 12-man group.

However, they were hit when experienced backrow forward Adam Thomson was

forced to withdraw through injury.

New Zealand defeated Fiji in the first two Games finals before seeing off England 2921 in Melbourne for the gold medal in 2006.

In New Delhi, England will be led by veteran skipper Ben Gollings who will be playing at his third Games. Australia’s hopes of improving on their bronze medal best in Kuala Lumpur in 1998 could rest on the performances of Wallaby Test players, winger Lachie Turner and utility back Luke Morahan.

The 16 teams are divided into four groups for the tournament which is played on October 11 and 12. Top seeds New Zealand head Pool A where they will face Scotland, Canada and Guyana. South Africa, third in 2002, head Pool B and face Wales, Tonga and India. Samoa top Pool C and take on Kenya, Uganda and Papua New Guinea while England and Australia are in Group D along with Namibia and Sri Lanka. — AFP

Golden girl David aims to complete gold collection

NEW DELHI: Nicol David will be trying to forge the last link in a long and very impressive chain when she attempts to win an elusive Commonwealth Games squash gold medal.

David was almost as firm a favorite four years ago in Melbourne, where she flopped, as she is now in Delhi as she seeks to capture the only major title missing from her collection. Success here should therefore purge a longlasting pain for the superstar Malaysian, and help justify a lengthy exile from her home country.

The intensity of criticism David suffered for that 2006 Games failure underlined her reasons for basing herself thousands of miles away at Amsterdam, close to Liz Irving’s academy.

This provided David both with an escape from an everescalating pressure of expectations and a permanent location from which to employ the coaching expertise of the Australian.

Since then David has become world number one for 55 consecutive months and world champion a recordequalling fifth time, as well as the highest profile, highest paid, and most popular woman player of all time.

With the Commonwealth Games providing squash with its highest profile tournament, she could well become part of the most watched match of all time. Television from the Games should showcase the sport to the widest audience it has ever had.

Helpful to her ambition is that Natalie Grinham will not act as a reminder of the traumatic Melbourne setback. The Australian was on honeymoon while beating David and going on to take three gold medals but has since adopted the nationality of her Dutch husband and is now ineligible for the Games.

Her sister Rachael Grinham, a former world champion, will also be absent, having declined to represent Australia — apparently because of a selection dispute in 2006 involving her friend Melissa Martin.

All this means David’s nearest rivals may now be English players: Jenny

NEW DELHI: Trinidad and Tobago team members chat as they arrive at the Indira Gandhi International Airport in New Delhi ahead of the forthcoming Commonwealth Games. — AFP Duncalf, who beat her twice late last year, and Jenny Waters, who gave her two hard matches in South-East Asia this year. Another Australian, David Palmer, is by contrast, keen to clinch a gold medal as a climax to an outstanding career in which he has won two World and four British Open titles.

The 34-year-old from New South Wales has landed one silver and four bronze medals since making his

Commonwealth Games debut in Kuala Lumpur in 1998, but the gold has annoyingly eluded him.

Palmer will probably have four Englishmen, all in the world’s top ten, barring his path. They should be Nick Matthew, recently the world number one, James Willstrop, the former Qatar Classic winner, Peter Barker, the finaldeciding member of the 2007 world team champions, and Daryl Selby.

Hardest to predict is the destination of medals in the doubles, men’s, women’s and mixed, because none are contested on the world circuits.

Based on singles rankings England appears to have the strongest medal chances, but based on just three doubles tournament, Kasey Brown of Australia has been seeded to become the only player to win two gold medals, in the women’s and mixed doubles. — AFP

NEW DELHI: Workers removed rain water, scraped dirt and painted walls at the Commonwealth Games Village yesterday as India raced to address complaints of filth and hygiene a week before the start of the showpiece event.

The Games were supposed to enhance India’s image of a rising power, but shoddy construction, filthy accommodation and security fears have underlined governance and accountability issues, hurting the runaway pride of Asia’s third largest economy.

Several top athletes, including world champion sprinter Usain Bolt, have pulled out, taking away some of the shine from the event held every four years for former British colonies.

Yesterday Indian organising committee officials met to review the work at the Games Village where masons plastered walls while workers struggled to dry out the basement of the Village which sits on the flooded plains of the Yamuna river.

“All finishing work is going on in full swing,” Dalbir Singh, Mayor of the Games Village told Reuters. “It’s a world class facility with some minor issues and work is going on to fix those problems.”

Indeed, most of the 34 apartment blocs are gleaming and spacious and fitted with Italian marble. But much of what is good about the facility has been overshadowed by athletes’ complaints of filth and unfinished work in some of the living quarters.

While the Games finally seem to be coming together after the intervention of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, glitches remained.

The Times Now news channel said about 150 apartments were unliveable. Indian boxer Akhil Kumar was in shock when his bed caved in on Saturday. It was found the mattress had just been placed on the bed frame without any support beneath.

“Laborers have done a very bad job. They had spit ‘paan’ (chewing tobacco) on the walls, stains of which are almost unremovable,” Lalit Bhanot, secretary general of the Games organising committee, told Reuters.

“We are identifying rooms which are dirty and shutting them down. But we have adequate rooms so there is nothing to worry.”

The Games are estimated to have cost $6 billion.

India was awarded them in 2003 but did not begin proper preparations until two years ago. Michael Fennell, chief of Commonwealth Games Federation, has said India’s image has taken a beating.

Athletes from 11 countries have arrived so far and contingents from seven more nations, including New Zealand and Canada which had delayed their arrival, are expected late yesterday.

India had hoped to use the Games to display its growing global economic and political influence, rivalling neighbor China which put on a spectacular 2008 Beijing Summer Olympics.

Instead, they have become a major embarrassment for the world’s largest democracy, where infrastructure projects have progressed slowly and are a drag on economic growth.

Desperate officials on Friday asked the Indian Army to build a temporary bridge to replace the $1.1 million footbridge that collapsed last week. The bridge, providing access to the main Jawaharlal Nehru stadium, should be finished within five days.

The bridge collapse and a suspected militant attack on two foreign visitors threw the Games into crisis. An outbreak of dengue has only compounded worries. — Reuters

NEW DELHI: Mounted policemen patrol near an entrance to the Commonwealth Games village. Two more Australian athletes withdrew yesterday. — AP

Rare outing for archers in Delhi

NEW DELHI: Archery gets its first outing at a Commonwealth Games since 1982, but some gloss has been lost after a proposed high-profile venue at India Gate fell by the wayside.

The original plan was to hold the finals at the capital’s most prominent landmark but cost blows outs and security fears saw the idea torpedoed.

Instead, the event will be held at the Yamuna Sports Complex, which was previously due to host the preliminary rounds only.

It will host competitions for two different bow types-the recurve and compound, with individual and team elements in both disciplines.

Archery is one of host nation India’s main medal hopes, with their recurve team ranked second in the world while Jayanta Talukdar is currently among the deadliest archers in the business.

Former world champion Dola Banerjee leads their charge in the women’s recurve side, which also features national champion Deepika

Kumari and L. Bombayla Devi.

India coach Limba Ram said he hopes to pick up six out of the eight recurve golds in the men’s and women’s sections, with Archery Association of India secretary P.N. Mukherjee even more confident.

“We have trained better than ever in the last two years because of the support from the government. We are expecting around 16 medals,” he told reporters.

Australia will provide a stiff challenge, with their contingent led by three-time Olympian Matthew Gray. A member of the 1999 world indoor championships gold medal winning team, the 37year-old will compete in the recurve event alongside Perth school student Taylor Worth who recently won the US Open championships.

Deonne Bridger anchors the women’s side. The 38-year-old took part in the 1996 Atlanta and 2004 Olympics and was Australia’s archery team section manager at the Beijing Games in 2008, but makes a

return to the other side of the fence in Delhi. “The members of this year’s squad have shot over 100 matches in preparation for the Games,” said Australian head coach Simon Fairweather.

“This is far more match practice than any previous Australian team has ever done prior to an event and I feel that it will stand our archers in good stead once we get to Delhi.”

Australian Commonwealth Games Association chief Perry Crosswhite said he expected strong competition in the compound division from Canada, England, South Africa and New Zealand.

“In the recurve events, India and Malaysia will also be strong medal contenders,” he added. Among English hopes, Nicky Hunt will fancy her chances after taking gold in the women’s individual compound at a World Cup tournament in Shanghai this month. Archery is a Commonwealth Games sport, but an optional one, and has only featured once before, at Brisbane in 1982. —AFP

NEW DELHI: Malaysian team members in the recreational area at the Commonwealth Games village. — AFP

18

SPORTS

Monday, September 27, 2010

Alonso edges Vettel as championship hots up SINGAPORE: Fernando Alonso produced a masterful drive yesterday to win an incident-packed Singapore Grand Prix ahead of a charging Sebastian Vettel to put the world championship title race on a knife-edge.

Starting from pole position, the Ferrari star led from start to finish for the second race in a row to take the chequered flag in 1:57.893, just 0.2 seconds ahead of the Red Bull tyro.

It was a measured performance from the two-time world champion Spaniard, who outpaced his title rivals under floodlights for his fourth win of the season and the 25th of his career.

In hot and humid conditions but on a dry track, the other Red Bull of Mark Webber came third to keep him atop the championship standings, with McLaren’s Jenson Button in fourth.

But it was another disastrous SINGAPORE: Ferrari Formula One driver Fernando Alonso of Spain - day cele for Lewis Hamilton in the brates on the podium after winning the Singapore Grand Prix on the other McLaren, failing to finish his second Grand Prix in a row Marina Bay City Circuit.

AP after colliding with Webber on lap 36, dealing his championship hopes a potentially devastating blow.

Nico Rosberg in the Mercedes came fifth, with Rubens Barrichello in a Williams sixth, Robert Kubica’s Renault seventh and Williams’ Nico Hulkenberg eighth.

Hulkenberg was elevated after Adrian Sutil’s Force India got a post-race 20 second penalLEXINGTON: Muhammad Ali helped the World joined by Gov. Steve Beshear and Lexington ty, pushing him down to 10th.

Equestrian Games get underway amid great fan- mayor Jim Newberry in serving as dignitaries for “It was very good stuff. The fare at the Kentucky Horse Park on Saturday the event. race was very long and with the “Few places in the world so tightly embrace night. Chants of “Ali” broke out among the safety car problems I just tried to crowd when the former boxing great made his the majesty of the horse,” Princess Haya said. control the gap as much as I entrance, and he and his wife, Lonnie, were dri- “We are witnessing a new beginning which will could and not take a risk,” said help spread the magic of horse sport. If these ven around the arena in a classic car.

Alonso.

The most scenic moment of the ceremony games can do that, and I am sure they will, they “The win means a lot. It came earlier in the evening when U.S. singer will have been a great success.” means a lot in the championship In addition to the celebrities, Saddlebreds, Wynonna Judd performed “My Old Kentucky and means we can be competiHome” before an appreciative crowd as the sun Standardbreds, and Thoroughbreds were feative at any track.” It leaves the tured during a salute to Kentucky. The set on the outdoor arena. championship finely poised with Athletes from 58 countries will compete in the Thoroughbreds took part in a mock race, and the four Grands Prix to go, starting 16-day competition that is comprised of eight dif- “winning” jockey was none other than Hall of in Japan next month. ferent disciplines. It is first time the event is Fame rider Chris McCarron, who won the Webber leads with 202 points being held outside of Europe. Much like the Kentucky Derby twice. ahead of Alonso on 191, Also, one of the Saddlebreds was pulling a cart Olympics, the opening ceremonies featured a Hamilton on 182, Vettel a point driven by actor and Kentucky resident William parade of nations. further adrift and Button on 177.

Princess Haya of Jordan, who is the president Shatner. The World Equestrian Games take “I’m very happy with third of the International Equestrian Federation, was place in Lexington through Oct. 10. — AP place. It’s been a difficult week

Equestrian Games open with fanfare

LEXINGTON: Ann Poels of Belgium rides Whizdom Shines through reining championship course at the World Equestrian Games.

for me, probably the toughest of the year for me,” said Webber.

“To get third, I had to stay composed and not panic.

Fernando is still hanging in there for the championship and I need to get rid of him somehow.”

Vettel also remains in contention and is confident his car can perform at the final four Grands Prix.

“We now need to keep our heads down and try as hard as we can,” he said. “But it’s looking good for us. Japan, Korea, Brazil, Korea and Abu Dhabi - we have a strong car.”

The front row of the grid was always going to be decisive on the tight Marina Bay street circuit, and Alonso made the most of starting on pole, as he did in Monza two weeks ago.

Driving with aplomb on a track that demands precision, nerve and confidence, he came through the opening corner scramble in prime position ahead of Vettel.

The top five off the grid went through the first lap in the same position, with Alonso first, followed by Vettel, Hamilton, Button and Webber.

But disaster followed for Vitantonio Liuzzi’s Force India, which collided with Nick Heidfeld in the Sauber and the safety car deployed on lap 3.

Webber took the opportunity to pit early and switch from soft to hard tyres, with the Australian coming out in 11th. Alonso was steady at the front and had a three-second advantage on Vettel by lap 20.

Hamilton was the first of top names to pit, on lap 29, with Alonso, Vettel and Button all following him in. When they came out Alonso had a 1.2 second lead on Vettel, with Webber up to third as his early pit stop strategy paid off.

But then the safety car came out again when Sauber’s Kamui Kobayashi and Hispania’s Bruno Senna hit the wall. It was a sensational restart with Hamilton trying to pass Webber on the outside, and they made contact.

Webber survived but Hamilton was forced to retire, throwing his steering wheel to the ground in disgust. Minutes later and Michael Schumacher and Heidfeld collided. Heidfeld’s race was over and Schumacher had to pit for a new front wing.

Alonso and Vettel went wheel-to-wheel at the front but the experienced Spaniard held the team on to win here for the second AP time in three years. — AFP

BUCHAREST: Juan Ignacio Chela of Argentina (center) displays the trophy, with forme tennis stars Ilie Nastase, (left) and Ion Tiriac (right) after he defeated Spain?s final of the BCR Open Romania tennis tournament. AP

Chela wins Romania Open BUCHAREST: Fourth seeded Argentine Juan Ignacio Chela completed a double sweep in Bucharest yesterday as he defeated Spanish qualifier Pablo Andujar 7-5, 6-1 in the singles final at the Romania Open.

A day earlier he had teamed with Lukasz Kubot to win the doubles crown. “It was an unbelievable week winning in both singles

and doubles. I didn’t expect that,” declared Chela. “The beginning of the season was pretty tough for me so I’m very happy that I’m playing at such a great level now. I enjoy the circuit a lot.” It was world number 53 Chela’s sixth title and second of the season, having beaten Sam Querrey in the Houston final on clay in April.

World number 105 Andujar advanced to his first final after qualifying into the main draw before upsetting second seed Florian Mayer in the second round. “I didn’t expect to go this far when I came here to play qualies.

My coach had his return ticket for last Wednesday. Of course I’m very happy I had to buy him a new one,” he said. — AFP

Simon wins Metz title METZ: Frenchman Gilles Simon won his seventh ATP title when he beat German qualifier Mischa Zverev 6-3 6-2 in the final of the Metz International yesterday.

The eighth-seeded Simon, ranked 41st in the ATP standings, served perfectly throughout to prevail in 67 minutes.

Former world number six Simon had not won a title since he claimed the Thailand Open almost a year ago.

Meanwhile, US golf legend Jack Nicklaus is the inspiration behind world number one tennis ace Rafael Nadal’s trademark powerful serve, the tennis player’s coach and uncle said yesterday.

“I saw a video by Jack Nicklaus that changed my vision. In it Nicklaus said: ‘First strike far, then we will think about getting the ball inside,” Toni Nadal said in an interview published in daily newspaper ABC. “I said to myself: ‘This man must be right’.” That is what I applied with Rafael. First strike hard, then we will get the ball inside,” he added.

Toni Nadal, 49, who has been Rafael’s coach since the player was four, said hard work was behind his nephew’s success.

“You either have talent or you don’t. But what makes the difference is hard work,” he said.

“Since he was a child I set a long-term goal for him: to be a great professional. In life you have to have hope to advance.”

Earlier this month Rafael became the seventh man in history-and the youngest at 24 —

to achieve a career Grand Slam as he earned his first US Open title.

The ATP has said he is set to finish as the world’s number one this year for the second time in three years.— AFP

Federer the best, say chasing pack

MACAU: Roger Federer trumps Rafael Nadal as a tennis great despite the Spaniard’s stellar season, world number five Robin Soderling said in Macau Saturday.

The Spanish number one became the seventh man in history to achieve a career Grand Slam as he earned his first US Open title with victoTOKYO: Russia’s Maria Kirilenko defeated Spain’s Maria Jose ry over Novak Djokovic in Martinez Sanchez 6-3, 6-7 (5), 6-1 yesterday in the first round this month’s final at Flushing of the $2 million Pan Pacific Open.

Meadows.

Sanchez failed to qualify for the tournament, but was given a The 24-year-old Spaniard place in the main draw when China’s Li Na withdrew with stomhas notched up nine major ach pain. titles-leaving him seven Kirilenko was up 5-3 in the second set and looked to be on behind his Swiss rival, whose her way to a quick win but Sanchez fought back. Kirilenko doutally of 16 Grand Slams is the ble faulted three times before Sanchez won the second set most in men’s tennis history. tiebreaker with an ace.

Soderling has lost to both “She played well,” Kirilenko said. “It was a bit difficult in the players in consecutive years second set. She was serving well but I just tried to stay calm.” in the French Open final but After breaking Sanchez three times in the final set, Kirilenko said despite Nadal’s complewon with a crosscourt forehand that Sanchez returned into the tion of a career Grand Slam, net.

Federer, currently the world Top-ranked Serena Williams pulled out of the tournament on number three, remains the Thursday. Defending champion Maria Sharapova, the tournayardstick for men’s tennis. ment’s 12th-seeded player, will face Japan’s Kimiko Date “He’s won so many Grand Krumm on Monday.

Slams already, so many titles In other first-round matches at Ariake Colosseum, Russian but to me, Roger is still the Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova defeated Slovakian Dominika best. “But Rafa is still very Cibulkova 7-5, 7-5 and Slovakia’s Daniela Hantuchova coasted young so if he’s going to be to a 6-3, 6-3 win over Germany’s Angelique Kerber. healthy, he has a lot more Estonian Kaia Kanepi beat Melanie Oudin of the United years to play and he could defStates 6-4, 6-4 and Andrea Petkovic of Germany downed initely give it a shot.”

Argentina’s Gisela Dulka 6-3, 6-1. — AP “He has the chance to be known as the world’s best player ever,” added Soderling, in Macau for an exhibition tournament featuring three other players ranked in the top 11 — Nikolay Davydenko, Tomas Berdych and David Ferrer.

World number seven Berdych, who beat Federer in this year’s Wimbledon quarter-final only to fall to Nadal in straight sets in the final, said the Spaniard had enjoyed a stellar year.

“It’s not easy to win three Grand Slams (French Open, Wimbledon and the US Open).” “Still, I think it’s a lot to go for him to get the best player so far in history but he’s a great athlete and a great person.”

And David Ferrer, world number 11, said his fellow countryman, although the best player in Spain’s history, could not yet claim to be the greatest ever.

“I think Rafa is the best player in history for Spain,” he said. But “in this moment maybe it’s Federer because he has more Grand Slams and more titles,” he said ahead of Sunday’s Venetian Macau Tennis Showdown.

Nadal and Federer have won 25 of the past 30 Grand TOKYO: Sumo wrestler Hakuho (left) receives a trophy from Japanese Primea blistering Slams, setting Minister Naoto Kan as he won the Autumn Grand Sumo Tournament pace at that the rest of men’s tennis has failed to match.

Tokyo?s Ryogoku Kokugikan sumo arena.

AP But Berdych said: “For me, it’s a good time to be in this era that you can be competing against these two great players.

“Of course, you can see it TOKYO: Mongolian grand champion Hakuho beat ing Futabayama’s all-time record of 69 straight from the other point of view compatriot Harumafuji yesterday to win his 16th wins. that maybe if these two guys Hakuho has now gone undefeated in four Emperor’s Cup and finish the Autumn Grand wouldn’t be in the draw, in straight tournaments. In other bouts, Bulgarian Sumo Tournament with a perfect 15-0 record. the tournament maybe it Hakuho, the lone grand champion currently Kotooshu defeated Estonian Baruto (9-6) to finish could be a bigger chance to competing in sumo, also extended his winning with a 10-5 record. Yoshikaze and Tochiozan both win a Grand Slam.”-AFP streak to 62 bouts and is seven wins from match- finished at 11-4.— AP

Kirilenko advances

Hakuho wins Emperor’s Cup

SPORTS

Monday, September 27, 2010

LAS VEGAS: New Mexico quarterback Tarean Austin (8) fumbles the ball upon being hit by UNLV defensive back Sidney Hodge in the third quarter during an NCAA college football game. —AP

19

BOISE: Oregon State wide receiver Darrell Catchings makes a leaping catch over Boise State safety Jeron Johnson during an NCAA college football game. —AP

Alabama pound Arkansas NEW YORK: No. 1 Alabama rallied from a 10-point halftime deficit to earn a 24-20 victory at No. 10 Arkansas, behind the hard running of Mark Ingram. No. 7 Texas also trailed by 10 points at halftime, but went on to lose 34-12 to UCLA in Austin.

In the biggest game in Fayetteville, Arkansas Ingram ran for 157 yards and scored the decisive touchdown on a 1-yard run with 3:18 to play for the defending national champions. Robert Lester set up the score with his second interception of the day against Ryan Mallett.

He returned it to the Arkansas 11, and Nick Saban gave the ball to his Heisman Trophy-winning running back on three straight plays to get the eventual winning score.

Alabama is all but assured of going into next week’s big game, at home against No. 9 Florida, still No. 1. Texas will drop in the rankings before it plays No. 8 Oklahoma in the Red River Rivalry and doesn’t look anything like the team that played Alabama in the BCS title game last season.

Johnathan Franklin rushed for 118 yards and a touchdown to lead UCLA to another stunning win in Austin, 13 years after the Bruins walloped the Longhorns 66-3 in the same stadium.

Ohio State 73, Eastern Michigan 20 At Columbus, Ohio, Dane Sanzenbacher equaled two school records by catching four touchdown passes from Terrelle Pryor as Ohio State scored its most points in 60 years. Ohio State (4-0) scored on its first six possessions against the 441/2-point underdogs, who lost their 16th game in a row.

Pryor completed 20 of 26 passes for 224

yards and the four scores, rushed seven times for 104 yards and a touchdown and also caught a 20-yard scoring pass from his former high school teammate, Jordan Hall, late in the third quarter.

Boise State 37, Oregon State 24 At Boise, Idaho, Kellen Moore threw for 288 yards and three touchdowns, and Doug Martin rumbled for 138 yards as Boise State beat Oregon State.

Moore tossed two TD passes in the first half, then hit Tyler Shoemaker on a 21-yard scoring strike in the third quarter. Austin Pettis caught a TD and threw a 6-yard TD on a reverse to Tommy Gallarda for Boise State’s first score.

Oregon 42, Arizona St. 31 At Tempe, Arizona, Darron Thomas threw for two touchdowns and ran for another as Oregon downed Arizona State in the Pac-10 opener for both teams.

Arizona State (2-2) held the nation’s second-leading rushing team to 145 yards _ 235 below its average _ and used its up-tempo offense to build a 10-point lead late in a first half. But the Sun Devils committed seven turnovers.

Nebraska 17, S Dakota St. 3 At Lincoln, Nebraska, Rex Burkhead and Kyler Reed scored on consecutive series in the first half, but Nebraska turned in an uninspired performance in a win over South Dakota.

The Cornhuskers (4-0) are off to their best start since 2005, but backups who figured to get lots of playing time against the Jackrabbits of the FCS watched while most

of Nebraska’s starters went the distance.

Oklahoma 31, Cincinnati 29 At Cincinnati, Landry Jones ran an Oklahoma offense moving so fast that Cincinnati couldn’t even line up at times, throwing for 370 yards and two touchdowns.

Oklahoma (4-0) did a little of everything behind its sophomore quarterback, who completed a career-high 36 passes in 51 attempts with one interception. Ryan Broyles had his seventh straight 100-yard receiving game.

Florida 48, Kentucky 14 At Gainesville, Florida, Trey Burton scored six touchdowns, breaking former Heisman Trophy winner Tim Tebow’s school record as Florida beat Kentucky for the 24th consecutive time.

Burton became the fourth player in Southeastern Conference history to score six times in a single game and first since Auburn’s Cadillac Williams in 2003.

Wisconsin 70, Austin Peay 3 At Madison, Wisconsin, freshman James White rushed for four touchdowns and Scott Tolzien threw for three more scores for Wisconsin.

The Badgers (4-0) rolled in their final warmup for conference play, scoring touchdowns on all seven of their first-half possessions to take a 49-3 lead. It was a modernera record for the Badgers, whose previous high was 69 points in a victory over New Mexico State in 1962.

Auburn 35, S Carolina 27 At Auburn, Alabama, Cam Newton

rushed for 176 yards and three touchdowns and passed for two more scores, leading Auburn over South Carolina.

The Tigers (4-0, 2-0 Southeastern Conference) overcame a double-digit halftime deficit for the second straight week after falling behind 20-7. Both of Newton’s scoring passes came in the fourth quarter after fumbles by South Carolina quarterback Stephen Garcia.

Utah 56, San Jose St. 3 At Salt Lake City, Jordan Wynn threw for two touchdowns in his first game since the season opener and eight different players scored for Utah in a rout of San Jose. Wynn completed 14 of 18 passes for 124 yards before heading back to the sidelines after just one series in the third quarter with Utah (4-0) already running away with its 20th straight home win. Wynn had missed the last two games with a sprained right thumb.

Arizona 10, California 9 At Tucson, Arizona, Nick Foles threw a 3-yard pass to Juron Criner with 1:11 to play for the only touchdown as Arizona escaped with a victory over California in their Pac-10 opener.

The score was set up by Foles’ 51-yard pass to Criner, who had been questionable for the game because of a turf toe injury.

Criner fought off California’s Darian Hagan to catch the pass.

LSU 20, West Virginia 14 At Baton Rouge, Louisiana, Patrick Peterson returned a punt 60 yards for a score as LSU held on for a victory over West Virginia.

The Tigers (4-0) again had to rely heavily on defense and special teams play to remain unbeaten. Jordan Jefferson had a third straight game throwing for fewer than 100 yards and no touchdowns. He was also intercepted twice and briefly pulled in the fourth quarter.

Stanford 37, Notre Dame 14 At South Bend, Indiana, Owen Marecic scored with a run and interception return 13 seconds apart, and Nate Whitaker kicked a career-high five field goals to make Stanford unbeaten after four games for the first time since 1986. It was just the third victory in South Bend for Stanford, and its first since 1992. The Cardinal have now won two in a row against Notre Dame (1-3), a first in the series that dates to the 1925 Rose Bowl.

Iowa 45, Ball State 0 At Iowa City, Iowa, Ricky Stanzi threw for 288 yards and three touchdowns as Iowa bounced back from last week’s loss at Arizona.

Adam Robinson added 115 yards rushing and a pair of TDs for the Hawkeyes (3-1), who quickly overwhelmed the Cardinals on a soggy afternoon at Kinnick Stadium.

Stanzi threw touchdown passes of 8 and 22 yards in the second quarter to put Iowa ahead 21-0 at halftime.

No. 20 Southern California 50, Washington State 16 At Pullman, Washington, Matt Barkley completed 16 of 25 passes for 290 yards and three touchdowns as Southern California looked like its old powerhouse selves.

Stanley Havili ran for 80 yards and caught five passes for 107 for USC (4-0, 1-0

Pac-10), which had been up and down in wins over Hawaii, Virginia and Minnesota.

Allen Bradford rushed for 84 yards for the Trojans.

Michigan 65, Bowling Green 21 At Ann Arbor, Michigan, the only scare Michigan got on Saturday came from an injury to star quarterback Denard Robinson.

Robinson, who led Michigan to wins in his first three starts, twisted his left knee in the first quarter and didn’t return, though he is expected to play next week. He ran for 129 yards and two touchdowns on five carries and was 4 for 4 for 60 yards on two drives plus one play.

Penn State 22, Temple 13 At State College, Pennsylvania, Collin Wagner equaled a school record with five field goals and Evan Royster ran for 187 yards as Penn State’s defense dominated in the second half.

The Nittany Lions (3-1) had little trouble moving the ball until they got inside the 40, but Wagner’s right leg bailed them out. His 21-yarder with 1:38 left in the third quarter finally gave Penn State a 15-13 lead.

Michigan State 45, N Colorado 7 At East Lansing, Michigan, Kirk Cousins threw for 290 yards and two touchdowns as Michigan State had no trouble winning without coach Mark Dantonio.

Dantonio had a mild heart attack shortly after last weekend’s win over Notre Dame.

He was released from the hospital Tuesday and even visited practice Friday, but offensive coordinator Don Treadwell took over his coaching duties for this game. —AP

Wei foils Chinese sweep

Chennai Super Kings win Champions League OHANNESBURG: Mahendra Singh Dhoni said the Chennai Super Kings’ eight-wicket win over the Eastern Cape Warriors in the final of the Champions League Twenty20 tournament was “a real emotional moment” for a team who might have been playing their last match together.

Looking ahead to a planned auction before the next Indian Premier League season, which could mean drastic changes to the teams, Dhoni paid tribute to his players, who clinched a double following their IPL triumph earlier this year.

Spin bowlers Ravichandran Ashwin and Muttiah Muralitharan set up the win as the Warriors were restricted to 128 for seven in 20 overs.

Chennai opening batsmen Mike Hussey and Murali Vijay put on 103 for the first wicket without needing to take any risks. The result was never in any real doubt although there were only six balls to spare when Dhoni hit the winning runs.

The win earned Chennai a 2.5-million dollar jackpot while the Warriors took home 1.3-million dollars. Dhoni paid tribute to coach Stephen Fleming who he said had helped create a dressing room atmosphere in which players went out of their way to help their team-mates. “There was a great deal of help from experienced players like (Matthew) Hayden and Hussey and we are fortunate to have fabulous foreign players,” said Dhoni. Dhoni said

Ashwin and Muralitharan had bowled superbly to change the course of the match after the Warriors got off to a flying start, with captain Davy Jacobs hitting 34 off 21 balls. The South African team raced to 39 for no wicket in the first four overs before Ashwell Prince was bowled by Doug Bollinger for six. Jacobs was out in the next over when he missed an attempted reverse sweep against Ashwin and was leg before wicket. After that the scoring rate slowed to a trickle. Ashwin, the top wicket-taker in the tournament, took two for 16 in his four overs and fellow off-spinner Muttiah Muralitharan took three for 16. Jacobs hit eight boundaries but the rest of the batsmen could only manage five fours and a six between them, with two fours and a six hit by Craig Thyssen off successive balls in the 17th over.

Vijay made 58 and Hussey 51 not out as they methodically chased down the Warriors total. Vijay, who finished as the tournament’s leading run-scorer, had two let-offs, both from Mark Boucher, the most experienced player in the Warriors team.

The South African Test wicketkeeper missed an edge off Rusty Theron when Vijay was on 15 and fumbled a stumping chance off left-arm spin bowler Nicky Boje when the batsman had scored 34. Jacobs said Chennai were worthy winners. “They beat us twice in the competition and they were better than us today so they deserved to win,” he said.—AFP

Scoreboard JOHANNESBURG: Full scoreboard in the Champions League Twenty20 final between Chennai Super Kings (IND) and Eastern Cape Warriors (RSA) at Wanderers Stadium on Sunday: Eastern Cape Warriors: D. Jacobs lbw b Ashwin 34 A. Prince b Bollinger 6 C. Ingram c Raina b Morkel 16 J. Kreusch c Raina b Muralitharan 17 M. Boucher b Muralitharan 5 J. Botha c Srikkanth b Ashwin 7 C. Thyssen c Srikkanth b Muralitharan 25 N. Boje not out 8 J. Theron not out 2 Extras: (lb4, w4) 8 Total (7 wkts, 20 overs) 128 Fall of wickets: 1-39 (Prince), 2-45 (Jacobs), 3-73 (Ingram), 4-81 (Boucher), 5-82 (Kreusch), 6-111 (Botha), 7/125 (Thyssen) Did not bat: M. Ntini, L. Tsotsobe

Bowling: Bollinger 4-0-33-1, Morkel 4-0-31-1 (2w), Ashwin 4-0-16-2 (1w), Balaji 4-0-28-0 (1w), Muralitharan 4-0-16-3.

Chennai Super Kings M. Hussey not out 51 M. Vijay c Kreusch b Boje 58 S. Raina c Botha b Ntini 2 M. Dhoni not out 17 Extras (lb1, w3) 4 Total (2 wkts, 19 overs) 132 Fall of wickets: 1-103 (Vijay), 2-107 (Raina) Did not bat: S. Badrinath, A. Srikkanth, A. Morkel, R. Ashwin, L. Balaji, D. Bollinger, M. Muralitharan Bowling: Ntini 4-0-30-1 (1w), Tsotsobe 3-0-14-0, Theron 4-0-40-0 (2w), Botha 4-0-18-0, Boje 4-0-29-1.

TOKYO: China’s Wang Xin returns a shot against Jiang Yanjiao of China to win their women’s singles final 2-0 at the Yonex Japan Open badminton tournament.—AP

Makau wins Berlin marathon BERLIN: Kenyan Patrick Makau won the Berlin marathon yesterday but failed to break Ethiopian Haile Gebrselassie’s world record with heavy rain and fog killing off his chances.

He finished more than a minute outside the record in a time of two hours five minutes and eight seconds, with compatriot Geoffrey Mutai second, two seconds behind, and 20-year-old

Ethiopian Bazu Worku in third in 2:05:25.

Kenyan trio Makau, Mutai and Eliud Kiptanui had set their sights on Gebrselassie’s world record of 2:03:59 set on the same course two years ago.

Makau’s winning time of 2:04:48 in Rotterdam in April, where Mutai came second, was the fourth fastest ever. The Kenyan trio’s split time after 10km on

Sunday was just seven seconds slower than Gebrselassie’s 2008 world record time at the same stage but the bad weather took its toll and at the halfway mark they were more than half a minute off. Kiptanui then peeled off as his countrymen powered on, joined by Ethiopian Worku.

The three athletes worked their way through the final kilometres before

TOKYO: World number one Lee Chong Wei of Malaysia beat bitter rival Lin Dan of China 22-20 16-21 21-17 in the final of the Japan Open Super Series yesterday.

The victory foiled another Chinese clean-sweep of the five titles on offer following total domination at the China Masters last week and the world championships in Paris in August.

But China still ended 4-1 with triumphs in the women’s singles, the men’s and women’s doubles and the mixed doubles.

Chong Wei’s success was some compensation for his shock defeat in the world championships where both he and Lin exited in the quarter-finals.

Olympic champion Lin got back on track a week ago with victory in the final of China Masters but on Sunday he was out-toughed in an 80-minute marathon by Chong Wei. The Japan Open is the eighth of the 12-strong Super Series tournaments which culminate in the finals early next year. China’s next big focus is the Asian Games in Guangzhou in November.—Reuters

www.kuwaittimes.net

Owen rescues United Man United 2

Bolton 2

LONDON: Aston Villa’s Stephen Warnock (right) competes for the ball with Wolverhampton Wanderers’ Stephen Fletcher during their English Premier League soccer match at the Molineux stadium. —AP

Villa see off Wolves Wolves 1

Aston Villa 2 LONDON: Emile Heskey’s late goal gave Aston Villa manager Gerard Houllier a 2-1 victory away to Midlands rivals Wolves in the Frenchman’s first Premier League match in charge of the club.

Villa and England winger Stewart Downing put the visi-

tors ahead in the 25th minute at Molineux yesterday after turning in Marc Albrighton’s cross before Wolves’ Matt Jarvis equalised just after the hour.

But ex-England striker Heskey sealed victory for Villa with a powerful header two minutes from time as Houllier’s men moved up to fifth in the table.

It was the second time in a week Heskey - signed for 11 million pounds by then Liverpool manager Houllier a decade ago - had come to Villa’s aid after he inspired a midweek comeback League Cup win

over Blackburn Rovers.

“It was the perfect return because we got three points,” Houllier told Sky Sports. “They made life extremely difficult for us but we kept playing and the second goal was a reward for the way we want to play.”

Heskey’s goal took his tally to three in four games - not bad for a forward long criticised for a lack of goals and Houllier said: “Emile’s header was fantastic. We know what he’s capable of. “All strikers need confidence,” Houllier added after Heskey’s first league start in

six months.”

But Wolves manager Mick McCarthy was unhappy the already booked Stephen Warnock did not receive a second yellow card for bringing down Kevin Doyle before supplying the cross that led to Heskey’s winner.

“It was a better second-half performance, we got done by a good goal but I’m not sure if the bloke who crossed it should have been on the field,” McCarthy said. “We’ve been punished harshly for some of the fouls we’ve committed.”—AFP

Hercules take Sevilla scalp MADRID: Veteran French striker David Trezeguet scored twice as promoted Hercules took another big league scalp defeating Sevilla 2-0 yesterday.

Hercules caused the sensation of the season when they beat champions Barcelona 2-0 at Camp Nou a fortnight ago and followed that by downing Sevilla, regulars on the Champions League circuit and fourth last season, to continue their giant-killing act.

It was a first league defeat of the season for Sevilla who lie sixth, five points off leaders Valencia with Hercules now just a point behind them.

A World Cup winner with France in 1998, Trezeguet, now 32, struck a penalty on 21 minutes to put Hercules ahead and grabbed a second on 38 minutes after great work from Dutch midfielder Roysten Drenthe who is on loan from Madrid.

Trezeguet has now scored three times for Hercules having made a surprise free transfer move to the league newcomers after a decade with Italian giants Juventus.

The loss means more pressure for Sevilla coach Antonio Alvarez who saw his team crash out of the Champions League qualifier to FC Braga and lost 1-0 to Paris Saint Germain in their opening Europa League match.

Earlier Espanyol maintained their 100 percent home record with a 1-0 victory over 10-man Osasuna at the Cornella El Prat Stadium on Sunday to go fifth in the Spanish top-flight.

Osasuna had to play 69 minutes of the match with one man fewer after defender Manuel Lolo was sent off on 21 minutes for a second yellow card and Espanyol went in front three minutes later through Alvaro Vazquez.

Espanyol, beaten 3-0 at Real Madrid on Tuesday, could not extend their advantage but held on to make it three wins out of three and move fifth two points behind third-placed Real Madrid.

Elsewhere Almeria won their first game of the season with a brace from Nigerian striker Kalu Uche ensuring a 2-0 win over 10man Deportivo La Coruna 2-0 at the Riazor stadium.

Uche scored a quick-fire dou-

ble, after four and 18 minutes, to put Almeria in control and Depor were reduced to ten men shortly before half-time when Argentine defender Diego Colotto was given a straight red card for hauling down compatriot Pablo Piatti.

Depor are yet to win this season and sit second from bottom of the table after scoring just two goals in their first five league matches.

In other matches, Real Mallorca defeated newcomers Real Sociedad 2-0 at home thanks to a brace from Fernando Cavenaghi.

Argentine striker Cavenaghi struck in the fifth and 62nd minute

as Mallorca continued their unbeaten home record and have collected all seven of their points in front of their own fans.

Atletico Madrid host bottom side Real Zaragoza later on Sunday looking to get back to winning ways after one point from the last six losing to champions Barcelona and then drawing with league leaders Valencia.

“It has been a brutal schedule but we have come through,” said Atletico coach Quique Sanchez Flores. “Zaragoza are a difficult opponent and they have better players than it looks at the moment.” Zaragoza are bottom of

the 20-strong table with just two points as they wait for their first win of the campaign.

Valencia are the new league leaders after defeating Sporting Gijon 2-0 on Saturday to make it 13 points from a possible 15 and lie a point ahead of second-placed Barcelona. Barcelona triumphed 31 at 10-man Athletic Bilbao on Sunday to move above rivals Real Madrid who drew 0-0 with Levante on Sunday to fall to third two points behind leaders Valencia.

On Monday Villarreal can move a point behind Valencia if they can notch a fourth successive league victory at Malaga.—AFP

SPAIN: Hercules’ French forward David Trezeguet celebrates after scoring against Sevilla during a Spanish League football match. —AFP

BOLTON: Michael Owen’s 200th career goal in England rescued Manchester United from defeat as Sir Alex Ferguson’s side were held to a 2-2 draw by Bolton at the Reebok Stadium yesterday.

Martin Petrov’s first goal in a Bolton shirt looked to have earned the hosts a famous victory before substitute Owen popped up with a 74th-minute equaliser.

United went into the game knowing that victory would take them to within a point of leaders Chelsea. But it required a brilliant piece of individual skill from Nani to cancel out Zat Knight’s early opener in what was an absorbing contest.

United were looking to take advantage of the unexpected defeats suffered by Chelsea and Arsenal the previous day yet found themselves behind as early as the sixth minute.

Bolton had lost 10 of their previous 11 meetings against United and were hammered 4-0 in the corresponding fixture last season.

Yet the team that had not won at home since the final day of last season made the early breakthrough when Knight, who had only scored three top flight goals in three years, got ahead of Johnny Evans to divert the ball over the line following a corner.

It was a diastrous start by Ferguson’s team whose defending has come under the microscope after conceding seven times in their previous five league outings.

In what was a frantic start, United responded with efforts

by Ryan Giggs and Darren Fletcher but neither could beat Jussi Jaaskelainen, the Finland keeper who was returning from a three-match suspension.

Bolton might have been tempted to sit on their lead but Owen Coyle’s side poured forward, Edwin van der Sar smothering the danger after Kevin Davies got a flick that almost set up Johan Elmander.

United were clearly unsettled and it required a brilliant individual run by Nani for them to draw level midway through the first half.

The Portuguese winger picked up a loose ball inside his own half before embarking on a powerful run in which he motored past three players before beating Jaaskelainen with a low shot into the bottom corner of the net.

United ended the half strongly, Wayne Rooney flashing a powerful effort narrowly over the bar after creating space for himself on the edge of the area.

But Bolton were by no means overawed and it required a timely challenge by Fletcher to deny Elmander after the Swedish striker had burst through the visitors defence.

The frustration was beginning to show. Rooney, subdued by his usual standards, lasted just 16 minutes of the second half before he was replaced by Federico Macheda while a hamstring problem brought Giggs’ afternoon to a premature end.

Dimitar Berbatov, six goals in his previous five league outings, forced a fine save from Jaaskelainen before Petrov’s excellent 67th minute finish left home fans dreaming of a first win over United since 2007.

The Bulgarian produced a sweet finish after being teed up

by Kevin Davies following great vision from Chung-Yong Lee. But Bolton were unable to hang on to their lead and three minutes after replacing Fletcher, Owen equalised with a clever back header following Nani’s free kick - a thrilling end to a great game.—AFP

LONDON: Bolton Wanderers’ Lee Chung-Yong (right) fights for the ball against Manchester United’s Ji-Sung Park during their English Premier League soccer match at The Reebok Stadium. —AP

Stoke beat Newcastle Stoke 2

Newcastle 1 NEWCASTLE: Stoke rallied to beat Newcastle 2-1 in the Premier League yesterday,

helped by a spectacular own goal.

Newcastle defender James Perch tried to clear a corner from Matthew Etherington in the 85th minute but instead sent the ball into his own net with an unstoppable diving header.

Magpies captain Kevin Nolan had put Newcastle ahead in the 43rd with a penalty after

Andy Carroll was brought down

by Robert Huth in an off the ball incident. Nolan sent the penalty low to the left of Stoke goalkeeper Thomas Sorensen.

Stoke equalized in the 67th with a header from Trinidad and Tobago international Kenwyne Jones, his third league goal of the season. Jones scored from close range after a headed pass from Huth at the far post.—AP

EPL results/standings Bolton 2 (Knight 6, Petrov 67); Man Utd 2 (Nani 23, Owen 74); Newcastle 1 (Nolan 43pen); Stoke 2 (Jones 67, Perch 85-og); Wolves 1 (Jarvis 61); Aston Villa 2 (Downing 25, Heskey 88); Played Saturday: Arsenal 2 (Nasri 75, 90); West Brom 3

(Odemwingie 50, Jara 52, Thomas 73); Birmingham 0, Wigan 0, Blackpool 1 (Phillips 85); Blackburn 2 (Adam 20-og, Emerton 90); Fulham 0, Everton 0, Liverpool 2 (Kuyt 5, Gerrard 64);Sunderland 2 (Bent 25-pen, 48); Man City 1 (Tevez 59); Chelsea 0, West Ham 1 (Piquionne 29); Tottenham 0.

English Premier League table after Sunday’s matches (played, won, drawn, lost, goals for, goals against, points).

Chelsea Man Utd Arsenal Man City Aston Villa West Brom Fulham Tottenham Blackburn Newcastle

6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6

5 3 3 3 3 3 1 2 2 2

0 3 2 2 1 1 5 2 2 1

1 21 0 16 1 16 1 7 2 8 2 8 0 7 2 6 2 7 3 9

2 9 7 2 10 11 6 5 7 8

15 12 11 11 10 10 8 8 8 7

Sunderland Bolton Birmingham Stoke Blackpool Liverpool Wolverhampton Wigan West Ham Everton

6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6

1 1 1 2 2 1 1 1 1 0

4 4 4 1 1 3 2 2 1 3

1 1 1 3 3 2 3 3 4 3

7 9 7 7 9 6 7 2 4 4

7 10 8 9 14 9 10 13 13 7

7 7 7 7 7 6 5 5 4 3

Lazio put pressure on after Inter loss ROME: Lazio joined reigning champions Inter Milan at the top of Serie A yesterday after a second-half goal from Argentine striker Mauro Zarate brought a 1-0 win at fellow high-riders Chievo.

Zarate, who had a spell in the English Premier League with Birmingham, ought to have calmed the visitors’ nerves prior to his neat low finish past keeper Stefano Sorrentino with a brace but missed a simpler early chance from point blank range.

Chievo had been looking for a win which would have taken them top after winning three of their opening four games — but Zarate instead ensured that Lazio moved onto ten points from four games, level with Inter after the latter’s 1-0 loss Saturday to Roma.

Chievo instead stay third a point off the pace, as do promoted Brescia, whose own hopes of snatching top spot were dashed by a 2-1 reverse at Bari, Emanuel Rivas and a penalty from Brazilian Barreto cancelling out a Panagiotis Kone strike.

Much of the weekend talk centred on contrasting fortunes on Saturday for the two Milan clubs as Rafa Benitez’s champions and Champions League holders Inter slumped to a stoppage time header from Mirko Vucinic who gave Roma their first win of the season in dramatic fashion.

“It can happen that you concede a late goal but we just didn’t play with enough intensity,” opined Benitez, while Inter defender Maicon added: “Three points were there for the taking but the way we played we didn’t deserve one.”

Not everyone in the Roma camp was happy as skipper Francesco Totti was visibly angered at giving way to Vucinic and left the ground early.

Coach Claudio Ranieri preferred to gloss over that fact in saying: “Totti fought like a lion out there. Totti will see that the essential thing was to beat Inter. We are now on the right road,” said the former Chelsea boss.

AC Milan meanwhile moved to within two points of the top after new arrival from Barcelona and former Inter favourite Zlatan Ibrahimovic settled Saturday’s game at the San Siro against

Genoa with a delightful 49th-minute chip, following on from his goal in Wednesday’s draw at Lazio.

“Milan are not all about one player,” said the Swede modestly afterwards, while insisting that “if we work hard we can be top come season’s end.”

In other Sunday action, Fiorentina won 2-0 against Parma to win for the first time in the league this season while Udinese managed their first point of the campaign with a goalless draw at Sampdoria but remain bottom.

Juventus, coming off a dreadful home loss to Palermo, were hoping to win the late game yesterday with a win over Cagliari to move out of the drop zone after taking only four points from their opening four games.

This weekend’s Serie A action took place after Italian professional footballers union AIC postponed a strike called over a contract wrangle.—AFP

ITALY: Palermo’s Mauricio Pinilla of Chile celebrates after scoring during a Serie A soccer match between Palermo and Lecce. —AP

Burgan Bank partners with Holiday Inn Kuwait

22

ExxonMobil, Kuwait Energy launch third Science Fair competition

23

Volkswagen launches all-new Touareg

25

Monday, September 27, 2010

www.kuwaittimes.net

DIB ups Tamweel stake to 57.33% Deal to kick start lending in Dubai property market • Islamic bank may inject more cash to Tamweel

DUBAI: Dubai Islamic Bank (DIB) raised its stake in Islamic mortgage firm Tamweel to 57.33 percent yesterday.

Algeria hits Orascom unit with new taxes ALGIERS: Algeria’s government has decided to demand new back-taxes from Orascom Telecom’s local unit Djezzy, adding to previous tax claims totalling over $600 million, industry and government sources told Reuters.

Algeria’s central bank has also notified justice officials about a suspected false declaration by Djezzy’s Director-General relating to the unit’s financial operations, the same sources told Reuters.

An Orascom Telecom spokeswoman at the company’s headquarters in Cairo and a Djezzy spokesman in Algiers both said they had no comment when contacted by Reuters about the back tax demand and the central bank complaint.

Asked by Reuters about the back tax demand, an Algerian Finance Ministry official declined to comment. An official with the Banque d’Algerie, or central bank, said no one was available to comment. “A decision has been taken to impose new back taxes on Djezzy.

Notification will be received in the next few days. We are talking about several million dollars,” said a source close to Algeria’s telecoms industry.

“A complaint has been lodged by the Banque d’Algerie against the director-general of Djezzy,” said the source, who did not want to be identified.

The new back tax claim and the central bank complaint were confirmed by a government official with direct knowledge of Djezzy’s dealings with the government, who spoke on condition of anonymity. The government official declined to give a figure for the size of the back-tax claim.

Orascom Telecom agreed to talks on selling Djezzy, the company’s biggest source of revenue, to the Algerian state after the government imposed earlier back-tax claims and blocked negotiations to sell the unit to South Africa’s MTN. Orascom Telecom’s chairman has accused the Algerian authorities of pressuring Djezzy, but Algeria’s Telecommunications Minister last week denied applying any pressure.

— Reuters

DUBAI: Dubai Islamic Bank (DIB) raised its stake in Islamic mortgage firm Tamweel to 57.33 percent yesterday, in a move that will help revive lending in Dubai’s battered property market.

DIB, the emirate’s third-largest bank by market value, had said in June it may increase its one-fifth stake in Tamweel.

“The deal effectively renders Tamweel a subsidiary of Dubai Islamic Bank which is now its biggest shareholder at 57.33 percent,” the government of Dubai media office said in a statement.

“This strategic move is the culmination of intensive efforts over the past few months to resolve the stalemate at Tamweel that will allow the company to resume its core activity of providing mortgages and real estate financing,” it added.

The statement did not provide a value for the deal. “This probably tells you that DIB will have to recapitalize the company (Tamweel) and inject more cash. They might have to consolidate Tamweel and this might make their balance sheet weak but will be a positive move for Tamweel,” said Robert McKinnon, at ASAS Capital, an asset management company in Dubai.

The deal is also likely to put an end

to a long-planned merger between Tamweel and rival Islamic mortgage lender Amlak. “This could most likely mean that the merger is not going to happen,” McKinnon said.

The United Arab Emirates government said in November 2008 it intended to merge Amlak and Tamweel and has been working on a plan to restructure them. Shares in the two firms have not traded since.

“This (the deal) is very positive for Tamweel, but also a broader positive for the UAE financial sector that has had to deal with many uncertainties over the past year,” said Khalid Howladar, senior credit officer at Moody’s Middle East.

“As a retail bank DIB has cash that Tamweel can apply to the relatively tight home finance sector,” he added.

House prices in Dubai have fallen some 60 percent since their peaks in 2008, billions of dollars worth of projects were put on hold or cancelled, and lending all but dried up.

In December, the Dubai government said it formed a judicial committee to protect creditors and companies related to Amlak and Tamweel, in what was seen as a bid to boost transparency. — Reuters

RAK Airways passenger services set for takeoff RAS AL-KHAIMAH: United Arab Emirates-based Ras AlKhaimah (RAK) Airways will resume passenger flights next month after a hiatus of about two years, its chairman announced yesterday.

“The time is now right for us to make a spectacular return into the market,” Sheikh Omar bin Saqr Al-Qassimi said at a news conference in Ras Al-Khaimah, the tiny northernmost emirate in the UAE federation. “RAK Airways will play a pivotal role in Ras Al-Khaimah’s growth plan,” Sheikh Omar said.

The resource-poor emirate, where the ceramics, pharmaceutical and cement industries play important roles, aims to quadruple its number of tourists by 2012, and also increase the number of five-star hotel rooms from 1,400 to 7,500, Sheikh Omar said.

According to the Ras Al-Khaimah Investment and Development Office’s website, the emirate’s economy will “complement and follow the Dubai model in its economic

growth strategy.”

Development plans centre on real estate, infrastructure and tourism, it says. According to the RAK Airways website, Ras Al-Khaimah International Airport is also being refurbished “to handle more aircraft and passengers.” “We are working closely with the airport,” the airline’s chief executive officer Omar Jahameh said.

RAK Airways will resume passenger flights on October 10, 2010, using two leased Boeing 737-400 aircraft, Jahameh told the news conference.

The company also leases a Boeing 757, but this aircraft will only be used for “charter business,” he said. The airline will initially fly to Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, and Calicut, India, Jahameh said.

RAK Airways was established by a decree from Ras AlKhaimah ruler Sheikh Saqr bin Mohammed Al-Qassimi in 2006 and began operating the next year, but stopped passenger flights in late 2008, Jahameh said.

Sheikh Omar said the passenger flights were discontinued due to fallout from the world economic crisis. In February 2008, the airline announced it had placed an order for four new-generation Boeing 737-800s with an option to buy two more, a deal it said was worth $1.65 billion.

Jahameh said yesterday that the contract with Boeing “is still valid,” and that RAK Airways “will exercise this option once we feel that we need these aircraft to be in our fleet.”

“It’s something still under study and negotiation,” he said.

The airline has around 90 private shareholders and the Ras Al-Khaimah government also holds a stake, Jahameh said, adding that there are no plans to take the company public at this time.

The UAE is also home to Dubai’s Emirates Airlines and budget carrier Fly Dubai, Abu Dhabi’s Etihad Airways and the Sharjah-based no-frills carrier Air Arabia. — AFP

RAS AL KHAIMAH: Sheikh Omar bin Saqr Al-Qassimi (center), chairman of Rak Airways, speaks as Sheikh Salem Bin Sultan alQassimi (left), Deputy Chairman RAK Airways listens on, during a press conference to announce that the United Arab Emirates-based Ras Al-Khaimah (RAK) Airways will resume passenger flights next month after a hiatus of about two years yesterday. — AFP

Euro condemned to pay the price?

US seen printing more dollars NEW YORK: With the United States perhaps ready to print more dollars to underpin growth and Japan selling yen to protect its exports, is the euro condemned to pay the price via an unwanted rise?

The single European currency has jumped back above $1.34 in spite of problems facing the 16-nation euro-zone in the form of swollen public deficits and debt.

The euro’s appreciation accelerated after the US Federal Reserve hinted on Tuesday it was ready to once again pump cash into the faltering US economy.

In Japan, Japanese authorities declined to comment on Friday on speculation they had again intervened in currency markets to weaken the yen after it fell sharply against the dollar in volatile Tokyo trade.

The yen at one point tumbled to 85.38 to the dollar before later rebounding to 84.33.

“The logical consequence of this battle between the US and Japan (and, of course, China) is that the euro should be forced higher, as happened in 2002,” said Simon Derrick at the BNY Mellon.

“It becomes, in effect, the safety valve within the system.” At the same time however, the creation of the European Financial Stability Facility (EFSF) is a clear sign that Europe “has still not fully resolved the longer-structural problem of potential default,” noted Lee Hardman at The Bank of TokyoMitsubishi in London.

For the moment, markets have pushed the euro higher, with investors in Japan expressing negative sentiment against the dollar by buying euros, as they did in 2005-2007, Deutsche Bank analyst Alan Ruskin said. “The big difference is long-term sentiment toward the euro is still very negative,” he noted.

For Hardman, “the euro is metaphorically speaking facing ‘death by a thousand cuts’,” and its “recent renaissance is running on borrowed time.”

Hardman said market sentiment has been eroded by actions like the European Central Bank’s purchase of euro-zone public debt and weakening of collateral standards in connection with unlimited cash support for euro-zone commercial banks.

The ECB is unlikely to intervene like the Bank of Japan however, because its mandate is to provide price stability, and currency purchases could rekindle troubling speculation about its independence.

In addition, “it is not sure at the moment that the ECB could find consensus among its member countries” for an intervention, Deutsche Bank economist Gilles Moec told AFP. Some countries, including export-oriented Germany, have managed to prosper even when the euro’s value against other major currencies rises, and a stronger euro has kept the euro-zone’s energy bill from going through the roof.

“The ECB tends to have a much more hands off approach and they are more comfortable with a stronger currency,” noted David Solin of Foreign Exchange Analytics.

Natixis economist Patrick Artus said his bank felt history showed “the use of currency interventions (the accumulation of foreign exchange reserves) to prevent an exchange rate appreciation is largely ineffective,” furthermore.

Japanese Prime Minister Naoto Kan nonetheless told the Financial Times that “if there is a drastic change (in the currency), such intervention is unavoidable.”

European political authorities could also be tempted to react soon if the euro’s rise continues, said Samarjit Shankar at BNY Mellon, but most likely in verbal form. “As we approach 1.35 you will see pretty strong words coming out of Europe,” he predicted. — AFP

Arabtec leads Dubai to 19-week high; Qatar up DUBAI: Dubai’s Arabtec led the emirate’s index to a 19-week high yesterday, bolstered by end-of-week gains on global markets and expectations for a sustained year-end rally.

Oman hit a similar milestone and Qatar edged up 0.3 percent to its highest finish since April 14, but Kuwait fell and Saudi Arabia was flat in a mixed day on Middle East markets.

Builder Arabtec rose 6.3 percent, trimming its year-to-date losses to 25 percent, after government developer Nakheel said it expects to complete its debt restructuring by the end of the year. Arabtec is one of

Nakheeel’s trade creditors.

“Arabtec is cheap compared to Drake & Scull and other similar stocks, so it is playing catch up,” said Haissam Arabi, chief executive and fund manager at Gulfmena Alternative Investments.

Drake & Scull rose 0.2 percent to be up 3.3 percent in 2010. Dubai’s index climbed 1.6 percent to its highest finish since May 13 and taking its September gains to 15.7 percent.

“We are coming from a low base and the market had a chance to correct-if this was going to happen it should have done so already,” said Arabi. Local markets would ral-

MIDEAST STOCK MARKETS ly to year-end, he added, providing world stocks remained upbeat.

Saudi Electricity rose 2.5 percent to a 17month high, extending gains since winning a $480 million government contract, but the kingdom’s index ended flat and little movement is expected until third-quarter results season starts next week.

Kuwait’s Zain fell 3.1 percent, slumping to

a three-week low after the firm said it had approached banks for a $1.5 billion syndicated loan. “Zain has received a lot of cash from its African asset sale, so investors are wondering why it needs to take on more debt,” said a Kuwait trader who asked not to be identified.

Earlier this year, Zain sold African assets to India’s Bharti Telecom for $9 billion.

Burgan Bank fell 5.3 percent and Gulf

Bank and Boubyan Bank dropped two percent. The banking index fell 1.4 percent, trimming its year-to-date gains to 25 percent.

“This is some normal profit-taking after the rally of the past month or so-banks were becoming expensive compared to their Gulf peers,” said Essa al-Hasawi, assistant manager at Zumorroda Investment Co in Kuwait.

Qatar’s index rose 0.3 percent. It is up 10.4 percent in 2010. “Valuations are stable the market is neutral, neither expensive nor cheap, so effectively we believe investors should be in the market because there isn’t much downside risk,” said Robert

Pramberger, acting head of asset management at Doha-based investment company The First Investor.

Egypt’s index rose for a sixth session as investors bought real estate stocks on expectations of a swift resolution to a dispute over a sale of state land to Talaat Moustafa Group (TMG). Talaat slipped 0.1 percent, but Palm Hills added 1.2 percent.

“Negative sentiment has faded away around TMG,” said Pharos Securities Account Officer Karim Hosny. “But it was under some pressure today as all the good news was factored in.” — Reuters

BUSINESS

22

Monday, September 27, 2010

Saudi did not buy new gold reserves in 2010: CB gov

Saudi inflation pressures worrying: CB governor RIYADH: Inflationary pressures in Saudi Arabia are worrying but the central bank sees no need to adjust interest rates, its governor Muhammad Al-Jasser said yesterday. “At 6.1 percent, the inflationary pressures are worrying ... We are monitoring them.” “The tools we have of course are very much in terms of watching our money supply and what’s happening on the fiscal side of our economy”. He said this highlighted the importance of ongoing coordination between monetary and fiscal policies. “It’s premature to make projections for the trajectory of inflation. We are closely monitoring these developments (food prices and harvests globally)”.

ASUS-LAMBORGHINI Eee PC VX6 white

ASUS-LAMBORGHINI Eee PC VX6 black

Introducing the ASUS-Automobili Lamborghini Eee PC VX6 Netbook A perfect balance of advanced technology and premium design KUWAIT: The result of co-branding and cooperation between netbook leader ASUS and supercar maker Automobili Lamborghini, the new VX6 offers a 12 inch portable PC that brings to the fore superb multimedia capabilities, with graphics driven by the new, second generation discrete NVIDIA(r) ION(tm) engine. It also uses NVIDIA Optimus technology, which can switch in real time between integrated and discrete graphics modes to ensure optimized performance and a longer battery life.

The VX6 uses the dual core Intel Atom D525 processor, ensuring unprecedented multimedia performance for a 12 inch netbook. It renders graphics in sharp, vivid 1366 x 768, and can connect to any large screen HDTV via HDMI to enable 1080p visuals. Bang & Olufsen ICEpower technology produces deep and rich bass with an extended frequency response range for audio performance far ahead of that offered by other netbooks. The technology provides high definition surround audio, with crystal clear and powerful sound in music, movies and games.

Racing outlook The new VX6 takes its design cues from the Lamborghini Murcielago LP640 Roadster. True to its heritage, it embodies luxury and performance, with a premium design that stands out among other portable PCs. It offers advanced ergonomics, including an isolated, quiet-action keyboard and soft touch palm rests.

Lamborghini black Exterior panels use durable and stylish brushed metal.

The VX6 uses USB 3.0, which operates at up to ten times the speed of USB 2.0. The new standard’s accelerated data handling is perfect for high definition content and media libraries. The VX6 also features Bluetooth 3.0, the latest iteration of the wireless standard, which delivers a bigger bandwidth and up to eight times the overall performance of Bluetooth 2.1.

Wi-Fi connectivity takes the form of 802.11n, the fastest wireless currently available on netbooks.

Matching Mouse Coinciding with the launch of the VX6, ASUS are releasing the WX- AUTOMO-

BILI LAMBORGHINI wireless mouse to complement the new netbook. This high fidelity device (sold separately) features an attractive design reflecting the style of both the VX6 and Lamborghini cars. It operates at up to 2500 dpi, making for highly precise mouse input. The included USB nano dongle extends the range of operation up to 10 meters, while providing complete plug and play on any PC. Bundled Extra Storage Every purchase of the new ASUSAUTOMOBILI LAMBORGHINI Eee PC VX6 comes with a 500GB cloud storage allotment through ASUS WebStorage, dramatically increasing the overall space provided to consumers.

“It is still too early, within few months the image will get clearer. Ramadan and the surge in demand it causes blurs the picture a bit”. He also said the global agricultural output will be critical to the sort of action that would need to be implemented to counter inflation.

Jasser said he did not see a need for an adjustment for now.

“The system has ample liquidity, the reverse repo is at 0.25 percent, and since there are no pressures on the system of liquidity, there has not been a change recently”.

Saudi Arabia did not buy new gold reserves in 2010 despite data from the World Gold Council (WGC) that showed the kingdom had doubled its reserves during the first-quarter, the central bank governor said yesterday.

“We did not buy new gold, this was just a merge and reclassifying assets, this gold was under different accounts and was brought under one account,” Muhammad Al-Jasser told Reuters declining to give more details. In June, the WGC data indicated that Saudi Arabia lifted its reported reserves to 322.9 tons from 143 tons, making it the world’s sixteenthlargest holder of gold.

Gold prices have risen more than 15 percent this year to record highs as concern over sovereign and financial market risk, low interest rates and fears of inflation further down the line boosted investment in the precious metal.

SAMA will monitor the system and adjust “accordingly” should the need arise, he said.

Private sector lending rose 4.9 percent in August, Jasser said: “This shows that lending is continuing its recovery.”

“The quality of the lending has also improved ... 5 percent is a good growth rate. We are very satisfied with the current increase in lending” “Provisions made by Saudi banks are very high ... We tend to be overly conservative when it comes to making provisions ... Based on the data I have, I don’t think provisions in the coming years need to be superior to what we saw in 2010 or 2009.” When asked on a possible sovereign bond issue, Jasser said: “It’s up to the finance ministry and it issues bonds when there is a deficit, and this is not the case now. I don’t think they will need to issue any for now.” — Reuters

Burgan Bank partners with Holiday Inn Kuwait Exclusive discounts and privileges on offer KUWAIT: Burgan Bank amongst the leading and most dynamic banks in the state of Kuwait - has entered into an exclusive partnership with Holiday Inn to offer all Burgan Bank customers exclusive offers, special benefits and discounts.

The special offer includes 25% discount in any of Holiday Inn’s fine dining restaurants.

Burgan Bank customers are

also eligible for 25% discount on outside catering, and a 20% wedding party discount.

The cardholders can enjoy 10% discount on room booking and are being offered special rates for health club memberships.

Commenting on this exciting new promotion Chief Retail Banking Officer Muneera Al-Mukhaizeem said, “At Burgan Bank we are

offering our customers value added services and benefits whilst banking with us.

Burgan Bank customers continuously receive special offers and discounts across different categories as well as other added features.”

Al- Mukhaizeem said further, “Several exciting offers are in the pipeline for both debit and credit card customers of Burgan Bank.”

Abu Dhabi’s Aldar denies report on profit outlook DUBAI: Aldar Properties, Abu Dhabi’s largest developer by market value, disputed a newspaper report yesterday suggesting it will swing to profit in the third and fourth quarters due to project deliveries.

“Aldar Properties did not state that it would show profits or losses in the third and fourth quarters during an interview with Arabic daily Al-Bayan,” the company said in a statement to Reuters. In an interview with Al-Bayan, Chief Commercial Officer Mohamed Al-Mubarak said the company has enough liquidity to finance its projects and plans to announce new developments soon, adding there were no plans to convert Aldar into a private entity.

When asked if losses will continue for the

remainder of the year, Mubarak told the paper: “No, the third and fourth quarters will see a significant and large improvement on the back of project deliveries ... and an upturn in the Abu Dhabi property and land market.”

Aldar missed forecasts with a second-quarter net loss of $129.4 million hit by lower property sales and investment valuations. “We will announce new residential projects soon for Yas Island and Al-Raha Beach, comprising of villas and residential units for high and mid-income users,” Mubarak added.

He said Aldar sold 60 percent of its properties so far to foreign and national investors.

The government owns a 37 percent stake in Aldar. — Reuters

Italian bank chief’s exit sparks concern over governance MILAN: The ouster of Alessandro Profumo from the top post at Unicredit this week has sparked concern about future governance at Italy’s largest bank as other shake-ups rattle the European banking world.

Profumo’s dramatic exit following a shareholder rebellion over Libya’s growing stake in the bank rocked Italy’s financial elite and weighed down

Unicredit’s share price at a time when the country’s economy is being scrutinized by investors because of its high debt levels.

Profumo, who oversaw a major international expansion by the bank in central and eastern Europe, resigned late on Tuesday after losing a shareholder confidence vote during a four-hour board meeting.

In notes to investors, analysts from Italy’s Mediobanca

and UK financial services company Keefe, Bruyette & Woods (KBW) said uncertainty would hurt the stock in the short term.

“Uncertainty over the future group strategy, the risk of second-tier management changes ... outweigh our previously positive investment case” on Unicredit’s stock, KBW analysts wrote explaining a downgrade of the stock. — AFP

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

.2800000 .4470000 .3810000 .2870000 .2750000 .2700000 .0045000 .0020000 .0773270 .7533760 .4020000 .0750000 .7385530 .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 .2843000 .4497630 .3835130 .2891610 .2774890 .0514810 .0417470 .2726750 .0366490 .2150410 .0033760 .0063450 .0025440 .0033150 .0041050 .0774440 .7545060 .4020850 .0758630 .7392080 .0065730

US Dollar Sterling pounds Swiss Francs Saudi Riyals

TRANSFER CHEQUES RATES .2864000 .4529410 .2912100 .0763470

Al-Muzaini Exchange Co. Japanese Yen Indian Rupees

ASIAN COUNTRIES 3.439 6.338

.2900000 .4570000 .3890000 .2970000 .2840000 .2770000 .0075000 .0035000 .0781040 .7609480 .4180000 .0790000 .7459750 .0072000 .0580000 .2864000 .4529410 .3862230 .2912100 .2794560 .0518460 .0420430 .2746010 .0369090 .2165650 .0033990 .0063900 .0025620 .0033390 .0041340 .0779380 .7593200 .4049340 .0763470 .7439250 .0066190

Pakistani Rupees Srilankan Rupees Nepali Rupees Singapore Dollar Hongkong Dollar Bangladesh Taka Philippine Peso Thai Baht Irani Riyal - Transfer Irani Riyal - Cash

3.325 2.549 3.935 216.800 36.905 4.113 6.545 9.392 0.296 0.310

Saudi Riyal Qatari Riyal Omani Riyal Bahraini Dinar UAE Dirham

GCC COUNTRIES 76.345 78.664 743.810 760.410 77.963

Egyptian Pound - Cash Egyptian Pound - Transfer Yemen Riyal Tunisian Dinar Jordanian Dinar Lebanese Lira Syrian Lier Morocco Dirham

ARAB COUNTRIES 52.900 50.185 1.349 201.250 404.290 192.100 6.178 34.985

EUROPEAN & AMERICAN COUNTRIES US Dollar Transfer 286.180 Euro 389.490 Sterling Pound 456.030 Canadian dollar 282.510 Turkish lire 192.780 Swiss Franc 295.030 Australian dollar 272.700 US Dollar Buying 285.645

SELL CASH 277.100 759.370 4.300 282.000 580.800 14.100 52.700 167.800 52.620 389.200

10 Tola

GOLD 1,391.430

37.330 6.305 0.035

403.610 0.192 94.830 3.940 211.500 741.550 3.325 6.520 78.550 76.240 217.160 43.270 2.543 454.000 291.900 6.300 9.500 77.810 285.500

TRAVELLER?S CHEQUE 454.000 285.500

Dollarco Exchange Co. Ltd

Bahrain Exchange Company COUNTRY Australian dollar Bahraini dinar Bangladeshi taka Canadian dollar Cyprus pound Czek koruna Danish krone Deutsche Mark Egyptian pound Euro Cash

37.480 6.510 0.035 0.282 0.249 3.480 405.490 0.193 94.830 45.700 4.470 213.000 1.946 49.800 741.730 3.480 6.680 78.980 76.240 217.160 43.270 2.719 456.000 43.300 293.400 6.300 9.660 198.263 78.910 285.900 1.370

Sterling Pound US Dollar

GOLD 253.000 128.000 65.000

20 Gram 10 Gram 5 Gram

Hongkong dollar Indian rupees Indonesia Iranian tuman Iraqi dinar Japanese yen Jordanian dinar Lebanese pound Malaysian ringgit Morocco dirham Nepalese Rupees New Zealand dollar Nigeria Norwegian krone Omani Riyal Pakistani rupees Philippine peso Qatari riyal Saudi riyal Singapore dollar South Africa Sri Lankan rupees Sterling pound Swedish krona Swiss franc Syrian pound Thai bhat Tunisian dollar UAE dirham U.S. dollars Yemeni Riyal

SELL DRAFT 275.800 759.370 4.105 280.500

217.200 50.108 387.700

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

287.500 280.729 449.241 375.734 286.606 704.798 761.106 78.268 78.962 76.649 405.769 50.446 6.214 3.359

Sri Lankan Rupees Bangladesh Taka Philippines Pesso Japanese Yen Thai Bhat Syrian Pound Nepalese Rupees

2.552 4.152 6.476 3.368 9.278 6.273 3.881

Kuwait Bahrain Intl Exchange Co. Currency US Dollar Pak Rupees Indian Rupees Sri Lankan Rupees Bangladesh Taka Philippines Peso UAE Dirhams Saudi Riyals Bahraini Dinars Egyptian Pounds Pound Sterling Indonesian Rupiah Nepali rupee Yemeni Riyal Jordanian Dinars Syrian Pounds Euro Candaian Dollars

Rate per 1000 (Tran) 285.500 3.340 6.320 2.550 4.110 6.515 77.775 76.340 759.000 50.085 457.300 0.00003280 3.950 1.550 405.500 5.750 391.000 284.400

Al Mulla Exchange Currency US Dollar Euro Pound Sterling Canadian Dollar Japanese Yen Indian Rupee Egyptian Pound Sri Lankan Rupee Bangladesh Taka Philippines Peso Pakistan Rupee Bahraini Dinar UAE Dirham Saudi Riyal *Rates are subject to change

Transfer rate 285.100 387.000 453.500 280.800 3.430 6.300 50.100 2.535 4.098 6.486 3.328 759.000 77.650 76.200

BUSINESS

Monday, September 27, 2010

23

ExxonMobil, Kuwait Energy launch science competition

By Rawan Khalid KUWAIT: The Kuwait Science Fair (KSF), the largest science competition founded by ExxonMobil Kuwait and Kuwait Energy, launched its third annual competition. With continued support from the public and private sectors the goal of the competition is to generate student interest and excitement in math and science and to inspire the scientists and innovators of tomorrow.

The third annual Kuwait Science Fair competition is endorsed by Sheikh Ahmad Al-Abdullah AlSabah, who is the Minister of Oil, the Minister of Information and the Chairman of the Kuwait Petroleum Corporation for the third year in a row. Supporting the competition for the first time is the US Ambassador to Kuwait, Deborah Jones, who joined as its leading chief ambassador.

“The Kuwait Science Fair continues to encourage students to be innovative in math and science and encourage them to learn and explore the fields of science,” said Sheikh Ahmad Al-Sabah. “They are encouraged to apply what they have learned at school under the supervision of the Kuwait Science Fair team of professionals. We look forward to the participation of more students this year and we hope to see these talented students excel in math and science on an international level.”

“The Kuwait Science Fair competition was founded with the goal of supporting students in the fields of math and science,” US Ambassador to Kuwait, Deborah Jones, said.

“The competition is meant to inspire students and help them look forward to becoming innovators in fields of their interest.”

“I’ve personally witnessed the excitement these students experience as winners when they were announced last March,” the ambassador continued. “Many great projects were recognized and many more were exhibited, showing that these students can excel and give their best when given the opportunity. Students will take our place in the world tomorrow so it is important that we provide them with a platform to discover innovative solutions and an opportunity to make their mark. I am proud to be a chief ambassador to the Kuwait Science Fair and also look forward to supporting students in their journey to become the scientists of tomorrow.”

The science fair will be launched on October 10, with the continued commitment to encourage students from over 150 schools in Kuwait pursue careers in math and science.

“We are launching another great and exciting competition this year,” said ExxonMobil Exploration and Production Kuwait Limited’s President, John Hoholick. “We hope to encourage students to discover fields that witness a decrease in the number of professionals every year internationally.

“In 2008, ExxonMobil Kuwait and Kuwait Energy came together in a shared commitment to generate student interest in math and science as well as to encourage them to pursue careers in such fields,” Hoholick continued. “What we’ve seen over the years is proof that students in Kuwait have great ambition and talent and we need to encourage them to pursue and develop them. These students will be the problem solvers of the challenges we face today. We look forward to another science adventure with students and thank our partners for their continued support.”

Kuwait Energy Company’s Manager of Kuwait Projects, Hamzah Abbas said, that Kuwait, being one of the largest oil exporters in the world, is a country that is dependent on experts in math

Oil minister patronizes third Kuwait Science Fair competition

KUWAIT: US Ambassador Deborah Jones and ExxonMobil Exploration & Production Kuwait Limited President John Hoholick with the sponsors and the partners during the event yesterday. — Photos by Yasser Al-Zayyat

KUWAIT: Media representatives attending the press conference announcing the launch of the third Kuwait Science Competition.

Gulf Bank in partnership with the Global Center KUWAIT: Gulf Bank has just established a three year strategic partnership for Executive Education with the Global Center, located in the College of Business Administration, Kuwait University.

The Global Center offers several custom-designed Executive Education programs in Kuwait each year.

These programs are based on cutting-edge research and delivered by world-class faculty from business schools like Harvard Business School, INSEAD and Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).

The Global Center has forged partnerships locally with most leading organizations in Kuwait and globally with faculties of many Ivy League business schools.

Surour Alsamerai, General Manager - Human Resources commented: “Our goal is to build and sustain a top-notch leadership team and we invest significant time and resources to make this happen. The

and science. “It is crucial for us to build a generation of scientists to lead the oil sector,” he said. “The Kuwait Science Fair is the first step to inspiring future scientists. Today, in its third run, the competition continues to engage and inspire students from across Kuwait.”

The five-month-long competition, held in both Arabic and English, is divided into two phases; a registration phase and an experimental phase.

The registration phase starts with direct school visits, registration centers, and one-on-one student sessions to help guide students through their application process.

After an initial review, the experimental phase begins with the best 100 projects, which are continuously developed until the final competition.

During the final days of the competition, projects are assessed by a panel of judges comprised of engineers, doctors, and scientists from Kuwait’s most reputable institutions. The Kuwait Science Fair competition is open to all students

in Kuwait between seventh and twelfth grade. Students can start signing up for the competition online at www.best100.org on October 10. The Kuwait Science Fair team will visit schools across Kuwait, welcoming students who wish to participate at the official KSF booth in the Marina Mall. They can also be contacted by their KSF hotline at 9967-4996.

The Kuwait Petroleum Corporation (KPC) and the Kuwait United Facilities Management Company (KUFM) are this year’s platinum sponsors for the second year in a row while the Information Technology Institute (ITI) are participating as gold sponsor.

Joining as silver sponsors this year are the Scientific Center, AlAhli Bank of Kuwait and Asnan Clinic. Joining the competition as partners this year is the Kuwait Foundation for the Advancement of Science (KFAS), Schlumberger Kuwait, the American University of Kuwait (AUK) and the Arab International Industrial Projects Company (AIIP).

Egypt approves plan to resolve TMG land row Egypt sold land to TMG in 2005, court said illegal

Surour Alsamerai, General Manager — Human Resources Executive Education programs, offered in partnership with the Global Center, will help drive our strategy, infuse

best practices and prepare our managers for new levels of leadership in their careers and within the Bank.”

Corporate showdown looms at China’s GOME HONG KONG: China’s GOME will take centre stage this week in a bizarre corporate showdown pitting a jailed billionaire tycoon against executives of the country’s biggest household appliance chain.

From his prison cell, the company’s founder Huang Guangyu has waged a bitter war against GOME management, asking shareholders to vote Tuesday on his proposal to oust chairman Chen Xiao while installing his sister and lawyer on the company’s board. Huang, sentenced in May to 14 years in jail for bribery and insider trading, is also trying to block the Hong Kong-listed firm from issuing new equity that would dilute his family’s position as its biggest shareholder.

The vote comes amid a nasty power struggle for control of the business empire that the high school-dropout built from scratch. Huang was once listed as China’s richest man before his stunning fall from grace.

GOME’s bosses have railed against Huang’s proposals, warning that he was not acting in shareholders’ interests and saying they have the support of US private equity firm Bain Capital,

which owns a stake in the chain. “It is coming down to the wire and everyone is pulling out all the stops,” Francis Lun, general manager of Hong Kong brokerage Fulbright Securities, told AFP. “Everyone is acting in their own interest while shareholders be damned.” Lun dismissed Huang’s chances of success at the September 28 vote, although he said it could be close because “his associates are buying up shares.”

“But public opinion is against him and he has no credibility,” Lun said. A recent Financial Times editorial described the boardroom brawl as “anything but a routine battle for corporate control.”

“Rather, it sheds a light, of sorts, on the wildwest world of Chinese capitalism,” it said. “(China’s) free market has more in common with the US robber-baron era or the more recent helter-skelter capitalism of Russia in which fortunes were handed out and snatched away before you could reach for your gun.”

GOME, which has about 1,100 retail stores across China, has sued Huang over alleged breaches of fiduciary duty while he served as a director in 2008. —AFP

CAIRO: Egypt’s government said yesterday it had approved a legal committee’s plan to resolve a land row around the country’s biggest listed developer’s flagship project, a dispute which has raised concerns across the sector.

The state said it would scrap the original contract for Talaat Moustafa Group’s (TMG) estimated $3 billion Madinaty project and reassign it to the firm by direct order.

A state-appointed legal committee issued recommendations last week saying the government could reassign the land to TMG after scrapping the first contract because it was in the public interest. “The cabinet has approved implementing the recommendations of the legal committee formed by presidential decree,” the cabinet said in a statement, adding that the original contract would be scrapped and land assigned back to the same firm.

“The new contract between NUCA (the Housing Ministry’s New Urban Communities Authority) and Talaat Moustafa will be signed in accordance with the same articles and rules set by the original contract and in a manner not contradicting the rulings of the administrative court and the high administrative court,” the statement said.

The government had previously said it was not seeking to charge the firm any more money under any new contract. Cabinet spokesman Magdy Rady said no date for signing the new contract with TMG had been set.

Egypt’s government sold land to TMG for Madinaty in 2005, but a court ruled in June the deal was illegal because the land was not publicly auctioned. A higher court upheld the decision this month, sending the firm’s shares plunging 16 percent in three sessions. The government has since come under pressure from investors in TMG to find a resolution to the row.

Rady earlier told reporters that the cabinet was reviewing establishing a new mechanism to manage land sales.

He said Prime Minister Ahmed Nazif sought a new framework “putting in place a clear time frame to take account of all land both used and unused, setting in place the necessary foundation for the allocation of land to the various sectors and pricing them transparently and in a coordinated fashion.” Rady said the review of land allocation would affect all sectors of the economy.

Alongside allocating state land to be sold for housing and business development, the government assigns land for a range of other uses, including agriculture, tourism and public services. — Reuters

LG’s online campaign winners

Ezekiel Obtera bags first place in LG - LED 2010 sincerity contest KUWAIT: LG Electronics Business Solutions (LG) announced yesterday the winners of the “Show your Sincerity” an online campaign (www.sincere.com) that aimed to elicit and share touching stories from consumers around the world.

The campaign was conducted from the 15th of May till the 29th of June 2010 in 12 countries USA, Japan, Ukraine, South Korea, Russia, Singapore, Germany, Czech Republic and the UAE; receiving a total of 45,000 registrations.

H.S Paik, President of LG Gulf FZE handed over the gifts to the UAE based winners, starting with Ezekiel Obtera who won the grand prize Volkswagen Golf GTI car, the 2nd winners Adel Yousef and Kennette Dignadice who won travel vouchers worth AED 30,000, and the 3rd prize went to 20 winners who won Full HD LED LCD

LG-LED online campaign car winner Monitors E2380VX. “No matter what others say, we both know what we have is the kind that lasts. I thank God for bringing

me to you, and I can never be more grateful! Let us grow old together,” was the most heartfelt message expressed by Ezekiel Obtera.

BUSINESS

24

KSE equities end lower GLOBAL DAILY MARKET REPORT KUWAIT: Kuwait’s equities ended weaker yesterday as selling pressure continued. The retreat was broad -based with seven out of the eight sectors losing ground. Global General Index reached its lowest level in twelve trading days.

Global General Index (GGI) closed 2.57 points down (1.23 percent) during the day at 206.44 point as the Market capitalization was down for the day reaching KD33.24mn. On the other hand, Kuwait Stock Exchange Price Index closed down shedding a 16.60 point to its value and closed at 6,823.5 point.

Market breadth During the session, 118 companies were traded. Market breadth was skewed towards decliners as 59 equities retreated versus 25 that advanced, while 127 stocks remained unchanged during the trading session.

Trading activities ended on a negative note yesterday as volume of shares traded on the exchange decreased by 28.68 percent to reach 195.52mn shares, and value of shares traded decreased by 9.52 percent to stand at KD47.04mn.

The Investment Sector was the volume leader yesterday, accounting for 26.94 percent of total shares and the Banking Sector was the value leader, with 39.26 percent of total traded value.

AlSafat Investment Company was the volume leader, with a total traded volume of 14.68mn shares. Zain Company was the value leader, with a total traded value of KD7.04mn.

In terms of top gainers,

Arkan Al-Kuwait Real Estate Co was the biggest gainer for the day, adding 8.47 percent and closed at KD0.064. On the other hand, National International Co (Holding) was the biggest decliner, dropping by 7.58 percent and closed at KD0.061.

Sector w ise The retreat was broad-based with seven out of eight sectors closing in negative territory.

Services stocks spearheaded decliners, clocking 2.15 percent in sector losses.

Mobile Telecommunication Co (ZAIN) plunged by 3.08 per-

cent. Also, among the sector’s losers were Agility Company (2.02 percent) and National Mobile Telecommunications Co (-2.13 percent).

Global Banking index followed, shedding 1.15 percent the Heavyweight stock, National Bank of Kuwait fell by 1.37 percent closing at KD1.440, while Gulf Bank shed by 2.04 percent closing at KD0.480.

On the other hand, Insurance sector was the only gainer for the day adding by 0.95 percent, as Gulf Insurance Company rose by 3.13 percent

to close at KD0.660.

Oil new s OPEC will not change its output quota at its next meeting on Oct 14 in Vienna, Kuwaiti Oil Minister Sheikh Ahmad alAbdullah al-Sabah said on Saturday on arriving here for trip expected to last several days. “No increase, no change, we will keep the quota as it is,” he told Reuters when asked what the likely outcome of the meeting will be.

Corporate new s The Central Bank of Kuwait

(CBK) rejected the request submitted by Noor Financial Investment Co to extend the period for repurchasing 10 percent maximum of its issued shares. The company has the right to sell outstanding shares for six months ending March 28, 2011.

The Central Bank of Kuwait (CBK) has turned down the request submitted by Gulf Investment House (GIH) to repurchase 10 percent maximum of its issued shares. The Kuwaitlisted company can only sell outstanding shares for six months ending on March 17, 2011.

Monday, September 27, 2010

Europe strikes out in austerity drive BRUSSELS: Radical European plans to fine governments that hide from painful cuts crash headlong into strikes and protests this week as labor leaders flag up the human cost of austerity. A bid to force the 27 European Union nations to deposit billions of euros with Brussels, that would be forfeited in the event of failure to tighten national spending, will be laid out to finance ministers starting crunch talks today.

Detailed proposals will be made public on Wednesday, when millions are expected to take part in a general strike across Spain and 100,000 protesters are tipped to march against “austerity” in Brussels. After spring panic about government debts, fears are again rising about bank rescue costs in Ireland and a double-dip downturn in Spain where one in five remain resolutely out of work.

But while Europe tries to clean up its postrecession books, a backlash has begun among voters focused on vast anticipated numbers of public sector job cuts.

It was clearly seen in Britain on Saturday, where Labor unions, lawmakers and party members handed their leadership to left-leaning Ed Miliband-in a surprise, last-minute defeat for his better-known, centre-right brother and former foreign secretary David.

“We will demonstrate to voice our concern over the economic and social context, which will be compounded by austerity measures,” John Monks, general secretary of the European Trade Union Confederation, said of Wednesday’s mobilization.

Further protests are planned in the Czech Republic, France, Ireland, Italy, Poland and Romania.

The strike in Spain, meanwhile, was called after cuts to public sector wages, retirement and

family benefits, with the tipping point of relaxed employment law.

“Let’s not focus too much on the size of the sanctions,” the spokesman for EU economic affairs commissioner Olli Rehn, who is driving the bid to get tough, said as diplomats told AFP of the plans’ scope. “It’s the effectiveness of the proposals we set out next week (that matter),” Rehn’s pointman said.

The idea is that states would deposit 0.2 percent of national GDP with the bloc to underwrite moves to get back within deficit and debt ceilings of three and 60 percent respectively.

Practically every EU state has now crashed through the deficit boundary (Spain hit 11.2 percent in 2009). Offenders would also be ordered to slash total debts by five percent each year for three years, which an EU source warned represents “a considerable effort.”

Europe also wants to smooth out cross-border imbalances, with sources also talking of possible fines running to 0.1 percent of GDP for countries that fail to meet targets aimed at bringing up the rear.

Rehn wants the sanctions to kick in semiautomatically, with penalties only avoided if a majority vote against. Ministers will air their views in a “task force” on cross-border economic governance chaired on Monday by EU figurehead Herman Van Rompuy.

Set up by national leaders, it is due to present its own findings at a summit next month.

The panel has struggled on sanctions so far, with ideas for cutting future aid for poorer regions hitting opposition notably among exCommunist eastern European states.

“A whole series of points still needs to be resolved,” one diplomat stressed. — AFP

Lukoil buys back its own 5% from Conoco MOSCOW: Lukoil, Russia’s second-largest oil company, and investors led by UniCredit SpA have spent nearly $2.4 billion to buy 5 percent of Lukoil shares from US oil company ConocoPhillips — half the amount allowed in an option that expired on Saturday.

Lukoil said in a statement yesterday that it bought 42.5 million, or 5 percent, of its own American Depository Receipts as part of a strate-

gy to raise shareholder returns through a share buyback from the market. Houston-based ConocoPhillips said in July that the option, which allowed for the purchase of 98.7 million shares (11.6 percent), was valued at $56 a share. The US company is selling Lukoil shares to raise cash to pay back debts and buy back its own shares.

Lukoil in August spent $3.4 billion to buy 7.6 percent of its own stock back from Conoco. — AP

BUSINESS

Monday, September 27, 2010

25

Volkswagen launches all-new Touareg

By Nawara Fattahova DUBAI: Volkswagen Middle East - the regional office of Europe’s largest car manufacturer - has launched its most technically innovative model ever, the new Touareg, at an exclusive media unveiling ceremony held in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

The launch establishes the Middle East as one of the first markets to distribute the completely redeveloped flagship petrol engine Volkswagen sport utility vehicle, which unites the world of off-road vehicles with the comfortable dimensions of a luxury sedan and the dynamic attributes of a sports car.

Approximately 100 media attendees from across the region were treated to an aerial tour of Dubai and helicopter transfer across the desert to the new Banyan Tree Al-Wadi Hotel and Resort, Ras Al-Khaimah, where the new Touareg was unveiled by senior Volkswagen officials. Staying at this resort is a really unforgettable experience. The desert atmosphere and Oryx moving around reminds one of the beautiful nature.

The unveiling ceremony held at the resort also included an interesting magic show, including bringing the new Touareg on stage in a mysterious way. After a sumptuous dinner, the attendees were able to view the new Touareg and sit in it.

The following day allowed media to be the first in the region to get behind the wheel, and experience a taste of the new luxury SUV’s innovative capabilities, kicking off dune-bashing and tarmac-shredding test drives from Ras Al-Khaimah to Dubai.

One of the key drivers in a hat-trick victory for the Volkswagen Race Touareg at the Dakar Rally 2010 in January this year, Qatari Volkswagen Motorsport driver Nasser Al-Attiyah, was also on hand to lend support for the launch and provide driving tips to the media during test-drives.

New vehicle combines dimensions of luxury sedan, dynamics of sports car

“The new Touareg is a magnificent machine.

Driving a car that’s so smooth and comfortable is a welcome and pleasant change compared to my Spartan Race Touaregs 2 and 3, which are built for battle and afford none of the luxury, ride, comfort and special features offered by this terrific SUV,” enthused Nasser Al Attiyah. “With its combination of stunning looks, world first innovations, and environmentally friendly economical technologies, the new Touareg is sure to become the new champion amongst SUVs in the region.”

With characteristics that will prove popular with Middle East customers, the new era Touareg is longer, lighter, sleeker, safer, and roomier than its predecessor. Now weighing 208 kilograms less than before, the nimble new Touareg manages to attain 1,642 liters of cargo space despite its improved aerodynamic design, and large variety of new assistance and safety systems.

World first innovations include bi-xenon headlights with Dynamic Light Assist, and a standard 8-speed automatic transmission - the first of its kind in the world in the SUV segment. The plethora of new innovations also include a pushbutton parking brake, automatic stop-start engine shut-off system, electronic oil level display, panoramic sunroof - the largest ever used on an SUV, multi-camera operated Area View safety system, Lane and Side Assist, Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC) plus Front Assist, automatic tailgate, and proactive occupant protection.

At the unveiling of the new Touareg, Stefan Mecha, Managing Director of Volkswagen Middle East said, “About 500,000 drivers chose to buy the first generation of the Touareg worldwide, and it quickly established itself as our flagship vehicle in the region after its Middle East debut in 2003.”

“Seven years later, the new Touareg has taken its winning concept into the future and heralds a paradigm shift in the idea behind multipurpose SUVs. This, combined with the Touareg’s existing popularity, has generated overwhelming interest already. The Touareg is the keystone of our regional plans, and is integral to expanding our Middle East presence,” continued Mecha.

Fuel economy and emissions values are significant-

ly improved on the conventionally powered Touareg petrol engine version. The petrol engine has a new thermal management system to guarantee that the proper operating temperature is reached quicker, which is important in attaining better fuel economy, especially on short driving trips.

The new Touareg also boasts a range of engines that are nearly 20 percent more fuel efficient, and is the first and only SUV of European origin to be available in a hybrid version.

Optimised V6 FSI consumes 2.5 liters less petrol per 100 kilometers The new Touareg will initially be available in the Middle East with a V6 FSI, a direct-injection petrol engine with 206 kW /280 hp. At 9.9 l/100 kilometers,

the 3.6-liter engine with 360 newton-meters torque now consumes an incredible 2.5 liters less than the previous version. This combined fuel consumption is equivalent to CO2 emissions of 236 gram/kilometers.

That is precisely 60 gram/kilometers less than before.

A more powerful V8 engine version will be launched in Q1 2011.

World’s first SUV with 8-speed automatic transmission All Touareg versions are now shifted by a standard 8-speed automatic transmission - the first of its kind in the world in the SUV segment. The 7th and 8th gears are laid out as fuel-efficient overdrive gears. The 8th gear reduces engine speed by 34 percent compared to 6th gear. That saves on fuel and reduces emissions. The

new Touareg is not only one of the most sustainable SUVs in the world, but also one of the safest passenger vehicles of all times.

A world first, Bi-xenon headlights with Dynamic Light Assist - this camera-based continuous main beam headlight actually ‘sees’ oncoming traffic and automatically adjusts the main beam to eliminate unwanted glare. The enhanced safety and convenience offered by Dynamic Light Assist is as significant as the introduction of Xenon technology itself once was.

In conjunction with a camera integrated behind the front windscreen, the main beam lighting modules of the bi-xenon headlights are continually active; they are only dimmed in those areas, in which the system has analyzed a potential disturbance to other drivers in traffic.

This gives the driver significantly more light and therefore a clear gain in safety and driving convenience.

Area View: The new Area View is a surroundings monitoring system being introduced for the first time at Volkswagen. Via four cameras (in the tailgate, outside mirrors and radiator grille) Area View transfers images of all of the Touareg’s surroundings to the central touch screen in the centre console. Several images can be displayed simultaneously by split screen here.

The control module also creates a high-resolution composite image of surroundings from four individual camera images - from the bird’s eye perspective of a virtual camera located above the vehicle. In off-road driving, front and side cameras are used by Area View to transfer images directly in front of and next to the vehicle. It is of inestimable value to the driver on extreme trails. Another example of the wide array of Area View capabilities is the ‘Cross Traffic’ view. This function introduces a new dimension to enhanced safety. The reason, for the first time, Area View lets the driver see 90 degrees to the left and right, at points located at the front and rear of the Touareg - that is ‘around the corner’ - and view traffic situations that would otherwise only be perceptible by ‘incrementally’ moving the vehicle for a better view. This is enabled by the 180-degree wide-angle lens of the front and rear cameras.

French pension strikes Jordan’s economy grows in Q2, up 2.9 yr/yr 2010 highlight jobs malaise PARIS: Retirement is a distant horizon for a 23-year-old, but that has not stopped French youths from bringing their anxiety about the future into the heart of a protest movement against pension reform.

The thousands who marched in protests this week magnified the fears of a generation facing high joblessness, years of fiscal austerity, an ageing population and the prospect of working much longer careers than their parents, analysts said.

Their participation caught French media by surprise, coming ahead of the start of classes at many major universities and despite government efforts over the summer to appease students by boosting grant payouts.

“Why are young people in the streets?” asked a banner headline in Le Parisien daily on the day of the strikes. Anne Muxel, an expert in youth movements at Sciences Po’ university in Paris, said youthful concerns about pension reform were symptomatic of deeper anxiety about their prospects.

“This is a generation that feels deep anxiety about its future, that is afraid,” she said.

“It’s a general anxiety that encompasses the job market and (youths’) professional prospects, but also in the longer term the idea of retirement.”

High social costs and rigid labor laws make employers reluctant to offer youths long-term work contracts. Studies are long, and few students hold jobs. On average, French youths start their career at 27, later than in Germany or Britain. This has fed youths’ worries about how long they will have to contribute to their pensions, as the reform calls for extending the pay-in period to 41.5 years from 40.5 by 2020.

Many argue that an ageing population will

force them to work for longer and longermore than the two-year increase called for by the reform-to pay for an ever larger pool of pensioners from the baby-boom generation.

“This reform is meant to be led in the name of young people but we will be the hardest hit,” said Marion Oderda, 24, a student at Paris XII university who joined the protest.

The government has said that without its reform, the pension system will lose 45 billion euros ($60 billion) per year by 2020. A draft of the reform bill has been approved by the lower house of Parliament with final passage expected next month.

While students remain a powerful force in French society, their motivations have changed since May, 1968, when student-led protests sent President Charles de Gaulle into hiding. This generation is more practical. “I am just worried about finding my first job, not to mention starting to contribute for my pensions,” said Gaelle Loiseaux, 22, a university student in Paris.

Thursday’s images of youth protesters recalled, on a much smaller scale, scenes from February/April 2006 when weeks of student protests forced the government of President Jacques Chirac into a humiliating climbdown on a youth jobs contract.

The prospect of a similar uprising seems to worry politicians at least as much as the Thursday’s protests, which drew between 1 and 3 million protesters, according to estimates from the police and trade unions, respectively. When Jean-Francois Cope, leader of the ruling U M P party, was asked on I-Tele television whether the strikes could turn into a re-run of 2006, he said: “Well, I hope not.” — Reuters

MONTREUIL: French union leaders (from left) Jean Grosset (UNSA), Laurent Berger (CFDT), Nadine Prigent (CGT), Marcel Blondel (CFTC) and Bernadette Groison (FSU) give a press conference in Montreuil near Paris. — AFP

AMMAN: Jordan’s economy grew 2.9 percent in Q2 2010 from a year earlier with signs of a slight recovery from the global downturn, official statistics showed yesterday.

This compares with a 2.03 percent rise in Q1 y/y. The economy expanded 2.8 percent in 2009 as a whole, slowing from 7.8 percent growth in 2008 and was its worst performance since an economic crisis in 1989 when the country was

forced to seek help from the International Monetary Fund.

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) downgraded Jordan’s economic growth to 3.5 percent this year from a higher 4 percent after an assessment of lower capital inflows and private investment.

However, analysts say that although economic growth in Jordan should accelerate this year, uncertainties remain due

to a continuing decline in direct foreign investment and foreign aid and weak domestic demand. But the IMF and Jordanian officials predict the economy will start recovering beyond 4 percent in 2011 as the impact of the global downturn on the kingdom eases.

That will still be below average annual growth of 6-7 percent in recent years.

While Jordan’s economy has weathered the global economic downturn bet-

ter than most Western economies, domestic demand and remittances from abroad have all been hit. The aid-dependent kingdom has close business and economic ties to Gulf Arab governments which were hard hit by a drop in oil prices last year, their main source of state revenue.

GDP rose to 9.61 billion dinars ($13.5 billion) in 2009 against $9.35 billion in 2008. — Reuters

Jet Airways and IBM team up to herald new era in aviation MUMBAI: Jet Airways, India’s premier international airline, and IBM yesterday announced that the companies have signed a strategic ten-year business transformation and information technology (IT) services agreement. Valued at US$62 million, the agreement is a step towards Jet Airways’ journey of technology led business transformation, which will help the airline achieve significant growth by aligning the company’s IT with business strategy.

Jet Airways plans to leverage IBM’s domain knowledge of the global airline industry and its technology leadership to meet the group’s business transformation objectives. As part of the deal, IBM will provide cutting-edge technology solutions to transform the airline’s business areas such as airport operations, direct distribution and frequent flier programs. This engagement will help Jet Airways improve and integrate its IT systems to deliver a highly differentiated customer experience and improve its operational efficiency.

“Constant innovation to stay ahead of industry growth has been Jet Airways’ operating philosophy since it commenced operations in 1993” said Nikos Kardasis, Chief Executive Officer, Jet Airways (India) Ltd. “We are delighted to partner with IBM, the world’s leading IT services company, and see this as an exciting opportunity to use IBM’s technology to lead business transformation in the Indian aviation sector and augment growth. This association will enable us to focus on our core business and improve our operational efficiencies, besides delivering a seamless customer experience. India, as a country, will take a leading edge position in delivering innovative ideas and solutions in the Global Aviation terrain”, remarked Kardassis.

IBM will support Jet Airways with IT Infrastructure and application support

services including employee transition, data center operations, central helpdesk support, server and storage operations, internet security services through the use of Tivoli suite, network management, SAP and other operating system.

“The agreement with Jet Airways is a significant milestone for IBM in aviation industry.” said Sameer Batra, Vice President, Distribution Sector, IBM India/South Asia. “Jet Airways will have access to industry expertise and knowledge, which are essential for sustaining growth and leadership in the competitive global market.” Commenting on the relationship with Jet Airways, Ashish Kumar, General Manager, Global Technology Services, IBM India/South Asia, said, “This strategic services deal with Jet Airways will herald a new era in the Indian aviation industry. It will enable the airline to enhance its business value and gain competitive advantage through innovative use of technology. IBM will bring its global experience and expertise in this industry to deliver services and solutions to help Jet Airways achieve its mission to innovate and lead as it continues to grow and expand internationally.”

Jet Airways currently operates a fleet of 90 aircraft, which includes 10 Boeing 777-300 ER aircraft, 12 Airbus A330-200 aircraft, 54 next generation Boeing 737700/800/900 aircraft and 14 modern ATR 72-500 turboprop aircraft. With an average fleet age of 4.99 years, the airline has one of the youngest aircraft fleets in the world. Flights to 65 destinations span the length and breadth of India and beyond, including New York (both JFK and Newark), Toronto, Brussels, London (Heathrow), Johannesburg, Hong Kong, Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, Colombo, Bangkok, Kathmandu, Dhaka, Kuwait, Bahrain, Muscat, Doha, Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Jeddah, Sharjah, Riyadh and Dammam.

SAO PAULO: (L-R) Sao Paulo’s Stocks Exchange (Bovespa) CEO Edemir Pinto, Brazil’s Vice President Jose Alencar, Brazil’s President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, Brazil’s Minister of Finance Guido Mantega and Petrobras state-oil company CEO Jose Sergio Gabrielli get together to start the morning trading session during ceremony of what could become the world’s biggest capitalization — worth over $66 billion — at Bovespa headquarters, in downtown Sao Paulo, Brazil. —AFP

China slapping anti-dumping duties on US chicken imports BEIJING: China will levy anti-dumping duties of up to 105 percent on imports of US chicken products, the government said yesterday, in a move likely to ratchet up trade tensions between the two nations.

“The US chicken industry has dumped broiler products into the Chinese market and caused substantial damage to the domestic industry,” the commerce ministry said in a statement on its website.

The duties take effect today, it said.

China will slap anti-dumping levies of over 50 percent on up to 35 US chicken broiler exporters including Tyson Foods Inc, Keystone Foods LLC, Pilgrim’s Pride Corporation and Sanderson Farms Inc,

the statement said. Levies of over 105 percent will be placed on imported chicken broilers, a type of chicken raised specifically for meat production, from all other US producers, it said.

The measures will apply for five years and follow up preliminary tariffs on the same products issued by the ministry in February.

According to China’s state-run Xinhua news agency, the US exported 584,000 tons of chicken products to China in 2008, up 12 percent year-on-year. In the first half of 2009, China imported 305,000 tons of chicken products from the United States, representing 89 percent of China’s total chicken imports, it said. — AFP

BUSINESS

26

Monday, September 27, 2010

Benchmark drops on fears of monetary easing KUWAIT: Last week, the US dollar dropped sharply against a basket of currencies, as expectations of further monetary easing by the US Federal Reserve pressured the currency. The euro rose to a 6month high against the US dollar at 1.3495 after reaching a low of 1.3025 earlier during the week. The sterling pound traded between a low and high of 1.5500 and 1.5843, pressured by talks that the Bank of England might consider more quantitative easing to help boost the economy as well.

The Japanese Yen started the week on a weaker footing following last week’s intervention by the Bank of Japan, trading at 85.80 levels, however gained some momentum on Friday reaching a low of 84.09 as talks of a second possible intervention diminished and rumors that the BOJ governor may resign were denied. The Australian dollar rallied last week reaching a high of 0.9615 boosted by possible interest hikes by the Reserve Bank of Australia.

Finally, the Swiss Franc broke the key psychological level of 1.00 against the US dollar and reached a 2 1/2 year high of 0.9776.

FOMC meeting Amid fears that the recovery from the worst recession since the Great Depression was at risk, the Federal Reserve took a step toward a new round of monetary easing to stimulate growth if necessary. At its one-day meeting last week, the US Central Bank said it is ready to provide extra accommodation to support the economic recovery and to bring inflation

back to levels consistent with the Fed’s mandates. This will most likely be through the purchase of Treasury bonds that could further depress the US debt yields and weaken the demand for US assets in general.

Housing sector The US housing market showed some signs of stability in August, following the steep declines brought by the end of the popular homebuyer tax credit in April.

Housing starts rose 10.5% last, the largest increase since November, to an annual rate of 598,000 units and against an expected rise to 550,000 units. Building permits jumped to a four-month high to 569,000 against an expected 560,000. Sales of previously owned US homes climbed from a 13year low, another evidence that the housing market is stabilizing. Existing home sales increased by 7.6% to an annual rate of 4.13 million units. Finally, purchases of new homes were unchanged in August at 288,000, lower than the expected increase to 292,000, and matching July’s figure as the second lowest outcome since 1963.

US Jobless claims New US Claims for jobless benefits rose unexpectedly last week, highlighting continued labor market weakness. Initial jobless claims increased by 12,000 to 465,000, breaking 2 straight weeks of declines.

Markets had expected the claims to remain unchanged from the previous week level of 450,000.

ing to consider further monetary easing to support the economy.

NBK ECONOMIC REPORT

Weak numbers Recent UK data have been on the soft side, backing market expectations that rates will be on hold near zero for some time to come. The Bank of England data lending to UK businesses fell for the 5th month in July but at its slowest pace in a year. In the housing sector, data revealed that property prices in England and Wales fell for a third consecutive month in September and have lost half the gains they made in the first 6 months of 2010.

The RBA minutes The minutes from the Australian central bank’s September meeting reinforced expectations of higher interest rates.

Following its several hikes to 4.5%, the RBA said it stood ready to use interest rates to help manage an expected strong pickup in the domestic economy during the coming months.

The pace of growth in the euro-zone’s services and manufacturing sectors slowed much more than expected this month, triggering fears about the overall health of the 16-nation area. The Services PMI (Purchasing Manager’s Index), which compiles surveys of around 2,000 businesses ranging from banks to restaurants, fell to 53.6 in September from 55.9 in August, its lowest reading since February. Despite the reading above the 50-mark, which divides growth in business activity from contrac-

tion, the number was below market’s expectations of 55.5. On the manufacturing side, the PMI pointed to an economic growth of 0.6% in the third quarter, however down from the 1.0% seen in the second quarter.

German confidence The IFO German Business Climate index topped expectations and eased concerns prompted by the PMI numbers, that the euro-zone’s fragile recovery was

stalling. The index unexpectedly edged higher to 106.8 in September from 106.7 in August, and against forecasts for a fall to 106.2.

The minutes of the monetary policy committee’s September meeting showed the Bank of England voted 8-1 for leaving interest rates on hold at a record low of 0.5%, as widely expected, with only one committee member isolated in calling for higher rates. Additionally, the minutes revealed that policymakers were more will-

Gold at record highs Gold has reached a new all-time-high on Friday, as economic uncertainties around the world boosted its safe-haven appeal.

The commodity reached $1,299.65 per ounce, just shy of the $1,300 mark.

Kuwait Dinar at 0.28485 The USDKWD opened at 0.28485 on Sunday morning.

Market body to publish proposals this week

With new Basel rules, Swiss banks fear more ‘shackles’ ZURICH: For years Sw itzerland’s bankers vaunted the “Sw iss finish,” an extra buffer they are required to keep in reserve that helps convince customers that Sw iss banks are safer than houses. But Sw iss bankers now fear that new domestic regulations could dent their competitiveness by setting prohibitive hurdles compared to

those faced by other major international banks. International regulators this month agreed on tougher “Basel III” capital requirements for banks to protect against financial crises. Sw iss regulators have signaled that they w ould raise their standards even further, especially for the tw o biggest banks, UBS and Credit Suisse.

SINGAPORE: Nout Wellink, chairman of the Basel Committee on Banking Supervision gestures during a press briefing at the 16th International Conference of Banking Supervisors in Singapore. — AFP

New Basel rules bring banks back to basic GENEVA: New Basel III bank capital rules encourage a back-to-basics approach for banking and could therefore see those in major emerging countries benefit most from the reform, analysts said.

“The new rules will force banks to go back to simplicity, to the core business which would benefit banks that were respecting the core business in the first place,” said Arturo Bris, professor at the business school IMD. He underlined that banks in developing markets tend to adopt basic bankingdeposits and loans-unlike western investment-oriented banks which have developed complex derivative products that were blamed for setting off the global financial crisis.

Regulators hardened their resolve for reforms to clamp down on risky trading after the world was sent to the brink of economic meltdown brought by the collapse of US investment bank Lehman Brothers. Like many of its counterparts, Lehman Brothers had created evermore complex financial instruments in its drive for profits, among them derivatives of ‘subprime’ home loans, which eventually led to its demise.

The failure of such once haughty Wall Street banks and some European counterparts contrasted sharply with emerging markets banks which were able to weather the crisis largely unscathed due to their conservative business model.

It also precipitated a sea change on the decision-making stage. For the first

time, developing countries like India, China and Brazil were asked to participate in negotiations for new international banking regulations.

Regulators from 27 economies agreed on September 12 on the so-called Basel III reforms, which would require banks to raise their high quality Tier One capital from 2.0 percent to 4.5 percent of assets. An additional buffer was also imposed, bringing the total capital required to 7.0 percent by 2019.

The importance of emerging countries’ participation was not lost on the eurozone’s biggest bank Spain’s Banco Santander’s chairman Emilio Botin.

He described the new rules as “most significant” for the global financial system in decades, citing among reasons “the G20’s commitment to adopt it in an agreed manner.”

Jan-Egbert Sturm, who heads the KOF Swiss Economic Institute, said that the all-round participation in negotiations held the promise that implementation would be more even than that of Basel II, which US and Chinese banks largely shunned.

“I’m assuming that with Basel III, everything will be different that countries like China and India and many other developing economies and countries in the OECD will participate,” he said.

The economist said that “the implicit assumption” of broad participation stems from the fact that “emerging nations took part in deciding these new rules.”

“That’s a big advantage compared to

before. They all seem to be on the same playing field now, while before that, playing fields had different sizes.

“I hope that Basel III will lead to this one big playing field on the international level,” he said.

He added that implementation by emerging market banks would come at little cost, given that their conservative style of banking and often stricter home regulations meant that many were already not far from complying with new rules. However, Pascal de Lima, chief economist at Altran Financial Services, said that banks in developing economies outside of the rapidly-growing ones such as China, India and Brazil could find it harder to raise capital to meet the basic minimum, since they are seen to carry higher levels of risks. —AFP Even fast-growing economies like China and India could be penalized by an additional “counter-cyclical buffer” of up to 2.5 percent, he noted. The buffer is a further insurance measure which is to be introduced when there is excess credit growth resulting in risks building up system wide.

“For developing countries, they will be penalized in the sense that in case of very sharp growth, their central bank could decide to add on this additional 2.5 percent,” noted de Lima.

Nout Wellink, the chairman of the Basel Committee on Banking Supervision, estimated that “hundreds of billions” of euros would be required for the implementation of new rules. — AFP

The Swiss Financial Markets Authority (FINMA) is due to publish its long-delayed proposals for a post-crisis revamp of domestic requirements at the end of September.

“We’re all waiting to see what recommendations this report comes out with,” a spokesman for the Swiss Bankers Association, James Nason, told AFP, warning that the banks did not want to be “shackled.”

The “Swiss finish” already imposes a 20 percent higher capital buffer than the existing international regulation. As the financial crisis struck, FINMA obliged UBS and Credit Suisse in December 2008 to bolster their capital even more-to levels 50 to 100 percent above the current Basel II standard.

The two banks are regarded as “too big to fail,” so big that the collapse of one or the other in the event of a severe crisis could harm the Swiss economy as a whole.

The FINMA report by a commission of experts should cover banks of systemic importance, a spokesman for the authority said.

However Nason said it was still uncertain whether FINMA would demand a new “Swiss finish” above Basel III on all banks, as well as tougher requirements for the biggest.

“It’s an open question whether FINMA wants to recalibrate,” he said. In volatile times, bankers are less prone to promote the merits of the “Swiss finish.” “It’s a double-edged sword,” Nason explained, while acknowledging that it could be a marketing asset. This month association president Patrick Odier, a private banker, warned against “excessive rigour” and urged care for a Swiss asset that foreign investors prize, its stable regulatory environment.

“The priority is on international coordination.

We categorically refuse that Switzerland should go it alone,” Odier said at an annual bankers’ meeting. Banks readily highlight the importance of financial services for the Swiss economy-about 12 percent of Gross Domestic Product, 200,000 employees and 15 percent of national tax revenue.

It is precisely that weight that prompts regulators to shudder at memories of the collapse of a seemingly unassailable giant like Lehman Brothers and the swift Swiss state rescue plan for UBS in the financial crisis.

Overall banking assets are valued at eight times Switzerland’s GDP. Swiss central bank chairman Philipp Hildebrand called Basel III “a solid foundation” on which to build a complete national response to the issue of systemic banks.”

Under Basel III, requirements for top quality Tier One capital cover were raised to seven percent, instead of two percent beforehand, and analysts expect FINMA to advocate a top-up for Swiss banks.

Peter Thorne of Helvea predicted that the two big banks could face a Tier One floor 2.5 percentage points higher than the new Basel III requirements. They should “not have too much trouble respecting this requirement,” he added.

Credit Suisse and UBS said in their second quarter results that their Tier One ratios stood at 16.3 and 16.4 percent respectively under the current definition.

“Basel III rules are not really that hard from the Swiss perspective. Here we will go further,” predicted Jan-Egbert Sturm, director of the KOF Swiss Economic Institute.

“It could also be an advantage. Switzerland is already a safehaven. If our banks had tougher rules, other countries may feel we really are the safehaven,” he added.

On Thursday, Deutsche Bank chief executive Josef Ackermann warned national regulators not to exceed Basel III standards, arguing that it could force banks into a “race to the top” and harm lending, the Financial Times reported. — AFP

HAVANA: A man works with chicken in Havana yesterday. Cuba is to allow some houses to be rented in US dollars for the first time in 50 years as well as the opening up of small businesses as it seeks to shed 500,000 public jobs, state media said. — AFP

China again denies blocking rare earth exports to Japan TOKYO: China has again refuted claims it blocked exports of rare earth minerals to Japan amid a simmering row over the detention of a Chinese boat captain by Japanese authorities, officials said.

The Japanese embassy in Beijing was told that China “didn’t issue the instruction to block exports of rare earth minerals to Japan,” Japan’s foreign ministry said in a statement issued late Saturday.

China’s commerce ministry first issued a denial on Thursday, after a report alleged it had prevented shipments of the rare minerals to Japan.

Japanese traders had accused Chinese customs authorities of slowing down administrative procedures at Shanghai and Guangzhou ports to prevent the minerals being loaded onto ships, in effect

blocking exports to Japan.

The minerals are used by many of Japan’s top exporters, such as the world’s biggest automaker Toyota, to make products ranging from car batteries to computers.

Japan and China have been embroiled in their worst diplomatic row in years, sparked by the arrest of a fishing boat captain after his trawler collided with two Japanese coastguard vessels in the East China Sea on September 7.

Japan released the boat captain on Friday but Beijing has demanded an apology and compensation from Tokyo over his “unlawful” detention-a claim rejected by Tokyo as “totally groundless.” — AFP

Spain braced for strike, but impact seen limited MADRID: Spain’s Socialist government, forced to impose unpopular measures to fix a battered economy, faces a general strike on Wednesday amid union anger over what they see as a policy U-turn.

But many view the government’s tough labor reforms and belt-tightening measures as inevitable, and even necessary, and a low turnout is expected.

A poll published Friday in the newspaper Publico said only 18 percent of workers backed the strike, and 71 percent believed it would not force the government of Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero to change course.

“The aim of the strike is not to force him to resign, but to change his policies ... to drop this new avatar, this reincarnation,” said Candido Mendez, the head of the UGT union.

“The prime minister, in his heart of hearts, is aware that he must change,” said Ignacio Fernandez Toxo, the head of the other main union, CCOO. But Labour Minister Celestino Corbacho vowed Sunday that there would be no reversal of the sweeping overhaul of Spain’s rigid labour market which received final approval by parliament on September 9. “It is the law and there is no going back, that must be clear,” he told conservative daily newspaper ABC. “It introduces elements of flexibility that will allow our companies and economy to gain competitiveness and it bets decisively on the creation of more stable work,” he said.

The labor market reforms cut Spain’s high cost of firing workers and gives companies more flexibility to reduce working hours and staff levels in economic downturns.

Zapatero, a member of the UGT, maintained a cozy relationship with the two unions after he first took office in 2004. But that turned sour after he

entered his second term in 2008, and the economy slumped into recession as the once-booming property sector collapsed.

It only emerged in the first quarter of this year with tepid growth of 0.1 percent.

The recession has sent the country’s unemployment rate soaring to more than 20 percent, the highest in the 16-nation euro-zone. The rise in joblessness has in turn jacked up government spending on unemployment benefits, pushing Spain’s public deficit to 11.1 percent of gross domestic product last year, the third highest in the euro-zone after Greece and Ireland.

The government on Friday approved a tough austerity budget for 2011 aimed at reassuring nervous markets over its ability to rein in the massive public deficit.

The proposals, which include new tax hikes for the wealthy, must go to parliament, where the government does not hold an absolute majority but is hopeful of ensuring its successful passage.

“It is the most austere budget in recent years,” Finance Minister Elena Salgado told a news conference. It envisages an overall cut in government expenditure of almost eight percent compared to this year. The government in May passed a 15-billion-euro ($19 billion) austerity plan to shore up public finances amid investor concerns it could follow Greece into a financial crisis.

It included an average state employee salary reduction of five percent and a pensions freeze.

That was on top of a 50-billion-euro package of spending cuts announced in January designed to progressively slash the public deficit to the eurozone limit of three percent of gross domestic product by 2013. —AFP

TECHNOLOGY

Monday, September 27, 2010

27

Additional 3 airlines choose Amadeus’ technology KUWAIT: Amadeus, a leading travel technology provider and transaction processor for the global travel and tourism industry, and Travel Guard, a world-leading travel insurance and assistance company, have been selected to supply real-time travel insurance content, product availability and booking functionality through the direct booking channels of Etihad Airways, Hong Kong Airlines and Kenya Airways.

The combination of Amadeus’ technological expertise and extensive airline and agency distribution network and

Travel Guard’s comprehensive portfolio of travel insurance products and wide array of emergency medical, travel and personal assistance services, presents a winning value proposition for airlines by way of accessibility to and delivery of the best travel insurance content and booking functionality in the industry.

According to Bob Gallagher, chief marketing officer at Travel Guard Worldwide, “travel insurance is an extremely valuable customer service feature and competitive cross-sell opportunity for any airline.

The offer of travel insurance at the time of the air ticket purchase not only provides a benefit to the customer, it also represents an attractive revenue stream for the airlines. We are pleased to be an Amadeus partner and travel product supplier that is fully integrated in the Amadeus e-Retail engine and AltÈa Call Center platform.

Collectively, we bring a simple, costeffective yet world class travel insurance solution to airline clients.”

The implementation of the travel insurance program through e-Retail

(Amadeus’ airline internet booking engine) into Etihad Airways, Hong Kong Airlines and Kenya Airways booking processes required minimal investment and yet generated immediate benefits.

By incorporating an offer of travel insurance into their Website booking path, they were able to offer their customers a seamless purchase experience, whilst generating new non-transportation revenue through commissionable insurance sales.

In addition, it was extremely important that the insurance segment be

stored in the Amadeus PNR, which allows for full integration with their back office system.

Moreover, the overall benefits of such a program have led Kenya Airways to additionally offer insurance services through its call centre operations. For the online traveller, booking travel insurance through Amadeus e-Retail is both fast and simple.

The intuitive booking process pulls the relevant passenger and trip details from the airline segment, proposes the appropriate travel insurance policy, and

calculates the insurance premium value.

Marcos Isaac, Director Travel Services Business Group, Amadeus commented, “Revenues other than tickets are expected to account for USD 56 billion or 12% of total airline revenues in 2010 according to an IATA presentation made at the last CAPA1 conference,” and added, “by selecting Amadeus and Travel Guard, Etihad Airways, Hong Kong Airlines and Kenya Airways will be able to capitalize on the new revenue opportunities and strengthen their ancillary strategy.”

World’s first hybrid GT race car makes green sexy WASHINGTON: She stood motionless on the pavement near Washington’s National Mall, beams of late summer sun caressing her sleek body as dozens of men ogled her and made secret wishes. ‘She’, German luxury carmaker Porsche’s new 911 GT3 R Hybrid, is the world’s first hybrid GT racing car, and it was in the United States to compete in the American Le Mans Series, a proven ground for green technology race cars.

CHICAGO: In this photo provided by Harpo Productions, talk-show host Oprah Winfrey, second from left, poses with New Jersey Gov Chris Christie, left, Newark, NJ, Mayor Cory Booker, second from right, and Mark Zuckerberg, founder of Facebook, during a live broadcast of “The Oprah Winfrey Show” Friday, Sept. 24, 2010, in Chicago. — AP

US city hopes Facebook gift translates to results NEW JERSEY: Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg paid a visit to Newark, the city where he said he would donate $100 million worth of his company’s stock over the next five years.

Appearing alongside Newark Mayor Corey Booker and New Jersey Gov Chris Christie on Saturday, the three said were short on details but said the first step of the process would be getting community input on changes that need to be made.

Recounting how his grandmother had been a teacher and his parents had worked hard to give himself and his three sisters a good education, Zuckerberg said he hoped to do the same, not just for thousands of Newark students, but to help create a new model for successful public education that could be replicated nationwide. He dismissed questions about the timing of his donation, which coincides with the release of a movie about Facebook that portrays him in a less than flattering light. “This (donation) is something that’s going to play out for years,” he said.

The three players seeking to turn the windfall into a renaissance , a 26-year-old Internet wunderkind, a Democratic mayor described by Oprah Winfrey as a “rock star” and a Republican governor drawing criticism and acclaim for his budgetslashing ways , announced their plans Friday on Winfrey’s talk show. Christie said he would give Booker a major role in overseeing any major changes in the district, which the state took over in 1995 because of persistently low test scores and wasteful spending.

Booker pledged to raise an additional $150 million for the effort. “What’s the alternative? Is it to continue what we’re doing now, with nearly a 50 percent dropout rate?” Christie said. “I’m much more willing to take risks and take chances when it comes to this.”

New Jersey’s Supreme Court has found in rulings over the past two decades that urban schools

were underfunded and ordered the government to fund the most impoverished districts as well as its most affluent suburban schools. The court has also pushed the state to spend billions to upgrade school buildings in cities and provide free preschool for 3- and 4-year-olds.

While some areas have seen gains, most of those schools still fall far short on measures such as standardized tests and graduation rates. Money alone doesn’t seem to be the answer, but money is what wealthy funders can offer.

Through his foundation, Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates , like Zuckerberg, a Harvard dropout, awarded $290 million in education grants in November 2009, including $100 million to the school system that includes Tampa, Florida, and $90 million for the Memphis, Tennessee, district.

The foundation has also given $150 million to the New York City schools over the past eight years.

Most of the funding in New York has gone toward the creation of smaller schools that aim to boost graduation rates for the most academically challenged students; several teachers also participate in a foundation-led training program. One recent study of Gates’ efforts found that graduation rates in those schools had improved.

The Star-Ledger of Newark reported Saturday that Gates, among a roster of current and new donors, had expressed interest in donating to the Newark initiative. Booker would not confirm the donation but said several donors had made pledges since Zuckerberg’s announcement, and that he would release details soon.

Newark was once booming, with its 1940s population of about 430,000 working in good-paying jobs in the teeming textile and manufacturing industries. But after World War II, the city began a postwar descent into racial unrest, white flight, crime and corruption. Its population suffered , it’s now down to around 275,000 , along with its schools. — AP

Porn titans come together to expose Internet pirates SAN FRANCISCO: The notoriously fragmented porn industry is uniting to expose Internet Age pirates threatening its survival. Studios have begun collaborating on lawsuits targeting people who share digitized adult videos at peer-to-peer networks and are exploring technology tools for automatically tracking and protecting copyrighted material online.

Pink Visual is rallying dozens of adult entertainment studio operators at an unprecedented Content Protection Retreat in Arizona in October to train in ways to combat piracy and defend intellectual property. “We joke that we can’t agree on where to go for lunch, but this is getting big and we are ready to put aside the egos and sit down to work together on solutions,” said the head of Lightspeed studio Steve Lightspeed.

“Piracy on the Internet is much more available to the average user than it ever was.”

Internet technology that started as a boon for porn producers by allowing videos or images to be discreetly viewed on home computers has turned against the adult industry, according to Pink president Allison Vivas.

“People were willing back then to pay top dollar for porn, now it looks like the majority of users think adult content is free,” Vivas said. “That is a huge shift in just a few years.”

In recent weeks, porn producers began filing lawsuits against “John Does” that share copyrighted adult material at BitTorrent sites that use peerto-peer networks of personal computers to swap digital content.

Larry Flynt Publications sued 635 individuals in a court in Texas on September 20 in the company’s first suit aimed at users of BitTorrent sites and vowed many more such suits were to come. Suits threaten to expose names of accused porn pirates as part of the legal process, and that alone might prove a deterrent. Studios are working with lawyers at Media Copyright Group and Copyright Enforcement Services on the litigation, with an initial legal barrage focused on videos touting shemales or 18-year-old girls.

“It seems like it will be quite embarrassing for whichever user ends up in a lawsuit about using a popular shemale title,” Vivas said, using a term that

refers to a person who has female features but male genitalia. “When it comes to private sexual fantasies and fetishes, going public is probably not worth the risk that these torrent and peer-to-peer users are taking.”

Studios are also taking legal aim at “tube” websites, porn versions of video-sharing service YouTube, which they decry as willing stages for pirated content. Studios expressed frustration with unscrupulous adult video-sharing websites packing pages with pirated material and only being required by law to remove the content after proper owners notice and complain.

Lightspeed likened the situation to a car thief only having to return a stolen vehicle after the owner found him and asked for it back.

“The technology has outpaced the laws,” Lightspeed said. “We really need to organize ourselves and lobby for a change in the law.” Part of the retreat will be devoted to educating studio operators about technology designed to swiftly find and identify copyrighted content posted online and then remove it or overlay it with advertising or labels. — AFP

At a Washington event, it showed off sleek lines and the ground-breaking new hybrid technology, developed for racing but which Porsche ultimately wants to incorporate into its normal cars — not that Porsche does any normal cars. “This car shows that being environmentally efficient doesn’t have to be boring. It can be fast, it can be sexy, it can be competitive,” Patrick Long, a 29-year-old Porsche factory driver and one of a handful of men to have gripped the wheel and shifted the gears of the new Porsche GT hybrid.

“Hybrids don’t have to make no noise and drive slowly down the road. They can be loud, exciting race cars,” he said. The car has the body of a 2010 Porsche 911 GT3 R with a fourliter, flat-six, 480 horsepower combustion engine in the rear.

Up front, its unique hybrid system harnesses two electric motors and a flywheel to generate, store and release power.

The Porsche is the first car to use an electromechanical flywheel as the battery, said Christoph Michalik, Porsche’s director of motorsports strategy and planning.

When a driver brakes on one of the many curves on a race course, the electric motors, which are coupled to the wheels, generate an electric current that powers up the flywheel, located in the front passenger seat. Energy is released from the flywheel during normal acceleration and automatically delivered to the front wheels to support the combustion engine and reduce fuel consumption.

Energy can also be requested by the driver-to overtake a rival racer, for example-by pushing a paddle on the steering wheel to request a “boost”.

In “boost” mode, the car switches from rear-wheel to all-

WASHINGTON: Spectators look at a Porsche 911 GT3 R Hybrid race car outside the Department of Energy in Washington, DC, September 21, 2010. — AFP wheel drive, which increases traction and reduces tire wear, and both the front and rear engines are used at 100 percent, the combustion engine delivering 480 horsepower and the front electric motors adding another 160-180 horsepower.

“When you pull the paddle and get the charge, it launches you back in the seat and you’d better be ready and have your lines set up so you stay on the race track.

That’s roughly 30 percent more horsepower,” said Long.

“And all that power is produced by stored kinetic energy that was created from the brak-

ing of the car,” he added. In normal accelerating mode, the Porsche GT hybrid lets the combustion engine work less, which cuts down on fuel consumption. And the car’s technology allows drivers to brake later and harder with less wear on parts like brake pads, said Long.

“In endurance races, which this car is made for, if we spend 60 seconds in the pits changing brake pads halfway through the race... no matter how fast your lap times are, if you spend time in the pits you’re going to lose the race,” he said. “This

Porsche is a glimpse into the future of what high-performance efficiency will be,” said Scott Atherton, president of the American Le Mans Series, the only major motorsports series in the world in which cars use alternative energies.

The new Porsche GT hybrid racing car will make its US racing debut on October 2 at the 1,000-mile, 10-hour-maximum final of the American Le Mans Series. A month later it will race in Zhuhai, in China, with Long at the wheel. In Atlanta, the Porsche will race against cars including a Corvette powered by

cellulosic E85 ethanol, a Mazda that runs on isobutanol; and an Audi that runs on clean diesel, Atherton told AFP. But because the Porsche’s technology is so new, it won’t be in the running for a prize at the race.

That’s because officials haven’t had time to come up with rules and regulations for the sexy, green German car that only made its first outing in May at the Nuerburgring in Germany, dominating the 24-hour race until the rear combustion engine developed a problem with just two hours to go. — AFP

Court convicts Google and boss of defamation PARIS: A Paris court has convicted US search engine giant Google and its chief executive Eric Schmidt of defamation over results from its “suggest” function, a French legal affairs website has revealed. The new function, which suggests options as you type in a word, brought up the words “rapist” and “satanist” when the plaintiff’s name was

typed into the search engine, legalis.net reported.

The court ordered Google to make a symbolic payment of one euro in damages and take measures to ensure they could be no repeat of the offence. The plaintiff in this case had been convicted on appeal to a three-year jail sentence for corruption of a minor, a conviction that

was not yet definitive, when he discovered the results on entering his name in a Google search.

The court concluded that the search engine’s linking his name to such words was defamatory. The court ruled that Google had not showed its good faith in the matter and ordered it to pay 5,000 euros (6,700 dollars) towards the plain-

tiff’s costs. A Google spokesman told AFP by email that they would be appealing the ruling.

The statement said that the Google Suggest function simply reflected the most common terms used in the past with words entered, so it was not Google itself that was making the suggestions. — AFP

NEW YORK: Google CEO Eric Schmidt looks on during the annual Clinton Global Initiative (CGI) September 21, 2010 in New York City. US search engine giant Google appealed on September 25, 2010 to the decision taken by a Paris court. —AFP

28

HEALTH & SCIENCE

Monday, September 27, 2010

How the first nine months shape the rest of your life What makes us the way we are? Why are some people predisposed to be anxious, overweight or asthmatic? How is it that some of us are prone to heart attacks, diabetes or high blood pressure? There’s a list of conventional answers to these questions.

We are the way we are because it’s in our genes. We turn out the way we do because of our childhood experiences. Or our health and well-being stem from the lifestyle choices we make as adults.

But there’s another powerful source of

influence you may not have considered: your life as a fetus. The nutrition you received in the womb; the pollutants, drugs and infections you were exposed to during gestation; your mother’s health and state of mind while she was pregnant with you - all these factors shaped you as a baby and continue to affect you to this day.

This is the provocative contention of a field known as fetal origins, whose pioneers assert that the nine months of gestation constitute the most consequential period of our

lives, permanently influencing the wiring of the brain and the functioning of organs such as the heart, liver and pancreas. In the literature on the subject, which has exploded over the past 10 years, you can find references to the fetal origins of cancer, cardiovascular disease, allergies, asthma, hypertension, diabetes, obesity, mental illness. At the farthest edge of fetal-origins research, scientists are exploring the possibility that intrauterine conditions influence not only our physical health but also our intelligence,

temperament, even our sanity. As a journalist who covers science, I was intrigued when I first heard about fetal origins. But two years ago, when I began to delve more deeply into the field, I had a more personal motivation: I was newly pregnant. If it was true that my actions over the next nine months would affect my offspring for the rest of his life, I needed to know more. Of course, no woman who is pregnant today can escape hearing the message that what she does affects her fetus. She hears it at

doctor’s appointments, sees it in the pregnancy guidebooks: Do eat this, don’t drink that, be vigilant but never stressed.

Expectant mothers could be forgiven for feeling that pregnancy is just a nine-month slog, full of guilt and devoid of pleasure, and this research threatened to add to the burden. But the scientists I met weren’t full of dire warnings but of the excitement of discovery - and the hope that their discoveries would make a positive difference. Research on fetal origins is prompting a revolution-

ary shift in thinking about where human qualities come from and when they begin to develop.

It’s turning pregnancy into a scientific frontier: the National Institutes of Health embarked last year on a multidecade study that will examine its subjects before they’re born. And it makes the womb a promising target for prevention, raising hopes of conquering public-health scourges like obesity and heart disease through interventions before birth. — Time

US kids drink too little water: Study

C

DUISBURG: Koala Thalera climbs in his enclosure in the Duisburg Zoo Friday, Sept 24, 2010. Male Koala Thalera was born on Nov 7 last year. —AP

ADHD drug benefits child cancer survivors BP says company’s oil study had limitations WASHINGTON: BP’s lead investigator into the Gulf of Mexico oil spill has told an independent panel of experts that the company’s internal probe has limitations. Mark Bly, head of safety and operations for BP PLC, says a lack of physical evidence and interviews with employees from other companies limited BP’s study. Bly is appearing before a National Academy of Engineering committee yesterday. The April

disaster killed 11 people and released 172 million gallons (651 million liters) of oil. BP’s study said eight separate failures led to the oil rig accident.

The report said BP and other companies were mainly responsible. But the conclusions were made without examining the drilling rig or a key piece of equipment, the blowout preventer. — AP

CALIFORNIA: A Shovel Headed Tree Frog, one of the rarest frogs in the world that will soon be on display in the new Reptile House at the Los Angeles Zoo, is seen. The zoo, located beside Los Angeles’ Griffith Park, is home to 1,100 animals from around the world. — AFP

NEW YORK: Children who develop problems with memory, attention and behavior after cancer treatment may gain some long-term benefit from a medication commonly used for attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), a small clinical trial suggests.

It’s well known that children who undergo radiation and chemotherapy that target the central nervous system can develop long-term problems with thinking, memory and attention span, as well as behavior and school performance. Methylphenidate, sold under brand-names like Ritalin and Concerta, can improve such symptoms in children diagnosed with ADHD and is the most commonly prescribed drug for them. But until now, only a few, very short-term studies had looked at the drug’s effects in child cancer survivors.

The new research, published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, included 122 children who had developed attention and learning problems after successful treatment for brain cancer or acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), a cancer of the white blood cells.

Researchers found that those who were given methylphenidate for a year showed a greater improvement in attention, behavioral problems and social skills than those who did not take the medication.

That does not mean methylphenidate can help all children with cognitive and behavioral issues after cancer treatment. Nor is it clear how the drug may ultimately affect their school performance. The evidence does suggest that methylphenidate improves attention, behavioral problems and social skills in about half of the child cancer survivors who take it, according to Dr Heather M Conklin, a pediatric neuropsychologist at St Jude Children’s Research Hospital in Memphis and the lead researcher on the new study.

As far as academics, Conklin and her colleagues found that children on the drug showed no greater improvement in tests of reading, spelling and math skills than those in the control group. But that is consistent with what

studies have shown in children with ADHD, Conklin told Reuters Health in an e-mail.

Methylphenidate has mainly been found to improve children’s performance on measures of attention, concentration and ability to process information-with less evidence that it affects specific academic skills.

Anecdotally, Conklin said, some parents in her study said their children’s grades improved, and that appeared to be related to improvements in the kids’ ability to finish their homework and study for tests.

She said future studies should assess such “executive aspects” of school performance, rather than only looking at specific math or reading abilities.

For the current study, Conklin’s team used a standard battery of tests that gauge a person’s capacity for sustained attention. They also had parents and teachers rate the children’s attention and hyperactivity symptoms; parents completed additional questionnaires on behavioral issues and social skills. Overall, children on methylphenidate showed a statistically significant improvement on the sustainedattention tests, in parent and teacher ratings of attention, and in parent ratings of behavior and social skills.

In most of those areas, Conklin said, the children’s average scores improved to the levels seen among healthy children the same age. In contrast, children in the control group showed improvements only in parent ratings of attention and social skills. According to Conklin, the findings suggest that methylphenidate can be considered an option for child cancer survivors.

She said that in her practice, she discusses it with parents.

But she also pointed out that the drug would typically be just one element of a strategy that includes certain school accommodations-like seating the child in the front of the classroom and giving him or her shorter homework assignments - and teaching kids tactics for making schoolwork and test-taking easier-such as studying in quiet settings, with frequent breaks. Right now, there are few research-based

alternatives for improving child cancer survivors’ cognitive and behavioral problems. A recent study found that a so-called “cognitive remediation program”-which includes giving kids practical strategies and helping them view their struggles in a more positive lightcan boost academic abilities.

But, Conklin noted, the improvements were modest and the time investment large (20 two-hour, one-on-one sessions with a clinician). She said there remains a clear need for non-drug treatments that are “feasible, acceptable and affordable.” As for the safety of methylphenidate, the most common side effects of the drug in children with ADHD include appetite problems, insomnia, headaches, dizziness and stomachaches. So far, research suggests that child cancer survivors do not suffer greater or more severe side effects. But further work is still needed.

The current study had some limitations, including the fact that the children were not randomly assigned to the treatment and control groups.

Those in the methylphenidate group had all responded to the drug in an initial three-week study, during which they spent part of the time on methylphenidate and part of the time on a placebo. The children used in the control group for the year-long study had all qualified for the earlier, three-week trial, but in most cases had not participated because their parents did not want them taking the medication. Some had taken part in the early trial, but either did not respond to the drug or did not want to take it longer term.

In addition, 91 children were originally in the methylphenidate group for the year-long study, but 23 — or one-quarter - of them dropped out. In eight cases, adverse drug effects were given as the reason. The study was funded by the National Cancer Institute and the American Lebanese Syrian Associated Charities. One of the coresearchers on the work has served as a consultant to Shire Pharmaceuticals, maker of a methylphenidate product for ADHD sold only in Europe. — Reuters

hildren in the United States are not drinking as much water as they should, and the deficiency can have farreaching implications, a new study suggests. “Even mild dehydration can affect physiological function, and cause fatigue, muscle weakness, headaches and dry mouth,” said Samantha Heller, clinical nutrition coordinator at the Center for Cancer Care at Griffin Hospital in Derby, Conn., who was not involved in the study.

Impaired cognitive and mental performance are also linked to inadequate hydration, said Heller.

According to the study, published in the October issue of the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, only 15 to 60 percent of boys and 10 to 54 percent of girls, depending on age, drink the minimum amount of water recommended by the US Institute of Medicine.

Children obtain much of their water from sweetened beverages rather than plain old H2O, the researchers found. And those who drink the most plain water consume fewer sweetened beverages and eat fewer high-calorie foods.

For the study, Ashima K Kant from Queens College of the City University of New York and Barry I Graubard of the US National Cancer Institute looked at the water intake of 3,978 boys and girls, aged 2 to 19 years, who had been included in a national nutrition study from 2005 to 2006.

Included in their analysis was water itself, water in moist foods, and moisture in all beverages and nutritious drinks such as milk and juice. The investigators found that water intake from all sources varied by age: 2- to 5-year-olds drank 5.9 cups a day; 6- to 11year-olds got 6.8 cups, and 12- to 19-year-olds consumed 10.1 cups daily. Girls generally drank less than boys, Kant and Graubard noted.

Kids of all ages are more likely to drink beverages than water at mealtime, the findings suggest.

More than two-thirds of water consumption was derived from beverages with main meals, while only one-third of the plain water was consumed with meals, the researchers found. “Our results suggest age differences in the extent of water contributed by different sources to the diets of American children,” the study authors wrote. “The quality of food selections reported in association with plain water intake was better than that reported with increasing beverage moisture, and the strength of these associations varied with age,” they added.

“Efforts to moderate the consumption of sweetened beverages and promote plain water intake should not only continue to promote plain water for snacks but also should recognize the importance of replacing nonnutritive beverages at meal time with plain water,” Kant and Graubard concluded. As the children got older, consumption of plain water increased while intake of nutritive beverages, such as milk, decreased, the researchers found.

Water makes up 55 to 75 percent of total body weight, said Heller. “We cannot live without water for more than a few days because our bodies cannot store water. Thus, it is essential we replace the water our bodies lose every day.”

Heller, a nutritionist and dietitian, advises starting children on water early. “Give them water instead of sweetened beverages during the day and between meals,” she said. To make it more appealing, put sliced cucumbers, oranges, lemons or strawberries in ice water, she suggested. And if your child is hooked on sodas, she advised transitioning to seltzer or flavored seltzers instead. — HealthDay

Doctors banned from smoking in Philippines MANILA: Doctors in the Philippines have been banned from smoking by the country’s medical association to make sure they set a good example to their patients, the group said Saturday.

The order by the Philippine Medical Association will also ensure that other people are not affected by a doctor’s secondhand smoke, association president Oscar Tinio said in a statement.

MANILA: A cigarette vendor sells cigarettes to a public utility vehicle driver in Manila.

Doctors in the Philippines have been banned from smoking by the country’s medical association to make sure they set a good example to their patients, the group said Saturday. —AFP “Physicians must be role models on matters of health, whose lives, decorum and personality are highly respected or emulated by all sectors of society-that is why it is highly inappropriate for physicians to be seen smoking,” he said. Spokesman Mike Aragon said that the public was encouraged to report smoking medics to the association. Asked what would happen to doctors who violate the order, Aragon said a committee would decide that later.

“We will cross the bridge when we reach it,” he told AFP. Tinio was quoted as saying that he personally knew doctors who smoked. Government statistics show that there are 17.3 million smokers in the Philippines, amounting to about 28 percent of the population aged 15 or older. Philippine President Benigno Aquino admits he is a smoker, saying he needs the habit to deal with the stress of the job.— AFP

Monday, September 27, 2010

HEALTH & SCIENCE

29

Plague breaks out in Tibet One of five infected dies

GISH ABAY: Followers of the Ethiopian Orthodox church walk on August 17, 2010 in the source of the Blue Nile in northern Ethiopia, a sparkling stream at Gish Abay that spills first into Lake Tana then makes its way toward Sudan as the Blue Nile.— AFP

Ethiopians want more from sacred Nile waters GISH ABAY: Here in the shadow of Mount Gish, the spring water that forms the Blue Nile is believed to have healing powers, but Ethiopians say that is the only benefit they get from the mighty river. “These waters are sacred, they perform miracles for the sick,” Berhanu Melak, an elderly farmer, told AFP as he filled a metal trough with water for the throngs of white-cloaked men and women who have been queuing since the early hours in this town 400 kilometres (250 miles) north of Addis Ababa.

The sparkling stream in Gish Abay spills first into Lake Tana then makes its way towards Sudan as the Blue Nile. There, the river joins the White Nile in Khartoum before draining into Egypt’s Mediterranean coast, spanning in all nearly 6,000 kilometres. “But look around you, there is nothing here. The big river doesn’t feed us,” Berhanu says, his voice almost drowned out by the nearby bathers.

It is a sentiment that has echoed for centuries in Ethiopia: while the land where the Nile originates is constantly ravaged by drought, downstream countries get the full benefit of its water. In the Amhara region where 85 percent of the Nile’s flow stems from, some 850,000 people are dependent

on food aid, according to the UN. Crops only grow here when it rains-in sharp contrast to the situation downstream in Egypt, where vast commercial farms and even lush golf courses flank the river.

In an attempt to change this state of affairs, Ethiopia, Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania and Uganda, all upstream-and poorer-countries, signed a new pact this year which they say will ensure equitable use. Under the treaty, Addis Ababa intends to tap its water resources to build dams and export power to neighboring countries, while also setting up irrigation projects to curb famine.

But Egypt and Sudan, both almost completely dependent on the Nile, say upstream projects would drastically reduce the river’s flow and have refused to give up a drop of water.

“They have said the issue is a matter of their national security ... same goes for us,” Ethiopia’s water resources minister Asfaw Dingamo told AFP. “For a long time we have applied for loans in order to be able to utilise our resources, only to be turned down because of Egyptian and Sudanese objections,” he added.

On the verge of conflict- Ethiopia has now decided to self fund its projects, claim-

ing they will not harm the interests of other countries. “Our stretch of the Nile has the potential to generate 10,000 megawatts and 1.1 million hectares (2.7 million acres) for irrigation. Our current usage on power is only 0.45 percent of the Nile’s flow,” said Fekahmed Negash, an expert at the ministry. “Even if we were able to develop all that land, we would be using only 10 percent of the flow. Our plan at the moment is six percent in 50 years time.” “I don’t think the downstream (countries) are justified. A legal framework ... is usually what any downstream riparian in a transboundary basin would dream about,” Ana Cascao, project manager at the Stockholm International Water Institute, told AFP. “The downstream riparians do not have this perception because they already have bilateral legal agreements that allocate the Nile’s waters,” she added. At the heart of the dispute is a 1929 agreement between Cairo and colonial Britain which gave Egypt veto power over upstream projects.

Another deal between Egypt and Sudan in 1959 allowed Egypt 55.5 billion cubic metres of water each year — 87 percent of the Nile’s flow-and Sudan 18.5 billion cubic metres. — AFP

BEIJING: China issued a health alert in its southwestern region of Tibet yesterday after five people were diagnosed with the plague, an often fatal infectious disease. One of the five has already died from a severe lung infection attributed to the pneumonic plague, while one other patient was in a critical condition, the Tibet health department said in a statement on its website.

The outbreak was first detected on Thursday last week in Latok village in Tibet’s Nyingchi Prefecture, the department said.

The four patients, all of whom had contact with the deceased, have been quarantined, it said.

Disease control experts have been dispatched to the area in an effort to control the further spread of the disease, it said. The department also issued a warning to anyone who has visited the region near the outbreak to seek immediate medical attention should they develop fever, cough or other flu-like symptoms common to the plague.

Pneumonic plague is spread by rodents like marmots, which are numerous in Tibet. An outbreak of the disease last year killed three people in Ziketan, a town in a Tibetan area in neighbouring Qinghai province. The World Health Organization says pneumonic plague is the most virulent but least common form of plague. The mortality rate can be high, but prompt antibiotic treatment is effective.—AFP

French Riviera sees new case of chikungunya virus DRAGUIGNAN: French health authorities have asked doctors on the Riviera to be on the alert after a second case was detected in the region this weekend of the mosquitoborne chikungunya virus. Two 12-year girls in the town of Frejus have caught the virus that causes fever, headaches and arthritic-type symptoms that leave victims stooped, officials said yesterday.

They noted that both cases were “native,” meaning that the victims had not travelled to the parts of eastern Africa, southeast Asia or the Indian subcontinent were the virus is widespread. The first ever “native” cases of dengue fever were detected in the French Riviera region earlier this month when two people were diagnosed with the disease that causes a flu-like illness for most victims but which can sometimes be deadly. —AFP

LOS ANGELES: A baby female Masai Giraffe who has been named Shani, scratches beside her mother Naema, after being born three weeks ago at the Los Angeles Zoo, on September 24, 2010. — AFP

Cancer drug for $93,000: How much is a life worth?

BOSTON: Cancer patients, brace yourselves. Many new drug treatments cost nearly $100,000 a year, sparking fresh debate about how much a few months more of life is worth. The latest is Provenge, a firstof-a-kind therapy approved in April. It costs $93,000 a year and adds four months’ survival, on average, for men with incurable prostate tumors. Bob Svensson is honest about why he got it: insurance paid.

“I would not spend that money,” because the benefit doesn’t seem worth it, says Svensson, 80, a former corporate finance officer from Bedford, Mass.

His supplemental Medicare plan is paying while the government decides whether basic Medicare will cover Provenge and for whom. The tab for taxpayers could be huge - prostate is the most common cancer in American men. Most of those who have it will be eligible for Medicare, and Provenge will be an option for many late-stage cases. A meeting to consider Medicare coverage is set for Nov 17. “I don’t know how they’re going to deal with that kind of issue,” said Svensson, who was treated at the Lahey Clinic Medical Center in suburban Boston. “I feel very lucky.”

For the last decade, new cancer-fighting drugs have been topping $5,000 a month. Only a few of these keep cancer in remission so long that they are, in effect, cures. For most people, the drugs may buy a few months or years. Insurers usually pay if Medicare pays. But some people have lifetime caps and more people are uninsured because of job layoffs in the recession. The nation’s new health care law eliminates these lifetime limits for plans that were issued or renewed on Sept. 23 or later.

Celgene Corp.’s Revlimid pill for multiple myeloma, a type of blood cancer, can run as much as $10,000 a month; so can Genentech’s Avastin for certain cancers. Now Dendreon Corp.’s Provenge rockets price into a new orbit.

Unlike drugs that people can try for a month or two and keep using only if they keep responding, Provenge is an all-or-nothing $93,000 gamble. It’s a one-time treatment to train the immune system to fight prostate tumors, the first so-called cancer vaccine. Part of why it costs so much is that it’s not a pill cranked out in a lab, but a treatment that is individually prepared, using each patient’s cells and a protein found on most prostate cancer cells. It is expensive and time-consuming to make.

It’s also in short supply, forcing the first rationing of a cancer drug since Taxol and Taxotere were approved 15 years ago. At the University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, doctors plan a modi-

fied lottery to decide which of its 150 or so eligible patients will be among the two a month it can treat with Provenge. An insurance pre-check is part of the process to ensure they financially qualify for treatment.

“I’m fearful that this will become a drug for people with more resources and less available for people with less resources,” said MD Anderson’s prostate cancer research chief, Dr Christopher Logothetis.

When is a drug considered cost-effective?

The most widely quoted figure is $50,000 for a year of life, “though it has been that for decades never really adjusted - and not written in stone,” said Dr. Harlan Krumholz, a Yale University expert on health care costs. Many cancer drugs are way over that mark. Estimates of the cost of a year of life gained for lung cancer patients on Erbitux range from $300,000 to as much as $800,000, said Dr. Len Lichtenfeld, the American Cancer Society’s deputy chief medical officer.

Higher costs seem to be more accepted for cancer treatment than for other illnesses, but there’s no rule on how much is too much, he said. Insurers usually are the ones to decide, and they typically pay if Medicare pays. Medicare usually pays if the federal Food and Drug Administration has approved the use.

“Insurance sort of isolates you from the cost of health care,” and if people lose coverage, they often discover they can’t afford their medicines, said Dr. Alan Venook, a cancer specialist at the University of California, San Francisco. He wrote in the New England Journal in August about three of his patients who stopped taking or cut back on Gleevec because of economic hardship.

Two of the three now are getting the drug from its maker, Novartis AG, which like most pharmaceutical companies has a program for low-income patients. About 5,000 patients got help for Gleevec last year, said Novartis spokesman Geoffrey Cook.

“We have seen a steady increase in requests over the past few years” as the economy worsened, he said.

Showstack, whose leukemia was diagnosed last year, gets Gleevec from Novartis. The dose she’s on now would cost $50,000 a year. “I’m not actually sure that I know anyone who could afford it,” she said. Gleevec’s cost is easier to justify, many say, because it keeps people alive indefinitely - a virtual cure. About 2,300 Americans died each year of Showstack’s form of leukemia before Gleevec came on the market; only 470 did last year.—AP

WHAT’S ON IN KUWAIT

30

Monday, September 27, 2010

Embassy information

K

EMBA SSY OF US 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 petition-based visas will pay an application fee of $150, as each of the below categories requires a review of extensive documentation and a more in-depth interview of the applicant than other categories, such as tourists.

These categories include: H visa for temporary workers and trainees L visa for intra-company transferees O visa for aliens with extraordinary ability P visa for athletes, artists and entertainers Q visa for international cultural exchange visitors R visa for religious occupations The application fee for K visas for fiance(e)s of US citizens will be $350. The fee for E visas for treaty-traders and treaty-investors will be $390.

s

uwait English School Preparatory Department started the new academic year with a splash of color, as both Reception and KG children celebrated Red Day. “All the children were very excited about coming to school in their red clothes and enjoyed all of the “red activities” the teachers had planned for them” said Helen Searle, Head of the Prep. Dept.

Sarah said “In KGWS we had made red jelly and the children enjoyed eating it whilst wearing red clothes. They were smiling all morning”.

EMBA SSY OF CA NA DA Middle East Education Initiative (MEEI) 2010 October 2 to 4, 2010 organized by the Embassy of Canada.

Representatives of leading Canadian universities, colleges and other institutions of higher education will be available to meet students, parents, teachers and guidance counsellors to present the advantages of studying in Canada. On October 4, 2010 a “Study in Canada” exhibition will be being held at the Safir Marina Hotel, Salmiya for potential students and their parents to attend. The Canadian institutions will also be visiting local schools to speak to interested students about opportunities to study in Canada.

Please contact the Canadian Embassy in Kuwait for additional information. The MEEI tour will also be visiting the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Syria, Lebanon, Egypt, Tunisia and Morocco.

Congratulations Engr/Mrs Julius Ofrabor on the arrival of your new born baby. May God bless and guide you as the baby grows to be a blessing to the family. Greetings from the Life Abundant International Fountain Church, friends and well-wishers.

O

n the occasion of Decennial celebration Tulukoota Kuwait invites all Tuluvas to join us for “Tuluparba Competitions” to be held on Friday, October 8, 2010 from 10:00 am-5:00 pm at Indian Community School Auditorium (Senior Girls) Salmiya. Join us for an exciting and entertaining day with lots of fun

Y

outh Recreation Center (Rising Stars), on the completion of 30 glorious years in Kuwait had organized a maiden/mega Singing Competition, the “Gulf Voice of Mangalore 2008” on October 17, 2008 and Kuwait’s very own voice, Vinay Lewis was declared the winner of ‘Gulf Voice of Mangalore 2008.

After the super success of this event we are back again with Gulf Voice of Mangalore 2010’. The auditions/preliminary rounds for Kuwait already held on June 11, 2010 under the leadership of Lawrence Pinto and Louis Rodrigues and 12 semi-finalists (six male and females each) were chosen to compete for the semi-finals in Kuwait

A

and creativity.

Competitions for various age group planned for the day include: Dance Solo and Group, Fancy Dress Solo and Group; Pick N Speak; Onion Cutting; Ladies Cloth Bag Making; Men Kenchana Kurlari; Smart Kid Contest; Puzzle and color me contest, “Hiriyerna Udala

on October 8, 2010 at the American International School - Hawalli. On this day two finalists, one male and one female each will be chosen to enter the grandfinale. Famous personalities in the music field will arrive from Mangalore to judge the semi-finalists.

There will be an entertainment program by visiting artists from Mangalore as well as the local artists, Twelve finalists from six Gulf countries will be fighting for the coveted title in the grand-finale to be held in Dubai on October 22, 2010. For further information about this competition, contact Lawrence 99803755, Louis 66561184. Wilson 99719938.

rpan Kuwait cancelled this year’s Onam celebration following the sad demise of its founder president and current executive member C Vijyakumar, according to a press release. The executive committee and the program committee for Onam celebration, at an emergency meeting, unanimously decided to call off all Onam festivities and celebrations scheduled to be held on October 1 as a mark of respect to the departed founder president, the press release added.

pathera” for senior citizens. For further details and registrations, please contact Sathyanarayana 66585077; Swarna Shetty: 99006934; Rekha Sachu 65044521 and for more details on the rules and regulations please visit our website tulukootakuwait.org. Last date for accepting registrations is October 3, 2010.

A

l-ESSA Organization has announced participating in the 1st Kuwait School Building Conference which will be held for the first time in the State of Kuwait and under the patronage of the Minister of Education Dr Moodhi Al-Homood from 27th to 29th, September in The MovenPick Free Zone.

Thomas Matthew, ALESSA Director General, said that the exhibition to be held alongside the Conference will be a unique opportunity for participating companies to display their services and products concerning education in addition to meeting directly with users and officials in the educational sector such as in MOE, Kuwait university, the Public Authority for Applied Education, private universities and schools.

Thomas Mathew said that AL-ESSA, a diversified organization, has been delivering total solutions to clients in various sectors and to both private and public institutions in Kuwait, noting that “Our range of activities involves supplying products, supporting applications and providing maintenance for medical and analytical needs. We address human resource requirements through supplemental staffing and home health-care programs. We deliver complete solutions in facility engineering, providing mechanical piping, furnishings and equipment. We focus on success.

We care about the value that our customers can derive by their association with us. improving quality of life through our rehabilitation expertise. In addition we have executed several projects on a

turnkey basis by combining our local project management and project support expertise with international technology partners” he said.

It is worth noting that AlEssa with a capital base of KD. 3.0 Million also represents a wide range of internationally reputed manufacturers and brands such as Agilent Technologies, Fisher Scientific Company, Sigma-Aldrich Chemicals, Mettler Toledo, Petroleum Analyzer Company, Leco Instruments, Skalar, Leybold Didactic and Technilab to mention a few.

“In the educational field, we provide total solutions for K -12, College, Vocational Training, University and Research Institutes. These include class room and laboratory furniture instruments and supplies, special laboratory piping, workshops for mechanical, electrical and electronic curriculum, language and computer labs and didactic equipment for the sciences. At the university and research level, we provide a wide range of high end analytical instruments. All supplies are handled by a competent maintenance team capable of ensuring consistent performance of the supplied equipment,” Mathew added.

“Our ability to undertake this comprehensive range of activities comes from more than 30 years of corporate experience and the efforts of hundreds of dedicated core employees. We are proud of our unparalleled reputation for providing quality solutions, the result of a corporate ethos that has won recognition from our valued customers,” Mathew concluded.

EMBA SSY 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.

EMBA SSY 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 EMBA SSY OF THA ILA ND 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.

Monday, September 27, 2010

WHAT’S ON IN KUWAIT

31

Academy Director Mike Finn pictured with Jonathan, Azmi, Joey and James in their new PGA playing strip

Coach Liam guides young players on their shooting technique

T

he Premier Goal Academy in association with Everton FC launched the 2010-11 football coaching program with an open day at their Shaab Park ground at the weekend. Hundreds of young players enjoyed a morning of football activities organized by the PGA Coaching Team which included dribbling and shooting drills, freestyle, speed and agility circuits and team games. Fit4Fun presented a fitness roadshow with a range of equipment to demonstrate football specific

C

onnexxions Media Kuwait is starting instrumental music classes (violin, keyboard, guitar and tabla) at Mangaf and Salmiya for adults and children under the guidance of the efficient professional music teachers. Registration has started at Mangaf and Salmiya centers. The outstanding students will get an opportunity to perform in the Jaihind Family Club stage programs and Jaihind TV Channel.

training routines. The P.G.A. coaching sessions commence Friday 1st October with courses for all ability levels and age groups from 3 to 18 years. There is a further opportunity to join the P.G.A. program at a registration evening on Wednesday 29 September from 1900-2100 at Shaab Park.

For further details contact Mike, Academy Director on 99981327 or Baker, Executive Director on 66918666. Email; premier_fa_kuwait@yahoo.com

T

he Indian Community School, Junior branch conducted a workshop for the teachers on 15th September 2010.

Teaching today is a challenging and tough job. The schools need to be well equipped to face the challenges of the 21st century. In the 21st century, the teachers are expected to be introspective, co-operative, directive and experienced. They need to achieve the objective of excellence coupled with equity and social justice by the way of imparting quality education to all students.

With these as goals, the ICSK Junior branch had organized a workshop for teachers on “21st century teaching and innovative teaching strategies”. The workshop was conducted by

Players using the Fit4Fun slide mats and pads to develop footwork speed and agility

Fathima, Principal of ICSK Junior branch.

There was a brief introduction to the theme.

Then the teachers were divided into groups.

The teachers with their respective group members reported at the venue with their valid points on the given topics which were read out by the respective group leaders. It

gave an excellent platform for exchange of ideas and imaginations. The teachers put in their creativity and innovative ideas and made it a great success. The teachers were so enthusiastic that they presented their report with innovative visual aids to establish their views.

Principal Fathima gave a brilliant PowerPoint presentation on the same topic. A lot of information was given through pictures, programmes, quotes and write tips etc.The whole teaching staff was actively involved in this seminar which was a fruitful and learning experience for the teachers which will definitely help them in enhancing their classroom teaching at the ICSK-Junior branch.

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.

■■■■■■■ 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.

KAYAKING Kuwait Surf-Ski Kayak Club 99706742 Sea kayaking is one of the fastest growing water sports in the world today.

MOTOR SPORTS Kuwait Motor Bike Motorbike track (for trail/dirt bikes) and rally car-racing centre located behind the Science Club on the northern side of the 6th Ring Road (between roads 401 and 50).

track is 4.9km long and is marked out in distances of 100m.

There are also a number of outdoor exercise machines located near the start and the end of the track.

Catamaran Sailing 6658 7737 Dive Caroline Beach Fafaheel The Kuwait Catamaran Club is a group of enthusiasts who love sailing on fast cats in the Arabian Gulf’s waters around Kuwait. Usually an informal group sail on Friday afternoons.

Fahaheel Sailing Club 2371 9289 www.horn3.com

NETBALL Kuwait Netball www.kuwaitnetball.com RUGBY Kuwait Nomads The rugby season in Kuwait runs from September to May. Men, ladies and minis rugby are played and the teams frequently travel to participate in AGRFU tournaments. Any interested child between the ages of 5-17 can participate in the Minis rugby. www.p8nompds.com RUNNING For anyone who likes walking, jogging or cycling in Kuwait there is a very good track around the area of Mishref. The

KOSA 2398 3365 9974 5383 The Kuwait Offshore Sailing Association (KOSA) meets on the first Tuesday of each month (except July and August) at the Dive Caroline clubhouse, which is located at the Fahaheel Sea Club.

Fortnightly racing plus International events in Bahrain and Dubai. Boats often require crew and will take you if you turn up! www.kospg8.com SCUBA DIVING The Arabian Gulf is the perfect place in which to learn to scuba dive. Although dive sites are not as spectacular as those in the Red Sea and Thailand, the local environment is conducive to teaching youngsters who wish to do fairly shallow dives and build up their confidence. It is a good idea for adults to attend the theory classes with their children.

Dive Caroline 2371 9289 Fahaheel Sea Club, Fahaheel Dive Caroline is a friendly sailing and diving club with pool, beach, sauna, steam room, fitness and social areas. Scuba diving training and equipment sales; skippered sailing yacht charter for up to 8 passengers; fishing charters (up to 6 passengers with a max. of 2 trawling lines); skippered power boat hire for 6, 8 or 14 passengers.

Dive Centre 9964 9482 The Palms Hotel, Salwa A full service PADI 5 Star Dive Centre catering for all of your diving requirements. www.thepalmsdivecenter.com KIM Dive Centre 2371 6002 Villa 365, Hilton Kuwait Resort Kuwait International Marine (KIM) Centre is a full service PADI 5 Star Dive Centre catering for all of your diving requirements.. www.kimcenter.selmpb.com SHOOTING Hunting & Equestrian Club 24739199 Shooters can sharpen their skills at the range. Members aren’t charged any fee but have to bear the costs of the cartridges while guns are provided by the club.

Shooting Range Complex 2475 9999

Off the 6th Ring road and drive past the Hunting and Equestrian Club. www.nrckuwait.com SOFTBALL Ahmadi Softball Located at the softball grounds situated behind the Governorate Building in Ahmadi SQUASH Squash courts are available at a few of the 5-star hotels as well as at the Salmiya Club. There are a number of squash leagues and tournaments are held throughout the year.

Duffers League 9970 1720 The League comprises about 25 players of all standards.

Players are placed in groups of 4 which means you play three games per month. The rules of standard squash apply with all matches being best of five. Games are arranged by mutual agreement between the players. Contact Philip Anderson at andersoninkuwait@mac.com Kuwait Squash Federation 2263 4618 Sheikha Squash www. sheikhasguash.com

TV PROGRAMS

32

Monday, September 27, 2010

Orbit / Showtime Listings

00:00 Big Love 01:00 Damages 02:00 Cold Case 03:00 The Invisible Man 04:00 The Ex-List 05:00 Ghost Whisperer 06:00 Dawson’s Creek 07:00 Big Love 08:00 The Ex-List 09:00 Kathy Griffin 10:00 The Invisible Man 11:00 Ghost Whisperer 12:00 Dawson’s Creek 13:00 Kathy Griffin 14:00 The Invisible Man 15:00 The Ex-List 16:00 Damages 17:00 Cold Case 18:00 Big Love 19:00 Dawson’s Creek 20:00 White Collar 21:00 The Philanthropist 22:00 Kathy Griffin 23:00 Saving Grace

00:45 Untamed & Uncut 01:40 Daniel and Our Cats 02:35 Untamed & Uncut 03:30 I’m Alive 04:25 Ultimate Air Jaws 05:20 Untamed & Uncut 06:10 RSPCA: On the Frontline 06:35 Predator’s Prey 07:00 Animal Crackers 07:25 Meerkat Manor 07:50 The Planet’s Funniest Animals 08:40 Groomer Has It 09:35 In Too Deep 10:00 Living with the Wolfman 10:25 Living with the Wolfman 10:55 Monkey Life 11:20 Night 11:50 Animal Precinct 12:45 E-Vets: The Interns 13:10 Pet Rescue 13:40 Animal Cops Houston 14:35 Wildlife SOS 15:00 SSPCA: On the Wildside 15:30 Living with the Wolfman 15:55 Living with the Wolfman 16:25 The Planet’s Funniest Animals 16:50 The Planet’s Funniest Animals 17:20 Dogs 101 18:15 After the Attack 19:10 Gorilla, Gorilla 20:10 Austin Stevens Adventures 21:05 Into the Pride 22:00 Your Worst Animal Nightmares 22:55 Animal Cops Houston 23:50 Gorilla, Gorilla

00:15 Casualty 01:05 Casualty 01:55 Strictly Come Dancing 02:35 New Tricks 03:30 The Weakest Link 04:15 Gigglebiz 04:30 Teletubbies 04:55 Me Too 05:15 Tikkabilla 05:45 Teletubbies 06:10 Me Too 06:30 Tikkabilla 07:00 Gigglebiz 07:15 Teletubbies 07:40 Me Too 08:00 Tikkabilla 08:30 Teletubbies 08:55 Tikkabilla 09:20 Mastermind 2006 09:50 Only Fools And Horses 10:20 Only Fools And Horses 10:50 The Weakest Link 11:35 Strictly Come Dancing 12:20 Doctors 12:50 Mastermind 2006 13:20 New Tricks 14:10 Only Fools And Horses 14:40 Only Fools And Horses 15:15 Only Fools And Horses 15:45 Strictly Come Dancing 16:25 The Weakest Link 17:10 Doctors 17:40 Mastermind 2006 18:10 New Tricks 19:00 Coast 20:00 The Weakest Link 20:45 Doctors 21:15 Eastenders 21:45 Holby City 22:40 The Only Boy For Me

00:30 Cash In The Attic 01:15 Cash In The Attic 02:00 Cash In The Attic 02:45 Cash In The Attic 03:30 Come Dine With Me 04:20 Rhodes Across China 05:10 Ching’s Kitchen 05:35 Coastal Kitchen 06:00 Cash In The Attic 07:00 Antiques Roadshow 07:50 House Swap 08:35 Bargain Hunt 09:20 Hidden Potential 09:40 Cash In The Attic Usa 10:00 Rhodes Across China 10:50 House Swap 11:35 Cash In The Attic 12:20 Come Dine With Me 13:05 10 Years Younger 13:55 House Swap 14:40 Rhodes Across China 15:30 Antiques Roadshow 16:20 House Swap 17:05 Cash In The Attic 17:55 Daily Cooks Challenge 18:20 Daily Cooks Challenge 18:50 Come Dine With Me 19:40 What To Eat Now - Autumn 20:10 Saturday Kitchen 20:35 Saturday Kitchen 21:00 House Swap 21:45 Cash In The Attic 22:30 Come Dine With Me 23:20 What To Eat Now - Autumn 23:45 What To Eat Now - Autumn

01:00 Jude-18 03:00 I Want You-18 05:00 Genova-PG15 07:00 Call Of The North-PG 09:00 Little Nicholas-PG 11:00 The Babe-PG15 13:00 Gorillas In The Mist-PG15 15:15 Farrah’s Story-PG 17:00 Tribute-PG15 18:30 Mr. Holland’s Opus-PG 21:00 12-PG15

00:40 Deadliest Catch 01:35 Time Warp 02:30 Brainiac 03:25 Smash Lab 04:20 How It’s Made 04:50 How Does it Work 05:15 Deadliest Catch 06:05 Mythbusters 07:00 Fifth Gear 07:25 Wheeler Dealers 07:50 Wheeler Dealers 08:15 Battle Machine Bros 09:10 Construction Intervention 10:05 How It’s Made 10:35 Ultimate Survival 11:30 Deadliest Catch 12:25 Wild Swimming Adventure 13:20 Wild Swimming Adventure 14:15 Alone in the Wild 15:10 Alone in the Wild 16:05 Alone in the Wild 17:00 Alone in the Wild 17:55 How It’s Made 18:20 Ultimate Survival 19:15 Deadliest Catch 20:05 Time Warp 21:00 Mythbusters 21:55 Wreckreation Nation 22:50 Worst-Case Scenario 23:20 Worst-Case Scenario 23:45 Police Women of Broward County

00:30 The Colony 01:20 Science of the Movies 02:10 What’s That About?

03:00 Catch It Keep It 03:50 The Colony 04:45 The Colony 05:40 How Does That Work?

06:10 Engineered 07:00 Junkyard Mega-Wars 08:00 Race to Mars 09:00 What’s That About?

09:55 Stunt Junkies 10:20 Weird Connections 10:50 Sci-Fi Science 11:15 Sci-Fi Science 11:45 How Does That Work?

12:15 Mega Builders 13:10 One Step Beyond 13:35 What’s That About?

14:30 Nextworld 15:25 The Gadget Show 15:55 Race to Mars 16:50 Mega Builders 17:45 Brainiac 18:40 NYC: Inside Out 19:30 Mega World 20:20 How It’s Made 20:45 The Gadget Show 21:10 Mega Builders 22:00 NYC: Inside Out 22:50 Mega World

06:00 K9 Adventures 06:25 American Dragon 06:50 Kid Vs Kat 07:15 Phineas And Ferb 07:40 Phineas And Ferb 08:05 Kick Buttowski 08:30 Pokemon 09:00 Zeke And Luther 09:25 Zeke And Luther 09:50 I’m In The Band 10:15 Phil Of The Future 10:40 Suite Life On Deck 11:05 Suite Life On Deck 11:30 Phil Of The Future 12:00 Phineas And Ferb 12:30 Phineas And Ferb 13:00 Kid Vs Kat 13:30 Kid Vs Kat 14:00 The Suite Life Of Zack And Cody 14:25 The Suite Life Of Zack And Cody 14:50 Zeke And Luther 15:15 The Super Hero Squad Show 15:45 Kick Buttowski 16:15 I’m In The Band 16:40 Suite Life On Deck 17:05 Zeke And Luther 17:30 Zeke And Luther 17:55 Phineas And Ferb 18:20 Phineas And Ferb 18:45 Kick Buttowski 19:10 Pokemon 19:35 Aaron Stone 20:00 Kid Vs Kat 20:30 Kid Vs Kat 21:00 Phineas And Ferb 21:25 I’m In The Band 21:55 The Suite Life Of Zack And Cody 22:20 Shreducation 22:30 Programmes Start At 6:00am KSA

00:40 Bank of Hollywood 01:30 Too Young To Kill 03:15 Extreme Hollywood 04:10 Sexiest 05:05 Battle of the Hollywood Hotties 05:30 Streets of Hollywood 06:00 THS 07:45 Behind the Scenes 08:10 Behind the Scenes 08:35 E! News 09:25 Denise Richards: It’s Complicated 09:50 Leave It To Lamas 10:15 15 Most Infamous Child Star Mugshots 12:00 E! News 12:50 Behind the Scenes 13:15 Pretty Wild 13:40 Keeping Up with the Kardashians 14:05 Kendra 14:30 Dr 90210 15:25 THS 16:15 Behind the Scenes 16:40 Behind the Scenes 17:10 Kourtney & Khlo√© Take Miami 17:35 Kourtney & Khlo√© Take Miami 18:00 E! News 18:50 Keeping Up with the Kardashians 19:15 Pretty Wild 19:40 THS 20:30 Kendra 20:55 Chelsea Lately 21:20 Giuliana & Bill 21:45 Giuliana & Bill 22:10 E! News 23:00 The Soup 23:25 Kendra 23:50 Pretty Wild

0:00 M1 Challenge 01:00 Drop In Tv 03:00 Winter X Games 13 2009 05:00 Sports Jobs 05:30 Sports Jobs 06:00 Iex 2009 08:00 Uci Nissan Mountainbike World Cup 2008 11:00 Fim World Motocross Mx1/mx2...

12:00 Fantasy Factory 13:00 Tread Bmx 14:00 One Winter Story 15:00 Fim World Motocross Mx1/mx2...

16:00 Fantasy Factory 17:00 Uci Nissan Mountainbike World Cup

Motherhood on Show Movies

2008 20:00 Fantasy Factory 21:00 Fim World Motocross Mx1/mx2...

22:00 One Winter Story 23:00 Untracked

00:00 Guy Off the Hook - Special 01:00 30 Minute Meals 01:30 Tyler’s Ultimate 02:00 Food Network Challenge 03:00 Barefoot Contessa 03:30 Unwrapped 04:00 Iron Chef America 05:00 Throwdown With Bobby Flay 05:30 Guys Big Bite 06:00 Chopped 07:00 Paula’s Best Dishes 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 Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives 10:30 Barefoot Contessa 11:00 Unwrapped 11:30 Paula’s Party 12:30 Paula’s Best Dishes 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 Unwrapped 18:00 Paula’s Best Dishes 18:30 Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives 19:00 Throwdown With Bobby Flay 19:30 Good Deal with Dave Lieberman 20:00 Food Network Challenge 21:00 Barefoot Contessa 21:30 Everyday Italian 22:00 Iron Chef America 23:00 Throwdown With Bobby Flay 23:30 Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives

00:00 Community 00:30 Seinfeld 01:00 The Daily Show with Jon Stewart (repeat) 01:30 The Colbert Report (repeat) 02:00 Entourage 02:30 How to make it in America 03:00 Saturday Night Live 04:30 Best Late night with Jimmy Fallon 05:30 Everybody Loves Raymond 06:00 Frasier 06:30 The Drew Carey Show 07:00 Ellen 07:30 Three sisters 08:00 Seinfeld 08:30 Just Shoot me!

09:00 Frasier 09:30 The Drew Carey Show 10:00 Will & Grace 10:30 Brothers 11:00 Everybody Loves Raymond 11:30 Three sisters 12:00 Best Late night with Jimmy Fallon 13:00 Seinfeld 13:30 Everybody Loves Raymond 14:00 Frasier 14:30 Community 15:00 Better Off Ted 15:30 The Daily Show with Jon Stewart (repeat) 16:00 The Colbert Report (repeat) 16:30 The Drew Carey Show 17:00 Ellen 17:30 Three sisters 18:00 Seinfeld 18:30 Will & Grace 19:00 Better Off Ted 19:30 Community 20:00 Cougar Town 20:30 Cougar Town 21:00 The Daily Show with Jon Stewart (Global Edition) 21:30 Colbert Report Global 22:00 Monday night Stand Up 23:00 Everybody Loves Raymond 23:30 Better Off Ted

00:30 Autopsy: Most Shocking Cases 01:20 True Crime Scene 02:10 On the Case with Paula Zahn 03:05 Disappeared 04:00 Deadly Women 04:55 Black Museum 05:20 FBI Files 06:10 Real Emergency Calls 06:35 Real Emergency Calls 07:00 Forensic Detectives 07:50 FBI Files 08:40 Undercover 09:30 Diagnosis: Unknown 10:20 Forensic Detectives 11:10 Mystery ER 12:00 Real Emergency Calls 12:25 Real Emergency Calls 12:50 Ghost Lab 13:40 Disappeared 14:30 Forensic Detectives 15:20 FBI Files 16:10 Undercover 17:00 Diagnosis: Unknown 17:50 Forensic Detectives 18:40 Mystery ER 19:30 Real Emergency Calls 19:55 Real Emergency Calls 20:20 Ghost Lab 21:10 Disappeared 22:00 FBI Case Files 22:50 Forensic Justice 23:40 Dr G: Medical Examiner

00:00 The Martha Stewart Show 01:00 Downsize Me 02:00 The Ellen DeGeneres Show 03:00 Moms Get Real / Now you know / Amplified 04:00 The Tonight Show with Jay Leno (Best Of) 05:00 GMA Weekend (Repeat) 06:00 Parenting 06:30 Popcorn 07:00 Ahead of The Curve 07:30 Chef’s table 08:00 The Martha Stewart Show 09:00 Downsize Me 10:00 The Best of Jimmy Kimmel 11:00 The View (repeat) 12:00 The Ellen DeGeneres Show 13:00 The Martha Stewart Show 14:00 GMA Live 16:00 Ahead of The Curve 16:30 Nature’s Edge 17:00 The Tonight Show with Jay Leno (Best Of) 18:00 Eat yourself sexy 18:30 What’s the Buzz 19:00 The View (repeat) 20:00 The Ellen DeGeneres Show 21:00 The Best of Jimmy Kimmel 22:00 The Tonight Show with Jay Leno (Best Of) 23:00 Moms Get Real / Now you know / Amplified

01:15 The Ambulance 02:50 The Object Of Beauty 04:30 American Dragons 06:05 Exposed 07:45 Signs Of Life 09:15 Doc 10:50 Getting Even With Dad 12:35 Haunted Honeymoon 14:00 Sleepover 15:30 Bigger Than The Sky 17:15 Dreamchild 18:50 Madison 20:30 Reckless 22:00 High Spirits 23:35 That Sinking Feeling

07:00 Lazytown 07:25 Imagination Movers 07:50 Mickey Mouse Clubhouse 08:15 Handy Manny 08:40 Jungle Junction 08:50 Special Agent Oso 09:00 Mickey Mouse Clubhouse 09:50 New Adventures of Winnie the Pooh 10:15 Little Einsteins 10:40 Special Agent Oso 11:05 Imagination Movers 11:30 Lazytown 11:55 My Friends Tigger and Pooh 12:20 Handy Manny 12:45 Mickey Mouse Clubhouse 13:10 Little Einsteins 14:00 Higglytown Heroes 14:25 Mickey Mouse Clubhouse 14:50 Special Agent Oso 15:05 My Friends Tigger and Pooh 15:30 Imagination Movers 15:55 Little Einsteins 16:20 Handy Manny 16:45 Mickey Mouse Clubhouse 17:10 New Adventures of Winnie the Pooh 17:35 Special Agent Oso 17:45 Imagination Movers 18:10 Handy Manny 18:35 Mickey Mouse Clubhouse 19:00 New Adventures of Winnie the Pooh 19:25 Handy Manny 19:35 Special Agent Oso 19:50 Jungle Junction

00:00 (P) The Dudesons ¬† 00:30 The Dudesons ¬† 01:00 True Life I’m Going To Fashion ¬†Week 02:00 Friday Night Music 03:00 Music Mix 07:00 Breakfast Club 08:30 100% Mtv 11:00 (P) Biggest! Hottest! ¬†Loudest!

12:00 Nothing But Hits 14:00 Big Tunes 15:00 100% Mtv 15:30 Teen Cribs 16:00 Jessica Simpson’s The Price Of Beauty 16:30 My Super Sweet 16 ¬† 17:00 Room Raiders ¬† 17:30 Pimp My Ride 18:00 Made 19:00 Teen Cribs 19:30 My Super Sweet 16 ¬† 20:00 Room Raiders ¬† 20:30 Pimp My Ride 21:00 (P) Worldchart Express 22:00 16 And Pregnant 23:00 Jessica Simpson’s The Price Of Beauty 23:30 Pimp My Ride

00:30 Bondi Rescue 01:00 Don’t Tell My Mother 01:30 The Best Job In The World 02:00 Graham’s World 02:30 Banged Up Abroad 03:30 Banged Up Abroad 04:30 Word Travels 05:00 Pressure Cook 05:30 Lonely Planet: Roads Less Travelled 06:30 Bondi Rescue 07:00 Don’t Tell My Mother 07:30 The Best Job In The World 08:00 Graham’s World 08:30 Banged Up Abroad 09:30 Banged Up Abroad 10:30 Word Travels 11:00 Bondi Rescue 11:30 Banged Up Abroad 12:30 Cruise Ship Diaries 13:30 Departures 14:30 By Any Means 15:30 Madventures 16:00 Long Way Down 17:00 Bondi Rescue 17:30 Banged Up Abroad 18:30 Cruise Ship Diaries 19:30 Departures 20:30 By Any Means 21:30 Madventures 22:00 Long Way Down 23:00 Bondi Rescue 23:30 Banged Up Abroad

02:30 PGA Tour: THE TOUR Championship presented by Coca-Cola Final Rd. from Atlanta , GA 06:30 Golf Central International 07:00 The Golf Channel - TBA 09:30 Champions Tour SAS Championship Final Rd. Cary, NC 12:00 Seamaster 12:30 World of Athletics 13:00 Golf Central International 13:30 World Sport 2010 14:00 NFL TBA at TBA 17:00 NFL TBA at TBA 20:00 PGA Tour: THE TOUR Championship presented by Coca-Cola Final Rd. from Atlanta , GA FOX SPORTS HD 02:30 PGA Tour: THE TOUR Championship presented by Coca-Cola Final Rd. from Atlanta , GA -HD 06:30 Golf Central International -HD 07:00 The Golf Channel - TBA 09:30 Champions Tour SAS Championship Final Rd. Cary, NC 12:00 Seamaster 12:30 World of Athletics 13:00 Golf Central International -HD 13:30 World Sport 2010 14:00 NFL TBA at TBA-HD 17:00 NFL TBA at TBA-HD 20:00 PGA Tour: THE TOUR Championship presented by Coca-Cola Final Rd. from Atlanta , GA-HD

00:00 Tenderness-18 02:00 God Grew Tired Of Us-PG15 04:00 Igor-PG 06:00 All She Wants For Christmas-PG15 08:00 The Brothers Bloom-PG15 10:00 Man In The Chair-PG15 12:00 The Princess And The Frog-FAM 14:00 My Life In Ruins-PG15 16:00 The Brothers Bloom-PG15 18:00 Motherhood-PG15

Wild Things on Show Movies Action 20:00 The Taking Of Pelham 1 2 3-18 22:00 Halloween 2-18

01:00 Rec-R 03:00 The General’s Daughter-18 04:55 The Dark Knight-PG15 07:25 Ghost Image-PG15 09:00 Shadows In Paradise-PG15 11:00 Tailor Of Panama-18 13:00 Fracture-PG15 15:00 Shadows In Paradise-PG15 17:00 Mean Machine-18 19:00 Final Destination 3-PG15 21:00 Wild Things-18 23:00 Blood: The Last Vampire-18

00:00 Welcome Home Roscoe JenkinsPG15 02:00 Futurama: Bender’s Game-PG15 04:00 Faintheart-PG15 06:00 Kingpin-PG15 08:00 Americanizing Shelly-PG 10:00 City Slickers-PG15 12:00 Much Ado About Nothing-PG15 14:00 The Jerk Theory-PG15 16:00 Welcome Home Roscoe JenkinsPG15 18:00 The Foot Fist Way-PG15 20:00 The Love Guru-18 22:00 Vegas Baby-18

00:00 Scruff And The Legend Of Saint George-FAM 02:00 Blank Check-FAM 04:00 The Prince Of Dinosaurs-PG 06:00 Justice League: Crisis On Two Earths-PG 08:00 The Enchanted Mountain-PG 10:00 The Prince Of Dinosaurs-PG 12:00 Super 7-FAM 14:00 Blank Check-FAM 16:00 Ramses Of Egypt-PG 18:00 Dr. Dolittle : Million Dollars MuttsPG 20:00 Alexander The Great-FAM 22:00 Super 7-FAM

00:00 CSI: NY 01:00 Law & Order 02:00 Private Practice 03:00 ER 04:00 8 Simple rules 04:30 Rita Rocks 05:00 Sons of Anarchy 06:00 Emmerdale 06:30 Coronation Street 07:00 Private Practice 08:00 8 Simple rules 08:30 Rita Rocks 09:00 ER 10:00 Without a trace 11:00 Private Practice 12:00 Emmerdale 12:30 Coronation Street 13:00 8 Simple rules 13:30 Yes Dear 14:00 CSI: NY 15:00 Law & Order 16:00 Without a trace 17:00 ER 18:00 Emmerdale 18:30 Coronation Street 19:00 Lost Special 20:00 Drop Dead Diva 21:00 Mercy 22:00 Sons of Anarchy 23:00 ER

01:00 Scottish Premier League 03:00 Super League 05:00 NRL Premiership 07:00 Scottish Premier League 09:00 Aviva Premiership 11:00 AFL Premiership 14:00 NRL Premiership 16:00 Currie Cup 18:00 Countdown to the Ryder Cup 18:30 Super League 20:30 Goals On Monday 21:30 Scottish Premier League Highlights 22:00 Scottish Premier League

03:00 AFL Premiership 06:00 Triathlon 07:00 European PGA Tour 13:00 World Sport 13:30 Aviva Premiership 15:30 Scottish Premier League 17:30 Triathlon 18:30 World Sport 19:00 European PGA Tour Highlights 20:00 AFL Highlights 21:00 Countdown to The Ryder Cup 21:30 Aviva Premiership 23:30 Countdown to The Ryder Cup

00:30 UFC All Access 01:00 UFC 119 04:00 UFC The Ultimate Fight Championship 05:00 WWE SmackDown 07:00 WWE Bottom Line 08:00 FIA GT1 World Championship 09:30 Planet Power Boats 10:00 Le Mans Series Highlights 11:00 Le Mans Series Magazine 11:30 UAE National Race Day 12:00 WWE Vintage Collection 13:00 FIA GT1 World Championship 14:30 UAE National Race Day 15:00 WWE SmackDown 17:00 WWE Vintage Collection 18:00 UFC 119 21:00 UFC Wired 22:00 UFC Unleashed 23:00 UFC The Ultimate Fighter

01:30 Silk-R 03:30 Cat City-PG15 05:00 Sins Of The Mother-PG15 07:00 For The Love Of Grace-PG 09:00 Beauty And The Briefcase-PG15 10:45 Leaving Barstow-PG15 12:30 Last Chance Harvey-PG15 14:30 Witness: The Kidnapping Of Patty Hearst-PG15 16:30 Beauty And The Briefcase-PG15 18:15 Australia-PG 21:00 The Duchess-PG15 23:00 Harry Potter And The Half - Blood Prince-PG15

00:30 Modern Marvels 01:20 The Universe 3 02:10 Ufo Files 03:00 How The Earth Was Made 2 03:55 Tales Of The Gun 04:50 Clash Of The Gods 05:40 Ancient Discoveries 06:30 Modern Marvels 07:20 The Universe 3 08:10 Ufo Files 09:00 How The Earth Was Made 2 09:55 Tales Of The Gun 10:50 Clash Of The Gods 11:40 Ancient Discoveries 12:30 Modern Marvels 13:20 The Universe 3 14:10 Ufo Files 15:00 How The Earth Was Made 2 15:55 Tales Of The Gun 16:50 Clash Of The Gods 17:40 Ancient Discoveries 18:30 Modern Marvels 19:20 The Universe 3 20:10 Ufo Files 21:00 Tales Of The Gun 21:55 The Universe 22:50 Ax Men 23:40 B-25 Down: Hunt For A Hero

00:00 Clean House: Search For The Messiest...

01:00 My Celebrity Home 02:00 How Do I Look?

03:00 Split Ends 04:00 Dr 90210 05:00 Kimora: Life in the Fab Lane 05:30 Area 06:00 How Do I Look?

07:00 Millennium Fashion: The Year In Fashion 08:00 My Celebrity Home 09:00 Whose Wedding Is it Anyway?

10:00 Married Away 11:00 Peter Perfect 12:00 How Do I Look?

13:00 Clean House 14:00 Tacky House 15:00 Jerseylicious 16:00 Peter Perfect 17:00 How Do I Look?

19:00 Split Ends 20:00 Clean House: Search For The Messiest...

21:00 How Do I Look?

22:00 Kimora: Life in the Fab Lane

00:15 Top Gossip 00:17 Playlist 01:00 Africa 10 01:45 Playlist 02:00 Urban Hit 02:45 Playlist 03:15 Monthly Top 03:17 Playlist 07:15 Top Sexy 07:17 Playlist 08:00 Sound System 10 08:45 Playlist 09:15 Top Mobile 09:17 Playlist 13:00 Urban Hit 13:45 Playlist 15:15 Top New 15:17 Playlist

00:00 Julian and Camilla’s World Odyssey 01:00 Culinary Asia 02:00 Word Travels 02:30 Essential 03:00 Cruising to the Northern Lights 04:00 Globe Trekker 05:00 Julian and Camilla’s World Odyssey 06:00 The Thrillseekers Guide 06:30 PhotoXplorers 07:00 Globe Trekker 08:00 Travel Oz 08:30 Grannies On Safari 09:00 Word Travels 09:30 Essential 10:00 Journey Into Wine...

10:30 Opening Soon 11:00 Great Drives 11:30 Essential 12:00 Globe Trekker 13:00 Sophie Grigson In The Orient 13:30 The Thirsty Traveler 14:00 Entrada 14:30 Distant Shores 15:00 Word Travels 15:30 Essential 16:00 Globe Trekker 17:00 Travel Oz 17:30 Sophie Grigson In The Orient 18:00 Journey Into Wine...

18:30 Opening Soon 19:00 Globe Trekker Special 20:00 Planet Food 21:00 Hollywood and Vines 21:30 The Thirsty Traveler 22:00 Exotic Lives 23:00 Globe Trekker

00:00 Music For The Masses 01:00 VH1 Music 05:00 Chill Out 07:00 VH1 Hits 09:00 Aerobic 10:00 VH1 Hits 11:00 VH1 Superchart 12:00 Top 10 New Faces On VH1 13:00 Music For The Masses 14:00 VH1 Pop Chart 15:00 VH1 Music 17:00 Music For The Masses 18:00 VH1 Superchart 19:00 Guess The Year 21:00 Taylor Momsem’s¬†Top 50 Style Icons Pt1 22:00 Taylor Momsem’s Top 50 Style Icons Pt2 23:00 The Album Chart Show

Monday, September 27, 2010

33 (C 2696) 26-9-2010

ACCOMMODATION Sharing accommodation available for executive bachelor, ladies or families (Indians only) in 2 BHK, CA/C flat. Contact: 66625901 / 24716975. (C 2698) Sharing accommodation available in Abbassiya for family 2 bedrooms with bath attached, rent KD 150 or one working lady one room rent KD 50 in a new C-A/C flat, with Keralite family.

Contact: 66013882.

(C 2699) Room available for family near Pakistan International School College, Khaitan.

Cont: 94956342 / 24747294.

27-9-2010 One independent room + separate bathroom available in 2 BR flat C-A/C with kitchen and satellite facility.

New building, family or 2 decent executive bachelors.

Near Shara Amman St. opp.

Apollo Hospital, only 80 KD. Contact 99761807.

Sharing accommodation available for a Keralite family or bachelor in a double bedroom flat behind Continental Hotel - Bneid Al-Gar. Call: 66612842. (C 2691) 25-9-2010 Room for rent in two B/R, flat in Khaitan, for bachelors only. Call: 66141908 after 4:00 pm. (C 2684) Furnished sharing accommodation available for a non-smoking Keralite bachelor in Abbassiya. Rent KD 40. Contact: 66577233.

(C 2689) 23-9-2010 Sharing accommodation, one room available for decent working ladies or small family with Indian small family in Farwaniya.

From 1st Oct. 2010. Call: 97823565. (C 2683) 22-9-2010 Room for rent Indonesian/Filipino only. CA/C, separate bathroom,

me on my cell 97638503.

22-9-2010

FOR SALE Household items for sale.

Contact: 66288718.

(C 2686) Mazda car 323, 2001 model for sale. Contact: 66288718.

(C 2685) 26-9-2010 2008 Toyota Prado, 4-cylinder, full options, mileage: 63,000 kms, color gold, KD 6900, location: Abbassiya.

Only seriously interested parties, please contact: 66753365. (C 2692) For sale percussion pads (SPD-20) flats drum set all new items. Please contact: 55941621. (C 2693) 25-9-2010

LOST Policy No.400416466 issued by the State Life Insurance Corporation of Pakistan Gulf Zone on the Life of Mr. ALTAF HUSSAIN JAFFARI is reported to have been lost. Anyone finding the same or claiming any interest in it should communicate with me on mobile No.97407266, if any person finding it kindly send me on P.O. Box No.26057, Code 13121, Safat Kuwait.

(C 2697) 26-9-2010

SITUATION VACANT

Urgently required live in Indian maid at Shaab for Indian (Keralite) family. Age above 40 years. Contact: 99984026. (C 2700) Urgently required an expert TRANSCRIBER, part-time, proficient in English and with excellent auditory skills, experienced in handling and transcribing project interviews. Contact: 66660966.

27-9-2010 Urgently required expert TRANSCRIBER, part-time, proficient in English, and excellent auditory skills, experienced in handling and transcribing project interviews.

Contact 66660966.

Need part time or full time baby sitter in Hawally, preferably Filipino. Contact: 66662863. (C 2687) Need part time or full time baby sitter in Kuwait City, preferably Filipino. Place at Al Muthanna complex. Call: 66809431. (C 2688) 23-9-2010 SITUATION WANTED

A wallet containing Civil ID, driving license and bank cards were lost near Indian School, Salmiya, Essa AlQatami Street. Finder please contact the advertiser on telephone 97204538 or 97209341. (C 2690) 23-9-2010 I, Mohammed Ameer Ali Chemnad, Civil ID No. 271030305782 hereby notify that I have lost my following documents while traveling from Shuwaikh to Jaleeb Shuyookh. Original B.Com Degree Certificate, Calicut University, Reg. No. 3475, year 1991. Original U.A.E Driving License No. 1006406, Original NOC issued by RTA - Dubai. If anyone found kindly inform

Available from India, Goan Roman Catholic full time live out maid for American and European family only.

Experience in housekeeping, baby sitting and looking after pets.

Contact 94005328. (C 2678) 21-9-2010

MATRIMONIAL Lucknow based SunniSheikh parents invite proposal for their daughter, Namazi, 23 years 5ft2”, B.Tech computers, placed with Sasken Communications, Bangalore from equal status boy.

Contact: atharahmad@hotmail.com (2695)

25-9-2010 Two boys - Sunni Muslim Studied in USA (BTECH Comp.) working in New York, Well settled, Aged 27 5ft 6” & 28 yrs 5 ft 4”, looking for suitable match with degree in Eng./Finance etc. from educated / respected / religious family (NRI) preferably from Trichur / Ernakulam Dist. Please contact email: ebmoideen@gmail.com (C 2682) 22-9-2010

No: 14862

CHANGE OF NAME I, Konda Ravindra Babu, holder of Indian Passport No. E5871034, hereby change my name to KANDARAPU RAVINDRA BABU. (C 2694) 25-9-2010

FOR AIRPORT INFORMATION 161

FLIGHT SCHEDULE

In case you are not travelling, your proper cancellation of bookings will help other passengers to use seats Arrival Flights on Monday 27/09/2010 Airlines Flt Route Wataniya Airways 322 Sharm El Sheikh Wataniya Airways 188 Bahrain Wataniya Airways 305 Cairo Yemenia 2110 Sanaa Bangladesh 045 Dhaka/Bahrain Wataniya Airways 408 Beirut Gulf Air 211 Bahrain Turkish 772 Istanbul Egypt Air 614 Cairo Jazeera 267 Beirut DHL 370 Bahrain Emirates 853 Dubai Fly Dubai 051 Dubai Etihad 305 Abu Dhabi Qatari 138 Doha Ethiopian 622 Addis Ababa/Bahrain Air Arabia Egypt 553 Alexandria Falcon 201 Dubai Jazeera 637 Aleppo Jazeera 503 Luxor Kuwait 412 Manila/Bangkok Jazeera 527 Alexandria British 157 London Jazeera 529 Assiut Kuwait 204 Lahore Kuwait 382 Delhi Kuwait 302 Mumbai Fly Dubai 053 Dubai Kuwait 676 Dubai Kuwait 352 Cochin Kuwait 284 Dhaka Kuwait 344 Chennai Kuwait 362 Colombo Emirates 855 Dubai Arabia 121 Sharjah Qatari 132 Doha Etihad 301 Abu Dhabi Jazeera 425 Bahrain Gulf Air 213 Bahrain Wataniya Airways 182 Bahrain Middle East 404 Beirut Wataniya Airways 102 Dubai Jazeera 447 Doha Iran Aseman 6521 Lamerd Jazeera 171 Dubai Egypt Air 610 Cairo Kuwait 672 Dubai Oman Air 645 Muscat Jordanian 800 Amman United 982 Washington DC Dulles Wataniya Airways 432 Damascus Fly Dubai 057 Dubai Wataniya Airways 332 Alexandria

Time 00:10 00:30 00:50 00:55 01:05 01:05 01:05 01:15 02:05 02:10 02:15 02:25 02:35 02:55 03:25 03:30 03:40 05:25 05:45 05:50 06:15 06:20 06:30 06:40 07:10 07:20 07:50 07:55 08:00 08:05 08:10 08:20 08:20 08:25 08:40 09:00 09:20 10:25 10:45 10:45 10:50 11:05 11:20 11:45 12:40 12:55 13:15 13:15 13:35 13:35 13:35 13:50 14:05

Jazeera Wataniya Airways Saudia Kuwait Nas Air Qatari Kuwait Kuwait Kuwait Kuwait Bahrain Air Kuwait Etihad Emirates Gulf Air Wataniya Airways Saudia Jazeera Jazeera Arabia Jazeera SriLankan Kuwait Wataniya Airways Wataniya Airways Kuwait Kuwait Kuwait Jazeera Kuwait Kuwait Kuwait Kuwait Indian Fly Dubai Middle East Rovos Jet A/W KLM Wataniya Airways DHL Gulf Air Jazeera Emirates Qatari United Jazeera Jazeera Jazeera Egypt Air Tunis Air Lufthansa Pakistan Wataniya Airways

257 422 500 552 745 134 548 546 678 118 344 502 303 857 215 402 510 239 493 125 367 227 104 304 106 542 786 618 177 744 674 614 774 575 061 402 081 572 0445 404 372 217 459 859 136 981 429 449 185 612 327 636 239 108

Beirut Amman Jeddah Damascus Jeddah Doha Luxor Alexandria Muscat/Abu Dhabi New York Bahrain Beirut Abu Dhabi Dubai Bahrain Beirut Riyadh Amman Jeddah Sharjah Deirezzor Colombo/Dubai London Cairo Dubai Cairo Jeddah Doha Dubai Dammam Dubai Bahrain Riyadh Chennai/Goa Dubai Beirut Baghdad Mumbai Amsterdam Beirut Bahrain Bahrain Damascus Dubai Doha Bahrain Bahrain Doha Dubai Cairo Tunis Frankfurt Sialkot Dubai

14:05 14:10 14:30 14:35 14:55 15:05 15:10 15:30 15:35 16:15 16:40 16:45 16:50 16:55 17:15 17:15 17:20 17:40 17:40 17:40 17:55 18:00 18:35 18:35 18:45 18:50 18:55 18:55 19:05 19:15 19:20 19:20 19:25 19:30 20:05 20:20 20:30 20:30 20:40 20:50 21:00 21:05 21:15 21:15 21:35 21:55 22:15 22:30 22:40 22:55 23:35 23:45 23:55 23:55

Departure Flights on Monday 27/09/2010 Airlines Flt Route Jazeera 528 Assiut India Express 390 Mangalore/Kozhikode KLM 0447 Amsterdam Lufthansa 637 Frankfurt Safi 216 Kabul Indian 982 Ahmedabad/Hyderabad/Chennai Pakistan 206 Peshawar/Lahore Yemenia 2111 Sanaa Turkish 773 Istanbul Bangladesh 046 Dhaka Egypt Air 615 Cairo DHL 371 Bahrain Fly Dubai 052 Dubai Emirates 854 Dubai Etihad 306 Abu Dhabi Ethiopian 622 Addis Dhabi Air Arabia Egypt 554 Alexandria Qatari 139 Doha Wataniya Airways 101 Dubai Wataniya Airways 331 Alexandria Jazeera 422 Bahrain Jazeera 446 Doha Gulf Air 212 Bahrain Wataniya Airways 181 Bahrain Jazeera 524 Alexandria Jazeera 256 Beirut Wataniya Airways 431 Damascus British 156 London Jazeera 170 Dubai Kuwait 545 Alexandria Fly Dubai 054 Dubai Kuwait 677 Abu Dhabi/Muscat Kuwait 671 Dubai Wataniya Airways 421 Amman Kuwait 551 Damascus Arabia 122 Sharjah Kuwait 547 Luxor Emirates 856 Dubai Qatari 133 Doha Etihad 302 Abu Dhabi Kuwait 501 Beirut Wataniya Airways 401 Beirut Gulf Air 214 Bahrain Kuwait 165 Rome/Paris Wataniya Airways 303 Cairo Middle East 405 Beirut Kuwait 541 Cairo Jazeera 238 Amman Jazeera 492 Jeddah Jazeera 366 Deirezzor Kuwait 103 London Iran Aseman 6522 Lamerd Kuwait 785 Jeddah Egypt Air 611 Cairo

Time 00:05 00:25 00:30 00:50 01:00 01:05 01:10 01:55 02:15 02:15 03:05 03:15 03:20 03:45 04:00 04:15 04:20 05:00 06:50 07:30 07:30 07:40 07:45 07:50 08:00 08:05 08:10 08:25 08:30 08:35 08:40 08:45 09:00 09:10 09:10 09:20 09:20 09:40 10:00 10:10 11:00 11:35 11:35 11:45 11:50 11:50 12:00 12:10 12:15 12:15 12:30 12:45 13:30 13:55

Directorate General of Civil Aviation Home Page (www.kuwait-airport.com.kw)

Oman Air Wataniya Airways Jordanian Fly Dubai United Jazeera Kuwait Wataniya Airways Kuwait Saudia Nas Air Jazeera Kuwait Qatari Kuwait Kuwait Rovos Bahrain Air Etihad Gulf Air Emirates Wataniya Airways Kuwait Arabia Jazeera Saudia Kuwait Jazeera SriLankan Jazeera Wataniya Airways Wataniya Airways Wataniya Airways Kuwait Jazeera Fly Dubai Kuwait Middle East Jet A/W Wataniya Airways KLM Gulf Air DHL Kuwait Emirates Jazeera Falcon Kuwait Qatari Kuwait Kuwait Jazeera United Jazeera Kuwait Egypt Air

646 105 801 058 982 176 673 403 617 501 746 458 773 135 613 743 082 345 304 216 858 306 543 126 184 511 285 448 228 428 407 433 107 283 266 062 331 403 571 187 0445 218 373 675 860 612 102 381 137 301 205 526 981 502 411 613

Muscat Dubai Amman Dubai Bahrain Dubai Dubai Beirut Doha Jeddah Jeddah Damascus Riyadh Doha Bahrain Dammam Baghdad Bahrain Abu Dhabi Bahrain Dubai Cairo Cairo Sharjah Dubai Riyadh Chittagong Doha Dubai/Colombo Bahrain Beirut Damascus Dubai Dhaka Beirut Dubai Trivandrum Beirut Mumbai Bahrain Bahrain/Amsterdam Bahrain Bahrain Dubai Dubai Lahore Bahrain Delhi Doha Mumbai Islamabad Alexandria Washington DC Dulles Luxor Bangkok/Manila Cairo

14:15 14:30 14:30 14:35 14:50 14:55 15:10 15:10 15:35 15:45 15:45 15:50 16:05 16:20 16:20 16:25 17:00 17:25 17:35 18:05 18:05 18:05 18:10 18:20 18:30 18:35 18:45 18:50 19:10 19:20 19:25 19:30 19:40 20:00 20:10 20:50 21:00 21:20 21:30 21:35 21:40 21:55 22:00 22:10 22:25 22:25 22:30 22:30 22:35 22:45 22:55 23:20 23:40 23:40 23:40 23:55

SPECTRUM

34

Monday, September 27, 2010

Calvin

CROSSWORD 92

Aries (March 21-April 19) Work with the

unexpected today. Good things happen when you least expect them to happen. A move, a trip or a new piece of equipment will be welcomed around your place. This could also mean you win a prize or are given a gift or make a wild purchase, but no wild animals. Later today an unexpected gathering may turn into a party and you have an urge to please. You may be running errands, cooking, bringing people together or just simply find that a crowd is gathering. You are in the process of training your mind to respond to circumstances in the most positive ways and you enjoy getting to know the people that have gathered.

This may mean a neighborhood gathering or a demonstration that people are watching or family after a wedding.

Taurus (April 20-May 20) Career moves may depend

upon your cutting through some of the fluff and really taking care of business, getting down to your most practical. Know what you want and get rid of anything that clutters your path, within reason of course. Today may be the day you think and plan. Talk with a friend or plan to seek an advisor from a junior college in your hometown. Many times the educational arena helps the public by offering tests for learning about the best placement for an individual in the job field. It would be good to see what they might recommend. You want to make conditions or pay better for yourself and perhaps requesting a pay raise may be the next step for now. Today you could revise your resume and note your new experience or new skills.

Pooch Cafe

ACROSS ACROSS 1. A cry or noise made to express displeasure or contempt.

4. Cause to become awake or conscious.

10. A relatively large open container that you fill with water and use to wash the body.

13. A drug combination found in some over-the-counter headache remedies (Aspirin and Phenacetin and Caffeine).

14. A cyst on the underside of the tongue.

15. The sign language used in the United States.

16. A former agency (from 1946 to 1974) that was responsible for research into atomic energy and its peacetime uses in the United States.

17. Take or catch as if in a snare or trap.

18. Large brownish-green New Zealand parrot.

19. Someone who works (or provides workers) during a strike.

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

23. Type genus of the Majidae.

25. A period of time spent in military service.

27. A highly unstable radioactive element (the heaviest of the halogen series).

29. The bill in a restaurant.

30. A reversion to the state (as the ultimate owner of property) in the absence of legal heirs.

33. A bottle with a stopper.

35. A very light colorless element that is one of the six inert gasses.

36. An official prosecutor for a judicial district.

37. A plant hormone promoting elongation of stems and roots.

41. A metric unit of volume equal to one tenth of a liter.

43. (Babylonian) God of storms and wind.

46. Type genus of the Alcidae comprising solely the razorbill.

49. Filled with fear or apprehension.

54. Sluggish tailless Australian arboreal marsupial with gray furry ears and coat.

56. A unit of length equal to one thousandth of an inch.

57. An ugly evil-looking old woman.

58. Raise in a relief.

60. A self-funded retirement plan that allows you to contribute a limited yearly sum toward your retirement.

61. A flat wing-shaped process or winglike part of an organism.

62. A band worn around the arm for decoration.

63. One or some or every or all without specification.

DOWN 1. South African term for `boss'.

2. An organization of countries formed in 1961 to agree on a common policy for the sale of petroleum.

3. English scholastic philosopher and assumed author of Occam's Razor (1285-1349).

4. A unit of surface area equal to 100 square meters.

5. An ambitious and aspiring young person.

6. (prefix) Opposite or opposing or neutralizing.

7. Tropical Asian tree with hard white wood and bark formerly used as a remedy for dysentery and diarrhea.

8. Oil palms.

9. A period of time spent sleeping.

10. Flightless New Zealand birds similar to gallinules.

11. A person who makes use of a thing.

12. (Scottish) Bluish-black or gray-blue.

20. A Chadic language spoken south of Lake Chad.

22. A dull persistent (usually moderately intense) pain.

24. A port in western Israel on the Mediterranean.

26. A landlocked desert republic in north-central Africa.

28. An official language of the Republic of South Africa.

31. A condition (mostly in boys) characterized by behavioral and learning disorders.

32. An adherent of any branch of Taoism.

34. An intensely radioactive metallic element that occurs in minute amounts in uranium ores.

38. A rotating disk shaped to convert circular into linear motion.

39. The dead body of an animal especially one slaughtered and dressed for food.

40. 1 species.

41. A person who makes use of a thing.

42. Any of numerous local fertility and nature deities worshipped by ancient Semitic peoples.

44. A river in north central Switzerland that runs northeast into the Rhine.

45. An ancient city in northern Portugal.

47. A mound of stones piled up as a memorial or to mark a boundary or path.

48. Lessen the intensity of.

50. A young horse.

51. The United Nations agency concerned with atomic energy.

52. Absent without permission.

53. A closed sac that develops abnormally in some body structure.

55. A defensive missile designed to shoot down incoming intercontinental ballistic missiles.

59. A form of address for a man.

Gemini (May 21-June 20) There is a need to be the center of attention today—perhaps you have worked particularly hard on a project and no one has noticed— patience. If this is some accomplishment that only you would know and care about, you might want to make it known that you want to celebrate your survival or success. You will have people join with you to celebrate. You cannot expect others to know what you want if you do not ask. Later today you may enjoy some tourist attraction or a bookstore for some new acquisition. Happiness is contagious, share it instead of expect it and the celebratory attitude will catch on to others. You could receive unexpected help or support from someone near you, especially someone younger; a good day.

Non Sequitur

Cancer (June 21-July 22) A yearning to learn more about lots of different things may find you in a bookstore, museum or attending a lecture. Some subject matter may remind you of one or two people in your family and you may decide to spend time with these people through phone conversations or visiting. If these are elderly people, make a list of things you can do to make their life more comfortable. Learning, remembering and connections fill the day with many good feelings of security, laughter, making plans and sharing. Before dark this evening, there is time to plant a few plants. These will bloom or produce food for your table before the winter becomes too cold. You can dispense with all that is unsound or superficial, leaving only that which is solid.

Leo (July 23-August 22) You enjoy changes and can get rather bored if you are not enjoying new skills or new information. Today you may even find your own little space of living needs a few changes. This could mean a different color scheme to just adding a few plants that will help give your kitchen or reading room a little more oxygen. Your life usually consists of change, transformation and metamorphosis. Very likely a new color scheme will match or lift the mood of your spirit. Don’t be afraid to express yourself—this could mean you create your own paintings that you like to hang on your walls. Your next attention will go to heart-healthy diets, good exercise and lots of laughter. Recordings of cooking classes will help to teach you most any cooking skill.

Zits

Virgo (August 23-September 22) You should be able to get your ideas across with ease. There are energies in the works, making this day a bright and witty one. Your communication skills are at a high-water mark. You show patience with others and you are able to respond to the world and to build upon what is already present, accentuating the positive. You are willing to listen to others, take cues and then reflect and build upon that information. Others find you gentle, steady, and, for the most part, kind. You absorb information and find ways to pass on the most financially rewarding tips and cautions in a speech or presentation and others will listen! This evening friendships and group activities play an important part.

This could mean that you belong to a music group.

Libra (September 23-October 22) You know just what to do and can act without any hesitation. This could involve matters regarding public relations. You respond quickly to the opportunity to speak and express your concerns for a community or organization.

Your presentation will gain the attention of others and you must be ready for a question and answer period. You and others will come up with new solutions to old problems. You may find that many people want to make these meetings a semi-annual event. Many benefit from your input. The area in which you live may also be a good place for you to make a positive difference.

Start developing your dream to change things for the better. What you do in the meeting place will get the ball rolling, so-to-speak.

Mother Goose and Grimm

Scorpio (October 23-November 21) You always come off

well in a group and manage to get your ideas across to others. Today however, you may just want some time away from the routine. You could be teaching a hobby or religion or giving a presentation to those that travel through your area. A game of golf or a shopping expedition sounds mighty nice. Keeping on your toes to do your best is the better avenue to take for now as you may find a person will enter your life who is of benefit to your future in some way. This evening you would be wise to make some plans to have someone take your place for a couple of weeks so that you can actually get a little time away from your usual routine. You have a natural instinct for making the correct move at the right time.

Sagittarius (November 22-December 21) You are entering into a new time in your life that will compliment your education or past experiences with the business world. You have much to offer and it is time to step up and make yourself known as the natural leader or professional that you have become. A family member may show their appreciation for your determination to work and move forward with your goals. You are reminded of some simple pleasures this afternoon as you sip coffee and visit with a friend. You refuse to lock yourself into the treadmill in which so many people become bogged down these days. It is good to see the light at the end of the tunnel, so-to-speak. You surround yourself with friends to share in good times. You enjoy support from loved ones.

Yesterday’s Solution

Capricorn (December 22-January 19) Your mind runs to domestic issues—home and family are on your mind. This happens often and could work against your career interests, especially if your job requires managerial and organizational skills. Perhaps you will want to think about creating a home business. There is a yearning to broaden your horizons now and may take center stage in your life. This may involve some form of law, politics, education, travel or religion. Responsibilities are easy for you and you tend to pile on tasks, one after another. You work very hard, with a gritty resolve and can accomplish much. It takes a lot to overload your willingness to take charge and help others. A loved one will listen to your needs this evening and then you listen in turn.

Yesterday’s Solution

Aquarius (January 20- February 18) A coordinator of events is where you shine best today. Whatever you do or plan to see, the best outcome will be successful and this is where much of your energies and enthusiasm is spent.

Perhaps this event is a company picnic or sales show that needs your coordinated efforts. You can find the best place, time and atmosphere for successful results. You put a lot of thought and time into being different, avoiding the commonplace with great determination. Your drive to invent and find new ways to use things is very clever. A very creative and profitable time is coming up for you soon; you just somehow know it. After hot dogs or the extras on your plate or even Grandma’s chocolate pie this evening, you may want to enjoy a walk or bicycle ride.

INTERNATIONAL CALLS Kuwait Qatar Abu Dhabi Dubai Raas Al Khayma Al-Shareqa Muscat Jordan Bahrain Riyadh Makkah - Jeddah Cairo Alexandria Beirut Damascus Allepo

00965 00974 009712 009714 009717 009716 00968 009626 00973 009661 009662 00202 00203 009611 0096311 0096321

Tunisia Rabat Washington New York Paris London Madrid Zurich Geneva Monaco Rome Bangkok Hong Kong Pakistan Taiwan Bonn

0021610 002127 001212 001718 00331 004471 00341 00411 004122 0033 00396 00662 00852 0092 00886 0049228

Word Sleuth Solution

Pisces (February 19-March 20) Others may find you especially witty and eccentric at times. This is an outgoing and very expressive cycle. The only thing to be careful about is to know your facts before you express what you think are the facts. Now more than ever, you want to be admired and appreciated by others, to do and create things that stir their hearts. Good things and the support you need always seem to come to you and that is the case now. Friends, co-workers and plain old lucky circumstances offer encouragement and backing. You often get what you need, when you need it. Independence, as well as anything unusual or different, is treasured. Tonight may enjoy getting away from the usual routine and doing something completely different.

INFORMATION

Monday, September 27, 2010

35 FIRE BRIGADE Operation Room 112 Al-Madena 22418714 Al-Shohada’a 22545171 Al-Shuwaikh 24810598 Al-Nuzha 22545171 Sabhan 24742838 Al-Helaly 22434853 Al-Fayhaa 22545051 Al-Farwaniya 24711433 Al-Sulaibikhat 24316983 Al-Fahaheel 23927002 Jleeb Al-Shuyoukh 24316983 Ahmadi 23980088 Al-Mangaf 23711183 Al-Shuaiba 23262845 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’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

(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:

Paediatricians: Dr. Abd Al-Aziz Al-Rashed 25340300

Rheumatologists: Dr. Adel Al-Awadi 25330060 Dr. Khaled Al-Jarallah 25722290 Internist, Chest & Heart: DR.Mohammes Akkad 24555050 Ext 210 Dr. Mohammad Zubaid MB, ChB, FRCPC, PACC Assistant Professor Of Medicine Head, Division of Cardiology Mubarak Al-Kabeer Hospital Tel: 25339667 Dr. Farida Al-Habib MD, PH.D, FACC Consultant Cardiologist Tel: 2611555-2622555 Inaya German Medical Center Te: 2575077 Fax: 25723123

Dr. Sohal Najem Al-Shemeri 25633324 Dr. Jasem Mola Hassan

Internists, Chest & Heart: Dr. Adnan Ebil 22639939 Dr. Mousa Khadada 22666300 Dr. Latefa Al-Duweisan 25728004 Dr. Nadem Al-Ghabra 25355515 Dr. Mobarak Aldoub 24726446 Dr Nasser Behbehani 25654300/3

Physiotherapists & VD: Dr. Deyaa Shehab 25722291 Dr. Musaed Faraj Khamees 22666288

25345875

Gastrologists Dr. Sami Aman

22636464

Dr. Mohammad Al-Shamaly 25322030 Dr. Foad Abidallah Al-Ali

22633135

Endocrinologist: Dr. Abd Al-Naser Al-Othman 25339330 Dr. Ahmad Al-Ansari

25658888

Dr. Kamal Al-Shomr

25329924

Psychologists/Psychotherapists Soor Center Tel: 2290-1677 Fax: 2290 1688 info@soorcenter.com www.soorcenter.com Dr. Naif Al-Mutawa, Ph.D. 2290-1677 Susannah-Joy Schuilenberg, M.A. 2290-1677 William Schuilenberg, RPC 2290-1677 Zaina Al Zabin, M.Sc. 2290-1677

Kuwait Airways Wataniya Airways Jazeera Airways Jet Airways Qatar Airways KLM Air Slovakia Olympic Airways Royal Jordanian Reservation British Airways Air France Emirates Air India Sri Lanka Airlines Egypt Air Swiss Air Saudia Middle East Airlines Lufthansa PIA Alitalia Balkan Airlines Bangladesh Airlines Czech Airlines Indian Airlines Oman Air Turkish Airlines

22433377 24379900 177 22924455 22423888 22425747 22434940 22420002/9 22418064/5/6 22433388 22425635 22430224 22425566 22438184 22424444 22421578 22421516 22426306 22423073 22422493 22421044 22414427 22416474 22452977/8 22417901/2433141 22456700 22412284/5 22453820/1

INTERNATIONAL CALLS Afghanistan Albania Algeria Andorra Angola Anguilla Antiga Argentina Armenia Australia Austria Bahamas Bahrain Bangladesh Barbados Belarus Belgium Belize Benin Bermuda Bhutan Bolivia Bosnia Botswana Brazil Brunei Bulgaria Burkina Burundi Cambodia Cameroon Canada Cape Verde Cayman Islands Central African Republic Chad Chile China Colombia Comoros Congo Cook Islands Costa Rica Croatia Cuba Cyprus Cyprus (Northern) Czech Republic Denmark Diego Garcia Djibouti Dominica Dominican Republic Ecuador Egypt El Salvador England (UK)

0093 00355 00213 00376 00244 001264 001268 0054 00374 0061 0043 001242 00973 00880 001246 00375 0032 00501 00229 001441 00975 00591 00387 00267 0055 00673 00359 00226 00257 00855 00237 001 00238 001345 00236 00235 0056 0086 0057 00269 00242 00682 00506 00385 0053 00357 0090392 00420 0045 00246 00253 001767 001809 00593 0020 00503 0044

Equatorial Guinea Eritrea Estonia Ethiopia Falkland Islands Faroe Islands Fiji Finland France French Guiana French Polynesia Gabon Gambia Georgia Germany Ghana Gibraltar Greece Greenland Grenada Guadeloupe Guam Guatemala Guinea Guyana Haiti Holland (Netherlands) Honduras Hong Kong Hungary Ibiza (Spain) Iceland India Indian Ocean Indonesia Iran Iraq Ireland Italy Ivory Coast Jamaica Japan Jordan Kazakhstan Kenya Kiribati Kuwait Kyrgyzstan Laos Latvia Lebanon Liberia Libya Lithuania Luxembourg Macau Macedonia

00240 00291 00372 00251 00500 00298 00679 00358 0033 00594 00689 00241 00220 00995 0049 00233 00350 0030 00299 001473 00590 001671 00502 00224 00592 00509 0031 00504 00852 0036 0034 00354 0091 00873 0062 0098 00964 00353 0039 00225 001876 0081 00962 007 00254 00686 00965 00996 00856 00371 00961 00231 00218 00370 00352 00853 00389

SPECTRUM

36

indsay Lohan has been caught on camera about to inject herself with what appears to be heroin. The troubled actress - who was sentenced to four weeks in jail in Friday for violating her probation by failing two drug tests, but was released hours later - is photographed wrapping what looks like a tourniquet around her arm to raise a vein before hovering a syringe over her left arm. The images - which have been obtained by website X17online and the News of the World newspaper were allegedly taken at a sleazy Hollywood party in 2007 and friends of Lindsay have been concerned about her lifestyle for many years. A source said: “These images of her with the syringe are terrifying. “What no one knows for certain is just how often Lindsay does drugs - or exactly which drugs she does. Lindsay has made no secret of her drug addiction.

People are used to seeing her off her head.” The photographs also show an unidentified person injecting a syringe into Lindsay’s lower back while another one shows Lindsay enjoying a passionate kiss with Paris Hilton. Meanwhile, friends of Lindsay, 24, claim she will enter rehab voluntarily within the next few days, following her release from prison. One told People magazine: “She will step up her treatment and do more than what she was previously ordered to do.” As part of the conditions of her release, Lindsay must wear a SCRAM alcohol monitoring bracelet and avoid places “where alcohol is the chief item of sale”.

The ‘Mean Girls’ star served only 13 days of a 90-day jail term in July for violating the probation terms of a 2007 conviction for driving under influence (DUI) and just 22 days of a 90-day courtordered rehab stint following her release from prison in August.

L

ixie Lott likes to create her own clothes.

The ‘Boys and Girls’ hitmaker believes vintage shops are the best place to go for unique pieces, and enjoys customizing the items she buys. She said: “I find some really cool, unique stuff in vintage shops. The good thing about vintage if that it doesn’t quite fit you can customize it, like, make it shorter. The shorter the better! “And I’ve been wearing a lot of socks and stockings. It’s a bit school-girlie, which I like. “I love chains and headbands, so I put lots of accessories with every outfit. And I like to mix designer pieces, high street and vintage.” The 19-yearold pop star also reveals she loves the style of the 60s because of how “sexy” the clothes from that era in British history were. The singer - who designs a clothing range for UK clothing brand Lipsy - added: “I’ve always loved 60s fashion, it’s so sexy. “I hear it’s going to be big for autumn, so I’ll be wearing lots of that.”

P

said: “Susan knows having stalkers goes with the territory. She’s massively well known so having people interested in her is going to happen.

It’s down to her management to work it out for her. How has someone been able to contact her? “Our family have very serious reservations about whether she has enough security at the moment. She needs protection or it’s a matter of time.” Last year, Susan was “shaken-up” after a stalker turned up at her home. The star was bombarded with strange letters from a US woman, who went to her home in West Lothian, Scotland.

A source said: “This woman is constantly following Susan around the world. It is a middle-aged American woman who has become obsessed with her.”

usan Boyle is being stalked by a crazed fan. The ‘Wild Horses’ singer has been hounded by the man, who has managed to get her phone number and claims to be relative, and now her family are terrified something serious is going to happen. Her brother Gerry told the News of the World newspaper: “He is calling Susan and pretending to be me or other relatives. It’s been going on for a while. Susan knows who I am when I get on the phone. She never mistakes me for him. “There are some weird people around. But this one is stalking her and has got her number. It is serious. Stalkers can become dangerous.” Although Susan, 49, insists she doesn’t need any more protection, Gerry feels her security should be increased. He

he Jonas Brothers aren’t afraid of Justin Bieber’s success. The pop trio - siblings Joe, Kevin and Nick Jonas aren’t worried their fans might start supporting the ‘Baby’ hitmaker instead of them. Kevin said: “I think there is room for everybody. We’re not afraid of anything or worried about anything. We’re just being who we are and making music that we love. We’re proud of the guys that are following their dreams. As long as they’re doing it for the right reasons,

T

we’ll totally support them.” The brothers have always had a lot of female fans, and their girl admirers were seemingly relieved earlier this year to learn that Joe, 21, had split from his singerand-actress girlfriend Demi Lovato. Although they are no longer dating, Joe insists they are close friends and still have a lot of fun together. He said: “Me and Demi, we’ve known each other for a long time. We’re very close friends. We’ve been friends for a long time. “Some things work out, some things don’t. That’s just how it is. It’s always fun working on screen and off stage with Demi. We have a lot of fun.”

Candy man Lionel Richie

S

Jonas Brothers not afraid of Bieber

Monday, September 27, 2010

ionel Richie doesn’t go anywhere without a packet of M&M’s. The ‘Hello’ singer is obsessed with the crispy-shelled sweets and doesn’t like to go anywhere without a bag of the candy. He said: “My guilty pleasure is M&M’s. I always try to have a pack on me.” Lionel also revealed he lived on crisps during his recent visit to London. The 61-year-old musician - who appears in a new TV advert for Walkers crisps - said: “I was living off Walkers crisps for three days when I visited London recently. I hadn’t tried them before and I was like, ‘Wow, what are these?’ “ Lionel is not the only celebrity who carries around his own snacks.

L

Naomi Campbell recently stunned onlookers at a restaurant on the Italian island of Capri when she refused to eat her dinner until her bodyguard brought over her own Jamaican hot sauce. Lady Gaga’s obsession with tea has led to her taking her own cup and saucer everywhere and refusing to drink from anything else.

Tempah makes song for Kelly

Freida inspires Woody reida Pinto believes Woody Allen used her break-up as inspiration for his new movie. The actress - who ended her 16-month relationship with fiance Rohan Antao and began dating her ‘Slumdog Millionaire’ co-star Dev Patel - felt like she was reading account of her own life when she first saw the script for the filmmaker’s latest project ‘You Will Meet A Tall Dark Stranger’. Speaking about the movie in which Freida stars as Dia - she said: “When I walked into Woody’s office and read the scene in the nursery, where Dia confesses for the first time that she has doubts about what she is getting into, I was like, ‘Has someone been reading the gossip magazines to Woody?’ “ The 25-year-old screen beauty believes breaking off her engagement was the best decision she ever made. She explained: “I feel what I did was right. It’s my life and if I didn’t go through it, I wouldn’t be the person I am today, sitting here talking about what happened back then and being a little more knowledgeable about what happens in a relationship.”

F

inie Tempah pays homage to Destiny’s Child with a track on his debut album. The ‘Pass Out’ rapper recorded the duet ‘Invincible’ with Kelly Rowland - who alongside Beyonce Knowles and Michelle Williams made up the definitive line-up of the girl group - for his LP ‘Disc-Overy’ and says it is inspired by the style of the R ‘n’ B group. Tinie exclusively told BANG Showbiz: “She’s like the coolest chick.

The song we do, ‘Invincible’, is a very sort of slow ballad type track, very R ‘n’ B influenced, and it’s basically because I’m a huge Destiny’s Child fan and when I got the opportunity to work with Kelly I was like, ‘Do you know what? We’re going to make a track that’s similar to everything I grew up listening to from you, Beyonce and Michelle.’ “ According to the 21year-old hip-hop artist the song has already received a great reception from fans when he has performed it live. He said: “The track has been a big hit at a lot of my live shows and I can’t wait for people to hear it in full on the album.” Tinie - real name Patrick Chukwuem Okogwu Jr. - also praised Kelly’s down-to-earth nature when she came to the studio to record with him. He added: “Kelly is the most down to earth woman in the world, especially for someone of her status, as someone who’s achieved as much as she has.” ‘Disc-Overy’ wi be

T

SPECTRUM

Monday, September 27, 2010

37

Iran revokes acclaimed director’s filming permit ranian authorities have revoked the filming permit for internationally acclaimed director Asghar Farhadi’s unfinished movie over his support for dissident filmmakers, newspapers reported yesterday. The Shargh newspaper quoted deputy culture minister Javad Shamaqdari as saying that authorities had revoked a permit for “Nader divorces Simin,” which is still in production, because of the director’s “inappropriate” comments at a recent awards ceremony.

“The decision was made over his comments at the ceremony which were not nice. He was given a week to correct his remarks but he did not,” Shamaqdari said. “Those were really inappropriate comments,” the official said, also quoted

by Arman and Tehran Emrouz papers.

I

File picture dated February 21, 2009 shows Iranian director Asghar Farhadi, who won the Silver Bear at the 59th International Berlinale Film Festival for for his film “About Elly”, holding a press conference at Rasaneh cultural center in Tehran.—AFP

“We are trying to be transparent so that people know why a filmmaker is encouraged and another is restricted,” Shamaqdari was quoted as saying.

In a recent Iranian award ceremony Farhadi wished for “change” as he spoke out in favour of actress Golshifteh Farahani and celebrated directors Jafar Panahi, who spent over three months in jail, and Mohsen Makhmalbaf, emigre filmmaker and vocal backer of Iran’s opposition Green Movement. “I hope next year things change in a way that Golshifteh... and Makhmalbaf can easily return. I hope Jafar Panahi can make films. I hope next year will be in no way like these years,” Farhadi reportedly said at the ceremony.

Farhadi, 37, won Berlin festival’s best

director award last year for his broadly popular drama “About Elly,” the story of a woman who vanishes on a weekend outing with friends, setting off a chain of lies to maintain appearances and traditional social mores in Iran’s conservative Islamic society. Farhadi also collected several awards this month at home, at an annual ceremony for Iranian cinema.

The film’s leading actress Golshifteh Farahani infuriated hardliners in Iran by shedding the mandatory Islamic veil abroad at the premier of her first Hollywood appearance “Body of Lies.”

The 27-year-old actress has lived in selfimposed exile in France since leaving Iran about two years ago. By law, Iranian women must wear the Islamic headscarf in public, even outside Iran. Iranian film-

makers must obtain authorisation from the culture ministry before shooting and all artistic productions and books are subject to vetting before release.

Many filmmakers, writers and artists have complained about increased censorship under hardline President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and most backed opposition leader Mir Hossein Mousavi against him in Iran’s June 2009 election.

Ahmadinejad’s disputed victory which the opposition charged was fraudulent sparked mass street protests, plunging Iran into one of its worst political crises since the 1979 Islamic revolution. Iranian authorities jailed Panahi for three months this year over an “unauthorised” film about the unrest amid a crackdown on critics and opposition supporters. —AFP

MINI to party in Beirut nown as the party capital of the Middle East, Beirut is considered one of the liveliest cities in the world. So it comes as no surprise that MINI, the small car with the undeniably big attitude, has chosen the Lebanese capital as the location for an event full of music, fashion, art and design.

To ensure that all MINI enthusiasts across the region have the opportunity to join in the festivities, MINI importers across the GCC have launched an online competition to win tickets to the region’s biggest MINI event of the year as well as plenty of cool goodies.

To participate, GCC residents need to log onto www.MINI-me.com. By answering five questions correctly and getting as many people to vote for them as possible

K

‘Competition on MINIme.com to win a paid three days trip to the region’s hottest event’

until Friday, 8th of October, two lucky individuals from each GCC country will get to celebrate with the iconic brand in Lebanon next month.

A jam-packed program of fun and excitement has been prepared for

Saturday, 23rd October 2010, where winners will have the opportunity to drive MINI models to the historic city of Byblos. And as the sun sets, fashion, design and music by top Lebanese artists, such as the well known band Slutterhouse, will fuse to create an unforgettable evening. Sarah Klippert, MINI Manager for BMW Group Middle East said: “MINI is a brand that champions urban projects, competitions and events that promote creativity, so this event will bring together a mixture of all these elements in a fun, exciting and memorable way. MINI is a cosmopolitan brand so we look forward to welcoming not only competition winners but anyone and everyone around the region who wants to share their love for MINI.”

Abu Dhabi Film Commission announces education day at 2010 circle conference bu Dhabi Film Commission announced yesterday its first Education Day which will take place at the 2010 Circle Conference on Thursday 14th October from 10am to 6pm.

Education Day, which will involve workshops and interactive sessions is designed

A

for students to learn how to create better stories, experience a film crew in action and find out the increasing number of filmmaking opportunities and careers in the UAE. The Circle Conference, to be held in Abu Dhabi from 13th to 15th October, will bring together leading professionals from around the world to discuss the business

and creative elements of film, television and digital media; new approaches to international financing and distribution and the emerging Arab media industry.

On Education Day, ADFC in conjunction with EYE-SQUAD will bring in a basic feature film crew to shoot a scene from an

existing script. Students can investigate most aspects of a film shoot from preproduction design and finance to striking the set. At the same time they will be able to ask questions about the various jobs, careers, enjoyment of work, the craft of filmmaking, crew roles, processes and so on. “We believe in involving the young talented Emirati in building the film industry

Malaysian rapper causes stir with anti-racism YouTube rant

Pictures taken on July 28, 2010 show Malaysian rapper Wee Meng Chee, better known as Namewee, speaks during an interview with AFP at his office in Kuala Lumpur. —AFP

and this great opportunity will create an exciting and unique experience that will help them take the first step towards a filmmaking career.” said Eissa Saif Al Mazrouei, Director of Special Projects at ADACH. Students will also work with Melbourne International Film Festival Chair Claire Dobbin, who serves as a script advisor and editor with development agencies, writers and producers in Australia New Zealand, the UK and Germany and was the Senior Development Executive at the Australian Film Commission. ADFC is also inviting UAE production companies, broadcasters and institutions offering skills training, internships, scholarships and production funds to take 5 to 10 minutes each to explain what they can offer graduating students. “There has never been a better time in the UAE for students who want careers in film and Television,” said ADFC Director David Shepheard. “Education Day at the Circle Conference joins the growing slate of initiatives that ADFC has launched to help promote regional talent, and reflects our ongoing commitment to connect emerging filmmakers with leading professionals from around the world.”

Seats are limited to 200 and Students must register online at www.film.gov.ae. The 2010 Circle Conference is being held concurrently with the opening of Abu Dhabi Film Festival, which takes place from 14 23rd October, 2010.

By Beh Lih Yi n ethnic Chinese rapper who enraged authorities with a profanity-strewn anti-racism rant on YouTube says he was only trying to speak out against discrimination in multiracial Malaysia. Wee Meng Chee, 27, better known as Namewee to his fans, was hauled in for a police grilling last month over the clip which saw him accused of stirring up ethnic tensions-a taboo in a country where race is a sensitive issue. In the threeminute rap titled “Nah”, Wee used obscene language to bitterly criticise a Muslim Malay headmistress who is accused of making racial slurs against her ethnic Chinese and Indian students.

“My purpose is to stand up against racism,” insisted the flamboyant rapper, who sports a beanie hat and baggy shorts, and who has developed a cult following among young Malaysians who have a growing political awareness. His

A

official Facebook page has more than 340,000 followers, and his songs have had more than 600,000 hits on YouTube.

“Regardless of what I did was right or wrong, whether you like it or not, I am just giving you an extra choiceyou can choose not to watch it,” Wee said. The rapper, who began writing songs at 15 and graduated with a mass communications degree from a Taiwanese university, first made national headlines in 2007 over another YouTube clip mocking the national anthem.

Authorities condemned the performance as seditious, and pulled him in for what would be the first of three police interrogations during his short career. The parody touched on abuse of power, corruption, government bureaucracy and controversial positive discrimination policies designed to advance Muslim Malays who dominate the population. Wee apologized for that incident, and escaped charges. —AFP

WEILL to board a Technicolor

Autumn/ Winter 2010 in style EILL invites you to board a Technicolor Autumn/ Winter 2010 in style with rich and soft materials. An atmosphere of hot colours in contrast with lovely soft and cosy shades. Enchanting red in partner with black bright fuschia diffused plain, in a print, chinced and stripped... Delicious Powder pink contrasting with black intense blue, black and cream.

The coral warms the camel then the sparkling metallic grey or subdued greys

W

are beautifully isolated the browns and beige’s add a chic and sophisticated aspect.

Camels and blacks are reassuring Plain blacks alone play with the shimmers and shines of luxurious dressy materials. The rich fabrics reinforce the modern “ Couture “ allure: * Draperies, wool’s and Jerseys are pure softness, composed mainly of cashmere, alpaca, silk

* Silks on satin, mousse lines fall sensually * Reinforced double-crepes permit impeccable modern structured cuts The accessories on the clothing underline more than ever that sought after femininity: pearls, strass etc... Furs warm up the coats and the anoracks.

Through the joint mixtures of colour variations, creative materials and revisited styles, subtle associations can therefore be infinitely created.

38

SPECTRUM

Monday, September 27, 2010

Models display creations as part of Emilio Pucci spring-summer 2011 ready-to-wear collection on September 25, 2010 during the Women’s fashion week in Milan. — AFP

By Gina Doggett milio Pucci brought bohemian charm to Milan Fashion Week on Saturday with Rajasthan mirrors and gladiator boots, as Max Mara and Jil Sanders turned on the brights. The Pucci show by designer Peter Dundas held off until Kylie Minogue took her seat among top fashionistas Anna Wintour and Suzy Menkes, plus Philippine blogger sensation Bryanboy. Just as quickly, the models came out in their floor-length gowns, cleavage peeking out through leather laces, tie-dyes recalling hippy days, Rajasthan mirrors glittering or Greek motifs sealing in a classical look.

Natural leather boots travelled up above the knee, still with the open lacing suggesting do-ityourself sizing for the spring/summer 2011 season. Earlier Saturday, Max Mara proposed confident lemon yellow, red, orange and violet in close-fitting, long-sleeved knit tops tucked into matching mid-length shorts or slightly flared trousers ending above the ankle. Mixing colours was allowed, but only in solid swathes or in a narrow belt.

Models’ backs were much in evidence in braless cutaways or halter tops. A couple of black-and-white creations stood out against all the color, including a striped jacket with large lapels bearing the motif in diagonal, over matching panties offering the curvy version. Then Jil Sander’s Raf Simons turned on the power, proposing shocking pink, electric blue and, by his own admission, “toxic” green, yellow and orange in a collection in which colors, not couture, were in charge. Simple white T-shirts were the foil to fluorescent floor-length skirts or culottes with minimal tailoring, their drawstring waists sometimes topped with day-glo orange ruffles.

The body hid under “super-sized” dresses or trousers, “oversized” blousons and windbreakers. Tailored jackets entered the scene in some

E

layered creations alternating the fluorescent colors in raincoat, vest and shirt atop stovepipe trousers in day-glo pink or yellow. Next to these outfits, an ensemble pairing a top alternating vertical black and transparent stripes with a skirt featuring horizontal pink and white ones looked positively tame. Bottega Veneta achieved the opposite, with neutral colors such as grey, beige, milky white or cream, grey and blue-black underpinning a look described as “unobtrusive sophistication.”

Materials were typically varied and subtly combined, such as in a silk and leather dress overlain with fine chainmail. A black “liquid jersey” dress was embroidered with titanium, while embroidery also featured in cotton and linen silk shirts. Blumarine meanwhile used a leopard spot motif to unify a collection full of youthful abandon. The motif appeared on pink, turquoise, pistachio in silk jersey and chiffon crepon dresses and caftans inspired by the butterfly, with extra long sleeves or scarves trailing behind the models.

Diminutive blonde designer Anna Molinari, rather than offering the usual discreet wave from the far end of the catwalk, strutted almost the whole way down, accepting a bouquet of roses along the way. Emporio Armani’s “fancy girl”, for her part, will be wearing a narrow stretch tulle skirt under her short flared dress next spring, an alternative to the more boyish leggings.

The underskirt stretching to well below the knees, gathered at the sideseams for a slight draping effect, appeared under layered frocks or classic Armani voile dresses as an extra tier, atop two-tone canvas and nappa ankle boots. Casual bermudas came in satin; ruffles were in horizontal layers on blouses, vertical up the side seams of trousers for a fluttery look. As with Bottega Veneta, the palette was understated: light grey and sandy beige, with flashes of metallic green, only giving way to watermelon red for “coup de theatre” evening wear.—AFP

Models display creations as part of Max Mara spring-summer 2011 ready-to-wear collection.

— AP/AFP

Models show creations part of the Jil Sander Spring-Summer 2011 fashion collection.

Models display creations as part of Bottega Veneta spring-summer 2011 ready-to-wear collection.

Monday, September 27, 2010

Models on parade during the finale at the Versace Spring-Summer 2011 fashion collection, during the fashion week in Milan, Italy, — AP

By Gersende Rambourg he fashion roadshow rolls into Paris this week, after glamour stops in Milan, New York and London, with faces old and new sending down the catwalks their women’s ready-to-wear looks for spring/summer.Ninety-one catwalk shows in the official diary alone will keep the fashion crowd on its toes for nine days starting Tuesday, without counting the off-calendar and showroom events favoured by many smaller designers.

Once the day is done, Paris is also set for a burst of extravagant partying, with fashion magazines and

T

brands competing to attract the in-crowd to a string of late night events-a way of drawing a line under the economic slowdown. For the first time in close to two decades, the Paris shows are deserting their traditional venue under the Louvre Museum, for a giant tent set up at the foot of the Grand Palais, a vast domed exhibition hall near the River Seine.

Four rooms nestled under the Louvre pyramid long formed the nerve centre of the Paris ready-towear shows, hosting up to eight shows a day. But the jump in event numbers, and designers’ growing taste for offbeat locations meant fashion week had started to outgrow the Louvre location, and this year shows

39

SPECTRUM

Italian fashion designer Giorgio Armani poses for a photo with models at the end of Emporio Armani spring-summer 2011 ready-to-wear collection. — AP/AFP photos

will be spread across venues on both sides of the Seine.

Day one, as dictated by tradition, will put the spotlight on young designers: Aganovich, from London, and Anthony Vaccarello who was singled out for attention by Vogue’s influential doorstep-thick September issue.

But from then on all fashionista eyes will be on a quatuor of classic houses-Balenciaga, Balmain, Celine and Givenchy-that have received a burst of fresh energy with the arrival of talented new designers. At 88, Pierre Cardin is returning to the catwalks after a long absence, while fresh faces coming to Paris

include the US designer Zac Posen, 29, and the New York-based duo Proenza Schouler, receiving on invitation-only.

Kenzo is marking its 40th birthday with a show at Paris’ Winter Circus. Other people to watch include Sarah Burton, who stepped up to replace Alexander McQueen following his suicide in February, and who is unveiling her first collection to the Paris crowd.

Britain’s Giles Deacon is also showcasing his first collection for Ungaro while Jean-Paul Gaultier-with perhaps a touch of nostalgia-will unveil his last for Hermes, where he is handing over to Christophe Lemaire.

A Japanese trio-Junya Watanabe who claims US First Lady Michelle Obama among his fans, Issey Miyake and Johji Yamamoto-join forces with Australia’s Collette Dinningham to defend Asia’s colours in the world capital of fashion. And French designer Roland Mouret who has bought back the rights to his own name, held since 2005 by his former financial partners, will show an eponymous collection-dropping the “RM by Roland Mouret” tag of past seasons. The spring/summer 2011 fashion shows wrap up on Wednesday October 6 with collections by Hermes, Vuitton and Miu Miu, Prada’s line launched to woo the young and wealthy crowd. — AFP

www.kuwaittimes.net

American wins dumplings at karaoke worlds

By Jim Heintz he karaoke world’s newest star is about to find out if Russian dumplings are good for the throat-he won a million of them at the Karaoke World Championships. Edward Pimentel, a telephone company technician from Albuquerque, New Mexico, got the unusual prize after the audience at the competition in a Moscow banquet hall voted him their favorite early

T

yesterday for his dapper and assured R-and-B performances.

He chose Usher’s “DJ’s Got Us Fallin’ In Love” for his final-round song. Organizers said the dumplings are enough to last 27 years if someone eats 100 of them a day.

A panel of judges chose two Finns as the male and female champions-Sam Moudden and Maria Saarimaa-Ylitalo. They were awarded karaoke machines.

Moudden, sharply dressed in Rat

Pack style, performed “Je Suis Malade” and the purple-gowned Saarimaa-Ylitalo sang Celine Dion’s “I Surrender.” Two singers who stretched karaoke’s boundaries beyond the usual pop favorites placed second. Fedor Rytikov, a gastroenterologist by day, advanced to the finals with the “Nessum Dorma” aria from “Turandot,” then stayed with Italian music for the final with “L’Immensita.” Russia’s Julia Kurileva was second with the

most adventurous choice of the night-the wordless and eerie wailing of Pink Floyd’s “Great Gig In The Sky.” Tami Marie, also of Albuquerque, placed third among the women and Austria’s Georg Duschlbauer was third among the men. Amateur singers from 16 countries took part in the threeday competition, the eighth world championships for the art form that’s risen from a barroom recreation to a worldwide phenomenon. —AP

Edward Pimentel of the United States performing Usher’s ‘DJ’s Got Us Fallin’ In Love’ at the Karaoke World Championships in Moscow, Russia, late Saturday.

The second prize winner in the women’s category Julia Kurileva of Russia performing Pink Floyd’s ‘Great Gig In The Sky.’ —AP photos

(From left) Winners Maria Saarimaa-Ylitalo and Sam Moudden both of Finland, react after they won at the Karaoke World Championships. Moudden, sharply dressed in Rat Pack style, performed ‘Je Suis Malade’ and the purple-gowned Saarimaa-Ylitalo sang Celine Dion’s ‘I Surrender.’

The second prize winners Julia Kurileva (left) and Fedor Rytikov of Russia seen at the Karaoke World Championships.

New luxury train travels from Moscow to French Riviera

By Laetitia Peron m on holiday! I can allow myself to waste 53 hours, and there will be some lovely countryside,” said one passenger aboard a new luxury train on its maiden voyage from Moscow to the French Riviera. Embarking Thursday on the two day journey to Nice, Rafael Kazansky joked: “I’ll spend 40 hours out of 53 sleeping. The other 13, I’ll spend talking to you, then going to the restaurant and having some coffees.” The

“I’

Christian Estrosi mayor of Nice (right) welcomes a passenger of a new luxury train running between Moscow and Nice, after the arrival at the Nice-ville station on September 25, 2010. —AFP

48-year-old businessman, equipped with an iPad, said he was more used to air travel than the slower pace of the train, which pulled in to Nice on Saturday evening.

The red-and-grey striped train owned by Russian Railways (RzhD) is largely aimed at passengers with a taste for luxury. Only one of the 12 carriages is second class, while six are reserved for first class and three are defined as “luxury class.”

The train also boasts two dining cars. They are furnished with plush carpets and repro-

ductions of paintings by the French master Matisse.

Individual compartments have private showers, toilets and televisions, to ensure passenger comfort over the 3,300-kilometre (2,050-mile) journey.

The train stops at 22 stations, cutting across Europe via Minsk, Warsaw, the Czech Republic, Vienna and Milan, before reaching its final destination in France’s Cote D’Azur, a sunny clime that has drawn wealthy Russians tourists for centuries. The rail route ran from the late

19th century until the outbreak of World War II, often catering to members of the Russian imperial family during the Tsarist era.

A Russian Orthodox cathedral that stands proudly in the centre of Nice, built in the early 20th century, is the largest outside Russia.

“Everything is good, everything is comfortable,” Yelena Romeika, an elderly woman travelling in the train’s luxury class, told AFP. “Everything has been done for the passengers’ well-being.”

Making no secret of the

train’s target clientele, a representative of the French railway company SNCF hailed the route as a return to the splendour of an earlier century. “We need to start thinking again about the luxury trains of bygone days, like the Orient Express,” Frederic Parde said.

“We expect that the Russians will be quite a rich clientele,” he said, adding that the price range on tickets was fairly wide and that prices on cheaper seats would be be comparable to air ticket costs. —AFP

Luxury yachts fly the green flag

By Audrey Stuart uxury yachts that whisk their millionaire owners or charter guests to the world’s top beauty spots, guzzling gallons of fuel on the way, have long scraped the bottom of the green league tables. But as superyachts converged on the Riviera for this year’s 20th Monaco Yacht Show, a small but determined minority were flying the green flag as the ever expanding fleet of mega yachts seeks to reduce its carbon footprint.

Paolo Moretti, who heads the yachting division of Italy’s ship certification body RINA, told AFP interest in environmental topics has spiked in the yachting sector over the last five years. “Luxury yachts have big budgets but owners now not only want to excel in terms of comfort and luxury but also in environmental sustainability,” he said. The influential fourday show that opened Wednesday in the tiny, glitzy principality attracted an exceptional turnout of some 100 superyachts of up to 90 meters (300 feet) in length.

Among the 28,000-plus participants crammed into Monaco’s horseshoeshaped port, there were some 500 firms involved in the design, paint, engines and waste disposal for the superyachts. And many of them are working on how to make yachting more sustainable.

“Motivation is coming from all sides and some owners are really deeply concerned by environmental issues, particularly the more technically-minded owners,” said Luc Khaldoun, commercial director Europe at Fraser Yachts Monaco. One newly-launched sea-giant-Exuma-had its green ambitions on full display.

The first of a new series of Vitruvius motor yachts built by Italy’s Pichiotti

L

A picture, taken on September 22, 2010 at Port Hercules in the principality of Monaco, shows luxurious yachts gathered during the International Monaco Yacht Show. —AFP

and Perini Navi, Exuma was designed by Philippe Briand, famous for his cuttingedge sailing yachts. The spectacular 50metre vessel, which can accommodate 10 guests and eight crew, boasts an unusual aluminum hull, whose lighter weight is designed to slash fuel consumption, explained the boat’s captain, Adolfo Oria.

“The design of the yacht, which is narrower and sleeker than most motor yachts, has the same performance efficiency of sail boats,” he said. Exuma’s innovation won it the show’s Green Plus Yacht Award 2010, which was presented Friday by eco-campaigner Prince Albert to its Monaco-resident owner.

Short of a design revolution, one of the easiest ways for the green-minded millionaire to reduce his yacht’s carbon footprint today is to sign up to a yacht carbon offset scheme. “Interest (in carbon offsetting) is growing all the time,” according to Mark Robinson, managing director of a service called Yacht Carbon Offset, whose list of clients from the Middle East, Russia and Europe reaches into three figures.

The principle of offsetting is straightforward: a yacht’s greenhouse gas emissions are quantified and then balanced by equivalent emissions reductions from carefully-selected green energy projects around the world. Yachts using the service include Lionheart, Candyscape II and RoMa as well as the recentlylaunched 57.7-metre sailing ketch Twizzle, whose owner also chose to offset the carbon footprint from the energy and main materials used in the boat’s construction. Until now, yachting lagged behind other sectors in terms of environmental awareness, for two reasons, according to Khaldoun. —AFP